For the music director; a psalm of David.
David wrote Psalms 138-145. He wrote this song for the musical director of the Levites. These songs would be performed at the Jewish festivals which all Jewish males were required to attend three times per year. The obedient Jewish males usually took their entire families with them. The purposes of these three national vacations were to worship God, visit family, and receive mental rest and relaxation. The vacations of the Mosaic Law glorified God and refreshed families.
140:1 O Lord, rescue me from wicked men! Protect me from violent men, 140:2 who plan ways to harm me. All day long they stir up conflict.
David prayed that God would rescue him from wicked men who were attempting to harm him.
140:3 Their tongues wound like a serpent; a viper’s venom is behind their lips. (Selah)
The Egyptian cobra was one of the most poisonous snakes of the Middle East. The tongues of these wicked men were extremely dangerous and toxic. James also commented that the tongues of Christians were extremely dangerous. The point of the Book of James is that Christians need to learn how to tame their tongues and get them under control. The tongue is just as destructive as any atom bomb. It can ruin a man’s reputation, his career, and his life. David asked the congregation to meditate and think about this Biblical concept.
140:4 O Lord, shelter me from the power of the wicked! Protect me from violent men, who plan to knock me over.
David asked God to protect him from violent men who wanted to kill him. David was the anointed king of God, so this could have been a satanic conspiracy to destroy the messianic seed.
140:5 Proud men hide a snare for me; evil men spread a net by the path; they set traps for me. (Selah)
Evil men were setting up traps for David. He was a man after God’s own heart. He was one of the few kings in history who was studying, applying, and even writing Bible doctrine. He was a marked man. The satanic world system was doing their best to bring him down. David asked the congregation to meditate and think about his situation.
140:6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.” O Lord, pay attention to my plea for mercy!
David asked God to pay attention to his prayer of mercy.
140:7 O sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle.
God is sovereign over all of history, including the life of David. David asked God to become his shield.
140:8 O Lord, do not let the wicked have their way! Do not allow their plan to succeed when they attack! (Selah)
David asked God to stop these wicked men from harming him, or possibly assassinating him.
140:9 As for the heads of those who surround me— may the harm done by their lips overwhelm them!
David asked that the poisonous words of these evil men would backfire and poison them instead.
140:10 May he rain down fiery coals upon them! May he throw them into the fire! From bottomless pits they will not escape.
David asked God to rain down fire and brimstone against his enemies. David asked God to kill them and send them to hell.
The New Testament principle of revenge is a little different. Believers should follow the instruction in Romans 12:19–21, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if your enemy hungers, then feed him; if he thirsts, then give him drink: for in doing so you will heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Believers do not need to think about revenge. They can trust God to avenge them. Paul’s advice was to make one’s enemies their friends by sharing the Gospel.
140:11 A slanderer will not endure on the earth; calamity will hunt down a violent man and strike him down.
Those who possess and use a wicked tongue are not going to survive. Their lies will finally become public and bring them down. Satan was a liar from the beginning. His followers will fall in the same way. Someday they will all be exposed as liars.
140:12 I know that the Lord defends the cause of the oppressed and vindicates the poor.
When the members of the satanic world system oppresses those who are righteous, then God will come to the aid of His children. Those living in poverty can trust in God to provide their needs.
140:13 Certainly the godly will give thanks to your name; the morally upright will live in your presence.
The “godly” are those who study and apply Bible doctrine at the deepest level. They know God’s character so they will praise Him. One cannot be “morally uptight” unless they know and apply bible doctrine.
Fragmented believers do not have enough Bible doctrine to know what is right or what is wrong. They destroy themselves, or become ineffective in the angelic conflict, because they do not have enough Bible doctrine to know the difference between divine good and human good. Divine good builds the kingdom of God. Human good is dirty menstrual rags to God, because it builds the satanic world system. Many times, they will think that they are dong good but they are actually doing the opposite. When Paul was persecuting Christians, he thought that he was performing God’s work. The Lord Jesus had to blind him on the Damascus Road to get his attention and send him back down the narrow road.