Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me! Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life; let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, “Aha, Aha!” -Psalm 40:13-15
St. Augustine notes how the opening line of the pericope is like the words of the leper who said to Jesus, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” The Psalmist is not willing to let the Lord’s judgment of his iniquity become handles for the enemies of God to pull him down further. He is also like Micah who says,
Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication. Then my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who said to me,“Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will look upon her; now she will be trampled down like the mire of the streets. -Micah 7:8–10
One of the dangers of dealing with our iniquities is allowing the contempt and attacks of the enemies of God’s people to either hinder the confession of sin or the possession of the joy of forgiveness. Remember, the enemies of God will ultimately be judged in the end; it is the grace of God in Christ that frees us from not only the guilt and shame of our sin but from the eternal penalty of that sin as well.