1．背景
ダビデは祈っています。「私は地の果てから、あなたを呼び求めます」英訳では、far from home（直訳は家から遠く）です。つまり、ダビデは神との心の距離を果てしなく遠く感じているのです。また祈ります。及びがたいほど高い岩の上に、私を導いてください」ダビデは、この時、岩山の頂、岩棚に造られた鷲の巣を見ていたのかもしれません。そのように高くそびえる岩山から、地を見下ろす鷲のように、あらゆるものから絶対的に優位な位置に立ちたい、いわば心からの安心を得たい、そんな思いがこめられているようです。一体どんな状況でこの詩を読んだのか。一説に、アブサロムのクーデターによって王位を追われた時のこと、エルサレムの宮殿を追い出され、荒野を彷徨い歩いた時のことではないか、と言われています。
彼にとってそれは、実に厳しい神の裁きに思われることであったことでしょう。神を果てしなく遠く感じて、自分の人生はもはや落ちて行くばかり、もうこれでおしまいである。万事休す、と思うような出来事であったはずです。
けれども、ダビデはそこで諦めないのです。いつも詩篇を読むたびに思うことは、「諦めないダビデ」、「粘るダビデ」が登場します。ダビデは神を呼ばわることにいつも手ごたえを感じているのです。神に祈ることが、なおも希望をつなぐと信じています。もはや自分ではどうすることもできない状況であるのに、神には助ける力があると信じているのです。
実際ダビデは祈りの中で確信を得ています。「神よ、まことにあなたは、私の誓いを聞き入れ、御名を恐れる者の受け継ぐ地を、私に下さいました」（5節）。ハンナが祈り終わった時に、その顔が「もはや以前のようではなかった」、とあるように、確信を得て祈りを終わることを私たちはどこかで学ばなくてはならないのでしょう。祈って、不完全燃焼で終わってしまうのでも、祈りっぱなしになってしまうのでもなく、信仰を持って勝利を確信する時を味わうのです。つまり、ただ漠然と期待して祈るのではなく、天からの、上からの手ごたえを感じる祈りの時を持つのです。
2．子のための祈り
6節はわかりにくいものがあります。「王」（6節）「彼（新改訳2017は王と訳す）」（7節）は誰を意味するのでしょうか。アブサロムとすれば、謀反を起こされても子を心配する父の心が吐露されている、と考えられます。息子が、王位を守られるように、そしてただ王位を保ち続けるのではなく、神の御前で王位に着いているように。彼に必要なのは、神のめぐみとまことである、と。彼が神と共にあれば、私も主を賛美しうると、いうわけです。しかし、リビングバイブル訳がそうであるように、この箇所を自分のこと、と解釈する者も少なくありません。自分が王位を回復し、いつまでもその王位が、神の御前で守られるように、めぐみとまことによって自分を保ってください、そうすれば私はあなたをほめたたえられる、と言うわけです。さらに、これはメシヤに対する祈りである、つまりメシヤ預言的な部分であると考える者もいます。しかし、この言葉はバテシェバ（1列王1:31）やネヘミヤ（2:3）の例にもあるように、「いつまでも生きながらえるように」という、一つの慣用表現に過ぎません。永遠のメシヤ性を示唆するものとは取りにくいのです。となれば、彼のためか、自分のためかのいずれかで、私は息子のために祈った、と取りたい気がしています。ダビデにとって王位は問題ではなく、アブサロムの霊的な回復が、ダビデの回復でもあったはずだからです。子が自分に反逆しようと、それは自分の身から出た錆です。その子が全うな歩みに戻ってくれることが、まず真に親であればこそ願うところではないかと思うのです。
神への祈りは、その人自身の信仰と人柄を表すものでしょう。確信を持って、且つ、愛を持ってとりなす祈りを我がものとしていきたいところではないでしょうか。では今日もよき一日となるように祈ります。
最初に、昨日のクイズです。ダビデ時代、塩の谷と呼ばれたその場所は、アマツヤの時代、何と改名されたでしょうか？①ヨクテエル、②ソドム、③ラキシュ、①答えはヨクテエルでした（2列王14:7）。では、今日の聖書クイズです。弦楽器で、聖書に出てこない琴は次のどれでしょうか？①十弦の琴、②七弦の琴、③三弦の琴、答えはまた明日。では今日もよき一日となりますように祈ります
Psalms 61: A Formidable Prayer
- Background
Since the Psalms are “poetry,” the background of the Psalms is important.
Was this psalm written in the context of such a worship service? Or was
it a song that came to you while you were alone with your thoughts at
Starbucks? Or? Let’s try to imagine under what circumstances David
might have written it. The key is verse 2. 1) Verse 2, “Calling out from
the ends of the earth” When he composed this psalm, he felt the endless
distance between his heart and God. (2) Verse 2: “On a rock so high that
it is hard to reach” He was apparently gazing on a high rock when he
composed this Psalm. The background is thought to be the time when he
was driven out of the palace by the coup of his son Absalom. He was
therefore very much at home in the wilderness far from Jerusalem, having
been driven out of his familiar palace. It was as if he was far away
from God, a feeling of loneliness itself. In the wilderness, he was
looking up at an eagle nesting high on a mountain top. Eagles are birds
in the habit of nesting high above everything. That height is a position
of superiority over everyone else. It is a symbol of a position of
heartfelt security. Oh, I wish I could climb up to that height and gain
peace of mind. I wish to be protected like the chicks sheltered behind
the wings of the parent eagle.
2. selfish wish?
By the way, David was pursued twice in his life.
(1) During the time of Saul. Because of Saul’s jealousy, David was chased
out of his home and his life was threatened. However, David did not give
up and sought God’s help and God’s grace. He was a righteous man. It
would not be at all surprising if he did so. (2) At the time of
Absalom’s coup. But in the second ordeal, he is guilty of Bathsheba and
adultery, and even kills her husband Uriah. He was an extremely evil man.
In a sense, this tribulation was like a judgment against him. Or should
we say, a self-inflicted consequence? He is a being who cannot complain
to God at all about being made to suffer in this way. Moreover, he is
also afraid to ask for help. He is an evil man, so why should he ask God
for such pity? But even so, David is asking God for help. And God does
not reject those who are truly repentant and turn to Him, even though
they are foolish. This is exactly how the prodigal son, who had no
qualifications to change to the Father, is returned to the Father in the
midst of a desperate situation. But that is what it means for God to be
loving and merciful. In the worst situation of his life, David prays to
God and holds on to hope. When things go wrong in our lives, we too can
dwell on the past. We are unworthy of God. We think that we are unworthy
of God, that we are incapable of receiving His grace. But it is
important to love us, rejoice in our repentance, and cling to God. We
need to learn and savor God’s willingness to be with us in this way at
some point in our lives.
3.who is the “King”?
Verse 6 is the hard part to understand. It says, “Please prolong the life
of the “king,”” but who should we take for this “king”? There are three
theories. (1) The theory that the king is himself. If this is the case,
however, it would mean that David prayed for the restoration and
stability of his throne. This is the position of the Living Bible
Translation. (2) Absalom theory → The theory that the king is Absalom.
David is praying for his son, who has rebelled against him, and he does
not care what happens to him, but he is praying for his son to receive
God’s grace and mercy and to continue to stand firm as king. He is
praying for his son who tried to kill him. (3) Messiah theory: The king
is the Messiah. This is a prayer for the future Messiah. Which do you
think it is? I think (3) is abrupt in context. And I would rather take
(2) than (1). Because in the past, when David was pursued by Saul, he
did not try to kill Saul. When Saul died, he cherished Saul’s death,
saying that Saul was also a man loved by God. When that David was
pursued by his own son Absalom, he prayed for God’s grace and truth for
Absalom. Isn’t it possible? And it is something that a true parent would
surely wish for.
Conclusion.
Prayer to God is an expression of one’s own faith and character. It is also
important to move away from self-centered prayer and become a praying
person who prays for the grace and truth of God for others. Like David,
we should pray with conviction and love. The church is such a place of
prayer. The Church is the light and hope of the world. Let us work hand
in hand to nurture the church into such a church.