Psalm 39:12–13: “Hear my prayer, O Lord, And give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with You, a sojourner, as all my fathers were. Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength, before I go away and am no more.”
Experiencing Jesus in the Psalms
The psalm closes with a final plea for the Lord’s help. Verse 12c means “don’t be indifferent to my weeping” (“do not disregard my tears,” “do not remain deaf to my weeping”) or, as a positive request, “help me when you see me crying.” In a striking figure the psalmist speaks of his life on earth as thy passing guest, a sojourner, which means that he is a temporary guest in Yahweh’s tent. This life, life on earth, was the place where the pious Israelite enjoyed Yahweh’s favor, his “hospitality.” Like all his ancestors, the psalmist too would soon leave . The expression thy passing guest is rendered in some languages as “the stranger who comes and goes quickly.” 1
Living the Transformed Life
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Hebrews 11:13
- As a guest on earth, we should live to honor the One whose tent we live in.
- As a guest on earth, we should daily seek His Majesty and glorify Him supremely.
- As a guest on earth, we should rejoice to do His will, while we still have time.
The second hand, on the clock of life, is nearing its final rotation.
Praise and Prayer
Thank You, Father, for being the only One who is always there for me. Dear Jesus, help me to be about Your business, and not my own.
1. Bratcher, R. G., & Reyburn, W. D. (1991). A translator’s handbook on the book of Psalms (pp. 378–379). New York: United Bible Societies.
