Three times in verses 6, 7 David makes requests concerning the remembrance of God. The first and third urge God to remember, and the second urges Him to “Remember not”.
- “Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and loving- kindnesses; for they have ever been of old”, v. 6. “Mercies” translates a Hebrew word whose meanings include “womb”, “compassion”, “tender love” and “pity”. The word in the plural expresses, as here, the affective aspect of love, its compassion and pity. “Lovingkindness” is the same word as used in Psalm 17. 7. David is pleading with the Lord to maintain towards himself those tender and loving attributes which have characterized His dealings with men from their earliest history. But he is keenly conscious that he does not merit such divine treatment; he says:
- “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions”, v. 7. This plaintive appeal returns twice later in the psalm in a more specific form, “For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great”, v. 11; and “Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins”, v. 18. Many generations after David, God sent Jeremiah to the depleted and idolatrous kindgom of Judah as it declined into defeat and exile following the Babylonian conquest. But the weeping prophet announced the amazing terms of the future convenant which God was to make with His people: “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more”, Jer. 31. 34, also quoted in Hebrews 10. 17 as a blessing to all those who believe the gospel.
- “According to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord”, v. 7. David dreaded being ignored by God. This request (faintly anticipating that of the repentant thief), appealing both to divine mercy and to divine goodness, shows his longing to be remembered with a view to divine blessing. We who live in the full-orbed blessings of the gospel have access to promises and blessings which David never knew. For example, we may ever appropriate the matchless words of 1 John 1. 9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins”.
“Remember Jesus Christ raised from among the dead, of the seed of David, according to my glad tidings”, 2 Tim. 2. 8 J.N.D.
