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Wednesday 8/07/24
Title: Psalms Book I: He IS the answer to the prayers we pray
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He IS the answer to the prayers we pray
Psalm 28:1-9,
“(1) Davidic.
LORD, I call to You; my rock, do not be deaf to me. If You remain silent to me, I will be like those going down to the Pit.”
This is another connection we have with those who knew God under the Old Covenant. They knew that life was to know God in an intimate and ongoing – living conversation.
Their first lesson from God as a nation was that “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that PROCEEDS from the Father”. Those who really came to know God and rely upon Him, whose testimonies we still have as examples for us – continue to teach us this truth and the all surpassing value of that connection with the Father.
“(2) Listen to the sound of my pleading when I cry to You for help, when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.
(3) Do not drag me away with the wicked, with the evildoers, who speak in friendly ways with their neighbors, while malice is in their hearts.”
On a practical level this is an awareness of God’s character. David knew that God hates duplicity. To present to the world something which is inconsistent with what is in your heart is a lie. To do so with the intention of making them feel safe while you harbor plans to do them harm reveals a heart that is sick and evil.
So David says regarding such people…
“(4) Repay them according to what they have done–according to the evil of their deeds. Repay them according to the work of their hands; give them back what they deserve. (5) Because they do not consider what the LORD has done or the work of His hands, He will tear them down and not rebuild them.”
Typically such a prayer is not consistent with the New Covenant. We are called upon to pray blessings on our enemies, and mercy towards their sins. There are cases however, when asking God to judge them or to be used by God in a judgment passed upon them is appropriate.
Consider Alexander the Coppersmith who actively worked against the ministry of Paul and did him much harm. Rather than praying mercy for him, Paul simply acknowledged that the Lord will repay him in keeping with his deeds. – 2Tim. 4:14
In another instance when Paul and Barnabus on the Island of Paphos they were called upon by the proconsul to appear before them and present the Gospel. However, another man named Bar-Jesus who was with the proconsul, and who was a false prophet & sorcerer withstood Paul and Barnabus from being heard. So Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit stared him down and said,
“You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness – will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? (11) Now look, the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time!”
Immediately mistiness and darkness came over him, and he went around seeking people to lead him by the hand. (12) Then when the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, because he was greatly astounded at the teaching about the Lord.” – Acts 13:10-12
So there are times when judgment is ripe and necessary and to pray against it would be to ask God to change His judgment. So, it is most safe to make mercy our default, but we need to always be led by the Holy Spirit in all things, being open to what otherwise might seem counter indicated by the Gospel.
“(6) May the LORD be praised, for He has heard the sound of my pleading.
(7) The LORD IS my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.
Therefore my heart rejoices, and I praise Him with my song.
(8) The LORD is the strength of His people; He is a stronghold of salvation for His anointed.
(9) Save Your people, bless Your possession, shepherd them, and carry them forever.”
Psalm 29:1-9,
“(1) A Davidic psalm.
Give the LORD–you heavenly beings–give the LORD glory and strength. (2) Give the LORD the glory due His name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness.”
There are three ways of interpreting this phrase and all three constitute things which are in themselves true and so knowing all three rather than attempting to select which one is the one intended by David is advantageous. Bear in mind that the word worship here is a little different than the Greek word used in the New Testament, where it addresses how we live our lives. Here, this word worship literally means to bow down, in humility and adoration.
The first way is this – “Worship the Lord in holy attire.” This would be a fitting statement regarding the priesthood whose approach to God and public worship of Him had to be conducted in their priestly attire in order to be received by God.
The second way is this – “Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness”. This is a powerful and deeply relational statement. It means devotion and loyalty to God is beautiful and fitting for us as Creatures and especially as His children. So let all of our expressions of humility and reverence spring forth from a heart whose position relative to God is in agreement with our external expressions of reverence. In other words, don’t be hypocritical. If you display worship in your actions let it FIRST be what is truly in your heart.
The third and final way is this – “Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness” meaning in view of and being mindful of the splendor of His holiness. In view of the context and where David goes in his thoughts in this Psalm I believe this to be the most accurate.
“(3) The voice of the LORD is above the waters. The God of glory thunders–the LORD, above vast waters, (4) the voice of the LORD in power, the voice of the LORD in splendor.
(5) The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
(6) He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion, like a young wild ox.”
Sirion is another name for Mount Hermon.
“(7) The voice of the LORD flashes flames of fire. (8) The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
(9) The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the woodlands bare.
In His temple all cry, “Glory!”
The words deer and give birth introduce another interesting linguistic puzzle. The Hebrew word Hiyl can be used to describe labor pains, but most often refer to whirl, shake, fear, dance, writhe or grieve. The word ’ayyālāh refers to a deer, but such makes this reading odd and seem out of place. If translated literally it would say, “the LORD’s shout gives birth to deer” which seems odd and even a bit absurd.
In light of the parallelisms we have seen so far since verse 5 and later in this same verse referencing trees and forests, a very similar word אֵילוֹתʾelot, meaning “large trees” makes more sense.
If that is the case then the New English Translation is correct in translating the verse as follows – “The LORD’s shout bends the large trees and strips the leaves from the forests. Everyone in his temple says, “Majestic!” – Psalm 29:9
“10) The LORD sat enthroned at the flood; the LORD sits enthroned, King forever.
(11) The LORD gives His people strength; the LORD blesses His people with peace.”
There is, I believe, more behind these words than a casual glance might reveal. I believe David is making a reference to God as judge, which for those in covenant with God is a good thing.
God sat enthroned as He executed judgment on the evil world at the flood. The righteous were delivered and the unrighteous perished.
Understanding that judgment means to separate, this is a powerful visual. God was separating from His earth the evil of ungodly people whose every waking thought was only evil continually, even in the face of the preaching of righteousness for 100 years.
God was also preserving both for Himself, the earth and its future kingdoms, a family who aspired to righteousness under the leadership of Noah – a godly man and preacher of righteousness.
Then David pans out and away from the most noteworthy expression of God’s judicial power and scope to His position as judge forever because He is king of all He has made.
In this role as King and Judge He offers his people strength and blesses them with rest and tranquility.
Psalm 30:1-12,
“(1) A psalm; a dedication song for the house. Davidic.
I will exalt You, LORD, because You have lifted me up and have not allowed my enemies to triumph over me.
(2) LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me.
(3) LORD, You brought me up from Sheol; You spared me from among those going down to the Pit.
(4) Sing to the LORD, you His faithful ones, and praise His holy name. (5) For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor, a lifetime.
Weeping may spend the night, but there is joy in the morning.
(6) When I was secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”
7) LORD, when You showed Your favor, You made me stand like a strong mountain;
when You hid Your face, I was terrified.
(8) LORD, I called to You; I sought favor from my Lord:
(9) “What gain is there in my death, in my descending to the Pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it proclaim Your truth?”
(10) “LORD, listen and be gracious to me; LORD, BE MY HELPER.”
(11) You turned my lament into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, (12) so that I can sing to You and not be silent.
LORD my God, I will praise You forever.”
It is not known in response to what life circumstances this was written but knowing the life of David it could well fit nearly any time of his life.
The healing offered could have been any kind since the word itself means both to heal and to make fresh. It was used of Abimilech’s household being restored to fertility, in Isaiah 53 of both physical and spiritual healing, in 2 Kings 2 of water being restored to a drinkable and wholesome state and in 1 Kings 18 of the restoration of the altar of the Lord by Elijah.
The word itself is familiar to you in that it is rapha one of the words God attached to His name Jehovah for being our healer.
However, it would seem that this was a healing which was needed due to sin or neglect of reverence since God’s short lived anger is brought up as well as a short duration of God hid his face from David.
I believe a clue is offered by David admitting that when he was secure he said, “I will never be made to fall – my place and lot are secure”. Though the wording itself does not necessitate a state of arrogance, it is at least suggested. There are times in life when our health, youth, prosperity, favorable work conditions…etc. Seem the result of our good fortune and hard work or simply benefits of our own charisma, when in fact they are the blessings of God. When in pride we look to ourselves and congratulate our own efforts or abilities, God sometimes will make it evident that He does not share nor endorse our arrogance by hiding His face. When the light of His countenance is lifted we begin to see how all of our favor was the result of His loving and unmerited benevolence and those who are wise learn and are humbled.
David was a man just like any other and could no doubt be moved to pride, but we know that in his chest beat the heart of a man who loved God and so God’s times of reprimand did not need to be too heavy or protracted. Thus David said, “The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter and joy.”
So it is that I believe that even if this healing was a physical one, it was most likely brought on by a momentary lapse into pride which was quickly rectified by God’s discipline and David’s responsive heart.
Psalm 31:1-24,
I want you to take note of all the ways David personalizes what he desires from God. He does not just cry out for deliverance, but for God as His deliverer. He gave a face to his desired outcome. It was not just for the result, but the means of the result and THAT made it a purified prayer!
It is like the child who does not just want to be saved from danger, but wants their father to be the means of their deliverance. This reveals a heart which desires rescue not just a life. Rescue in itself is not enough, in fact without the presence and person of God such deliverance would leave us safe, but empty and longing at heart.
What this is – is a cry to be held in the arms of the One Who IS strength and safety, not just for the mere realities themselves!
The disciples expressed this same mode of relationship when on the sea they knew the storm they were weathering was the kind that drowned seasoned fisherman. They cried out NOT for deliverance but for His compassion and care. “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” – Mark 4:38
“(1) For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
LORD, I SEEK REFUGE IN YOU; let me never be disgraced.
Save me by Your righteousness.
(2) Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly.
BE a rock of refuge for me, a mountain fortress to save me.
(3) For YOU ARE my rock and my fortress; You lead and guide me BECAUSE OF YOUR NAME.
(4) YOU WILL free me from the net that is secretly set for me, for YOU ARE my refuge.
(5) Into Your hand I entrust my spirit; YOU REDEEM me, LORD, God of truth.
(6) I hate those who are devoted to worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD.”
This is one of the first lessons I taught you upon becoming your pastor. Faith is always IN God not FOR a thing! [See – Faith: Tool or Relationship]
“(7) I will rejoice and be glad in Your faithful love because
- You have seen my affliction.
- You have known the troubles of my life (8) and have not handed me over to the enemy.
- You have set my feet in a spacious place.”
The first thing in the list is being seen by God. Then being known by God. Then God power keeping him from his enemies and placing him in a spacious place.
“(9) Be gracious to me, LORD, because I am in distress; my eyes are worn out from angry sorrow–my whole being as well.
(10) Indeed, my life is consumed with grief, and my years with groaning; my strength has failed because of my sinfulness, and my bones waste away.”
As I have taught you in the past our bones, in some way or another, seem inexorably linked to our spirit and their health to conditions of the soul.
- Psalm 32:4 – God’s hand of conviction cause the bones to waste away
- Prov. 3:7-8 – Reverence for God is refreshment to your bones
- Prov. 14:30 – envy makes bones rot
- Prov. 15:30 – good new refreshes the bones (spirit)
- Prov. 17:22 – a crushed spirit dries the bones
- Ezekiel 37 – valley of dry bones represent spiritually dead Israel
- Both the Jesus and Paschal Lamb which represented Jesus was NEVER to have their bones broken which represented a broken spirit.
“(11) I am ridiculed by all my adversaries and even by my neighbors. I am an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street run from me.
(12) I am forgotten: gone from memory like a dead person–like broken pottery.
(13) I have heard the gossip of many; terror is on every side. When they conspired against me, they plotted to take my life.
(14) BUT I TRUST IN YOU, LORD; I SAY, “YOU ARE MY GOD.”
(15) The course of my life IS IN YOUR POWER; deliver me from the power of my enemies and from my persecutors.
(16) Show Your favor to Your servant; save me by Your faithful love.”
It isn’t the confessing of it that places our lives in God’s power, but the humble acknowledgement of the fact that results in faith, reconciles the heart to our Creator and opens the door to His graciousness to us as His creatures.
“(17) LORD, do not let me be disgraced when I call on You. Let the wicked be disgraced; let them be silent in Sheol. (18) Let lying lips be quieted; they speak arrogantly against the righteous with pride and contempt.
(19) How great is Your goodness that You have stored up for those who fear You, and accomplished in the sight of everyone for those who take refuge in You.
(20) You hide them in the protection of YOUR PRESENCE; You conceal them in a shelter from the schemes of men, from quarrelsome tongues.
(21) May the LORD be praised, for He has wonderfully shown His faithful love to me in a city under siege.
(22) In my alarm I had said, “I am cut off from Your sight.” But You heard the sound of my pleading when I cried to You for help.
(23) Love the LORD, all His faithful ones. The LORD protects the loyal, but fully repays the arrogant.
(24) Be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the LORD.”
New English Translation
Psalm 32:1-11,
“(1) Davidic. A Maskil.
How happy is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! (2) How happy is the man the LORD does not charge with sin, and in whose spirit is no deceit!
(3) When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. (4) For day and night Your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat. Selah
(5) Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not conceal my iniquity. I said,
“I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
and You took away the guilt of my sin. Selah
(6) Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to You at a time that You may be found.
When great floodwaters come, they will not reach him.
(7) You are my hiding place;
You protect me from trouble.
You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance. Selah”
Now inspiration gives way to prophecy where God speaks for Himself…
“(8) I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with My eye on you, I will give counsel.
(9) DO NOT BE LIKE A HORSE OR MULE, without understanding, that must be controlled with bit and bridle, or else it will not come near you.
“(10) Many pains come to the wicked, but the one who trusts in the LORD will have faithful love surrounding him.
(11) Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart.”
Notice God’s heart! God does not just want obedience and external actions – He wants our hearts, devotion and loyalty in love. He compares those who just want, but don’t draw near as stubborn as an undomesticated horse or a mule. He says that if we truly understood, we would draw near to Him.
It is this stubbornness and independence of heart that leads mankind to destruction and pain. But those who trust IN THE Lord will be surrounded by His faithful love which is a continual occasion for gladness of heart and rejoicing! Which is a perfect segue to our next Psalm tonight, whose opening words reflect back on the second Psalm we covered tonight Psalm 29…
Psalm 33:1-22,
“(1) Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous ones; praise from the upright is beautiful.
(2) Praise the LORD with the lyre; make music to Him with a ten-stringed harp.
(3) Sing a new song to Him; play skillfully on the strings, with a joyful shout. (4) For the word of the LORD is right, and all His work is trustworthy. (5) He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the LORD’s unfailing love.
(6) The heavens were made by the word of the LORD, and all the stars, by the breath of His mouth.
(7) He gathers the waters of the sea into a heap; He puts the depths into storehouses.
(8) Let the whole earth tremble before the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
(9) For He spoke, and it came into being; He commanded, and it came into existence.
(10) The LORD frustrates the counsel of the nations; He thwarts the plans of the peoples.
(11) The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation.
(12) Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD–the people He has chosen to be His own possession!
(13) The LORD looks down from heaven; He observes everyone. (14) He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth from His dwelling place.
(15) HE ALONE CRAFTS THEIR HEARTS; HE CONSIDERS ALL THEIR WORKS.”
“(16) A king is not saved by a large army; a warrior will not be delivered by great strength.
(17) The horse is a false hope for safety; it provides no escape by its great power.”
Three things make this Psalm a particular wellspring of understanding and they all point to God’s sovereignty and power.
First – that God’s Plans and Purposes stand forever. Meaning they will always be accomplished. This has been a mainstay in our teachings and Trek Thru the Bible. It has guided our understanding of MUCH the Bible covers and addresses.
Secondly – That while there IS freewill, it is God Who as Owner and Arbiter of every heart, makes the actual judicial decisions regarding our hearts. For example, when Pharaoh was given multiple opportunities to respond to God’s demand to release His people, Pharaoh responded with resistance or impudence of heart the first 6 times he was confronted. The actual meaning of the wording for Pharaoh’s response was to become firm, dull & insensitive to God. The last 7 times God dealt with Pharaoh it says that GOD hardened his heart. [See Let My people go & Hardening of the Heart]
So in the end it was God Who both had the authority AND the power to harden the heart, but His actions and power to do so were only AFTER and in keeping with Pharaoh’s own free will decisions to be firm, dull and unresponsive to God’s demands.
The overall point I am making here is that God is the One Who shapes each and every individual heart, but this does not mean He takes actions upon whim, but only in step with our free will decisions and that only after He has, in His mercy, given ample opportunities and proofs of what would be the wisest course of action.
Third – Kings and by extension their kingdoms are not saved by people power or resources. It isn’t the vote, or the leadership, or the wisdom, or the military might which saves a people and makes them secure – it is God alone!
Now, just like our previous point, these are not independent of free will choices but in the end, it is God Who slams the gavel and makes His decisions and carries out His verdicts.
We have discussed this many times in the past and I will press one more time since it is an election year here in the U.S.A. – God reigns sovereignly over His world and nations rise and fall at HIS decisions not our own. If a person is in a position of power and authority – it is God NOT MAN who placed them there! To believe otherwise is to paganize the clear teachings of the Christian and Jewish faiths! God takes into account all that takes place in a nation before making His decision but what weighs heaver than other things is the actions and hearts of His Own people. In this age of God’s grace – the church is center stage and God will spend nations for us. If in our allegiance to the things of this world we idolize and worship other gods like money – God will turn us over into their hands. Usually first, by giving us what we desire – money and financial security. If after we have this we do not turn in repentance to God having realized these things can never truly satisfy, then God will do as He did to the Israelites after He fed the quail and turn it violently in their stomachs so that they vomit it out of their mouths and noses. How God accomplishes this in terms of money is anyone’s guess, but be certain God WILL do it. We as Christians can blame the world and politicians all we like, but in the end – it is the decisions and allegiance we have made apart from Him which brings upon a nation and the world the results we reap.
“(18) Now the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him–those who depend on His faithful love (19) to deliver them from death and to keep them alive in famine.
(20) We wait for the LORD; He is our help and shield. (21) For our hearts rejoice in Him, because we trust in His holy name.
(22) May Your faithful love rest on us, LORD, for we put our hope in You.
Concerning David, when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech, who drove him out, and he departed.”
With all this said, what should be the response of our hearts and individual children of God. I’m glad you asked! Our answer is found in our next and final Psalm!
Psalm 34:1-22,
“(1) I will praise the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. (2) I will boast in the LORD; the humble will hear and be glad.
(3) Proclaim with me the LORD’s greatness; let us exalt His name together.
(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.
(8) Taste and see that the LORD is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!
(9) Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing. (10) Young lions lack food and go hungry, but those who seek the LORD will not lack any good thing.
(11) Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
(12) Who is the man who delights in life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good? (13) Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. (14) Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.
(15) The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry for help.
(16) The face of the LORD is set against those who do what is evil, to erase all memory of them from the earth.
(17) The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them from all their troubles. (18) The LORD is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit.
(19) Many adversities come to the one who is righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all. (20) He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken.
(21) Evil brings death to the sinner, and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
(22) The LORD redeems the life of His servants, and all who take refuge in Him will not be punished.”
Blessings!
Tri
