Psalms 142:1. I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.
Silent prayers are often true prayers, but there are times when, in extremity of suffering, it is very helpful to give expression to the soul's agony. I know some friends who can never pray to their own comfort except they can hear their own voices, and I believe that it is a good thing for the most of us to retire to some private place where we cannot be heard by men and where we can therefore freely use our voices in prayer. Very often the use of the voice helps to keep the thoughts from wandering, and also gives intensity to the desires. You notice that David particularly mentions here that he cried unto the Lord with his voice. No doubt many of his prayers ascended to God from his heart without the medium of his voice; but here, the cry with his voice went with the desires of his heart.
Psalms 142:2. I poured out my complaint before him;
That is a beautiful expression, «I poured out my complaint,» just as you turn a pitcher upside down, and let all the contents run out: «I poured out my complaint.» We are generally ready enough to do that, only that, usually, we go to some friend, or to some enemy, and pour out our complaint into his ear. But what is the good of doing that? David took a far wiser course: «I poured out my complaint before him.»
Psalms 142:2. I shewed before him my trouble.
Uncovered it, and set it all out in order before him. God could see it, yet David knew that it was his place and his privilege to spread it all out before him.
Psalms 142:3. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path.
Many of the Lord's saints know the meaning of that sentence: «My spirit was overwhelmed within me.» They are like a vessel that has sunk in the sea, and is completely covered by the waves. David was in such a plight as that, he did not know his own whereabouts, but here was the mercy, «Then thou knewest my path.» It is much better that God should know our path than that we should know it ourselves, for we may know it, and be driven to despair by our knowledge; but God's knowledge of it moves him to uphold us in it, or to deliver us out of it.
Psalms 142:3-19. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me:
«They were afraid to link themselves with me, lest, when I went down like a drowning man, they should be dragged down with me.»
Psalms 142:4. Refuge failed me;
«I could not run away; there was no place where I could find shelter.»
Psalms 142:4. No man cared for my soul.
«They were all hard, cold, ungrateful, treacherous.»
Psalms 142:5. I cried unto thee, O LORD:
What a mercy that David was driven to do that! If there had been any earthly refuge, he would have fled to it. If there had been some human being at his right hand to help him, probably he would have trusted to him. If any man had cared for his soul, peradventure he would have trusted in that person, but now that every earthly door was shut, he was obliged to turn to his God.
Psalms 142:5. I said, Thou art my refuge
«I can flee to thee.»
Psalms 142:5. And my portion in the land of the living.
With both hands he lays hold of God, and cries, «Thou art my refuge and my portion,» two glorious «mys.» Well did Luther say that the very pith of the gospel lies in the little words, and it is the same with the Psalms.
Psalms 142:6-19. Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison,
This is a suitable prayer for those who have troubled consciences, for those who are shut up in Doubting Castle, and cannot get out without divine assistance. «Bring my soul out of prison,»
Psalms 142:7. That I may praise thy name:
As soon as you are set at liberty, you ought at once to let your glad heart magnify the God who has broken your bonds, and brought you out of prison.
Psalms 142:7. The righteous shall compass me about;
This is a beautiful idea, it seems to imply that they would be so astonished to find him at liberty that they would all come round him to hear his story, they would be so glad to see the mourner rejoicing that they would all begin to inquire what God had done for his soul.
Psalms 142:7. For thou shalt deal bountifully with me.
In the 13 th Psalm, David said, «I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me;» but here he looks into the future, and sings, «Thou shalt deal bountifully with me.»