David also advised others to offer sacrifices of righteousness and trust in Jehovah (Psa. 4:5). This word is very good, but for him to write such a thing at that time in his particular situation was not fitting.
David asked God to lift up upon him the light of His countenance, thanking God for putting joy in his heart more than others' rejoicing in the abounding of grain and new wine, and trusting in God to lie down and sleep in peace and dwell in safety (Psa. 4:6-8). By this we can see that David had no feeling concerning his situation and condition of a great failure. He had become numb. How could such a sinful person pray this way to God at the time when he was fleeing from a situation of rebellion caused by his sinfulness? At such a time, he said that he would lie down and sleep in peace and dwell in safety.
David was one who was praying in the morning and watching (Psa. 5:1-3). Many teachers of the Bible call Psalm 5 a morning prayer. Psalm 3 is a night prayer, and Psalm 5 is a morning prayer.
David knew that God does not delight in wickedness but hates iniquity (Psa. 5:4-6). If David knew this, why did he commit such a great sin? Merely knowing the law does not work out anything. The law and David's knowledge of it did not work for him.
David said that he came into God's house in the abundance of His lovingkindness and worshipped toward God's holy temple in fear of Him. At that time, David was not worshipping in God's temple, but toward it (Psa. 5:7).
He asked God to lead him in His righteousness and make his ways straight on account of those who lay in wait for him (v. 8). He said that these ones had nothing right in their mouth, whose inward part was corruption and whose throat was an open grave, and who flattered with their tongue (v. 9). This clause was even quoted by Paul in his gospel preaching (Rom. 3:13).
David asked God to hold them guilty, letting them fall by their own counsels and thrusting them out because of their multiplied transgressions and their rebellion against God (v. 10). This prayer is full of condemnation of others, but there is no condemnation of David himself. It seems that everybody was wrong and sinful except him. We cannot find any hint here that he confessed his sin before God.