Psalm 70:1
To bring remembrance. Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Hurry, O LORD, to help me!
For the choirmaster.
This phrase indicates that the psalm was intended for public worship and was to be directed by the choirmaster, a leader in the musical aspect of temple worship. The role of the choirmaster was significant in ancient Israel, as music was a central part of worship and liturgical practice. This highlights the communal aspect of the psalm, suggesting it was not only a personal plea but also a collective expression of dependence on God.

Of David.
Attributed to King David, this psalm reflects his personal experiences and relationship with God. David's life was marked by moments of intense need for divine intervention, such as his flight from Saul or his struggles with his own sin. The attribution to David connects the psalm to a historical figure known for his deep faith and reliance on God, serving as a model for believers in seeking God's help.

To bring remembrance.
This phrase suggests that the psalm serves as a reminder, possibly of God's past deliverance or of the psalmist's ongoing need for divine assistance. In the broader biblical context, remembrance is a key theme, as seen in the Passover and other feasts, which were instituted to remind Israel of God's mighty acts. This psalm may have been used to recall God's faithfulness and to encourage trust in His continued provision.

Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
The urgency in this plea reflects a situation of immediate danger or distress. The psalmist's cry for quick deliverance underscores the belief in God's ability to intervene swiftly. This echoes other biblical instances where God responds promptly to the cries of His people, such as the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. The use of "God" here emphasizes the psalmist's appeal to the Almighty, the Creator and Sustainer of all.

Hurry, O LORD, to help me!
The repetition of the plea for haste highlights the desperation and earnestness of the psalmist's situation. The use of "LORD" (Yahweh) invokes the covenant name of God, reminding the reader of God's promises and faithfulness to His people. This reflects a deep trust in God's character and His willingness to aid those who call upon Him. The plea for help is a common theme in the Psalms, illustrating the believer's reliance on God's strength and mercy in times of trouble.

Persons / Places / Events
1. David
Traditionally attributed as the author of this Psalm, David often cried out to God in times of distress, seeking His immediate intervention.

2. God (Elohim)
The term used here emphasizes God's power and might, highlighting the psalmist's reliance on divine strength.

3. LORD (Yahweh)
This name for God underscores His covenant relationship with His people, reminding us of His faithfulness and personal care.

4. The Psalmist's Distress
The context of this plea is a time of urgent need, reflecting a situation where the psalmist feels overwhelmed and in desperate need of God's intervention.
Teaching Points
Urgency in Prayer
The psalmist's plea for God to "hasten" and "come quickly" teaches us the importance of bringing our urgent needs to God without delay.

Dependence on God
This verse highlights our need to rely on God's strength and deliverance, recognizing that He is our ultimate source of help.

God's Faithfulness
By calling on both "God" and "LORD," the psalmist reminds us of God's power and His covenant faithfulness, encouraging us to trust in His promises.

Consistency in Seeking God
The repetition of this plea in other Psalms and scriptures shows the importance of consistently turning to God in times of trouble.

Prayer as a First Response
The immediacy of the psalmist's prayer encourages us to make prayer our first response in times of crisis, rather than a last resort.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the urgency in David's prayer in Psalm 70:1 reflect your own approach to prayer in times of need?

2. In what ways can you cultivate a deeper dependence on God as your deliverer in daily life?

3. How does understanding God's covenant faithfulness (Yahweh) impact your trust in His response to your prayers?

4. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's swift intervention in your life. How did it strengthen your faith?

5. How can you incorporate the practice of immediate prayer into your routine, especially when faced with sudden challenges?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 40:13
This verse is nearly identical to Psalm 70:1, indicating a recurring theme in David's life of seeking God's swift help.

2 Samuel 22:7
David calls upon the LORD in distress, and God hears him, illustrating the personal relationship and responsiveness of God to His people.

Philippians 4:6-7
Encourages believers to present their requests to God with thanksgiving, promising peace that guards hearts and minds, which complements the urgency and trust in Psalm 70:1.
A Pattern SuppliantJ. O. Keen, D. D.Psalm 70:1-5
A PetitionC. Short Psalm 70:1-5
Help!W. Forsyth Psalm 70:1-5
People
David, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Bring, Cause, Chief, Choirmaster, David, Deliver, Gt, Haste, Hasten, Hurry, Leader, Lt, Memorial, Memory, Music, Musician, Music-maker, O, Offering, Overseer, Petition, Pleased, Psalm, Quickly, Remember, Remembrance, Reminder, Salvation, Save
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 70:

     5420   music
     8610   prayer, asking God

Library
Our Watchword
You will observe that in this, and in the fortieth Psalm, this holy saying is put in opposition to the ungodly speeches of persecutors. The wicked say, "Aha, aha," therefore let those who love God's salvation have a common watchword with which to silence the malicious mockeries of the ungodly; let them say, "LET GOD BE MAGNIFIED." The earnestness of the wicked should be a stimulus to the fervency of the righteous. Surely, if God's enemies do not spare blasphemy and profanity, if they are always upon
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871

Pleading
We shall consider our text, then, as one of the productions of a great master in spiritual matters, and we will study it, praying all the while that God will help us to pray after the like fashion. In our text we have the soul of a successful pleader under four aspects: we view, first, the soul confessing: "I am poor and needy." You have next, the soul pleading, for he makes a plea out of his poor condition, and adds, "Make haste unto me, O God!" You see, thirdly, a soul in it's urgency, for he cries,
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871

Letter xii (A. D. 1127) to Louis, King of France
To Louis, King of France [12] The monks of Cîteaux take the liberty to address grave reproaches to King Louis for his hostility to and injuries inflicted upon the Bishop of Paris, and declare that they will bring the cause before the Pope if the King does not desist. To LOUIS, the glorious King of France, Stephen, Abbot of Cîteaux, and the whole assembly of the abbots and brethren of Cîteaux, wish health, prosperity, and peace in Christ Jesus. 1. The King of heaven and earth has
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Whether a Man May Merit Restoration after a Fall?
Objection 1: It would seem that anyone may merit for himself restoration after a fall. For what a man may justly ask of God, he may justly merit. Now nothing may more justly be besought of God than to be restored after a fall, as Augustine says [*Cf. Ennar. i super Ps. lxx.], according to Ps. 70:9: "When my strength shall fail, do not Thou forsake me." Hence a man may merit to be restored after a fall. Objection 2: Further, a man's works benefit himself more than another. Now a man may, to some extent,
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Question Lxxxiii of Prayer
I. Is Prayer an Act of the Appetitive Powers? Cardinal Cajetan, On Prayer based on Friendship II. Is it Fitting to Pray? Cardinal Cajetan, On Prayer as a True Cause S. Augustine, On the Sermon on the Mount, II. iii. 14 " On the Gift of Perseverance, vii. 15 III. Is Prayer an Act of the Virtue of Religion? Cardinal Cajetan, On the Humility of Prayer S. Augustine, On Psalm cii. 10 " Of the Gift of Perseverance, xvi. 39 IV. Ought We to Pray to God Alone? S. Augustine, Sermon, cxxvii. 2 V.
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

Letter xvi to Rainald, Abbot of Foigny
To Rainald, Abbot of Foigny Bernard declares to him how little he loves praise; that the yoke of Christ is light; that he declines the name of father, and is content with that of brother. 1. In the first place, do not wonder if titles of honour affright me, when I feel myself so unworthy of the honours themselves; and if it is fitting that you should give them to me, it is not expedient for me to accept them. For if you think that you ought to observe that saying, In honour preferring one another
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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