Psalm 141--Give Ear to My Voice

Psalm 141
English Standard Version

Give Ear to My Voice
A Psalm of David.
141 O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me!
    Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
    and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

3 Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
    keep watch over the door of my lips!
4 Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
    to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who work iniquity,
    and let me not eat of their delicacies!

5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
    let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
    let my head not refuse it.
Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
6 When their judges are thrown over the cliff,
    then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
    so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

​8 But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;
    in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
9 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me
    and from the snares of evildoers!
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
    while I pass by safely.

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David asks the LORD to come to him because he is crying out to the LORD (probably in one of the many desperate circumstances that David faced).  David asks for his prayers to be like the incense that was offered by the priests that would offer atonement and would bring the supplications of the people up to the LORD as a pleasing aroma to Him.

David then gets more specific and says that he needs the LORD's help to keep him from saying sinful things.  From the description here, it sounds like David is struggling with gossip, and he knows that is not glorifying to the LORD.  He asks for the LORD to use righteous men to discipline him and keep him in line--to rebuke and correct him when he gets out of line, yet David still prays for the punishment and destruction of the wicked men who have been guilty of the same sins he has been committing.  He knows that seems hypocritical, but he also knows that it is his job as the king to promote justice and righteousness.  Apparently, the judges of this time (as in other times) were corrupt and used their positions to take advantage of the people--selling "justice" to the rich but abusing the poor.  David prays that they would remember his words when God executes His justice on them, even if David is dead and in the grave before the LORD does so.

David does not seek justice from human judges who are themselves wicked but turns to the Lord who will be the ultimate judge of the living and the dead.  We take refuge in him that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  The Lord will not only act as Judge, but also as Defense Attorney for all those who belong to Him.  He will defend us against every charge brought against us that He has already paid the price for.  Those who died outside the salvation that only Christ can provide will not escape judgment and condemnation though.  First, the Lord will cause them to fall into their own traps here in this world, and then He will judge them by their works, and they will be found guilty and worthy of eternal separation from God in the place called The Lake of Fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels.  Man chooses to refuse God and not want to be a part of His kingdom because we want to be our own gods.  Since the Garden of Eden, this has been the temptation.  While there is still time, we need to heed the Lord's call to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.