Psalm 141

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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Psalm Chapter 141

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: David, Asaph, Solomon, Heman, Ethan, Moses, and the Sons of Korah

Date Penned: (1440-586 BC)

Overview: Poetry for the Expression of Praise and Worship to God (c 1-150)

Theme: The Fifth Book of Psalms (c 107-150)

Message: Praying Against Temptation (v 1-10)

Psalms 141 Commentary

(141:3-4) Controlling Our Speech - David asked God to guard his lips. What comes out of our lips is determined by what resides in our hearts. Ultimately, word issues are heart issues. The same is true with our actions. Evil acts begin with evil desires from the heart. It isn't enough to ask God to keep you away from temptation, make you stronger, or change your circumstances. You must ask him to change you on the inside--at the heart of your desires.

(141:3) Directing Our Lives - James wrote that "the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body" (James 3:6). On average, a person opens his or her mouth approximately 700 times a day to speak. David wisely asked God to keep him from speaking evil--even as he underwent persecution. Jesus was silent before his accusers (Matthew 26:63). Knowing the power of the tongue, we would do well to ask God to guard what we say so that our words will bring honor to his name.

(141:4) The Dainties - Sin can be very attractive. The "dainties" mentioned in this verse may refer to food from feasts sacrificed to idols or to the temptations and pleasures of sin. Sin does not always appear ugly or disgusting. It looks delightful, enjoyable, and enticing on the outside. Only after we have been deceived does sin reveal its true nature. While pleasure and things like good food are not sins, preoccupation with them is. We can ask how they are affecting us by the direction they take us. Do we have an unnatural and greedy desire for them? Do they lead to sinful practices and attitudes?

(141:5) Criticism - David says that being rebuked by a godly person is a kindness. Nobody really likes criticism, but everybody can benefit from it when it is given wisely and taken humbly. David suggested what to do when facing criticism from the godly: (1) Don't refuse it, (2) consider it a kindness, and (3) keep quiet--don't fight back. Putting these suggestions into practice will help you control how you react to criticism, making it productive rather than destructive.

Dave Burnette's Life Application

His Wisdom

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today, we continue in the Book of Psalms with Chapter 141. In our text today, we see the theme of a Prayer for help when facing temptation. Here, we see David asking God to protect him and give Him wisdom in accepting criticism. In applying, we focus on God in the midst of adversity. After we pray, we need to seek the Lord in how to respond as we confidently depend on Him to deliver us. How about you? Do you depend on the Lord? Let us learn from our Psalm and Text today to remember to seek the Lord when facing adversity, and He will give us wisdom.

Psalm 141

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Psalm 141

¹Lord, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee.

²Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

³Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

⁴Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.

⁵Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.

⁶When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

⁷Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.

⁸But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.

⁹Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.

¹⁰Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.

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