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Wednesday 10/30/24
Thru the Bible: Psalm Book II: chapters 62-66
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Pour out your heart… God is our Refuge
Psalm 62:1-12,
“(1) For the choir director: according to Jeduthun. A Davidic psalm.
I am at rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. (2) He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will never be shaken.
(3) How long will you threaten a man? Will all of you attack as if he were a leaning wall or a tottering stone fence?
(4) They only plan to bring him down from his high position. They take pleasure in lying; they bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly. Selah
(5) Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him.”
The word “rest” here literally means “be silent” and is an encouragement to place one’s trust in God.
“(6) He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken.
(7) My salvation and glory depend on God; my strong rock, my refuge, is in God.
(8) Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah”
The invitation to pour out one’s heart is like affirming that we not only have license to bring before God issues which are to us intense and deeply emotional, but we are actually encouraged to do so and to see God as our safe place. The word refuge means a shelter for safety, protection and security.
I do not think it is an encouragement to continually vent to God, though at times this is allowed if not even encouraged, it is more of an invitation to see God as One to Whom you can open your heart and know you will be understood, loved, comforted and if appropriate even consoled. Though, there may be times when correction is in order.
“(9) Men are only a vapor; exalted men, an illusion. On a balance scale, they go up; together they weigh less than a vapor.
(10) Place no trust in oppression, or false hope in robbery.
If wealth increases, pay no attention to it.
(11) God has spoken once; I have heard this twice: strength belongs to God, (12) and faithful love belongs to You, LORD. For You repay each according to his works.”
A wonderfully endearing translation of this says, “and to You, O Master, is loyal love”
Another option which includes the whole of the last two verses is this:
“God has declared one principle, two principles I have heard, namely, that God is strong, and you, O Lord, demonstrate loyal love, and that you repay men for what they do.”
Psalm 63:1-11,
“(1) A Davidic psalm. When he was in the Wilderness of Judah.
This incident may refer to one of at least 2 times recorded in scripture. They are found in 1 Samuel 23-24 & 2 Samuel 15:23.
I am personally in favor of the first option since so many of these Psalms seem to follow an almost chronological order corresponding to the history recorded in 1 Samuel beginning of Psalms Book II in chapter 52. Though some do point back to 2 Samuel, especially Psalm 51 with the reference to Bathsheba.
There isn’t a lot to go on and in the end it isn’t that important. These chapters in 1 Samuel only mention they were in Judah (presumably the wilderness) in their dodging Saul’s attempt to corner David.
God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You. I thirst for You; my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
(2) So I gaze on You in the sanctuary to see Your strength and Your glory.
(3) My lips will glorify You because Your faithful love is better than life.”
The New English translation includes the word “experiencing” because David is not here speaking of divine loyal love in some abstract sense, but of God’s actual and literal loyal love revealed and personally experienced. In other words this is not to be reduced to a theological truth, but a personally known truth about God which David had himself experienced in his life.
This deeply personalizes the Psalm and humanizes our understanding of it and our ability to agree and identify with it. It is precisely BECAUSE God’s loyal and faithful love were not just biblical truths, but personal experiences in David’s life that it drew out of him the response we read in verses 4-8.
“(4) So I will praise You as long as I live; at Your name, I will lift up my hands.
(5) You satisfy me as with rich food; my mouth will praise You with joyful lips.
(6) When, on my bed, I think of You, I meditate on You during the night watches (7) because You are my help; I will rejoice in the shadow of Your wings.
(8) I follow close to You; Your right hand holds on to me.”
These are the words of one who has a relationship with God. Not only do these sort of thought never really occur to the one who pursues God only intellectually, they are the kind of responses which only spring from that heart geography which has know Him, experienced Him, been satisfied with their connection with Him and therefore find themselves in the happy position of longing for more and greater communion.
In the night, in the solitude of his musing upon his bed, David’s thoughts turn to God.
In the same place where many people’s thoughts with which they wind down the day they think of the events of the day or the chores of tomorrow, the worries and concerns of life or those things they wish to dream of – David’s mind fills with thoughts of God and His faithfulness and His love which draw David closer and closer to Him.
“(9) But those who seek to destroy my life will go into the depths of the earth. (10) They will be given over to the power of the sword; they will become the jackals’ prey. (11) But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by Him will boast, for the mouths of liars will be shut.”
Psalm 64:1-10,
“(1) For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
God, hear my voice when I complain. Protect my life from the terror of the enemy. (2) Hide me from the scheming of the wicked, from the mob of evildoers, (3) who sharpen their tongues like swords and aim bitter words like arrows, (4) shooting from concealed places at the innocent.
They shoot at him suddenly and are not afraid.
(5) They encourage each other in an evil plan; they talk about hiding traps and say, “Who will see them?”
(6) They devise crimes and say, “We have perfected a secret plan.” The inner man and the heart are mysterious. (7) But God will shoot them with arrows; suddenly, they will be wounded.
(8) They will be made to stumble; their own tongues work against them.
All who see them will shake their heads.
(9) Then everyone will fear and will tell about God’s work, for they will understand what He has done.
(10) The righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in Him; all the upright in heart offer praise.”
Psalm 65:1-13,
“(1) For the choir director. A Davidic psalm. A song.
Praise is rightfully Yours, God, in Zion; vows to You will be fulfilled.
(2) All humanity will come to You, the One Who hears prayer.
(3) Iniquities overwhelm me; only You can atone for our rebellions.
(4) How happy is the one You choose and bring near to live in Your courts! We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple.
(5) You answer us in righteousness, with awe-inspiring works, God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the distant seas;”
This is an example of hyperbole which we addressed last week. David offers a rather idealistic portrayal of universal worship which is not to be taken literal. Nothing in the scriptures reveal a time prior to the eternal age where all mankind is places their hope in God – in fact the opposite is taught by Jesus Himself. This is an overstated truth for the sake of emphasis.
“(6) You establish the mountains by Your power, robed with strength;
(7) You silence the roar of the seas, the roar of their waves, and the tumult of the nations.
(8) Those who live far away are awed by Your signs; You make east and west shout for joy.
(9) You visit the earth and water it abundantly, enriching it greatly.
God’s stream is filled with water, for You prepare the earth in this way, providing people with grain. (10) You soften it with showers and bless its growth, soaking its furrows and leveling its ridges.
(11) You crown the year with Your goodness; Your ways overflow with plenty.
(12) The wilderness pastures overflow, and the hills are robed with joy.
(13) The pastures are clothed with flocks, and the valleys covered with grain. They shout in triumph; indeed, they sing.”
Psalm 66:1-20,
“(1) For the choir director. A song. A psalm.
Shout joyfully to God, all the earth! (2) Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious. (3) Say to God,
“How awe-inspiring are Your works! Your enemies will cringe before You because of Your great strength. (4) All the earth will worship You and sing praise to You. They will sing praise to Your name.” Selah
(5) Come and see the works of God; His acts toward mankind are awe-inspiring.
(6) He turned the sea into dry land, and they crossed the river on foot. There we rejoiced in Him.
(7) He rules forever by His might; He keeps His eye on the nations. The rebellious should not exalt themselves. Selah
(8) Praise our God, you peoples; let the sound of His praise be heard. (9) He keeps us alive and does not allow our feet to slip.
(10) For You, God, tested us; You refined us as silver is refined.
(11) You lured us into a trap; You placed burdens on our backs. (12) You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but You brought us out to abundance.
(13) I will enter Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows (14) that my lips promised and my mouth spoke during my distress.”
You may recall that I mentioned this last week. It was pretty typical for Israelites to play “Let’s make a deal” with God. If You will do this, I will do that sort of thing. One of the most misunderstood and over referenced being Jephthah’s Vow.
If you remember he had made a vow to God that if He would hand over the Ammonites to be defeated by he and his army, then he would offer to the Lord whatever came out of the doors of his house to greet him upon his triumphant return would belong to the Lord.
Of course the first thing to come out was his virgin daughter who was also his only child. So having to dedicate her to the service of the temple was devastating. She could not marry and therefore would never have children and she would no longer live in her father’s house for the rest of her life. It was indeed a tragedy but one the daughter willingly submitted to out of honor for her father and her God.
Like these verses Jephthah cried out in a time of great need and distress making a vow to God which he was obligated to perform.
Thankfully such an extreme was not common. Typically what was offered was an animal for sacrifice as the next verse says.
“(15) I will offer You fattened sheep as burnt offerings, with the fragrant smoke of rams; I will sacrifice oxen with goats. Selah
(16) Come and listen, all who fear God, and I will tell what He has done for me.
(17) I cried out to Him with my mouth, and praise was on my tongue.
(18) If I had been aware of malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
(19) However, God has listened; He has paid attention to the sound of my prayer.
(20) May God be praised! He has not turned away my prayer or turned His faithful love from me.”
Blessings!
Tri
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