STUDY OF PSALMS - Chapt. 137-140

PSALM 137 – “Remember Jerusalem”

This is a Community Lament recalling the Babylon captivity. The author is unknown, but this sad song was undoubtedly written as a first-hand account of the exile.

Vs. 1 – The rivers of Babylon (literally interpreted as “place of confusion”) were streams and canals connecting the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. This is where the exiled community of Israelites would gather together to mourn for Jerusalem (River Chebar - Ezekiel 1:1; River Ulai - Daniel 8:2).

💛NUGGET: Many scholars place the Garden of Eden somewhere between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers.

Vs. 2 – “We hung our harps on the willows”: I can only imagine the sadness of this scene. Not only had the exiles taken their precious instruments with them into captivity, they refused to play them and hung them in the trees.

Vs. 4 – “How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a foreign land?”: The singers refused to sing because:

• The Babylonians were trying to humiliate the Jews 
• They longed to sing praises in the temple of Zion

Vs. 7 – “Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom the day of Jerusalem”: This is referring to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The two branches of Isaac's family were the Edomites and Israelites. The Edomites were descendants of Esau (Jacob's twin) and were bitter enemies who aligned with Babylon to destroy Jerusalem (Ezekiel 25:12; Obadiah 1:11-14).

Vs. 8 – When the psalmist asks God to destroy Babylon, he is asking for fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 13:19-22). The exiles lived in hopeful expectation that God would vindicate His people and fulfill His plan through the saved remnant.

Vs. 9 – This is a disturbing verse, especially if taken out of context with the previous verses.  The psalmist seems to be celebrating unthinkable judgment against the enemies of Israel. It is important to read verse 9 in the context of verse 8: "O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us!" (ESV).  In the context of Biblical history, it invokes the principle of “lex talionis”, or the “eye for an eye” principle established for justice and to discourage others from evil (Deuteronomy 19:20-21). The “lex talionis” was to be administered by an impartial judge and not in the spirit of revenge. Not only is it recorded that innocent babies were actually killed in such a cruel manner (Nahum 3:10), Isaiah prophesied this for Babylon (Isaiah 13:16). Such an imprecation is so far from the word of Christ that it is beyond our imagining, but among the ancient tribes of the Middle East, it was not uncommon to expect retaliation in kind.

“Today the fortresses of ancient Edom are a desolate waste, and the site of ancient Babylon is a ruin. God cannot be mocked.” (Boice)

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PSALM 138 – “A Thankful Heart”

(Thanksgiving Psalm of David)

[Psalms 138-145 are the final collection of psalms attributed to David as author.]

Vs. 1a – “I will praise You with my whole heart”: It takes our whole heart to praise God perfectly.

Vs. 1b – “Before the gods I will sing praises to You”: The translation for “gods' in this verse is “elohiym”, which has a broad meaning. These 'gods' may refer to the angels, since David is praising God in the temple (verse 2), or the kings mentioned in verse 4.

David gives three reasons for his praise:

1. God’s character
2. God’s promises
3. God’s blessing

Vs. 2 – “For You have magnified Your word above all Your name”: This statement leaves no doubt of how highly God regards His own word. It is an innate part of His character, beyond our understanding. God will never break His promises; they are all fulfilled in Jesus Christ:

“For all the promises of God in Him (Jesus) are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” (2 Corinthians 1:20)

💛NUGGET: Jesus writes the promissory check and God signs it.

Vs. 4b – “When they hear the words of Your mouth”: If all the kings on earth are just waiting to hear God's word so they can worship Him, we need to get crackalacking!

Vs. 8 – “The LORD will perfect (complete) that which concerns me”: God will complete His purpose for our lives.

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)

💛 What is God's purpose for YOU?

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PSALM 139 - “No Escape From God”

(Psalm of David)

[This is a deeply personal poem between David and God.]

VERSES 1-6: God is Omniscient

Vs. 1-4 – “Search... Know... Understand... Observe... Aware”: The Hebrew word for “search” is “chaqar”, which means “to penetrate, to examine intimately.” “Observe” is from the Hebrew root word “zarah” which means “measure”.

💛NUGGET: God knows us better than we know ourselves.

Vs. 5 – “You have encircled me”: Literally, “Back and front you enclosed me”.

VERSES 7-10: God is Omnipresent

Vs. 7 – “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?”: The word for presence is “mippaneycha”, meaning “from thy faces (plural)”. Adam Clarke asks: “Why do we meet with this word so frequently in the plural number, when applied to God? And why have we His Spirit, and His appearances or faces, both here? A Trinitarian would at once say, ‘The plurality of persons in the Godhead is intended;’ and who can prove that he is mistaken?”

God is omnipresent... which is a comforting and sometimes awkward thought. When my sons were small, they never wanted to leave my presence... unless they were up to no good!

Vs. 8b – “If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there”: The word used here for hell is “sheol”, not “Gehenna”. Sheol refers to the grave, while Gehenna refers to the eternal lake of fire (Matthew 18:9; Revelation 20:14-15).

Vs. 12 – “Darkness and light are alike to you”: God transcends creation.

Vs. 13 – “You knit me together in my mother's womb”: Before an afghan becomes a warm blanket, it's nothing more than a hopeful ball of yarn. Now, I don't know much about knitting, but I do know that it takes time and concentration and that each item made by the knitter is unique. Some more unique than others. God is a marvelous knitter. He doesn't need a pattern... He doesn't need knitting needles... heck, He doesn't even need yarn. He sees us before He even makes us.  He knows our souls.

Vs. 14 – “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”: The worst best class I ever took was Gross Anatomy during grad school. Having the honor to work with cadavers and actually see the wonders of God's creation in a way that few people do was beyond words. To see the tracts of nerves and the perfect placement of organs and touch the design of muscle fibers... there was no doubt that we are indeed, divinely created. We are so much more than a clump of cells. We are wonderfully made by a knitting God.

💛NUGGET: So, what about birth defects? Remember God's response to Moses when he complained about not being a good enough speaker to lead Israel? God said, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him dumb or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” (Exodus 4:11). From a human perspective, any reason for birth defects is way above my ability to comprehend. We can suggest causative factors such as environmental or genetic... but ultimately, we are all formed by an Omnipotent God who gives purpose to every single life.

Vs. 15a – “I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth”. The “lowest parts of the earth” is figurative speech for a protected, concealed or safe place, meaning the womb.

“The Hebrew word translated 'skillfully wrought' literally means 'variegated', like a multicolored piece of cloth. Moses used the same Hebrew term in Exodus when he referred to the making of the curtains in the ancient tabernacle. The idea is similar to an embroidered piece of tapestry or a work of fine needlepoint. The picture must include the concept of our veins and arteries, 'embroidered' like variegated threads within the body. God is that involved in the making of our bodies. He is like a careful, skillful artist who takes great pain with each color and stroke. (Chuck Swindoll)

Vs. 16a – “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance” – According to Stong's Concordance of the Bible, the Hebrew word for “unformed substance” is “golem” (noun), meaning “embryo”. It comes from the root word “galam' (verb) which means to "wrap up or fold together".

💛NUGGET: Even while you were nothing more than a wrapped up embryo, God was watching over you.

Vs. 16 – “In Your book they all were written,the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.”: Even before David was born, God had already established his days. How's that for sovereignty?

Vs. 19-22 – There is an abrupt change of tone in these verses, as David shifts to a prayer to “slay the wicked” who take God's name in vain and rise up against Him. David counted them as enemies and hated them with a “perfect hatred”.

“If there is such a thing as perfect hatred it would mirror and reflect the righteousness of God. It would be perfect to the extent that it excluded sinful attitudes of malice, envy, bitterness, and other attitudes we normally associate with human hatred. In this sense a perfect hatred could be deemed compatible with a love for one’s enemies. One who hates his enemy with a perfect hatred is still called to act in a loving and righteous manner toward him.” (RC Sproul)

Vs. 23-24 – The psalm ends as it begins, with the psalmist asking God to shine His blinding searchlight of holiness into his heart.

VIDEO:  Michael W. Smith - https://youtu.be/HO1gbe255Oo

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PSALM 140 – “Keep Me Safe from Evil Men”

(Lament Psalm of David)

[Psalm 140 travels up the road of distress down the hill of praise through the mud of  imprecation and over the bridge to confidence.]

Vs. 3 – “They sharpen their tongues like a serpent”: The Bible talks often about the power of the tongue. It is literally one of the most destructive weapons that we use against each other. Words destroy. Paul quoted this verse in Romans 3:13 in describing man’s fallen condition.

Vs. 6 – “You are my God”: This verse is right in the middle of the psalm. What a great place to reaffirm one's dedication to God – smack dab in the midst of suffering. And what an honor to claim God as ours.

Vs. 8-11: Strong words of imprecation against the enemy.

Vs. 13: After the lament and imprecations, the psalm ends in confidence that the upright will dwell with God.

READING FOR TOMORROW:  Chapters 141-144

LINK TO READING PLAN:

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