How long, O Lord? Wilt Thou forget me forever? (Ps 13:1)
Does God forget? David’s cry at the beginning of Psalm 13, taken out of context, suggests that David believed God had forgotten.
When reading the Psalms, it is important to understand that they were written from the writer’s perspective at a particular moment in time. Many false interpretations occur when this important detail is missing. This is true of much of the wisdom literature in the Old Testament. While we don’t always know for sure what the circumstances are, a careful examination of the context will reveal the outstanding and abiding principles the Holy Spirit was revealing through the writer.
It is suggested that this Psalm was written when David was being pursued by Saul. What is important is that David was tired of the hardships the circumstances were causing him. Like David, few individuals go through life without reaching the point of exhaustion from trials. That is why James began his epistle:
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (Jas 1:2-4)
There are times in life when we feel like quitting, in David’s words, “I take counsel with my soul.” He was questioning his ability to survive. He felt defeated. He was concerned that his adversaries would gloat over his defeat.
When we face trials, we need to remember the promise of God through James:
Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (Jas 1:12-13)
The term “perseveres” is in the present tense. “Has been approved,” is Aorist Middle Participle describing the subject, the blessed man who perseveres, i.e., being approved. The Aorist Tense is timeless, thus complete. “Receives” is Future Middle Indicative. This is not future in time but future relative to becoming approved. “Crown of life” is a metaphor of the quality of life we experience when we respond appropriately to a trial. This refers back to and defines the blessing at the beginning of the thought, as well as the Lord’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promise of love.
This might seem like an oxymoron—a quality of life during a trial. Yet this is exactly what David expresses in Psalm 13. Following four verses describing his negative feelings, he wrote:
But I have trusted in Thy lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me. (Ps 13:5-6)
Instead of giving in to despair, David expressed trust in God’s love and his assurance of God’s salvation. Instead of brooding over his trials, he turned to songs of praise. He saw his circumstances as a time to remember the blessings he had already received in life.