The Benefits of Being Rebuked | Bible in One Year

The Benefits of Being Rebuked | Bible in One Year: Wisdom Psalm 141:1–10 Psalm 141 A psalm of David.     1 I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me;         hear me when I call to you.     2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;         may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.     3 Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;         keep watch over the door of my lips.     4 Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil         so that I take part in wicked deeds     along with those who are evildoers;         do not let me eat their delicacies.     5 Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;         let him rebuke me —that is oil on my head.     My head will not refuse it,         for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.     6 Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,         and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.     7 They will say, “As one plows and breaks up the earth,         so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.”     8 But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord;         in you I take refuge —do not give me over to death.     9 Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers,         from the snares they have laid for me.     10 LeWisdom

Psalm 141:1–10

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

    1 I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me;
        hear me when I call to you.
    2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;
        may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

    3 Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;
        keep watch over the door of my lips.
    4 Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil
        so that I take part in wicked deeds
    along with those who are evildoers;
        do not let me eat their delicacies.

    5 Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
        let him rebuke me —that is oil on my head.
    My head will not refuse it,
        for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

    6 Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,
        and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
    7 They will say, “As one plows and breaks up the earth,
        so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.”

    8 But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord;
        in you I take refuge —do not give me over to death.
    9 Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers,
        from the snares they have laid for me.
    10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
        while I pass by in safety.

Commentary

The kind rebuke

There have been times in my life when people have rebuked me out of kindness. It is never easy at the time. But, on reflection, I am so grateful to them. David regards the rebuke of the righteous person as kindness – like ‘oil on my head’ (v.5), because his desire is that not only his head, but every part of his body and his life, should honour God:

1. Lift your hands

   ‘May the lifting of my hands be like the evening sacrifice’ (v.2). The lifting of hands to God symbolises an opening of the whole body to God.

2. Guard your lips

   ‘Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips’ (v.3). I often pray this before I give a talk or go into a meeting – that God will protect me from saying anything unhelpful, and that my words will be an encouragement and a blessing.

3. Watch your heart

   ‘Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil’ (v.4a). Your thoughts become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your character. Your character becomes your life. It all starts in your heart.

4. Fix your eyes

   ‘My eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign Lord’ (v.8a). We are urged to ‘fix our eyes on Jesus’ (Hebrews 12:2).

Prayer

Lord, I lift my hands and voice to you in worship and fix my eyes upon you. Set a guard over my mouth and lips and keep my heart from evil.