Today's Insight - ODB
Insight Psalms 38 and 39 express David’s regret for unnamed wrongs ( 38:3–4 ; 39:10 ). He may have written these psalms after being forced to admit his adultery with Bathsheba and his conspiracy to kill her husband ( 2 Samuel 11–12 ). Or they might reflect the tragic aftermath of his decision to call for a census to assess the military strength of his nation ( ch . 24 ). What is clear is that with these two sad songs the second king of Israel gave us a picture of a heart on fire ( Psalm 39:3 ). Both reflect the refining process used by the Spirit of God to lovingly burn away the illusions of our own efforts to satisfy or defend ourselves at the expense of others. Once begun, the fire becomes light. For David, the flames of his wrongs also spread to consume his confidence in a fleeting life ( vv . 4–5 ) and our phantomlike rush to accumulate temporary material wealth ( vv . 6 , 11 ). By: Mart DeHaan