Blogaway

Genesis 15

2010-02-11T14:21:00.003-06:00

Abram Promised a Son
¹After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying,
"Do not fear, Abram,
I am a shield to you;
Your reward shall be very great."
²Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?"
³And Abram said, "Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir."
⁴Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir."
⁵And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them " And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."
⁶Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
⁷And He said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it."
⁸He said, "O Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess it?"
⁹So He said to him, "Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
¹⁰Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds.
¹¹The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.
¹²Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him.
¹³God said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years.
¹⁴"But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.
¹⁵"As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age.
¹⁶"Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete."
¹⁷It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces.
¹⁸On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying,
"To your descendants I have given this land,
From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:
¹⁹the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite
²⁰and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim
²¹and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and the Jebusite."

Genesis 14

2010-02-04T21:13:00.005-06:00

War of the Kings
¹And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,
²that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
³All these came as allies to the valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).
⁴Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebelled.
⁵In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,⁶and the Horites in their Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is by the wilderness.
⁷Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and conquered all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, who lived in Hazazon-tamar.
⁸And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) came out; and they arrayed for battle against them in the valley of Siddim, ⁹against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar--four kings against five.
¹⁰Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell into them But those who survived fled to the hill country.
¹¹Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply, and departed.
¹²They also took Lot, Abram's nephew, and his possessions and departed, for he was living in Sodom.
¹³Then a fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew Now he was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were allies with Abram.
¹⁴When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
¹⁵He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.
¹⁶He brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people.

God's Promise to Abram
¹⁷Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).
¹⁸And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.
¹⁹He blessed him and said,
"Blessed be Abram of God Most High,
Possessor of heaven and earth;
²⁰And blessed be God Most High,
Who has delivered your enemies into your hand."
He gave him a tenth of all.
²¹The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give the people to me and take the goods for yourself."
²²Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, ²³that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, for fear you would say, 'I have made Abram rich.'
²⁴"I will take nothing except what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their share."

Genesis 13

2010-01-28T18:02:00.003-06:00

Abram and Lot
¹So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him.
²Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold.
³He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,
⁴to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.
⁵Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.
⁶And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together.
⁷And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land.
⁸So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers.
⁹"Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left."
¹⁰Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere--this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah--like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar.
¹¹So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other.
¹²Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom.
¹³Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord.
¹⁴The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;
¹⁵for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.
¹⁶"I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered.
¹⁷"Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you."
¹⁸Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

Genesis 10-12

2010-01-22T08:14:00.010-06:00

Descendants of Noah
¹Now these are the records of the generations of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah; and sons were born to them after the flood.
²The sons of Japheth were Gomer and Magog and Madai and Javan and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras.
³The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah.
⁴The sons of Javan were Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim.
⁵From these the coastlands of the nations were separated into their lands, every one according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.
⁶The sons of Ham were Cush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan.
⁷The sons of Cush were Seba and Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.
⁸Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth.
⁹He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord."
¹⁰The beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
¹¹From that land he went forth into Assyria, and built Nineveh and Rehoboth-Ir and Calah,
¹²and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.
¹³Mizraim became the father of Ludim and Anamim and Lehabim and Naphtuhim
¹⁴and Pathrusim and Casluhim (from which came the Philistines) and Caphtorim.
¹⁵Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth
¹⁶and the Jebusite and the Amorite and the Girgashite
¹⁷and the Hivite and the Arkite and the Sinite
¹⁸and the Arvadite and the Zemarite and the Hamathite; and afterward the families of the Canaanite were spread abroad.
¹⁹The territory of the Canaanite extended from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; as you go toward Sodom and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
²⁰These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, by their nations.
²¹Also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, and the older brother of Japheth, children were born.
²²The sons of Shem were Elam and Asshur and Arpachshad and Lud and Aram.
²³The sons of Aram were Uz and Hul and Gether and Mash.
²⁴Arpachshad became the father of Shelah; and Shelah became the father of Eber.
²⁵Two sons were born to Eber; the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.
²⁶Joktan became the father of Almodad and Sheleph and Hazarmaveth and Jerah
²⁷and Hadoram and Uzal and Diklah
²⁸and Obal and Abimael and Sheba
²⁹and Ophir and Havilah and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan.
³⁰Now their settlement extended from Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the hill country of the east.
³¹These are the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, by their lands, according to their nations.
³²These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, by their nations; and out of these the nations were separated on the earth after the flood.

Universal Language, Babel, Confusion
^11:1Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words.
²It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.
³They said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly." And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar.
⁴They said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."
⁵The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.
⁶The Lord said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.
⁷"Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's speech."
⁸So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city.
⁹Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.

Descendants of Shem
¹⁰These are the records of the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years old, and became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood; ¹¹and Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and he had other sons and daughters.
¹²Arpachshad lived thirty-five years, and became the father of Shelah; ¹³and Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years after he became the father of Shelah, and he had other sons and daughters.
¹⁴Shelah lived thirty years, and became the father of Eber; ¹⁵and Shelah lived four hundred and three years after he became the father of Eber, and he had other sons and daughters.
¹⁶Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg; ¹⁷and Eber lived four hundred and thirty years after he became the father of Peleg, and he had other sons and daughters.
¹⁸Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu; ¹⁹and Peleg lived two hundred and nine years after he became the father of Reu, and he had other sons and daughters.
²⁰Reu lived thirty-two years, and became the father of Serug; ²¹and Reu lived two hundred and seven years after he became the father of Serug, and he had other sons and daughters.
²²Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor; ²³and Serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of Nahor, and he had other sons and daughters.
²⁴Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and became the father of Terah; ²⁵and Nahor lived one hundred and nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and he had other sons and daughters.
²⁶Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran.
²⁷Now these are the records of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran; and Haran became the father of Lot.
²⁸Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
²⁹Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves The name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iscah.
³⁰Sarai was barren; she had no child.
³¹Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and settled there.
³²The days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.

Abram Journeys to Egypt
^12:1Now the Lord said to Abram,
"Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father's house,
To the land which I will show you;
²And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
³And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."
⁴So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
⁵Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan.
⁶Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land.
⁷The Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land " So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him.
⁸Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.
⁹Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev.
¹⁰Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.
¹¹It came about when he came near to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman; ¹²and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.
¹³"Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you."
¹⁴It came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.
¹⁵Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
¹⁶Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake; and gave him sheep and oxen and donkeys and male and female servants and female donkeys and camels.
¹⁷But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
¹⁸Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?
¹⁹"Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her and go."
²⁰Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him. (NASB)

1 John 4:11

2009-04-10T21:39:00.000-05:00

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (NIV)

Colossians 3:13

2009-04-10T21:38:00.000-05:00

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." (NIV)

Malachi 2:10

2009-04-09T19:23:00.000-05:00

"Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our fathers by breaking faith with one another?" (NIV)

1 John 4:12

2009-04-09T19:22:00.000-05:00

"No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." (NIV)

1 John 1:7

2009-04-09T19:19:00.000-05:00

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the bood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (NIV)

James 4:11

2009-04-08T23:17:00.000-05:00

"Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it." (NIV)

1 Corinthians 1:10

2009-04-08T23:09:00.000-05:00

"I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought." (NIV)

Romans 15:7

2009-04-08T23:08:00.000-05:00

"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." (NIV)

1 Peter 5:5

2009-04-07T00:45:00.000-05:00

"Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" (NIV)

Ephesians 5:21

2009-04-07T00:44:00.000-05:00

"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." (NIV)

Romans 12:16

2009-04-07T00:43:00.000-05:00

"Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited." (NIV)

Zechariah 7:9

2009-04-06T22:48:00.000-05:00

"This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another." (NIV)

Leviticus 19:11

2009-04-06T22:44:00.000-05:00

"'Do not steal. "'Do not lie. "'Do not deceive one another." (NIV)

1 Peter 4:9

2009-04-03T20:02:00.000-05:00

"Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." (NIV)

Hebrews 10:24

2009-04-03T20:01:00.000-05:00

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." (NIV)

Romans 16:16

2009-04-03T19:57:00.001-05:00

"Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings." (NIV)

1 Peter 3:8

2009-04-02T22:24:00.000-05:00

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble." (NIV)

Ephesians 4:32

2009-04-02T22:23:00.000-05:00

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (NIV)

James 4:11

2009-04-01T22:15:00.002-05:00

1 Corinthians 1:10

2009-04-01T22:15:00.001-05:00

Romans 15:7

2009-04-01T22:13:00.000-05:00

"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." (NIV)

1 John 3:23

2009-03-31T15:12:00.000-05:00

"And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us." (NIV)

1 John 3:11

2009-03-31T15:11:00.000-05:00

"This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another." (NIV)

Ephesians 4:2

2009-03-31T15:09:00.000-05:00

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." (NIV)

Hebrews 3:13

2009-03-30T17:14:00.000-05:00

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." (NIV)

1 Thessalonians 5:11

2009-03-30T17:12:00.000-05:00

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (NIV)

Ephesians 5:19

2009-03-30T17:11:00.000-05:00

"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord." (NIV)

Romans 14:13

2009-03-30T17:08:00.001-05:00

"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." (NIV)

Galatians 5:13

2009-03-29T18:29:00.000-05:00

"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." (NIV)

Romans 12:10

2009-03-29T18:28:00.002-05:00

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." (NIV)

John 13:35

2009-03-29T18:26:00.003-05:00

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another". (NIV)

John 13:34

2009-03-29T18:17:00.000-05:00

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (NIV)

Psalm 66

2009-03-24T23:50:00.002-05:00

¹Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
²Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!
³Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.
⁴All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name." Selah
⁵Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf!
⁶ He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot—come, let us rejoice in him.
⁷He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations—let not the rebellious rise up against him. Selah
⁸ Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard;
⁹ he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.
¹⁰For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.
¹¹You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.
¹²You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.
¹³I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you-
¹⁴vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.
¹⁵I will sacrifice fat animals to you and an offering of rams; I will offer bulls and goats. Selah
¹⁶Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.
¹⁷I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue.
¹⁸If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;
¹⁹but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.
²⁰Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!

In verse one, who does David call to praise God with shouts?

Read verse 4. Can you imagine the whole earth bowing to the Lord? Think of the most magnificent and grand aspect of nature that you have ever seen. Now, imagine that place or object bowing low to the God of its creation and sustainment.

How many times do you see the word Selah in this psalm? Selah means “stop and consider”. The David is begging you to stop and wrap your mind around these powerful claims of earthly praise!

In verse 16, David asks if he can personally tell what the Lord has done in his life.

We see the “bigness” of God in nature beside the “intimacy” of God in the person. Do you comprehend one of these ideas easier? Often, as people, we tend to cling to the idea that brings the most peace or understanding to ourselves. However, it is crucial to not loose sight of any of God’s attributes. Remind yourself right now how God is both powerful and personal.

Psalm 22

2009-03-23T22:52:00.004-05:00

Read through the entire psalm one time or two times through before you begin. Then, buckle yourself in, because there are amazing treasures in this psalm that you will discover.

¹My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?
² O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.
³Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel.
⁴In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them.
⁵They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
⁶But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
⁷All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
⁸ "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him."
⁹Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast.
¹⁰From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God.
¹¹Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
¹²Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
¹³Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me.
¹⁴I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.
¹⁵My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.
¹⁶Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.
¹⁷I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me.
¹⁸They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.
¹⁹ But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
²⁰ Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.
²¹ Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
²² I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.
²³You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
²⁴ For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.
²⁵ From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.
²⁶ The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him—may your hearts live forever!
²⁷ All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,
²⁸ for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.
²⁹All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—those who cannot keep themselves alive.
³⁰Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.
³¹They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn— for he has done it.

Throughout the psalms, David uses dramatic language to depict his sufferings and anguish, but this psalm is different. It isn’t merely a cry for safety, or deliverance. According to all the written records of David that we have, He never once comes close to execution. This psalm, however, describes an intense execution.

Do you see any language that affirms that idea?

Read v. 1-5. How does David describe the state he is in? He says, “My God, my god, why have you __________ me?”

In v. 3-5, he reminds himself that God is “enthroned” and that his fathers (men of the faith before him) never regretted trusting God.

In just these three small verses, we see David taking his thoughts captive and claim in truth to himself for a moment. Truth in our mind brings perspective to our eyes.

Read verse 6. What does David call himself? Can you think of a more pitiful depiction? He feels “forsaken” (v.1) and “worthless” (v.6), but he continues to remember his roots. Read verse 9-10.

In verses 11-18, what sticks out to you personally? There is no right answer here, just observe for yourself.

The language in these 8 verses initially refers to the psalmists’ experiences, but the ultimate fulfillment of these words will be found in the execution of Jesus Christ at the cross.

Read the following statements that are pulled from v. 11-18.

I am poured out like water
Bones are out of joint
Strength is dried up
Tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth
Band of evil men surround me
Pierced hands and feet
People stare and gloat over me
They divide my garments
Cast lots for my clothing

This is an exhaustive description of the death of crucifixion! Death by crucifixion was not even conceived of until the rule of the Romans, but this psalm was written previous to the Roman Empire even being established! King David’s psalm transcends time and takes us to Jesus, the true King. This is prophecy of the Christ.

Read v. 27. David goes on to say that all the families will bow to the Lord, and further, all the nations. Read Romans 15:12 for another reference of Jesus ruling the nations.

In the last verse, David proclaims, “He has done it”. Jesus’ final proclamation on the cross was one in the same. He says, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

What David writes about is clearly a description of what was to come. How amazing are our timeless prophetical scriptures! Stop and consider that your Savior’s death was planned since the beginning of time; he had plans to offer redemption before you were even created. Today, focus your mind on your salvation, and meditate on how His death has affected your life. Praise Him.

Psalm 132

2009-03-13T17:20:00.002-05:00

The LORD Has Chosen Zion
A Song of Ascents.

¹Remember, O LORD, in David’s favor,
all the hardships he endured,
²how he swore to the LORD
and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
³"I will not enter my house
or get into my bed,
⁴I will not give sleep to my eyes
or slumber to my eyelids,
⁵until I find a place for the LORD,
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob."
⁶Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
⁷"Let us go to his dwelling place;
let us worship at his footstool!"

⁸Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.
⁹Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
and let your saints shout for joy.
¹⁰For the sake of your servant David,
do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

¹¹The LORD swore to David a sure oath
from which he will not turn back:"One of the sons of your body
I will set on your throne.
¹²If your sons keep my covenant
and my testimonies that I shall teach them,their sons also forever
shall sit on your throne."

¹³For the LORD has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his dwelling place:
¹⁴"This is my resting place forever;
here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
¹⁵I will abundantly bless her provisions;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
¹⁶Her priests I will clothe with salvation,
and her saints will shout for joy.
¹⁷There I will make a horn to sprout for David;
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
¹⁸His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but on him his crown will shine."

This psalm refers to 2 important things in the history of Israel: the ark, or Ark of the Covenant, and the promise God made to David, what we call the Davidic Covenant. I’d encourage you to read 2 Samuel 6-7. It is a good amount of reading, but it will give you some great biblical history on how David was involved with the ark and this promise with God. Verses 1-10 take a look at the ark, so let’s go there first…

Ark: The ark was important to the people of Israel because it held the laws that God gave to Moses (yep, the 10 commandments on the stone tablets were in the ark!). It represented God’s covenantal relationship with the Israelites, His people. God’s law was holy. He created it to show Israel His standard of perfection, knowing that no person could attain it. When the ark was in the temple, there was a special place (The Holy of Holies) that the ark was kept. Once a year, a priest would sprinkle blood from an animal sacrificed to God on top of the ark. Instead of God seeing the law and how His people did not meet the standards, God would see the blood that was to atone for the sins of the Israelites.

What do verses 3-5 tell us that David wanted for the ark? Why do you think this was important to him? Look at 2 Samuel 6:6-9. How did David feel about God and the ark at this point? Why? What do you think changed his emotions regarding God and the ark? Do you think there were advantages for David to bring the ark to Jerusalem, the city he was in and the center of Israel?

Promises: God’s promises to David are found in 2 Samuel 7:8-16, read this passage now. What promises were made to David? Part of the promises that we will focus on are found in this psalm in verses 11-12. God tells David that one of his sons will continue to be king and if his descendants keep the way of God, they will also reign as king. The son that took over as king was Solomon. While his reign was not perfect, Solomon was given wisdom from God while he was king (a big chunk of what scholars call ‘wisdom literature’ in the Old Testament was written by Solomon: a lot of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon). Solomon was able to build the temple that David prayed for (1 Kings 6) and the ark was placed there (1 Kings 8). However, after Solomon, things took a bad turn. His son, Rehoboam, did not listen to the wisdom of the elders and his decisions ended up splitting up the kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 12). So, by David’s grandson it looks like all is lost for this promise!

But here’s my favorite part- it isn’t. Read Luke 1:26-33. Who does it say Jesus is? Whose line is he in (for a complete lineage, check out Matthew 1)? Jesus was born into the line of David. Read verse 18 of this psalm again. Does that verse sound familiar to the life of Christ? Jesus Christ is the answer to this promise that was given to David. Even though David’s descendants did not follow God, He sent His Son, the only one able to follow God’s law perfectly, to reign on David’s throne forever. How do you see Jesus tie into the ark?

I hope this humbles you and boggles the mind a bit. If we look back at David’s story in 2 Samuel 7, he prays for God to allow him to build a resting place for the ark. Instead of saying yes, God blesses David with some pretty amazing promises. These promises could not be filled during David’s lifetime or through the means that man thought, but ultimately they are filled in Jesus Christ. If you have never read about Jesus Christ and His ministry, start out reading in the book of John. I’d encourage you to praise God for this amazing plan and for His Son!

Psalm 110

2009-03-12T22:41:00.002-05:00

A Psalm of David.
¹The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
²The Lord sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
³Your people will offer themselves freely
on the day of your power,
in holy garments;
from the womb of the morning,
the dew of your youth will be yours.
⁴The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.”
⁵The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
⁶He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs
over the wide earth.
⁷He will drink from the brook by the way;
therefore he will lift up his head.

Verse 1 tells us that this is a Psalm composed by David. David then states that the LORD (a translation of Yahweh, the one true God) speaks to “my Lord.” The king of the nation speaks of God enthroning a higher king than him, someone who David would refer to as “Lord”.

Who could this higher king be?

How could he be David’s heir and yet be greater than David?

The New Testament quotes this psalm more than any other. Consider turning to some of these passages and seeing how the New Testament authors understood these words of David.

Matt 22:44; 26:64; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42; Acts 2:22-36; 1 Cor 15:25; Eph 1:20-22; Col 3:1; Heb 1:3; 1:13; 2:8; 7; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22

Psalm 89

2009-03-11T22:26:00.004-05:00

This Psalm is actually not written by David. Ethan, who lived long after David, wrote it about God’s covenant promise to David (see 2 Samuel 7). Read all the way through it and then interact with the questions at the end.

A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
¹I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;
with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
²For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever;
in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”
³You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
⁴I will establish your offspring forever,
and build your throne for all generations.’ ” Selah
⁵Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
⁶For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord,
⁷a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones,
and awesome above all who are around him?
⁸O Lord God of hosts,
who is mighty as you are, O Lord,
with your faithfulness all around you?
⁹You rule the raging of the sea;
when its waves rise, you still them.
¹⁰You crushed Rahab like a carcass;
you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
¹¹The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours;
the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.
¹²The north and the south, you have created them;
Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.
¹³You have a mighty arm;
strong is your hand, high your right hand.
¹⁴Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
¹⁵Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,
who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
¹⁶who exult in your name all the day
and in your righteousness are exalted.
¹⁷For you are the glory of their strength;
by your favor our horn is exalted.
¹⁸For our shield belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
¹⁹Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said:
“I have granted help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
²⁰I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him,
²¹so that my hand shall be established with him;
my arm also shall strengthen him.
²²The enemy shall not outwit him;
the wicked shall not humble him.
²³I will crush his foes before him
and strike down those who hate him.
²⁴My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him,
and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
²⁵I will set his hand on the sea
and his right hand on the rivers.
²⁶He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father,
my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’
²⁷And I will make him the firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
²⁸My steadfast love I will keep for him forever,
and my covenant will stand firm for him.
²⁹I will establish his offspring forever
and his throne as the days of the heavens.
³⁰If his children forsake my law
and do not walk according to my rules,
³¹if they violate my statutes
and do not keep my commandments,
³²then I will punish their transgression with the rod
and their iniquity with stripes,
³³but I will not remove from him my steadfast love
or be false to my faithfulness.
³⁴I will not violate my covenant
or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
³⁵Once for all I have sworn by my holiness;
I will not lie to David.
³⁶His offspring shall endure forever,
his throne as long as the sun before me.
³⁷Like the moon it shall be established forever,
a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah
³⁸But now you have cast off and rejected;
you are full of wrath against your anointed.
³⁹You have renounced the covenant with your servant;
you have defiled his crown in the dust.
⁴⁰You have breached all his walls;
you have laid his strongholds in ruins.
⁴¹All who pass by plunder him;
he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
⁴²You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
you have made all his enemies rejoice.
⁴³You have also turned back the edge of his sword,
and you have not made him stand in battle.
⁴⁴You have made his splendor to cease
and cast his throne to the ground.
⁴⁵You have cut short the days of his youth;
you have covered him with shame. Selah
⁴⁶How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
How long will your wrath burn like fire?
⁴⁷Remember how short my time is!
For what vanity you have created all the children of man!
⁴⁸What man can live and never see death?
Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah
⁴⁹Lord, where is your steadfast love of old,
which by your faithfulness you swore to David?
⁵⁰Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked,
and how I bear in my heart the insults of all the many nations,
⁵¹with which your enemies mock, O Lord,
with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed.
⁵²Blessed be the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.

The psalm takes a surprising and painful twist at verse 38. Ethan grips onto the word “forever” in the promise of God made to David (1,2,4), before pointing out that the situation in his life seems to totally contradict God’s promise. Derek Kidner writes: There is a painful tension here, yet the spirit of the psalm is humble, never bitter. Instead of railing at the promise of God or explaining it away, it faces the full clash of word and event in an appeal to God to show His hand.

Like an unresolved discord it therefore impels us toward the New Testament, where we find that the fulfillment will altogether outstrip the expectation.

In Ethan’s pain, he does not call God a liar, nor does He dismiss the promise of God. He stares this seeming contradiction in the face and cries out, “I don’t understand.” This type of honest struggle is welcomed by the Bible.

Have you ever felt that God’s promises aren’t playing out in your experience? How do you respond in those moments? Have you ever taken the path of Ethan – wrestling with God? It is okay to respectfully question God and to struggle with His words. The tragedy would be to walk away from Him or dismiss His word. Honesty is the best policy. Ethan opts for an honest struggle with the Lord, and I hope you will in whatever difficult situation you encounter.

So is there any resolution for Ethan? Yes. If you continue to read the saga of the nation of Israel (1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings, 1&2 Chronicles) you see a continued march toward evil. God warns His people generation after generation to turn from their course of action, yet they remain. He fulfills His promise of judgment by sending them into captivity in Babylon (Daniel, Esther, Nehemiah as well as a number of the prophetic books record this time of captivity). Has God broken His promise to David and sent them away for good?

God answers this question through the prophet Jeremiah. He states that God will “cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth” (33:15). Man’s sin does not break God’s covenant. God will judge the nation with the hand of the Babylonians, and then He will restore the nation. The Old Testament ends with the return of the people of God to the promised land (Nehemiah, Ezra). The Scriptures ended with the hope of restoration still in the hearts of the people however. When will the Davidic King arrive? Read Isaiah 9:6-7 and Luke 1:32-34 and then join us at Breakaway on the 10th!

Psalm 31

2009-03-10T23:46:00.003-05:00

David was king during a very tumultuous time in the region. Israel was literally surrounded by hostile nations. Here again David faces some attack. Note how David deals with the reality of trouble. This psalm actually journeys twice from anguish to assurance; first in verses 1-8 and again in 9-24. We will look at 1-8 here, but feel free to continue the journey through verse 9-24 in your Bible.

Kidner: This psalm impressed itself on more than one biblical character deeply enough to come to mind at moments of supreme crisis. Jonah’s prayer draws upon it (6); Jeremiah was haunted by a phrase from verse 13; verse 5 gave words to Jesus for His last utterance on the cross. And in old age the writer of Psalm 71; possibly David himself, opened his prayer with the substance of verses 1-3. It illustrates the role of the Psalms in meeting a great variety of human needs beyond the bounds of formal worship and the original experiences of the authors.

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

¹In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me!
²Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me!
³For you are my rock and my fortress;
and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;
⁴you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
⁵Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
⁶I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols,
but I trust in the Lord.
⁷I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,
because you have seen my affliction;
you have known the distress of my soul,
⁸and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
you have set my feet in a broad place.

How does David approach God in verses 1 & 2?

Do your prayers sound like this when you face difficult circumstances?

Note David’s metaphors of “rock” and “fortress” – they bring to mind images of his days on the run in the desert where he hid in natural rock formations from Saul. David remembers times in his earlier life when he was delivered from danger as he calls out to God in this time of distress.
How does David speak to the Lord in verse 3 & 4? Does he push away from God in a time of crisis and accuse God of wrong-doing?

Do you confidently associate yourself with God like this when you are in crisis? How do you respond?

David asks God to lead him in verse 3. On what basis does David do this? What does this mean?

In verse 5 David declares his course of action and bases it upon realities about who God is and what God has done. What does David choose to do?

Upon what basis does David do this?

In verse 7 David acknowledges that he resides “in [God’s] steadfast love.” The words “steadfast love” translate the Hebrew term hesed. This term refers to God’s covenantal love with which He binds Himself to His chosen people. David knows he is one of God’s people, and so, based upon God’s commitment of love, what does he choose to do in verse 7? What does he know that God will do because of their bond of love (7-8)?

In the OT, God’s chosen people were those who knew the One True God and trusted in His means of rescue from sin. They were committed to Him and He to them. In the New Testament God’s means of rescue from our sin is made manifestly clear: the person of Jesus Christ. In the moment he uttered the words of this psalm, “into your hands I commit my spirit” He had just paid for the sins of humanity on the cross. It is on the basis of this act that we can become the people of God. God knits Himself in a covenantal relationship of love with those who receive His Son. Have you done this? Those who look to Christ as their righteousness before God can have the confidence David did in crisis. Even when times are hard, I can know God listens and cares, because I am one of His kids. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 and Ephesians 2.

Note: there is some textual variance on verse 6: some commentators believe it says “I hate” while others believe it is “You hate”, referring to God’s absolute rejection of worship given to idols. Of course we learn in the New Testament to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Yet this text, equally inspired, does represent David’s absolute unwillingness to associate with the worship of false gods. After David, in the interest of diplomacy, many kings of Israel would participate in the acknowledgement and worship of idols. David refuses to be aligned with such activity. David is in a covenant relationship with the one true God, and He will not commit adultery. He refuses to be counted among those who would bow before false gods. We continue in this hatred of false gods, yet we pray that God would rescue the people who worship idols, and lead them to worship Him alone.

Psalm 30

2009-03-09T22:00:00.004-05:00

A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple of David.

Notice the subscription before you begin reading the Psalm. What is the purpose of this Psalm? Begin reading, and read through the entire psalm.

¹ I will exalt you, O LORD
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

²O LORD my God, I called to you for help
and you healed me.

³O LORD, you brought me up from the grave;
you spared me from going down into the pit.
⁴Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;
praise his holy name.
⁵For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
⁶When I felt secure, I said,
"I will never be shaken."
⁷ O LORD, when you favored me,
you made my mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
I was dismayed.
⁸To you, O LORD, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy:
⁹"What gain is there in my destruction,
in my going down into the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
¹⁰Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me;
O LORD, be my help."
¹¹You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
¹²that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.
Read verses 1-3. What verbs do you see that show God’s actions toward David?
How do you think God’s protection over David’s life would affect David's dependence on God? Hold onto that thought for a moment.
The word “For” at the beginning of verse 5 implies that verse 4 occurs because of verse 5. Read verse 4 and 5 together. From these two verses, what is your conclusion as to why we can sing while in sorrow, or rejoice while in suffering?
How long does God’s anger last? How long does his favor last?
David says in verse 6, “When I felt secure, I said, ‘I will never be shaken.’” The Lord has sustained David, but whom is David depending on?
Stop and consider how dependable the LORD is. Is there any reason to continue depending on our own shallow understanding and our own strength over His? (Prov. 20:24)
Verse 7 shows the stark contrast between God showing His favor and God hiding his face.
Read verse 9. What is David’s reasoning for God to hold off his destruction? Can you hear his heart? He says, “Will the dust praise you?” David is more concerned about God’s praise than his own well being, and ultimately his life.
The two verses that surround verse 9 are cries for mercy. David’s heart is passionate about receiving God’s mercy so that praises will continue to flow from his lips.
The psalm ends (v.12) with joy leaping off the page. David acknowledges God as the giver of his dance, his joy and his song.
Praise your merciful God who created you and sustains you so that you can bring Glory to His Name. Praise Him today with joyful song and dancing!

Psalm 25

2009-03-06T23:19:00.003-06:00

¹ To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
² O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
³ Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
⁴ Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
⁵ Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
⁶ Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
⁷ Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!
⁸ Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
⁹ He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
¹⁰ All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
¹¹ For your name’s sake, O LORD,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
¹² Who is the man who fears the LORD?
Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
¹³ His soul shall abide in well-being,
and his offspring shall inherit the land.
¹⁴ The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.
¹⁵ My eyes are ever toward the LORD,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
¹⁶ Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷ The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
¹⁸ Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
¹⁹ Consider how many are my foes,
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
²⁰ Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
²¹ May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.
²² Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all his troubles.

This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
A few themes weave throughout the psalm:

Enemies: those who oppose David and do not honor the Lord in their thoughts or actions.

Guidance: this is a major theme. David looks for instruction in the general will of God, longing to know, not just God’s specific will for particular instances in David’s life, but to know God’s ways in general. David wants to be godly.

Guilt: David sees his imperfection, and speaks honestly about it with the Lord.

Trust: David chooses to wait upon God – trusting God’s timing and judgment on issues David faces. David wants resolution, but will not act in a way that dishonors the Lord. He asks for the grace to do what God commands, trusting that God will lead him out of trouble and into peace.

Read through the psalm a few times and see if you can mark the verses that flow with each theme. Consider writing your own personal prayer alongside David’s, following his lead as he interacts with God honestly.

Psalm 141

2009-03-05T23:44:00.002-06:00

A Psalm of David.
¹ O Lord, I call upon you; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
² Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
³ Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
keep watch over the door of my lips!
⁴ Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who work iniquity,
and let me not eat of their delicacies!
⁵ Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
let my head not refuse it.
Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
⁶ When their judges are thrown over the cliff,
then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
⁷ As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
so shall our bones be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
⁸ But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;
in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
⁹ Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me
and from the snares of evildoers!
¹⁰ Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.

State what is happening in verses 1&2 in your own words.
What is David doing? What does David want from God? Have you ever felt like this?
Note: In ancient Israel a sacrifice was offered up at the end of the day as a final act of worship. Here David requests that his prayers rise up to the Lord in the same way the incense and smoke from the sacrifice rise up to the Lord. The New Testament grabs this imagery as well: Revelation 5:8 speaks of “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints’, and Hebrews 13:15 speaks of the ‘sacrifice of praise.’

What does David ask for in verse 3? Why would he ask that? Would you?
Note: Derek Kidner comments: “the request…grows naturally out of verse 2 with its concern for a pure offering of prayer. Out of the same mouth there must not flow both blessing and cursing (cf. verse 3 with James 3:9); and if the house of God needed its guards and doorkeepers, how much more the man of God!”

What does David ask for in verse 4? In verse 3 David’s concern was with his lips (what he says). How does his concern shift in verse 4? What does this tell us about David’s desires for his life? How much influence is he asking God to exert in his inclinations and decisions? Do you feel like you are in a place to pray this way?
Note: to eat with someone in the near east was to share fellowship with them. David is concerned with engaging in the social cues of the day that would indicate, “I’m one of you guys.” He doesn’t want to tie himself in socially with those who do evil. Do you feel this concern in your life? Who do you associate yourself with at the deepest levels?

In verse 4 David did not want the delicacies of the wicked. Yet in verse 5 he welcomes something from the righteous – what is it? What does he mean by this (see Proverbs 27:6)? How do you handle criticism and rebuke from godly people?

In verse 6 the language is a little idiomatic. David asserts that the day will come when the rulers (judges) of the wicked will be destroyed. There will be a day when their evil catches up with them. In that day, David’s decisions to listen to righteousness and not fraternize with evil will be vindicated. Then the followers of the evil ones will be willing to listen to David.

In verse 7 and following David acknowledges that, though he believes he will be vindicated, he is still very much in a dangerous place. He has enemies who want to hurt him. He is not safe. But notice his decision in verse 8. What does David determine to do while the wicked flourish? Do you speak this way when you are stressed, or do you lose hope? What are some things you are concerned about this week? Are you trusting God? David prayed for help and for the ability to act righteously even when no one around him seemed to value that kind of lifestyle. Are you willing to pray like that? Consider doing that now. Consider asking for a friend who can righteously rebuke you as well!

Psalm 86

2009-03-04T23:11:00.006-06:00

A Psalm of Supplication and Trust.
A Prayer of David.

¹Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me;
For I am afflicted and needy.
²Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man;
O You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You.
³Be gracious to me, O Lord,
For to You I cry all day long.
⁴Make glad the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
⁵For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in loving kindness to all who call upon You.
⁶Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;
And give heed to the voice of my supplications!
⁷In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You,
For You will answer me.
⁸There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord,
Nor are there any works like Yours.
⁹All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And they shall glorify Your name.
¹⁰For You are great and do wondrous deeds;
You alone are God.
¹¹Teach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
¹²I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Your name forever.
¹³For Your loving kindness toward me is great,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
¹⁴O God, arrogant men have risen up against me,
And a band of violent men have sought my life,
And they have not set You before them.
¹⁵But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.
¹⁶Turn to me, and be gracious to me;
Oh grant Your strength to Your servant,
And save the son of Your handmaid.
¹⁷Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, O LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

Read the psalm through 2 times. If you’ve been following these devotionals, does this psalm follow the pattern of some of the other psalms you’ve read? Why or why not?

This psalm does sound a lot like some of the other psalms we’ve been going through. David tells God he is in need, praises God for who He is based on truths about Him, gets more specific about the circumstances he is in, asks God to deliver him and ends it by praising God. As is the case with the other psalms, there are some great truths in this one. Let’s take a look at some of those-

David uses 2 main names for God in this psalm- LORD and Lord. LORD we’ve seen quite a few times before. It is the covenantal name between God and Israel. What is significant about this name? The other name, Lord, means ‘master’ or ‘sovereign’. What does this name of God show us? What is happening in this psalm that would cause David to use this name?
In verse 4, David discusses his soul with God. Who does the work of making David’s soul glad, David or God? What is David’s role? What is David’s basis for this decision (look at the beginning of v 5)?
Verse 8 says, “There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord”. Do you think David believes in other gods? How does verse 10 support your answer?
At the end of verse 11, David asks God to, “Unite my heart to fear Your name”. In verse 12, we see David giving thanks to God with his whole heart. Does this seem contradictory to you? As is the case in other psalms, David has faith that God will grant him his request based on what David knew to be true of God. How does this stretch your faith? What actions can you take, like David, which demonstrates your faith in God?
Which of these verses stood out to you the most? What truths about God did you learn from that verse? Take a minute and praise God for this truth about Him!

Psalm 133

2009-03-03T23:24:00.002-06:00

A Song of Ascents. Of David.
¹Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
²It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
³It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.

Derek Kidner:
God’s blessings are not the preserve of a few but are free to be spread and to be shared, unifying the recipients all the more – just as the oil doesn’t stay on the head but covers beard and shirt

Hermon: the highest mountain in Israel, was evidently proverbial for it’s heavy dew; yet the little Mount Zion enjoyed the same gift. ‘High and low drink in the same sweet refreshment’.

The second half of verse 3, with its strong accent on God’s initiative and on what is only His to give (life forevermore), clinches another emphasis of the psalm, which is made by a threefold repetition, partially lost in translation: literally, “descending (2a)…descending (2b)…descending (3a).” In short, true unity, like all good gifts, is from above; bestowed rather than contrived, a blessing far more than an achievement.

What does the psalmist call us to behold in verse 1?

Why would this be a good and pleasant thing?

Aaron was the first priest of the nation of Israel. As priest, he was the symbolic mediator between God and the people. He offered up sacrifices to God on behalf of the people and He blessed the people in the name of God. Oil was a sign of blessing and abundance. Here the psalmist pictures the blessing of unity as something that is precious (oil) that starts at the top of the head and runs down the face of Aaron all the way to his shirt. The same idea is presented with the two mountains verse 3: blessings roll down from above and cover both. The imagery is meant to show how the blessings of God work: God extends blessing from heaven and we pass them along. The most blessed situation imaginable is when God blesses and we don’t hoard his blessings to ourselves. Rather, as God gives, we give and the whole community is blessed. This psalm serves as a song of praise and rejoicing when this occurs. It also serves as a reminder to the people: God’s blessings were never meant to be gripped tightly – they were meant to be shared.

How are you giving?

Do you give money to ministries that serve the poor? Do you support your local church? Do you serve in community projects? How might you take the blessings given to you and pass them along?

Psalm 14

2009-03-02T20:54:00.003-06:00

To the choirmaster. Of David.

¹ The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,
there is none who does good.
² The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after God.
³ They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
there is none who does good,
not even one.
⁴ Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
who eat up my people as they eat bread
and do not call upon the Lord?
⁵ There they are in great terror,
for God is with the generation of the righteous.
⁶ You would shame the plans of the poor,
but the Lord is his refuge.
⁷ Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

The psalm begins by identifying as “fool” the person who would dismiss the existence of the Deity. This person casts aside any notion of an ultimate authority and thus feels free to engage in corrupt and abominable deeds without any feelings of accountability. This is a dangerous place to be. The psalmist does not spend the bulk of his time focusing on this person however. The focus widens to include all of humanity.

What does God search for in verse 2?

What does He find (v.3)?

In verses 4 & 5 the psalmist ponders this perspective in light of the reality that God exists and will execute justice.

Do you believe in this assessment of humanity?

In Romans 3 Paul quotes this text after describing two different kinds of “sinners”. Some are hedonists – diving into all manner of sensual sins: lust, greed, violence, and the like. Others are legalists – following a set of “rules” and passing judgment on those who don’t follow their rules. The problem is in doing this they, in a different way, satisfy the same desires as the hedonists: they derive pleasure at other’s expense and search for their own glory, satisfaction and power.

The psalmist ends longing for God to send salvation to His people, the nation of Israel.
Here the psalmist most likely means relief from their sinful neighbors who frequently attacked the nation.
In Romans, Paul shows us God’s ultimate provision of “salvation” from our ultimate problem: not enemy nations, but the enemy within – the sin within us that makes all of us corrupt and godless.

Read Romans chapter 3 and see God’s provision.

Have you come to see your desperate estate before God? Have you looked to Christ alone for rescue?

Psalm 139

2009-03-01T21:02:00.005-06:00

Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

¹O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
²You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
³You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.

⁴Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
⁵You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

⁷Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
⁸If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
⁹If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
¹¹If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,"
¹²even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.

¹³For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written,
every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
¹⁹Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O men of blood, depart from me!
²⁰They speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies take your name in vain!
²¹Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
²²I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.

²³Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
²⁴And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!

This is one of my favorite psalms. A few summers ago, it felt like I couldn’t get away from it. The bible study I was in went over it, I attended a women’s event at a church I rarely went to and the woman spoke on it, the daily devotional I was using went through it… and the list goes on. I just couldn’t escape it! Because of that, my heart is very much tied to this psalm. There are parts in which my heart is filled with love for God and parts that I can feel it breaking because it seems too much or too good for me. I hope you can relate to the words David writes in this psalm!

Verses 1-6: These verses talk a lot about God knowing everything, also known as God’s omniscience. Does the idea of God knowing everything about you give you peace, fear or both? It can be peaceful when we are having a difficult time in prayer or when we are down and can’t even find the words to explain it. There are also the times it can be fearful when we are living in sin or just trying to comprehend what it means that God is omniscient! Look at verse 6, how does David respond to the idea of God being all knowing (check out verse 7 if you don’t see it)?
Verses 7-12: In these verses, David looks at the aspect of God being all present, or His omnipresence. In 7-10, David tells us that there is nowhere he can go away from the presence of God. Verses 11 and 12 show us how God sees things that we, literally, cannot see. Have you ever been in a place so truly dark that you cannot see anything? Think about that place and how different of an experience it would have been if you’d been able to see everything there as though it was completely illuminated. Does the idea of darkness seeming the same as light to God give you peace, fear or both? Why?
Verses 13-18: One of the main themes in these verses is that God has ultimate power an authority, or that He is omnipotent. Starting in Genesis 1:1, we see that God creates the whole world from nothing- it doesn’t get more powerful than that! If you are ever struggling with self-worth, verses 13-16 speak to this. Look over these verses now. God was so intimately involved with making you from the beginning! Whether your parents had prayed for a child for years and you were the answer or if you were an “accident”, there are no accidents to God. How does that make you feel? How does that effect how you view yourself now? In verses 17 and 18, David ponders all of God’s thoughts toward him and says they are innumerable. God thinks about you. Constantly. You could not count His thoughts of you even if you tried. Let that sink in and encourage you!
Verses 19-24: If the jump from verses 17 and 18 to 19 seems like your TV just switched channels from a sappy love story to a war movie, you aren’t alone. David has been pondering all of these amazing attributes of God but is struck by the reality of his situation. He’s being pursued by some people who are completely against God. Keep in mind when reading these verses that David was God’s anointed king. God’s enemies were David’s enemies. While we do not stand in the same position as David, there is an ever-present enemy in our lives in sin. Sin is serious business to God (read Genesis 3 if you doubt that). How do these verses affect the way you see sin? In 23 and 24 David asks God to search him and show him any sin in his life. This is a bold prayer but also very biblical. If you have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, you have His Spirit that will convict you of any sin in your life. If you’re up for it, pray verses 23-24.

Psalm 27

2009-02-25T23:14:00.002-06:00

Read the entire psalm one time through.

¹The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
²When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
³Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
⁴One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
⁵For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.
⁶Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.
⁷Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
⁸ My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
⁹Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.
¹⁰Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
¹¹Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
¹²Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.
¹³I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
¹⁴Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

Before you begin, ask the Lord to use this Psalm to teach you and show you more of Himself.

In verse one, what three things does David call the Lord?

Verse three shows David’s complete trust in the Lord. He is “confident” before his enemies.

Read verse 4. How many things is David asking the Lord for? Do you notice the singleness of purpose in this verse? Put this verse into your own words. This is a great verse to memorize!

David is longing to know the LORD on earth. He pleads for the ability to “dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of his [my] life.”

In verse eight, David says, “My heart says of you, ‘Seek His face.’” Doesn’t face seem like a deeply personal part of the LORD? It is important to see that David does not only seek the LORD as his “stronghold” and his “hiding place”. He seeks the very FACE of his Creator. Wow! Right now we are observers of an intimate relationship between David and the LORD.

In verse thirteen what word do you see that you also saw in verse three? Verse thirteen is a declaration of David’s confidence in the LORD. It is not that he has received all the things asked for, but he trusts is God’s good and faithful character.

What is the verb you see two times in verse fourteen? Stop and think if there is anything you are waiting on in your life right now. Don’t you think it is comforting to see that David intimately knows the Lord and is confident in Him, yet he is still seen “waiting” on the LORD. How does David act while he is waiting? He tells us to do two things.

Why don’t you seek the Lord’s face right now! Here are some things you might want to pray over. You can thank Him for being your stronghold and your light. If you know Jesus Christ personally, but at times are not confident in Him, you can ask Him to strengthen your belief. Lastly ask Him to make you strong and to give your heart hope as you WAIT on Him. Remember, He is faithful to hear your prayers.

Psalm 138

2009-02-24T23:26:00.003-06:00

Give Thanks to the LORD
Of David.

¹I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
²I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.
³On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.

⁴All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
⁵and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
for great is the glory of the LORD.
⁶For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.

⁷Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.
⁸The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Verses 1-3: David says in the first two verses that he sings praise to God before other gods and that he bows down toward the temple. What 2 characteristics does David display in those actions? What 2 things does verse 3 tell us that God exalted? How should this affect how we view those 2 things?
Verses 4-6: These verses tell us that all of the kings of the earth will praise God. Do we live in a day when that is true? History shows us that this has never happened, when do you think it will come? Verse 6 tells us God is far from the haughty. What is another word for haughty? Why do you think God is far from those people?
Verses 7-8: Verses 7 and 8 give us some beautiful promises between God and David. Which of these promises mean the most to you? Why? David ends this psalm by saying, “Do not forsake the work of your hands”. He is making a request to God, what do you think it is?

Psalm 20

2009-02-23T23:32:00.003-06:00

Trust in the Name of the LORD Our God
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

¹May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
²May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion!
³May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah
⁴May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!
⁵May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners!May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!
⁶Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand.
⁷Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
⁸They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright.
⁹O LORD, save the king! May he answer us when we call.

Read the psalm through 2 times. What do you think is happening while David writes this psalm? Keep this in mind as you look at the next few questions!
Verses 1-5: These verses speak specifically of “you”. Who do you think these verses are talking about (check out verse 6 for help)? Do you think this might have been something David’s troops prayed over him? Verse 1 uses a couple of historical references to God. LORD is His covenantal name with Israel and Jacob is an important man of faith from the past. Why do you think that history is brought in at the very beginning? Verse 5 speaks of salvation. What do you think this refers to (remember- they’re in battle!)?
Verses 6-9: In verse 6, we switch from “you” to “I” and then to “we”. Who do you think the “I” is? How about the “we”? Verse 7 speaks of others putting their trust in things besides God. What are 3 things the world tells us we should place our trust in? What does verse 8 tell us will happen if we trust in these things? Verse 9 ends with the phrase, “May he answer us when we call.” Why do you think the Israelites can be so sure God will answer them? How can you have that assurance?

Psalm 51

2009-02-20T16:41:00.004-06:00

Read the text and then interact with the questions below. Consider reading 2 Samuel 11 & 12 in order to grasp the circumstances in which David utters this prayer.

51 TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN NATHAN THE PROPHET WENT TO HIM, AFTER HE HAD GONE IN TO BATHSHEBA.

¹Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
²Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
³For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
⁴Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
⁵Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
⁶Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
⁷Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
⁸Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
⁹Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
¹¹Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
And my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
¹⁵O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
¹⁸Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
¹⁹then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Notes:
1. The cry “have mercy” reveals that David understands that he has no claim on the pardon he seeks. He is asking God to extend undeserved kindness. However the term “steadfast love” is a covenant word. David understands that, though unworthy, he still has a relationship with God because of God’s covenantal love. A great New Testament parallel would be the prodigal son crying out, “Father, I am not worthy to be called your son…”
2. David employs language from the laundry. He is a soiled garment that must be cleansed.
4. David sees that his sin, at the root, is a violation of God. He also feels that God is entirely justified in condemning him. No one would find fault in God if God punished David.
5. David acknowledges that “sin” is not just an indecent act, but rather a human condition. We are “sinful” from birth, and sins come forth from us. This tragedy flowed from his very nature.
7. cleansing with hyssop alludes to the cleansing of lepers (Leviticus 14:6) or the ritual cleansing of those who touched a dead body and had thus become “unclean” (Numbers 19:16-19).
11. David’s concern recalls God’s removal of His Spirit from Saul, the previous king (1 Samuel 16:14). After Christ’s provision of the Spirit for the believer, this removal of the Spirit is not a possibility, though sinful actions can significantly hinder intimacy with God and incite God’s discipline.
13. This rhythm of restoration leading to instruction played out in the life of Peter (Luke 22:32).

Questions:
What is David asking for in verses 1 & 2?
What aspect of God’s character is he appealing to?

What does he acknowledge about his situation in verses 3 & 4?
What does verse 5 reveal to us about David’s understanding of his basic nature as a human being?

What does David understand that God wants for him (v.6)?
How is this accomplished? What does David see he needs (vv.7-12)?

How can David experience joy again after his tremendous failure (v.12)?
What does he believe will follow after God forgives him (vv.13-15)?

In verses 16 & 17 David acknowledges both (1) what God wants and (2) what God does not want from sinful people. What does David see?

What does David see as a result if God extends forgiveness (vv.18-19)?

Final Thoughts:
Some read this Psalm and feel David’s disgust at his actions. They can empathize with his feelings of shame and join him in the longing that God will forgive and restore. The good news is that God does forgive David and even bless him in the future!

Others read this with a sense of frustration. They read Nathan’s pronouncement in 2 Samuel that David’s sins are taken away the instant he repents. Some cry out, “That isn’t fair! He kills a guy and he gets off! Where is the justice?” Some are deeply bothered by this. Fortunately, the New Testament remedies this for us. In Romans 3:25-26 Paul tells us that God did exact punishment. He did require atonement for all the sins that were committed before the arrival of Jesus. These sins were paid for on the cross by Christ. The Son of David, Jesus Christ, paid for the sins of David. This gives us hope when we sin as well. The true believer will weep over sin, but there is hope. For those who trust in Christ there is a covenant, a bond of steadfast love, between them and the Lord. He will forgive, and he will restore.

Psalm 32

2009-02-19T21:45:00.003-06:00

¹Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.

²Blessed is the man
whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

³When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.

⁴For day and night
your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
Selah

⁵Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, "I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD "—
and you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
Selah

⁶Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you
while you may be found;
surely when the mighty waters rise,
they will not reach him.

⁷You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah

⁸I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.

⁹Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.

¹⁰Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the LORD's unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in him.

¹¹Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!

David wrote this Psalm after he confessed his sin with Bathsheba. In verses 1-2, David expresses that he is blessed because his sins are forgiven. In verses 3-4, we get to hear him think back. It appears that David might not have been so quick to confess his sin to the Lord.

Verse 4 shows us that the Lord’s hand was _______upon him. How did the Lord deal with David while he remained silent? Notice all the verbs in verses 3-4.

What action is David doing in verse 5? What do you see God doing?

It says the Lord forgave not only his transgressions, but “the guilt of his sin”. When we accept Christ as our Lord, he forgives every ounce of sin from our life. Any sin from the past, in the present, or that will come in the future is banished from our slate. The Lord’s gift of his Son covers it all! We are clean, so we should not live with guilt. Holding onto our guilt can make us feel as though we are not forgiven. Satan would be thrilled if we forgot our true redeemed identity. Do not let Satan, your flesh, and the world let you harbor your guilt. (1 John 2:1-2)

After David confesses, what does he call the Lord? (v.7) ____________________ We can take refuge in Him. He is our “hiding place”. Just as the Lord is serious about our repentance, he is serious about our fellowship with Him. Let verse seven sink in for a minute.

Finally, in verse 9, David tells us to not be like a “horse or mule” that only comes by the control of a bit. Are you willingly confessing your sin to the Lord?

You can enter in to His presence right now by praying. (Hebrews 10:19) Spend this time confessing any sin that you are ashamed to admit. If you have trusted in Jesus as your savior, the sins are already washed away. The act of confessing will bring you into a deeper, more authentic relationship with Him. (Hebrews 10:22)

Psalm 13

2009-02-18T23:32:00.004-06:00

Read the entire Psalm through one time.

¹How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
²How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
³Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
⁴my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
⁵But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
⁶I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

How many questions does David ask the Lord at the beginning of the psalm?
In verses 1-2, David asks 4 questions. There is “no doubt the divine ‘forgetting’ and ‘hiding the face’ meant the withholding of practical help” (Kidner). The third question deals with the state of David’s inner soul, and the last question refers to the presence of his enemies.

This psalm is a great example of how we should talk with the Lord. David asked the Lord real questions, and hoped for the Lord to answer. In verse 3 he says, “Give light to my eyes”. This is a request for divine wisdom or perspective.
Amidst his feelings of being forsaken, David continues to talk with the Lord. His trust in God’s truth gives him perspective, and allows him to move past his feelings of sorrow.

Read verse 5. David makes a choice here. He chooses to trust God, remember his unfailing love, and rejoice in his own salvation. What do these things move David to claim in verse 6? “I will sing to the Lord, for he has been _____ to me.” Psalm 13:6
Read verses 1-2 again, then read verse 6. What do you observe as you look at these verses next to each other?

David shows us how to deal with our disappointment in life and God. He speaks to God honestly, he remembers truth, and he trusts God over his emotions. All of this brings him to praise God again!

Psalm 103

2009-02-17T23:59:00.004-06:00

Bless the LORD, O My Soul
Of David.

¹Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
³Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
⁴Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
⁵Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
⁶The LORD performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
⁷He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
⁸The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
⁹He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
¹⁰He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
¹²As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
¹³Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
¹⁴For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.
¹⁵As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
¹⁶When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.
¹⁷But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children,
¹⁸To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.
¹⁹The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.
²⁰Bless the LORD, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
²¹Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
²²Bless the LORD, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Notes:
If you read this psalm through a few times, you’ll notice that David doesn’t speak about any specific situation. He isn’t pleading with God to free him from enemies, like so many other psalms, he’s just telling us about God and what we should do in response to that. This psalm speaks many truths to us. I’d encourage you to print out this psalm and grab 3 different colors of highlighters or pens (if that is too much for you, just make some mental notes). Underline or highlight each of these: 1- Things the psalm tells us to do (look for the word bless) 2- Things true of God 3- Things that God does for us (2 and 3 can look a lot alike- feel free to put 2 colors on those). If your page is very colorful, you’re on the right track!

What in this psalm means the most to you? I’ll list some of the most meaningful things to me from each category above:

Verse 2 tells us to “forget none of his benefits”. A lot of times, when I am angry at God it is because I am forgetting some of His benefits, or characteristics. He has blessed us abundantly! What are 3 benefits of God that move you to praise Him?

Verse 8 shakes my view of God (if you had some problems thinking of 3 benefits, look at this verse!). A lot of times I see Him as a very stern and angry God. How does it make you feel that God is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and full of lovingkindness?

Verse 12 is a place of peace for me. For those of us who are His by trusting in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, this verse applies to us. Is there something in your life now or in your past that you feel God can’t forgive you of? This verse speaks otherwise. If you have truly asked God for forgiveness, you are forgiven. Let that truth sink in.

This is a great psalm to look back at if you ever doubt God’s love for you. Our response to this amazing truth should be the same as how David begins and ends this psalm, “Bless the LORD, O my soul!”

Psalm 54

2009-02-16T23:59:00.001-06:00

Deeply Rooted Trust

Read the entire psalm one time through.

¹Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might.
² Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.
³ Strangers are attacking me; ruthless men seek my life— men without regard for God. Selah
⁴Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.
⁵Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them.
⁶I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good.
⁷For he has delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

Background: David writes this psalm after the Ziphites have told King Saul David's location. Through the entire Psalm, you see a sincere plea for deliverance matched with a confidence that deliverance will occur.

Read verse one. Do you see any parallelism? "...by your ______, ...by your _____. " The name and power of God are synonymous. We see here how "His name represents all that God is and what He has done" (Constable). Think of a name of the Lord that you use often. What does that name communicate about God?

In verse 2, what does David ask of the Lord?

In verse 3-4, David is expressing that the ones who attack him are "ruthless men" who are "without regard for God." Are these other believers? Are these men who desire to do the Lord's will?

Read verse 5. On what basis can David ask God to "destroy them?" Refer back to verse 3. Does David's plea for destruction align with the Lord's revealed will? Think about this. David knows that he is anointed as king, and that God's intends to place him on Saul's throne. How does this change your view of his desire for their destruction?

David can "expect divine assistance because their hostility was contrary to God's revealed will"(Constable).

In verse 7, how do you see David's absolute confidence in the Lord's delivery? Notice the tense of the verbs.

Summary: As believers, we can expect to be delivered from circumstances and people that impede upon God's will being carried out in our lives. David trusted in what God had revealed to Him, and this confident trust influenced the way he prayed. Listen to the way you pray today. Does your complete trust in the Lord come out in the way you pray? If not, ask the Lord to give you a deeper confidence and trust in His plans for your life.

"Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21

Source: http://www.soniclight.com (Dr. Constable’s notes)

Psalm 63

2009-02-13T18:23:00.006-06:00

My Soul Thirsts for You
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

¹O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
²So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
³Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
⁴So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
⁵My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, ⁶when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; ⁷for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
⁸My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
⁹But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;¹⁰they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals.
¹¹But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

Keep in mind as you read this psalm that David is in the wilderness!

Verses 1-4: Read verse 1 again. What kind of language does David use to speak of God? Does this sound like he is speaking to an intimate friend or somebody he has no relationship with? What kind of language do you use when you speak with God in prayer? Do you think his physical surroundings are having an effect on how he speaks with God? What in God’s creation effects how you talk with God? In verse 3, David looks at the love God has for him and it moves him to action. What do verses 3 and 4 illustrate? How are some ways in which you praise God?
Verses 5-8: David continues on with very personal, strong language in these verses. Verses 7 and 8 say that God has been David’s help and that He upholds David. David’s praise of God isn’t based on his own actions towards God, but because God sustains David. Do you praise God at all times or only when you see His blessing in your life? God deserves praise at all times because of who He is, not for what He can do for us. Take a break to praise Him!
Verses 9-11: We are brought back to the reality of where David is by verses 9 and 10. God’s love also brings about justice and David prays that God’s justice will rain on his enemies. Remember that David was anointed as a king by God and that his enemies are God’s! When you demand justice in your life, is it based on God’s standards or your own? What does David to at the end of this psalm? What does he call us to do?

Psalm 55

2009-02-12T21:32:00.002-06:00

Cast Your Burden on the LORD

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.

¹Give ear to my prayer, O God,
and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
²Attend to me, and answer me;
I am restless in my complaint and I moan,
³because of the noise of the enemy,
because of the oppression of the wicked. For they drop trouble upon me,
and in anger they bear a grudge against me.
⁴My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
⁵Fear and trembling come upon me,
and horror overwhelms me.
⁶And I say, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest;
⁷yes, I would wander far away;
I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
⁸I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest."
⁹Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;
for I see violence and strife in the city.
¹⁰Day and night they go around it
on its walls,and iniquity and trouble are within it;
¹¹ruin is in its midst; oppression and fraud
do not depart from its marketplace.
¹²For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
then I could bear it;it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
then I could hide from him.
¹³But it is you, a man, my equal,
my companion, my familiar friend.
¹⁴We used to take sweet counsel together;
within God’s house we walked in the throng.
¹⁵Let death steal over them;
let them go down to Sheol alive;
for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.
¹⁶But I call to God,
and the LORD will save me.
¹⁷Evening and morning and at noon
I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.
¹⁸He redeems my soul in safety
from the battle that I wage,
for many are arrayed against me.
¹⁹God will give ear and humble them,
he who is enthroned from of old,
Selah because they do not change and do not fear God.
²⁰My companion stretched out his hand against his friends;
he violated his covenant.
²¹His speech was smooth as butter,
yet war was in his heart;his words were softer than oil,
yet they were drawn swords.
²²Cast your burden on the LORD,
and he will sustain you; he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.
²³But you, O God, will cast them down
into the pit of destruction;men of blood and treachery
shall not live out half their days.But I will trust in you.

Verses 1-8: David says upfront what he is asking for- that God would hear his prayer and be merciful. We find out in verse 3 that David is being oppressed by his enemy. In verse 6, David says he wants to, “fly away and be at rest”. Have you ever been in a situation that you wanted to escape from it? Does David come to the conclusion that this feeling is wrong? David does not give into this feeling to escape. Rather, he is honest with God and trusts that God will deliver him from the situation. How does it comfort you to know that David, a strong man in the faith, had these feelings?

Verses 9-15: In the beginning of this section of verses, David is praying for the city he is in. Have you ever prayed for the city you live in? In what ways do you see iniquity and trouble in your city? Take a break to pray for your city. In the next part, we find out that David has been betrayed by a close friend. David was a powerful king and warrior. Being betrayed meant that his life and the lives of his army could be at stake. No wonder he reacts so severely in verse 15!
This verse also shows by its plural tense that the betrayal affected a group of people to be against him. Can you think of a time that you were betrayed by a close friend? Take another break to pray for this person.

Verses 16-21: After strongly reacting to the betrayal of a friend, David turns his focus to praise God. Verse 17 says that David prays morning, noon, and night. How can you incorporate this idea into your prayer life? David comes to a conclusion in verse 19 that his enemies “do not fear God” and in 20 that a covenant was broken. They are not David’s enemies because of how they treated him, but because they are against the God he believes in. Are the enemies in your life ones that have wronged you or ones that have wronged God?

Verses 22-23: Look at verse 22. Does it say that God will take away your burden if you cast it on him? The psalm says God will sustain us in the midst of it. Have you seen how God can sustain you in the midst of a major burden such as finals or family problems? How does the psalm end? Does David take it into his own hands to try and bring justice to his enemies?

Psalm 4

2009-02-11T23:40:00.001-06:00

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

¹Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
²O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
³But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.
⁴Be angry, and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
⁵Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.
⁶There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
⁷You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
⁸In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

If you’ve been tracking David’s life along with us on Tuesday nights, then you know that he was constantly under assault by Saul and his men. There were thousands of people who were out to kill him, even when he had done no wrong. The stress of being pursued, maligned and attacked by enemies followed David for the majority of his life (this is why so many of his psalms mention enemies!).

Notice how David deals with this pressure. Who does he turn to? With what knowledge does he comfort himself? What actions does he call himself to do? How does the tone of his letter shift from verse 1 to verses 7-8? Do you sense a calming of David as he grips these realities about God? Have you ever tried this? What injustices are you suffering? What do you consider doing when someone has wronged you? Do you trust God and see him as your joy, even in the midst of difficult circumstances?

The word “Selah” found in this psalm and many others is probably a signal to the choirmaster for a musical interlude or change in instrumentation. Many believe that this inclusion of this instrumental moment provides the listener with time to reflect on the words just sung. Therefore many readers see the word “selah” as a signal to pause and ponder the words that had just been spoken and truly let them sink in. Consider doing this as you read. Pause and consider David’s words and their ramifications. Repeat these segments to yourself. Then consider memorizing this psalm!

Psalm 18

2009-02-10T23:33:00.005-06:00

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who addressed the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

¹I love you, O Lord, my strength.
²The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
³I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
⁴The cords of death encompassed me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
⁵the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
⁶In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
⁷Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
⁸Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
⁹He bowed the heavens and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.
¹⁰He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
¹¹He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,
thick clouds dark with water.
¹²Out of the brightness before him
hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
¹³The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
¹⁴And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
¹⁵Then the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
¹⁶He sent from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of many waters.
¹⁷He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.
¹⁸They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
¹⁹He brought me out into a broad place;
he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
²⁰The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
²¹For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
²²For all his rules were before me,
and his statutes I did not put away from me.
²³I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from my guilt.
²⁴So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
²⁵With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
²⁶with the purified you show yourself pure;
and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
²⁷For you save a humble people,
but the haughty eyes you bring down.
²⁸For it is you who light my lamp;
the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
²⁹For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.
³⁰This God—his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord proves true;
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
³¹For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?—
³²the God who equipped me with strength
and made my way blameless.
³³He made my feet like the feet of a deer
and set me secure on the heights.
³⁴He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand supported me,
and your gentleness made me great.
³⁶You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
³⁷I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
and did not turn back till they were consumed.
³⁸I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
they fell under my feet.
³⁹For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.
⁴⁰You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
and those who hated me I destroyed.
⁴¹They cried for help, but there was none to save;
they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
⁴²I beat them fine as dust before the wind;
I cast them out like the mire of the streets.
⁴³You delivered me from strife with the people;
you made me the head of the nations;
people whom I had not known served me.
⁴⁴As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
foreigners came cringing to me.
⁴⁵Foreigners lost heart
and came trembling out of their fortresses.
⁴⁶The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation—
⁴⁷the God who gave me vengeance
and subdued peoples under me,
⁴⁸who delivered me from my enemies;
yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;
you rescued me from the man of violence.
⁴⁹For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
and sing to your name.
⁵⁰Great salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his offspring forever.

Notes:
This psalm is found, with a few minor variants, in 2 Samuel 22.
Verse 2: Derek Kidner notes that “in the rush of metaphors David re-lives his escapes and victories, and probes into their meaning.” Kirkpatrick states that, “the rock…the stronghold… the rocks of the wild goats…were all emblems of Him who had been throughout his true Refuge.”

Verses 4-19: Notice that God dispatches this mighty rescue for an individual! God loves His children. David’s language here recalls God’s deliverance of His people at the Red Sea (fire, cloud, parting of waters). It also has imagery from Mt. Sinai (the quaking ground and the filling of smoke). David sees his story as reminiscent of the story of His ancestors. God rescued the nation in a time of need, and God did the same with David!

Verses 20-30: God saved David because of David’s righteousness? How do we make sense of this language? David has several of these seemingly self-righteous segments in his psalms (see 5:4-6; 17:1-5). In each of them, it is important to understand that this language has a limited range. David is not speaking of his absolute internal righteousness that caused God to see David as holy and a candidate for heaven based upon his impeccable record. Rather, David is referring to his activity as it relates to his enemies. The immediate context is his rescue from his enemies: literal armies filled with men who wanted to kill him. He did not compromise his integrity as he dealt with these stressful situations, and God vindicated David’s actions. For an example of this kind of righteousness on display, read the accounts of David’s refusal to hurt Saul recorded in 1 Samuel 24 & 26.

Verse 49: Romans 15:9 attributes this verse to the Messiah. Paul quotes it as a proof that Christ came for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews (Romans 15:8-12). David saw the fame of the LORD going out because of God’s willingness to save his people. This was fulfilled in a greater way when Jesus, the son of David, came to rescue men and women from all nations from their captivity in sin and bring them into fellowship with God!

Questions:

Have you ever had a moment of excitement like this in your life? Have you ever endured a season of trial, obeying God’s word even when it was hard, and found that He delivered you in a miraculous way?
If the answer to the above questions is “no”, then ask yourself whether or not you have ever really prayed and sought the Lord in the times of crisis in your life. What do you do when hard times come?
Respond freely to the Lord after reading this. Some of you may have questions about the text. Write them down and pray and ask God to help you find answers. Some of you may simply want to pray, “God, I want to be able to experience what David did. I want to face trials in a godly way and then watch and see You deliver me in Your way in Your timing. I want to have a life filled with rejoicing like this.” Talk honestly with Him about it.
Romans 15 states that Jesus came in order to gather a people to Himself who would know and love the one true God. Are you one of these people? Have you ever looked to Christ to rescue you from your sin? If not, consider turning now to the beginning of the book of Romans and reading the first five chapters. In it Paul describes our desperate condition before God, and the remedy provided by Jesus. Spend some time here and consider the claims of Jesus. Seek out counsel from a Christian friend or pastor if you have questions.

This is a long one, but it is also a lot of fun! As you can see from the title below, this is a song of celebration that David wrote after years of being chased by Saul and pursued by enemy armies. After innumerable battles, escapes, tears and prayers, David found that God had given him peace. Read this psalm all the way through (try to feel David’s exuberance and sense of relief as you read!) then ponder some of the questions below.

Psalm 57

2009-02-09T22:18:00.003-06:00

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave. (Miktham: a covering – could be a prayer asking god to cover one with protection or it could mean covered lips, as in a prayer whispered)

¹Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.

²I cry out to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

³He will send from heaven and save me;
he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

⁴My soul is in the midst of lions;
I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

⁵Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!

⁶They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah

⁷My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!

⁸Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn!

⁹I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.

¹⁰For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.

¹¹Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!

Psalm 142

2009-02-08T00:28:00.004-06:00

A Maskil (Maskil: to make wise or have success) of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.

¹With my voice I cry out to the Lord;

with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.

²I pour out my complaint before him;

I tell my trouble before him.

³When my spirit faints within me, you know my way!

In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.

⁴ Look to the right & see: there is none who takes notice of me;

no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul.

⁵I cry to you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.”

⁶ Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low!

Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me!

⁷ Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name!

The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.

Psalm 34

2009-02-04T23:14:00.005-06:00

The LORD, a Provider and Deliverer.
A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed.

¹I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
²My soul will make its boast in the LORD; the humble will hear it and rejoice.
³O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
⁴I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed.
⁶This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.
⁸O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
⁹O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.
¹⁰The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.
¹¹Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
¹²Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good?
¹³Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit.
¹⁴Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
¹⁵The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.
¹⁶The face of the LORD is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁷The righteous cry, and the LORD hears And delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
¹⁹Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
²⁰He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken.
²¹Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
²²The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Background: This psalm was written as an acrostic in the original language. This means that the verses begin with successive letters of the alphabet. It was a device used to help people with memorization. The last verse, 22, does not fall into the acrostic which causes us to ask, why? In the introduction, you see a note about when the psalm was written. The full story is in 1 Samuel 22 (the Breakaway podcast from 2/3/09 is about this text).
Verses 1-8: Verse 3 says to “magnify the LORD”. How do you think you can magnify the Lord? How do verses 1 and 2 help accomplish that? David says “this poor man” speaking of himself. Why do you think David calls himself “poor”? What does this say about how he viewed himself in comparison to God? How does God respond to David?
Verses 9-14: Look back at verse 4 and read verse 9. How is it that God delivers us from our fears when we seek Him yet tells us to fear Him? 1 Peter 1:17 says,”Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear“. What are some other definitions for these two different types of fear? How do verses 10-14 help show you what it means to fear the Lord? Verse 12 says that a man that fears God: desires life, loves length of days and wants to see good. Does this sound like a man that is enjoying life? When we fear God and operate within His will (look at verses 13 and 14 on how to do that), He gives us joy!
Verses 15-22: There is a lot of personification of God in these verses. Circle the words that personify God and underline the actions He does (example: in verse 17 hears will be circled and delivered underlined). There are two groups of people talked about in these verses, the righteous and the evil. What does God promise to each of these groups? Throughout this psalm, some of the other ways God describes the righteous are: servants, saints, radiant, blessed, and humble. How do these words make you feel? Do you know if you are one of God’s righteous? Read verse 22. If you have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, all of this applies to you! I hope this makes your heart cry out the same as verses 1-4.

Psalm 52

2009-02-03T23:36:00.010-06:00

Ask the Lord to use this text and this time to bring you nearer to Him. Ask that He will teach you and open your eyes to see His truth. After praying, read the entire psalm two times through.

¹Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
²Your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor, you who practice deceit.
³You love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth. Selah
⁴You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue!
⁵Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin: He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah ⁶The righteous will see and fear; they will laugh at him, saying, ⁷"Here now is the man who did not make God his stronghold but trusted in his great wealth and grew strong by destroying others!
⁸But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever.
⁹I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.

Background to the Psalm:

When we reach this part of David’s life (I Samuel 21:1-22:19), we see Saul in hot pursuit of killing David and David fleeing from death. David, the son of Jesse, enters a small town called Nob. When the priest of the Lord there asks David why he is alone, he says King Saul “charged me with a certain matter and said to me, “No one is to know anything about your mission and your instructions.’” (21:2) David uses this ploy to sneak into the town of Nob. The priest there blesses David by giving him consecrated bread, and protection from Saul.
Meanwhile, Saul hears that David has been discovered. When Saul asks why they have conspired against him, one man by the name of Doeg admits, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Abimelech”. Saul is enraged! He was unaware of David presence in Nob, and the blessings that were bestowed on him through Abimelech. After Doeg sells the priest out, Saul orders that the “priests of the Lord” are killed. No one in Saul’s court will dare kill the holy priests because they fear God. Doeg, however, turns and kills eighty-five of the priests that day!

What man is David referring to in verse one?

Doeg is the man David is referring to. He was a “treacherous” man that “thrived on a wicked and false way of life, loving words that devour” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary). In Psalm 52, David contrasts the way of the wicked (Doeg) verses the way of the righteous (himself).

Read verses 1-7.
We all can relate to the wicked man in some way, if not several. Do you see any of the wicked man’s mentality in your own life? What does David say will happen to this man? (v. 5)

In verse 8, how does David define himself? The olive tree represents prosperity and longevity (Ryrie Study Bible). When we have our faith in Christ, we are freed from the condemnation that the wicked will receive, and in this present life, he begins to cultivate our hearts to be more like His.

What wicked things in your heart do you need to Lord to help you with? How has God already transformed some of your old self into something new?

Thank Him for the work he has done in your life, and ask that He continue to cultivate your heart.

Psalm 59

2009-02-02T21:50:00.005-06:00

¹Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me.
²Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men.
³See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, O LORD.
⁴I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me. Arise to help me; look on my plight!
⁵O LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, rouse yourself to punish all the nations; show no mercy to wicked traitors. Selah
⁶They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.
⁷See what they spew from their mouths, they spew out swords from their lips, and they say, "Who can hear us?"
⁸But you, O LORD, laugh at them; you scoff at all those nations.
⁹O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress, ¹⁰my loving God. God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
¹¹But do not kill them, O Lord our shield, or my people will forget. In your might make them wander about, and bring them down.
¹²For the sins of their mouths, or the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter,
¹³consume them in wrath, consume them till they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. Selah
¹⁴They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.
¹⁵They wander about for food and howl if not satisfied.
¹⁶But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
¹⁷O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

Read the entire Psalm. When David writes this psalm, He is in his house with his wife. Saul has sent men to surround the house. They are waiting with the hopes of killing David in the morning when he rises. It appears as though he is near death.
Read verses 9, 16, and 17.
You can see David’s absolute confidence in God’s ability to protect. How many times does David call the Lord his fortress?
In each verse, you see “fortress” coupled with God’s love. Read each of the verses again and see the way David understand God as both “strong” and “loving”.
In verse 16, David is able to “sing” of the Lord’s love, “for” (or because) the Lord is his fortress.
Does the Lord’s ability to protect you and provide for you deepen your love for Him? The more we see who He is, the more we love Him. What attribute of God are you most in awe of? Meditate on how incredible your Father is today.

Psalm 37

2009-01-30T18:55:00.003-06:00

This Psalm is a long one. We thought it would be fitting on a Friday. You can carry it into your weekend and take on a little bit at a time! Here David comforts those who have chosen a life of walking in holiness with God, and who are finding that road to be difficult. Often seeking the Lord means a loss of some comfort. There are times when lying is just easier. Cheating does get you ahead. Dismissing the feelings of others and doing whatever you want feels good. There are times when crime seems to pay. Here David contemplates these two roads. The first kind of life does not take into account God and His will, but rather does whatever promotes personal gain. The second kind of life acknowledges God and walks in holiness before Him, even when it does not appear to be accompanied by immediate gratification. This second life can be difficult, but there are promises and comforts along this road that David will highlight. As you read, consider writing out the two kinds of lives, then ask yourself, “which kind of life will mine be?”

37 Of David.
¹Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
²For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
³Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
⁴Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
⁵Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
⁶He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

⁷Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
⁸Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
⁹For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
¹⁰In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
¹¹But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.

¹²The wicked plots against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him,
¹³but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is coming.
¹⁴The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose way is upright;
¹⁵their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.

¹⁶Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
¹⁷For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the Lord upholds the righteous.
¹⁸The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will remain forever;
¹⁹they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.
²⁰But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
²¹The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous is generous and gives;
²²for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

²³The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
²⁴though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord upholds his hand.
²⁵I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
²⁶He is ever lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.

²⁷Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you dwell forever.
²⁸For the Lord loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
²⁹The righteous shall inherit the land
and dwell upon it forever.
³⁰The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
³¹The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not slip.
³²The wicked watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
³³The Lord will not abandon him to his power
or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.
³⁴Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

³⁵I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
³⁶But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.
³⁷Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
³⁸But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.
³⁹The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
⁴⁰The Lord helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

Psalm 29

2009-01-29T23:53:00.010-06:00

¹Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

²Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

³The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. ⁴The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

⁵The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. ⁶He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.

⁷The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. ⁸The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

⁹The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

¹⁰The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.

¹¹May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!

Read the psalm through 2 times. What stands out to you? How many times do you see the word 'LORD'? In the original language, the name David uses is Yahweh (check out the blog entry for Psalm 19 for more information on this name of God). Why do you think David uses this name for God in the psalm?
Isaiah 6:3 reads, "And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!". Compare this verse to verses 1 and 2 from the psalm. I see 3 major things in common: the heavenly beings (angels, referred to as ‘one another’ in Isaiah), the angels telling God that He is holy and that glory comes from God. How do you think this relates to you?
Read verses 3-9 together. These verses are filled with different images of God's strength. In which of these images do you most relate to? What other images of nature speak of God's strength to you? In verses 6 and 7, the cities of Lebanon and Sirion are in the north of Israel while Kadesh is in the south. What does this say about the extent of God's presence? In verse 1 we saw the angels declaring the glory of God. According to verse 9, are they alone in this?
Read verses 10 and 11. The only other time in scripture we see the word 'flood' is in Genesis 6-11 when speaking of Noah's flood. David is making the point that God was the power behind the flood during the time of Noah, hundreds of years before David, and that He will reign forever! How does it comfort you to know that God is eternal? What two things does verse 11 tell us that God gives us?

Psalm 131

2009-01-29T02:11:00.006-06:00

Read the entire Psalm two time.

¹My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.
²But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
³O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.

Read verse 1. What can you draw from David’s character in this verse? How do you see him preserving his humble heart?
Now, read Job 42:1-6. Job was a man who, like David, was “blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil”(Job 1:1) Job experienced an exhaustive series of deaths, illnesses, losses, and betrayals. These trials filled Job with moments of doubting and questioning the Lord. We hear his heartfelt response to God in chapter 42. (Dust and ashes represent a state of humiliation)
How do you see David and Job approaching the loftiness of the Lord and the “things too wonderful” to know? Do they take it upon themselves to know all things? Both men, in fact, do not even ask for God to reveal the “great matters” and “wonderful things” to them. How often do you get frustrated when you cannot determine what God is doing in life? How about when you cannot understand death, or struggle, or defeat?
What is the first word you see in verse Psalm 131:2? This verse sets up a contrast to verse 1. Instead of being proud and concerned with great things, David does what?
Stop and consider this for a moment.
What image does he use to describe the state of his soul?
One commentator says, “As a child who has successfully gone through the troublesome process of weaning and found contentment, so David has been delivered from all the self-seeking, and had found contentment in the Lord” (Life Application Study Bible: Charles Ryrie). How incredible!
God wants us to look back on the things that were once so hard for us to let go of, and be able to say, “I do not require those old ways, and I find contentment in God alone.”

Applying It:
What old ways has the Lord weaned you from? What areas of your life require further weaning? Take a moment to quiet your soul. Know that you can depend on Him to wean you off of the things we use to love before you knew Him. He will become your souls contentment. Seek Him.

Psalm 56

2009-01-27T14:40:00.005-06:00

In God I Trust

To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

¹Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me;
Fighting all day long he oppresses me.
²My foes have trampled upon me all day long,
For they are many who fight proudly against me.
³When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in You.
⁴In God, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not be afraid
What can mere man do to me?
⁵All day long they distort my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
⁶They attack, they lurk,
They watch my steps,
As they have waited to take my life.
⁷Because of wickedness, cast them forth,
In anger put down the peoples, O God!
⁸You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle
Are they not in Your book?
⁹Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call;
This I know, that God is for me.
¹⁰In God, whose word I praise,
In the LORD, whose word I praise,
¹¹In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
¹²Your vows are binding upon me, O God;
I will render thank offerings to You.
¹³For You have delivered my soul from death,
Indeed my feet from stumbling,
So that I may walk before God
In the light of the living..

Read the entire psalm through 2 times.
To set up the psalm, verse 1 says, “according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths”. This is a note that this psalm is set to the same tune as ‘The Dove on Far-off Terebinths’. Look at the blog posted 1/26 for an explanation on ‘miktam’. The time when David was in Gath can be found in 1 Samuel 21:10 and Psalm 34.
Read verses 1-4 together. Have you ever felt like David does in verses 1-2? Even though it is not the norm for us to be physically pursed, our thoughts often pursue us. In these times of feeling pursed, do you come to the same conclusion as David does in verses 3-4? In the original language, “mere man” is literally “flesh”. David realizes that God is so much more powerful than just flesh and is consoled by this idea. How does this apply to our thoughts?
Read verses 5-10. How does it relate to verses 1-4? Does David reach the same conclusion as verses 3-4? Read verse 8 again. God knows where David has been and all of his tears. How does that make you feel toward God? What does it mean to you when verse 9 says, “This I know, God is for me”? In verse 11, “man” in the original language does translate “man” this time. Not only is God more powerful than flesh, but an actual man cannot put a stop to God’s plans!
Read verses 12-13. Do you think the vows that David writes about are a burden to him? Why? Verse 13 says that God “has delivered” David. Does this strike you as odd since David is in the midst of being pursued? He concludes the psalm by stating that he will continue to walk with God “in the light of the living”. What does this say about David’s confidence in God? How has studying this psalm affected your confidence in God?

Psalm 16

2009-01-26T12:36:00.007-06:00

A Miktam of David.

¹Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

²I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

I have no good apart from you.”

³As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,

in whom is all my delight.

⁴The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;

their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out

or take their names on my lips.

⁵The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;

you hold my lot.

⁶The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

⁷I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;

in the night also my heart instructs me.

⁸I have set the Lord always before me;

because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure.

¹⁰For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,

or let your holy one see corruption.

¹¹You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Read the psalm a few times – what stands out to you?
Make a note of:
1. what David says he does and what is true of him (ex. In v.1 he says that he takes refuge in God)
2. what he says others do (v.4) and what is true of them
3. what God does and what is true of Him
Think about yourself as you write. Is what is true of David true also of you? What comforts does that bring you? Consider thanking God for these things!
If you do not trust and bless the Lord like David does – why not? What holds you back? Consider talking directly to the Lord about this and asking Him to help you trust Him more.

Notes:

v.1 – “Miktam” – the meaning of this term is uncertain. It is apparently derived from a verb meaning “to cover” and could indicate psalms dealing with protection (covering) from one’s enemies or psalms recited silently (with lips covering the mouth).

v.10 – “Sheol” is the place of death. It could also be translated “the grave.”

New Testament: “Verses 8-11 were cited by Peter (Acts 2:25-28) and Psalm 16:10b was quoted by Paul (Acts 13:35-37) in reference to Christ’s resurrection. So the words of David transcend his own experience and became historically true in Christ. Preservation from the decaying grave is the idea behind both David’s and Jesus’ experiences, but with David it came through a deliverance from death, whereas with Jesus it came through a resurrection from death.

Death posed no threat to David because he enjoyed great blessing and fellowship with the Lord. God would not permit death and the grave to interrupt that marvelous fellowship. So in a fuller sense this is true of believers today, who having the full revelation about the doctrine of resurrection, can say that even when they die, God will not let death destroy that full fellowship they enjoy with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23). This expression of faith is possible because Christ conquered death (Luke 24:6) and rose to become the firstfruits of all who sleep (1 Cor. 15:20).” quoted from The Bible Knowledge Commentary.

Psalm 8

2009-01-22T17:31:00.003-06:00

How Majestic Is Your Name

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.

¹O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
²Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.

³When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
⁴what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

⁵Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
⁶You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
⁷all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
⁸the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

⁹O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Read the Psalm 2 times.
Look at the beginning and end to this Psalm. What stands out to you?
What does verse 2 say about strength? Is that the normal mental picture you get when you think of strength?
Read verses 3-8. Verse 4 talks about ‘man’ and ‘son of man’. David isn’t indicating that there are 2 different groups here, rather being a man or a son of man are the same thing- being human! Read Genesis 1:26. How does the verse in Genesis relate to this psalm? As a college student, talking a lot about animals may not translate into what you are doing (unless you’re an ag major). What point do you think David is making and how does that relate to you?

Summary:
David spends the bulk of this psalm looking at how God views people. Even in the first verse He says God is our Lord, not some far off being we have no relationship with. Have you ever done what verse 3 talks about- staring up at the stars and contemplating how you fit into all of it? Try it, God will show you amazing things! When David does this, he comes to an astonishing conclusion, “you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor” (v 5). He then describes how that plays out in our lives. I hope this gives you a sense of significance while at the same time humbling you (remember, it is God who made and ordered everything on this earth). This was David’s response, which is why he ends this psalm the same way he began- praising God.

Psalm 40: 1-8

2009-01-22T17:28:00.003-06:00

Worthy to be Trusted
¹I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

²He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

³He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.

⁴Blessed is the man
who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.

⁵Many, O LORD my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.

⁶Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but my ears you have pierced;
burnt offerings and sin offerings
you did not require.

⁷Then I said, "Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll.

⁸I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart."

Read Psalm 40:1-8 two times. (The psalm has seventeen verses in total, we will only focus on the first eight today.)
In verse one, what is David doing? How is he waiting?
List all the verbs in verses 1-3 that are used to tell us how the Lord responds to David in his waiting. After reading all of the Lord’s responses that you just wrote down, look at verses 3-4.
Psalm 40:3b “Many will see and fear, and put their _______ in the Lord.”
Psalm 40:4a “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his ________.”

Think of something in your life right now that requires you to patiently wait. In the moments of waiting, are you fixing your eyes on the Lord and hoping in Him to provide for you even to the smallest detail?

Read verse 40:5. Stop and consider what this means for your life. Do you trust that the Lord is in control of your life, and that He has plans?

How does this trust and confidence in the Lord’s plans stir the heart of David in verse 40:8?

Summary:

David explains that he was delivered from a tough spot. The Lord “set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (v.2) He goes on to say, others will “see and fear and put their trust in the Lord” (v. 3). He also calls the man blessed “who makes the Lord his trust” (v. 4) Lastly, this trust in the Lord’s plans evokes deeply rooted surrender to do the Lord’s will (v. 8). How does being delivered turn into an act of surrendering? David is surrendered because he deeply trusts. Before you ask yourself, why is my life not more surrendered to the Lord, ask yourself if you truly trust Him. Trust in God, brings about trust in His plans. Trust in His plans, may often alter your own. When your plans are in the Lord’s hands, you are able to walk freely and confidently in Him.

Psalms 23

2009-01-21T20:23:00.006-06:00

The psalm is written consistently from the perspective of the sheep; that is, its expression of trust and confidence presupposes an awareness of helplessness and need on the part of the one who trusts. In a distinctive fashion, the psalmist has set forth the fundamentals of the covenant relationship, not in terms of Lord and servant, but in the more intimate language of shepherd and sheep. - Peter Craigie

Psalm 23 is arguably the most famous Psalm in our Bible. It is filled with rich imagery.

When I was a student in college I would write this psalm over and over again in my notes.

I would ponder each line as I walked from my bus stop to Evans library. You could spend your whole week here, just thinking about the real-world implications of the metaphors David provides. Consider answering the question after each line: What does this metaphor mean for my life today? What does it mean that God is my shepherd? What does that mean he does for his people?

A shepherd leads his sheep to green pastures. What does that mean God does for me?

Enjoy taking time with this one!

Note: When David writes “I shall not want,” this does not mean that the Lord is a shepherd that David doesn’t really want. It means that because God is taking care of him, David has no “wants.” When God leads, David is amply provided for.

A Psalm of David.

¹The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.

²He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.

³He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.

⁴Even 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.

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

1. In verses 2&3 underline the verbs. What does the LORD do for His sheep? Try restating each line in your own words.

2. According to verse 3 why does He do it?

God cares for his people, restores them, and guides them down the right path all for one reason: His glory. To glorify Himself, He amply provides for His children. That means that our chief way to glorify or worship God is to allow him to guide us and provide for us. When we submit to God as our shepherd then we can know (1) that He will care for us and (2) that we will honor Him! This is a glorious thought. Our satisfaction and God’s glory are not at odds!

This does not mean we do whatever we want though. Letting God shepherd us means we submit to His word and sometimes that road, as we see in verse 4, will lead us into the darkest of times. Yet even when life is difficult, God promises sweet comfort to us. Note the sheep’s response to the dark stretch of road when he knows that the shepherd is there, guiding him.

Parting Thought: In the New Testament, Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Jesus guides His people and provides for them. His death was His ultimate provision for His sheep, ensuring that death will not be the final chapter for his people, but they will journey through death and make it to God’s great celebration in eternity!

Psalms 19

2009-01-21T20:17:00.005-06:00

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

¹The heavens are telling of the glory of God;

And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

²Day to day pours forth speech,

And night to night reveals knowledge.

³There is no speech, nor are there words;

Their voice is not heard.

⁴Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their utterances to the end of the world.

In them He has placed a tent for the sun,

⁵Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;

It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.

⁶Its rising is from one end of the heavens,

And its circuit to the other end of them;

And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

⁷The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;

The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

⁸The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

⁹The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.

¹⁰They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

¹¹Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;

In keeping them there is great reward.

¹²Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.

¹³Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;

Let them not rule over me;

Then I will be blameless,

And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

Read the entire Psalm two times.
Now go back and read verses 1-6. What is this section about? What does it tell us about God? What does it tell us about creation? What does this mean for you as you drive to school, walk through the trees, and study the physical world?
Now read verses 7-11. What is this section about? Write out, in your own words, what the Psalm says the word of God accomplishes. Write out the descriptions of the law as well.
Now read verses 12-13. What is this section about? What does the Psalmist ask God to do (hint: I count 4). Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? Ask God to reveal hidden faults. Ask him what presumptuous (or willful) sins you are engaged in. Are you willing to ask him to remove those from your life? Talk with Him about it.
Now read verse 14. What does the Psalmist ask God to accomplish for him in verse 14? What does he call God? Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? Do you look to God to be your stability and your rescue?

Summary: David saw that the heavens display God’s handiwork and declare His glory. He then saw how the written word of God does the same, yet goes even further, telling us about the LORD (David uses the name “El” or “God” in the first section, a general word for God. He then shifts to the word LORD or “Yahweh” which is the special, covenant-making name God uses when He speaks to His people – see Exodus 3 for God’s revelation of this name to Moses). God is not simply a powerful Creator He is also a personal, covenant-making LORD. God’s display of his attributes in creation is sometimes called “general revelation.” Everyone can know certain general things about God just by looking up! His Word (the Bible) is sometimes called “specific revelation”, because it reveals greater detail concerning what God is like. This Psalm reflects this emphasis. I can see a powerful God in nature and I can know this covenant-making God with greater detail when I peer into His Word.

David’s observation of God’s glory in the world and the Word prompts him to examine himself and ask God to honor Himself in David’s every word and thought. David longs to join creation and revelation in the act of honoring God. David also realizes that the ability to do this comes from God, thus he asks God to keep him from sin, and to make his thoughts and actions worshipful.