Psalms 143 and 144

Introduction: Thrust of the Psalms and Initial Observations

            The thrust of these Psalms is prayer for deliverance, but while the first one seems to focus entirely on deliverance of the individual, the second goes on to include the nation as well.  The first is focused on asking God to act more than the second one, for there are far fewer imperatives in the second psalm than in the first one.  Also, psalm 143 contains requests to God, imperatives directed toward God, which are then followed by reasons.  There are no explanatory words in psalm 144 that say why God should act.  Psalm 143 contains no praise, psalm 144 both praise[1] and declaration of future praise,[2] as well as a statement that proclaims: “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord.”[3] 

These two psalms, positioned side-by-side, have similar themes, and seem to somewhat go together.  Both are prayers for deliverance, particularly from enemies.  Psalm 144, however, is written in somewhat of a “lighter” mood than is Psalm 143.  In the first psalm, the psalmist is in great distress because of his enemies, and seems to think that he is in danger of dying.  The chief focus is, “God, do something,” with some explanation as to why and what needs to be done.  Psalm 144 is less urgent.  There are fewer imperatives addressed toward God.  Also, the focus is more generalized to the nation and less on the individual.  The first-person pronouns die out altogether toward the end of the second Psalm, while in the first Psalm, they comprised 15.5 % of the Psalm.[4]  In Psalm 144, there are seven plural first-person pronouns that shift the emphasis off of the speaker himself and onto the people. 

Structure of Psalm 143

Psalm 143 can be broken into four sections.  The first is vv. 1-2, where the psalmist makes his initial plea for God to act.  Specifically, he asks for God to hear and answer without judging him for being less righteous than God.  He is not saying that he has sinned in particular here, but rather that in comparison with God, no one measures up. 

The second section is vv. 3-6, which can be further broken down into two verse sections “(vv. 3-4 and 5-6).  But all four verses hang together as a whole because they are reasons for why God should act.  Verse 3 and 4 are this directly, while vv. 5-6 are more of a vindication of the psalmist, and a recalling of what was before. 

Section three is vv. 7-10 where the psalmist returns to his plea for God to act.  The rational behind God acting is interwoven with the pleas this time, and is not a separate section.  In this rational we find an appeal to God’s steadfast love.[5]  Also, the pleas turn from just asking to be heard to asking for guidance, teaching and deliverance. 

Then the fourth and final section is further rational for God to act, including a second appeal to his steadfast love.[6]  Ironically enough, this second appeal to God’s steadfast love is in the context of a plea for the psalmist’s enemies to be destroyed.  Apparently the psalmist does not find these two incongruent in the context of a covenant relationship.  Those who are his enemies are not in covenant with God and are fighting against the one who is in covenant with God.  This puts them in the path of destruction for God in his steadfast love will protect those in covenant with him.  If they are fighting against the covenant people, or in this case, person, then they put themselves in the path of God’s action. 

Structure of Psalm 144

Psalm 144 can be divided into six sections.  The NRSV divisions make a lot of sense with this psalm.  So, I will follow this layout.  The first section is vv. 1-2, and is praise to the Lord for his deliverance, for being a refuge and stronghold for the psalmist.  The second section (vv. 3-4) definitely goes along with the first in that the rhetorical question seems to be inspired by the earlier reflection on how great God was in his protection.  Section three (vv. 5-8) sounds like psalm 143 in the use of imperatives, however, the imagery is far richer here and extends its grasp to encompass all of creation from the heavens[7] to the waters.[8]  Section four is vv. 9-11, which begins with a declaration of future praise, and then revisits the plea for rescue made in section three.  It is interesting to note that this revisiting of the plea includes the exact word usage in verse 11 that is found in verse 7b and 8.  Then section five is a prayer, less of a plea.  There are no imperatives here.  It is a prayer for national prosperity.  Here is where the pronoun use shifts from singular to plural.  Last, section six is an epilogue almost.  It declares the blessedness of the people whose God is the Lord. 

Interaction and Implications for Today: Psalm 143

In psalm 143, the psalmist verbalizes the realization that no one is righteous before God.  He knows that it is only because of the faithfulness of God that he can even stand to make these requests.  Allen notes, “The relativity of all human morality over against divine absolutes means that he can make no demands upon God.  He must throw himself upon covenant grace.”[9]  But the psalmist knows that God is his only hope.[10]  This is the only place he has to turn to, and he can look back at times past and say, “God, I need you to do this again.”  The psalmist’s “…own hands are stretched empty in a yearning gesture of need and dependence, from a situation of perfect resourcelessness toward one who is the fountain of life.”[11]  From a position where he knows he cannot do anything more, he reaches out his hands to God, and appeals for God’s action not on the basis of his merit, but, rather, on the basis of acting for God’s own name’s sake.[12] 

Brueggemann notes the distinctive theological sensitivity of the opening and the closing of this psalm regarding the terms on which this God can be approached.  “How dare one like this pray to a God like this?”[13]  The psalmist looks at this in verse 2.  This God is holy, and we are not.  Hence, the appeal for action must then come from “thy faithfulness, thy righteousness,”[14] rather than any merit on the part of the speaker.  “The speaker seeks graciousness, not justice, for justice will not suffice.”[15]  In light of God’s holiness, we deserve nothing.  Whatever he does for us is out of his own graciousness, faithfulness, and for the sake of his name. 

Brueggemann also points out that this appeal to God’s working in the past is one of several recurrent themes in the psalms that are used as a means to give God reason to act.  This is not to say that God must be prodded into action, but this action of giving reasons is part of an act of faithfulness on the part of the psalmist.  Brueggemann notes, “…characteristically the entire sequence of complaint-petition-motivation is to be understood as an act of faithfulness.  That act is premised on the reliability and accessibility of God…”[16]  The psalmist is bringing his problem to the only one who can help him with it.  And while the nature of the petition is a lament and cry for help, the psalmist is not complaining out of any kind of a sense of doubt.  He knows what God has done in the past and he is asking for God to do it again, for the sake of God’s name. 

These concepts are important to grasp for in the church today we so easily lose sight of the holiness of God in the celebration of his grace.  Indeed, it is on his grace alone that we stand, through absolutely no merit of our own.  However, we take this grace too lightly in light of the gravity of our own sin and the length to which God had to go to rescue us from it.  We deserve nothing.  He gives because it is his nature to give.  It is his nature to act for the sake of his name, and since he has chosen to have his name be associated with us, then he continues to act on our behalf as well.  We must, as a church, reevaluate the theological understanding by which we understand the grounds on which we come before the holy and living God. 

Interaction and Implications for Today: Psalm 144

Psalm 144 also has this theme of grace in it.  It opens with the psalmist thanking God for God’s provision of refuge and of strength for battle.  The psalmist then goes on to say that he realizes “he is what he is only by divine grace.”[17]  His rhetorical question shows how he marvels that he, this mere mortal, can approach the living God.  And not only can he approach, but he can bring requests to God’s throne!  What an amazing thing this is!  The king here is allowed to ask for direct divine interaction in his life.  This interaction touches all of creation from the heavens to the mountains to the waters.  He is asking God to move heaven and earth on his behalf.  This is boldness to come before the throne indeed! 

Then as the king boldly approaches the throne of God, he also brings the needs of the nation before God.  The people have needs too, and as the representative, the care-taker of the people, the king brings the requests before God.  Allen notes that the nation does this “As if putting into practice the axiom that God can do more than they ask or think (Eph 3:20), the exuberantly ask for the increase of their flocks beyond measure.”[18] 

            Praise is promised to God in verse 9.  Brueggemann notes that this “song of celebration is a new song sung at the appearance of a new reality, new creation, new harmony, new reliability.”[19]  The psalmist is asking God to move him and his people to a new place in terms of where they are in relation to their enemies and prosperity in the land.  When that has happened, they will sing a new song of new creation for what God has done in their lives. 

            Again, for us today, this psalm points to the importance of realizing that the foundation on which we stand before God is his grace, and his grace alone.  This does not stop us from making requests of him, for indeed, he will not act in our lives unless we ask him to act.  However, the knowledge of standing on grace should under gird our interactions with God—knowing that he has given us permission to come boldly before the throne, but also in knowing that we can never measure up to his standards and thus we have that ability through absolutely no merit of our own.  With this ability to enter the throne must come this awe that we are his people, and we should be very happy our God is Yahweh. 

            Both these psalms deal with the nature of grace.  It is such that we can come before God boldly, but the nature of this God that we come before should never cease to render us speechless as we gaze on his holiness and marvel that he has chosen us, loves us, gives us the ability to bring our requests before him.  Who are we after all?  This messed up, broken race.  Yet, he loves us.  This is amazing as the psalmist realized when he asked, “What are human beings that you regard them, or mortals that you think of them?  They are like a breath; their days are like a passing shadow.”[20]  In light of God’s eternity, our lives are nothing.  They are short and insignificant shadows when compared to his light that goes on forever.