What does Psalm 7:5 mean?
These consequences are dramatic, nothing David truly expects to happen. His enemies (Psalm 7:1–2) may have accused him of terrible things (Psalm 7:3–4); these are slander. David is confident he is innocent of those crimes, so he emphasizes his innocence by accepting severe punishment "if" such things were true.A modern person might say, "you can take me to prison if I'm lying, but I know this is the truth." In a similar sense, David was willing for God to allow enemies to overtake him and kill him. He was willing for the enemy to humiliate and humble him, even ruining his good name for all of eternity. However, he was comfortable stating his innocence; he was innocent of all the malicious charges that the enemy laid against him.
It should be the goal of every believer to be faithful to the Lord until death. The apostle Paul ran the Christian race faithfully by disciplining his body (1 Corinthians 9:25–27) and by doing the Lord's will. At the end of his life, he could declare, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). His honor did not lie in the dust; he would receive the crown of righteousness from the Lord (2 Timothy 4:8).
Psalm 7:1–5 sets the stage for the rest of the psalm. It reveals David's confidence in God to save him from his enemies. He believes he deserves defeat only if he has done wrong, such as by cheating or stealing. The rest of the psalm asks God to judge him according to his righteousness and his enemies according to their evil deeds. This psalm is described using an obscure term which probably refers to something musical. No information is given about Cush, or what he said.
David takes refuge in God and asks to be rescued from those seeking his life. He boldly defends himself from accusations of fraud or plunder. Rather than seek his own revenge, David calls on the Lord to execute judgment. The wicked man plots evil, is full of mischief, and gives birth to lies. However, trouble will come back to strike such a person. His sin and violence will lead to a sinful, violent end. David concludes this psalm by giving thanks and praise to the Lord.
