Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you (Psalm 39:5)
We have already noted the progression of thought from Psalms 36-38 last time. Psalm 39 then shares many things in common with the preceding Psalm 38. Both Psalms speak of discipline (38:1, 39:10-11) that comes from the hand of God (38:2, 39:10) for personal sin (38:4-5, 39:8,11). Silent waiting in the presence of enemies is found in Psalm 38:13-16 and Psalm 39:1-3, 8-9. This silent waiting is repeated in the opening verses of Psalm 40, where we again find confession of personal sin, which is repeated once again in Psalm 41. And in Psalm 38 David is seriously ill and frail; in Psalm 39 he contemplates life’s brevity (this theme of sickness will appear again in Psalm 41, concluding Book 1 of the Psalms).
Psalm 39 begins with David holding back his complaint lest he be a stumbling block to the wicked (vs 1-3). This preface leaves the reader anxious to find out what is troubling him so? When he finally opens his mouth in verse 4, his complaint is not regarding any human being, wicked or righteous, but is laid against the Lord, Yahweh. We learn from this that it is wise to not voice complaints against God in the hearing of enemies; nevertheless, we should bring our troubles before God Himself.
What troubles David so, is the brevity and meaninglessness of human existence (vs 4-6). The Selah at the end of verses 5 and 11 follow the Hebrew word hebel, translated “mere breath,” leading us to pause and meditate on this sobering thought. Hebel also appears in verse 6, translated “for nothing,” or “in vain.” This is the key word of the book of Ecclesiastes, often translated, “vanity.” As perplexing as the brevity of life is, verse 5 affirms that God has made it this way. But why then does God bother with such an insubstantial creature as man? What is His concern with me? Why can He not just leave me alone when I only have 70 or best 80 painful years in my fleeting life? The answer my friend, in the words of Bob Dylan, “is blowing in the wind” – meaning that the answer is both easy to understand and utterly abstract. There is a paradox that although our life is fleeting and years are short, we are more than just passing creatures. Our brief journey on this earth has eternal value, as God made us for eternity and for Himself. Though the Psalmist comes to this realization, it only partially soothes his complaint as he asks God to turn away from him, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!