
In times of correction, we need to remember God and call out to Him.
Psalm 38—A lament psalm describing suffering, opposition, and enduring hope in God. It was written by David and is translated by the ESV as a song for a memorial offering. While the psalm could have been used for particular offerings, the title is better translated as “A song to get God’s attention.”
vv. 1–8—David is dealing with a health crisis due to sin in his life and God’s divine correction.
—David’s sin has sparked God’s indignation, and God’s anger towards David’s sin has caused David’s sickness.
—He likens his experience to scenes on a battlefield. Only God is the one shooting him with arrows. David has witnessed the damage arrows can cause, especially infections that fester and stink. It is a vivid description of David’s suffering.
—David is extremely sick. No soundness in his flesh (vv. 3 and 7) means every part of his body is unwell. “Utterly bowed down and prostrate” (v. 6) literally means “I am bent over and wracked with intense pain.” His insides are on fire.
—He describes the burden of his sin as a flood covering his head. He also describes it as a burden that is weighing him down and is too heavy to carry.
vv. 9–14—David is also dealing with a social crisis.
—Anxiety is taking over David, causing his heart to palpitate, strength to leave, and the feeling that his life is ending (or could be blindness) (v. 10).
—His loved ones and friends are keeping their distance from David due to his affliction. Even his closest compatriots stand far away from him.
It is ironical that the more a person needs human support, the less he naturally attracts it. It is the Gospel that has done most to change this. —Derek Kidner, Psalms, pg. 172
—David’s enemies are filling in the gap. They seek his life, seek his hurt, and continually plot treachery against him.
—David refuses to listen to the voice of his enemies or respond to their attacks. He acts like one who is deaf and mute.
vv. 15–22—David waits on the Lord. He believes that God will remember him and act.
—David refuses to lash out at his enemies because he believes God is going to answer him. To answer means that God will not only respond to David’s physical hurt but God will also respond to his social crisis as well.
—David understands that God is disciplining him, but he does not want his discipline to be an occasion for his enemies’s glee.
—In v. 18, David confesses his iniquity and grieves his sin.
—David feels like death, but his enemies are vigorous, mighty, and numerous. They repay evil for good.
—David closes the psalm as he begins it by directly crying out to the Lord for help.