Bible Commentaries
Psalms 101

Verses 1-8

This time shall we turn in our Bibles to Psalms 101:1-8 . Psalms 101:1-8 is a psalm of David, and David declares in the first verse,

I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing ( Psalms 101:1 ).

Now though David says he is going to sing of mercy and of judgment, in his song I find nothing of mercy, only of judgment. And David was very strong in his desires of God concerning his enemies and concerning the wicked. And David, of course, was interested in mercy concerning himself, but concerning his enemies he was always concerned with judgment. David, of course, is much like we are. We want mercy. Whenever we've done wrong we want mercy, but whenever someone wrongs us, then we want judgment on them. And that is only human nature I guess, but David so often is expressing his desires upon his enemies. And though he says, "I will sing of mercy and judgment," as we look at the song, David said,

I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when will you come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart ( Psalms 101:2 ).

Now the word perfect has changed its meaning through the years, and in the scriptural use of the word perfect, it is not referring to something that is without fault, but it is referring to something that is complete. So I will walk with a complete heart towards God. My heart completely towards Him, rather than my heart being perfect, you know, there's no sin in my heart, or no evil, or nothing bad in my heart. It doesn't mean that. It means that it's a complete heart towards God.

I will set no wicked thing before my eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it will not cleave to me. A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person. Who so privately slanders his neighbor, I will cut him off: he that has a high look and a proud heart I will not allow. My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that tells lies shall not tarry in my sight. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all the wicked doers from the city of the LORD ( Psalms 101:3-8 ).

So David doesn't really say much of mercy but much of judgment in this song. How that he will bring a judgment against the wicked, the slanderer, the proud, and the deceitful. "