Upwards Church

Theme:  God, the all-powerful Creator, cares for his most valuable creation–people.

 Messianic psalms are called so because they are quoted in the New Testament in direct reference to Jesus Christ. Psalm 8 is quoted three times in the New Testament. In fact, the Jesus Himself quoted from this psalm. In Matthew 21 we have recorded what is called the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem. The children in the temple were saying, “. . . Hosanna to the son of David” (Matt. 21:9). The chief priests and the scribes said, “Do you hear what they are saying?’‘ It was at this time that Jesus said, ^“Have you never read, from the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise?

Also Portions of this psalm are quoted in the New Testament and applied to Christ (1Corinthians 15:27; Hebrews 2:6-8). Jesus became human, just a little lower than the heavenly beings (Psa 8:5), and he will raise all who belong to him above the heavenly beings when he comes to reign over the new heaven and new earth. Jesus is the only person who perfectly reflects God’s image (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:15).

 In this beautiful expression of praise to God, David stands amazed that the God of creation, would pay any attention to frail people on earth. David understands that God glorifies Himself in the heavens, but how can He glorify Himself on earth through such weak, sinful people? This is a “nature psalm” (see 19, 29, 65,104), but it is also a Messianic psalm (Matt. 21:16; Heb. 2:6-8; 1 Cor. 15:27; Eph. 1:22). The answer to the question “What is man?” is ultimately answered by Jesus Christ, the “Last Adam,” through whom we regain our lost dominion. “Gittith” means “winepress” and may identify a vintage tune (see 81 and 84). As they worship and serve Him (Matt. 5:13-16), the faithful people of God glorify His name on earth (vv. 1, 9) and help to defeat His enemies (v. 2). That God, in His remarkable condescension, should focus attention on us is proof of our dignity as creatures made in the image of God. The grandeur of men and women is found only there. Apart from knowing God, we have no understanding of who we are or what we are to do in this great universe.

 God Created Us (vv. 1-2, 5a)

Not only has the Lord set His glory “above the heavens” (beyond the earth’s atmosphere), but He has also deigned to share His glory with His creatures on earth. The glory of God dwelt with Israel in the tabernacle and temple, and it was especially revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ (John 1:14). Wicked people crucified “the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8), but He was raised from the dead and has returned to heaven in honor and great glory (Phil. 2:5-11).

In verse 2, David moved from God’s transcendence to His immanence. God is so great that He can entrust His praise to infants and children and still not be robbed of glory! Jesus quoted this verse after He cleansed the temple (Matt. 21:16). Words are only sounds plus breath, two very weak things. Yet words of praise even from and babes (children able to play in the streets) can defeat God’s enemies! The cry of baby Moses ultimately brought Egypt to her knees, and the birth of Samuel was used by God to save Israel and bring David to the throne. Of course, it was the birth of Jesus that brought salvation to this world. Indeed, God has used the weak and helpless to praise Him and help defeat His enemies (1 Cor. 1:27). David himself was but a youth when he silenced Goliath and defeated him (1 Sam. 17:33, 42-43), and he brought great glory to the name of the Lord (17:45-47). God didn’t need us, yet He created us and prepared a wonderful world for us. As the Westminster Catechism states it, our purpose is to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever,” and if we leave God out of our lives, we miss life’s greatest opportunity.

*Life Application : Children are able to trust and praise God without doubts or reservations. As we get older, many of us find this more and more difficult to do. Ask God to give you childlike faith, removing any barriers to having a closer walk with him. Get in touch with this childlike quality in yourself so that you can be more expressive

God Cares for Us (vv. 3-4)

The sun rules the day, but its blinding light usually blots out anything else we might see in the heavens, but at night, we are overwhelmed by the display of beauty from the moon, stars, planets, and galaxies. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that if the stars came out only once in a century, people would stay up all night gazing at them. What we know today about the size of the universe makes the earth and its inhabitants look even more insignificant than they appeared in David’s day. Our knowledge of light years and the reaches of outer space gives us even more reason for appreciating our insignificance in the solar system and God’s wonderful concern for us. In His great love, the Lord chose the earth for Himself (Ps. 24:1) and created us in His own image. “Man” in verse 4 is enosh, “weak man,” and “son of man” is “son of adamah—son of the earth, earth-born” (Gen. 2:7). Both titles emphasize the weakness and frailty of humankind.

God spoke the worlds into existence, but David saw creation as coming from God’s fingers (v. 3; see Ex. 8:19 and 21:18) and hands (v. 6), the work of a Master Craftsman. It was evil for the Jews to worship the heavenly host (Ex. 20:4-6; Deut 4:15-19; 17:2-7), but they understood that creation was proof of a caring Creator who prepared the world for the enjoyment and employment of mankind. God is mindful of us (“remembers,” see Gen. 8:1; 19:29; 30:22) and cares for us (“visits,” see Jer. 29:11; Job 10:12). God completed His creation before He made Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden, so everything was ready for them, to meet their every need.

*Life Application: To respect God’s majesty, we must compare ourselves to his greatness. When we look at creation, we often feel small by comparison. To feel small is a healthy way to get back to reality, but God does not want us to dwell on our smallness. Humility means proper respect for God, not self-depreciation

God Crowns Us (vv. 5-8)

Why does God pay attention to “frail creatures of dust”? Because He has made them in His own image, and they are special! Instead of humans being “a little higher than animals,” as science believes, they are actually “a little lower than God.” The word elohim can mean angelic creatures (see Heb. 2:7), but here it definitely means “God.” The Lord crowned Adam and Eve and gave them dominion over the other creatures (Gen. 1:26-27). We are co-regents of creation with the Lord! The angels are servants (Heb. 1:14), but we are kings, and one day, all who have trusted Christ will be like Him (1 John 3:1-3; Rom. 8:29).

People today live more like slaves than rulers, so why aren’t we living like kings? Because our first parents sinned and lost their crowns, forfeiting that glorious dominion. According to Romans 5, sin is reigning in our world (v. 21) and death is also reigning (vv. 14 and 17), but Jesus Christ has regained the dominion for us and will one day share it with us when He reigns in His kingdom (Heb. 2:6-8). When Jesus ministered here on earth, He exercised the dominion that Adam lost, for He ruled over the beasts (Mark 1:13; 11:1-7), the fowl (Luke 22:34), and the fish (Luke 5:4-7; Matt. 17:24-27; John 21:1-6). Today He is on the throne in heaven and all things are “under his feet” (1 Cor. 15:27; Eph. 1:22; Heb. 2:8). The phrase means “completely subjected to Him” (47:4; Josh. 10:24; 1 Kings 5:17). Through the exalted Christ, God’s grace is reigning today (Rom. 5:21) so that God’s children may “reign in life” through Jesus Christ (v. 17). He has made us “kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 1:6). By faith, “we see Jesus” (Heb. 2:8-9), crowned in heaven, and that assures us that one day we will reign with Him and receive our crowns (Rev. 20:1-6).

Darrell

For more about The Ridge Fellowship, go to www.ridgefellowship.com

Sources:

 Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) – Old Testament

 J. Vernon McGee’s Thru The Bible

 Life Application Bible Notes

The Treasury of David

 Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary

Have you ever been falsely accused or so badly hurt that you wanted revenge? David wrote this psalm in response to the slanderous accusations of those who claimed he was trying to kill Saul and seize the throne (1Samuel 24:9-11). Instead of taking matters into his own hands and striking back, David cried out to God for justice. The proper response to slander is prayer, not revenge, because God says, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay” (Romans 12:19; see also Deuteronomy 32:35,36; Hebrews 10:30). Instead of striking back, ask God to take your case, bring justice, and restore your reputation.

 Cush the Benjamite was among King Saul’s fawning flatterers. He was one of a group of evil men from Saul’s tribe who reported what they heard about David during those years when Saul was out to capture and destroy his rival. Saul played on the sympathy of his leaders and bribed them into serving as spies (1 Sam. 22:6ff; 23:21; 24:8ff; 26:18-19). To earn the king’s approval and rewards, they even lied about David, and Saul believed them. We don’t know what lies Cush told Saul, but David was concerned enough to cry out to God for deliverance and vindication. “Shiggaion” is used only here in the Psalms (and Hab. 3:1). It means “a passionate psalm with strong emotion.” The psalm described four different judgments.

 Other People Judge us Wrongly (vv. 1-2)

Cush lied about David; therefore, Saul persecuted and pursued David (vv. 1, 5, 13). David fled to the Lord for refuge (see 11:1; 16:1; 31:1; 57:1; 71:11; 141:8) because the Lord knew that David was innocent of Saul’s accusations. David had saved his father’s sheep from the attacks of dangerous beasts (1 Sam. 17:34-37), and now he felt like he was the victim. (For animals as symbols of enemies, see 10:9; 17:12; 22:12-13, 16, 20-21; 35:17; 57:4; 58:6; 124:6.) David saw himself as a “dead dog,” a “flea,” or a hunted bird (1 Sam. 24:14; 26:20). Note that the King James Version and the New American Standard Bible move from the plural (v. 1) to the singular (v. 2), from Saul’s men to Saul himself. Saul’s judgment of David was false, and David trusted the Lord to protect and save him. When today, people falsely accuse us and create problems for us, we should follow David’s example and find refuge in the Lord. But let’s be sure that we are suffering wrongfully and not because of our own foolishness or disobedience (Matt. 5:11-12; 1 Peter 3:13-17).

We Judge Ourselves Honestly (vv. 3-5)

David affirmed his integrity before the Lord and asked the Supreme Judge to vindicate him because his hands were clean. David wasn’t claiming to be sinless; he was stating that he was blameless in his motives and actions (v. 8; see 18:16-26; Phil. 2:12-15). If indeed David was guilty of sin, he was willing to accept God’s discipline; but he knew that his hands were pure. David had two opportunities to kill King Saul and refused to do so (1 Sam. 24, 26). This was proof enough that his heart was not filled with personal malice and a desire for revenge. How important it is that we are open and honest with both our Lord and ourselves. If he was proved guilty, then David was willing for his own honor to be laid in the dust; but David knew that his hands were clean (Isa. 1:15; 59:3; Ezek. 23:37, 45; Acts 20:26).

God Judges Sinners Righteously (vv. 6-13)

David didn’t take the situation into his own hands; rather, he turned Saul and his scheming men over to the Lord. Only God’s holy anger could truly vindicate David (Rom. 12:17-21). “Arise, O Lord” reminds us of the words of Moses when the camp of Israel began their march with the ark leading the way (Num. 10:35; see also 2 Chron. 6:40-42). David knew that danger was near, and he wanted the Lord to move into action. (See 3:7; 9:19; 10:12; 17:13; 44:26; 68:1.) It’s during those times when God seems inactive that we get impatient and want to see things happen immediately. But God is more longsuffering than we are, and we must wait for Him to work in His time. “Let God convene the court! Ascend Your throne on high! Let all the people gather together to witness the trial! Let the Lord try me and prove to all that I am innocent!” David knew that Almighty God could test the minds and the hearts (v. 9; see Rev. 2:23), and he wanted to see the wickedness of his enemies exposed and stopped. David’s defense was with the Lord.

 * Life Application: God “searches minds and hearts.” Nothing is hidden from God — this can be either terrifying or comforting. Our thoughts are an open book to him. Because he knows even our motives, we have no place to hide, no way to pretend we can get away with sin. But that very knowledge also gives us great comfort. We don’t have to impress God or put up a false front. Instead, we can trust God to help us work through our weaknesses in order to serve him as he has planned. When we truly follow God, he rewards our effort.

 How can God both love the world (John 3:16) and hate the wicked? God expresses His anger at sin every day, so He doesn’t have to summon a special court to judge sinners. He allows sinners to reap the sad consequences of their sins day by day (v. 16; see Rom. 1:24, 26-27, 32), but sometimes their persistent rebellion causes Him to send special judgment when His longsuffering has run its course (Gen. 6:5ff). God’s love is a holy love, and if God loves righteousness, He must also hate wickedness.

Note that God is called “God Most High” (vv. 8,10,17), which is El Elyon in the Hebrew. This divine name is used twenty-three times in the Psalms and goes back to Genesis 14:18-22. (See also Deut. 32:8; 2 Sam. 22:14 and 23:1.) Jesus was called “Son of the Most High” (Mark 5:7; Luke 1:32, 35; 8:28).

 Sin Itself Judges Sinners Ultimately (vv. 14-17)

The image of sin as pregnancy is frequently found in Scripture (Job 15:35; Isa. 33:11; 59:4, 13; James 1:13-15). Sinners “conceive” sin that, like a monstrous child, eventually grows up and destroys them. They dig pits and fall into them themselves (see 9:16; 37:14-15; and 57:6; 1 Sam. 25:39; Prov. 26:27; Ecc. 10:8; Ezek. 19:4). The trouble they cause comes back on their own heads (Gal. 6:7). There is a work of divine retribution in this world, and nobody can escape it.

God abandoned King Saul to his own ways (1 Sam. 15), and ultimately both the arrow and the sword caught up with him (vv. 12-13; 1 Sam. 31:3-4). He wanted to kill David, but his own sword killed him. Pharaoh ordered the male Jewish babies to be drowned in the Nile, and his own army was drowned in the Red Sea. Haman built a gallows on which to hang Mordecai, and Haman himself was hanged on it (Est. 7).

The psalm closes with David praising the Lord, not for the fact that sinners have been judged, but because the righteousness of God has been magnified. God judges sin because He is holy, and His decrees are just (v. 6). Finally, keep in mind that God gave His own Son to die for the sins of the world, so that He might uphold His own holy law and at the same time offer His mercy and grace to all who will believe.

People may not like the way God runs His universe, but, as Dorothy Sayers expressed it, “for whatever reason God chose to make man as he is—limited and suffering and subject to sorrows and death—He had the honesty and the courage to take His own medicine”

 Darrell

For more about The Ridge Fellowship, go to www.ridgefellowship.com

 Sources:

 Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) – Old Testament

 J. Vernon McGee’s Thru The Bible

 Life Application Bible Notes

The Treasury of David

 Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary

Theme:   A prayer for deliverance in trouble. God is able to rescue us.

 The inscription tells us that David wrote this psalm but we aren’t sure when he wrote it. It could have been composed during the time of Absalom’s rebellion when David was old, sick, and unable to handle all the complex responsibilities of the kingdom. David’s gradual failure as a visible leader was one of Absalom’s “selling points” as he stole the hearts of the Israelites (2 Sam. 15:1-6). But the psalm might have been written at any time during David’s reign when he was ill and being attacked by his enemies. He describes his plight—”foes without, fears within”—and cries out to God for mercy. He was sure he was facing death (v. 5), which indicates that his experience was real and that he wasn’t using sickness and war only as metaphors for his personal troubles. Neginoth means “stringed instruments,” and Sheminith means “eighth,” which may refer to the number of a familiar melody, a lower octave for men’s voices or the number of strings of the instrument to be played. You find Sheminith also in the title of Psalm 12 (see 1 Chron. 15:21). Psalm 6 is the first of seven “penitential psalms” in which the writers are being disciplined by God and experiencing suffering. The other psalms are 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143, and all of these psalms are helpful to us when we need to confess our sins and draw closer to the Lord. In this psalm, David records the stages in his difficult experience of moving by faith from trial to triumph.

The Pain of Discipline (vv. 1-3)

Eight times in the psalm David addresses God as “Lord—Jehovah,” the covenant name of God, and the address in verse 1 is repeated in 38:1, and see Jeremiah 10:24. When God deals with His children, usually He first rebukes and then chastens, just as parents first warn disobedient children and then discipline them (Heb. 12:5-6; Prov. 3:11-12). According to Hebrews 12:1-13, chastening is not punishment meted out by an irate judge but discipline given by a loving Father to help His children mature (see Rev. 3:19). Sometimes God chastens us in order to deal with our disobedience, but at other times, He corrects us to prepare us for what lies ahead. It’s like the training of an athlete for a race. David thought God was angry with him, but that wasn’t necessarily true. However, when you consider that he was surrounded by foes (v. 7), evildoers (v. 8), and enemies (10), and that his body was weak and in pain and his soul troubled, you can see why he felt like he had a target on his back.

Three times he used the Hebrew word bahal, which means “faint, weak, troubled, terrified.” It is translated “vexed” in the King James Version (vv. 2, 3,10), but in the 17th century, the word “vex” was much stronger than it is today. The translators of the Greek Old Testament used tarasso, which is the word used in the Greek of John 12:27, “Now is my soul troubled …” (and see Matt. 26:38 and Mark 14:34). Knowing that he deserved far more than what he was enduring, David begged for mercy (see 103:13-14) and asked God to send help speedily. The painful question “How long?” is asked at least sixteen times in The Psalms (6:3; 13:1-2; 35:17; 62:3; 74:9-10; 79:5; 80:4; 82:2; 89:46; 90:13; 94:3). The answer to the question is, “I will discipline you until you learn the lesson I want you to learn and are equipped for the work I want you to do.” According to Hebrews 12, when God disciplines us, we can despise it, resist it, collapse under it and quit, or accept it and submit. What God is seeking is submission.

The Futility of Death (vv. 4-5)

David felt that God had turned His back on him and deserted him, so he asked Him to return; and then he began to reason with Him. Every Jew knew that the Lord was “merciful and gracious” (Ex. 34:6-7), so David asked God to manifest that mercy to him and spare his life. Furthermore, what would the Lord gain by allowing David to die? (See 30:9-10; 88:10-12). King Hezekiah used a similar approach when he prayed for deliverance from death (Isa. 38:18-19). The word “grave” in verse 5 (KJV) is sheol, a word that can mean “the grave” or “the realm of the dead.” Here it means the latter. In Old Testament times, people didn’t have the clear revelation of the afterlife that was brought through Jesus (2 Tim. 1:10), although there were glimpses of what God had in store for His people (16:9-11; 17:15; 49:14-15; 17:24). A body in the grave can’t praise or serve God, and David wasn’t certain what his spirit could do for the Lord in sheol. Conclusion: it would be wiser for the Lord to deliver him and let him live. David still had work to do.

The Strain of Despair (vv. 5-7)

We have gone from a morning psalm (3:5) to an evening psalm (4:8) and back to a morning psalm (5:3). Now we have another evening psalm (6:6). But whereas in the previous psalms, the Lord gave sleep and peace to David, here we find the king sleepless because of fear and pain. He was worn out from groaning, tossing and turning, and he spent a good deal of time weeping. “I soak my pillow … I drench my couch” (v. 6, AMP; see 38:9-10). Sleeping had been replaced by suffering. Sleep is important for healing (John 11:11-12), so David’s lack of sleep only made the condition worse. David’s weakened condition was revealed by the dullness of his eyes (v. 7; see 1 Sam. 14:27,29). It’s remarkable how much about our physical condition can be determined by looking into our eyes.

If we turn to God, pray, remember His promises and trust Him, we will find His grace sufficient for our needs (2 Cor. 12:9). The Lord may not do what we ask, when we want it, but He will do what needs to be done and help us glorify His name. The question we should ask isn’t “When will I get out of this?” but “What can I get out of this?”

 *Life Application: Pouring out his heart with tears, David was completely honest with God. We can be honest with God even when we are filled with anger or despair because God knows us thoroughly and wants the very best for us. Anger may result in rash outward acts or turning inward in depression. But because we trust in our all-powerful God, we don’t have to be victims of circumstance or be weighed down by the guilt of sin. Be honest with God, and he will help you turn your attention from yourself to him and his mercy.

 The Joy of Deliverance (vv. 8-10)

At this point, there’s a sudden and surprising change from suffering to joy, an experience recorded in other psalms (22:22; 56:10; 69:30). It doesn’t matter whether this change occurred later or immediately after David prayed, but he felt healing in his body and peace in his heart and mind. Perhaps word came to him that the enemy had retreated or, better yet, had been defeated, and he knew God had heard his cries. Or maybe his circumstances hadn’t changed at all, but David felt God’s witness in his heart that all would be well. The Lord had heard his weeping and requests and had accepted his prayer.

He used this experience to glorify the Lord as he witnessed to his enemies. How this message was conveyed to them, we don’t know; but David was quick to honor the Lord for what had occurred. Perhaps the words in verses 8-10 are an apostrophe, a speech addressed to persons not present but meaningful to those people hearing or reading it. His enemies said that David was done for, but the failure of their prediction would leave them ashamed and defeated. The phrase “Depart from me” is quoted in Matthew 7:23 and Luke 13:27 and seems quite final.

 In Hebrews 5:7 we are told  “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission..” That is our confidence today. God will hear and answer our prayer when we are in deep trouble. Isn’t that a comfort to you? You may be in a very hard place right at the moment. If you are, this psalm is for you.

Darrell

For more about The Ridge Fellowship, go to www.ridgefellowship.com

Sources:

 Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) – Old Testament

 J. Vernon McGee’s Thru The Bible

 Life Application Bible Notes

The Treasury of David

 Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary

Theme: The lies of enemies. God is able to defend us from lies spoken against us.

 Overview:  David may have written this psalm during the crisis caused by Absalom (like Psalm 3 &4) but we have no indication that he did. However, the description of David’s enemies given in verses 4-6 and 9-10 suggests the period prior to David’s flight from Jerusalem. The New International Version translates verse 10, “Let their intrigues be their downfall,” and there was certainly a great deal of deception and intrigue going on at that time (2 Samuel 15) “Nehiloth” in the title is a musical instruction that probably means “for flutes.”

Because of the prayer in verse 10, Psalm 6 is classified as one of the “imprecatory psalms” (see 12, 35, 37, 58, 59, 69, 79, 83, 109, 139, and 140). In these psalms, the writers seem to describe a God of wrath who can hardly wait to destroy sinners. The writers also seem to picture themselves as people seeking terrible revenge against these enemies. But several facts must be considered before we write off the psalmists as pagan brutes who cannot forgive, or God as a “dirty bully.” To begin with, the enemies described are rebels against the Lord (5:10), and in some instances, against the Lord’s anointed king. The Jews were a covenant people whom God promised to protect as long as they obeyed Him (Lev. 26; Deut. 27-29). In His covenant with Abraham, God promised to bless those who blessed Israel and to curse those who cursed them (Gen. 12:1-3). When the Jews asked God to deal justly with their wicked enemies, they were only asking Him to fulfill His covenant promises. “God is love” (1 John 4:8,16), but God is also “light” (1 John 1:5), and in His holiness, He must deal with sin. Ever since the fall of man in Genesis 3, there has been a battle going on in the world between truth and lies, justice and injustice, and right and wrong; and we cannot be neutral in this battle. “If the Jews cursed more bitterly than the Pagans,” wrote C. S. Lewis in Reflections on the Psalms, “this was, I think, at least in part because they took right and wrong more seriously. For if we look at their railings we find they are usually angry not simply because these things have been done to them but because these things are manifestly wrong, are hateful to God as well as to the victim” (p. 30).

Those who have difficulty accepting the “imprecations” in The Psalms must also deal with them in Jeremiah (11:18ff; 15:15;1 17:18; 18:19ff; 20:11ff) and in the preaching of John the Baptist (Matt. 3) and Jesus (Matt. 23), as well as in the requests of the martyrs in heaven (Rev. 6:9-11). However, no one will deny that these servants of God were filled with the Spirit and wanted the Lord’s will to be accomplished. Perhaps our problem today is what C. S. Lewis pointed out: we don’t hate sin enough to get upset at the wickedness and godlessness around us. Bombarded as we are by so much media evil and violence, we’ve gotten accustomed to the darkness.

*Life Application: If this psalm did grow out of the time in the wilderness when David was fleeing from Absalom, then he teaches us an important lesson: no amount of danger or discomfort should keep us from our time of morning fellowship or devotional time with the Lord.

 In this psalm, David gives us three valuable instructions to encourage our daily fellowship with the Lord.

We Prepare to Meet the Lord (vv. 1-3)

If we had an invitation to enjoy a private visit with the President of the United States, or perhaps Queen Elizabeth, we would certainly prepare for it; yet many believers rush into their morning devotional time as if no preparation were necessary. David was open with the Lord and admitted his inward pain (“meditation” can be translated “groaning”) and his prayer was a cry for help. David was King of Israel, but he saw the Lord alone as his King (Ex. 15:18). David was a man with a broken heart, but he knew that the Lord understood his sighs and groanings (see Rom. 8:26). We may come to God’s gracious throne with “freedom of speech” (“boldly” in Heb. 4:16, and see 10:19, 35) because the Father knows our hearts and our needs and welcomes us. Like our Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 1:35), David kept this appointment “morning by morning” and allowed nothing to interfere. (See 55:18,59:17; 88:14 and 92:3.)

David was not only faithful in his praying each morning but he was also orderly and systematic. The word translated “direct” in verse 3 was used to describe the placing of the pieces of the animal sacrifices in order on the altar (Lev. 1:8). It also described the arranging of the wood on an altar (Gen. 22:9), the placing of the loaves of bread on the table in the tabernacle (Lev. 24:8), and the setting of a meal before the guests (Ps. 23:5). David wasn’t careless in his praying; he had everything arranged in order. The word also has a military connotation: a soldier presenting himself to his commander to receive orders, and an army set in battle array on the field. In past years, many soldiers had presented themselves to David to get their orders, but David first presented himself to the Lord. In order to exercise authority, leaders must be under authority. “I will look up” conveys the idea of waiting expectantly for God to come and bless (see NIV). In our daily morning meetings with the Lord, we should come like priests bringing sacrifices to the altar and soldiers reporting to our Captain for duty.

We Seek to Please the Lord (vv. 4-6)

God has no pleasure in wickedness nor can He be neutral about sin. (15:1ff; 24:3-6). God delights in those who fear Him (147:11) and who offer sincere praise to Him (69:31). To please God, we must have faith (Heb. 11:6) and be identified with His Son in whom He is well pleased (Matt. 3:17). When you read verses 5-6 and 9-10, you meet a crowd of people who deliberately and repeatedly disobey God and think nothing of the consequences. It’s the crowd John describes in Revelation 21:8, the people who are going to hell. God loves the world of lost sinners (John 3:16) and sent His only Son “to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14, and see 1 Tim. 2:3-4 and 2 Peter 3:9). Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world (1 John 2:1-2), and His invitation to salvation is sent to all who will believe and come (Matt. 11:28-30; Rev. 22:17). Such are the vast dimensions of God’s grace and love (Eph. 3:18-19).

But the glorious truth of God’s love doesn’t change the fact that God hates sin and punishes sinners. He has no pleasure in them, and they cannot dwell with Him (v. 4) or stand before Him as they are (v. 5; see 1:5-6). He abhors murderers and liars and destroys them if they don’t trust His Son (v. 6). It isn’t necessary to dilute the word “hate” in verse 5 because you find it also in 11:5 and 45:7, and see 7:11. In fact, the Lord expects those who love Him to love what He loves and hate what He hates (97:10; 119:113; 139:21; Prov. 6:16-17; Amos 5:15; Rom. 12:9). God’s hatred of evil isn’t emotional; it’s judicial, an expression of His holiness. If we want to fellowship with God at His holy altar, then we need to feel that same anguish (anger plus love) as we see the evil in this fallen world.

We Submit to the Lord (vv. 7-12)

When he wrote “But as for me,” David contrasted himself with the wicked crowd that rebelled against the King. David had come to pray, and he had three requests.

He prayed for guidance (vv. 7-8). Because he wasn’t a member of the tribe of Levi, David couldn’t actually enter the tabernacle as could the priests, but he used that phrase to describe his approach to the Lord. David was in the wilderness, but he came to the Lord with the kind of awe that the priests and Levites displayed in the tabernacle. In the worship of our great God, there’s no place for cuteness and flippancy. For believers to enter into the presence of God to worship and pray, it cost Jesus His life (Heb. 10:19-20), and to treat this privilege lightly is to cheapen that sacrifice. David knew he needed guidance from God, for he had to put the kingdom back together again. (See James 1:5.)

He prayed for justice (vv. 9-10). David didn’t issue orders to his officers to go out and slaughter his enemies; instead, he turned them over to the Lord. During that tragic battle in which Absalom was slain, “the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured” (2 Sam. 18:8). David’s prayer was answered: “let them fall by their own counsels” (v. 10). But it was not because they rebelled against David; their great sin was that they had rebelled against God. “The Lord loves righteousness and justice” (Ps. 33:5, NIV; and see 36:6; 58:11; 97:2; Isa. 30:18; Luke 18:7-8; Rom. 1:32). Anybody who resents this kind of praying can’t honestly pray, “Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:9-10). In Romans 3:13, Paul quoted “their throat is an open sepulcher” as part of his proof that the whole world is guilty before God (Rom. 3:19)— and that includes all of us! Instead of being upset over God’s treatment of David’s enemies, we need to examine our own relationship with the Lord!

He prayed for God’s blessing (vv. 11-12). David didn’t rejoice because some of God’s people were evil and were judged by the Lord, but because God had been glorified and His king vindicated. The future of God’s great plan of salvation rested with Israel, and if the Davidic dynasty was destroyed, what about God’s gracious Messianic covenant with David (2 Sam. 78)? The outcome of our fellowship with the Lord should be joy in His character, His promises, and His gracious answers to prayer. Even though some of his own people had turned against him, David prayed that God would bless and protect them! This sounds like our Lord on the cross (Luke 23:34) and Stephen when he was stoned to death (Acts 7:60). Note that verse 11 emphasizes faith and love, and verse 12 gives the assurance of future hope. The shield in verse 12 is the large rectangular shield, like a door, and not the smaller round shield of 3:4.

David began his devotions seeking help for himself but ended by seeking blessing for all the people, including his enemies. That’s the way our devotional times should end.

Darrell

For more about The Ridge Fellowship, go to www.ridgefellowship.com

Sources:

 Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) – Old Testament

 J. Vernon McGee’s Thru The Bible

 Life Application Bible Notes

The Treasury of David

 Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary