1 My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2 Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.
4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fill under thee.
6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter.
7 Thou loves righteousness, and hates wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
9 Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house;
11 So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.
12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favor.
13 The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.
14 She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.
15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king’s palace.
16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou may make princes in all the earth.
17 I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee forever and ever. (KJV)
This psalm can only refer to one person and that is Christ. The writer of the book of Hebrews uses this verse in chapter one to introduce Christ, God’s son, as the one who has provided purification for sins and is now seated at the right hand of God in heaven. This process of our growth in understanding why God provide redemption through Christ for mankind is a mystery I cannot fully understand; however, it is psalms such as this psalm that makes it so real to me. Paul states it better in Philippians 3:8 as I count all things loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus. The goal of this knowledge is to be found in him and to obtain the righteousness that is provided by our faith in him. The end result is that we will know Christ and that the new life given to us by the result of his resurrection and by our partaking in his suffering will make us more Christ like so that we will become sons of God. No wonder this psalm starts out with the phase “My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the King”. When studying the Bible, I hope that Christ is the noble theme that you look for in your studies.
As I study this chapter I am reminded of the song “Tell me the Story of Jesus” that I learn many years ago. I remember this song from working on a dairy farm during the early years of my youth. As we were milking the cows the radio would be tuned in to a christian broadcasting station and this story would be played on air a lot in the early 1960’s. This is a song that all believers should learn and place within their heart. This song was written by Frances Crosby
Tell Me The Story Of Jesus, Write On My Heart Every Word! Tell Me The Story Most Precious, Sweetest That Ever Was Heard.
Tell How The Angels In Chorus Sang, As They Welcomed His Birth, ‘Glory To God In The Highest, Peace And Good Tidings To Earth.’
Fasting Alone In The Desert, Tell Of The Days That He Passed; How He Was Tried And Was Tempted, Yet Was Triumphant At Last.
Tell Of The Years Of His Labors, Tell Of The Sorrows He Bore; He Was Despised And Afflicted, Homeless, Rejected, And Poor.
Tell Of The Cross Where They Nailed Him, Dying In Anguish And Pain; Tell Of The Grave Where They Laid Him; Tell How He Liveth Again. Love, In That Story So Tender, Clearer Than Ever I See; Stay, Let Me Weep While You Whisper Love Paid The Ransom For Me.
Refrain: Tell Me The Story Of Jesus, Write On My Heart Every Word, Tell Me The Story Most Precious, Sweetest That Ever Was Heard.
David also probably had many songs that he learned as a child telling the story of the provisions that the Lord had provided for the nation of Israel in the past. We see many examples of these in the Psalms. These are the values that we must pass down to our children and grandchildren.
1 We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.
2 How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and planted them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.
3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favor unto them.
4 Thou art my King, O God: command deliverance for Jacob.
5 Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.
7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.
8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.
9 But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goes not forth with our armies.
10 Thou makes us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.
11 Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.
12 Thou sells thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.
13 Thou makes us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
14 Thou makes us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.
15 My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,
16 For the voice of him that reproaches and blasphemes; by reason of the enemy and avenger.
17 All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.
18 Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;
19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;
21 Shall not God search this out? for he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
23 Awake, why sleeps thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.
24 Wherefore hides thou thy face, and forgets our affliction and our oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaves unto the earth.
26 Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies’ sake. (KJV)
Verse twenty-two “Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered” is used by Paul in Romans 8:36 in response to the question “If God is for us who can be against us”. In the past my daughter and I would race to see who could quote Romans 8:28 the fastest. It was my desire to make this verse real in her life, since I knew her Christian walk in this life would not be easy. Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” is the verse that states the conclusion of Paul’s discussion on living your life through the spirit. When studying Romans we realize that we were born in sin and we do not seek God, but it was God who seeks after us and provided a way back to Him through Christ that we might become sons of God. Therefore, to understand this psalm in light of Romans chapter eight we must understand that the world lives according to the sinful nature of the old man and we live according to the spiritual nature of the new man. These two natures have two different masters with two different goals: Christ and glorifying God, man and glorifying man. When we take on the spiritual nature we take on the nature of a servant just as Christ did when he was on this earth. This new nature then seeks Christ and ways of glorifying God.
When we study the scripture, we must realize that God’s will for man is that we become sons of God. Therefore, it is important that all believers know and completely understand the effects that the fall of man (found in Genesis 3) had on the relationship of God and man that existed before the fall. Before the fall man walk with God, after the fall man hid from God. Christ though his death on the cross has renewed the relationship between God and man. The relationship that existed before the fall (found in Genesis 3) has been restored to man through Christ.
1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
2 For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. (KJV)
This psalm is similar to psalm forty-two, however he does request two things: God’s light and God’s truth. This light and truth is Christ. As I age and see the events happening in the world, today I cannot help but reflect on this time in David’s life. Samuel had anointed David as a young lad to become the next king of Israel. David was probably only thirteen or fourteen at that time. I am not sure how much this affected his life at the time of the anointing, but soon after he was in the courts of Saul playing his harp for him as well as being one of his armor-bearers.
Verse three “Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell”. Your light and your truth refer to God’s Word and teachings. As I reflect back on my life, I realized how God uses the events in our life to shape us. At age thirteen I entertained myself in the evening by reading. The books I read were Arthur Maxwell’s Children Bible Stories. These ten books gave me a wonderful understanding of the Bible. This led me to a deeper desire to study the Bible. Studying the examples in God’s Word will give us the hope that David writes in verse five.
My office contains several hundred commentaries and religious books about the Bible. Many of these how to study your Bible, or life application of the scripture’s books can add insight my daily studies; but they can never replace the daily reading of the Bible in my life. The more I study the scriptures, the more the Holy Spirit opens my eyes to the truth of God. To me the Bible is the living Word of God. In this psalm verse three states “Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell”. As I study the book of John, I realized that this light and truth is Christ. So, the more I know about Jesus and the more I let him direct my paths the closer I get to the place that God dwells.
1 As the hart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after thee, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
8 Yet the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?
11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
This psalm centers on these two questions.
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
This psalm centers on these answers.
Put your hope in God,
I will yet praise him, mySavior and myGod.
Sometimes during our walk on this earth, we seem to walk in a dry and thirsty land. It is during these times that we must remember that the earth is under the curse of sin. We are not in heaven yet but on a journey. We sometimes forget that we are on a journey and live as if this life on earth is it and there is no life after we depart from this earth. However, it is God that leads and sometimes these paths will lead us through a period of testing, or should I state a desert place. The key to getting through these times is to remember who God is (the One that our mind cannot comprehend) and that this is just our journey and not our home. The psalmist also reflects upon his time of worship with others (how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng) during this time of testing. Remember Psalm 62:11-12 “one thing God has spoken two things have I heard: that you, O God are strong, and that you O, Lord are loving.” It is these times of worshiping and praising God that we must look back to when we are in these periods of testing to give us hope for the future.
As I was studying the book There was a Time written by Mary Alice Wilhelm this week, I ran across a list title Nine Aspects of Life written by a source not known in the second chapter. Reflecting on these nine aspects can helps us as believers when we face the two questions that this Psalm presents to us.
Nine Aspects of Life
1. The adventure of life is to learn.
2. The purpose of life is to grow.
3. The nature of life is to change.
4. The challenge of life is to overcome.
5. The essence of life is to care.
6. The opportunity of life is to serve.
7. The secret of life is to dare.
8. The spice of life is to befriend.
9. The beauty of life is to give.
Source not known
As we age and realize that our journey through this world is now much nearer to the end we begin to look back and reevaluate our understanding of the true meaning of life. For those who know God and the work that Christ paid for us on the cross this reevaluation will usually lead to a more rewarding life for us in our later years.
1 Blessed is he that considers the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.
2 The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
3 The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.
4 I said, Lord, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.
5 Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?
6 And if he come to see me, he speaks vanity: his heart gathers iniquity to itself; when he goes abroad, he tells it.
7 All that hate me whisper together against me: against me do they devise my hurt.
8 An evil disease, say they, cleaves fast unto him: and now that he lieth he shall rise up no more.
9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
10 But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.
11 By this I know that thou favors me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
12 And as for me, thou upholds me in mine integrity, and sets me before thy face for ever.
13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen. (KJV)
Blessed is he who has regard for the poor:
The LORD delivers him in times of trouble. The LORD will protect him.
The LORD will preserve his life.
The LORD will bless him in the land.
The LORD will not surrender him to the desire of his foes. The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed.
The LORD will restore him from his bed of illness.
I said, “O LORD, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
Myenemies say of me in malice:
When will he die?
When will his name perish? Whenever one comes to see me, he speaks falsely
While his heart gathers slander
Then he goes out and spreads it abroad. All myenemies whisper together against me
They imagine the worst for me, saying, “A vile disease has beset him
He will never get up from the place where he lies.
Even myclose friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
But you, O LORD, Have mercy on me. Raise me up, that I may repay them. I know that you are pleased with me. For myenemy does not triumph over me. In my integrity you uphold me Set me in your presence forever.
This is another psalm which we can see the life of David, the life of Christ and the life that we are now living entangled together. Verse eleven “I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me” could refer to many enemies. As we study this psalm it starts out as blessing the one that is a friend to those in need. As we consider the word friend, we must realize that the word enemy comes from the Latin word inimicus which means unfriendly or hostile. So this psalms centers around the behaviors that are either friendly or unfriendly. So, as the psalmist writes in verse eleven “for my enemy does not triumph over me” is referring to these forces that are unfriendly to him. So, the next time you considered the word enemy considered the word friendship. To love your enemy is to love these who are not a friend to you. That is what God did for us on the cross. We were all unfriendly to God, yet in his love he reached out to us his enemies (whose who were not his friend) to make us his friend. This is the same love we must reach up to our enemies (those that are not a friend) to make them a friend of ours as well as God.
In his devotional for February 9 titled “Are You Exhausted Spiritually?” Oswald Chambers writes “Examine your reasons for service. Is your source based on your own understanding or is it grounded on the redemption of Jesus Christ?”. As I read the words of this psalm, I cannot help but see the desire of the Psalmist to fulfill the purpose that God has for him in this life. Verse eleven states “I know that you are pleased with me.” However, this desire of having God being pleased with us can sometimes make us feel spiritually exhausted. This is especially true when we have realized that we have sinned against God. When sin does take place in our life, we must realize it and turn from it. This is the examination that Oswald writes about in this devotion. Paul writes about this call for service in II Timothy 2:21 “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, meet for the master’s use, prepared unto every good work.” There are usually two reasons that I believe Christians become exhausted spiritually: first they are so focus on the things around them that they forget about God; or because they focus on and become assumed by trying to discover what is God’s purpose for them in this life. To me the answer to renewing a spiritually life is to live blameless before God.
1 I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
4Blessed is that man that makes the Lord his trust, and respects not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knows.
10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy loving-kindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy loving-kindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart fails me.
13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.
14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.
15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.
16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified.
17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God. (KJV)
This is one of my favorite psalms with verse six being the key verse that I use to understand this psalm. The writer of Hebrews in chapter 10 verses 5-7 reference this psalm as verses that portrays the earthly ministry of Christ. Hebrews 10:5-7 “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll I have come to do your will, O God.'” Another section to consider is Deuteronomy 15:6,7 “But if your servant says to you, ‘I do not want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, then take an awl and push it through his ear lobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life.” which is the piercing that I believe that verse six reference. Deuteronomy fifteen is God’s instruction to Israel on how they should handle the canceling of debts. Verse one states “At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts” so Israel was to forgive debts every seven years. With this verse in mind look at the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:12 “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” here we are instructed to forgive others. Debt gives us power, it gives us control over someone, however by releasing the debt we no longer hold the debtor responsible for the debt. Yet so often we go through the process of forgiving, but do not really release our debtors. We have a way of reminding them that they do not have to repay the debt but that they are still in debt to us; since we did forgive the debt that they owed us. In the same way a lot of believer put God in this category of forgiving debt, but we still owe God. However, in Deuteronomy 15 this is not the true picture of debt forgiveness. Debts are forgiven completely just as our sins are remember no more.
Now for the true meaning of verse six of this psalm. Paul states it best in Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Yes, Christ paid the debt for us, yet because of our love for him and knowing that we cannot make it on our own in this world we turn our life back over to God. We make God our master and not self.
As you read this psalm take time to read Philippians 2:5-11 were Paul states that we should have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had in our relationship to others. Christ was Lord, yet he humbles himself and died as a criminal on the cross. The human nature struggle with the issues of pride and humility daily. To aid us in this struggle Paul gives us this advice: don’t be selfish, do not try to impress others, think others as better than yourself, do not look to your own interest but take an interest in others. Do these and the battles against the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life can be won. As I have just finished my course in Leadership, I have realized there are two types of leaders: the leaders that seek their power, and the leaders that are appointed because their services are needed. Moses is a great example of both leaders. At age forty he decided that it was his time to stand up for the rights of the children of Israel. However, his actions were not received by others and he had to flee for his life. At this time, he suffer humiliation from those he tried to help. In this humiliation he lost respect from his people and the Egyptians as well. In this humiliation he became a shepherd and stepped out of the picture. It was in this humiliation that God spoke to him. Moses returned forty years later not in humiliation, but as a humble servant with no agenda of his own. From Stephen’s sermon in Act chapter seven we see Moses life divided in three parts: God preparing him with knowledge and training that he would needed in the future, God humbling the character of Moses to prepare him for service, and the last forty years combining the two to perform the task that God had planned 430 years earlier (Exodus 12:41). Highlight Philippians 2:1-11 in your Bible and realized it is only as a humble servant can we truly serve God.
Probably one of the best books that has help me gain a better understanding of my walk with Christ on this earth has been the collection of writings of Oswald Chambers. His reading from My Upmost for His Highest for September 22nd helps illustrates the Master and Servant relationship that is illustrated in this psalm. He sums up his daily reading with this summary “If we are consciously aware that we are being mastered, that idea itself is proof that we have no master. If that is our attitude toward Jesus, we are far away from having the relationship He wants with us. He wants us in a relationship where He is so easily our Master and Teacher that we have no conscious awareness of it—a relationship where all we know is that we are His to obey.” After my many years of being involved in the work of the church and then years of just attending services I have realized that the task of making Christ the Lord of my life comes about with many hardships. The short poem of “Footprints in the Sand“ also illustrates the principle of a relationship where He is so easily our Master and Teacher that we have no conscious awareness of it coming out of times of difficulties where we thought God had abandon us to look back and realized that it was really Him that had carry us through the crisis. As you study the psalms you must do so with a complete understanding of David’s life as well as the faith heroes before him. As we study David’s life, we realize that before God can use us we must face a wilderness journey in which we become totally dependent upon God to get us out. Once this happens then our relationship with Christ changes and is so easy to make him our Master and Teacher. We arrive at this place in our walk and really do not have any conscious awareness of when this relationship began to take place.
Oswald Chambers reading The Surrendered Life for March 8 ties in beautifully with this Psalm. His opening sentence “To become one with Jesus Christ, a person must be willing not only to give up sin, but also to surrender his whole way of looking at things.” helps bring the true relationship of this Psalm to the individual believer. The Psalm starts out by waiting patiently for the Lord. This implies waiting for his timing in the daily events of my life. However, it does not imply that I be just like a piece of driftwood floating in the sea of life, but rather I see the opportunities that are before me and present them to the Lord. He hears me and puts me in the right position to either take fully advantage of them or to abandon them. This maturity of decision-making only comes from years of walking with the Lord and trusting him completely. Surrendering completely to God’s way of looking requires the practice of daily commune with the Lord in the light of his Word.
1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.
2 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.
3 My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,
4 Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.
5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an hand-breadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.
6 Surely every man walks in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heaps up riches, and knows not who shall gather them.
7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.
9 I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.
10 Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.
11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makes his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.
12 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.
13 O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more. (KJV)
I believe David opens this psalm with the thought of how he was going to live a blameless life. Living a blameless life is different from living a life of perfection. It is not sin or wickedness that keeps us from God, but our desire not to follow God’s ways. As I focus on David’s life I realized that it was only in the events surrounding the case of Uriah the Hittite (I King 15:5) that David turned aside from following God’s ways. However, to most people it was this one event that they associate and judge David’s life. However, in studying the psalms I realize that this event was the only black mark that God placed on David’s life. This is a key factor in studying David’s life. By studying his life and his writings in the book of Psalms I believe we can be transformed into a vessel that can be used by God.
The first three verses start out with David’s desire to watch his ways and keep his tongue from sin. In these verses he was in the presence of others who were wicked, and he was probably observing them carrying out evil activities. His actions, he was silent and still, yet his angry increased as he meditated on the actions that he was observing. David’s desire was to guard himself from sin by watching his ways and not speaking. This silent caused his heart to burn forcing him to speak.
In verses four through six David does a self-examination of himself and mankind. Our life is short, and we can’t even know the end. We can make our plans and build the desires of our hearts, but in reality, we do not have control of them. Then at death we even lose all control of the works of our hands.
In verse seven David states “But now, Lord, what do Ilook for? My hope is in you”. Here he realizes that the only hope he had was is in the Lord. As we live our live, as Christians our values are not the same as the world’s values. We live in world in which we must be politically correct if we want no conflict with the world. And yet when we live this life we are in conflict with the way of God. Our hope then must be in God for if I must make a choose, I chose God’s way.
Yet we live in this world. We too are sinners just as all the people who we associate with daily. Sometimes in our life it is God’s judgment on us that causes the discomfort we are experiencing. Verses twelve and thirteen, “Hear my prayer, O LORD, listen to my cry for help; be not deaf to my weeping. For I dwell with you as an alien, a stranger, as all my fathers were. Look away from me, that I may rejoice again before I depart and am no more.” is verses that I don’t understand completely. Yet, if this was written at the time he was running and hiding from Saul then he probably did feel he was a stranger from God and that that the promise of him being the future king made him an alien from the kingdom were God was King.
As I look back on my life, I reflect on the many dreams I had and how many never came to light. My life’s direction has changed so many times, and yet as I look back, I must thank God for being there to make these changes happen for my growth. To walk with God, one must stay in His Word. And this daily (yes it must be daily) story of his word, the Holy Spirit will guide us and direct us in our walk with God.
1 O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2 For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presses me sore.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.
4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
5 My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.
6 I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.
7 For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.
9 Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.
10 My heart pants, my strength fails me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
11 My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.
12 They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.
13 But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that opens not his mouth.
14 Thus I was as a man that hears not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.
15 For in thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.
16 For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slips, they magnify themselves against me.
17 For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me.
18 For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.
19 But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.
20 They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.
21 Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me.
22 Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation. (KJV)
As I read this psalm which is title “A Psalm of David to bring to remembrance” I cannot help think back to the story of David’s affair with Bathsheba. As I study God’s Word, I see how God’s way is so easy and yet religion and man tries to make it seem so difficult. We can speculate about the events that led up to the events that lead David to take Uriah’s wife Bathsheba and have an affair with her, however we know it happened. We can give suggestions and create books on how to live a blameless life that will keep us from falling into sinful situations; however, the bottom line is we do fail every once in a while. And when we do this is the psalm that we must bring to remembrance.
Jesus message was simple. In Matthew 11:29 he stated, “take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls”. This psalm gives us the steps of putting on this yoke. First David realized his sinful folly, and the guilt that overcame him. We too must realize this in our life and not to try to cover up our sinfulness. David tried this with Bathsheba’s pregnancy and brought Uriah home from the battle to sleep with his wife; however, this did not work. So, to protect Bathsheba as well as himself he sacrificed his own friend and arranged Uriah’s death in battle.
Lesson one from God’s Word: as soon as you are in the wrong, confess your sin and ask for forgiveness. Do not try to cover it up or make excuses for it. If you do it will lead to greater sins and greater cover-ups which will lead to damage to others. Your relationship with God will also come to a stand-still. It is only as David writes about in verse eighteen “I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin” that we can renew our relationship back to God.
Lesson two from God’s Word is that there are consequences for our actions. David could not take back the pregnancy, he could not give life back to Uriah, and he could not defend his actions to his enemies. Yes, the last consequence of living with our life with the knowledge that our sinful actions are known to everyone. That we are just as evil as the next person, or even worst we are much more evil then those around us. There was a song we use to sing when I was young that had this phase in it “anything you can do I can do better”. That phase is still true today in the world we are living in. Most of the people all around us are comparing themselves to others and attempting to justify why they are better. The problem that mankind faces is “we have all sinned and came short of the glory of God”. However, mankind likes to judge and usually our known sins makes us less good than those around us. However, when we commit a sin like this of David’s then our enemies will use this knowledge to slander us and cause us to be hated by many. No matter how much we try to make things right there will always be those who will continue to slander us and use the sin to destroy us.
Lesson three from God’s Word is that he is the one we need to turn to when we have sinned. It is He who can help us. James puts it this way in James 4:7-10: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Therefore, confess your sins to God, accept the consequences that will come about because of sin, and wait on God to answer your prayer of forgiveness.
1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he see that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholds the righteous.
18 The Lord knows the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
21 The wicked borrows, and pays not again: but the righteous shews mercy, and giveth.
22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delights in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
28 For the Lord loves judgment, and forsakes not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of judgment.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
32 The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to slay him.
33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
40 And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him. (KJV)
This psalm is a psalm that readers turn to when they face difficult times in their life. These times are not just trouble times, but usually a time when the only one a person can turn to is God. However, it is also a time when God has also seemed to have forsaken them. It was this psalm that I turned to at one of the most difficult times in my life. It is a time when the wickedness of the someone who at one time was very close to me turned and tried to destroy everything in my life. It was a time like Joseph faced when his own brothers sold him as a slave. It was a time in my life that I learned how to pray thy will be done instead of my will be done. Verses four and five gave me at that time an insight on how to pray. Three things on my part were required: delight myself in the Lord, commit my ways to the Lord, and trust in the Lord; by following these three simple steps the Lord will give to me the desires of my heart.
I now realize that these principles become clearer as one ages and applies life experiences to the scriptures. It is in the example that God gave me from the life of Joseph that I can see how these principles governed his life. He was only seventeen when his own brothers sold him into slavery. However, instead of trying to gain his freedom and taking vengeance on his brothers for this act he accepted the place where the Lord placed him and committed his ways to the Lord. The phase “but the Lord was with Joseph” characterized his life. Joseph learned to apply the principles of trust and obey in his life and knew that God would be with him, both in the hard times as well as the good times. He was a slave and a prisoner of the state for thirteen years, yet he still followed the principles of committing your ways to the Lord and trusting in Him (trust and obey). It was at the time of Jacob’s death that we truly see how these principles played out in Joseph’s life. As I read Genesis chapter fifty, I realized Joseph’s brothers had not ask for forgiven yet for their treatment of Joseph at age seventeen. This selfish act on their part not only effected Joseph life, but also had a profound effect on Jacob his father and Benjamin his brother. It took thirty-nine years, the death of their father, and the fear that Joseph would pay them back in full for all the wrong they did to him before they tried to patch up the incident with Joseph. And even in this process they did not want to address the real issues which was the fact of their own sinfulness in the way they handed Joseph over into slavery. Joseph weep when they spoke, because he had already forgiven them, but he saw how they lived in fear because they could not face the truth of forgiveness. Joseph answer to them reveals his trust on the Lord to guide his life. When you are following these principles then you like Joseph can say “for I am in God’s place”. When walking with God in this world we will face times in our life when people (even our own family) do evil things against us. However, if we wait on the Lord and keep his ways then we will see the desire of our hearts fulfilled and will be able to say, “therefore what you meant for evil against me, God meant it for good”.
“The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip” the righteous will not fall. As we see the fruit of wicked schemes of greed and corruption around us fall, we must realize that God is our stronghold the one we take refuge in these times of trouble. So, when the topic about the economic failures and other events of disaster from around the world come about in your conversation you can take comfort in these verses. Live by these phases and know that God is our refuge. Then let the world see God’s law alive in your life so that the light of his law will reflect God to them. These phases are: Do not fret (3 times) Do not be envious of those who do wrong. Trust in the Lord (2 times) Delight yourself in the Lord. Commit your ways to the Lord. Be still before the Lord. Wait patiently for him (2 times) Refrain from anger Turn from wrath. Hope in the Lord Give generously. Turn from evil and do good. Utters wisdom and speak what is just. Keep the Lord way. Consider the blameless Observe the upright Seek refuge in the Lord.
Verse 25 “I was young and now I am old” lets us know that this psalm was written when David was old. This psalm reflects David’s beliefs and pattern of life that as a king and a father he wanted to pass on to others. In Psalm 51:12,13 he writes “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.” His desire was to live by God’s ways and teach others of the joy of living in God’s ways. Ecclesiastes is another example of scripture that was written by an old man. However, this was written by Solomon who at the end of his life was told that the kingdom that God had given his father and when to him would not be passed to his son. Why? Because he forsook God’s ways and served another God’s. It is interesting to see his words in Ecclesiastes: 12:8-14 “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity. And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth. The words of the wise are as goads; and as nails well fastened are the words of the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Therefore heed the words of David in this psalm so that in your old age you will not have to write as Solomon did in Ecclesiastes 12:1 “Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come and the years draw nigh, when thou shall say I have no pleasure in them.”
1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
4 He devises mischief upon his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he abhors not evil.
5 Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reaches unto the clouds.
6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preserves man and beast.
7 How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
10 O continue thy loving-kindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise. (KJV)
I. Sinfulness of the wicked no fear of God he flatters himself Does not detect or hate his sin his mouth is wicked and deceitful he has ceased to be wise and to do good Even on his bed he plots evil he commits himself to a sinful course does not reject what is wrong
II. Lord’s provisions your love reaches to the heavens your faithfulness reaches to the skies your righteousness is like the mighty mountains your justice like the great deep you preserve both man and beast your unfailing love is priceless your wings provide refuge for men both high and low they feast on the abundance of your house they drink from your river of delights with you is the fountain of life in your light we see light
III. Summary Continue your love to those who know you your righteousness to the upright in heart may the foot of the proud not come against me may the hand of the wicked not drive me away the evildoers lie fallen thrown down, not able to rise!
This psalm was written by David as an oracle (any utterance made or received as authoritative, extremely wise, or infallible) concerning the sinfulness of the wicked. For us the study of the sinfulness of man begins in Genesis chapter three with the temptation in the Garden. The three individuals involved were Adam, Eve and the serpent. It involved a simple decision to follow a command, “If you eat or touch the fruit of tree which is in the middle of the garden, you will die”. They did break the command and when they did their eyes where open and they saw their nakedness and attempted to cover it with fig leaves. They now became like God knowing good and evil. The outcome of breaking God’s command was death, however, God delayed death and made provisions for Adam and Eve to live. Yes, there were curses, but there were also provisions. As a believer makes his or her daily walk in this world probably the biggest challenge that he or she will face along their path is the same challenge that Eve faced. This challenge can be found in the simple word “but”. Just as Satan challenge Eve trust in God those around us challenge our faith in God today. It is this challenge that those around us question our understanding of God and present the “but” questions to challenge our understanding of God’s way. It seems that the more we walk with God the more we have to defend our relationship to him to those around us. In this Psalm we see the sinfulness of the wicked those who oppose God and has let pride become their necklace. However, in this Psalm we also see the Lord’s provisions to those who know Him. One of the main challenges we seem to face from the world is the belief that God takes care of those who take care of themselves. The problem with this belief is that it is a path for man to flatter himself on the way he follows God, which leads him to the point of not seeing our sinfulness. This leads to a path of reasoning about all issues of life which places man in charge of our life which leads to a course of sin and this soon leads to the rejection of the Lord and His provisions. The escape from this path is to know the Lord and to walk in his righteousness. For the believer this means being more Christ-like.
How the free will of an individual and the will of God interact is a mystery that mankind battles with daily. However, this weekend as I was studying C. S. Lewis’s book Mere Christianity his statements that atheism was “too simple” and “Christianity”, is water down faith, could not explain the world in which we live. The battle of Good verses Bad was also the wrong approach to take in looking at the world in which we live. After reading his writings his weekend I realized that the true battle is the rebellion of Satan and the evil forces here on earth against God and that we as Christians are really “living in enemy territory”. If this is the case, then verses two through four would describe the enemy” For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.” If this is the case, then how important is it for believers to live in the shadow of God’s wings. To better understand the free will of an individual and how the individual will interact with God’s will we must turn to the creator of both who is God.
As I was studying the book The Battle is the Lord’s by Tony Evans this oracle speaks loudly not only of the sinful man, but also the sinfulness of Satan. As I study this book, I ask myself the question “why did not God just destroy Satan as soon as Satan rebelled against God?”. If he had done that then Satan could not have tempted Eve and she would not have offered the fruit to Adam. But we know that this did not happen. There is a reason why God has chosen the path of dealing with Satan as well as the sin of mankind. The more I understand this battle the more I understand the battles in my own life.
As I read and study the Psalms, I realize that living a Christ-like life is easy until I have to put down the Bible and move into the real world and face your daily routines. It is only when we as believers take God’s written Word and make it God’s living Word in our hearts that we can answer the “but” questions from those around us with an affirmative answer just as Christ did to Satan “But it is written”.
My 5 Daily Psalms 