Psalm 141 – Incense
The smell of incense permeates throughout a church or meditation room, filling the space with its essence. We breathe it in and it becomes part of us. In the same way the atmosphere we inhabit, our thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, influence everything around us, as we see in Psalm 141 – incense.
Psalm 141
Psalm 141 is a beautiful prayer by David. He cries out to God to rescue him from his detractors but first wants to make sure of his own purity. “It shows David as a man of tender conscience, who asked God to deal with his own sin and weakness before addressing the wicked men who fought against him. It shows that David was even more concerned about evil inside himself than he was about evil from others.” Psalm 141 Commentary: No Compromise
The psalm begins with David calling to God and asking that his prayers be like incense.
“I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you.
May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” (1-2)
David wanted his prayer to be as pure as the incense used in the Temple.
“Incense connected with the tabernacle and temple rituals needed to be pure and it needed to be prepared. David intended to offer pure and prepared prayers unto God.” Psalm 141 Commentary: No Compromise
Prayers for Purity
He then prays that his lips and his heart be pure.
“Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.
Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.” (3-4)
“David didn’t want the same mouth that prayed as if it were incense to be used for lies or any evil thing. He asked God to keep watch over the door of my lips, so that he would not say evil or foolish things … David knew that it was more than his lips that needed protection; his heart could also be affected by some evil thing, resulting in wicked works.” Psalm 141 Commentary: No Compromise
The Righteous and the Wicked
Where David did not want to “eat the delicacies” of the wicked (be aligned in any way with the wicked), he accepted correction by the righteous.
“Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it, for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.” (5)
The rebuke of a good man is excellent oil, leading one to be better. “Depend upon it, the man who will tell you your faults is your best friend. It may not be a pleasant thing for him to do it, and he knows that he is running the risk of losing your friendship; but he is a true and sincere friend, therefore thank him for his reproof, and learn how you may improve by what he tells you.” (Spurgeon) Psalm 141 Commentary: No Compromise
After focusing on purifying himself, David turns to the wicked.
“Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
They will say, “As one plows and breaks up the earth, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.” (6-7)
He ends by asking that the wicked fall into the traps they had laid for David.
“But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.
Keep me safe from the traps set by evildoers, from the snares they have laid for me.
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.” (8-10)
Incense
Incense is a sweet-smelling smoke used in religious services or for meditation. Smoke has a way of permeating throughout a building, filling the air with its smell. Anyone living near burning wildfires knows this. The minute particles in the air pass into the lungs and damage them. In July, here in Michigan, our skies filled with smoke from fires in Canada, keeping residents inside for several days.
Wicked people with wicked ways can be like this smoke, corrupting our hearts and bodies. David recognized this. He wanted nothing to do with them or their “delicacies.” If we spend our time with those with evil intents, they have a negative influence on us. Rather, David wanted to be as pure as the finest incense used in the temple.
“Christians reflecting on the use of incense can be reminded that Scripture places the greatest emphasis on the posture of the heart and the authenticity of worship. Incense in the Old Testament served as a physical representation of prayers ascending to God, foreshadowing the intimate relationship believers now have through Christ.” What does the Bible say about using incense?
Our prayers are to rise to heaven like incense. Such prayer pleases God.
“The lifting up of hands in prayer also signifies surrender, worship, and reverence towards God. The psalmist is emphasizing the sincerity and reverence with which he is approaching God in prayer by using this language.” Psalms 141 Explained – Verse by Verse Commentary – God’s Blessing
Psalm 141 – Incense
If we want to live pure, Godly lives, we do well to look first at ourselves the way David does in Psalm 141 – incense. Jesus echoes this sentiment when he tells us to, “first remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:5)
If we want our prayers to be pure and sweet like incense, we need to follow David’s example by asking God to purify our lips and our hearts. We must fill our hearts with God and God’s ways rather than the ways of the wicked. That way God is the very air we breathe. God fills our lungs, our beings with God’s sweet presence.
What is in the air that you breathe?
(For another take on this psalm, see Psalm 141: An Evening Examen – Patricia M Robertson)
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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