The plea of former prayer.
Associating this psalm with David, Spurgeon thinks we have here "David under suspicion, half afraid to speak lest he should speak unadvisedly while trying to clear himself; David slandered and beset by enemies; David censured even by saints, and taking it kindly; David deploring the condition of the godly party, of whom he was the acknowledged head; David waiting upon God with confident expectation." The point before us now is brought out by the Revised Version, which renders thus: "Lord I have called upon thee; make haste unto me: give ear unto my voice, when I call unto thee." The psalmist uses as a plea the fact that he had called upon God. But his precise thought seems to be, that the prayer he had offered still remained unanswered, and he must therefore offer it again, and even more earnestly. So there are two topics which may be unfolded and illustrated.
I. ANSWERED FORMER PRAYERS ARE AN EFFECTIVE PLEA. And a store of these every good man holds in loving memory. "This poor man cried, and the Lord heard, and saved him out of all his troubles;" "Verily God hath heard me." Every true life, when looked back upon, is seen to be full of Jehovah-jireh pillars erected as memorials of answered prayer. These become a plea in fresh prayer, because they are
We trust God to heed us because he has heeded us; and his ways with us have revealed to us what he is, the "prayer-answering God."
II. UNANSWERED FORMER PRAYERS ARE AN EFFECTIVE PLEA. The psalmist has prayed about some particular need. The prayer is still unanswered. On some this might act depressingly, and they might pray no more. This psalmist watches unto prayer. Delay does its intended work, and excites importunity. Because the answer has not come, he must pray again, and even plead that he is anxiously awaiting the answer. Illustrated by the Syro-phoenician woman.—R.T.