Patrick Comerford
Before this day begins, I am taking some time this morning to continue my reflections in this season of Easter, including my morning reflections drawing on the Psalms.
In my blog, I am reflecting each morning in this Prayer Diary in these ways:
1, Short reflections on a psalm or psalms;
2, reading the psalm or psalms;
3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.
Psalm 86:
Psalm 86 is found in Book 3 in the Book of Psalms, which includes Psalms 73 to 89. In the slightly different numbering scheme in the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, this is psalm is numbered as Psalm 85. In Latin, it is known as Inclina Domine.
Psalm 86 is one in a group of psalms at the end of Book III within the 150 psalms, from Psalm 84 to Psalm 89. These psalms attempt to provide hope to the exilic Israelite community. But, despite their celebration of the historic traditions of the Jewish people, they remind the reader that these elements no longer provide the hope they once did.
Four psalms of this group – Psalms 84, 85, 87 and 88 – are attributed to the Korahites, who are described as the doorkeepers of the tabernacle in the Book of Chronicles. However, Psalm 86 is the only psalm in Book III of the psalms that is ascribed to David as ‘A Prayer of David.’
Psalm 86 is one of five psalms labelled as a ‘prayer’ (tephillah), and bears a resemblance to Psalm 17, which also has this title. (Psalm 90 is known as the ‘prayer of Moses.’)
This psalm includes frequent parallels and repetitions, such as an eightfold ‘for’ (verses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 13), the repeated ‘Lord’ eleven times (verses 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 17, with seven of them being Adonai (verses 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 15), and the four others as YHWH. The psalmist is named the ‘servant’ of YHWH (abdeka, ‘your servant’) in verses 2, 4, 16, which may indicate literary patterns. A chiastic structure identifies verse 11 as the centre of the psalm.
In this prayer, David gives glory to God (verse 8-10, 12, 13), seeks grace and favour from God, that God would hear his prayers (verses 1, 6, 7), preserve and save him, and be merciful to him (verses 2, 3, 16), and that he would give him joy, grace, strength and honour (verses 4, 11, 17). He pleads for God’s goodness (verse 5, 15) and speaks of the malice of his enemies (verse 14).
This psalm may be divided into three parts:
1, verses 1-7: this is a plea for help that talks about the psalmist’s piety (verses 1-4) and ‘the character of God’ (verses 5-7).
2, verses 8-13: these verses form a hymn, interrupted by a call on God to teach the psalmist (verse 11), and conclude with thankful confidence for answered prayer, and a vow to offer praise or to sacrifice a thank-offering (verses 12-13).
3, verses 14-17: are renewed prayer, ending with a request for a sign of God’s favour. Verse 16 is a paraphrase of the middle part in the Priestly Blessing (Numbers 6: 25).
Psalm 86 (NRSVA):
A Prayer of David.
1 Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; 3 be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all day long.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you.
6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my cry of supplication.
7 In the day of my trouble I call on you,
for you will answer me.
8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.
9 All the nations you have made shall come
and bow down before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
10 For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart to revere your name.
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name for ever.
13 For great is your steadfast love towards me;
you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, the insolent rise up against me;
a band of ruffians seeks my life,
and they do not set you before them.
15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me;
give your strength to your servant;
save the child of your serving-maid.
17 Show me a sign of your favour,
so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame,
because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Today’s Prayer:
The theme in this week’s prayer diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel) is ‘Advocacy in Brazil.’
The USPG Prayer Diary this morning (20 May 2022, World Bee Day) invites us to pray:
Today we celebrate bees, which play a vital role in our ecosystem. May we work to safeguard nature and put the wellbeing of the earth at the centre of our politics.
Yesterday’s reflection
Continued tomorrow
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org
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