my Helper
August 13, 2009 by Mac
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Psalm 54
Prayer for Defense against Enemies.
For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Is not David hiding himself among us?”
1Save me, O God, by Your name,
And vindicate me by Your power.
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have risen against me
And violent men have sought my life;
They have not set God before them. Selah.
4 Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
5 He will recompense the evil to my foes;
Destroy them in Your faithfulness.
6 Willingly I will sacrifice to You;
I will give thanks to Your name, O LORD, for it is good.
7For He has delivered me from all trouble,
And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.
In light of Psalm 53, this Psalm give us a reason to rejoice. The dark and foreboding truth that none of us is deserving of God or His mercy, is washed away as we read the truths sung in the 54th Psalm. David is hiding from Saul (and the world of his day), trying not to be found and killed. Apart from God, there seems to be no hope of defeating an almighty (albeit earthly) king. However, in the midst of this despair, David gives us hope.
His opening two verses, first demonstrate that it is God, not man who is responsible for our salvation, protection and provision. God, despite our inability for good, chooses to save, vindicate and hear us. The word used in the NASB “vindicate” literally means to return to a straight path. And as David rightly understands, this is only accomplished through God’s power.
David also recognizes that while God is sovereign and we are powerless, we are not uninvolved in this process. David calls God his Helper. While this at first seems a bit egotistical, it demonstrates two things. First, God isn’t going to do everything for us. He expects us to be obediently involved. Second, we must have help. We cannot do it apart from Him.
David wraps it all up in worship. Willingly he offers thanks and sacrifice. Why? It is simply good to do so (v.6). There is the side benefit of our salvation, and our protection, and our provision from God. However, ultimately, we worship because God deserves our adoration, our sacrifice, our praise.
Where are you struggling right now? What or who is the Saul in your life? Are you trying to be victorious alone? Give up and surrender to Him. Allow Him to control your live and follow where he wants you to go. He will provide salvation and vindication. More importantly, He will restore you to a relationship of praise and adoration of Him that will make your life more full than you could ever imagine.
a Provider and Deliverer
July 16, 2009 by Mac
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The LORD, a Provider and Deliverer.
A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed.
1 I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul will make its boast in the LORD;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
3 O magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
9 O fear the LORD, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Who is the man who desires life
And loves length of days that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry, and the LORD hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
Ps. 34 - NASB
A HYMN
34:1-3 A Vow to bless the Lord
David makes a vow to bless the Lord. From personal experience which was difficult at times (to say the least), David knew that God was capable of great and miraculous things. However, David’s praise what not because of what the Lord had done, but simply of who God is. David was aware of the nature of God, through experience and the result was humility (a natural response when one understand who God is. See Isa. 6:1-8)
34:4-7 A Personal Experience Shared
David shares his personal experience of the Lord. His language is firm and confident. He believes that the Lord is the same for all who call upon the name of the Lord. He will save them. He will deliver them. He will send His angels to camp around them. God will deliver, for you and I as for David.
34:8-10 An Exhortation to the Righteous
Those who are His are taken care of in every manner. This righteousness and obedience is not the means to salvation and provision, but the result of and promise to those who rely solely upon His grace. Refuge comes not because we seek it, but because he has offered it to us. We gives not what we deserve, but that which we cannot do for ourselves.
A SERMON
34:11-14 A Direct Exhortation
David here exhorts people to come. Not because they have lived righteously, or fear the Lord, or hold their tongue, but they come because he will cause them to live righteously, and fear the Lord and have self-control. Until they come, they cannot even pursue peace, much less overtake or capture it. The life apart from God is one of hopelessness, and ignorance, knowing no peace; however, the life with Him is full and joyful.
34:15-22 A Didactic Teaching
There will be two groups in the end. Those who love God and as a result obey Him (see 1 John), and those who are unrighteous, having rejected the free pardon from death and sin. David reminds the hearer that one day God will judge. The end will be joyful for those who know him and will literally be Hell for those who do not.
true King
July 2, 2009 by Mac
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“The King of Glory Entering Zion.
A Psalm of David.
1The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it.
2For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
3Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
And who may stand in His holy place?
4He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood
And has not sworn deceitfully.
5He shall receive a blessing from the LORD
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face–even Jacob. Selah.
7 Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
8Who is the King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD mighty in battle.
9Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
10Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah.” - Psalm 24
The Psalm makes a pair with the fifteenth Psalm. It consists of three parts. The first glorifies the true God, and sings of his universal dominion; the second describes the true Israel, who are able to commune with him; and the third pictures the ascent of the true Redeemer, who has opened heaven’s gates for the entrance of his elect.
true God (vv. 1-2)
The true God is a singularly sovereign God. He possesses everything because he created everything. It is not just the inanimate of creation which owe their existence to God, but everything which dwells within creation. Every living creature, man included, was placed there by God in His singular act of creation.
The implication is that God’s dominion over creation also establishes a standard of behavior. This standard is not arbitrary, but is God Himself, and it is against this standard that every man (woman and child) will be judged.
true Israel (vv.3-6)
Only those who meet this standard will be allowed, found worthy of ascending the Hill of the Lord. This means a life filled with holiness, righteousness, and purity; without blemish or stain. Unfortunately, no man has lived a life which meets this standard.
Instead, the creation is dependent upon the creator to provide His righteousness and His salvation. This salvation creates a holy brotherhood of believers, Israel in the Old Testament, the church today. This body is made of those who have received their righteousness and salvation from God.
true Redeemer (vv.8-10)
So who is this savior, this righteous road to salvation? He is the King of Glory, whom all of heaven will receive and exalt. He alone is worthy of praise and exaltation, for He alone is responsible for the salvation of man; having purchased him with His own blood for the forgiveness of sins.
Do you know this righteous savior? Do you believe in the King of Glory? Have you been purchased by His blood? He is the only means to be in fellowship with God, the sovereign creator of all. He is the only means to eternal joy. He is King Jesus.