A psalm of David. 

 

David wrote psalms 138-145. These songs would be performed at the Jewish festivals.

 

143:1 O Lord, hear my prayer! Pay attention to my plea for help! Because of your faithfulness and justice, answer me! 

 

David asked Jehovah to listen to his prayer.

 

143:2 Do not sit in judgment on your servant, for no one alive is innocent before you. 

 

Everyone in the history of the earth has sinned against Jehovah. If a person sins (willful sin), then he has sinned against God. If a person has a bad thought (thought sin), then he has sinned against God. If a person does not do the will of God (sin of omission), then he has sinned against God. Man was created to glorify God, not sin against God. Either sin will keep the people out of the Bible, or the Bible will keep people out of sin. 

 

It is important to note that those who do not feed themselves the Bible on a daily basis with be too weak to conquer their sin nature. They will be too weak to enter into the angelic conflict. Demons will ignore them, because the apathy of immature believers will keep them out of the angelic conflict.

 

143:3 Certainly my enemies chase me. They smash me into the ground. They force me to live in dark regions, like those who have been dead for ages. 

 

In David’s days, caves were used to bury the dead. The enemies of David were forcing him to hide in these caves of the dead. 

 

143:4 My strength leaves me; I am absolutely shocked. 

 

David was cold, hungry, and alone in the caves. He was losing his strength.

 

143:5 I recall the old days; I meditate on all you have done; I reflect on your accomplishments. 

 

David remembered the days when he was a shepherd boy. In the fields, he was able to meditate upon God’s accomplishments. Now, King Saul declared him a national criminal accused of treason.

 

143:6 I spread my hands out to you in prayer; my soul thirsts for you in a parched land. 

 

David was not only physically thirsty, but he was spiritually thirsty as well.

 

143:7 Answer me quickly, Lord! My strength is fading. Do not reject me, or I will join those descending into the grave. 

 

David was dying, so he asked Jehovah to answer his prayer quickly.

 

143:8 May I hear about your loyal love in the morning, for I trust in you. Show me the way I should go, because I long for you. 

 

David prayed for another day of life so that he could hear about God’s loyal love.

 

143:9 Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord! I run to you for protection. 

 

David asked God to rescue him from his enemies. David was living day by day in the burial caves, praying for food, shelter, clothing, and protection. He was praying just to live another day. When one studies and applies Bible doctrine at the deepest level, then he will experience these same kinds of demonically-inspired experiences as David. The satanic world system will use all of its resources to bring down the mature believer so that he cannot apply the Bible doctrine in which he has learned. This is why it is so important to study the entire counsel of the Word of God at the deepest level.

 

143:10 Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God. May your kind presence lead me into a level land. 

 

David asked God to teach him how to please God. Believers can please God by studying and applying Bible doctrine at the deepest level.

 

143:11 O Lord, for the sake of your reputation, revive me! Because of your justice, rescue me from trouble! 

 

God promised David that he would one day be king. Therefore, David asked God to save him from his enemies and fulfill this promise. David was immortal until this prophecy was fulfilled.

 

143:12 As a demonstration of your loyal love, destroy my enemies! Annihilate all who threaten my life, for I am your servant. 

 

If God loved David with a loyal love, then God would fulfill the Davidic Covenant, save David from his enemies, and make David the King of Israel.