Psalm 101: David wants to be a mirror of Christ

Koot van wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)

Visiting Professor

Department of Liberal Education

Kyungpook National University

Sangju Campus

Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College

Australia

David became king in 1014 BCE at the age of 30 and he reigned at Hebron 7 years. In 1007 BCE he moved to Jerusalem and the incident with Bathsheba was after this (2 Samuel 5:4-5). It appears that in 1007 BCE David had subdued all the evil intentioned nations surrounding them. David made a name for himself “and David became greater and greater for the Lord God of hosts was with him” (2 Samuel 5:10).

It was not just the kind of predestinarian “with him” that classical Calvinists were opting for where God arbitrarily choose someone, good or bad and “be with him” regardless of his lifestyle. This Psalm tells us why David was a man after God’s heart.

David desired in this Psalm to be a mirror of the Christ he got to know since childhood among the sheep. He wanted to be similar in perfection as the Perfect Shepherd that led him in the valleys and fields with the sheep. He experienced Justification by Faith with Christ our Substitute already years ago with his conversion and this David of the Psalm is one who is daily struggling enjoying victory following the Example of Christ on the road of sanctification. His dream of Perfection is so high that scholars called this Psalm “an ideal kingship”, “a mirror for magistrates”, “the prince’s Psalm”. For us it is the dream of David to be like Christ the Messiah to be but not to be the Messiah.

David wrote the Psalm (v. 1a) and he said that with his harp he wants to sing of mercy and justice to Christ, his Lord, and he wants to sing praises (v. 1b).

David says that he will consider seriously the way of perfection (v. 2a).

“He gave apostles for the perfection of the saints, unto a perfect (teleian) mature man, unto the measure of the nature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).

Then David asked a question due to the Delay Theology. The Delay Theology are all those verses in the Old Testament that indicates that there was a delay of the First Coming of Christ the Messiah. The Messiah was predicted to come in future to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15 and ever since they all were dreaming of that day. Hebrews 11 tells us that Abraham was looking for a city but did not see it. David asked the question of someone experiencing the delay: When? “When will You come unto me?” (v. 2c). David is asking Christ when His first Advent will be and how long they still have to wait.

David was an Adventist, albeit the First Coming of the Messiah. He intended to “walk (repeatedly back and forth, because of the Hithpael form used; see Waltke and O’Connor 1990: 427) in the perfection of my heart in the middle of my house” (v. 2d). Hiram of Phoenicia came to build David’s house in 1007 BCE (2 Samuel 5:11). “Self-love is blind to perfection” (CS 24).

           David continued his determination for perfection: “Not will I set next to my eyes a word of foolishness” (v. 3a). The “Word of Foolishness” is literature that is pulling the mind of the onlooker or reader away from spirituality. “One cannot attain Perfection while neglecting to study God’s Word” (CSW 17).

           In the evening of the terrible Bathseba event, David said “The doing of crooked [sethim] things I hate (v. 3b). “Perfection of character is God’s standard” (TM 420). David continued “It [crooked things] shall not cleave in me” (v. 3c). “Christian may have perfection of the soul” (2 SM 32).

           David then indicates that a perverse heart shall turn away from him (v. 4a). “One cannot attain Perfection while giving reign to appetite” (CD 236).

          David said that which was said of Christ: “I will know no evil thing” (v. 4b). “Perfect and true, Christ is the only standard” (1 T 155; 1 TT 47).

           David said that whoever gossips about his neighbor in secret, he will destroy as king and judge of the land (v. 5a). It is not correct to think that perfection is only thought (AA 478).

The person who is proud in his heart will not be tolerated by David (v. 5b). Lucifer who became Satan is tolerated by God for his pride until his time, set by God, is up and his theatrical tricks are clear to all involved. Christ the Messiah is the one who takes on Satan in all his actions and the ultimate destruction of evil will be by Christ the Warrior Messiah.

“Mine eyes are upon the faithful of the land that they may dwell with me” (v. 6a). David is a faithful seeker, faithful associate, faithful lover, faithful dweller. “Perfection is the result of discerning the Perfection of Christ” (MB 19).

“He that walks in a way of perfection, he shall minister to me” said David (v. 6b). “God’s people are to attain nothing short of Perfection” (5D 10). David said that the one that must be his preacher and teacher should be one that is striving for perfection, and nothing short of that standard of a Christ-like Perfection. Christ walked in the way of perfection and for that reason He is the standard of us all.

“Not shall he stay in the presence of my house, the doer of deceit” (v. 7a), David continued. “For Christ’s sake, His people should not add sin to sin by charging God with the consequence of their own wrong course of action” (Ev 696).

“He that speaks falsehood shall not be established before mine eyes” David said (v. 7b). “A vacillating person will not succeed in attaining Perfection” (2 T 408-9; GC 466).

David said the same as Christ will say that morning of the Hell event: “To the mornings, I will destroy all the evil ones of the earth” (v. 8a). It will be in the eschaton after the millennium when the saints are safely in heaven in Zion and can watch the Warrior Messiah going out to meet the evil enemy the final time on the Lord’s Day. David felt that he could associate with that aspect of the Warrior Messiah task. David will not be needed for that. It was one of the problems that monarchy brought in Israel as opposed to theocracy, namely that the king sometimes thought he could take on the role of the Warrior Messiah and does for Him what He is going to do, yet delayed in the corridors of history.

“To cut off from the city of the Lord all the workers of iniquity (8b)”  said David in imitating Christ the Warrior Messiah’s function at the Hell event in the eschaton.

Dear God

Grant that we me also seek for Perfection as David did before he fell terribly to his own sexual appetites to Bathsheba. Give us the victory where he failed and keep us in the hollow of Your hand on the road of sanctification. Amen.