Embrace the Word for Friday, May 29, 2026

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Psalm 70 is a short cry reflecting an urgent need for help. While the superscription identifies this Psalm to be Davidic, it does not provide any historical context: “To the choirmaster. Of David, for the memorial offering.” The superscription does state that it was associated with “the memorial offering.” This statement was also used in Psalm 38 and in both cases seems to have an association with the offering that the priests burnt before the LORD to highlight mercy for sin (See Leviticus 2). Psalm 70 and Psalm 71, while two separate Psalms, seem to have an important connection between them. With Psalm 71 having no superscription, it seems likely that the superscription from Psalm 70 is associated with Psalm 71 as well. Psalms 70 and 71 share other elements too. Shame is a theme in each Psalm (70:2,3; 71:13,24). The call for the LORD to “make haste” is referenced in both Psalms (70:1,5; 71:12). Psalm 70 is almost identical to Psalm 40:13-17. Thus, Psalm 70 is a shorter version of what was more fully developed in Psalm 40. Interestingly, Psalm 40 is the second to the last Psalm in Book 1 of the Psalter, while Psalm 70 is the third to the last Psalm in Book 2 of the Psalter (perhaps it is the second to the last if we treat Psalm 70 and 71 as connected). Therefore, as the end nears in both Book 1 and Book 2, the difficulties and distresses of David’s life are still being put forward. Psalm 70 shares many important links with Psalm 69, as they each pertain to shame (69:6,9; 70:2,3); they each speak of mockery against the king (69:9-12; 70:3); they each feature the king praying against his enemies (69:22-28; 70:2-3); and they each use the phrase “your salvation” (69:29; 70:4). Psalm 70 is bracketed by urgent cries for help (70:1,5), and in between the focus is on the king’s enemies (70:2-3) as well as the king’s people (70:4).

Psalm 70 opens with: “Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!” (70:1). David’s difficulties and distresses have reached a level of deep desperation. Sometimes it is fitting to think carefully about the wording of our prayers, perhaps even thoughtfully writing them out and/or following a well-crafted structure or flow such as first praise God, then confess our sin, followed by expressing thanks, before turning to our requests and supplications. However, there are other times that the situation is so dire and drastic that there is no time for any stylistic considerations. David had to get right to the point and quickly state his need. While there are moments that we intensely feel, not only the difficulty of our situation, but also how helpless we are to deal with our situation, the truth is that we are always in need of the LORD every day of our lives. In fact realizing our need for the LORD is an essential element of how accurately we are grappling with reality in our lives. We were made to be dependent upon the LORD, and God will use desperate situations to move us to desperately cry out to Him for help: “For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” (See 2 Corinthians 1:8b-9). But whether our situation is desperate or somewhat mundane, we are still in genuine need of dependance upon the LORD.

As Psalm 70 continues, David requests three things in regard to those who are against him: “Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life! Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! Let them turn back because of their shame who say, “Aha, Aha!” (70:2-3). As already stated, the specific historical context of what is unfolding in David’s life is not pinpointed. However, David’s request indicates what he is up against. His enemies “seek my life,” “delight in my hurt,” and “say ‘Aha, Aha!’” They want to hurt David and do so with much delight and gloating. What David is asking the LORD to do with those who are against him includes being “put to shame and confusion,” “turning back and brought to dishonor, and “turned back because of their shame.” David asks the LORD to cause his enemies to fail in their goals. But not only fail, but also to be put to shame and disgraced, no longer able to gloat over him. In the previous Psalm, David mentioned that his enemies sought to disgrace him (See Psalm 69:19). So essentially, David is asking the LORD to cause his enemies to experience the very thing that they intended for him.

David not only prays about those who are against him, he also prays for those who are aligned with him: “May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!” (70:4). In contrast to those who sought David’s life, are those who seek the LORD: “May all who seek you.” In contrast to those who delighted in hurting David, were those who “love your salvation.” David offers a clear contrast in these two groups of people that he had to concern himself with. While we may sort out some kind of sub categories to put the people around us in (or to put ourselves in), there comes a point where we simply grasp that all of humanity is divided into those who seek the LORD and those who do not; those who love God’s saving power and mercy and those who do not. And what David asks the LORD to do to those who are aligned with him is that they would first of all experience much joy and gladness in the LORD. Secondly, in contrast to those who would verbally gloat over David’s difficulties, may those who find joy and gladness in the LORD continually and verbally exult Him.

In asking the LORD to do this, it seems obvious that David does not believe he has permission to take matters into his own hands, but also that he is not able to do so. Only the LORD could handle these matters concerning his enemies. And so David entrusts these desires to the LORD, even as he admits his weakness: “But I am poor and needy” (70:5a). David recognizes that God is his only source of help. Perhaps the greatest danger of life is not the realization that we are in great danger, but the thought or notion that we might entertain, which operates under the assumption that we are not in constant need of the LORD. Driven by his awareness that he is in great need of the LORD’s help, David moves to conclude his brief plea in a fashion similar to how he started: “hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay!” (70:5b). A subtle, but somewhat significant difference, David has been moved from pleading for the LORD to help him and deliver him, to confessing that the LORD is “my help and my deliverer.” The reason that this seems significant is that it underscores how prayer is designed to work. We can normally think of the fact that prayer changes things; and it does. But while prayer is a means through which God changes things, it is crucial to grasp that the immediate thing that prayer often changes is the one who is praying. The LORD does change the circumstances around us through prayer. David is asking the LORD to change his circumstances and rightly so; but the LORD is changing David. Through prayer, the LORD is moving David’s heart to have greater confidence in the LORD who is his help and deliverer. Such confidence often precedes any change in circumstances; in fact, it can help sustain us “always to pray and not lose heart” (See Luke 18:1).

As we reflect on Psalm 70, we can consider the prayer life of Jesus: “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence” (See Hebrews 5:7). Psalm 70 describes the prayer of one in a desperately dire situation. David’s prayer echos the praying of his Greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ: “And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (See Luke 22:41-44). Jesus cried out to the one “who was able to save him from death.” With “loud cries and tears” Jesus prayed: “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again” (See John 12:27-28). And the LORD did receive Jesus’ prayer, not by keeping Him from death, but by raising Him from the dead. We who belong to Jesus are empowered to cry out to the “God who raises the dead” (See 2 Corinthians 1:9b). Paul would testify: “He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again” (See 2 Corinthians 1:10). And his testimony is to encourage us: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (See 2 Corinthians 4:16). We have the same Father and the same Spirit as Jesus, so we look to Him and pray: “You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay!”

That’s all for Embrace the Word for Friday, May 29, 2026. I look forward to being back with you for the Monday, June 1, 2026 episode of Embrace the Word as we take a look at Psalm 71.