Psalm 41 - A deathbed psalm

 

God, this psalm concludes book 1 of the Psalter. And, even though we will have other Davidic Psalms scattered throughout the rest of the book, this psalm seems to be intentionally placed here as a conclusion to David's life.

God, his life has been one marked by struggle. And this psalm appears to be a deathbed psalm. As David is on his bed sick, struggling for life, the struggle of his life continues. Even in his weakest moment, his enemies (even his friends - v. 9) turn against him. God, David can't catch a break, even on his deathbed.

And God, this is what makes David a man after your own heart. Again and again, his life has so paralleled your son's suffering. Because of this, I would say that in David's suffering, he knew Jesus better before his earthly existence than I do after his life, death, and resurrection. I know about him, but David truly knew him, walking the same path a thousand years before his savior would ever be born.

And now, even in his death, the parallels are eery. "A close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me" (v. 9). And David's final plea was that you, God, would raise him from death (v. 10) to set him in your "presence forever" (v. 12).

God, I resist entering into the story of your suffering. I would rather know about you than to know you in this way. But, the Apostle Paul wanted to know you as David knew you - "that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10-11).

God, even though this is hard to pray, this is what it means to know you - like David and Paul. But, like them, let my life parallel yours, Lord Jesus - in death and resurrection from the dead.

Amen