But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.
Psalm 70:1-5 is the same as the last five verses of Psalm 40, given with slight revisions. Verse 5 itself repeats Psalm 40:17. It belongs to the closing section of Psalm 40 beginning at verse 11, which concerns David himself alone. That closing portion was written at another time and under different circumstances than the earlier verses, which concern Christ opening the door for the Gentiles and preaching righteousness and declaring God's faithfulness and salvation through His disciples, and the change of tone marks the division between them. The verse stands among a group of psalms that set human frailty, weakness, and need beside God's strength, love, and mercy.
Being poor and needy in the first clause means being poor and needy in temporal things. It describes lacking enough clothing and shoes and food and money to pay rent, and being in need of charity and gifts of provisions from others. Coming to God as poor and needy means being poor in spirit, feeling continual want of Christ as all in all. It means seeking salvation as a poor sinner by grace alone, and taking pleasure in infirmities, necessities, distresses, and reproaches, so that out of weakness, want, and danger the soul casts itself on the Lord. It means approaching God without false shame, having no false wisdom, goodness, or strength of one's own, and taking none of the glory that belongs to Christ. It means drawing near presenting only His well-beloved Son and needing the merit of His death every moment, finding joy in being nothing, empty, and undeserving while giving all glory to Christ and letting God be all.
One who is poor and needy can ask God to come quickly. He can trust Him as helper and deliverer. This inspired prayer can be prayed when circumstances call for it. It can be prayed with assurance that God hears.
Psalm 70:1-5 is the same as the last five verses of Psalm 40, given with slight revisions. Verse 5 itself repeats Psalm 40:17. It belongs to the closing section of Psalm 40 beginning at verse 11, which concerns David himself alone. That closing portion was written at another time and under different circumstances than the earlier verses, which concern Christ opening the door for the Gentiles and preaching righteousness and declaring God's faithfulness and salvation through His disciples, and the change of tone marks the division between them. The verse stands among a group of psalms that set human frailty, weakness, and need beside God's strength, love, and mercy.
Being poor and needy in the first clause means being poor and needy in temporal things. It describes lacking enough clothing and shoes and food and money to pay rent, and being in need of charity and gifts of provisions from others. Coming to God as poor and needy means being poor in spirit, feeling continual want of Christ as all in all. It means seeking salvation as a poor sinner by grace alone, and taking pleasure in infirmities, necessities, distresses, and reproaches, so that out of weakness, want, and danger the soul casts itself on the Lord. It means approaching God without false shame, having no false wisdom, goodness, or strength of one's own, and taking none of the glory that belongs to Christ. It means drawing near presenting only His well-beloved Son and needing the merit of His death every moment, finding joy in being nothing, empty, and undeserving while giving all glory to Christ and letting God be all.
One who is poor and needy can ask God to come quickly. He can trust Him as helper and deliverer. This inspired prayer can be prayed when circumstances call for it. It can be prayed with assurance that God hears.