Vs. 3 – Evil = Lies; Good = Truth
Vs. 4 – Words that “destroy”; the Hebrew word for destroy is literally “swallow”, depicting destructive speech as devouring others.
- The wicked will be destroyed forever.
- The wicked will be taken away from their dwelling place.
- The wicked will be uprooted from life.
This psalm is almost identical to Psalm 14. It is also quoted by Paul in Romans 3:10-12. So, that's three different books of the Bible that record these words – what IS the message that we need to hear over and over? The reason humanity is so cruel to each other is because THEY DO NOT SEEK GOD.
Vs. 1 – As discussed in previous psalms using the word “fool”, the ancient Hebrew translation (nabal) is not a diss on a person's intellect but on their morality. David is referring to people who choose to reject God. However, the Apostle Paul has a different take on those who deny God's insistence: “Professing to be wise, they became fools.” (Romans 1:22)
Vs. 3 - “There is none who does good.” Uh oh. Now we've all been lumped in with the “fools”. The difference is... believers have GRACE. And only by God's Grace are we good.
Vs. 5 - “There they are in great fear where no fear was...” At this point, David goes off script from Psalm 14, giving greater details of God's judgment on the wicked.
PSALM 54 - "God Is my Helper"
This is a Lament Psalm (prayer) written by David to petition God for help against his enemies, as detailed in 1 Samuel 23:14-14; 26-29.
Vs. 1 - David prayed that God would “vindicate me by YOUR strength”, instead of taking vengeance into his own hands.
Vs. 3 – “Strangers” refers to those outside God's covenant people of Israel. The Ziphites were actually Jews from the tribe of Judah (David's tribe). But because of their betrayal, David called them strangers.
Vs. 7 – At the end of David's prayer, he displays a supernatural confidence in a situation that had filled him with fear. He was a man of remarkable faith.
VIDEO: "God is My Helper"
💛💛💛In this Lament Psalm, David tells of being persecuted by enemies who we later discover included one of his very close friends. Some scholars argue that this “friend” was Ahithophel who assisted David's son, Absalom in his attempt to overthrow his father's throne (2 Samuel 15:12).
This psalm goes from FEAR to FLIGHT to FURY to FAITH.
Vs. 2 - “What a comfort that we may be thus familiar with our God! We may not complain of him, but we may complain to him.” (Spurgeon)
Vs. 6 – Who hasn't ever wished they had wings like a dove to fly far far away? David knew it wasn't an option. And with God's help – David stood his ground.
Vs. 9-11 – Right out of today's headlines: Cities filled with violence, strife, crime and destruction day and night.
Vs. 12-14 – This is not a nameless enemy; David identifies him as his companion and friend... “but it is you” (verse 13)
Vs. 21 – His words don't match his works. (Luke 6:45)
💛NUGGET: “The experience of suffering was not taken away from the servant of God, but he was sustained, and so made strong enough to resist its pressure, and through it to make his service more perfect. This is how God ever sustains us in the bearing of burdens.” (Morgan)
💛💛💛
PSALM 56 - "Tears in a Bottle"
The title of the poem: “A Silent Dove Far Away” was probably a known song tune. The historical setting is the same as Psalm 34: “When the Philistines seized him in Gath”, recorded in 1 Samuel 21:10-15.
Remember David's mindset when he wrote this psalm. He was running for his life from King Saul and had fled to the Philistine city of Gath... hometown of Goliath. (WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, DAVID?!) Unsurprisingly, things did not go well in Gath for David.
Vs. 8 - “You keep my tears in your bottle.” This beautiful phrase has ALL the feels! Over 3000 years ago, (and continued in places today) a custom originated that when someone died mourners would fill small glass bottles (lachrymatories) with their tears and bury them with their loved ones to show devotion and remembrance. David was alluding to this custom in saying that God sees our suffering and always remembers our sorrows.
💛NUGGET: Our tears are not wasted. And eventually, “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
Vs. 9 – If God is for me, then who can be against me? (Rom. 8:31)
Vs. 10 - “Whose word I praise...” is repeated three times in this chapter.
Vs. 13 - David understood that God spared his life so that he could walk with Him.
💛NUGGET: “The fact that Jesus seems to have used the last words of verse 13 in John 8:12 makes us think of verse 13 in light of the deliverance Jesus brings to those who trust him and the ‘life’ as his gift of salvation by the Holy Spirit.” (James Montgomery Boice)
READING FOR TOMORROW: Chapters 57-61
No comments:
Post a Comment