Psalm 101 – A Righteous King
(by Li Sze Chow)
Psalm 101 is a Psalm of David that portrays his deep concern about what kind of king he should be over all the tribes of Israel. Martin Luther wrote an eighty pages exposition of Psalm 101 as he was deeply concerned about the civil government. He expounded this psalm with detailed qualities which every Christian magistrate and ruler should strive to follow.
In verse 1, David sings a song of praise to God in the exaltation of His mercy and justice. “Mercy” and “justice” go together. When justice pronounces its righteous penalty, mercy may grant relief. Mercy can only be properly understood in light of justice. In verse 2, David says, “I will behave wisely in a perfect way…I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.” He longs to live a wise and holy life and reign with integrity and godliness after God’s heart.
Verses 3-4 show his determination to stay away from sins and wickedness. David knows that one measure of his righteous life is what he chooses to set before his eyes. In 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world.” The lust of the eyes is a significant aspect of the lure of this world. Therefore, set your eyes upon Jesus our Savior above anything else.
In verses 6-8, David knows what kind of men he would choose to serve with him. He looks for “the faithful of the land” but rejects those who work deceitfully and tells lies. He will destroy all the wicked of the land and cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord.
Let’s Read Psalm 101 (NKJV)
A Psalm of David.
1 I will sing of mercy and justice;
To You, O LORD, I will sing praises.
2 I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
Oh, when will You come to me?
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not know wickedness.
5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor,
Him I will destroy;
The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,
Him I will not endure.
6 My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land,
That they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a perfect way,
He shall serve me.
7 He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.
8 Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
That I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.
Let’s Pray
O Heavenly Father, may Your mercy and justice reign over all the earthly kings. We pray that the rulers and leaders of every nation will come before You in reverence and obedience. Help them to walk in Your righteousness and holiness in their reign. You will cut off the wicked of the land and the evildoers from Your city. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
This devotional was kindly contributed by Dr. Chow Li Sze and her channel Heavenly Devotion. You may find the channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/HeavenlyDevotion/videos
About the Heavenly Devotion channel
The Heavenly Devotion channel is dedicated to encouraging you to listen to Bible Scriptures and pray with the Scriptures. They are inspired by the call of service as expressed and exemplified by Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:12-15.
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrew 4:12 NKJV)
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