Psalm 17: God honours purity

Evangelical Christians and non-Christians familiar with the Bible often emphasise grace and forgiveness to the exclusion of the truth that God honours obedience, integrity, and purity. It’s common to hear people say, “God won’t punish; He is forgiving.” As a result, many of us think we shouldn’t appeal to God on the basis of our loyalty to Him.

Truly, Scripture is clear that God is gracious, forgives, and that we are sinners who aren’t good enough to merit His favour (Ephesians 2:8-9).

But it is contrary to the biblical text to say that God does not recognise people’s integrity (“blamelessness”) and good works and answer their prayers because of them. To be sure, good works do not earn, or merit, salvation from God. Notice in Acts 10:1-4 how God respected Cornelius’s good works. However, this was not sufficient to save him from his sins; he remained in need of hearing the words of the gospel to be saved (Acts 11:14). 

God responds to us?

Grace is also necessary after we are saved. In addition to that, God honours the faithfulness, loyalty, integrity, obedience, and purity of those He has saved. In Psalm 16, the psalmist appealed to God to preserve — keep, protect — him and then gave a motive for God, saying he took refuge in God, not other gods; associated gladly with those committed to God; and rejected other gods (Psalm 16:1-4). In Psalm 139:1-5, David appealed to God again and sought to motivate Him to respond based on God’s knowledge of his thoughts, his actions, and his words. We see Hezekiah urged God to heal him based on his faithfulness, devoted heart, and right actions (2 Kings 20:3). Then God healed him (2 Kings 20:5). These psalms and Hezekiah’s prayer are examples for us.

One might object that these are in the Old Testament, not the New, as if people were saved by works back then instead of grace. This, of course, contradicts what the Old Testament says (cf. Genesis 15:6), as well as the New Testament interpretation of the Old Testament (Romans 4:1-3). We have clear New Testament teaching that God honours a believer’s goodness. In Hebrews 6:10, we learn that God would consider it unjust and unfair not to reward believers’ good works and loving acts for others. 

We have clear New Testament teaching that God honours a believer’s goodness

In John 15:7, Jesus announced that our prayers would be answered if we abide in Him. Many believe that abiding in Him means to pray and probably to read the Bible. But Jesus clearly said in John 15:10 that abiding in Him involves obeying him. To do this necessitates His words abiding in us, so that way we know what His values and resulting commands are (John 15:7). So God honours obedience and treats it as a reason to answer our prayers.

The example of Psalm 17

Psalm 17 shows the same principle: God’s people may appeal to Him to rescue us from trouble and danger, and our purity and integrity become a motive for Him.

“Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! From Your presence let my vindication come! Let Your eyes behold the right! You have tried my heart, You have visited me by night, You have tested me, and You will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. With regard to the works of man, by the word of Your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. My steps have held fast to Your paths; my feet have not slipped.” Psalm 17:1-5

In verses 1-2, David pleads with God to show that he was righteous. Evidently enemies were accusing him falsely. Instead of trying to disprove them — or after failing to convince them — he asked God to demonstrate his innocence and show that he was not worthy of shame. That is, he asked God to vindicate him so that the attackers and those who knew the accusations would know that he was in the right.

Then, in verses 3-5, he points out, as he also did in Psalm 139 above, that God knew his heart and had examined him even in his private life. The psalmist was not lying to himself (cf. Psalm 15:2) about his thoughts — he had obeyed God’s Word, avoided violence, and had faithfully adhered to God’s ways. He was innocent of whatever the opponents were blaming on him.

This does not mean that God does not respond out of grace. Notice the next few verses:

“I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline Your ear to me; hear my words. Wondrously show Your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at Your right hand. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings.” Psalm 17:6-8

Here, David seeks God’s remedy based on God’s faithful love. The only part of this that might appear as merit is that he seeks refuge in God. However, this is also an act of faith, which is based on God’s grace, not our merits (Romans 4:16). God desires for people to simply trust Him. He loves people and takes pleasure in helping us, for He has a kind and helpful attitude.

David seeks God’s remedy based on God’s faithful love

Then David states the source of his danger. He faces danger “from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me. They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground. He is like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking in ambush” (Psalm 17:9-12).

His enemies were certain they would destroy him. They planned violence against him, had no pity or compassion for him whatsoever, and talked as if they had already conquered him because they were so sure of themselves. As far as they could see, they were invulnerable and David had no escape. But it wasn’t only David who was in danger — notice the “our” in verse 11. The enemies were ready to attack.

The psalmist then made another appeal to God:

“Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by Your sword, from men by Your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants.” Psalm 17:13-14

Appealing to God

Instead of David trying to defend himself, he pleaded with God to become personally involved, confront the hostile, wicked persons, and defeat them soundly, even to the point of slaying them if need be. 

The adversaries were prosperous and had beneficent plans for their children. They lived for this life and had no concern for God, even though He was the one giving them their prosperity (cf. Deuteronomy 8:18, Hosea 2:8 — where Israel and Gomer made the same mistake, not attributing their good things as gifts from God). But the psalmist had already pressed forward the fact that he pays attention to the Lord and honours Him. The contrast between him and the wicked is great.

David believed Yahweh would answer and deliver him. God would honour his righteousness, which he brought up at the beginning of his prayer: “As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your likeness” (v. 15). David was righteous in his behaviour, words, and thoughts. Looking on God means God would receive him favourably (Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms; cf. Num 6:22-27). 

David was righteous in his behaviour, words, and thoughts. He believed God would receive him favourably

David adds that, when he should awake, he would be satisfied with God’s likeness. Ross, referring to the above verse, says this may imply that David expected his deliverance to include life after death, though not necessarily so. If so, that highlights a contrast between him and the wicked, for in verse 14, the wicked’s entire focus is on this life. It also harmonises with Psalm 16:9-10, which may imply that even in death David anticipates joy, security, and the presence of God. Even if he didn’t mean life after death, David was confident God would be with him and deliver him.

To attempt to motivate God to answer one’s prayer for help by his or her purity and obedience is Scriptural. However, as we saw in Psalm 17, this should be balanced by appeals based on the love and faithfulness of God. This should encourage us to be faithful to the Lord because He respects this and because He loves us and desires to help us. Let us be obedient, pure, and loyal.