The Prince’s Psalm

Psalm 101:1-8

A psalm of David.

1I will sing of your love and justice.

I will praise you, LORD, with songs.

2I will be careful to live a blameless life—

when will you come to my aid?

I will lead a life of integrity

in my own home.

3I will refuse to look at

anything vile and vulgar.

I hate all crooked dealings;

I will have nothing to do with them.

4I will reject perverse ideas

and stay away from every evil.

5I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors.

I will not endure conceit and pride.

6I will keep a protective eye on the godly,

so they may dwell with me in safety.

Only those who are above reproach

will be allowed to serve me.

7I will not allow deceivers to serve me,

and liars will not be allowed to enter my presence.

8My daily task will be to ferret out criminals

and free the city of the LORD from their grip.

Early in his life, Ernest found the second verse of this psalm and decided to make it his motto, committing himself to live a “blameless life.” Perhaps that’s why he became known as Ernest the Pious—though it’s not clear whether the nickname arose out of mockery or admiration.

Ernest was a prince in Germany in the seventeenth century, a time of great upheaval. The Protestant Reformation had torn countries apart along religious, ethnic, and economic lines. Ernest found himself in the midst of the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648), which might be considered the first of the “world wars,” with European leaders allying and conniving to carve out for themselves bigger chunks of territory. “Crooked dealings” were common practice. More than half of Germany’s population was lost in the vicious fighting.

In the wake of that war, Ernest tried to rebuild Germany, reestablishing churches, hospitals, courts, and other public institutions. Psalm 101 was foundational to this effort. If he heard that some public official had done something wrong, he would send him a copy of this psalm. In fact, it became a catchphrase in that country—to get scolded was to “receive the prince’s psalm to read.”

But the psalm itself is not a tongue-lashing. Instead it’s a commitment to an honest, holy way of life, a commitment we could all stand to make.

Sing, pray, and swerve not from His ways,

But do thine own part faithfully;

Trust His rich promises of grace,

So shall they be fulfilled in thee;

God never yet forsook a need

The soul that trusted Him indeed.

GEORG NEUMARK

Bible Networking

Read Romans 13:1-2. Could Paul have been thinking of a ruler who followed David’s commitments in Psalm 101?

Notable Quotable

“The modern ruler makes promises to the people; this king’s promises are made to God—the real source of power of government.”

JOHN I. DURHAM