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Wednesday 5/15/24
Title: Psalms Book I: Psalms 6-8
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Psalms Book I: Psalms 6-8
Welcome back to the book of Psalms. Last week we ended with Psalm 5 and while I did a very basic overview of the Psalm I placed it in your hands to study it yourself and come back this week to share your insights. However I did offer my insights on Psalm 5 at the end of last week’s article which you can go back and read if you like.
This week we will only be covering 3 Psalms, in part because during the actual message we are allowing time for sharing individual insights from all who want to. The other reason is because Psalm 8 is a veritable treasure chest of Messianic imagery hidden in the plain sight of a song about God’s sovereignty over the natural creation. So Psalm 8 will take a little while to cover.
Psalm 6:1-10,
“(1) For the choir director: with stringed instruments, according to Sheminith. [an eight stringed harp]
A Davidic psalm.
LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger; do not discipline me in Your wrath. (2) Be gracious to me, LORD, for I am weak; heal me, LORD, for my bones are shaking; (3) my whole being is shaken with terror. And You, LORD–how long?”
Knowing the meaning of some of the words here is helpful.
The words rebuke and discipline mean to judge, scold and chastise. David is asking God to be a good parent and not do this while His anger is kindled.
The fact that David is asking this tells us all we need to know. David has clearly done wrong and knows that correction is both near and warranted – he only requests that it also be as kind and gentle as possible.
The weakness here may refer to the sin which goes unmentioned and unnamed which would make the healing that of the soul. We know David does ask for such things as is evidenced in Psalm 41 “Heal my soul; for I have sinned against you”. Not to mention arguably the greatest example of this which is found in Psalm 51 also written by David after he sinned with Bathsheba. We know he did not get physically sick – though their new born son did and he died as a result of their sin. Nevertheless David prayed,
“(1) Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. (2) Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. (3) For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. (4) Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. (5) Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. (6) Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. (7) Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (8) Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. (9) Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. (10) Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. (11) Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. (12) Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”
All of that was about soul health. Even the bit about his bones being broken. Bones throughout scripture are often used metaphorically for one’s spirit. In taking David’s son in response to his sin with Bathsheba, God had broken his spirit. David was crying out for a spiritual, mental and emotional healing from the results of his sin and for mercy to not be cast out of God’s presence.
It is also possible however that this weakness in Psalm 6:2 is a literal physical sickness and if so, it may be one that David brought upon himself through sin.
If one, the other or both are true in the end it doesn’t matter since we know all of the above are within the realm of what’s possible since such are mentioned in scripture – and the response of David would no doubt be the same.
“(4) Turn, LORD! Rescue me; save me because of Your faithful love.”
This is a constant and ongoing theme throughout the scriptures and the Psalms in particular. Requests are made to God, not based upon personal need, but upon His character and attributes. It is not “I am broken and needy so do something about it” but rather, “do something about it because of your faithful love”.
“(5) For there is no remembrance of You in death; who can thank You in Sheol? [the grave or sometimes metaphorically for the realm of the dead]
(6) I am weary from my groaning; with my tears I dampen my pillow and drench my bed every night. (7) My eyes are swollen from grief; they grow old because of all my enemies.
(8) Depart from me, all evildoers, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.”
It is unclear how many of the Psalms are written. Were they written, like journal entries with each event being recorded as it happened or were they more contemplative and reflective recollections – written down all at once after the dust had already settled? I do not know! Perhaps both are found in this book of Psalms, but it would be helpful to know in this place if David was reporting that God heard him BEFORE he saw any evidence of it, or of the entirety of the Psalm was written from a rearview mirror perspective?
“(9) The LORD has heard my plea for help; the LORD accepts my prayer.
(10) All my enemies will be ashamed and shake with terror; they will turn back and suddenly be disgraced.”
As I have told you in times past, shame was viewed differently back then – especially by the Jewish community. Shame in Judaism was connected, albeit somewhat indirectly, with nakedness. So when shame resulted from sin, it represented the covering of God’s Spirit being removed from a person or nation for a time.
Again it is not stated so clearly as to stand out in any one place, but it is suggested.
Ezekiel 16 is a great reference to this in that God said that He had covered Israel in its youth and clothed her in her time of vulnerability and longing for love. But she played the harlot with the surrounding pagan nations, and forsook God. So he gave her over to her uncleanness and the nakedness of her adulterous shame.
This is why under the new covenant there are so many references to never being ashamed.
Joel 2:26-27,
“(26) You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. (27) Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.”
Psalm 34
“(4) I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. (5) Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed. (6) This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him from all his troubles. (7) The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.”
Romans 9:33,
“As it is written: “BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STUMBLING STONE AND ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND WHOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME.”
The clear implication being that those who do not WILL be put to shame.
Psalm 7:1-17,
“(1) A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite.”
“LORD my God, I seek refuge in You; save me from all my pursuers and rescue me, (2) or they will tear me like a lion, ripping me apart, with no one to rescue me.
(3) LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is injustice on my hands, (4) if I have done harm to one at peace with me or have plundered my adversary without cause, (5) may an enemy pursue and overtake me; may he trample me to the ground and leave my honor in the dust. Selah”
We do not know who this person or group of persons were to which David was referring to. Nor do we know with certainty what apparent accusations had been levied at him. All we know is that someone or some family named Cush of the tribe of Benjamin had obviously accused him of something and perhaps threatened David in a time of weakness and vulnerability. David seems to reference that their grievance was that he had harmed someone who had been at peace with him.
Some commentators suggested that this disgruntlement was a Benjamite man we see in 2 Samuel 16 who threw stones at David and cursed at him as he was passing by one day. One of David’s soldiers asked him why he should endure the cursings of such a dog and asked permission to cut the man’s head off. David would not permit it. So, why would he later seek God for protection from this man?
Nevertheless, David seems confident that he had done no wrong or he would not have invited God to destroy him if he had.
“(6) Rise up, LORD, in Your anger; lift Yourself up against the fury of my adversaries; awake for me; You have ordained a judgment.
(7) Let the assembly of peoples gather around You; take Your seat on high over it.
(8) The LORD judges the peoples; vindicate me, LORD, according to my righteousness and my integrity.”
As I stated earlier, most cries for help were based upon God’s character of faithfulness, kindness and mercy – not on personal merit. There are, however, some instances which stand out in stark contrast to the norm and this is one of them. David is asking God to vindicate him according to his own merits and integrity regarding this matter.
“(9) Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous.
The One Who examines the thoughts and emotions is a righteous God. (10) My shield is with God, Who saves the upright in heart.
(11) God is a righteous judge, and a God Who executes justice every day.
12) If anyone does not repent, God will sharpen His sword; He has strung His bow and made it ready. (13) He has prepared His deadly weapons; He tips His arrows with fire.
(14) See, he is pregnant with evil, conceives trouble, and gives birth to deceit. (15) He dug a pit and hollowed it out, but fell into the hole he had made. (16) His trouble comes back on his own head, and his violence falls on the top of his head. (17) I will thank the LORD for His righteousness; I will sing about the name of the LORD, the Most High.”
Given all that is said here, it seems more likely to me that this Psalm may actually be regarding Saul not long before he killed himself. Saul had entrenched himself in bad decisions all rooted in bitterness and pride. His final actions of consulting the witch of Endor had Samuel apparently appear to him and inform him that he would die in battle.
From the beginning David did not attack Saul but sought for the Lord to physically remove him from being king in accordance with His Spirit having already left him and God already removing his authority to reign.
Psalm 8:1-9,
“(1) For the choir director: on the Gittith. A Davidic psalm.
The word Gittith may also be translated as “in the Gittith style” OR “on the instrument of Gath”. In either case, it is again an instruction regarding the music of the Psalm.
In most translations this Psalm begins with the words, “Lord our lord” which almost seems poetic and endearing, but this is a rather loose and lacking way of representing these words. The first word Lord is actually Yehovah and the second is Adoni. So it reads, Oh Yehovah our Adoni.
Yehovah is the proper name of God and of course Adoni means lord or Sovereign.
So essentially David is saying “oh God our Sovereign king”.
In this case however, the word Adoni is in the plural which places even greater emphasis on God’s sovereignty highlighting that it is absolute and cannot be challenged! It also is a humble embracing of God as Israel’s Sovereign King. Under the New Covenant this is tantamount to saying, “Jesus our Lord”.
“(1) LORD, our Lord, how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth! You have covered the heavens with Your majesty.
(2) Because of Your adversaries, You have established a stronghold from the mouths of children and nursing infants, to silence the enemy and the avenger.”
“(3) When I observe Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You set in place, (4) what is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him?”
This Psalm almost in its entirety is dual in meaning. It is a statement within a statement or a prophetic foreshadowing hidden in plain sight. This Psalm, no doubt, when composed was nothing more to David than an exuberant prasing of God for His excellent work in Creation and His sovereignty over the works of His hands. However, we know that many of the things mentioned in this Psalm was actually prophetic and foreshadowing of the Messiah.
The words are, “what is man that You think on or acknowledge him, or the son of man that You look after him”?
As we know the phrase “son of man” is often a reference to Jesus when it is stated this way – THE son of man. When it is intended to mean humanity in general it is stated “A son of man” or “sons of men”. However, this is not a single word “man” but actually two words bane adam meaning builders of the family name of mankind. So here it is literally referring to humans, but has a dual purpose in pointing forward to Jesus our Messiah.
“(5) You made him little less than God [the angels] and crowned him with glory and honor. (6) You made him lord over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet:”
This is specifically referenced as referring to Jesus in Hebrews 2:5-9.
“(5) For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. (6) But one testified in a certain place, saying:
“WHAT IS MAN THAT YOU ARE MINDFUL OF HIM, OR THE SON OF MAN THAT YOU TAKE CARE OF HIM?
(7) YOU HAVE MADE HIM A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND SET HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS.
(8) YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.”
For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under Him. But now we do not yet see all things put under Him. (9) But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.”
Also the last part of verse 6 is referenced by Paul as pointing to Jesus when he said in 1 Corinthians and Ephesians,
“(26) The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. (27) For “HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.” – 1Cor. 15:26-27
And
“(20) which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (21) far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. (22) And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, (23) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” – Eph. 1:20-23
Psalm 8 cont…
“(7) all the sheep and oxen, as well as animals in the wild, (8) birds of the sky, and fish of the sea passing through the currents of the seas.
(9) LORD, our Lord, how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth!”
Now this is a great example of a prophetic psalm which serves more than one dual purpose. No doubt you picked up on them yourself.
We know that Jesus Himself quoted Psalm 8:2 as referring to Himself when the Pharisees asked Jesus with irritation if He heard the children singing out “Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”. “Son of David” was a Messianic title and coupling it together with the word “Hosanna” would have really stirred up the dander of the Pharisees! Then to further connect Jesus with Psalm 118 was just the coup de grâce!
So let me unpack this for you.
Hosanna meant “come now Lord and save” thus referring to Jesus as Lord and savior – which to the Pharisees had both religious and political authoritative connotations.
So come now lord and save us oh Messiah.
This followed by the Messianic scripture of Psalm 118 “Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord” was more than the Pharisees could take.
This reference in Psalm 118 is a super clear depiction of Israel in their spiritual state of need and God’s deliverance of them by His right hand – namely Jesus.
Let’s read it remembering that this Psalm 118, though anonymous, was written by someone praising God for both personal and national deliverance. Nevertheless it without question was a prophetic Psalm pointing to Messiah which are the points I am going to draw out right now. As such, Israel should be viewed as the one in need in this Psalm.
Psalm 118:13-29,
“(13) You pushed me violently, that I might fall, But the LORD helped me.”
Me = Israel
“(14) The LORD is my strength and song, And He has BECOME my salvation.
(15) The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. (16) The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
(17) I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD.
(18) The LORD has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death.
(19) Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the LORD. (20) This is the gate of the LORD, Through which the righteous shall enter.”
Remember that Jesus has just entered through the gates of Jerusalem in this procession of praise. All of this was pointing out Jesus as exalted and valiant being the very fulfillment of this Psalm which was not at all lost on these Pharisees.
“(21) I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation.
(22) The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. (23) This was the LORD’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.” – a passage Jesus quoted as referring to Himself later that same week to the Pharisees. [See Matthew 21:42 & Mark 12:11]
(24) This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
(25) Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity. (26) Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the LORD!
We have blessed you from the house of the LORD. (27) God is the LORD, And He has given us light;
Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. (28) You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You.
(29) Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”
So Psalm 8 is a beautiful celebration of God as Lord over all Creation as well as an extravagant shout out to Jesus as both Savior and King over God’s kingdom!
Blessings!
