David explains in Psalm 5 that he would rise early to pray and offer his sacrifices to God. His concentration and focus on God assisted him throughout his days to live holy and a life pleasing to God. It appears that he has developed this practice in his life so that he would not delight in sin. Psalm 5:4-6 continues David’s prayer, “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.” Even though these are the words of David, we also know that he was the adulterer and murderer. I think the key to understanding the theology of this part of Psalm 5 is to understand the first phrase about “the boastful.” How does pride fit in with evil doers, liars, and murderers?
Jesus made it clear to his disciples that the “boastful” will not win God’s favor. He told about the two men who came to pray at the temple. The “boastful” one looked up to heaven and talked about how many good things he did in life. His prayer is found in Luke 18, beginning at verse 11, “The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’” I don’t expect to find a better example of the “boastful.” On the other hand, the sinner, the tax collector’s prayer follows, “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’”
The fact that this psalm is attributed to David leads us to remember that he himself was an evildoer. He did evil with regard to Bathsheba and shed the innocent blood of Uriah, and then lied about it until confronted by the prophet. Considering this fact, along with the statements in Psalm 5, we see the reality of the sinfulness of all mankind. It teaches us that we are all sinners. Only the boastful and the blind could pray the way the Pharisee prayed. This is not belittling mankind. It’s just being honest. Repentance is what God wants, not self-justification for our sins. After the tax collector prayed, Jesus said, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Jesus also said in Mark 2:17, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” This is the gospel, and the law has a role to play. I like the way MacArthur puts it, “Law and gospel have differing purposes, of course. We know that sinners cannot be justified by the works of the law. But don’t conclude that the law, therefore, plays no role whatsoever in the proclamation of the gospel. The law reveals our sin and shows the real nature of sin for what it is. The law is a tutor to lead us to Christ. It is the chief means God uses to make sinners see their own helplessness. The law’s moral standards give us the necessary foundation for understanding what sin is.”[1] Psalm 51 is the record of David’s repentance and forgiveness. It pictures for us that which is available to all sinners through Jesus Christ. We need to identify with the tax collector, not with the pharisee. When sending out his disciples to preach the good news, Jesus says in Luke 24:47, “repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations.”
[1] MacArthur, John. 1998. Successful Christian Parenting : Raising Your Child with Care, Compassion, and Common Sense. Bedford, Tex.: Word Pub.