Psalm 141 has been classified as an individual lament. The psalmist (traditionally David) begins with an urgent plea for deliverance (vv 1-2).
He then asks God for protection from evil in speech, thought, and action (vv 3-5c). This part of the prayer reminds us of a line from the Lord's Prayer: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Mt 6:13).
Those who tempt us to sin are often wealthy, powerful, and influential (v 4). A good policy is to depend on God and avoid bad company. It is better to spend time with the righteous, who tell us what we need to hear rather than what we might want to hear (v 5).
David prays for God to judge those in high places who do evil. Then others may listen to David and hesitate to follow the wicked (v 6). In verse 7 he quotes a proverb that commentator Willem Van Gemeren paraphrases this way: "As the famer breaks up the soil and brings up the rocks, so the bones of the wicked will be scattered without a decent burial."
Through his prayer David's faith is strengthened; he knows that the Sovereign LORD can save him. He prays that God judge the wicked and vindicate him (vv 8-10).
During the Second Temple period, Psalm 141 became associated with the evening sacrifice at the Temple, based on verse 2: "Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!" Incense was seen as symbolizing prayer, and people often prayed at the time when incense was being offered at the Temple (Dan 9:21; Lk 1:9-10).
In the book of Revelation, incense offered in the heavenly Temple is identified with the prayers of the saints (Rev 5:8; 8:1-5). Since the prayers in Rev 8:1-5 are followed by judgments on the wicked, the implication is that the saints were praying for God to make things right, as David was doing in Psalm 141.
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