a New Song of Praise

Sing to the Lord a New Song
1 Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the godly!
2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
3 Let them praise his name with dancing,
making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
he adorns the humble with salvation.
5 Let the godly exult in glory;
let them sing for joy on their beds.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats
and two-edged swords in their hands,
7 to execute vengeance on the nations
and punishments on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with chains
and their nobles with fetters of iron,
9 to execute on them the judgment written!
This is honor for all his godly ones.
Praise the Lord!

- Psalm 149

I hope that you have had a wonderful year and are excitedly expecting the New Year as I write this Christmas Eve. However, I know that many have had a year filled with trials and testing. As I read this Psalm, I cannot help but remember the trials and testing of Israel over the generations, yet, here the Psalmist proclaims a new song of praise to be sung unto the Lord.

Regardless of the trials you face and how dark times may occasionally seem, each day is a new day. Each day is a reason for celebration. Why, because Jesus ultimately is victorious. He has already won victory over our enemies, over the apostate nations, over everything including death. In that victory, He does not promise that we shall always be comfortable or that life will be easy; quite the opposite. However, He does promise that He will work out all things for the good of those who love Him and are called to His purpose. Now that is a reason for praise and Honor.
So, as we enter into the new year, remember to:

Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the godly!
Praise the Lord!

our Help

Our Help Is in the Name of the Lord

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

124:1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side-
let Israel now say-
2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side
when people rose up against us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;
4 then the flood would have swept us away,
the torrent would have gone over us;
5 then over us would have gone
the raging waters.

6 Blessed be the Lord,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth!
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped!

8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth

We have a tendency for self preservation.  God made us that way.  We will do whatever we have to do (most of the time) to make sure that we survive.  Unfortunately, we also have a tendency, not placed there by God, to rely upon ourselves to make sure that we fulfill that need for self preservation. Instead, He desires that we place our faith in Him for our survival.

As a parent, I so often see times when my own children feel they are more capable than I to make the decisions necessary to make sure they survive. They make these decisions because they believe they are capable, not because they know they are capable.  For, there is no way they could come to that conclusion, at least not yet. As the parent, I am capable, because I see the pitfalls of decisions that must be made, not because I am omniscient, but because I have been down the road before.

God, however, is omniscient.  He knows exactly what we need, and He is the only one who is capable of actually providing it.  The world will lead us astray, only to attack and “swallow us up alive.”  As we seek to provide for ourselves we have a tendency to follow the world, because we have not seen everything that can go wrong. We only know what we want, and will follow down unwise paths to get it.

The Father will give us everything we need.  He will protect us from the dangers of this world.  He will not give us over to the predators, who seek to devour us. He can because He is maker of heaven and earth. He can because only He has made a way through Christ. He can because He is God and we are not.

psalm 119

Meditations and Prayers Relating to the Law of God.

Aleph.

1 How blessed are those whose way is blameless,
Who walk in the law of the LORD.
2 How blessed are those who observe His testimonies,
Who seek Him with all their heart.
3 They also do no unrighteousness;
They walk in His ways.
4 You have ordained Your precepts,
That we should keep them diligently.
5 Oh that my ways may be established
To keep Your statutes!
6 Then I shall not be ashamed
When I look upon all Your commandments.
7 I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous judgments.
8 I shall keep Your statutes;
Do not forsake me utterly!

Beth.

9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By keeping it according to Your word.
10 With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
11 Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O LORD;
Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have told of
All the ordinances of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts
And regard Your ways.
16 I shall delight in Your statutes;
I shall not forget Your word.

Gimel.

17 Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold
Wonderful things from Your law.
19 I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
20 My soul is crushed with longing
After Your ordinances at all times.
21 You rebuke the arrogant, the cursed,
Who wander from Your commandments.
22 Take away reproach and contempt from me,
For I observe Your testimonies.
23 Even though princes sit and talk against me,
Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
24 Your testimonies also are my delight;
They are my counselors.

Daleth.

25 My soul cleaves to the dust;
Revive me according to Your word.
26 I have told of my ways, and You have answered me;
Teach me Your statutes.
27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts,
So I will meditate on Your wonders.
28 My soul weeps because of grief;
Strengthen me according to Your word.
29 Remove the false way from me,
And graciously grant me Your law.
30 I have chosen the faithful way;
I have placed Your ordinances before me.
31 I cling to Your testimonies;
O LORD, do not put me to shame!
32 I shall run the way of Your commandments,
For You will enlarge my heart.

He.

33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall observe it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law
And keep it with all my heart.
35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies
And not to dishonest gain.
37 Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity,
And revive me in Your ways.
38 Establish Your word to Your servant,
As that which produces reverence for You.
39 Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your ordinances are good.
40 Behold, I long for Your precepts;
Revive me through Your righteousness.

Vav.

41 May Your lovingkindnesses also come to me, O LORD,
Your salvation according to Your word;
42 So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me,
For I trust in Your word.
43 And do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
For I wait for Your ordinances.
44 So I will keep Your law continually,
Forever and ever.
45 And I will walk at liberty,
For I seek Your precepts.
46 I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings
And shall not be ashamed.
47 I shall delight in Your commandments,
Which I love.
48 And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments,
Which I love;
And I will meditate on Your statutes.

Zayin.

49 Remember the word to Your servant,
In which You have made me hope.
50 This is my comfort in my affliction,
That Your word has revived me.
51 The arrogant utterly deride me,
Yet I do not turn aside from Your law.
52 I have remembered Your ordinances from of old, O LORD,
And comfort myself.
53 Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked,
Who forsake Your law.
54 Your statutes are my songs
In the house of my pilgrimage.
55 O LORD, I remember Your name in the night,
And keep Your law.
56 This has become mine,
That I observe Your precepts.

Heth.

57 The LORD is my portion;
I have promised to keep Your words.
58 I sought Your favor with all my heart;
Be gracious to me according to Your word.
59 I considered my ways
And turned my feet to Your testimonies.
60 I hastened and did not delay
To keep Your commandments.
61 The cords of the wicked have encircled me,
But I have not forgotten Your law.
62 At midnight I shall rise to give thanks to You
Because of Your righteous ordinances.
63 I am a companion of all those who fear You,
And of those who keep Your precepts.
64 The earth is full of Your lovingkindness, O LORD;
Teach me Your statutes.

Teth.

65 You have dealt well with Your servant,
O LORD, according to Your word.
66 Teach me good discernment and knowledge,
For I believe in Your commandments.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
68 You are good and do good;
Teach me Your statutes.
69 The arrogant have forged a lie against me;
With all my heart I will observe Your precepts.
70 Their heart is covered with fat,
But I delight in Your law.
71 It is good for me that I was afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
72 The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Yodh.

73 Your hands made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
74 May those who fear You see me and be glad,
Because I wait for Your word.
75 I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are righteous,
And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
76 O may Your lovingkindness comfort me,
According to Your word to Your servant.
77 May Your compassion come to me that I may live,
For Your law is my delight.
78 May the arrogant be ashamed, for they subvert me with a lie;
But I shall meditate on Your precepts.
79 May those who fear You turn to me,
Even those who know Your testimonies.
80 May my heart be blameless in Your statutes,
So that I will not be ashamed.

Kaph.

81 My soul languishes for Your salvation;
I wait for Your word.
82 My eyes fail with longing for Your word,
While I say, “When will You comfort me?”
83 Though I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,
I do not forget Your statutes.
84 How many are the days of Your servant?
When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?
85 The arrogant have dug pits for me,
Men who are not in accord with Your law.
86 All Your commandments are faithful;
They have persecuted me with a lie; help me!
87 They almost destroyed me on earth,
But as for me, I did not forsake Your precepts.
88 Revive me according to Your lovingkindness,
So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

Lamedh.

89 Forever, O LORD,
Your word is settled in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations;
You established the earth, and it stands.
91 They stand this day according to Your ordinances,
For all things are Your servants.
92 If Your law had not been my delight,
Then I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have revived me.
94 I am Yours, save me;
For I have sought Your precepts.
95 The wicked wait for me to destroy me;
I shall diligently consider Your testimonies.
96 I have seen a limit to all perfection;
Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

Mem.

97 O how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
98 Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
For they are ever mine.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the aged,
Because I have observed Your precepts.
101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.
102 I have not turned aside from Your ordinances,
For You Yourself have taught me.
103 How sweet are Your words to my taste!
Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 From Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.

Nun.

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
106 I have sworn and I will confirm it,
That I will keep Your righteous ordinances.
107 I am exceedingly afflicted;
Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word.
108 O accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD,
And teach me Your ordinances.
109 My life is continually in my hand,
Yet I do not forget Your law.
110 The wicked have laid a snare for me,
Yet I have not gone astray from Your precepts.
111 I have inherited Your testimonies forever,
For they are the joy of my heart.
112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, even to the end.

Samekh.

113 I hate those who are double-minded,
But I love Your law.
114 You are my hiding place and my shield;
I wait for Your word.
115 Depart from me, evildoers,
That I may observe the commandments of my God.
116 Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live;
And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
117 Uphold me that I may be safe,
That I may have regard for Your statutes continually.
118 You have rejected all those who wander from Your statutes,
For their deceitfulness is useless.
119 You have removed all the wicked of the earth like dross;
Therefore I love Your testimonies.
120 My flesh trembles for fear of You,
And I am afraid of Your judgments.

Ayin.

121 I have done justice and righteousness;
Do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Be surety for Your servant for good;
Do not let the arrogant oppress me.
123 My eyes fail with longing for Your salvation
And for Your righteous word.
124 Deal with Your servant according to Your lovingkindness
And teach me Your statutes.
125 I am Your servant; give me understanding,
That I may know Your testimonies.
126 It is time for the LORD to act,
For they have broken Your law.
127 Therefore I love Your commandments
Above gold, yes, above fine gold.
128 Therefore I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything,
I hate every false way.

Pe.

129 Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul observes them.
130 The unfolding of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
131 I opened my mouth wide and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments.
132 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
After Your manner with those who love Your name.
133 Establish my footsteps in Your word,
And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.
134 Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts.
135 Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes.
136 My eyes shed streams of water,
Because they do not keep Your law.

Tsadhe.

137 Righteous are You, O LORD,
And upright are Your judgments.
138 You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness
And exceeding faithfulness.
139 My zeal has consumed me,
Because my adversaries have forgotten Your words.
140 Your word is very pure,
Therefore Your servant loves it.
141 I am small and despised,
Yet I do not forget Your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law is truth.
143 Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
Yet Your commandments are my delight.
144 Your testimonies are righteous forever;
Give me understanding that I may live.

Qoph.

145 I cried with all my heart; answer me, O LORD!
I will observe Your statutes.
146 I cried to You; save me
And I shall keep Your testimonies.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I wait for Your words.
148 My eyes anticipate the night watches,
That I may meditate on Your word.
149 Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness;
Revive me, O LORD, according to Your ordinances.
150 Those who follow after wickedness draw near;
They are far from Your law.
151 You are near, O LORD,
And all Your commandments are truth.
152 Of old I have known from Your testimonies
That You have founded them forever.

Resh.

153 Look upon my affliction and rescue me,
For I do not forget Your law.
154 Plead my cause and redeem me;
Revive me according to Your word.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
For they do not seek Your statutes.
156 Great are Your mercies, O LORD;
Revive me according to Your ordinances.
157 Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
Yet I do not turn aside from Your testimonies.
158 I behold the treacherous and loathe them,
Because they do not keep Your word.
159 Consider how I love Your precepts;
Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.
160 The sum of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.

Shin.

161 Princes persecute me without cause,
But my heart stands in awe of Your words.
162 I rejoice at Your word,
As one who finds great spoil.
163 I hate and despise falsehood,
But I love Your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise You,
Because of Your righteous ordinances.
165 Those who love Your law have great peace,
And nothing causes them to stumble.
166 I hope for Your salvation, O LORD,
And do Your commandments.
167 My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly.
168 I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,
For all my ways are before You.

Tav.

169 Let my cry come before You, O LORD;
Give me understanding according to Your word.
170 Let my supplication come before You;
Deliver me according to Your word.
171 Let my lips utter praise,
For You teach me Your statutes.
172 Let my tongue sing of Your word,
For all Your commandments are righteousness.
173 Let Your hand be ready to help me,
For I have chosen Your precepts.
174 I long for Your salvation, O LORD,
And Your law is my delight.
175 Let my soul live that it may praise You,
And let Your ordinances help me.
176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments.

Psalm 119 has a special place in God’s revelation, and among believers. It is known among the Germans as “The Christians’ golden A B C of the praise, love, power, and use of the Word of God.”  Each portion of the Psalm begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The first section (the first eight verses) begins with the letter aleph, the second with beth, the third with gimel, the fourth with daleth, and so on.

Charles Spurgeon says this psalm is a wonderful composition. Its expressions are many as the waves, but its testimony is one as the sea. It deals all along with one subject only; but although it consists of a considerable number of verses, some of which are very similar to others, yet throughout its one hundred and seventy-six stanzas the self-same thought is not repeated: there is always a shade of difference, even when the color of the thought appears to be the same. 

It is varied and glorious, and it is a testament to the love of the author for the subject, but what subject could manifest such devotion?  None exists but the Word of God. His statutes, His revelation, and His truth, so inspire the author that he wrote the single largest chapter in scripture. The author’s love for scripture is obvious, but more important is His love for truth and its affect on the lives of men. 

It is obvious as one reads that for the Psalmist, the Word of God holds a primary place in the life of believers. God’s word is not only primary; it is the sole source of authority for the life of the believer. It leads all who read it to look into the face of their Creator, and realize who He is. This ultimately leads the reader to realize what the reader himself is not; namely Holy. Like a lost sheep, we have all gone astray, but His word is strong enough to reconcile even the lost to Him. It is the source of salvation and it is the sum of all truth.

Are you in love with His word?  Do you know all its truths, its depths, its object? Ultimately, His Word points to Jesus, and when you get to Him, all joy exists. Do you know Him? Do you Love His Word?

pitiful Sinner

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1O God, whom I praise,
do not remain silent,
2for wicked and deceitful men
have opened their mouths against me;
they have spoken against me with lying tongues.
3With words of hatred they surround me;
they attack me without cause.
4In return for my friendship they accuse me,
but I am a man of prayer.
5They repay me evil for good,
and hatred for my friendship.
6Appoint an evil man to oppose him;
let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
and may his prayers condemn him.
8May his days be few;
may another take his place of leadership.
9May his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.
10May his children be wandering beggars;
may they be driven from their ruined homes.
11May a creditor seize all he has;
may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
12May no one extend kindness to him
or take pity on his fatherless children.
13May his descendants be cut off,
their names blotted out from the next generation.
14May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord;
may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15May their sins always remain before the Lord,
that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
16For he never thought of doing a kindness,
but hounded to death the poor
and the needy and the brokenhearted.
17He loved to pronounce a curse—
may it come on him;
he found no pleasure in blessing—
may it be far from him.
18He wore cursing as his garment;
it entered into his body like water,
into his bones like oil.
19May it be like a cloak wrapped about him,
like a belt tied forever around him.
20May this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers,
to those who speak evil of me.

21But you, O Sovereign Lord,
deal well with me for your name’s sake;
out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.
22For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is wounded within me.
23I fade away like an evening shadow;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24My knees give way from fasting;
my body is thin and gaunt.
25I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they shake their heads.
26Help me, O Lord my God;
save me in accordance with your love.
27Let them know that it is your hand,
that you, O Lord, have done it.
28They may curse, but you will bless;
when they attack they will be put to shame,
but your servant will rejoice.
29My accusers will be clothed with disgrace
and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.
30With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord;
in the great throng I will praise him.
31For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
to save his life from those who condemn him.

- Psalm 109

David spends a lot of time in this Psalm discussing the nature, character and general lousy disposition of his enemies. It seems that everything they do, everything they say, even every beat of their heart is to accuse, curse, and do evil against him. However, while David likely has the justification (especially if one argues wrongly that David is under OT law not grace), that he needs to turn on his enemies and to seek vengeance. Instead, David lays the situation at the foot of the throne of God. Why?
First, David has a proper understanding of who God is. In the very first verse, he gives praise to God. In verse 21 he recognizes God’s sovereignty. In verse 26, he demonstrates that he understands God is the source of help and sustenance. David sees God for who he is…God, sovereign, almighty, omnipotent, omniscient, and Holy.
Second, David realizes that he is NOT God. In fact, David understands that he is (at best) poor, needy, weak, thin and gaunt. In other words, David knows that he is incapable of dealing with those who persecute him. He (and we) would deal with them in an evil manner, rather than with justice. He/we would deal with them for our glory, not God’s.
Finally, David seeks for God to be glorified in the resolution. He understands that God will repay, for us out of His love for us, but more importantly for His name’s sake. As a result, in the end, David will extol the Lord, just as he did in the beginning; proclaiming the truth of the righteous one, the defender of the needy, and savior of the condemned.
God is God and we are not. Yet God chooses to protect and provide for those He loves through Jesus Christ. Do you understand that God loves and wants to have a relationship with you? The result of this relationship may, like David’s life, not result in immediate freedom from difficulties, but it will eventually deliver an eternal life of peace and protection. Have you realized that you are a sinner? That you need a savior? Are you willing to confess and praise His name?

worhip Him

Psalm 99

Praise to the LORD for His Fidelity to Israel.

¹ The LORD reigns, let the peoples tremble;
He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake!
² The LORD is great in Zion,
And He is exalted above all the peoples.
³ Let them praise Your great and awesome name;
Holy is He.
⁴ The strength of the King loves justice;
You have established equity;
You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
⁵ Exalt the LORD our God
And worship at His footstool;
Holy is He.
⁶ Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
And Samuel was among those who called on His name;
They called upon the LORD and He answered them.
⁷ He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;
They kept His testimonies
And the statute that He gave them.
⁸ O LORD our God, You answered them;
You were a forgiving God to them,
And yet an avenger of their evil deeds.
⁹ Exalt the LORD our God
And worship at His holy hill,
For holy is the LORD our God.

God is so unlike us.  In fact, He is utterly un-us.  We are merely creation, fallible, and sinful.  We stumble and grope through this life, wandering and searching for something more.  Too often we end up worshiping (exalting) something so un-worthy (ourselves, our money, our jobs, etc).

God is solely worthy of our worship. Why? First, He is sovereign.  He reigns.  All creation sits at His feet.  Second, He is Holy, wholly other, cut-off, sanctified. As a result, He is perfect in justice, righteousness, love, equity, and in every other characteristic people long for. Third, He is gracious.  He forgives in spite of our “evil deeds.” When He has every right to exact revenge upon us, and to seek justice, He instead has provided grace to those who know (place the entirety of their faith in) and love him.

The call is for us to live Holy lives, worshipping Him in every aspect of our lives. We are to rejoice when the world cuts us off and we are to wait upon Him to avenge their evil deeds. We are called to a life of keeping His testimonies.  If you know Him, you are part of a Holy Priesthood, but you are still a fallible sinner.  Come to His footstool and be refreshed. Come and worship.

A Day of Reading

Psalm 89
A Contemplation of Ethan the Ezrahite

1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever;
With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
2 For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever;
Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.”

3 “I have made a covenant with My chosen,
I have sworn to My servant David:
4 ‘Your seed I will establish forever,
And build up your throne to all generations.’” Selah

5 And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD;
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.
6 For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD?
Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD?
7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints,
And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.
8 O LORD God of hosts,
Who is mighty like You, O LORD?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
9 You rule the raging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them.
10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain;
You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.

11 The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.
12 The north and the south, You have created them;
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.
13 You have a mighty arm;
Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Mercy and truth go before Your face.
15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.
16 In Your name they rejoice all day long,
And in Your righteousness they are exalted.
17 For You are the glory of their strength,
And in Your favor our horn is exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to the LORD,
And our king to the Holy One of Israel.

19 Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one,[b]
And said: “I have given help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20 I have found My servant David;
With My holy oil I have anointed him,
21 With whom My hand shall be established;
Also My arm shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not outwit him,
Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23 I will beat down his foes before his face,
And plague those who hate him.

24 “But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him,
And in My name his horn shall be exalted.
25 Also I will set his hand over the sea,
And his right hand over the rivers.
26 He shall cry to Me, ‘You are my Father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation.’
27 Also I will make him My firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.
28 My mercy I will keep for him forever,
And My covenant shall stand firm with him.
29 His seed also I will make to endure forever,
And his throne as the days of heaven.

30 “If his sons forsake My law
And do not walk in My judgments,
31 If they break My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
32 Then I will punish their transgression with the rod,
And their iniquity with stripes.
33 Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him,
Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.
34 My covenant I will not break,
Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
35 Once I have sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David:
36 His seed shall endure forever,
And his throne as the sun before Me;
37 It shall be established forever like the moon,
Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah

38 But You have cast off and abhorred,
You have been furious with Your anointed.
39 You have renounced the covenant of Your servant;
You have profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.
40 You have broken down all his hedges;
You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
41 All who pass by the way plunder him;
He is a reproach to his neighbors.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
You have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 You have also turned back the edge of his sword,
And have not sustained him in the battle.
44 You have made his glory cease,
And cast his throne down to the ground.
45 The days of his youth You have shortened;
You have covered him with shame. Selah

46 How long, LORD?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember how short my time is;
For what futility have You created all the children of men?
48 What man can live and not see death?
Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave? Selah

49 Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses,
Which You swore to David in Your truth?
50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants—
How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples,
51 With which Your enemies have reproached, O LORD,
With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.

52 Blessed be the LORD forevermore!
Amen and Amen.

holy God

Psalm 79

A Lament over the Destruction of Jerusalem, and Prayer for Help.

A Psalm of Asaph.

    ¹O God, the nations have invaded Your inheritance;
         They have defiled Your holy temple;
         They have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
    ²They have given the dead bodies of Your servants for food to the birds of the heavens,
         The flesh of Your godly ones to the beasts of the earth.
    ³They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem;
         And there was no one to bury them.
    ⁴We have become a reproach to our neighbors,
         A scoffing and derision to those around us.
    ⁵How long, O LORD? Will You be angry forever?
         Will Your jealousy burn like fire?
    ⁶Pour out Your wrath upon the nations which do not know You,
         And upon the kingdoms which do not call upon Your name.
    ⁷For they have devoured Jacob
         And laid waste his habitation.
    ⁸Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us;
         Let Your compassion come quickly to meet us,
         For we are brought very low.
    ⁹Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name;
         And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.
    ¹⁰Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
         Let there be known among the nations in our sight,
         Vengeance for the blood of Your servants which has been shed.
    ¹¹Let the groaning of the prisoner come before You;
         According to the greatness of Your power preserve those who are doomed to die.
    ¹²And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom
         The reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord.
    ¹³So we Your people and the sheep of Your pasture
         Will give thanks to You forever;
         To all generations we will tell of Your praise.

 

The Psalmist is in agony over the state of Jerusalem and the way that Israel is viewed among the other nations.  He sees and understands that how these unbelievers see Israel is a reflection upon how they see Israel’s God. The truth is, while Israel probably deserved what she had received, God did not deserve to be associated with her. However, God was in their midst (in His temple), and the sin of Israel which had brought about the nations defeat now caused others to see God in a negative light.

The church today is no different. With every scandal, with every moral failure, with each stain on the righteousness of God, not only does the world see the church negatively, they see at best an impotent god or worst, truth to the lie of atheism. Then the world gains a foothold into the church and the defilement of Gods holy temple begins. However, the failure is not monolithic or corporate alone. Corporate sin cannot grow apart from individual sin. So, believers must first address their personal holiness if there is to be a change in the holiness of the church. This stems from a proper understanding of God’s righteousness and, through our relationship to Christ, a desire to also be holy.

Additionally, the psalmist gives great insight into the fact that the change begins with the recognition that apart from God we are impotent to change (v.9 cf. Jn 15:5). Our lives are not about us; they are about how we glorify God, our Savior and Lord. If we do not know Him, we cannot glorify Him.  But for those who do, we must focus on His righteousness, and His glory, living in but apart from the world, so that the world may see who god really is.

Finally, we are to praise Him. We are to praise Him in worship of course, but also with every word and deed of each day of our lives. This happens only when we live what we believe with the legacy of righteous living and surrender to a holy God be passed down to future generations. Our friends and neighbors and children do not care what we believe if it does not affect how we live.

Are you living righteously? Would those outside the church know that you are a Christian by the way you live? Is your holiness obvious enough to glorify God?

bitter Gift

Psalm 69

Save Me, O God

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. Of David.

 ¹Save me, O God!
   For the waters have come up to my neck
²I sink in deep mire,
   where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
   and the flood sweeps over me.
³I am weary with my crying out;
   my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
   with waiting for my God.

 ⁴More in number than the hairs of my head
   are those who hate me without cause;
mighty are those who would destroy me,
   those who attack me with lies.
What I did not steal
   must I now restore?
⁵O God, you know my folly;
   the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.

 ⁶Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,
   O Lord GOD of hosts;
let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me,
   O God of Israel.
⁷For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach,
   that dishonor has covered my face.
⁸I have become a stranger to my brothers,
   an alien to my mother’s sons.

 ⁹For zeal for your house has consumed me,
   and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
¹⁰When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting,
   it became my reproach.
¹¹When I made sackcloth my clothing,
   I became a byword to them.
¹²I am the talk of those who sit in the gate,
   and the drunkards make songs about me.

 ¹³But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD.
   At an acceptable time, O God,
   in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
¹⁴Deliver me
   from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered from my enemies
   and from the deep waters.
¹⁵Let not the flood sweep over me,
   or the deep swallow me up,
   or the pit close its mouth over me.

 ¹⁶Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good;
   according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
¹⁷Hide not your face from your servant;
   for I am in distress; make haste to answer me.
¹⁸Draw near to my soul, redeem me;
   ransom me because of my enemies!

 ¹⁹You know my reproach,
   and my shame and my dishonor;
   my foes are all known to you.
²⁰ Reproaches have broken my heart,
   so that I am in despair.
I looked for pity, but there was none,
   and for comforters, but I found none.
²¹They gave me poison for food,
   and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.

 ²² Let their own table before them become a snare;
   and when they are at peace, let it become a trap.
²³Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see,
    and make their loins tremble continually.
²⁴Pour out your indignation upon them,
   and let your burning anger overtake them.
²⁵ May their camp be a desolation;
   let no one dwell in their tents.
²⁶For they persecute him whom you have struck down,
   and they recount the pain of⁾ those you have wounded.
²⁷ Add to them punishment upon punishment;
   may they have no acquittal from you.
²⁸Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;
   let them not be enrolled among the righteous.

 ²⁹But I am afflicted and in pain;
   let your salvation, O God, set me on high!

 ³⁰I will praise the name of God with a song;
   I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
³¹This will please the LORD more than an ox
   or a bull with horns and hoofs.
³²When the humble see it they will be glad;
   you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
³³For the LORD hears the needy
   and does not despise his own people who are prisoners.

 ³⁴Let heaven and earth praise him,
   the seas and everything that moves in them.
³⁵For God will save Zion
   and build up the cities of Judah,
and people shall dwell there and possess it;
 ³⁶ the offspring of his servants shall inherit it,
   and those who love his name shall dwell in it.

Do you think you have had a bad day? Week? Month? Year? Life?  David did.  He continually takes complaints to God to say how poorly he is being treated by his enemies. While he does throw in the occasional praise to God, most of what he has written is either complaining about how bad things are for him, or praying for God to destroy those who are persecuting him. 

Interestingly, in v. 21, David says, “²¹They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.” The words for poison and sour wine can also be translated gall and vinegar respectively.  These are the exact items given to Christ on the cross (Matt. 27:34, 48) by His enemies.  It is no accident that David wrote these words foreshadowing the Suffering Servant’s last moments.  However, there is a difference between Christ’s response and David’s (and our’s).

While David was being persecuted, he did not ever come close to the suffering and persecution that Christ suffered.  No matter what we suffer, no matter how bad it seems, the depth of our suffering will never approach either the intensity of Christ’s suffering nor the injustice of His suffering.  You and I and even David, the man after God’s own heart, are sinners and our existence is only worthy of death and suffering.  We deserve it.  David was suffering for righteousness; God’s righteousness.  He was being persecuted for following God’s will. Christ died for unrighteousness; yours and mine. He did not deserve it.

Unlike David’s calling upon God for the destruction of his enemies (v. 22 ff), Christ called for the forgiveness of those who persecuted Him. Christ asked the Father to forgive those who were executing Him, even from the Cross. Yet David, who is protected from real sacrifice at every turn by God, calls upon the Father to destroy those who persecute him.  How different our response from Christ’s.

We cannot fathom the depth of suffering that Christ endured.  His complete separation from the Father is something we, thankfully, will never experience IF we have placed our faith in Christ.  Our sufferings are minor by comparison, BECAUSE Christ chose to suffer in our place and take what we deserve.  We really have no reason to complain.  Nothing we suffer will ever compare to the bitterness of gall and vinegar that Christ suffered in His separation from the Father.  This truth should change the way we view those who persecute us.  We should strive to forgive them, rather than seeking to destroy them.  We should try to follow Christ’s example.

mighty Protector

Psalm 64

Prayer for Deliverance from Secret Enemies.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

    ¹Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;
         Preserve my life from dread of the enemy.
    ²Hide me from the secret counsel of evildoers,
         From the tumult of those who do iniquity,
    ³Who have sharpened their tongue like a sword
         They aimed bitter speech as their arrow,
    ⁴To shoot from concealment at the blameless;
         Suddenly they shoot at him, and do not fear.
    ⁵They hold fast to themselves an evil purpose;
         They talk of laying snares secretly;
         They say, “Who can see them?”
    ⁶They devise injustices, saying,
         ”We are ready with a well-conceived plot”;
         For the inward thought and the heart of a man are deep.

 
    ⁷But God will shoot at them with an arrow;
         Suddenly they will be wounded.
    ⁸So they will make him stumble;
        Their own tongue is against them;
         All who see them will shake the head.

 
    ⁹Then all men will fear,
         And they will declare the work of God,
         And will consider what He has done.
    ¹⁰The righteous man will be glad in the LORD and will take refuge in Him;
         And all the upright in heart will glory.

 

Do you ever feel like you are under attack? Does your walk seem like one ambush after another?  Are snipers continually finding you in their cross-hairs?  Congratulations. I am here to rejoice with you. Why? Christ told us that we would be the targets of attack, if we are living within God’s will (Matt. 5:11-12).  When we do what God has commanded and are seeking His will, the world will be out to get us. David comes to God to lodge his complaint about this here in Psalm 64:1-6.  Fortunately, the complaint is not all that David has left with us.

David goes on to demonstrate his understanding that handling these attacks falls under God’s responsibilities, not ours (vv.7-8). Yes, we can lash out or take steps to stop them, but we should not. For, if we do, we have a tendency to do so imperfectly.  When we do it, people do not see a loving God through us, they see hypocrisy and vengeance. When God handles the situation, those who attack us are shown in their true light, and all who see them will shake their heads.

When we allow God to take over, there are two results (vv.9-10). First, those who attack us realize who they are in relationship to an Almighty God, and they end up in reverence/fear. This leads them to declare to all what God has done on our behalf.  Second, we will glory in what God has done, as he provides refuge for us.  He will protect us and keep us safe.

Praise God that He is sovereign and that we do not have the responsibility to deal with such attacks. Pray that you will hand over the attacks to God. Pray that He will fulfill his promise of sanctuary. Pray for those who attack; that they will fear the Lord, declaring what He has done and be won to our side.

sorry Inconsistency

Psalm 59

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies.

¹Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
         Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.
    ²Deliver me from those who do iniquity
         And save me from men of bloodshed.
³For behold, they have set an ambush for my life;
         Fierce men launch an attack against me,
        Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O LORD,
    ⁴For no guilt of mine, they run and set themselves against me
         Arouse Yourself to help me, and see!
  ⁵You,O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel,
         Awake to punish all the nations;
        Do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity. Selah.
⁶They return at evening, they howl like a dog,
         And go around the city.
    ⁷Behold, they belch forth with their mouth;
         Swords are in their lips,
         For, they say, “Who hears?”
⁸But You, O LORD, laugh at them;
         You scoff at all the nations.
    ⁹Because of his strength I will watch for You,
         For God is my stronghold.
    ¹⁰My God in His lovingkindness will meet me;
         God will let me look triumphantly upon my foes.
¹¹Do not slay them, or my people will forget;
         Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down,
         O Lord, our shield.
    ¹²On account of the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,
         Let them even be caught in their pride,
         And on account of curses and lies which they utter.
    ¹³Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more;
         That men may know that God rules in Jacob
         To the ends of the earth. Selah.

¹⁴They return at evening, they howl like a dog,
         And go around the city.
    ¹⁵They wander about for food
         And growl if they are not satisfied.
    ¹⁶But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength;
         Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning,
         For You have been my stronghold
         And a refuge in the day of my distress.
    ¹⁷ O my strength, I will sing praises to You;
         For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness

Oh David, yet another prayer of deliverance from his enemies.  Seems like a pattern, doesn’t it.  This man after God’s own heart is one who seems to react and relate to God very much like I do:  inconsistently and impatiently. Even within this Psalm, we can see this cycle played out over and over again.  In Ps 59:1-2 he prays asking god for deliverance, in Ps 59:3-4 he complains of his woes, and again in Ps 59:5 he prays. In Ps 59:6-7 he renews his complaint, yet in Ps 59:8-10 declares his confidence in God, and in Ps 59:11-13 He returns yet again to prayer; finally he prays again in Ps 59:14-15hopefully ending the cycle in the loving kindness of God.

First to notice about this is that our lives are often no different than that of David’s. True, the details may be different. It may be finals that you are complaining and praying over as opposed to the king who is trying to kill you, but we struggle and our faith ebbs and flows just as David’s. We are no more or less exempt from the effect of sin in this world and its impact in our lives than David was.

Second, just as our (including David’s) lives are up and down, so are our relationships to God.  I know that I often find that just as I am coming off a great triumph of faith in Christ, I often find myself humbled at a realization of faithlessness in some other aspect. I also notice that while I pray fervently, I often complain and rely too heavily upon myself for solution instead of upon God.

Finally, I hope that I always end back up where David’s psalm ends; praising my God and relying upon him.  David is was not perfect, and neither are we. However, that does not alleviate our striving for perfection, nor does it minimize the power of God to overcome our imperfections. He is God and we are not. He is deserving of our faith, and our trust, and our works and our love. Ultimately, this is the goal of every believer;  to be able to say,

      “I shall sing of Your strength;
         Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning,
         For You have been my stronghold
         And a refuge in the day of my distress.
       O my strength, I will sing praises to You;
         For God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness.”

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