Psalms
Psalm 1:6, “The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Even a cursory glance at history shows that, in every era, the ungodly have controlled most of the wealth and power of this world. This promise of God from nearly 3000 years ago refers to the eternal kingdom, whose denizens are spirits, not physical humans. God promised that the brokenness of this world will not continue forever. Our short time here will be overshadowed by an eternity in the company of only those of mutual trust and selfless concern.
Psalm 2:1 – 2, “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed.” God predicted, a thousand years before Jesus, that the powerful people of this world would oppose His message when, in reality, they should have espoused and promoted it. The faithful obey the law, work hard, take care of each other, and have a very positive outlook. What reasonable leader would not want citizens of this caliber?
Psalm 2:7 – 9, “…You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall rule them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.” A thousand years before Jesus, God outlined Jesus’ future position: ruler of all nations. We observe those nations and do not see much obedience to Jesus. That is because the purpose is faith, not behavior. Jesus rules governments to create incubators for faith.
Psalm 2:10 – 12, “Now, therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Above the cares of life are all those who put their trust in Him.” In the verses following the announcement that the Messiah would be ruler of all nations is the advice to leaders on earth that things would go better for them if they aligned themselves with Him.
Psalm 3:2 – 3, “Many are they who say of me, ‘No help for him in God.’ But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.” David’s son, Absalom, tried to usurp the throne through politics. David retreated 50 miles northeast. Many interpreted this as weakness on David’s part, that his God was not protecting him. But, in reality, David was continually seeking the advice of God and was acting wisely for the sake of the nation rather than for his own glory. Maintaining faith in the midst of adversity is a valuable skill.
Psalm 4:4, “Be angry and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed and be still.” Anger is a normal human emotion. Even Jesus was described as being angry (Mark 3:5). The key, David wrote, was to maintain control of oneself and think it through. All the passions inherent to humans can be channeled productively. Christians have it easier than David, who had to manage this through meditation. Christians have the indwelling Spirit whose major task is to repair damaged character, resulting in self-control.
Psalm 5:1 – 3, “Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning. Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and My God, for to You I will pray. My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.” In this psalm, David wrote that he started each day in prayer, even though those prayers were largely negative. Starting with prayer alters the day. Further, David had the confidence to look up, figuratively looking God in the eye, unafraid.
Psalm 6:1 – 2, “O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.” David recognized God’s justifiable anger at his multitude of poor choices. He asked for mercy, which is one step beyond compassion, including a compelling desire to fix the problem. Sometimes, we like where we are and just want God to overlook our obviously poor choices. David was more sensible. Ask for repairs, not a suspension of justice.
Psalm 7:8, “Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my integrity within me.” David made many bad choices in his life, yet was so confident that he asked God to judge him according to his righteousness. David had already abandoned the notion that he could be “good enough” for God. He had figured out that trusting in and acting upon God’s promises was what God sought in people, not flawless behavior. So he was called “a man after God’s own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14)
Psalm 7:9 – 10, “…the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. My defense is of God, who saves the upright in heart.” For some, the fact that God judges the hearts and minds rather than focusing on performance can be troubling. For others, this piece of reality is both comforting and liberating. If my intentions were good, less than optimal execution is not a problem. Build faith; accomplishment will follow. But building accomplishment will stifle faith.
Psalm 8:4 – 5, “What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that you give attention to him? For you have made him a little lower than the angels and you have crowned him with glory and honor.” The question is not an opportunity for self-deprecation, but an encouraging reminder. Humans were made with spirits which will live forever (in His image, Genesis 1:26 – 27). Certainly, humans presently are less hardy than angels. But, God has made us capable of being a parade of godly character traits (glory) and being honored for faith and love.
Psalm 9:9 – 10, “The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for you, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.” The “name” of someone is that person’s essential quality. So, the “name” of God represents His divine nature, not His moniker. Those who understand that nature put their trust in Him. The oppressed who seek God have confidence that this God of grace, mercy, love, justice, peace, patience, gentleness, and kindness will handle their adversities.
Psalm 9:15 – 16, “The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made; in the net which they hid, their own foot is caught. The Lord is known by the judgment He executes; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.” Even a cursory glance at the evening news can make us wonder where all the bad came from. Humanity has done this to itself because it seeks its own twisted goals. God, on the other hand, is known for His justice and fairness and compassion and love. Yet, people continue to chase the dreams of the world rather than the reality of God.
Psalm 10:1, “Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide in times of trouble?” The oppressed often feel this way. Several reasons for this seeming delay are suggested in the Scriptures. First, God is patient, giving as much time as possible for the unbeliever to change. Second, the world was not built for comfort, but as an incubator for faith. We need a certain amount of discomfort to help us rely on God. Third, God built people with the ability to choose. Many times, they have chosen badly, resulting in a very messy world.
Psalm 14:1 – 3, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good…no, not one.” However, in the same psalm, David writes that, “God is with the generation of the righteous.” David was comparing two groups: those who rejected the entire notion of God versus those labelled righteous. Certainly, the righteous are the minority in both numbers and power, but they exist and God cares for them.
Psalm 15:1 – 2, “Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.” The rest of the psalm gives more details about these who walk uprightly. David’s point is that those who speak the truth in their hearts, who do not try to fool themselves, dwell with God, and, as in the last verse, “shall never be moved.”
Psalm 16:7 – 8, “I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” David praised God for providing advice. His past success resulting from that advice caused David to keep the Lord before him all the more. Sadly, many people use God’s advice, find some success, then think they can handle the rest themselves.
Psalm 16:10, “For You will not leave my soul in the realm of the dead, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see decay.” A thousand years before Jesus, David understood two important facts about the family of God. The righteous, among whom David counted himself, would not languish in limbo but actually be with God. And the promised Messiah would not go the way of all flesh and decay, but would be resurrected. Peter confirmed that this well-known understanding was correct when he used it as proof the Jesus was that promised Messiah (Acts 2:27).
Psalm 17:1, “Hear a just cause, O Lord, attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.” David’s prayers often contained his claim to being blameless or upright. But David’s history was not so pure. David understood that God had a plan for atonement, although not the details, and he reveled in the fact that God would trust him again (forgive). This level of confidence before God should characterize Christians, too.
Psalm 17:15, “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” David understood that, despite not being able to see God while he was alive on earth, he would see Him after that. He found great comfort in knowing that he would awaken after physical death as a spirit that is connected to God, who is Spirit.
Psalm 18:3, “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.” The rest of the lyrics of this popular song is in verse 46, “The Lord liveth! Blessed be the Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted.” The song should bring to the singer’s mind the entire context of the psalm, such as verse 24, “Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.” David assumed that rescue by God depended on first being blameless before Him.
Psalm 19:1 – 3, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” The complexity, intricacy, and stability of the universe implies a creator. The nature of creation implies the nature of its creator. Both are consistent, thought-provoking, and awe-inspiring.
Psalm 19:7 – 9, “The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” The objective of God is not to command proper behavior, but to develop wisdom, joy, and understanding. Our expectations color our perception of His Word.
Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” David closed this psalm with a thought that bears repeating. Although Christians have the promise of a prayer-editing function from the indwelling Spirit (Romans 8:26), editors do not write the piece, just fix it. Intellectual and emotional effort in prayer is required.
Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” The “name” of God is not His moniker, but His essential quality. The faithful trust that the integrated and consistent character of God will manage the final outcome of an eternity in the family of the faithful, all of whom operate based on mutual trust and selfless concern. The time between now and then is spent in God’s incubator for faith. The machines of man cannot make either now or the future come out better.
Psalm 21:4, “He [the king] asked life from You, and You gave it to him – length of days forever and ever.” David, a thousand years before Jesus, understood about eternal life after physical death, and wrote about it. The faithful of ancient times had much less information than do we, yet managed to recognize the objective of creation and God’s purpose. Dedication to truth, avoidance of self-deception, and ordinary logic are enough to arrive at the necessary conclusions that then become the foundation for earthly life.
Psalm 22:1, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” Jesus quoted this line from the cross, intending to convey the meaning of the whole psalm, not just an out-of-context thought. The first 20.5 verses paint a picture of desperation. In the last 10.5 verses, the tone shifts to one of confidence in God, like verse 24, “For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from Him; but when He cried out to Him, He heard.” Jesus was declaring His rescue, not His defeat.
Psalm 23:3, “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Being connected to God rejuvenates one’s outlook on life despite the many ways life on earth goes badly. God’s leadership leads into doing the right thing. But, the purpose of that leadership is not to build a race of well-behaved robots. God transforms the faithful into the image of the character of Jesus for the purpose of demonstrating what godly character is, illustrating God’s essential nature.
Psalm 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Fear of death has been the controller of the vast majority of people who have ever lived. Connection with God overcomes that slavery, allowing the faithful to do the right thing, whatever the consequences. The power and the guidance of God reassure us in the worst and the best of circumstances.
Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.” Human history has been directed by competing claims to what is “mine.” In reality, we are just temporary custodians of someone else’s stuff. Certainly, the faithful want to discharge their obligations well, using the assets in their care for the best progress of the Kingdom of God. But a discouraging fraction of humanity has lost track of where the things they have came from and what will happen to those things when they die.
Psalm 25:1 – 7, “Unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in Thee; let me not be ashamed; let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on Thee be ashamed…Show me Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths…Remember not the sins of my youth…” The popular song came directly from this psalm. The Israelites from the time of David onward used this and many other of his songs as means of memorizing Scriptures. The singing of Scripture is one method toward being filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18 – 20).
Psalm 26:1 – 3, “Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord; I shall not slip. Examine me, O Lord, and test me; try my mind and my heart. For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth.” David, in this psalm, portrays himself as having integrity, faith, and having walked in truth. David’s history is littered with terrible choices. Reconciling those divergent facts suggests that David always knew what was right, despite occasional missteps, and remained confident in God throughout.
Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” People fear death, loss, pain, and humiliation. Many are controlled by those fears. David experienced many adversities yet overcame because of his trust in God.
Psalm 27:6, “And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.” A very similar sentiment is expressed in Hebrews 13:15. Singing about the nature of God has always been an effective way of connecting with God and for communicating that nature to others.
Psalm 27:13 – 14, “Did I not believe to see God’s goodness in the land of the living? Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and let your heart be strong and hope in the Lord.” Despite living in a cruel and ruthless period of history, David was confident that he would see the goodness of God while still alive on the earth. Hope gives life purpose; hope of seeing the goodness of God makes life positive. The key is to have the strength of conviction to be patient.
Psalm 28:7, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am greatly helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.” The earth is an incubator for faith. Those who recognize that see the troubles of this world as training exercises, not failures. Overcoming adversity should promote rejoicing in song.
Psalm 30:4 – 5, “Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” All of God’s character traits always work together consistently. Although adversity is part of God’s training program, even on earth this life can be characterized as joyous and worth living.
Psalm 31:5, “Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.” Most people recognize Jesus’ last words from the cross. He was quoting a well-known verse from a psalm that conveyed His attitude at that moment, not just the one verse but the whole psalm. Although the observers at Golgotha assumed that Jesus’ execution meant that He had been defeated, Jesus’ message was that His trust was still in the Lord.
Psalm 32:1 – 2, “Above the cares of this life is he whose sin is covered. Above the cares of this life is the man to whom the Lord does not charge his account with iniquity, and in whose spirit is no deceit.” Paul quoted this psalm in Romans 4:7 – 8, illustrating that this concept had been well known for more than a thousand years. The final phrase is the key. Despite foibles and missteps, the faithful can rise above the routine disasters of life on earth as long as they can say confidently that they had no intention of trying to deceive God.
Psalm 33:4 – 5, “For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of God.” The gods of history were inconsistent with regard to truth, righteousness, and justice. Modern relativism finds no absolutes. The earth today is full of the results of those departures from reality. The faithful trust that the goodness of God can still be found on earth.
Psalm 33:6, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the hosts of them by the breath of His mouth.” Modern cosmology postulates that the universe has always been, expanding and contracting infinitely. The Bible asserts that the universe was created. The difference is that cosmology has formulas that can never be tested because time travel remains elusive. The assertions of the Bible are founded on thousands of years of physical evidence which sits quietly in museums and libraries around the world.
Psalm 34:15, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.” But who are these who are called righteous? One such example is Abraham (Genesis 15:6); his trust in the promises of God (faith) caused him to be counted as righteous. That same trust is cited by numerous Bible authors as the model for acceptance by God. Those with that kind of trust are those for whom God changes the course of history.
Psalm 35:9, “My soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation.” The context of the psalm is the plea of one who is in danger from enemies. Yet, in the midst of catastrophe, David could be joyful because of his acceptance by God. All the faithful have a similar outlook.
Psalm 36:2 & 7, “For [the wicked] flatters himself in his own eyes, when he finds out his iniquity and when he hates…How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God. Therefore, the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.” David contrasts the thinking of the wicked versus the thinking of the righteous. Many rationalize evil, deceiving only themselves. The righteous do not focus on themselves but on the character and trustworthiness of God.
Psalm 37:1. “Do not fret because of evildoers nor be envious of workers of iniquity.” The faithful have a confident expectation that justice will prevail in the end, although that end may be far in the future. However, the fact that unethical people accumulate wealth and live in comfort can be troublesome to the faithful in the short term. So, the psalmist addresses that age-old source of anxiety and discontentment. Jesus quoted verse 11 of this psalm in the Sermon on the Mount, “The meek shall inherit the earth.”
Psalm 37:16, “A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked.” In the short term, those who care nothing of God can accumulate much wealth and power. But the righteous (those declared acceptable by God because of their faith) can have an earthly life of peace and joy and contentment because of their consistent ethics and selfless relationships.
Psalm 37:21, “The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives.” Our legal system has loopholes to allow unethical people to legally avoid repayment of debts. The counterpoint is not that the righteous pay their debts, but that they seek to solve the problems of others (mercy) and lend a hand as needed. The contrast is between a self-centered attitude that finds loopholes for person gain, versus the selfless attitude that seeks the best for others.
Psalm 37: 23 – 24, “The steps of a good man are established by the Lord, and he delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholds his hand.” David inserted literary devices to make the reader think. Does the Lord delight in the good man’s way, or does the good man delight in his way? Both. Does the Lord rescue with His hand the one who stumbles, or does the Lord uphold the hand of him who stumbles? Both.
Psalm 38:1, “O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.” David was acknowledging his sin (verse 3), and included in his prayer a plea not to face God’s anger. The grace of God (the collection of godly character traits with emphasis on their integration and consistency) had been recorded since the time of Moses, even in Genesis. But God’s anger also was recorded, which is part of His perfectly balanced personality. Through owning up to his sins, David hoped to avoid the wrath and experience forgiveness.
Psalm 39:7 – 8, “And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. Deliver me from all my transgressions; do not make me the reproach of the foolish.” David acknowledged to God his self-deceiving excuses (transgressions) and pleaded not to be seen as a fool by others for those excuses. Overcoming self-deception emerges from understanding the character of God.
Psalm 40:1 – 3, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth – Praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and will trust in the Lord.” The troubles of life are aptly described as a miry pit. Having confidence in God results in rescue and being established on a solid rock. Recounting such rescues induces others to reconsider God and develop faith, also.
Psalm 40:6 – 8, “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; my ears you have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. Then I said, ‘Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, and your Law is written within my heart.’” Hebrews 10:5 – 9 applies these verses to Jesus. The sacrificial system of the Law of Moses was not an end in itself, but was symbolic of delighting in serving God and declaring His character.
Psalm 40:10, “I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great assembly.” Unfortunately, many church-goers do not speak to others about the character of God. Perhaps they have not been encouraged to do so. Perhaps they assume that others are not interested. Or, perhaps they think that such news is already known. David used such announcements to remind God that an appropriate response to his sin would be mercy.
Psalm 40:11 – 12, “Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord; let Your truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up…Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me.” David was honest about his shortcomings; he was not afraid to admit them to God then immediately plead for speedy deliverance from woes of his own making. Many miss this point and abandon their faith because of the slowness of their growth.
Psalm 41:1, “Above the cares of life (blessed) is he who considers the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.” Faith produces an attitude that rises above the brokenness of life on earth. This attitude yields selflessness, so the plight of the poor becomes visible. The trouble from which the faithful need deliverance is above earthly concerns, rather being focused on the health of the spirit.
Psalm 41:9, “Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heal against me.” Jesus cited this line in John 13:18 to describe His betrayal by Judas. Jesus used the word, fulfilled. However, no one would call this psalm messianic nor would understand it as a prediction. Fulfilled, as used in the New Testament, refers to an Old Testament description that illustrates a New Testament situation. Predictions were introduced with words like, “As is written in the prophets…”
Psalm 42:11, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the salvation of my countenance and my God.” The key to a positive outlook on life is an accurate conception of the nature of God.
Psalm 45:6 – 7, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore, God, Your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” Hebrews 1:8 – 9 applies this description to the Son. The ancient rabbis understood this psalm to be Messianic because of its references to an eternal kingdom. Its symbol was not a sword but righteousness. The King was anointed with gladness rather than power. Such is the God of the faithful.
Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The brokenness of the societies on earth and the evils that pervade them can beat down hope. The psalmist reminds the faithful that God is still in charge. As explained in 2 Peter 3:9, God is patient, giving time for people to change. The faithful wait quietly, not for the overthrow of the wicked but for the praises of God to sung by them.
Psalm 49:6 – 9, “Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him – for the redemption of their souls is costly, and it shall cease forever – that he should continue to live eternally and not see the pit.” God confirmed the logical deduction that no one on earth has enough to pay off the damage done by sin. Justice must be satisfied. The faithful recognize that only God can satisfy that debt, and He did through the sacrifice of Jesus.
Psalm 51:1 – 2, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your lovingkindness; according to Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” After Nathan caused David to face his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12), David appealed for both mercy and cleansing. Not only did he realize that his sins needed to be blotted out, but also that he needed to be repaired so as not to do similar things again. For the modern faithful, character transformation is the task of the indwelling Spirit.
Psalm 51:3 – 4, “I acknowledge my transgressions; my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done this evil in Your sight…” When David overcame his self-deception concerning Bathsheba, he made no excuses to God; he accepted full responsibility. Further, he recognized that justice exists because it is a character trait of God, so such errors are not against some cosmic sense of right and wrong, but against the person of God.
Psalm 51:5 – 6, “I was brought forth in iniquity; in sin my mother conceived me. Behold I desire truth in the inward parts; in the hidden part you will make me know wisdom.” David was not blaming his mother for his sin with Bathsheba. Rather, this hyperbole asserts that he was born into a sinful world. Yet, as borne out by the rest of the psalm, David did not consider this an excuse for his behavior. Instead, be pleaded with God to help him find truth and for God to grant him wisdom so he won’t do this again.
Psalm 51:10 – 12, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore in me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” When David was dealing with the realization of how badly he had behaved with Bathsheba, he begged God not to remove the spirit of prophecy from him, as had happened to King Saul (1 Samuel 16:14). He begged for a clean, faithful, and joyful heart, repaired by the Spirit.
Psalm 51:13, “I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You.” After the incident with Bathsheba, David did more than seek repair and acceptance; he promised to use his own bad example as a means of enlightening similarly self-deceived people (transgressors) and those who chose badly due to the pressures of this broken world (sinners). David did not intend to just recount his dreadful past, but to show people how easily self-deception and worldly enticements cloud good judgment.
Psalm 51:17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart – these, O God, You will not despise.” In setting up the sacrificial system in the Law of Moses, the point was not the sacrifice but the heart that prompted the sacrifice. The same is true of the good things people do. The point is not the good thing, but the faith that prompted it.
Psalm 53:1, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’…” The Bible uses strong language to describe the self-deceived. Logically, the existence of a Creator comes down to finding a verifiable communication. The fool refuses to evaluate the evidence, but rather summarily dismisses the possibility of God, choosing instead the unverified or disproven assertions of people. Christianity is the only world view based on physically verifiable evidence.
Psalm 55:22, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be shaken.” Identifying oneself as among the “righteous” is counterintuitive to many church-goers. Yet, as Paul explained from Genesis and Habakkuk, the righteous shall live by faith. Proof that God has accepted that faith is demonstrated when the indwelling Spirit allows the faithful to overcome themselves (Romans 8:13), display superhuman selflessness (1 John 4:12 – 13), and are consistent from theory to practice (1 John 3:18 – 19).
Psalm 56:11, “In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Looking through the lives of faithful people recorded in the Bible, many were persecuted and many died for their faith. The difference for the faithful is that death is not feared, rather welcomed because departure from this broken world is considered an early out rather than a life cut short. Of course, Jesus asked for an exit other than crucifixion, but God heard that prayer and cut it short.
Psalm 57:9 – 10, “I will praise you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to you among the nations. For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, and your truth unto the clouds.” Mercy (fixing what ails you) and truth (reality) are hallmarks of God’s relationship with people. Recognizing the nature of that bond causes the faithful to announce this good news to those on the outside. Other foundations for life rely on self-improvement and various modes of self-deception.
Psalm 62:5 – 6, “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength and my refuge is in God.” Of course, the faithful are responsible for accomplishing that which is within their skills. But most of life is out of our control, and in those things the faithful have a confident expectation that He will supply that which He has promised. Therefore, knowing what He has promised is essential.
Psalm 63:3, “Because your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.” Most people relate to God on the basis of how they themselves can be served, which is self-centered. A much more fruitful method is to related to God on the basis of appreciating God’s nature. Other gods are about power and authority. The God of the Bible is the collection of positive character traits, perfectly integrated and consistent. David concluded that knowing the lovingkindness of God was of more value than physical life itself.
Psalm 64:10, “The righteous shall be glad in the Lord and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.” Those whom God counts righteous (the faithful) should be characterized as joyful and having a confident expectation of good things to come. Glory is a parade of whatever makes you noteworthy. The faithful should be remarkable to the outsider for this positive outlook and assurance.
Psalm 65:2 – 3, “O You who hear prayer, to You all flesh will come. Iniquities prevail against me; as for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them.” Not only did David understand that prayer was heard and that Judgment would come, but also that the necessary atonement would be provided by God, which He did through the sacrifice of Jesus. Yet, many church-goers try to provide their own atonement, while others recognize that futility and give up, thinking themselves too far gone to ever come back. David knew better.
Psalm 66:5, “Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.” If modern church-goers were to take this psalm to heart, what works of God would they announce? Personal experiences and feelings are not useful to their audience because such subjective evidence cannot be proven. This psalmist cited the documented historical events of Israel. To this day, such physical evidence abounds in museums. Christianity is unique in that it relies on evidence rather than legends and myths.
Psalm 67:1 – 2, “God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, that Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.” The point of God repairing our flaws (having mercy on us) and saying good things about us is not for our benefit but to accelerate the message of rescue and of peace and hope across the world.
Psalm 68:18, “You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, even from the rebellious, that the Lord might dwell there.” Paul cited this verse in Ephesians 4:8 as, “Therefore He says, ‘When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” The differences are interesting. Certainly, Paul understood that he had changed an important word: receive versus give. This was designed as food for thought. God received from the captives and gave to the children.
Psalm 69:4, “Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs on my head; they are mighty who would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully; though I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it.” Although no ancient rabbis understood this psalm to be Messianic, several of its verses were cited in the New Testament as descriptive of what happened to Jesus, who used the beginning of this verse in John 15:25 to prepare His disciples for their own difficult futures. Such is the plight of the righteous in this broken world.
Psalm 69:6, “Let not those who wait for You, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed because of me; let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel.” This prayer of a righteous man under severe persecution is an appeal to God for rescue not because of his righteousness, but because others might not understand that the difficulty is due to his righteousness, not his evildoing; that they might become confused about God. Even in the most difficult of times, the righteous think in terms of others rather than themselves.
Psalm 70:2 – 3, “Let them be ashamed and confounded who seek my life; let them be turned back and confused who desire my hurt. Let them be turned back because of their shame, who say, ‘Aha! Aha!’” David did not ask for the destruction of his enemies, but that they be ashamed of their attacks. The faithful do not seek revenge but rescue. Shame causes the person to re-evaluate the path that gave this result, perhaps to be inclined to do better.
Psalm 70:4, “Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and let those who love Your salvation say continually, ‘Let the Lord be magnified.’” Many church-goers approach God in fear and self-deprecation when the objective is joy. Others make themselves the center of their stories in recounting how they escaped a bad lifestyle, rather than focusing on the plan for redemption that was put in motion before creation, extolling the consistent and integrated character or God, and marveling at the mastery of life demonstrated by Jesus.
Psalm 71:1 – 2, “In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be put to shame. Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; incline Your ear to me, and save me.” God delivers with His righteousness (the fact that He is the composite of all the positive character traits), not with His power. God rescues the faithful because He listens, not because He speaks.
Psalm 72:17, “His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; all nations shall call Him blessed.” Ancient rabbis considered this psalm Messianic due to the reference to the king’s son in verse 1 plus the references to “forever” and “all nations” here. The remarkable statements are that the Messiah will say good things about those who are in Him (the first “blessed”). In response, those in Him from all nations will describe Him as being above the cares of earthly life (a different “blessed”).
Psalm 73:2, “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” The remainder of this psalm recounts the observations that led to that envy and how the psalmist overcame. This prayer is realistic for every age. Those who rise to heights of power and wealth often care little or nothing about God. The faithful can be distracted by the attractive comforts garnered by some who espouse a life without God. But, the psalmist succeeds using the reality of eternity.
Psalm 74:21, “O, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise your name.” The psalmist laments the devastation being visited upon Israel, and presents the pleas of the few remaining faithful of Israel, who were among the poor and needy. A recurring theme among the prophets was that those at the low end of the socio-economic scale would be the target audience when the kingdom of God was established (Matthew 11:5, Luke 4:18, 7:22). The same should be true today.
Psalm 77:7 – 12, “Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forevermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? And I said, ‘This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.’ I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old, I will meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds.” The cure for impatience is to recount the history of God.
Psalm 78:2 – 4, “I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.” Jesus referred to this paragraph when He was asked why He spoke in parables. Parables are thought-provoking and open-ended, founded on the principle of consistency, that truth and goodness apply across all of life, despite our frequent excuses.
Psalm 82:6, “I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you children of the Most High.’” God lamented the unjust behavior of Israel and the darkness of spirit it revealed. God appealed to them for change, using the rationale that they were supposed to be like gods to the surrounding nations, representing truth and light. Jesus quoted the same line in John 10:34 to refute the accusation by the leaders of the Jews that it was blasphemy for Jesus to refer to Himself as the Son of God. Not only were they and Jesus both supposed to be examples of truth and light, but Jesus had shown Himself to be even more.
Psalm 83:18, “…that they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.” This psalm laments pending attacks by the enemies of Israel which sought to annihilate the nation, “that the name of Israel may be remembered no more” (83:4). The psalmist’s motivation is worthy of note. His desire was not that the enemies be vanquished and that Israel return to wealth and power. Rather, he prayed that those enemies come to know the One True God.
Psalm 85:9, “Surely salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land.” This psalmist appeals to God for the prosperity of the Israelites returning after the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. But, his focus is not on wealth or power, but on character; glory is a parade of godly character traits, as enumerated in the verses that follow. The author assumes that, if the people are of good character, that all will go well. Such should be the focus of the people of God through all generations.
Psalm 86:1 – 5, “Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me; for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul, for I am holy; You are my God; save Your servant who trusts in You. Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I cry to You all day long. Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.” In every age, the people of God are characterized as the poor and needy who trust God. Because of that, their souls rejoice.
Psalm 86:8, “Among the gods, there is none like You, O Lord; nor are there any works like Your works.” Comparing the Creator with the many gods that people have worshipped reveals a huge difference. The one true God has provided miraculous evidence in history; other gods have myths with no documentation. Further, the Creator is the integrated and consistent collection of all the positive character traits, whereas other gods are self-absorbed, or flawed, or being power alone with no character. Go with quality.
Psalm 86:13, “Great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.” Sheol is the Hebrew word for the realm of the dead. David acknowledged that not only had God provided repair to his character, but also had rescued his spirit from death. Even a thousand years before Jesus, the faithful understood that having a connection with God was real life and disconnection was death. Physical life was temporary and, therefore, much less important.
Psalm 89:1, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.” Many, even some church-goers, think of themselves as hopelessly broken. This psalmist proposes to sing about God’s mercy, His habit of fixing what ails us. God promises to fix our addictions, habits, and customs if we will allow Him to do so. As a companion subject, the psalmist proposes to remind his hearers that God is faithful, always accomplishing His promises. This promised mercy is still available.
Psalm 91:11 – 12, “He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Satan used those lines to tempt Jesus to step off the pinnacle of the Temple (Matthew 4:6 – 7). Jesus replied, “You shall not test the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 6:16). Jesus understood that God does not promise to protect us from the repercussions of our own bad choices. Further, as can be seen in the life of Jesus, sometimes uncomfortable times are necessary for the kingdom of God.
Psalm 92:1 – 2, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night.” Often, declarations about God are couched in terms of what God has done for me, or what I want God to do for me. Those who truly trust God accept that God knows their needs and will intervene as appropriate. Instead, they spend the vast majority of their time in reminding others, especially outsiders, how kind and faithful God is.
Psalm 94:17 – 19, “Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul would soon have settled in silence. If I say, ‘My foot slips,’ Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.” The faithful trust God, so are not swallowed up by the depressions and anxieties brought on by this broken world. The faithful depend on the repairs God makes (His mercy), so can survive their own mistakes. Their souls delight in His promises rather than giving up in despair.
Psalm 95:1 – 2, “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord. Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.” The attitude of the faithful is one of joy and thanks, although the earth was created with built-in natural disasters and those who care little about God cause much havoc. Rather than focusing on what makes life uncomfortable, the faithful focus on what makes life joyful.
Psalm 95:7 – 11, “…Today, if you will hear His voice, ‘Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion…For forty years I was grieved with that generation and said, “It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways.” So, I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter My rest.’” Hebrews 3:7 – 11 cites this passage to encourage the faithful that the promised rest is still available, and warns them not to be witnesses of the daily power of God, as was Israel in the wilderness, yet turn away.
Psalm 96: 1 – 3, “Oh, sing to the Lord a new song. Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.” When this psalm was written, the methods by which God would rescue the faithful from themselves were unknown. The faithful, however, had a confident expectation of that rescue. Some faithful Jews set about declaring the character of their God (glory) and His evidence among all peoples. The ethnocentric did not.
Psalm 96:13, “He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with His truth.” At least five centuries before Jesus, faithful Jews were proclaiming a judgment day based on what was right and true. Certainly, a large segment of Jewish society rejected the whole concept of judgment. But, this presentation is joyous, not threatening. Acceptability to God is based on neither heroic achievement nor wrathful condemnation. Instead, the message was to be devoted to what is right and true.
Psalm 97:1, “The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of coastlands be glad.” Considering the quantity of evil perpetrated by people, many have difficulty comprehending how God can be described as “reigning.” First, God created a world which included significant natural disasters: earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis, volcanos, plagues, and governments. So, the purpose of the world is not for our comfort, rather for our training: an incubator for faith. God reigns over the incubator. The faithful are the hatchlings.
Psalm 97:10, “You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.” Reviewing the earthly lives of the faithful whose exploits are recorded in the Scriptures, their deliverance from the wicked was rarely without discomfort, even death. The promise from God is that the soul will be preserved, not necessarily the body. An early dismissal from earthly life, for the faithful, is the epitome of deliverance.
Psalm 97:11, “Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.” Light, in the Scriptures, often is used as a figure of speech for truth or reality or understanding. Those declared “right” by God have this light planted in their field, the part of the world in which they live. The upright in heart are those whose characters can stand on their own (in the Scriptures, the heart was the seat of character; the kidneys and liver were the seats of emotion). Those whose faith has been counted as righteousness grow understanding and live joyfully.
Psalm 98:2, “The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.” Long before Jesus, this psalmist extolled that fact that the God of Israel had revealed the existence of a rescue plan, and that His relationship with Israel had demonstrated His singularly positive character. The gods of that time were neither consistently good nor characterized as a rescuer of people. The reputation of Israel’s God spread through other nations. This same approach continues to work today.
Psalm 99:4, “The King’s strength also loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.” Throughout history, the powerful have had a poor track record with justice. The God of Israel is unique. The rest of the world marveled that equity was a foundation principle. Despite the frequent “above the law” attitude of leaders even in Israel, the God of Israel consistently insisted on impartiality. The character of God draws people to Him.
Psalm 100:3, “Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Many neglect to consider the ramifications of being created. That which was created belongs to the Creator. Through His documented interactions with humanity, God has proven beyond doubt that we are created rather than having sprung from nothing, much less being the product of our own efforts.
Psalm 101:1 – 2, “I will sing of mercy and justice; to You, O Lord, I will sing praises. I will behave wisely in an unblemished way. O, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house in an innocent way.” David understood that God supplied the tools to repair the damage we do to our characters (mercy) and will eventually mete out justice. So, David set out to behave wisely with the goal of making good choices and staying away from the many evils of this world. History shows us that he was not always successful, but his heart was loved by God.
Psalm 102:1 – 2, “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come to You. Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; incline Your ear to me; in the day that I call, answer me speedily.” The psalm lays out the prayer of one who is overwhelmed in life and pours out complaints to God. Yet, in the middle of the prayer, the tone shifts to remembering the grace and mercy of God. Model prayers like this teach the faithful that even angry complaints are heard, and that, when expressed, even anger can be turned to hope.
Psalm 102:18, “This [recounting of the great works of God in the history of Israel] will be written for the generation to come, that a people not yet to be created may praise the Lord.” Many people wonder why the Old Testament contains so much history. The answer is simple: to preserve the miraculous history of God in His dealings with Israel. God needed a documented stage on which the Messiah would play so the people of the future would be assured that God came to earth to pay all of our debts to justice.
Psalm 103:19, “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all.” A thousand years before Jesus, David wrote of the kingdom of God, not future but in his day. But the faithful on earth do not see this government policing behavior and defending against evil as might be expected. Many give up on God because God does not seem to be in control. But God’s government is not about controlling the unruly, but about developing the faithful.
Psalm 104:33 – 34, “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May my meditations be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord.” The first part of this psalm extolls the complexity and diversity and intricacy of God’s creation. The psalmist summarizes that he will sing of this physical manifestation of a wonderful God as long as he lives and hopes that his ideas will be pleasing to that Creator. Bottom line, despite the things that go wrong on this earth, marveling at nature always makes him happy.
Psalm 107: 8 – 9, “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men. For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” The God described in the Bible is unique among all the objects of worship devised by humanity in that He defines what is good and always acts consistently with it. This is what fills and satisfies the soul. Many pursue comfort, but seem to fall short. God promises satisfaction that brings peace in all circumstances.
Psalm 108:3 – 4, “I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples, and I will sing praises to You among the nations. For your mercy is great above the skies, and Your truth reaches to the clouds.” A thousand years before Jesus, David sang of letting the world know about the God of truth and right. Rather than a national god or an ethnic philosophy, this message focused on reality and doing the right thing. In every era, people have retreated to messages that supported their self-deceptions. The God of the Bible wants a return to what is real and selfless.
Psalm 109:3 – 4, “They have surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause. In return for my love they are my accusers, but I give myself to prayer.” Jesus cited a line from this psalm (“They hated Me without a cause,” John 15:25) to describe those who opposed Him. Certainly Jesus intended the whole context of the psalm, which makes His words in John all the more poignant. However, this aptly describes how the world works. The faithful must imitate Jesus in this way, too.
Psalm 109:21 – 22, “But You, O God the Lord, deal with me for Your name’s sake. Because Your mercy is good, deliver me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.” In the Bible, someone’s “name” was that person’s essential nature. David asked that God deal with him in a way that enhanced God’s reputation as a gracious God. Because God was known for fixing root causes (mercy), He could rescue him. The faithful today approach God in the same way, as the broken seeking repair.
Psalm 109:26 – 27, “Help me, O Lord my God. Oh, save me according to Your mercy, that they may know that this is Your hand – that You, Lord, have done it.” In addition to requesting character development (mercy), David asks that the repairs be done is such a way that the outside observer would recognize the source. God has made many promises to the faithful, but rarely tells how He plans to accomplish it. Thereby the faithful learn to walk by faith and not by sight. But once in a while, having physical evidence of God’s intervention is nice.
Psalm 110:1, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” In Biblical times, a king would never refer to a subsequent generation of his dynasty as lord. The founder of a dynasty was always recognized as the most important king in that line. Yet David referred to the Messiah, whom God had promised would be in the dynasty of David, as Lord. This presented a conundrum to the ancient rabbis. The resolution turned out to be quite simple; Jesus was God, and David understood that.
Psalm 110:3, “Your people shall be volunteers in the day of Your power.” This psalm was recognized long before Jesus as a description of the Messiah. Those who were to carry on the work of the Messiah were characterized as volunteers. In the New Testament, those who set out to spread the gospel did so whether they were helped on their way or not. The point was the spreading. Financial support was a convenience.
Psalm 110:4, “The Lord has sworn and will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.’” As explained in much more detail in Hebrews 4:14 – 5:11 and 6:19 – 8:6, Jesus did not inherit His intermediary function as did the Levitical priests. Further, having been resurrected and continuing to live, He will never be replaced by the next generation. He did not seek the job, but had it thrust upon Him. Unlike our political systems in which the next administration may be better or worse, Jesus retains His position forever.
Psalm 111:7, “The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are sure.” A great many people fear truth because of what such a revelation would expose. An equally large group demands justice for others but pardon for themselves. God does not suspend justice or reality. However, God determined that the only way He could have a big family that would last would be to pay off the justice system Himself, as Jesus. Those who trust Him get adopted.
Psalm 115:16, “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; but the earth He has given to the children of men.” God has made certain promises to the faithful on earth, but other than that, the earth is in the custody of people. The fact that the world is a mess is not His fault. We have done this to ourselves.
Psalm 116:10 – 11, “I believed, therefore I spoke, ‘I am greatly afflicted.’ I said in my haste, ‘All men are liars.’” Paul cited the first phrase in 2 Corinthians 4:13. Without the context, the point can be misconstrued. Paul had just recounted his own tribulations and used this psalm to assert that despite his great affliction and his disappointment in people, his faith was secure. As in 116:7, “Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.”
Psalm 117:1 – 2, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles. Laud Him, all you peoples. For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.” The Israelites entered into a contract with God to build the stage on which the Messiah would play. But the message of the nature of the one God was to be spread by the faithful of every era. Other gods tended to dysfunction, whereas the one God fixed problems (merciful), was kind, and was the very representation of reality (truth). This same introduction to God works today.
Psalm 118:6, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Many have claimed that God was on their side, especially in confrontations ranging from doctrinal disputes to world wars. The psalmist’s question is the telling part. Any student of history knows the evils people have done and will do again. Faithful people in the Bible suffered horribly. Faithful people today must think through, “What can man do to me?” God’s rescue may be an early out from this world.
Psalm 118:8, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.” Theoretically, the vast majority of church-goers will agree with this psalmist. But God is invisible and people are physically real. Despite God’s flawless history and man’s continuing debacle, we tend to opt for what we can see. Which do I trust more: the Scriptures or my understanding of them? Do I deal with the hard choices presented by God or do I prefer the convenient work-arounds?
Psalm 118:22 – 24, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is from the Lord; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Jesus was rejected by the religious authorities of His day, but was recognized and understood by the ordinary people, a situation predicted centuries in advance by several prophets. But opposing the authorities brings troubles. The faithful rejoice even in those difficult times because the plan was marvelous.
Psalm 119:2, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart.” Above the cares of earthly life (blessed) are those who wholeheartedly pursue God. The heart was the figure of speech for the seat of one’s character (the kidneys or the liver represented the emotions). So, those who diligently pursue God, rather than being a pew-potato, will be able to fly above the brokenness of this planet.
Psalm 119:9, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your Word.” The Word of God is much more than just the printed Bible. It includes the logic and philosophy of good and truth. God assumes that successful thinking will find consistency, being able to apply principles from the easiest to the hardest situations. Many have reduced this to following rules and regulations, but history shows that such an attitude fails eventually. Contemplating what is good and true works much better.
Psalm 119:15, “I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways.” For much of Israelite history, those who sought to follow the Law of Moses focused on the exact means of acting out those laws. The Law was analyzed and defined rather than generalized and applied across all parts of life. The psalmist emphasized becoming consistent rather than defining boundaries. Unfortunately, the modern church has adopted many of those failed methods.
Psalm 119:25, “My soul clings to the dust; revive me according to Your word.” All that we have learned has been through our physical senses. Our thought processes are tied to the physical nature of the earth. The psalmist pleads that his soul – his character or life force – be freed from those shackles and be set free to think in terms of the logic and philosophy of God (the logos – the Word). In other words, success in life comes through thinking as a spirit, not as a physical human.
Psalm 119:45, “I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts.” God’s prescriptions for life do not restrict but rather liberate, much to the chagrin of ancient rabbis and modern clergy. The consistency which was the core of Jesus’ teachings, His absolute command of reality, and His selflessness and trust promise freedom. Seeking God’s integrated and consistent character breaks the bonds of politics, ethnocentrism, fear of failure, and fear of death. Instead, through His precepts, we may overcome ourselves with boldness and confidence.
Psalm 119:49 – 50, “Remember the word to Your servant upon which you have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, for your word has given me life.” The hope of the Christian is founded on logic and evidence, not palliative self-deception. The brokenness of this world certainly causes much discomfort. Confidence that this creation makes sense and that mutual trust and selfless concern fuel that logic allows the faithful to really live rather than just exist.
Psalm 120: 6 – 7, “My soul has dwelt too long with one who hates peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.” This psalm is among those commonly sung as the faithful of Israel travelled to the Temple for one of the major festivals – called a Song of Ascents because it was uphill to the Temple from anywhere. This song was not so much about war between nations but the destruction of quality of life by those who revel in confrontation rather than conciliation.
Psalm 121:7 – 8, “The Lord shall keep you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and even forevermore.” How does God keep the faithful from evil? By preserving their souls. The foundation of Hebrew poetry, parallelism, explains God’s promise. The promised preservation of the faithful is the preservation of their eternal part, not the preservation of physical life or comfort. Realistically, escape from this world is a plus, not a minus.
Psalm 122:9, “Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good.” On the way to Jerusalem at festival time, faithful Jews sang about seeking the good of Jerusalem, even if the leadership were corrupt or the people divided. In the Christian era, each faithful person is described as a Temple of the Holy Spirit, as are congregations and the church in general. They are the modern “house of the Lord our God.” Regardless of leadership problems or factions, the faithful seek the good of this temple.
Psalm 123:3 – 4, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us. For we are exceedingly filled with contempt; our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorn of those who are at ease, with the contempt of the proud.” The rich and powerful look down on the ordinary. This steady diet of contempt can cause the faithful to become dissatisfied with life. The psalmist appeals to God for repair (mercy) of this misguided but common temptation.
Psalm 124:2 – 4, “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us, the stream would have swept over our soul.” The beginning of the passage raises the memories of the times when God saved Israel from physical enemies. But the ending brings the illustration back to the soul, the essence of the person. The brokenness of this world could sweep over the souls of the faithful were the Lord not with them.
Psalm 126:4 – 5, “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes to and for weeping, bearing a bag of seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves.” The faithful experience the woes of life, yet still go out to sow the seeds of the Word of God. In due time, they reap the harvest of fresh believers and rejoice.
Psalm 127:1, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” History has shown that people are quite capable of establishing and growing congregations. But unless the congregation is founded on the Word (having confidence in the Word rather than in my understanding of it, always seeking to prove myself wrong), the resulting structure will be a testimony to people rather than God. Movements founded on charismatic teachers fall with their inevitable foibles.
Psalm 128:1, “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.” Above the cares of life on this broken planet are those who walk in His ways. The remainder of this psalm is not an enumeration of religious rules but a description of the joys of family, long marriage, and raising faithful children. This is how the ills of this present world are defeated.
Psalm 130:5 – 6, “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning.” Those with God’s version of faith are more confident in the promises of God than they are confident that the sun will rise in the morning. The faithful have confident expectations (Biblical hope) because they know what God has promised (in the Word) and the evidence that His promises never fail.
Psalm 131:1 – 2, “Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I walk in difficult matters, nor with things too profound for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother.” Moses, John, and Paul asserted that the ways of God were designed to be understandable to the ordinary faithful person, not requiring specialists to explain. Having confidence in that promise from God brings calm and security.
Psalm 133:1, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in unity.” David’s reference concerns the faithful. Yet, in all of history, those who pursue everlasting life with God have found themselves at odds with one another. The last phrase of the psalm reveals God’s response to unity, “For there the Lord commanded a blessing – life evermore.” The pursuit of unity should be of high priority. In the Christian era, enabling unity is one of the tasks of the indwelling Spirit who is given to all the faithful.
Psalm 136:1, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.” Each verse in the remainder of the psalm gives one more thing to remember, then follows it with, “For His mercy endures forever.” Mercy is one step beyond compassion, incorporating an unquenchable desire to fix the root problem. So, this psalm celebrates the multitude of ways in which God’s desire to fix the root causes of our failures has been manifested.
Psalm 137:1, “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.” Expressing the deep sorrow of the Jewish captives in Babylon after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, this song also has an allegorical message of those who have found themselves far from God, longing for reconciliation, but still trapped in the depressing lifestyles of the world. Rather than abandoning all hope, or retreating to self-deception, the psalmist grieves the loss and prepares for future joy.
Psalm 138:2, “I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” Being written by David, this temple must be heaven (since the one in Jerusalem was not built until after David’s death). Note that the attraction of the one true God is His goodness or lovingkindness, not His power or authority. The Creator communicates with reality (truth) and logic (the Word). These are the facets (His name) that define Him.
Psalm 139:1 – 4, “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thoughts afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and you are acquainted with my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.” David understood that God knows the thoughts and intentions of each person, along with their struggles. In this, David found great comfort.
Psalm 144:3 – 4, “Lord, what is man that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man that You are mindful of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.” David’s question was not designed to make people think of themselves as insignificant, but to meditate on the purpose of creation. God created the human race in the way that it is, with relatively short lives and limited abilities. Yet, God has gone to a lot of trouble to form a family with the faithful. This world is an incubator for faith, the most valuable commodity in existence.
Psalm 145:4, “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.” In various periods of Israelite history, the transmission of that history fell apart. Shortly thereafter, so did the nation. The church has had the same experience. When evidence ceased being the foundation of the message as early as the late fourth century, the gospel became the plaything of entertaining speakers. In more recent times, history and evidence have been ignored while personal desires have taken front and center. Facts need to make a comeback.
Psalm 145:13, “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.” A thousand years before Jesus, despite kingdoms and dynasties rising and falling all around, David understood the nature of the kingdom of God. This is the kingdom, David was promised, that would be headed by the Messiah, who would be one of his descendants. Understanding that God runs the show continuously allows the faithful to be at peace while living in a broken world.
Psalm 145:18, “ The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.” People make multitudes of choices and follow a great diversity of lifestyles. But the only path that is entirely real is God’s. Every other option requires acceptance of at least one unproven assumption. God is near to those who deal with reality because that is where God is.
Psalm 147:11, “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.” The faithful do not fear for themselves, but for the outsider, which is their motivation for evangelism. Those who have a genuine concern for others are those God is seeking. Of course, the faithful have their problems and shortcomings, but they have a confident expectation that God will fix the foibles of the faithful, which is mercy.
Thomas Theology Hub 