The second stanza (verses 4-6) is a reflection on the wicked, growing out of the psalmist's approach to God in verses 1-3. Each of the preceding psalms has spoken of the wicked, though differently in each psalm. Psalm 1 considered "the way of the wicked" as opposed to "the way of the righteous" (v. 6). Psalm 2 traced the rebellion of the wicked against God, particularly that of the kings and rulers of the earth (v. 2). In Psalm 3 the psalmist has been attacked by the wicked and asks God for protection from them (v. 7). In Psalm 4 the wicked have slandered the psalmist, and he is asking God for vindication. In the psalm we are studying now, David refers to the wicked as those whose prayers the Lord will not hear and in whom he has no pleasure.
The first three verses are an appeal for God to listen to the psalmist's prayer. Many psalms begin in this way, such as Psalm 4, which we just studied last week. Have you ever been stopped in your prayers by doubts about whether you are approaching God rightly? Almost everyone has had doubts like this. If you have, notice what these verses teach us. They teach three things.
