I Will…

A Psalm of David.

1 I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
    to you, O LORD, I will make music.
2 I will ponder the way that is blameless.
    Oh when will you come to me?
I will walk with integrity of heart
    within my house;
3 I will not set before my eyes
    anything that is worthless.
I hate the work of those who fall away;
    it shall not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart shall be far from me;
    I will know nothing of evil.

5 Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly
    I will destroy.
Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart
    I will not endure.

6 I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
    that they may dwell with me;
he who walks in the way that is blameless
    shall minister to me.

7 No one who practices deceit
    shall dwell in my house;
no one who utters lies
    shall continue before my eyes.

8 Morning by morning I will destroy
    all the wicked in the land,
cutting off all the evildoers
    from the city of the LORD. – Psalm 101:1-8 ESV

After a lengthy pause, the psalter picks back up with the psalms of David, the famous king of Israel whom God deemed “a man after his heart” (1 Samuel 13:14 ESV). David had been God's handpicked successor for Saul, the first king of Israel, who had proven unfaithful and disobedient. The people of Israel recognized that their demand to be like all the other nations (1 Samuel 8:19-20) and have a human king to rule over them had produced less-than-satisfactory results.

Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the LORD told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’”

So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the LORD with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel.

David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all. He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years. – 2 Samuel 5:1-3 NLT

In one of his psalms, Asaph recorded God’s selection of David and described why the Lord had deemed this young man to be the right man for the job.

He chose his servant David,
    calling him from the sheep pens.
He took David from tending the ewes and lambs
    and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—
    God’s own people, Israel.
He cared for them with a true heart
    and led them with skillful hands. – Psalm 78:70-72 NLT

This psalm provides a glimpse into David’s “true heart” as he reveals his intentions to serve God with integrity, honesty, and a selfless commitment to His will. Notice how many times David begins a sentence with the words, “I will…”

I will sing of your love and justice, Lord.

I will praise you with songs.

I will be careful to live a blameless life…

I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.

I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar.

I will have nothing to do with those who deal wickedly.

I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.

I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors.

I will not endure conceit and pride.

I will search for faithful people to be my companions.

I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence.

David vocalized his commitment to use his divine appointment as king to live a set-apart life that reflected his love for and submission to God. Yahweh had done much for him, and he was expressing his desire to return the favor.

But this psalm begs the question: What will you do for God? Most of us have a long list of things we want God to do for us. We have prayer requests we would like Him to answer. We have problems we would like Him to solve. We have people in our lives we would like Him to change or remove, conflicts we need Him to resolve, illnesses we want Him to heal, mysteries we want Him to reveal, and cloudy futures we demand that He clear up.

But what are we willing to do for Him? Over and over again in this short Psalm, David says, “I will…” This is not evidence of a prideful heart or an over-inflated ego. David is simply expressing his willingness to praise God, pursue a life of integrity, refuse to look at anything inappropriate, reject relationships with the wicked, not tolerate conceit in his life, search out the faithful as his companions, and hire those whose lives are above reproach as his employees.

David was telling God that he was serious about living a life set apart for God’s use. He understood the concept of holiness and knew that his life would be distinctive and different as God’s chosen servant. It was to be characterized by a different way of life. David was not pledging to do these things to please God or score brownie points, but because they are characteristic of someone who shares God’s heart.

In Psalm 86, David prayed, “Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Give me purity of heart, that I may honor you” (Psalm 86:11 NLT). In Psalm 101, David describes what he has learned about God’s way – His path for living life. It is a life characterized by integrity or wholeness. It is “sound” or “healthy” in all areas, not just parts. There is no compartmentalization or hidden areas where God has no sway or influence. When David says, “I will be careful to live a blameless life,” he is not promising a life of sinless perfection. He is declaring his intention to live a life of wholeness or integrity. He is committing to do everything he can to live a life that will bring glory to God in every detail.

David tells God, “I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.” That word translated “integrity” shares the same root word as the one translated “blameless” earlier in the verse. Again, it has to do with wholeness and completeness. David is expressing his desire to live a holy, set-apart life in every area of his life — even at home, where no one else can see him.

There is a sense in which we will have to make difficult decisions if we want to live according to God’s way. Like David, we must “refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar” (Psalm 101:3 NLT). Think about that the next time you turn on the TV or head to the movie theater. We will have to “hate all who deal crookedly” and “have nothing to do with them” (Psalm 101:3 NLT). David is not telling us to hate the lost, but to refuse to enjoy the companionship of those whose lives dishonor God. Do you enjoy the company of those who have no heart for the things of God more than you enjoy the company of believers? This is speaking more about having a love affair with their behavior than with the individuals themselves. Are the lifestyles of the godless more appealing to us than the lifestyles of the godly? David said, “I will search for faithful people to be my companions” (Psalm 101:6 NLT). He wanted to hang with the holy, not the heathen.

David wanted his life to be different, so he was willing to change how he lived. He sought new habits and new friends. He chose to give up old ways of doing things. He decided to surround himself with good influences. What are you willing to do for God? What steps will you take to ensure your life is marked by integrity or wholeness?

Father, You want all of my life, not just the parts that people see on Sunday morning. You desire that I would be willing to make changes to the way that I live. You have given me a new heart and the power to live differently, but I still have to choose to do so. And it begins with the daily decisions to live my whole life for You. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Unfailing Faithfulness of God

17 “He sent from on high, he took me;
    he drew me out of many waters.
18 He rescued me from my strong enemy,
    from those who hated me,
    for they were too mighty for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the Lord was my support.
20 He brought me out into a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

21 “The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;
    according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all his rules were before me,
    and from his statutes I did not turn aside.
24 I was blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from guilt.
25 And the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to my cleanness in his sight.

26 “With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
27 with the purified you deal purely,
    and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
28 You save a humble people,
    but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.
29 For you are my lamp, O Lord,
    and my God lightens my darkness.
30 For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can leap over a wall.
31 This God—his way is perfect;
    the word of the Lord proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. – 2 Samuel 22:17-31 ESV

This section of David’s psalm contains an interesting contrast. In it, David continues to exalt his God, while at the same time seemingly praising himself for his own blamelessness, guiltlessness, and righteousness. At first glance, David appears to have an overinflated and inaccurate view of himself, boasting about things he has no right to claim. Even if this psalm was written in the early days of his reign, immediately after the fall of Saul, David was far from a sinless man. Yet he claims, “The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence” (2 Samuel 22:21 NLT).

He boldly claims to have kept himself from sin. Not only that, he insists that God has rewarded him for his right and righteous behavior. It all sounds as if David is either delusional or disingenuous. He can’t really believe what he is saying, can he? However, David’s bold assertions are far too many to be dismissed as mere rhetoric or hyperbole. But how can he justly defend the following statement?

For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
    I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
I have followed all his regulations;
    I have never abandoned his decrees. – 2 Samuel 22:22-23 NLT

What about his affair with Bathsheba? Was that not a violation of God's regulation against adultery? Was his complicity in the death of Uriah not in direct violation of God’s laws concerning murder? Did his failure to prosecute and punish Amnon for the rape of Tamar not qualify as wickedness in God’s eyes? Was his decision to allow his son Absalom to get away with murder without having to face the consequences not an abandonment of God’s decrees?

The list could go on. So how do we explain David’s dishonesty or apparent lack of self-awareness? Is David simply delusional or suffering from an overactive sense of self-worth? One of the things we have to remember is that this passage is virtually identical to Psalm 22, written in the early days of David’s reign. This chapter opened with the descriptor: “David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul” (2 Samuel 22:1 ESV).

So David’s eloquent statement of praise to God that features a rather flattering portrayal of himself was written in the early stages of his career as king. So, context is critical to understanding the content of David’s words. It would seem that this psalm was written well before David committed many of the sins outlined above. Yet, even if those transgressions are eliminated, it would seem inappropriate for David to refer to himself as “blameless.” His glowing self-assessment comes across as far from honest and bordering on shamelessness.

Part of the problem is how we interpret the word “blameless.” We tend to insert the word “sinless” and assume that David is claiming himself to be fully righteous and free from sin. But the Hebrew word David used is tāmîm and it carries the idea of having integrity of heart or wholeness of character. It is the same word God used when He spoke to Abraham centuries earlier.

“…walk before me, and be blameless.” – Genesis 17:1 ESV

God was not expecting Abraham to live a sinless life; He was calling His servant to live a fully committed and wholly transparent life. God was calling Abraham to live a completely sold-out and non-compartmentalized life, solely dedicated to Him.

David’s claim of blamelessness was not a braggadocious declaration of sinlessness. He wasn’t boasting about his own righteousness; he was confessing that he had nothing to hide from God and no reason to fear being punished by God. You might say that he was “confessed up” and in good standing with God.

At this early stage of his career as king, David had a desire to live in accordance with God’s will. He wanted to do the right thing. In Psalm 101, he states his intentions to live and rule with integrity and blamelessness.

1 I will sing of your love and justice, Lord.
    I will praise you with songs.
2 I will be careful to live a blameless life—
    when will you come to help me?
I will lead a life of integrity
    in my own home.
3 I will refuse to look at
    anything vile and vulgar.
I hate all who deal crookedly;
    I will have nothing to do with them.
4 I will reject perverse ideas
    and stay away from every evil.
5 I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors.
    I will not endure conceit and pride.

6 I will search for faithful people
    to be my companions.
Only those who are above reproach
    will be allowed to serve me.
7 I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house,
    and liars will not stay in my presence.
8 My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked
    and free the city of the Lord from their grip. – Psalm 101:1-8 NLT

David knew that he didn’t deserve to be the king of Israel. He suffered no delusions of grandeur and harbored no thoughts of being a self-made man. God had placed him on the throne. The Almighty had graciously rewarded him with the highest position in the land. But David could remember the years he spent running from King Saul. He could vividly recall the many nights he slept in caves and lived as a fugitive in the Judean wilderness. But God had rescued and redeemed him.

He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
    from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
    but the Lord supported me.
He led me to a place of safety;
    he rescued me because he delights in me. – 2 Samuel 22:18-20 NLT

David recognized that his years of suffering had not been because of something he had done. He was not being punished by God for any wickedness he had committed. That is why he could state that he had been rescued by God because he had done nothing to deserve God’s displeasure or punishment. David’s suffering under the hand of Saul had not been due to his own sinfulness. He had been the innocent victim of Saul’s anger and jealousy against him.

When this psalm was originally written, David had been living under constant threat of losing his life because of Saul’s hatred for him. When David writes, “The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence” (2 Samuel 22:25 NLT), he acknowledges that he had done nothing to deserve his suffering. On two separate occasions, he had the opportunity to take Saul’s life and refused to do so. He could have eliminated the threat to his life and fast-tracked his ascension to the throne but, instead, he showed respect for the Lord’s anointed. He feared God more than he despised his own circumstances. This left David with a clear conscience before God.

But this psalm is less about David than it is about God. It is David’s acknowledgment that God had been fully aware of the circumstances surrounding his life. David had come to understand that his suffering had not been the result of his own sin but was the divine will of a sovereign, all-powerful God. God had seen David’s plight, heard his cries, and responded by rescuing His anointed one from his trials. God had shown Himself faithful to David because David had remained faithful to Him. He responded to David with integrity because David had shown himself to be a man of integrity. This wouldn’t always be true of David’s life. As we have seen, there were moments when David failed to live blamelessly and with integrity. But at the time at which this psalm was written, David could confidently state, “The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence. For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil” (2 Samuel 22:21-22 NLT).

What makes this psalm so interesting is its placement at the close of Second Samuel which records the closing days of David’s reign and life. This psalm was originally penned decades earlier but reappears as David’s reign is coming to an end. It reflects a reality that David experienced throughout his life but that did not mark every phase of his life. We know of his sin with Bathsheba. We are well aware of the murder of Uriah. We have read about his many faults and failings. David was not always a man of integrity. He didn’t always do the right thing or react appropriately. Oftentimes, he failed to seek God and rely on Him for help. He had a habit of taking matters into his own hands. But in principle, David knew that God rescues the humble, rewards the righteous, and restores the innocent.

In this eloquently worded psalm, David is attempting to exalt God, not himself. He is simply stating an indisputable reality when it comes to God’s relationship with men: He doesn’t reward the wicked or pour out His blessings on the prideful. He refuses to forgive the sins of those who remain unrepentant and self-reliant. David states, “God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection” (2 Samuel 22:31 NLT).

That had been David’s personal experience with God and he had seen it proven true time and time again. At no point in his life could David point his finger at God and accuse Him of dealing falsely or faithlessly with him. God’s way was perfect, even when David’s way was not. God had always dealt faithfully with David. Even when David sinned, God responded lovingly and faithfully. God repeatedly rescued and restored David, despite his many indiscretions and lapses of integrity. Yes, David suffered for his sins. He was forced to endure the consequences of his disobedience to God. But nowhere along the way did God prove unfaithful, unloving, or unwilling to keep His promises to David.

The ways of God are perfect. All His promises prove true. He is there when we seek for Him. But He is also there when we fail to recognize or rely upon Him. There had been many times when David abandoned God, but he had learned the reassuring truth that at no point had God ever abandoned him.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.