Ps 26 is all about David and his righteousness. And in some ways that isn’t all bad. He is confident that he has done all that he can do to live a righteous life. He has worked hard not to do evil, not to join in wicked plans, but to truly serve the Lord. It’s why it is said of him that he was a man after God’s own heart.
But perhaps along the line David became too confident in his righteousness. He forgot that the heart can also lead us astray and that’s exactly what happened. David slept with a married woman, had her husband murdered, and then tried to hide his sin. And while you can hide your sin from everyone in the world, you can never hide from the two most important ones—yourself and the Lord.
But back to the psalm. It is a prayer for vindication, a lament as some have suggested. It is a prayer asking God to save him from wicked men as he has done his best to walk in righteousness.
This kind of prayer has been prayed thousands of times. ‘I’m a good person, Lord. Why is this happening. Do something! I’ve lived a good life.’
And it brings up a good question. Does God have an obligation to answer those who have lived righteously? Should he because they have walked in integrity? Should I expect that when I am in dire need?
If he doesn’t do something and yet I’ve followed him all my days, is he unloving? Are his promises not true? Is it all false?
These are real questions born out of real pain. But here with David we see that David was committed to following the Lord in good times and bad. And he had plenty of bad times. Yet he was steadfast even in hardship.
So this wasn’t a question of ‘you have to do good to me because I’m good to you, and if you don’t do good to me it’s bye-bye.’ That wasn’t it. David was faithful regardless the circumstances. And he trusted the Lord.
What David seems to be doing is to be making a comparison to the life he is living and the life of evil around him, calling on God to judge justly. And you know, sometimes that’s a fair prayer. Especially when our hearts are committed to God no matter the outcome, that we will love and trust him even when we don’t understand.
