Psalms To See Me Through Psalm 30: Rescue Me

Thanksgiving for Rescue from Death. A Psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the House. A Psalm of David.

Well, it is that time of year in which we begin to anticipate Thanksgiving; it is just around the corner. Though this is just the first day of November, the holiday season will soon be upon us. I have written before, and many others have as well, how vital thanksgiving to God is in our life. We should be thankful for all the Lord has done for us through all of our days, not just at Thanksgiving time. Though this prayer also, is a song for the dedication of the House of the Lord, we don’t have to wait until church on Sunday to give Him thanks. We can start now in our home cultivating a theology of thanksgiving throughout the year.

This Psalm is yet another in the category of thanksgiving Psalms in which the one praying is saved from distress. This song is a beautiful illustration of what our thankfulness to God should resemble. In this particular Psalm, David is thanking the Lord for saving him from death’s grip. In these times, saving from death’s grip does not seem distant from us. Disease, sickness, and the like are in our world and touch us all. David here rejoices once again that the Lord has snatched him from the clutch of his enemies.

I will exalt You, Lord, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my enemies rejoice over me {v.1}.

The Lord has lifted him up. The Hebrew verb used here is daloh. This word is used for drawing water from a well.[1] The Lord saved him from the deep pit of despair, and we know that we can have the same confidence when we cry out to God, He hears us and will draw us up from despair. The language here may indicate that his enemies may not have caused his despair, but rather that they gloat that death or despair has him in its clutches. Either way, the Lord has lifted him out and he seeks to thank the Lord for His goodness and mercy; David exalts the Lord and praises Him. I will extol your virtues with the highest of praise.[2] How can you praise the Lord today? This week? This month? Let’s become grateful today and cultivate a heart that is thankful and worshipful. The Lord is pleased when we fully depend on Him and He not only hears our cries, but He welcomes them. This confidence, this belief that God answers when called upon is essential to the “prayer Psalms” and this Psalm celebrates its vindication.[3] David did not want to give the enemy the last laugh.

Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit {vv. 2-3}.

David’s despair was so deep that he believed he was literally in hell. The word used here in Hebrew is miyordey but means the speaker felt he had gone down to death.[4] Have you felt this way? That your despair has been your hell and there is no way out? I have experienced that level of despair in sickness and hardships—in myself and loved ones—but there is a way out; call on the Lord our God, who like David, rescues us from the pit of whatever trial we are in. He gives us the strength to endure whatever trial we are facing. We may not always get the outcome we desire, but He will rescue us and lift us up. David praises the Lord because though he was in the grave, he was raised up.

 Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones, And praise the mention of His holiness {v.4}.

God is so good. How can we utter anything worthy of Him? He is holy, mighty, good, love. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” {Is. 6:3}. How can we mortals ever thank Him for all He has done for us? We must, by recognizing His glory, His attributes. No name truly describes God, for His essence is beyond our comprehension.[5] As I said above, we must cultivate a thankful heart and worship the Lord for His goodness in our lives, and that is necessary for our personal devotional life. It is also important to worship Him before all believers in the house of the Lord. The psalmist is calling us to praise as a lesson for the congregation that in our sufferings, there is God’s deliverance.[6]

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning. {v. 5}.

Ellicot’s commentary speaks so beautifully of this:

“Sorrow is the wayfarer who comes to the tent for a night’s lodging, but the metaphor of his taking his leave in the morning is not carried on, and we have instead the sudden waking with a cry of joy, sudden as the Eastern dawn, without twilight or preparation. Never was faith in the Divine love more beautifully expressed.”[7]

 The apostle James encourages us,

“Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing {Jas. 1: 2-4 NASB}

God’s anger lasts only for a short time. But when we cry out in prayer, repent, and pray for mercy, we can expect joy once again. We can have joy now even when it is dark. Though it is dark this side of the trial on the other side is exceeding joy! 

Everything David has he recognizes as God’s favor on his life. He knows that without the Lord he would have nothing. The Lord anointed him king and gave him riches and honor; this was not David’s doing but the Lord’s. Our hearts should resemble the psalmist’s in that we acknowledge before the Lord that all we have, the roof over our head, the clothes on our backs, the breath in our lungs…is from the Lord and He deserves our thankfulness and praise. We must constantly be aware that no matter how hard some of our trials are, that life is a gift from God, and what better way to acknowledge this than through our worship.

Now as for me, I said in my prosperity, “I will never be moved.” Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain to stand strong; You hid Your face, I was dismayed {vv. 6-7}.

David is explaining here that while everything seemed to be going his way, that nothing could shake him. But then he was shaken. This happened to me and can happen to all of us. Just when things seem to be fine, they can change in a moment. The Lord sometimes uses the trials and hard times that we experience to shake us out of reliance on the things of this world and to shift our focus back to Him—the only place our security is found. But it was during this trial in the deep pit of despair that caused David to feel as though God had turned His face from him and as we see in verse 8, David sought Him in prayer.

 To You, Lord, I called, And to the Lord I pleaded for compassion: “What gain is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your faithfulness? “Hear, Lord, and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper.” You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have untied my sackcloth and encircled me with joy, That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever. {vv. 8-12}.

We will all be faced with hard times and trials. It is in these hard times that we need to seek the Lord. When hard things hit our lives we have two choices; either turn away from God or turn to God. When we trust in Him there is deliverance; not always from the trial itself (though that may happen) but from the power that it has over us. We can say like David that “I will not be shaken.” In agony, David cried out to God and bared his soul. We read that he had indeed secret wrestlings with God; he had his complaints and objections, cries, and pleadings. His rhetorical questions are a part of those wrestlings. Yet, God still heard Him and rescued Him from the pit. He prayed in the dark. We must pray while it is dark. Prayer is a constant source for us. When we are at the end of our rope and the end of ourselves the mercy seat awaits us. For we have this confidence that we can approach the throne of grace to obtain all that we need {Heb. 4:16}. Though an earthquake erupts and shakes our mountain, God’s throne of grace remains sure and will always welcome us to seek refuge in His presence. Always turn to prayer and have faith that He hears and answers. When He rescues do not forget to praise Him. He deserves our worship. He is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise {Rev. 4:11}.

David reminds the Lord that he cannot praise him or tell others of His marvelous works if he does not rescue him. The Lord heard him and rescued David from the pit. David asked that he could live to sing His praises.

I love Matthew Henry’s words on praise and worship to the Lord:

“We ask aright for life, when we do so that we may live to praise him. In due time God delivered the psalmist out of his troubles. Our tongue is our glory, and never more so than when employed in praising God.”[8] 

 

 

To read all the Psalms in this series click here: Psalms To See Me Through

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[1] Robert Alter, The Book Of Psalms (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2007), 102.

[2] Avrohom Chaim Feuer, trans., Nosson Scherman, and Meir Zlotowitz eds, Tehillim Vol.1 (Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1995), 360.

[3] Craig C. Broyles, Understanding The Bible Commentary Series: Psalms (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999), 155.

[4] Alter, 102.

[5] Tehillim, 362.

[6] Broyles, 154.

[7] Charles John Ellicott, An Old Testament Commentary For English Readers, Vol. 4 (London: Cassell and Company, 1897),129.

[8] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary On The Whole Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997), 479. 

Psalms To See Me Through Psalm 28: He Hears and Answers Prayer

David prayed this psalm when Saul and others, including his own son Absalom, declared their loyalty to David yet their hearts were set on destroying him. This psalm continues the theme from Psalm 26 and Psalm 27 in prayer to the Lord for deliverance. David once again follows his petition with praise to God for answering his prayer. David knew how to reach Yahweh.

A Psalm of David.

To You, O Lord, I call; My rock, do not be deaf to me, For if You are silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit. Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary {vv. 1-2}.

God’s holy sanctuary. David does not neglect the sanctuary for it is where he finds God’s presence and is filled with grace. Let us boldly enter the throne of grace {Heb. 4:16}. Don’t forget the sanctuary, run to God and as you lift your hands in worship—like David—you too will find the grace you need. God has manifested himself to man in His word, so when we are afflicted we can fix our hearts on Him. God should be the object of our faith, hope, and prayer. The Lord encourages us through his servant the prophet, “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know” {Jer. 33: 3}. He is our Rock—“there is no rock like our God” {1 Sam. 2:2}. 

Do not drag me away with the wicked And with those who work iniquity, Who speak peace with their neighbors, While evil is in their hearts.  Requite them according to their work and according to the evil of their practices; Requite them according to the deeds of their hands; Repay them their recompense. Because they do not regard the works of the Lord Nor the deeds of His hands, He will tear them down and not build them up {vv. 3-5}.

We all have people who say they love us. They promise to be our friend for life—that they have our back—only to find that they stab us in the back when it serves their purpose. David experienced many such people. He knew their actions to be wicked and he prayed that he would not be swept away with them and suffer their punishment. He didn’t want to be punished along with them and I think, he also did not want to get swept away by the same behavior. He did not want to love people to their face yet turn his back on them when it served him. He knows the Lord warns against being double minded and unstable{James 1:5-8}.

Blessed be the Lord, Because He has heard the voice of my supplication. The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him. The Lord is their strength, And He is a saving defense to His anointed. Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever {vv. 6-9}.

David always follows his prayers with praise to God knowing that He will answer. Yahweh is faithful to him. Yahweh is always faithful when we pray. The outcome may not be what we asked for but He will always answer with exactly what we need.

David declares that the Lord is His strength and shield. Strength is often associated with the Ark of the Covenant, the pure gold ark symbolized the presence of God. It was also a reminder that He is the covenant-keeping God. The cherubim who adorned the lid of the ark symbolized strength and power. They were assigned to guard the Garden of Eden with flaming swords after Adam and Eve were exiled. The glorious sound of their wings is likened to the voice of God Almighty when He speaks {Ezek. 10:5}. A sound so loud and marvelous it was heard in the outer court of the temple. They surround the throne of God in Revelation. They bring fear and awe and yet they are not as strong and powerful as Yahweh. The Lord is David’s strength and He is our strength as well. He is a strong tower for us to run and find refuge. God is not only David’s strength, He is also a refuge. He is a fortress of salvation for His anointed—here it is referring to David or one of the priests—now it is for all of us. Salvation is available to all who will run to Him.  

The Tabernacle in the wilderness had many covers of protection. They protected from storms and weather. They protected from wild animals and intruders. This represents God protecting His anointed people. We can run to Him for protection and safety. He is faithful and trustworthy. He will never leave us or forsake us. Don’t be complacent in your relationship with the Lord though. David worshiped Him and trusted and believed in Him. He promises to be with us always, but we must do our part. Worship is the key to God moving in your life. Cultivate a life of prayer and a life of worship. He is our Shepherd and will give us rest.

To read all the Psalms in this series click here: Psalms To See Me Through

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Psalm To See Me Through: Psalm 27: Courageous Trust

A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.  A Psalm of David. 

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread? {v.1}

When I was fourteen, I chose this verse for my confirmation graduation. I did not realize it at the time, but as I look back, this verse radically described my life. Elementary school is hard for most kids, but I had a particularly rough time. I spent my grade school years being ruthlessly picked on. My memories of second through eighth grades are miserable, with few exceptions. I remember feeling at the time, that God was my only friend.

As terrible as grade school was, and as mean as some of the kids were, they did not make death threats against me; I did not fear for my life. David faced real threats—threats that would have proved fatal had they succeeded. But David knew that the Lord was his light and salvation, he knew with all his heart that God was his defense. His confidence dispelled all fear. Whom shall I fear? is a rhetorical question. God was the defense of his life; nobody could harm him.

When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident {vv.2-3}.

The reason David has full confidence in God to protect Him, is that the Lord has proven Himself faithful time and again. He is speaking about those who came against him in the past tense. He is declaring what God had done for him before in defeating his enemies; this fuels his praise and bolsters his conviction. The imminent threat will not move him, he remains confident that even if his enemy broke through the wall and came in, he trusts the Lord without fear. I shall be confident—the Hebrew means literally “in this I trust.”[1]

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple {v.4}. 

When I read verse four, it causes me to think of a beautiful place, with a gorgeous view, one in which I could gaze for a long time, one that brings me rest and peace. David speaks of God’s sanctuary in this way. The house of the Lord is a place of peace and rest, and is also a place of refuge—a place to feel safe. David desires to spend the rest of his days in this beautiful house of peace and safety, and to gaze on the beauty of the Lord. To gaze on the Lord does not mean to catch a glimpse of Him once or twice, but it is rather a steady, sustained focus on the Lord and who He is—His person, not His hand; who He is, not what He can give. This is the best antidote for the fears that try to take our eyes of the One True God.  

“Note the singleness of purpose (one thing)—the best answer to distracting fears (cf. 1-3)—and the priorities within that purpose: to behold and to inquire; a preoccupation with God’s Person and will. It is the essence of worship; indeed of discipleship.”[2]

For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord {vv. 5-6}.

The sanctuary is a hiding place; a place of refuge. David knows the Lord will hide him there from the raging chaos of the world; the evil men that come against God’s anointed king. You and I should think of God and His sanctuary in the same way. It is His sanctuary where we gather to praise and worship Him for all He has done for us, and all that He will do in the future. We too, can trust Him without fear and in full confidence. It is by worshiping the Lord and praising Him for His faithfulness, and coming before Him in awe and wonder at who He is, that we are lifted up on a rock, above our enemies. Those who come against us lose when we approach the sanctuary, offer sacrifices to the Lord, and sing His praises with joy. The tent David speaks of is the Tabernacle of David which he pitched on Mt. Zion—it housed only the Ark of the Covenant—the place where God’s glory dwells.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me. When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.” Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the Lord will take me up {vv.7-10}

David began his prayer with confident trust and unswerving faithfulness, even though his life was being threatened by a host of enemies. Something changed in David’s disposition {v.7}; he began to pray anxiously that God would not forsake him. Who has not encountered a day like David? One moment we are full of faith, and the next we are crashing on the rocks. I have. But David reaches inside and encourages himself in the Lord in whom he has placed his trust many times. He prays that God not forsake him as his mother and father had. Most scholars agree that David’s mother and father forsaking him is most likely hypothetical. But it speaks to David’s mindset, he truly believes the only refuge he has is the Lord—everyone else has left him. How can a mother forget her son? Isaiah’s words come to mind:

Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you {Is. 49:15 NASB}.

The Lord will take him up. This promise should encourage you as well. God will not forsake you or forget you. His love is far-reaching and never-ending.

Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a level path Because of my foes. Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord {vv. 11-14}.

David’s confidence once again surfaced in the face of adversity. He encouraged himself to wait on the Lord. He knows God is faithful—and this goodness kept him from fainting under the oppression of the attack. David is not only a worshiper who seeks God’s face, but he is also a committed to following His statutes. He wants to live the way God wants him to, and he prays for the Lord to keep him on the right path.

David holds on to his faith in the Lord. Many of the psalms end with a victory praise, or an answered prayer, but here the psalmist stands in God’s sanctuary with his faith—his trust—to wait on the Lord. Here David exhibits courageous trust. There are times in life when it seems like all you have to hold on to is your faith; believing and trusting in God’s faithfulness. It takes courage to stand on your faith, and have confidence because you know the Lord and trust that He will not forsake you, even when you face adversity. Be strong and take courage…wait on the Lord.

To read all the Psalms in this series click here: Psalms To See Me Through

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[1] Craig C. Broyles, Psalms (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999), 142.

[2] Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72 (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2008), 138.

Psalms To See Me Through Psalm 25: Protection From Enemies, Guidance to His Truth, and Forgiveness

A Psalm of David.

Few Psalms begin as personal prayer and for the community of believers; Psalm twenty-five is one of those sacred poems. This Psalms is an acrostic, meaning its verses begin with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This Psalm resembles wisdom literature; the psalmist seeks with learning and finding the right path, yet in this psalm, David is also concerned with forgiveness and deliverance from distress.  

To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed {vv. 1-3}.[1]

I lift up my soul to you. You are my God. I trust you. These words should be dripping from our tongues when we pray. They should be the first words we utter as we cry to the Lord for help. David serves as our example. Not just in this Psalm, but in many others. He always declared God’s faithfulness when in trouble. He is once again surrounded by his enemies, and doesn’t want his enemies to come out victorious over him and bring him to shame. He is asking for Yahweh to vindicate him in the face of his enemies. How often have we felt those same emotions when we have been betrayed or lied about? I have. Cry out to God. He may not vindicate us in the way we want or desire, but He is faithful to those who fear Him. If God will answer David, it gives hope to all who place their trust in Yahweh, not to waver in their faith and to be confident in His faithfulness. David turns from praying for vindication to seeking righteousness.

Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths.  Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day {vv. 4-5}.

In the midst of his enemies who would triumph over him, is a prayer for direction and instruction. David is not merely seeking God’s will for his life. He is seeking far more; God’s Truth. ‘Ways” and ‘Paths’ speak to righteous living before the God of Heaven, and the place to find God’s truth is found in His Word—His Torah— which also demonstrate His character. “In the Psalms God’s law, or Torah, takes at least three forms: God’s ways, God’s works, and God’s words.”[2] The Torah is God’s will for human life divinely revealed and carried out in Israel’s story, and that of mankind.

Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your lovingkindness remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord {vv. 6-7}.

From the moment I was conceived, God’s Mercy and Goodness followed me without retreat. God’s mercies to mankind accompanied Adam the day he was created. Elohim’s first command to him was given in mercy; On the day you eat from the tree you shall surely die {Gen. 2:17}; A warning wrapped in Mercy. Remember The Psalm concerning our Great Shepherd? His Goodness and Mercy follow us all the days of our lives.  David is not perfect, and in light of God’s Torah, His Word, he pleads for mercy. I did the same just the other day. One cannot seek Yahweh’s Word for truth and not repent in dust and ashes. He pleads to the Lord for forgiveness and mercy in light of His Word, and His character.

Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way. All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great {vv. 8-11}.

These verses sing the very attributes and character of Yahweh—He is called by the Name good and forgiving. The Psalms demonstrate God’s action in history with “the ways of the Lord,” or his “paths” or “deeds,” which also teach His character.[3] He is worthy of all our praise. He has dealt wonderfully with His people, with me, even though I am rebellious, stubborn, and hard-headed. I don’t deserve His grace or mercy one ounce, yet He grants it freely and lovingly when I cry out to Him.

Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. His soul will abide in prosperity, And his descendants will inherit the land. The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant. My eyes are continually toward the Lord, For He will pluck my feet out of the net. {vv. 12-15}.

Some fear God’s judgments, but others fear God Himself. Those who fear God Himself know deep in their heart the Lord’s awesome power and their smallness in His sight. Those who fear the Lord love what He loves, and hates what He hates, they dare not sin; they do not want to break the Lord’s heart. When they do sin, they repent whole-heartedly as David repeatedly did when he fell into sin. For those who fear God, He is their great reward. Not only will their soul abide in prosperity (Shalom, peace), but the Lord will share secrets with them and reveal His covenant to them; He shares with them the intimacy of His counsel, and takes the believer into His confidence. Because of this, David keeps His eyes on the Lord, just as we should. His counsel will keep and deliver him. Yahweh indeed is a great reward.

Turn to me and be gracious to me, For I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses. Look upon my affliction and my trouble, And forgive all my sins. Look upon my enemies, for they are many, And they hate me with violent hatred.  Guard my soul and deliver me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You {vv.16-21}.

God please pay attention to me. Pour your grace on me like rain. I feel so alone right now; the trial is too hard. Please deliver me from this mess! Can’t you see I am in trouble? I know I don’t deserve it, Merciful God, but please forgive me! Forgive me yet again for sinning against you. I can’t seem to get this area of my life right, I can’t get the victory. Look at all my so-called friends and those at church who judge me, mock me, and make me their table talk. They all hope that I will fail. They don’t think I will amount to much or that I am as good as they are. God guard my soul, deliver me from their words which seek to hurt and tear me down. Deliver me from their grasp. Please don’t let them shame me anymore, God I run to you where I am safe. God I am not perfect, but I seek to follow you every day, God I wait on you, I know you will help me.

My week grasp of David’s plea to God; I have been there. I have been the subject of ridicule, and sadly, I have been the perpetrator of ridicule. I know we can all relate to David’s plea and cry to God; we have cried out to God in a similar fashion. God let your grace fall like rain.

Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all his troubles {v.22}.

David steps out of himself for a moment to remember to pray for others. He prays for himself, and then prays for Israel. In the midst of trying circumstances, God powerfully uses our intercession for others in our own deliverance. When we have a heart for others who are facing life’s trial—just as we are—our intercession raises to Him as a sweet-smelling fragrance. Abraham, Moses, Aaron, and many others interceded on behalf of people, often before or instead of themselves. They sought God’s mercy, even for those who did not seem to deserve it. Pray for those who ridicule you and persecute you, in doing so, you will be counted righteous.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” {Matt. 5:43-48}.

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[1] Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the New American Standard Version (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).

[2]C. Hassell Bullock, Encountering The Book Of Psalms (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001), 216. 

[3] Ibid. 

Psalms To See Me Through Psalm 23: The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever {Psalm 23}.

This Psalm is a favorite for many because it illustrates the intimate relationship David has with the Lord; this same intimacy is available to you and me. God provides protection and providence. This is a Psalm of trust.

David was most likely singing about the pilgrimage to celebrate the festivals of the Lord. There were three main Feasts of the Lord that were required for the Jews to go up and worship; The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Pesach/Passover) found in Exodus 12-15; The Feast of Weeks Shavout/Pentecost) or also known as the Feast of Ingathering (Exod. 34:22); The Feast of Booths (Sukkoth) or also known as the The Day of Assembly (Azaret) found in Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16. Though the Temple was not built until years later by his son Solomon, this Psalm was definitely among the liturgy as pilgrims ascended up to Jerusalem to celebrate. Many scholars agree that this Psalm also suggests that David is pinning for the eternal rest promised by God. For we are pilgrims traveling through this world and we, along with David, will enter the final Rest of God. Traveling to the temple carried the idea of Yahweh gathering His sheep. This is a common theme in other Psalms in which the shepherd-sheep motif is yoked to that of the temple {Ps. 28:2; 74:1; 79:13; 95:7; 100: 3-4}. The Lord as our Shepherd is found in later prophecy announcing the visible appearing of this Shepherd {see. Is. 40:11 and Ezek. 34, 37}. Remember that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and He is our Shepherd—the Shepherd of our soul.  

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake {vv. 1-3}.

In this season of new things, a new year, with our lists and resolutions, let’s lay aside seeking after things—riches and possessions {not that these are bad in and of themselves}, but the Lord warned that moth and rust destroy these things; let’s desire the rest of God. Let us long for Him alone and we will not want for anything.

I am breathless when I learn that David is declaring the goodness of God while being chased down and hunted by his own son, Absalom. David was not lying around the palace to experience the rest of God, but was entrenched in tribulation. This is a weighty lesson for us; in dark times, declare the goodness of God, and it will bring us rest. When we spend our time abiding in Him—in silent noise, He will restore and fill our souls and spirits; He will fill us up to overflow to walk through the tribulations that we will face.

Fresh green pastures are promised, a place where one lies at ease, and rest and enjoyment. The beauty of the original Hebrew language here indicates an oasis. David was not meditating on returning to the Temple after the threat to his life and throne ceased, but a resting place, an oasis that only God can provide. It will be like nothing we have never experienced before.

Though this Psalm promises peace, it promises something else as well; tribulation. This beautiful worship song of David praises God for His protection and provision, but it is through hard roads and deep, dark valleys, that the Shepherd of Israel walked with him, and He will walk with us as well.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me {v.4}.

Words of trust pour from the mouth of a hunted man, a throne compromised, to a God of faithfulness and victory. The rod and staff is not that of a pilgrim, but that of the Shepherd. The rod and staff of protection of Yahweh is what brings this weary king comfort.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever {vv.5-6}.

God has a glorious celebration meal prepared for us. It is not to enjoy when we come out of the dark valley, but right in the middle of the darkness, while our enemies watch with disdain and disgust. He is calling us to rejoice in the middle of our tribulation and not wait till the end. If we wait until we come out of the darkness, have we really trusted Him as David did? Praising Him in the midst of our dark valley, shows that we have put our trust fully in Him. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who understands our pain {Heb. 4:15}, and will walk with us every step of the dark place; He trudged that lonely, painful path, before us.

There is a shift here from the Shepherd to the Lord of Hosts, literally the Lord of Angel Armies, who fights for us, protects us, and gives us the victory.

But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today”{Ex. 14:13}.

God is not only the Good Shepherd who looks after us in both good and bad times, and the Lord who fights on our behalf, but He also invites us to live in His house, which is both beautiful and a refuge.

The Lord of Hosts is the Host who feeds us while our enemies watch and keep silent. He provides bountifully for us His guests. He anoints our head with oil—fragrant perfume of joy. He serves us a magnificent banquet and fills our cups to overflow. David trusts that the Lord will give Him these things, while his enemies watch, in the midst of his trial. When we worship and abide in Him, we will find peace from our enemies. He also has a future banquet planned for us, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and we will feast with Him in eternal rest.

* Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the New American Standard Version (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).

Psalms To See Me Through Psalm 21: A Tale Of Two Kings

Praise for Deliverance. For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

Deliverance; a universal desire of the hurting, oppressed, discouraged and wounded. Some pray for deliverance from sickness and disease; from poverty; addiction; from persecution, or whatever their current circumstances may be. Psalm 21 records David’s praise to God once again for delivering him in times of trouble.

My mind and heart are flooded with circumstances and situations that cause me to cry out to God for deliverance. God’s deliverance does not always come the way we wish, but we can learn from David and how he prayed and praised God whether the outcome favored him or not.  

O Lord, in Your strength the king will be glad, and in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice!  You have given him his heart’s desire, and You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah (vv. 1-2).

The king in this verse refers to David, but has messianic implications as well. This is one of many royal Psalms which celebrate the coronation of God’s chosen King.  David’s praise illustrates a tale of two kings; David is the current king from which the Messiah will come to rule and reign forever—the future King.  Ezekiel prophesied the reign of the Messiah:

They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons’ sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever (37:25 NASB).  

David My servant will be their prince forever speaks to the line from which the Messiah will come. David and the Messiah both are kings, who suffer from enemies who deny their sovereignty. David was never free from enemies who sought to dethrone him. In fact, when David sinned by taking Bathsheba and killing her husband, the Lord pronounced that the sword will never leave his house, because his actions despised God (see II Sam. 12:10). The anti-Christ spirit has been operating in the world (see 1 Jn. 4:3) since Jesus walked this dusty earth. You and I are not without trouble in this world, as Jesus promised (Jn. 16:13), but we always have hope; the Lord is faithful to those who wait on Him. He is a Refuge and Strong Tower, a present help in trouble (Ps. 46:1).

 For You meet him with the blessings of good things; You set a crown of fine gold on his head.  He asked life of You, You gave it to him, Length of days forever and ever.  His glory is great through Your salvation, splendor and majesty You place upon him (vv.3-5).

God always keeps His promises. This crown speaks to Christ’s reward, and David’s. The Lord promised David that he would be king of Israel. But just like in our own lives, some promises come step by step, not in quantum leaps. David first became king of Judah because the kingdom had split and was encumbered in a civil war. But the Lord is faithful to watch over His Word to perform it (see Jer. 1: 12), He promised that the scepter would never leave Judah; a promise that began in Abraham (see Gen. 49:10). God fulfilled His promise to David (see II Samuel 5:1-5).

David’s story is a tumultuous journey of faith; he walked by faith waiting for his promise to be fulfilled. The Lord sent Samuel to anoint David as king when he was still a teenage boy watching sheep in his father’s field (see I Sam.16). It was a meager beginning to say the least; Jesse didn’t think David worthy to be considered to bring before the greatest prophet in Israel, and left him in the field. Samuel looked over each of Jesse’s six sons, but they were not the chosen king. Samuel asked Jesse again if he had any other sons, and they finally called for David, and Samuel anointed Him as God commanded.

From the time David was anointed king, he had to endure hardship and trouble. He had a few glorious moments, but mostly trouble. His father didn’t bother to bring him before Samuel; considering it ridiculous that he would be chosen king. Saul hunted him ruthlessly to kill him; he lived as an outlaw for quite a while, accompanied by some loyal men who knew he would eventually be king.  He was finally crowned at thirty years old. In every situation David endured, he praised God in the face of the adversity. Here is a bit of what David suffered:

Psalm 3: He fled from his son Absalom who tried to dethrone and kill him.

Psalm 7: He sang—praised the Lord when threatened by Cush, a Benjaminite.

Psalm 18: The Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, including Saul who was ruthlessly hunting him.

Psalm 34: he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, so he drove him away instead of killing him.

Psalm 51: Nathan rebuked him for taking Bathsheba from her husband and having him killed. Only because he repented did God relent from killing him.

Psalm 52: The betrayal of Doeg who attempted to turn him over to Saul.

Psalm 54: The betrayal of Ziphites who told Saul of his whereabouts.

Psalm 56: When the Philistines seized him in Gath.

Psalm 57: When he fled from Saul in the cave.

Psalm 59: When Saul sent men to spy on his house to kill him.

Psalm 60: when he struggled with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and Joab returned, and smote twelve-thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.

Psalm 63: When he was in the wilderness of Judah.

Psalm 142: When he was hiding in the cave.

This only recounts some of his troubles; but through them he praised the Lord. When you are facing trials and hard times, remember God is working patience and endurance in you. Your promise (your calling and destiny) will come because God is faithful. The skies maybe stormy or dark; but in the end you will see God’s promise fulfilled.

For You make him most blessed forever; You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence (v.6).  

Though I have spoken much of David’s story, I must not overlook the messianic implications. Christ is the King of Kings to whom we look; David is but a shadow of Him.

The word joyful is חָדָה  châdâh, khaw-daw'; a primitive root; to rejoice:—make glad, be joined, rejoice (Strong’s). God has so blessed the King, and of course David, and makes Him joyful in God’s presence. The Hebrew word for presence used here is פָּנִים   pânîym, paw-neem' (I know that’s a lot of Hebrew!). The KJV translates this word many ways (see Strong’s here); a few of them jumped off the page at me:

                                                        

before; face/ face of seraphim or cherubim; presence/person; countenance. These words evoke in me the Tabernacle; I see the Bread of Presence in the Holy Place; the Presence of Yahweh between the two cherubim covering the Mercy Seat. His Presence now dwells in us through the Holy Spirit, and we can have joy in His presence.

You will fill me with joy in your presence.  Ps. 16:11 NIV.

John’s Gospel brings the Tabernacle into the New Testament:

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (1:14 NASB).

Though God is great and mighty, and I am but dust, He invites me to find joy in His presence. He welcomes me—you into His presence.

In verses 1-6 David built a memorial to the Lord for what He has done in the past, and how faithful God has been to him. In verses 7-13 He gazes into the future to the One who is always faithful.

For the king trusts in the Lord, And through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken (v.7).

The language here shifts into the third person, toward the king, and the King, which alludes to perhaps a congregational liturgy. The names of God here in the Hebrew, are Yahweh and Elyon. Elyon or Most High/Most High God means “Highest” or “Exalted One,” God is the highest in every realm of life. When the Most High is praised, we are pouring our worship on the One whose power, mercy, and sovereignty is unrivaled, unparalleled, unequaled, and utterly incomparable. He is Transcendent: He is above and independent of all creation.

Your hand will find out all your enemies; Your right hand will find out those who hate you. You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger; The Lord will swallow them up in His wrath, And fire will devour them Their offspring You will destroy from the earth, And their descendants from among the sons of men (v.v. 8-10).

In the Hebrew it is literally make them as a fiery furnace or like a furnace of fire. Many previous oppressors of Israel made them burn; the desperation is heard in Lam. 5:10, Our skin is hot like an oven, because of the burning oven (NASB). According to the Tehillim Commentary this describes death by starvation, whereby one slowly deteriorates away until there is nothing left of him. “Measure for measure, let these oppressors suffer the same gruesome fate in the time of Messiah when starvation will turn them into furnaces of hungry fire (*Tehillos Hashem).”[1]

Though they intended evil against You And devised a plot, They will not succeed. For You will make them turn their back; You will aim with Your bowstrings at their faces (v.v. 11-12).

These are hard prayers. It is hard to know how to reconcile these types of prayers with Jesus and His command to love our enemies. But isn’t that what prayer is? “Prayer in which all the dirt and noise of ordinary life is boiled out. It is prayer that cultivates exalted feelings and sublime thoughts.”[2]

God is not lacking enemies. People of the cross will always experience haters. It is important to note that though these are hard prayers, judgment to be poured out on their enemies, they leave in the hand of God to deliver His retribution; He is the Sophet the Righteous Judge.

“The last word on enemies is with Jesus, who captured the Psalms. Love your enemies and pray for them that persecute you…Our hate is used by God to bring enemies of life and salvation to notice, and then involve us in active compassion for the victims.”[3]

We must remember that praying for our enemies will not change them into our friends. “Love is the last thing our enemies want from us and often act as a goad to redouble fury. Love requires vulnerability, forgiveness, and response; the enemies want power and control and dominion. The enemies that Jesus loved and prayed for killed him.”[4]

Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength; We will sing and praise Your power (v.13).

In light of all the evil and oppressors, the Lord is exalted. The Psalm opened with praise to the Lord, and so it closes with praise to the Lord. All the oppression, all the haters, the evil, the trials of life, the overwhelming circumstances—the hard places— are bookended in praise to the Most High, who is sovereign, mighty, and without rival. May He be exalted in our lives.

Photo by Piper Green

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For a bibliography of resources for studying the Psalms, and to read all the Psalms in the series,  Click Here.

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*The Praises Of Hashem

[1] "Psalm 21," In Tehillim: The Book of the Psalms, edited by Nosson Scherman and Meir Zlotowitz, 266, Vol. 1 (Brooklyn, New York: Mesorah Publications, 1995).

[2] Eugene Peterson, Answering God: The Psalms As Tools For Prayer (New York: HarperCollins, 1989), 49.

[3] Ibid., 102-103.

[4] Ibid.