Do Not Let Me Be Ashamed, O Lord! (Psalm 31:17-18)

Psalm 31:17-18 is a powerful plea to God for deliverance and justice. The verses express a deep trust in God’s protection and a request for vindication.

¹⁷ Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You;Let the wicked be ashamed;Let them be silent in the grave.¹⁸ Let the lying lips be put to silence,Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

Psalm 31:17-18

Encapsulated within these verses is a heartfelt invocation for God’s guiding hand in delivering justice and protection.

The identifiers for these verses are (19+31+17=67) and (19+31+18=68), respectively. Hence, the sum is 135.

Conclusion. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we plea for divine intervention and justice, seek protection from shame, call for the accountability of the wicked, and pray for the end of their harmful actions and words against the righteous.

Discussions

The Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 31:17-18, while distinct in their focus and context, share underlying themes of reliance on God for deliverance, protection, and justice. Here’s how they can be related:

1. Seeking God’s Intervention and Will: The Lord’s Prayer includes the petition “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This reflects a desire for God’s righteous rule and will to prevail in the world, aligning with the plea in Psalm 31:17-18 for God to act against the wicked and protect the righteous. Both passages express a trust in God’s sovereignty and justice.
2. Deliverance from Evil: In the Lord’s Prayer, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” echoes the sentiment of Psalm 31:17-18, where there’s a plea for protection from the harm and influence of the wicked. Both prayers seek God’s guiding hand to navigate and be safeguarded from the presence of evil.
3. Protection and Provision: The Lord’s Prayer asks for daily provision (“Give us this day our daily bread”) and implies a need for God’s ongoing protection and guidance. Similarly, Psalm 31:17-18’s appeal not to be put to shame and for the wicked to be silenced indicates a dependence on God for protection and justice, ensuring the well-being of the faithful.
4. Justice and Righteousness: The plea in Psalm 31:17-18 for the wicked to be ashamed and silenced reflects a yearning for divine justice, where the righteous are vindicated, and wrongdoers face consequences. The Lord’s Prayer, through its appeal for God’s kingdom and will, implicitly supports a world where God’s justice and righteousness are manifest, aligning with the themes of accountability and protection in the psalm.

In essence, both the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 31:17-18 articulate a deep reliance on God for guidance, protection, and the establishment of His justice. They reflect a spiritual posture that acknowledges God’s sovereignty and seeks His intervention in the face of adversity and evil.