Christianity

Psalms 143Teach Me to Do Thy Will

Summary

Psalm 143, attributed to David, is the last of the seven penitential psalms. He asks God not to enter into judgment with his servant, for no one living is righteous in God's sight. Crushed by enemies and sitting in darkness, he remembers the days of old, stretches out his hands and thirsts for God like a thirsty land. He asks to hear God's lovingkindness in the morning, to be taught to do his will, and to be led by his good spirit.

Key verse

“Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.”

Psalms 143:10

Themes

Penitence
Thirst for God
Guidance
Mercy over Merit

Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.

And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

Text: King James Version (1611/1769), public domain.

Across traditions

Christianity
Galatians 2: No Flesh Justified
Paul's statement in Galatians 2:16 that by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified echoes Psalm 143:2, as does Romans 3:20.
Christianity
Psalm 63: A Dry and Thirsty Land
Psalm 63 also pictures longing for God as thirst in a dry and thirsty land, though it rests in satisfaction where Psalm 143 still pleads for an answer.

Questions about Psalms 143

What does 'in thy sight shall no man living be justified' mean?

Psalm 143:2 confesses that no human being could stand innocent if God judged strictly, so the psalmist appeals to God's faithfulness rather than his own record. Paul draws on this verse in Romans 3:20 and Galatians 2:16.

Why does Psalm 143 ask to hear lovingkindness in the morning?

In Psalm 143:8 morning is the time of fresh hope after a night of darkness and distress. The psalmist asks to wake to evidence of God's steadfast love and to be shown the way he should walk.