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Sermon on Psalm 6, preached at Evensong on Wednesday, August 5th, 2026
The Text: Psalm 6
Psalm 6 is a plea for deliverance from suffering. In the psalms, sickness and suffering are not thought of as accidents of life. It was believed that God inflicted sickness and suffering as a means of chastening, discipline, or rebuke, or else such suffering was inflicted by enemies or aggravated by them.
The psalmist begins by pleading with the Lord not to rebuke him in anger or discipline him in wrath (verse 1). The second verse prays for God’s mercy and healing in view of the psalmist’s weakness and bodily agony. Not only is the psalmist suffering bodily pain, but he is also enduring distress of soul. We are not given the exact nature of this bodily pain and distress of soul. It could apply to many people in various circumstances. He asks the question, “Lord, how long wilt thou punish me?” (v.3)
A very serious realization lies behind the psalmist’s question “How long…?” The Jews of the Old Testament period generally believed that death was the end of life. After death, the soul, it was believed, whether it was righteous or sinful, descended into Sheol, where it had a shadowy existence with no relationship with God, no experience of blessing or punishment, and no hope of new life. The belief in the resurrection had its antecedents in the Old Testament and gained prominence in the intertestamental period. In this psalm, however, the only possibility of new life and healing was during this mortal life. The psalmist therefore appeals to God’s mercy, since after death there was no hope, as verse 5 notes.
Verses 6 and 7 continue a description of the psalmist’s suffering and weeping either on account of his suffering and agony of soul, or because he is desperate for God to hear his prayer. At the end of verse 7, the psalmist’s enemies are blamed at least as a partial cause or aggravation of his troubles.
Verses 8 and 9 suddenly express faith that God has heard his prayer and answered it, and heard his weeping. In view of this, all his enemies will be put to shame and retreat in disgrace (v.10).
CONCLUSION
What are we to learn from all this? We learn that whatever sufferings, illnesses, trials, and troubles that we face, we must pray in faith to the Lord to heal and deliver us. Then we must wait patiently in faith for the Lord to hear our prayer and deliver us from all the evil that has come upon us. If we do this with a spirit submissive to God, we will not be put to shame but find that God will set us free from all that oppresses us. The psalm teaches us also that there are times like this that we will experience, when all we can do is call on God for his help and deliverance.