I Know You Delight in Me – Psalm 41

Similar to Psalm 40, David is reeling from divine discipline and experiencing others anticipating his death and their opportunity for power.  But he gets assurance that God is going to revive him.  As in Psalm 40 the experience of David being betrayed by a close friend finds its way into Jesus’ experience with Judas (John 13:18).  The doxology at the end of the psalm seems a way of concluding the first book of our psalter.  It does not fit properly with Psalm 41.  We see the same thing at the end of each of the book divisions in Psalms (72:18–19; 89:52; 106:48; 150:6).

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

Blessed is the one who considers the poor!  In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him; the LORD protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.  The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.

As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!”  My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die, and his name perish?”  And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad.  All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me.

They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.”  Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.  But you, O LORD, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them!

By this I know that you delight in me:  my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.  But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!  Amen and Amen.  (Psalm 41 ESV)

David knows that the person who demonstrates the same kind of love that God showed toward us in our lost state, to those who have no influence or power, will receive God’s protection and healing.  Even in the time of discipline brought on by his sin, David knows he can confess and receive God’s forgiveness and restoration.  David asks for such a healing from his death bed.  He mourns the injustice of a close friend who turned on him during this time, wishing his death and telling others that he deserved this punishment and was a wicked person.  David also wants restoration and healing in order to requite those who turned against him in their own wickedness and lust for power.  He is leaning on his integrity before Yahweh as the basis for this answer to prayer.