Background

The reaction of David's brothers when he suggested he could slay Goliath is well known. One might think that their reaction to him on that occasion might have been in part due to his prior behavior. He may well have displayed understanding seemingly beyond his station in the past. It may well be one of these brotherly rebukes that led to the writing of this Psalm. It may also have been in reaction to Saul's assessment of David, for Saul ever saw him as one aspiring to the throne. There is also the echo of David's answer to Michal in this.

2Sa 6:21-22 - The LORD chose me above your father and his house. He appointed me ruler over His people, Israel, and therefore I celebrate before Him. I will be esteemed less than this in your eyes, and will be humble in my own eyes, yet your those maids you so disdain will consider me distinguished.

Whatever the cause, David stands as the foremost example of a man who could offer the words of this Psalm in all honesty. As no other, he knew and practiced true humility, even as king. In this, he stands as a type of Christ, the humble King. He also stands as an example for us, for Christ's kingdom is to be made of those who come to Him with the humility and innocent trust of children. (Mt 18:3)

"Pride has no existence in the bosom of a child." (Barnes).

So much of Scripture is aimed at rooting pride out of us, because pride is, in the end, the basis of all sin. Only in humility can we defeat that root of pride.

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A Self-Assessment

1 O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
Or in things too difficult for me.

Whatever the cause, David is moved to examine himself. We will never profit from rebuke, unless we allow it to lead to such a self-examination. Where men accuse, invite God to search out the truth, and reveal it to you. If you have been wronged, allow Him to defend your name.

Heart

Seat of emotion, intellect, morality, and conscience.

Ps 27:14 - Let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD.

Ps 4:7 - You have put gladness in my heart, above that which comes of abundant food and drink.

1Sa 25:37 - When Abigail informed Nabal of David's words, his heart died within him for fear.

Ps 13:2 - How long shall I have sorrow in my heart, as my enemies exalt over me?

As we check ourselves, it is well to begin at the root. So, David looks to the seat of all that he is, to the innermost man, to see if the pride he has been charged with is to be found there.

As the heart, so the man.

Dt 7:17-18 - If you say in your heart that you cannot chase out those nations, then you will indeed fear them. Remember what God did to Pharaoh and Egypt on your behalf!

Isa 14:13 - In your heart, you said you would ascend even above the throne of God.

Satan's sin began in his pride, and that pride began in his heart. So it is for all of us. Sin doesn't suddenly jump us unannounced. It grows in our hearts, where we contemplate it, either resisting it, or planning its completion. This is what makes the heart such a critical matter to us. Remember that we are told our words are but reflections of the heart. We may try to hide it, but God searches the heart, and God reveals the things that are hidden. What is hidden in your heart? If it is sin we have hidden in our heart, it is sin that will come out. If we have listened to Him, and hidden His word in our heart, then His word is what will come out.

The heart renewed

On our own, we cannot change our heart. Fortunately, we know One who can!

Eze 11:19 - I will give them one heart, a new spirit within. I will take out their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.

Jer 31:33 - I will put My law within them, written on their heart. I will be their God, and they will be My people.

Ps 51:10 - Create a clean heart in me, a new spirit within, O God.

Ro 5:5 - The love of God has been poured within our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

Gal 4:6 - God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts.

2Co 1:22 - He sealed us, giving us the Spirit in our hearts.

Ro 10:10 - Man believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness. He confesses with his mouth, resulting in salvation.

Notice once more: what is in the heart comes out of the mouth. The heart must first believe before the mouth can confess. The heart must be righteous, before the mouth can know salvation. Always, God lists the heart first. Whenever the commandment is quoted, no matter how it may be paraphrased, always it is heart first.

Dt 6:5 - Love God with all your heart, and your soul, and your might.

Until our heart loves God completely, our soul cannot do so, and our effort will not go into that love. Until our heart loves God completely, we will be easily distracted by the things of this world. Until our heart is sold out to Him, we will insist on our own way, even though it leads to death.

Eyes

Informing the Heart

The other evidence David looks for is that of the eyes. The eyes serve as a primary source of information for man. They are one of the major means by which we gather knowledge so as to understand what is happening around us. It is from the gateway of the eye that the heart perceives. Thus, we are told to guard ourselves with regard to what we look upon, for by that looking, we feed our heart for good or ill.

Ps 121:1 - I lift my eyes to the mountains; where will I find help?

Pr 17:24 - Wisdom is in the presence of one with understanding, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

Lk 11:34 - They lamp of the body is the eye. When sight is clear, the body is full of light, but when they eye is bad, the whole body is filled with darkness.

Ps 119:18 - Open my eyes to behold the wonders of Your law.

Ps 19:8b - The Commandments of the LORD are pure, enlightening the eyes.

Reflecting the Heart

More to the point, in this passage, the eyes also reflect the heart. Like the tongue, the eyes betray what is truly inside of us, whether beautiful or hideous.

Pr 22:9 - He who's eyes are bountiful will be blessed, for he gives what he has to the poor.

Consider what God has to say about proud eyes! Is it any wonder that David was quick to check, to make certain that such pride did not describe himself?

Ps 18:27 - God saves the afflicted, but the haughty eye, He humbles.

Far better to humble ourselves than to require that God do the humbling for us!

Pr 6:16-19 - Six things the LORD hates, seven He considers an abomination: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a wicked heart, feet that are quick to join evil, a false witness, and one who spreads strife.

Lk 18:13 - The tax-gatherer was not willing to lift his eyes to heaven, but begged God for mercy, knowing himself a sinner.

Here is the humility that is appropriate to us before a holy God. How can we, if we truly assess ourselves, lift our eyes up to Him? How can there be any pride in our eyes, when we know the true state of our hearts?

Integrity

David was greatly concerned with integrity. God is greatly concerned with integrity, too. David had been accused of involving himself in things beyond his proper involvement. Rather than hotly denying the charge without a thought, David chose to inspect himself. His integrity was worth too much to him for him to deny anything until he was certain of the truth.

If indeed he had pushed himself into improper arenas, far better that he should seek forgiveness for his presumption, and learn from it. However, his self-inspection reveals no such boasting of self. How sweet, if our own inspections yield such a happy answer! It is hard indeed for pride and integrity to co-exist, for pride will demand that we do whatever we must to preserve it. Pride will lie to keep its position. Pride will trod upon any and all to hold its place. This is why Jesus counseled his apostles to seek service and humility, rather than pride. So long as we truly serve, we will serve in true humility, for pride cannot serve any but itself.

Content in God

2 Surely I have composed and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned child rests against his mother,
My soul is like a weaned child within me.

"He has leveled or made smooth his soul, so that humility is its entire and uniform state; he has calmed it so that it is silent and at rest, and lets God speak and work in it and for it: it is like an even surface, and like the calm surface of a lake." (K & D)

The weaned child can now lie upon its mother without crying out impatiently for suck. It is content to have its mother. So the humble soul, though restlessness and craving are its nature, is satisfied to have fellowship with God, and seeks nothing more.

When first we are taken out of the world, we still long for it, we think we cannot live without it, but with time, we learn that He has given us better than He has removed. We may, in the course of our life in Christ, lose things we love. We may find that hopes we held dear must be abandoned for Him. Yet, as the Holy Spirit works upon our heart and soul, we will learn to be content in whatever circumstance He has chosen to provide.

Reminder of Hope

If we see this psalm as a reaction to Saul, one might consider that David is telling the nation not to get ahead of the LORD in taking matters into their own hands. As he had contented himself to await God's timing, so should they.

David has found his confidence in God. Humble before his Maker, content to dwell in whatever fashion God might choose, he urges the same confidence upon Israel. His hope is founded on his trust in God. He has heard God's promise, and he knows God will do as He promised.

In closing his song, David turns his thoughts back to the nation. What he has found, he hopes for all of Israel to find. Where he has put an end to boasting, he prays that Israel as a nation would learn to put aside all boasting. Cast upon God's will, he prays that his people would remember to cast themselves upon God's will as well.

Conclusion

Here, then, is the message for us: It is only pride that rails against God. It is the height of pride that would claim to know better than our Creator! Augustine has identified pride as the root of all sin, and I think he is probably right. Every act that opposes God is in some form a matter of pride. Every word that grumbles against God is nothing but pride in another form. I have no doubt but that pride will be the last sin to fall as God works to purify and sanctify us.

Ro 9:20 - Who are you to answer back to GOD? Will you complain to your Maker as to the way He made you?

Ro 3:27 - Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

We have no cause for pride. All that have, all that we are, all that we can do, all that we hope for comes from His hand. Even in His promises, some find cause for complaint, having decided in their minds when and how that promise would come. This was Israel's issue when Jesus came. He wasn't what they looked for. He wasn't what they wanted.

We are in great danger of finding ourselves to be the same way. When Jesus comes, He is not always what we want. He's almost never what we're looking for. But He's everything we need. When He comes, will we be satisfied with Him? Will we be seeking His breast, or will we be satisfied with His fellowship? Will we insist on the milk, or will we accept the meat He gives us? Will we seek His hand, or will we seek His face?

David was content to dwell in caves, so long as he knew God was with him. He was satisfied to know God's promise, and he was satisfied that God would deliver what He had promised. Not only did he refuse to attempt to help God out, but he counseled his supporters to patience, to trusting in God. May we be likewise able to trust God to do as He has said. May we, like David and Paul before us, be content with whatever the LORD may choose to provide for us.