Devotional Short Note to Psalm 142:
Someone has pointed out that the psalmist David is praying in the cave to the
Lord for serious help but he interrupts himself with a short note “that he is
not telling God of it for His information; He is aware of it all, but his
troubled heart is eased when he thus unburdens it” (A. Cohen 1950: 460). The
sitting in a cave experience of David is not the same as that of Dough
Batchelor for the last sat in a cave to find himself since he was lost in
identity with himself and with God. David was full of God but had to hide from
his enemy, Saul. The worst enemies for David in his life did not come from
outside of Israel and inside and sometimes inside his family. He is making sounds but he is saying
that he is using sounds as a tool to “cry unto the Lord” (142:2). David then gave a purpose statement to
the imaginary audience saying: “I pour out my complaint before Him I declare
before Him my trouble” (142:3). He is doing this because his spirit is very
weak, he says, that God knows everything “You know my path” (142:4b). Dirty people have laid a snare in this
path of David for him (142:4d). There are forces in humans that design the
downfall of others so that they can be stepping stones on which they can
elevate themselves for selfish gain and opportunism. They work with “Fake News”
designs and “gossip scenarios” and our time is doing this by other countries
interfering in the politics and society fabric bringing transformation through
these shocking news revelations that catches the ordinary public by surprise since
they have brought themselves into the habit of believing the TV and Newspaper
news more than the Word of God. The rest of the country like sheep runs after
the news as if it is gospel but not David. He ran to the cave. The time will
come when all God’s people will run to the Wilderness because of “Fake accusations
against the remnant”. David asked the Lord to look on his
right side since there is no support for him (142:5). No-one wants to know him,
since the one who smells are ostracized and the smell is provided with false
information disseminating from gossiping tongues. He cannot flee anywhere and
no human can take care of his soul by listening to what he has to say (142:5). To the Lord he can talk. To him he can
take refuge (142:6). His prayer to God is simple: “Listen
please, I am in trouble, save me, the onslaught is too strong” (142:7). He wants his soul to be brought out of
this prison of circumstances (142:8). If things change he can give thanks to
the Lord. He says that if these happen, the righteous people will crown
themselves because of his experience since they will hear it and be impressed
by God. Self-crowning can be seen in a
cartoon-like sketch made by Jacques ben David the artist of Napoleon Bonaparte
around 1803. Instead of putting the crown of Josephine in the coronation scene
in front of the pope on a throne with a heavy-laden face due to the 1798
wounding of the Holy Roman Empire by the upcoming new World order started with
France, Napoleon in a side sketch of this artist puts the crown on himself.
Megalomania. Ben David also drew the pope on the chair naked in one of his
sketches. A taboo-breaking that signifies that the papacy has really lost all
his power since naked pictures of the papacy do not exist. It was a taboo.