Psalm 17 - The Apple of your Eye

David spent much of his life being attacked. This led him to cry out to his Lord and brought him much closer to God than he otherwise would have been. A bit like a child who has hurt themselves running to their mum or dad for a cuddle. It seems like he is being accused of acting dishonourably; perhaps an agenda to remove someone to grab more power or being unfair and deceitful. (vv2,4)

Now other people who are all about this life, (eg pension, position, personal preferences) (v14) rather than God's eternal kingdom, to malign and hound him as they scent blood.

David could try to justify himself to them and in a way he does justify himself to God. (This is another prophetic psalm which only perfectly fits Jesus but can fit us when we are "in Him" by faith.) But David knows that only God can vindicate him (v2) and this may have to wait, even until he wakes from the sleep of death. (v17).

There are two beautiful high points here which make this one of my favourite psalms.

The first is his prayer, verses 7,8. "Show me the wonders of your love... keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me in the shadow of your wings." The apple of the eye is the most sensitive spot of the body. If someone pokes you in the eye you instinctively react to defend yourself. David knows that anyone attacking him is like putting their finger in God's eye. The Hebrew expression here is literally "little man of your eye", perhaps because you see a reflection of yourself as a little man / woman in the pupil of the person you are talking to.

Even better, David is looking forward to the day he actually sees the Lord. Every longing on that day will be fulfilled. It is a companion piece to Psalm 16 and finishes with the same hope. We will have the fullness of joy in his presence; eternal pleasures at his right hand; the unspeakable beauty of the Lord. We want to see Him; to be ravished by his glory and then at last our souls will be satisfied. And we will be the little man in his eye.