The 70th Psalm mirrors the 40th Psalm in a couple of respects. David employs the words “aha, aha” to describe the mocking jibes which his enemies directed at him. He also describes himself as poor and needy. The 40th Psalm concludes with a beautiful comfort, which while not included in the 70th are integrated within the spirit of the words:

But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me (Psalm 40:17)

The poor and needy, whom the Lord thinks of lovingly and tenderly is the theme of this short Psalm. Once again David was confronted with malicious and dangerous enemies but the God of yesterday is also the God of today.

The Urgency of the Situation

Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
make haste to help me, O LORD.
Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul:
let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.
Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame
that say, Aha, aha. (Psalm 70:1-3)

This prayer is the shield , spear, thunderbolt, and defense against every attack of fear, presumption and lukewarmness…which are especially prevalent today. (Martin Luther)

David’s urgency is presented in the opening verse. Such was the intent of his opponents that David not only needed help, he needed that help now, with immediate effect.

We often encouraged to be patient, to wait on God. There are times when waiting will not work. The enormity of the situation is so grave that intervention is required instantly. This was the situation that a deeply ungodly John Newton found himself in as a young man. Travelling in the ‘Greyhound’ across the Atlantic great waves crashed over the upper decks flooding the living quarters and the storage below. It seemed that the ship was certain to be wrecked. Suddenly Newton surprised himself as he remembered his mother’s counsel when he was a child (she died when he was seven years of age) and he cried for mercy. Not only did God save the vessel and her crew but saved Newton’s soul on that voyage. He was indeed the God of mercy who acted instantly. Ultimately when knows the time to act for our assistance He will not fail nor will He tarry.

This call from David certainly denotes a sense of desperation. He was in terrible trouble, necessitating this urgent call for help as one who was poor and needy.

The description “poor and needy” is in itself most humbling. This is who we are constantly before God.

Our Saviour in His Beatitudes spoke of the blessing reserved for the poor in spirit:

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)

The word “poor” in Matthew 5 denotes once who is destitute, depending upon begging to eke out a living. Christ was not referring to the poor materially but the poor in spirit. Those who needed grace and forgiveness. Such must look to God begging Him for mercy.

I spoke to a man once who asked me about the idea of begging God. He told about being rebuked by a Minister for begging from God. The argument the Minister used was that we are the children of God, we are more than poor beggars, we are better that that. I accept the point that was made but it undermines the whole premise of who we are by nature . As ruined sinners we are lost without daily interventions of mercy and grace.

The beggar has no resources, neither have we. The beggar must have the riches of another so must we. The beggar needs to ask and plead for help, so we are commanded to do. The beggar requires a gracious and kind benefactor, which we have in the person of our Heavenly Father.

Whatever our need is – we are poor, constantly poor and always poor. All that we have is the gifts of God and His grace, without which we are nothing and have nothing.

But still we ask, we must ask, we must plead, we must cling to God as Jacob clung to the Angel of the Covenant at Peniel.

The Faith of the Supplicant

Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee:
and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.
But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God:
thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying. (Psalm 70:4-5)

What makes us different from the natural beggar is that we can cry unto God with faith. The beggar will have many rush past, not looking down, turning the other way, turning a blind eye or, worse still, greeting the beggar’s gaze with that callous look of disdain. But when we look to God we know that the tears will become laughter and the burden will be lifted. He never fails.

God is magnified by his loving favour. While the heavens and the earth resound to the power of His diety and the intelligence of HIs design it is at the cross we view the warmth and glory of His love.

As we the poor and needy lie prostrate at His feet under the shadow of the cross we understand our Saviour became poor to make us rich. He exposed Himself to the impoverishment of our sin as he suffered the guilt that is ours. As a result the eternal riches of God’s grace come flooding into our hearts.

He is our eternal Father. He never leaves his poor children alone. He has a multitude of affectionate thoughts directed our way. He orchestrates a thousand circumstances, most of which we do not recognise, for our good. Our paths are filled with His love.

Therefore – when we cry to Him – He hears.

But let us remember how we must cry – as the poor beggar. We are nothing and have nothing. He hears the cry of humble.