January 14, 2026

A Psalmist Plea

Psalm 109:1-5

Introduction

We are back to a Psalm, in which the Psalmist has a problem, and makes a request to God. This is a fairly easy and straight forward Psalm. Our outline is simple tonight, and yet there is much to be learned, and gained from this Psalm. We will only have time for a few places in which we can draw application tonight. There is certainly much more that could be drawn from this Psalm.

I. Report from the Psalmist (1-5)

A. Slanderer - (1-2)

“Hold not thy peace” – don’t hold back, don’t be peaceful.
David is saying, don’t hold back on my account Lord…

i. Deception

There is an attack on character.
Often when a person cannot win an attack with facts, they go after the character of the person. – Facts don’t matter, even about the person.

B. Surrounded - (3)

The more people that believe the slander, the better you case.
An undermining that takes place.

C. Spiritual Battle - good vs evil (4-5)

i. Asserts his innocence – both with Absalom, and Saul, David was innocently attacked.

ii. Unprovoked attacks.

John 15:18 — If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

II. Request for the Pernicious (6-15)

Pernicious - highly damaging or destructive often in a way that is not easily seen or noticed, wicked

A. Position (6-8)

i. Influence, counselor or boss (6-7)

He asks for his influence to be solely satanic in nature. That is nothing good will come from it.

ii. Office (8) – Limited time in his position, even loss of life.

Less time that wicked influence has control.
God is able to take people out, in ways that we cannot.
God is not calling you to be an assassin.
When we feel we take someones life, without the authority of government, then we take the law into our own hands, and it is criminal.

B. Personal Family (9-11)

i. Orphaned and widowed (9)

ii. Unsuccessful children (10)

iii. Another take his ill gotten wealth (11)

C. Prominence in name (12-15)

i. Children would be looked up with contempt (12)

ii. Generations to follow, would be a mess (13)

iii. Wickedness not forgotten (14-15)

III. Reason for the Pleas against the Pernicious (16-20)

A. Crudeness (16)

Brutal to the poor, needy, weak.
Bully scenario, used his position, prominence, to overcome others.

B. Cursing (17-19)

i. Curse -To utter a wish of evil against one; to imprecate evil upon; to call for mischief or injury to fall upon

This is where we get the idea of curse words… to wish evil upon others.
Cursing and vulgarity has become common place in our society, and it is ill will, hatred.

C. Compensation (20)

i. Give him what he deserves!

ii. The Lord… not you!

IV. Reason for Protection for the Psalmist (21-25)

The Psalmist now asks for protection, but he lists the reasons first.

A. Honor - (21)

i. The Psalmist doesn’t plead his own goodness

It would be a great error for any of us to plead our own goodness

ii. Better to plead God’s goodness! “thy mercy is good”

When you have experienced God’s loving mercy… you know first hand how Good God is!

B. Helplessness - (22-25)

i. Look at his adjectives: (22) poor, needy, wounded, ((23) “like the shadow when it declineth”, “tossed up and down as the locust” out of control, (24) weak, faileth, (25) reproach.

This was David, the GIANT SLAYER!!! – Killed a bear, lion, but did So in God’s strength
When you realize truly how little control, and power you have.

V. Requests for Protection for the Psalmist (26-29)

A. Control of God (26-27)

The Psalmist is asking for God to work in such a way, that it will be unmistakably God’s work, and not mans.
There are times and things that God has done, that I can say honestly, it was God!

B. Contentment of God’s People (28)

When we see God work, they may curse, be upset, but we rejoice!

C. Cover of Shame (29)

The Psalmist appropriately asks for the pernicious, ruthless, liars, to be covered with shame, and confusion
They wouldn’t be able to keep it all straight and would be caught, and shamed
Oh what a tangled web we weave, when at first we do deceive.