January 5, 2017: Day 5 – Psalm 5

So I’ll handle the stream of consciousness first.  Psalm 5 begins as a song which would sound best if played with a flute.  Whenever I think of flutes I think of this:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zic2jFZ745w.  I know, completely unrelated, and Ian Anderson can be a bit creepy, but I can think of no greater electric flute solo than Jethro Tull’s Locomotive breath.  Let’s move on, shall we?

I hope you notice in these similar psalms that the author begins by laying out a problem.  In this psalm it is gossip and hurtful tongues that are bringing down the writer.  Look at vs.9 where he accuses his enemies of having no truth in their mouths, destructive hearts, and flattering tongues.  There is a stark contradiction in these people who are described and those who are described starting in vs.11.  We read here about people who use their mouths to sing for joy, and exult the name of the Lord.  If I were to ask you a simple but honest question, could you give me a simple, honest answer?  Are you more like those who speak and harm others or do you speak and provide joy?  Once you give me your answer will you let me check your facebook account?  Actually, there’s a good practice.  Check your facebook account, your sent emails, your texts, however you communicate with people and ask the question: am I uplifting when I communicate with people, or do I really like to put others down because it makes me feel better?  The psalmist is speaking to all of us in this psalm.  Are we people who can listen to others or do we feel compelled to speak first and often and drown out the voices of others?  

The Psalmist definitely points the way of life as being the one who listens and humbly bows in the house of the Lord.  The Psalmist speaks of all those who trust in the Lord.  But he begins by speaking about himself, and asking God to come to his rescue.  He says this within the security of knowing that God hears his voice and trusts that God pays attention to his pleading.