STUDY OF PSALMS - Chapters 68-72

PSALM 68 – “Yahweh the Mighty Warrior”
(Psalm of David)

Most commentators believe this psalm was written in celebration of bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6). But it also contains references to significant points in history that helped to bring Israel to this moment in time. Specifically, it recalls the journey from Sinai (verses 7-10) and the conquest of Canaan (verses 11-14).

Vs. 1-3 – Moses spoke these words when leaving Mount Sinai for the Promised Land with the Ark of the Covenant (Numbers 10:35). How appropriate for David to use these same words almost 600 years later as the ark finally came to it's resting place on Mount Zion.

Vs. 4-6 – David praised God because:

• He rides on the clouds
• His name is Yahweh (LORD)

VERSES 7-10: WANDERING IN THE DESERT

Vs. 7 - "Went out before your people":  alludes to the manifestation of God in pillars of cloud and fire (Exodus 13:21)

Vs. 8 - "The earth trembled and the skies poured rain":  from the Song of Deborah (Judges 5:4)

VERSES 11-14: CONQUEST OF CANAAN
Vs. 14 – Zalmon is another name for Mount Ebal in central Israel.

Vs. 15 – Bashan is a high mountain in northern Israel (now, Golan Heights). All the mountains are jealous of God's attention to the much smaller Mount Zion.

Vs. 17 - “The Lord is among them as in Sinai":  The ark is a portable Sinai where God made Himself present with His people.

Vs. 18 – This verse is quoted by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:8 in speaking of the ascension of Jesus and the receiving of gifts of the Holy Spirit. The only change is that Paul spoke of “giving gifts” instead of “receiving gifts”.

Vs. 19 – “He will daily bear you up”: Folks, I don't know about you... but I need some daily bearing up. There are days that seem unbearable, burdens too heavy to carry.  But God...

He bears our burdens continually:
👆Every Day – Father to the fatherless (Vs. 5)
👆Every Day – Defends the widows (Vs. 5) 
👆Every Day – Provides homes for the deserted (Vs. 6)

👆Every Day – Brings prisoners to prosperity (Vs. 6)

👆Every Day – Provides goodness to the poor (Vs. 10)

Vs. 24-27 – The procession of the ark... the procession of "God".

Vs. 30 – “The beasts of the reeds”: likely refers to the Egyptians and Ethiopians.

Vs. 35 – "O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places."

  

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PSALM 69 - “Save Me, O God”
(Lament Psalm of David)

[Set to the tune of “The Lilies”, like Psalm 45.]

This is an Imprecatory Psalm of David, crying out in desperation with the realization that he might soon be killed by enemies who hate him without cause.

It is also considered a Messianic Psalm. There are seven verses of this psalm that are quoted in the NT as prophetic words of judgment applied to Christ. David's experiences as God's anointed king are a foreshadowing of the ministry of Jesus.

Vs. 4 – This verse is referred to by Jesus in John 15:25, when He spoke to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion, warning them of the hatred they would receive as His followers: “They hated Me without a cause.”

Vs. 5 – David was rejected because of his "foolishness" and sins (referring to “lesser” sins).

Vs. 6 – David felt a responsibility about his personal sin affecting the faith of others. He addresses God by three names: “O Lord GOD of hosts”

• Lord of the universe (Lord; Adonai)
• LORD of the covenant (GOD; Yahweh)
• Divine Warrior (God of hosts; Sabaoth)

Vs. 9a – “Zeal for Your house has eaten me up”: David received reproach and ridicule because of his passion for the pure worship of God. This verse was remembered by the disciples in John 2:17 after they witnessed Jesus' zeal for His Father's House by overturning the tables of the money changers. And like David, the zeal and devotion that Jesus had for the temple led to persecution (and eventually to His death).

💛NUGGET: Are we zealous for God and His Word?

Vs. 9b – “The reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.”: Again, the words of David are seen as a foreshadowing of Christ. This phrase is applied to Jesus by the Apostle Paul in Romans 15:3, in the context that the mockery and criticism of those who reproached God fell on Christ.

Vs. 11 – “Became a byword”: When David fasted and changed his clothes to sackcloth (in humility), he received even more ridicule from his enemies. Maybe we don't wear sackcloth, but “becoming a byword” - being labeled in a derogatory manner – is still happening to Christians today.  Society has becoming really good at labeling those who act and think differently than the "norm".  Labels make it easier to dismiss others without doing the hard work of listening and understanding. Some common bywords? “Evangelical”; “Jesus Freak”; “Fundamentalists”.

Vs. 13-18 – David appeals to God's mercy and compassion.

Vs. 21 – David uses “gall and vinegar” as a metaphor for his mistreatment. But Jesus was mockingly offered vinegar to drink while He was suffering on the cross (Matthew 27:34; 48). According to John, this was done so that “the Scripture might be fulfilled" (John 19:28-29).

Vs. 22-23 – In this imprecatory portion, David calls down curses as righteous vindication upon his enemies. These verses were directly quoted by the Apostle Paul in Romans 11:9-10, as applying to Jews who rejected Jesus. Before quoting verses 22-23, Paul warns: “Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.”

VIDEO:  “Open the eyes of my heart Lord”

https://youtu.be/idQ1n3cdgfo

Vs. 25 – The phrase, “Let their dwelling place become desolate”, is referenced twice in the NT:  1) Matthew 23:38 – Jesus expresses His sadness over Jerusalem, and 2) Acts 1:20 – Peter applied it to the death of Judas.

Vs. 28 - David prayed that God would blot his (unrepentant) enemies out of the Book of Life (be destroyed forever). In contrast, Jesus prayed that his enemies would be forgiven (Luke 23:34).

Vs. 30 - "There are two kinds of magnifying: microscope magnifying and telescope magnifying. When David says, “I will magnify God with thanksgiving,” he does not mean, “I will make a small God look bigger than he is.” He means, “I will make a big God begin to look as big as he really is.” (John Piper)

 

💛NUGGET: We can't make God any bigger than He is, but we can be people who reflect the greatness of God. 🔭

Vs. 34-36 – David ends the song on a high note of praise.

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PSALM 70 - “Rescued – Part Deux”
(Messianic Psalm of David)

This Psalm is almost identical to verses 13-17 of Psalm 40. The main differences are:

Psalm 70:1 – “Make haste”
Psalm 40:13 – “Be pleased”

Psalm 70:1 – Jehovah (God)
Psalm 40:13 – LORD (Elohim)

“But God is making haste. On the wings of every hour, quicker than light leaps from world to world, He is on his way. Delays are not denials, but are necessary to the perfecting of his arrangements.” (Meyer) 

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PSALM 71 – “An Old Man's Faith”
(Lament Psalm)

This psalm is often referred to as “THE PRAYER OF THE AGED BELIEVER”. Although the author is not identified, many commentators believe this is a psalm of David. Others think it was written by the prophet Jeremiah. It is clear that the psalmist was “old and gray”. The whole psalm is an affirmation of the psalmist’s trust in the Lord. Charles Spurgeon called this psalm “the utterance of struggling but unstaggering faith”.

[Psalm 71 is comprised of elements from Psalms 22, 31, 35, 70, 40 and 109.]

Vs. 3 – Requesting God to be a strong refuge takes on a different meaning when prayed by a feeble old man instead of a strong warrior. This psalmist may be weak, but he becomes strong under the refuge of the Lord.

Vs. 5 – “My hope... my trust from youth”: The psalmist has been hoping and trusting in God all his life. That's hope on steroids, y'all... habitual hope. It's the difference of hoping that my stocks will double versus the hope that Jesus is coming soon. The stock market is uncertain. Going Home with Jesus is for certain, though not yet realized.

💛NUGGET: The great missionary pioneer, Adoniram Judson, was suffering from fever in a wretched prison in Burma. A friend sent him a letter, asking, “Judson, how’s the outlook?” Judson replied, “The outlook is as bright as the promises of God.”

VERSES 9-13: PETITION & LAMENT

Vs. 11 – We assume our spiritual strength will increase as we mature, but we should never take it for granted. Our troubles will never cease, this side of heaven. And we are often tested. The Bible has plenty examples of mature sinners, including two who are pertinent to our study of Psalm: David in his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 11) and Solomon in his idolatry (1 Kings 11).

Vs. 13 – Adam Clarke referred to these two “Let them” statements as more prophecy than prayer.

Vs. 14 – This is the third use of the word “continually” (also in verses 3 and 6), which implies deliberate, ongoing actions of the psalmist. They are habits of trust, praise and hope that he has developed over time.

Vs. 18 – The psalmist wasn't selfish in asking God to help him. He wanted to be delivered from his enemies so that he could tell the next generation about God's strength and power.

“There is nothing more pitiful, or else more beautiful than old age. It is pitiful when its pessimism cools the ardors of youth. It is beautiful when its witness stimulates the visions and inspires the heroism of the young.” (Morgan)

Vs. 21 – “You shall increase my greatness.”: God offers us a return on our savings that is waaaaay better than any other investment.

Vs. 22-24 – The music of praise. Praise is an act of righteous obedience.

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PSALM 72 - “God's King” 
(Royal Psalm of Solomon)

[Psalm 72 is the final psalm of Book II]

The title of this psalm states that it is a psalm “of Solomon”, but it appears to be attributed to David in verse 20. Most scholars believe it was written by David to his son Solomon as a prayer for the new king. It could also be that Solomon wrote the psalm, either for himself or his son Rehoboam, as a fitting conclusion for Book II.

There are no references to this psalm in the NT, but there are several Messianic references, as well as an idealistic reign where everyone lives together in harmony. For this reason, many scholars believe this psalm points to Christ:  “The New Testament nowhere quotes it as Messianic, but this picture of the king and his realm is so close to the prophecies of Isaiah 11:1-5 and Isaiah 60-62 that if those passages are Messianic, so is this.” (Derek Kidner)

VERSES 1-4:  PETITION FOR JUSTICE

Vs. 1 –The king is petitioning God for knowledge and wisdom to judge fairly. He's going to the Right Source – true wisdom comes from God.

Vs. 3 – Mountains often represent governments in the Bible. This Godly government would bring peace to the people by:

• Bringing justice to the poor
• Saving the children of the needy
• Breaking the oppressor into pieces

Vs. 7-8 – The promise of never ending peace and worldwide dominion can point only to Jesus. While under kings David and Solomon, Israel encompassed more territory than any other time in history. But the Messiah will have total dominion.

Vs. 11 – “All kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him”: The psalmist sang of a king far greater than David or Solomon. This was prophesied by the prophet Nathan in 2 Samuel 7:11-16, speaking of both Solomon and Jesus.

Vs. 14 – Neither David or Solomon’s reign were without violence or oppression. David's life was filled with so much violence that he was not allowed to build God's temple (1 Chronicles 28:3). After Solomon's death, his people complained of oppression during his reign (1 Kings 12:4).

Vs. 15 – “He shall live”: These three little prophetic words inspired by the Holy Spirit, give me goosebumps. How could the psalmist have known that after being crucified on the cross, after spending three days in the tomb, all witnesses to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ could say... “He shall live”.

Vs. 17 – The psalmist realized that the King of Kings would be the fulfillment of God's promise made to David in 2 Samuel 7:11-16... a King whose name would endure forever and through whom all nations will be blessed. This is a prophecy of HOPE.

VERSES 18-19 – DOXOLOGY

Vs. 20 – “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” This refers to the collection of Book II, in which David was the most prolific author. There are more psalms of David to come.

READING FOR TOMORROW:  Chapters 73-77

LINK TO READING PLAN:

https://bibleplan.org/plans/psalms-in-a-month/