Psalms 141, King James Version
Chuck Smith on Psalms 141
Verse by verse, taught on Sunday nights: the C2000 series, 1979 to 1985, and the C3000 series, 1985 to 1999. Permission granted by The Word For Today.
Sunday Nights, 1979 to 1985 (C2000)
Chapter introduction
Psalm 141 is another psalm of David.
Verses 1–2
LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice (141:1-2).
Now here David actually begins to spiritualize the offerings of the Old Testament. As he asks the Lord, "And let my prayer be set before Thee as incense." Now incense being offered in the tabernacle, and later in the temple, were actually symbols of prayer. The smoke of the incense, the sweet odor arising symbolized the prayers of the saints coming before God as a sweet smelling incense. In other words, God loving and enjoying the prayers of the saints.
In the New Testament, the book of Revelation, chapter 5, when Jesus takes the scroll out of the right hand of the Father who sits upon the throne, the twenty-four elders come forth with little golden vials, bowls, that are filled with odors, the scriptures said, which are the prayers of the saints and they offer them before the throne of God. So much as you have in the Old Testament the priest offering the incense in these little bowls swinging from the chain before the altar, so we have it happening in heaven, which, of course, is correct because the earthly tabernacle was a model of the heavenly scene.
God over and over said to Moses, "Now be sure you make it exactly according to the specifications that I gave you because," the Lord declared, "this is a model of heaven." So the priest offering the little golden bowl with the incense and the smoke before the altar of the Lord, the mercy seat there, is symbolic of what happens in heaven as the twenty-four elders offer their incense before the throne. So David is saying now, "Let my prayer, Lord, just be as incense unto Thee. And the lifting up of my hands, let it be just like an evening sacrifice." It's just the lifting up of my hands in worship unto the Lord.
Verse 3
Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; and keep the door of my lips (141:3).
Oh, yes, Lord, please. How many things I've said that I'd have like to have taken them back before they were even completely out of my mouth. But once spoken, there's no retracting. "God, set a watch before my mouth; keep the door of my lips."
Verses 4–5
Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties. Let the righteous smite me; it will be kindness: let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities (141:4-5).
"Let the righteous smite me, Lord." That's good for me. That's a kindness. The Bible says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend" (Proverbs 27:6). Sometimes it's necessary to talk to our friends about personal issues that are hurting. And they hurt when you talk about, but it's faithful as the wounds of a friend. That's kindness.
Verses 6–10
When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet. Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cuts and splits wood upon the earth. But my eyes are upon thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute. Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and from the traps of the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while that I entirely escape (141:6-10).
Sunday Nights, 1985 to 1999 (C3000)
Chapter introduction
The one hundred and forty-first psalm is a short little psalm and a prayer of David.
Verse 1
LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee (141:1).
Lord I’m crying unto you, listen to me. Hurry Lord. Have you ever thought that maybe God was moving too slow? I thought to give God deadlines because if he doesn’t come through by Friday afternoon I’m going to have to do something about it. Lord, you have until Friday to work and if you don’t work by then, Lord, I’m just going to have take over. I have found that often times God doesn’t meet my deadlines. I get very disturbed when he misses my deadlines. Lord, I gave you a chance, you had your chance. You could’ve worked, I gave you a chance.
Mary and Martha were worried because their brother Lazarus was so sick. They sent a message to Jesus who was down at the Jordan River with his disciples. The letter said, “Come quickly, the one you love is dying”. The scripture said that when Jesus received the message he stayed there at the Jordan River for two days with his disciples. Then he said unto them, “Let’s make a journey to Bethany that we might see Lazarus”. Now from Jordan to Bethany is a two day journey, remember they are walking. By the time Jesus was approaching Bethany, Lazarus had already died and been buried four days earlier. Jesus missed the deadline, he’s too late. The body has already deteriorated and smells by now.
When word came to Mary and Martha as they were gathered with their friends and in that period of mourning, they mourn for thirty days for the death of a loved one by culture traditions, someone came in and said, “Jesus and the disciples are coming up the road”. Martha left the other mourners, went running down the road towards Jericho till she caught up with Jesus. When she did she sort of rebuked him saying, “Lord, if you only would have been here my brother wouldn’t have died”. She was upset, he missed the deadline. “Why didn’t you come quickly like we asked you to? Lord where were you when we needed you? It’s too late, If you only would have been here”. Jesus said, “Your brother will live again”. “Yes, I know in the last day of the great resurrection”. “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believeth on me though he were dead shall he live and he that live and believe in me he shall never die. Don’t you believe this Martha?” “Yes Lord, I believe”. “Where did you bury him?” “Come on, I’ll show you”.
When they came to the tomb he said, “Roll back the stone”. “Oh no Lord. It smells pretty bad by now. He’s been there for four days”. They rolled back the stone and Jesus said, “Lazarus, come on out of there”. Lazarus came hoping out still wrapped in his grave clothes. Someone said it was good that Jesus said Lazarus come out because if he just said come out of there then the whole place would have emptied.
Too late? No, too late to meet Martha’ schedule but not too late to do his work. In fact, the work that he did was really a much greater work than just the healing of a sick man. If he had just been there in time to bring Lazarus out of the sickness everyone would have said, “He probably would have gotten over it in a day or so anyhow, you know he was looking better”. When the guy has been buried for four days, it’s awfully hard then to say, “He would have gotten better”. Too late, my time schedule.
I often say to the Lord to hurry up, hurry when I cry unto you. I’m not always that quick to respond when he cries to me. I say “Give me time now. I want to think about this”. It’s interesting isn’t it; we are slow to respond to him but boy when we call to him we want him to jump.
Verse 2
Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; (141:2).
In the book of Revelation chapter five John there in the heavenly scene observes the goings on, the father sitting on the throne with a scroll in his right hand with seven seals and the angel proclaims, “Who is worthy to take this scroll and brake these seals?” John said “There was no one worthy in heaven or earth to take the scroll or to even to look upon it and I began to weep because no one could take the scrolls and loose the seals”. Then the elder said, “Don’t weep John for behold the lion of the tribe of Judah had prevailed to take the scroll and to break the seals”. He said, “I turned and I saw him as a lamb that had been slaughtered and he stepped forth and took the book out of the hand of him who sat upon the throne”. When he did the twenty-four elders came forth with their little golden bowls that were filled with odors, which were the prayers of the saints.
When the priest would go into the tabernacle or into the temple he would go before the altar with these little golden bowls that had the incense. They would take the coals from off of the altar where they offered the sacrifices. He would take coals and put incense in these little golden bowls and then they would take these coals and they would put them on the incense and this sweet smoke would rise. He would go in before the altar and he would swing these little golden bowls that were filled with the odors or fragrance of the incense that would rise as a symbol of the sweetness of the prayers of God’s people as the arise to the father. Our prayers are liken unto sweet incense. God receives your prayers as a sweet aroma. So David is praying here that his prayer might be set before him as incense.
In the eighth chapter of Revelation verse two,
“I saw seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand” (Revelation 8:2-4).
The prayers of God’s people being associated with incense, that sweet aroma coming up to God. How God loves the prayers of his children. He receives them as a sweet fragrance.
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice (141:2).
Offering unto God the sacrifice of praise, the lifting of my hands being a form of the evening sacrifice. Then the prayer of David.
Verse 3
Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips (141:3).
How many times have you said to yourself “I wish I had not have said that”? The tragic thing about words is that it’s hard to retract them once they are out. The damage is already. It’s awfully hard to go back and retract once you have spouted off.
Verse 4
Incline not my heart to any evil thing, (141:4).
Don’t let my heart be turned towards anything that’s evil. Keep me pure.
Verses 4–5
Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties. Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: (141:4-5).
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend”. If I’m rebuked by the righteous because of what I’ve done that’s good, let them smite me Lord.
Verse 5
and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities (141:5).
David is praying that the judgment, the rebukes or the reproofs will come not from the wicked but from the righteous because with the righteous bringing rebuke there is always that side of mercy not of condemnation. If God should call you to go and to help someone who is slipping in the way, don’t go with a self-righteous, pompous, holier than thou, how could you do that brother attitude. Paul said, “If a brother is overtaken in a fall, you who are spiritual restore him in the spirit of meekness considering yourself lest also you be tempted”. So the rebuke of the righteous is healing oil. It’s like pouring oil over the wound helping it to heal, to nullify. Thus anytime we are called to that ministry of going out to lift a brother who has fallen, do so with love and with mercy. Go with a purpose of restoring not of cutting down or smashing him in.
Verse 6
When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet (141:6).
Speak kindness to them, comfort to them.
Picturesque speech here, see if you can get the picture.
Verse 7
Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth (141:7).
Have you ever chopped wood and the chips fly all over the place, so our bones are scattered.
Verse 8
But mine eyes are unto thee, (141:8).
He’s just talking about the distress. I feel like I’m all broken up. My life is just scattered, it’s fractured, it’s a mess but Lord I am looking to you. That’s such an important thing, when your life is a mess and it looks like things are not coming together and like it’s hopeless, how important to turn our eyes to the Lord.
Verse 9
in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute. Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins [traps] of the workers of iniquity (141:9).
Lord, keep out of the snare of the enemy who is seeking to snare the child of God.
Verse 10
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape (141:10).
I don’t blame him, I agree.
Father we thank You for David, for his relationship with You, for the honesty with which he was able express himself his feelings, his heart. Because of that honesty Lord, we find ourselves easily identifying with David for we too go through the same kind of trials in this life. As we try to live for You and we seek to live a pure and holy life, we find Lord that there are those who do wickedly and they would like to destroy us and they set traps and do their best to bring us down to their level. Lord, we know that You preserve the righteous and that You will keep us as we keep our eyes upon You. Lord, help us to understand fully how powerful You are, how wise You are and how loving You are. In Jesus’ name, Amen.