Toni’s Title
God Sustains the Righteous!
ESV Title
Cast Your Burden on the LORD
Literary Type
This is an individual lament.
Laments
More than 1/3 of the Psalms fall into the category of complaints to God in situations of limitation or threat. These laments were a form of prayer and praise based on the conviction that God is concerned about people and answers the human cry in ways surpassing human expectation or understanding. Israel’s laments out of distress were a way of praising God even when he seemed absent. The faith of the psalmists is founded on the good news that God intervenes in desperate situations to help those who are distressed. The psalmists share a deep confidence that God is compassionate, concerned, hearing his people and involved with them; God is faithful and trustworthy. A lament is an outcry to God from a responsive heart. Laments came from individuals or from the community.
Examples: Psalms 3-5, 22, 27:7-14, 42, 51, 69, 90, 130, 137 and many others
NT Prayer Guide
Phil. 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:6-7
Note that the verse numbering in the New Coverdale version below differs from the ESV.
Superscription
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.
Exaudi, Deus
1 Hear my prayer, O God, *
and hide not yourself from my petition.
2 Give heed to me, and hear me, *
for I am troubled in my prayer and am tormented,
3 Because of the cry of the enemy, and oppression by the ungodly; *
for they are of a mind to do me great harm, so maliciously are they set against me.
4 My heart is disquieted within me, *
and the fear of death has fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, *
and a horrible dread has overwhelmed me.
6 And I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove, *
for then would I fly away and be at rest.
7 Indeed, then I would get away to a far off place *
and make my dwelling in the wilderness.
8 I would make haste to escape, *
because of the stormy wind and tempest.”
9 Confuse their speech, O Lord, and divide them, *
for I have seen unrighteousness and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go about within her walls; *
trouble and sorrow are in the midst of her.
11 Great wickedness is there; *
deceit and guile do not leave her streets.
12 For it is not an enemy who has done me this dishonor, *
for then I could have borne it;
13 Neither was it my adversary who exalted himself against me, *
for then I would have hidden myself from him.
14 But it was you, my companion, *
my comrade and my own familiar friend.
15 We took sweet counsel together *
and walked in the house of God as friends.
16 Let death come hastily upon them, and let them go down alive into the grave, *
for there is wickedness in their hearts.
17 As for me, I will call upon God, *
and the Lord shall save me.
18 In the evening, and morning, and at noonday will I pray and lament, *
and he shall hear my voice.
19 It is he who shall deliver my soul in peace from the battle that is against me, *
for there are many who fight me.
20 God, who endures for ever, shall hear me and bring them down; *
for they never change, nor do they fear God.
21 My familiar friend has laid his hands upon those who were at peace with him, *
and he has broken his covenant.
22 The words of his mouth were softer than butter, yet war was in his heart; *
his words were smoother than oil, and yet they were drawn swords.
23 O cast your burden upon the Lord, and he shall nourish you, *
and shall not allow the righteous to fall for ever.
24 But as for the bloodthirsty and deceitful, *
you, O God, shall bring them into the pit of destruction.
25 They shall not live out half their days; *
but my trust shall be in you, O Lord.