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!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Psalm 18
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:
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.
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.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Psalm 57
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!
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!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Psalm 142
A Maskil (Maskil: to make wise or have success) of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer.
1 With my voice I cry out to the Lord;
with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.
2 I pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.
3 When 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.
5 I 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.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Psalm 34
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.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Psalm 52
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.
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.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Psalm 59
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.
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