Upwards Church

When you compare the wording in this psalm with Psalm 3, you cannot but draw the conclusion that they deal with the same situation.  For the historical setting of Psalm 4, review the last post, Day 3 – Psalm 3.  

This is the first mention of “the chief musician,” who is included in the titles of fifty-three psalms. He was the “minister of worship” and custodian of the sacred psalms at the tabernacle and then the temple (1 Chron. 6:31-32; 15:16-22; 25:1, 7). The Hebrew word neginoth means “accompanied by stringed instruments” (4, 6, 54, 55, 61, 67, 76) and refers to the harp and lyre (1 Chron. 23:5; 25:1, 3, 6). It’s a wonderful thing that David could turn this distressing experience into song, to the glory of God. His example shows us what our responses ought to be in times of crisis.

Look to the Lord (v. 1)

“Hear me” is a passionate and concerned call that means “Answer me!” David had been praying for God’s help and was desperate to receive an answer. (See 18:6; 50:15; 55:16; 145:18.) During his youthful days of exile, he had a priest with him to consult the Urim and Thummim and determine God’s will, but not during Absalom’s rebellion. “God of my righteousness” implies not only that God is righteous and will do what it best (“my righteous God”), but also that David’s righteousness came from God, and therefore God should vindicate him (“God of my innocence”). Yes, David was being chastened because of his disobedience, but God had forgiven his sins. God had called David to be king, and God alone could vindicate him.

David reminded the Lord that He had often delivered him in times past, so He was able to deliver him now. “Distress” means “pressed into a corner, in a tight place.” But God “enlarged him” or “set him in a broad place,” for David grew spiritually in difficult situations (18:19,36; 25:17; 31:8; 118:5; 119:32). David knew he didn’t deserve any help from the Lord, but he prayed on the basis of God’s mercy and favor. God in His grace gives us what we don’t deserve, and God in His mercy doesn’t give us what we do deserve.

 * Life Application: We too can be confident that God listens to our prayers and answers when we call on him. Sometimes we think that God will not hear us because we have fallen short of his high standards for holy living. But if we have trusted Christ for salvation, God has forgiven us, and he will listen to us. When you feel as though your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, remember that as a believer you have been set apart by God and that he loves you. He hears and answers, although his answers may not be what you expect. Look at your problems in the light of God’s power instead of looking at God in the shadow of your problems.

Confront the Enemy (vv. 2-3)

David wasn’t at the scene of the revolt, but he spoke out to those who had turned against him and made Absalom king. The phrase “sons of men” refers to the leading men of rank who had been seduced by Absalom and with him were leading the people astray. David understood their thinking and how Absalom had deceived them. David had no glory of his own, for all his glory came from the Lord (3:3). The enthusiastic mob was following vanity and would pay dearly for their sins. When you follow vain things and believe falsehood, you can only go astray. The people weren’t just deposing a king; they were fighting against the Lord Jehovah who had placed David on the throne. Absalom certainly wasn’t a man of God, nor was he God’s chosen one to rule over Israel. The rebels were actually following a false god when they listened to Absalom’s flattery and lying promises (2 Sam. 15:1-6). David didn’t try to compromise with the rebels; he knew what they were, and he rejected them.

Encourage Your Friends (vv. 4-5)

In these verses, David speaks to his own followers, some of whom were so overcome by their emotions that they were about to get out of hand. David gave them six instructions, all of which are useful to us today when we find ourselves getting angry.

Tremble before the Lord (4a). Believers who fear the Lord need not fear anything else. Absalom’s followers neither trembled before the Lord nor before their rightful king.

Don’t sin (4b). Sinful anger leads to sinful words and deeds, and even to murder (Matt. 5:21-26). Paul quoted this verse in Ephesians 4:26, using the Septuagint (Greek Version of the Old Testament). It reads, “Be angry, and do not sin” (NKJV), which reminds us that not all anger is sinful. There is a holy anger against sin that ought to be in the heart of every believer (Mark 3:5), but we must be careful not to be guilty of unholy anger.

Search your own hearts (4c). It’s easy to get angry at the sins of others and ignore our own sins (Matt. 7:1-5). In fact, David himself was guilty of doing this (2 Sam. 12:1-7). Some translate this phrase “Speak to your own heart” (see 10:6, 11, 13). Instead of tossing and turning in bed because of the things others are doing, take inventory and see if there aren’t sins in your own heart that need to be confessed.

Be still (4d). The Amplified Bible translates this, “Be sorry for the things you say in your heart.” Another translation is “say so in your own heart,” that is, “Say to your own heart, Sin not.” The honest searching of the heart should lead us to confess our sins to the Lord and claim His gracious forgiveness (1 John 1:9).

Offer right sacrifices (5a). They couldn’t offer them there in the wilderness, but they could promise the Lord they would do so when they returned to Jerusalem. This is what Jonah did (Jonah 2:9). Absalom was offering insincere and hypocritical sacrifices to impress the people (1 Sam. 15:12), but God didn’t accept them. (See Ps. 50:14-15.)

Trust the Lord (5b). Absalom was trusting his leadership, his army, his clever strategy, and his popularity with the people, but he wasn’t trusting the Lord. His plans were destined to fail.

David was not only a great king and military strategist, but he was also a loving shepherd who cared for his people and wanted them to walk with the Lord. David knew that the spiritual condition of his people was far more important than their military skill, for the Lord gives victory to those who trust and obey (Ps. 51:16-19).

 *Life Application: Worship in David’s day included animal sacrifices, but more important to God than ceremony was the offerer’s attitude of submission and obedience (1Samuel 15:22,23). Today, a “right sacrifice,” one that is pleasing to God, is still the same. He wants our obedience and our praise before our gifts (Hebrews 13:15). Offer God your sacrifice of total obedience and heartfelt praise.

 Praise the Lord (vv. 6-8)

David’s leaders reported to him what many of the people were saying, so he knew that there was discouragement in the ranks (see also 3:2). “Who will show us any good?” means “O that we might see some good!” (AMP), or “Can anything good come out of this?” or “Who can get us out of this plight?” The tense of the verb indicates that this discouraging statement was repeated again and again by the complainers, and the more they complained, the more others took up the strain. The Jewish Publication Society version reads, “O for good days!” It’s well been said that “the good old days” are a combination of a bad memory and a good imagination. What kind of “good” were the people looking for—material wealth, peace and security at any price, a godly king, a successful new king?

David knew what kind of good he wanted: the light of God’s smile upon him and his people. To see the glorious face of God and know that He was well pleased would take care of everything. This statement refers to the priestly blessing in Numbers 6:24-26, and see also 31:16; 44:3; 67:1; 80:3, 7,19; and 119:135. There was no priest present to bestow this blessing, but David knew that God would answer the prayer of his heart. The king wanted to see the Lord change darkness into light, and that’s exactly what He did.

But not only did David’s darkness become light, but his discouragement was replaced by joy (v. 7).  The Israelites experienced great joy at weddings and bountiful harvests (Isa. 9:3; Jer. 48:33); but the joy God gave David exceeded even those times. (See Rom. 15:13 and John 16:24.) Finally, David praised God for the peace the Lord placed in his heart before the battle had been fought and won (v. 8; see 3:5). God had given him rest the night before, and now he would rest again, knowing that God was his shield (3:3). The Hebrew word for “peace” (shalom) means much more than the absence of conflict. It carries with it the ideas of adequacy for life, confidence and fullness of life. Perhaps the Lord brought Deuteronomy 33:12 to David’s mind— “The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, who shelters him all day long …” (NKJV).

 How many of our sleepless hours might be traced to our untrusting or anxious minds?  There is no pillow as soft as faith in God.  We should be able to say, “I will lie down and sleep, and leave tomorrow with God.”

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

The theme of Psalm 3: We can confidently trust God for protection and peace.

 This is the first time we find the word psalm in the book. The Hebrew word is mizmor and means “to pluck strings.” This is also the first prayer in the Psalms, and the first psalm attributed to David. All the psalms in Book I (Pss. 1-41) are attributed to David except 1, 10, and 33. (Ps. 2 is assigned to him in Acts 4:25.) Psalm 3 is categorized as a “personal lament,” and there are many of these in the collection (Pss. 3-7, 13, 17, 22, 255-28, 35, 38-40, 42-43, 51, 54-57, 59, 61, 63-64, 69-71, 86, 88, 102, 109, 120, 130, 140-143). David wrote the psalm after he had fled Jerusalem when his son Absalom took over the throne (2 Sam. 15-18). The king and his attendants had crossed the Jordan River and camped at Mahanaim. This is a morning psalm (v. 5); Psalm 4 was written during the same events and is an evening psalm (4:8). It’s possible that Psalm 5 also fits into the same time period, as well as 42, 43, 61, 62, 63, 143. (See 5:3, 8-10.)

Conflict: He Admits His Troubles (vv. 1-2)

The prayer begins very abruptly with “Lord.” Like Peter sinking into the sea (Matt. 14:30), David didn’t have time to go through a long liturgy, for his own life was at stake and so was the future of the kingdom. David knew that God is a “very present help in trouble” (46:1). Absalom had taken a long time to build up his support for taking over the kingdom and the number increased day by day (2 Sam. 15:12-13; 16:7-8; 17:11; 18:7). Absalom was handsome, smooth-spoken, and a gifted liar who knew how to please the people and steal their hearts (2 Sam. 15:1-6). British statesman James Callaghan said, “A lie can be halfway around the world before the truth has got its boots on.” There’s something in the heart of mankind that enjoys feeding on lies.

Not only were David’s enemies increasing but the news was getting worse. People were saying, “The king is beyond help.” (See 31:13; 38:19; 41:4-9; 55:18; 56:2; 69:4 and 71:10-11.) The word “help” in the Hebrew (yeshua) is translated “save” in verse 7 and “salvation” in verse 8 and gives us the names “Jesus” (Matt. 1:21) and “Joshua.” It’s used 136 times in the Psalms.

Why had God permitted this dangerous and disgraceful uprising? It was part of David’s chastening because of his sins of adultery and murder (2 Sam. 12:1-12).

God in his grace forgave David when he confessed his sins (2 Sam. 12:13-14; Pss. 32 and 51), but God in his government allowed David to reap the bitter consequences of those sins. He experienced painful family problems (2 Sam. 12-14), including the death of the son Bathsheba bore him, the rape of his daughter Tamar, and the slaying of his sons Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah.

This is the first use of “Selah” in Scripture (vv. 2, 4, 8); it is used seventy-one times in the Psalms and three times in Habakkuk 3. Hebrew scholars aren’t agreed whether it comes from words meaning “to lift up” or “to be silent.” If the first, then it might be a signal for louder voices or the lifting and blowing the trumpets, perhaps even the lifting of hands to the Lord. If the second, it could signal a pause, a moment of silence and meditation.

 * Life Application: David was not sitting on his throne in a place of power, but he was running for his life from his rebellious son Absalom and a host of traitors. When circumstances go against us, it is tempting to think that God also is against us. But David reminds us that the opposite is true. When everything seems to go against us, God is still for us. If circumstance has turned against you, don’t blame God seek him.  

Confidence: He Affirms His Trust in the Lord (vv. 3-4)

But David wasn’t a man easily beaten. Without ignoring his problems, he lifted his eyes from the threatening situation around him and looked by faith to the Lord. David knew he was in danger, but God was his shield (see Gen. 15:1). Israel’s king was referred to as a “shield” because he protected the nation (84:9; 89:18), but David depended on God as his shield (7:10; 18:2; 47:9; 59:11; 84:11; Deut. 33:29). David was in disgrace because of his own sins and his son’s treachery, but God was the source of David’s glory. Absalom turned his father’s “glory into shame” (4:2), but one day that glory would be restored. The situation was discouraging, but the king knew that God would lift up his head and restore him to his throne (27:6; 2 Sam. 15:30). His faith was in the promises God had made to him in the covenant recorded in 2 Samuel 7, and he knew God would not forsake him.

The temple had not yet been built on the “holy hill of Zion,” but the ark was there (see 2 Sam. 15:25) and that was God’s throne (80:1, NASB). David may have been forced off his throne, but Jehovah was still on the throne and in control, and Absalom had attacked God’s anointed king (2:2). That was a dangerous thing to do. David kept crying out to God in prayer, knowing that God had not forsaken him in the past and would not forsake him now. “This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles” (Ps. 34:6, NKJV).

 *Life Application:  Sleep does not come easily during a crisis. David could have had sleepless nights when his son Absalom rebelled and gathered an army to kill him. But he slept peacefully, even during the rebellion. What made the difference? David cried out to the Lord, and the Lord heard him. The assurance of answered prayer brings peace. It is easier to sleep well when we have full assurance that God is in control of circumstances. If you are lying awake at night worrying about circumstances you can’t change, pour out your heart to God, and thank him that he is in control.

 Celebration: He Anticipates the Victory (vv. 5-8)

When David awakened the next morning, his first thought was of the Lord and how He had protected him and his attendants during night. This was a sign to him that the Lord was with them and would see them through the crisis. It reminds us of Jesus asleep in the storm (Mark 4:39) and Peter asleep in the prison (Acts 12). If we trust Him and seek to do His will, God works on our behalf even while we’re asleep (121:3-4; 127:2). David affirmed that he would not be afraid if tens of thousands of people were set in battle array against him, for God would give him victory (Deut. 32:30).

The morning was the most important time of day for David, as it should be for us today.

It was in the morning that he met with the Lord and worshiped Him. It was his time to pray (5:3), to sing (57:7-8; 59:16) and to be satisfied by God’s mercy (90:14). “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” (30:5, NKJV). Abraham arose early in the morning (Gen. 19:27; 21:14; 22:3), and so did Moses (Ex. 24:4; 34:4), Joshua (Josh. 3:1; 6:12; 7:16; 8:10), Samuel (1 Sam. 15:12), Job (Job 1:5), and our Lord (Mark 1:35).

God not only rested David but He also rescued him. David’s prayer in verse 7— “Arise, O Lord”—takes us back to the years when Israel was in the wilderness, as David was at that time. When the guiding cloud of glory began to move and the camp set out, Moses would say (or sing): “Rise up. O Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You” (Num. 10:35, NKJV). David had sent the ark back to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 15:24-29), but he knew that the presence of a piece of sacred furniture was no guarantee of the presence of the Lord (see 1 Sam. 4). David had no access to the tabernacle or the ministry of the priests, but he was spiritual enough to know that the love and obedience of His heart was what God wanted. He didn’t have the ark of God, but he had the God of the ark! He couldn’t offer animal sacrifices or incense, but he could lift his hand to worship God (141:2). The glory of God was with him (v. 3) and so was the blessing of God (v. 8). Let the enemy arise! (v. 1). God will also arise and give victory!

David had the faith to trust God to go before him and defeat the army of Absalom, and God did. Striking the enemy on the cheek—a “slap in the face”—was an act of humiliation.    (7:2; 22:12-13, 16, 20-21; 10:9; 17:12; 35:17; 57:4; 58:6).

Jonah quoted verse 8 when he was in the great fish (Jonah 2:9) and then experienced that salvation. Though he had used brilliant strategy in opposing Absalom’s plans, David refused to take the credit. It was the Lord who alone would receive the glory. David also refused to carry a grudge against his people, but asked the Lord to bless them. This reminds us of our Lord’s prayer on the cross (Luke 23:34) and Stephen’s prayer as he was being stoned to death (Acts 7:60). God restored David to his throne and enabled him to prepare Solomon to succeed him. David was also able to bring together his wealth so that Solomon would have what he needed to build the temple. (See 1 Chron. 22-29.)

 Trials and sorrows are shared by all godly people, regardless of who they are or in what period of history they live. The comfort given in this psalm is for all of God’s people. There are two ways to look at this psalm. The primary interpretation is about David’s experience. But there is also the application for us today. As we go through trials, we can trust God for protection and peace. 

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

Psalm 2 has been called the drama of the ages. It contains a decisive declaration concerning the outcome of events and forces that are in the world today.

Psalm 2 focuses on prophecy. The people in Psalm 1 delight in the law, but the people in Psalm 2 defy the law. Psalm 1 begins with “blessed” and Psalm 2 ends with “blessed.”

 Psalm 1 is never quoted in the New Testament, while Psalm 2 is quoted or alluded to at least eighteen times, more than any single psalm. (See Matt. 3:17; 7:23; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35; John 1:49; Acts 4:25-26; 13:33; Phil. 2:12; Heb. 1:2, 5; 5:5; Rev. 2:26-27; 11:18; 12:5; 19:15).

 Psalm 2 is a Messianic psalm, along with 8, 16, 22, 23, 40, 41, 45, 68, 69, 102, 110, and 118. The test of a Messianic psalm is that it is quoted in the New Testament as referring to Jesus (Luke 24:27, 44).

Some psalms you see (114, 130, 133), some psalms you feel (22, 129, 137, 142), but this one you hear, because it is a record of four voices.

 The Four Voices:

1.    Conspiracy—The Voice of the Nations (vv. 1-3)

David didn’t expect a reply when he asked this question, because there really is no reply. It was an expression of astonishment: “When you consider all that the Lord has done for the nations, how can they rebel against Him!” God has provided for their basic needs (Acts 14:15-17), guided them, kept them alive, and sent a Savior to bring forgiveness and eternal life (Acts 17:24-31; see Dan. 4:32). Yet, from the tower of Babel (Gen. 11) to the crucifixion of Christ (Acts 4:21-31) to the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 19:11ff), the Bible records humanity’s foolish and futile rebellions against the will of the Creator. The kings and minor rulers form a conspiracy to break the bonds that the Lord has established for their own good. The picture is that of a stubborn and raging animal, trying to break the cords that bind the yoke to its body (Jer. 5:5; 27:2). But the attempt is futile (vain) because the only true freedom comes from submitting to God and doing His will.

 But the nations’ rebellion isn’t against “God” in some abstract way; they defy the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The one thing the nations can agree on is “We will not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14). The word “Messiah” comes from the Hebrew word meaning “to anoint”; the Greek equivalent is “Christ.” In the Old Testament, kings were anointed (1 Sam. 10:1; 2 Kings 11:12), as were prophets (1 Kings 9:16) and priests (Ex. 28:41). Jesus said that the world hated Him and would also hate those who followed Him (John 7:7; 15, 18-19, 24- 25; Matt. 24:9; Luke 21:17). The phrase “set themselves” means “get ready for war.” The consequences of this defiance against the Lord and His Christ are described in Romans 1:18ff, and it isn’t a pretty picture.

 *Life Application:  People often think they will be free if they can get away from God. Yet we all inevitably serve somebody or something, whether a human king, an organization, or even our own selfish desires. Just as a fish is not free when it leaves the water and a tree is not free when it leaves the soil, we are not free when we leave the Lord. We can find the one sure route to freedom by wholeheartedly serving God the Creator. God can set you free to be the person he created you to be.

 2.    Mockery—The Voice of God the Father (vv. 4-6)

The peaceful scene in heaven is quite a contrast to the noisy scene on earth, for God is neither worried nor afraid as puny man rages against Him. He merely laughs. (37:8-13; 59:1-9). After all, to God, the greatest rulers are but grass to be cut down, and the strongest nations are only drops in the bucket (Isa. 40:6-8, 12-17). Today, God is speaking to the nations in His grace and calling them to trust His Son, but the day will come when God will speak to them in His wrath and send terrible judgment to the world (Rev. 6-19). If people will not accept God’s judgment of sin at the cross and trust Christ, they will have to accept God’s judgment of themselves and their sins.

It was God who gave David his throne on Zion, and it was God who gave David victory after victory as he defeated the enemies of Israel. But this was only a picture of an even greater coronation: God declares that there is but one legitimate King, and that is His Son who is now seated on the throne of glory (Mark 16:19; 1 Cor. 15:25; Eph. 1:19-23). Jesus Christ is both King and Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 5:5-6; 7:1ff). Today, there is no king in Israel (Hos. 3:4), but there is a King enthroned in the heavenly Zion (Heb. 12:22-24). If we fail to see Jesus Christ in this psalm, we miss its message completely: His death (vv. 1-3, Acts 4:23-28), resurrection (v. 7, Acts 13:33), ascension and enthronement in glory (v. 6), and His return and righteous rule on earth (vv. 8-9, Rev. 2:9, 27; 12:5).

*Life Application:  God laughs, not at the nations, but at their confused thoughts about power. It is the laughter of a father when his three-year-old boasts that he or she can outrun him or beat him in a wrestling match. The father knows the boundaries of power of his little child, and God knows the boundaries of power of the nations. Every nation is limited, but God is transcendent. If you have to choose between confidence in God and confidence in any nation, choose God!

 3.    Victory—the Voice of God the Son (vv. 7-9)

The enthroned King now speaks and announces what the Father said to Him. “I will declare the decree” informs the rebels that God rules His creation on the basis of sovereign decrees. He doesn’t ask for a consensus or take a vote. God’s decrees are just (7:6), and He never makes a mistake. According to Acts 13:33, verse 7 refers to the resurrection of Christ, when He was “begotten” from the tomb and came forth in glory. (See Rom. 1:4 and Heb. 1:5 and 5:5.) In the ancient Near East, kings were considered to be sons of the gods, but Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God. (See 89:26-27; 2 Sam. 7:14.) At our Lord’s baptism, the Father alluded to verse 7 and announced that Jesus was His beloved Son (Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22).

The Father has promised the Son complete victory over the nations, which means that one day He will reign over all the kingdoms of the world. Satan offered Him this honor in return for His worship, but Jesus refused (Matt. 4:8-11). Christ’s rule will be just but firm, and if they oppose Him, He will smash them like so many clay pots. The Hebrew word translated “break” can also mean “shepherd,” which explains the King James Version translations of Revelation 2:27, 12:5, and 19:15. Before going to battle, ancient eastern kings participated in a ritual of breaking clay jars that symbolized the enemy army, and thus guaranteed the help of the gods to defeat them. Jesus needs no such folly; He smashes His enemies completely (Rev. 19:11ff; Dan. 2:42-44). Jesus is God, Jesus is King, and Jesus is Conqueror.

4.    Opportunity—the Voice of the Holy Spirit (vv. 10-12)

In view of the Father’s decree and promised judgment, and the Son’s victorious enthronement in heaven, the wise thing for people to do is to surrender to Christ and trust Him. Today, the Spirit of God speaks to mankind and pleads with sinners to repent and turn to the Savior.

Note that in verses 10 and 11, the Spirit speaks first to the kings and leaders, and then in verse 12, He addresses “all” and urges them to trust the Son. The Spirit starts his appeal with the world leaders, because they are accountable to God for the way they govern the world (Rom. 13). The people are enraged against God mainly because their leaders have incited them. They are ignorant because they follow the wisdom of this world and not the wisdom that comes from God (1 Cor. 1:18-31). They are proud of what they think they know, but they really know nothing about eternal truth. How can they learn? “Be instructed” (v. 10) from the Word of God. The word also means “to be warned.” How gracious the Lord is to save sinners before His wrath is revealed!

Once the Spirit has instructed the mind, He then appeals to the will and calls the rebels to serve the Lord and stop serving sin (v. 11). True believers know what it means to have both fear and joy in their hearts. Love for the Lord casts out sinful fear (1 John 4:18) but perfects godly fear. We love our Father but still respect His authority. The third appeal is to the heart and calls for submissive love and devotion to the King. In the ancient world, vassal rulers would show their obedience to their king by kissing his hand or cheek. Judas kissed Jesus in the garden, but it meant nothing. This is the kiss of submission and even reconciliation. The Spirit ends with a word of warning and a word of blessing. The warning is that this loving King can also become angry and reveal His holy wrath suddenly and without warning (1 Thess. 5:1-4). The theme of wrath is connected with the Father (v. 5) and the Son (vv. 9, 12).

Psalm 1 opens with “blessed” and Psalm 2 concludes with promised blessing for all who put their trust in the Son of God. That promise still stands (John 3:16-18; 20:31).

 *Life Application:  To “kiss the Son” means to surrender fully and submit to him. Christ is not only God’s chosen King, he is also the rightful King of our hearts and lives. To be ready for his coming, we must submit to his leadership every day.

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

“Blessed…” Psalm 1 starts the same way Jesus starts the Sermon on the Mount.  The placement this Psalm as the first Psalm is no accident, for it points the way to blessing and warns about divine judgment. These are frequent themes in The Psalms.

The images in Psalm 1 would remind the reader of earlier teachings in the Old Testament. In Genesis, you find people walking with God (5:21, 24; 6:9; 17:1), the life-giving river (2:10-14), and trees and fruit (2:8-10). The law of the Lord connects the psalm with Exodus through Deuteronomy. Finding success by meditating on that law and obeying it reminds us of Joshua 1:8.

The psalm presents two ways – the way of blessing and the way of judgment. Jesus used a similar image (Matt. 7:13-14). Bible history seems to be built around the concept of “two men”: the “first Adam” and the “last Adam” (Rom. 5; 1 Cor. 15:45)—Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, David and Saul—and Bible history culminates in Christ and Antichrist. Two men, two ways, two destinies.

Psalm 1 is a wisdom psalm and focuses on God’s Word, God’s blessing on those who obey it and meditate on it, and God’s ultimate judgment on those who rebel. Wisdom psalms also wrestle with the problem of evil in the world and why God permits the prosperity of the wicked who reject His law. Other wisdom psalms include 10, 12, 15, 19, 32, 34, 37, 49, 50, 52, 53, 73, 78, 82, 91, 92, 94, 111, 112, 119, 127, 128, 133, and 139. While this psalm depicts two ways, it actually describes three different persons and how they relate to the blessing of the Lord.

The Person Who Receives a Blessing from God (vv. 1-2)

God’s word is clear that He will bless a person’s obedience and judge their disobedience (Lev. 26; Deut. 28).  The person described here met the conditions and therefore God blessed him. If we want God’s blessing, we, too, must meet the conditions.

We must be directed by the Word (v. 1).  As God’s people today: we are in the world but not of the world (John 17:11-17). We must beware of friendship with the world (James 4:4) that leads to being changed by the world (James 1:27) and even loving the world (1 John 2:15-17). The result will be conforming to the world (Rom. 12:1-2) and, if we don’t repent, being condemned with the world (1 Cor. 11:32). Lot looked toward Sodom, pitched his tent toward Sodom, and soon moved into Sodom (Gen. 13:10-12; 14:12). Though he was a saved man (2 Peter 2:7-8), Lot lost all that he had when the Lord destroyed the cities of the plain (Gen. 18-19; 1 Cor. 3:11-23). We move into sin and disobedience gradually (see Prov. 4:14-15 and 7:6ff). If you follow the wrong counsel, then you will stand with the wrong companions and finally sit with the wrong crowd. When Jesus was arrested, Peter didn’t follow Christ’s counsel and flee from the garden (Matt. 26:31; John 16:32; 18:8), but followed and entered the high priest’s courtyard. There he stood with the enemy (John 18:15-18) and ultimately sat with them (Luke 22:55). The result was denying Christ three times. The “ungodly” are people who are willfully and persistently evil; “sinners” are those who miss the mark of God’s standards but who don’t care; the “scornful” make light of God’s laws and ridicule that which is sacred (see Prov. 1:22; 3:24; 21:24). When laughing at holy things and disobeying holy laws become entertainment, then people have reached a low-level indeed.

We must be delighted with the Word (v. 2). We move from the negative in verse 1 to the positive. Delighting in the Word and meditating on the Word must go together (Psalm 119:15-16, 23-24, 47-48, 77-78), for whatever we enjoy, we think about and pursue. “Meditate” in the Hebrew means “to mutter, to read in an undertone.”  If we speak to the Lord about the Word, the Word will speak to us about the Lord. This is what is meant by “abiding in the Word” (1 John 2:14,24). As God’s people, we should prefer God’s Word to food (119:103; Job 23:12; Jer. 15:17; Matt. 4:4; 1 Peter 2:2), sleep (119:55, 62, 147-148, 164), wealth (119:14, 72, 127, 162), and friends (119:23, 51, 95, 119). The way we treat the Bible is the way we treat Jesus Christ, for the Bible is His Word to us. The verbs in verse 1 are in the perfect tense and speak of a settled way of life, while in verse 2, “meditate” is the imperfect tense and speaks of constant practice. “He keeps meditating.”

The Person Who Is a Blessing (v. 3)

God blesses us that we might be a blessing to others (Gen. 12:2). If the blessing stays with us, then the gifts become more important than the Giver, and this is idolatry. We are to become channels of God’s blessing to others. It’s a joy to receive a blessing but an even greater joy to be a blessing. “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

The tree is a familiar image in Scripture, symbolizing both a kingdom (Ezek. 17:24; Dan. 4; Matt. 13:32) and an individual (52:8; 92:12-14; Prov. 11:30; Isa. 44:4 and 58:11; Jer. 17:5-8; Matt. 7:15-23). Balaam saw the people of Israel as a “garden by a river” with trees in abundance (Num. 24:6). Like a tree, the godly person is alive, beautiful, fruitful, useful, and enduring. The most important part of a tree is the hidden root system that draws up water and nourishment, and the most important part of the believer’s life is the “spiritual root system” that draws on the hidden resources we have in Christ (Eph. 3:17; Col. 2:7). This is known as “abiding in Christ” (John 15:1-9).

In Scripture, water for drinking is a picture of the Spirit of God (John 7:37-39; 1 Cor. 10:4), while water for washing pictures the Word of God (Ps. 119:9; John 15:3; Eph. 5:26). Thirst for water is an image of thirst for God (42:1; 63:1; 143:6; Matt. 5:6; Rev. 22:17), and the river is often a picture of God’s provision of spiritual blessing and help for His people (36:8; 46:4; 78:16; 105:41; Ex. 17:5-6; Num. 20:9-11; Ezek. 47; and Rev. 22:1-2). We can’t nourish and support ourselves; we need to be rooted in Christ and drawing upon His spiritual power. To meditate on the Word (v. 2) is one source of spiritual energy, as are prayer and fellowship with God’s people.

Trees may wither and die, but the believer who abides in Christ stays fresh, green, and fruitful (see 92:12-14). “Fruit” speaks of many different blessings: winning people to Christ (Rom. 1:13), godly character (Rom. 6:22, Gal. 5:22-23), money given to the Lord’s work (Rom. 15:28), service and good works (Col. 1:10), and praise to the Lord (Heb. 13:15). It’s a tragedy when a believer ignores the “root system” and begins to wither. We must remember that the tree doesn’t eat the fruit; others eat it. We must also remember that fruit isn’t the same as “results,” because fruit has in it the seed for more fruit. Fruit comes from life, the life of God flowing in and through us.

The godly person described in verses 1-3 is surely a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to John 14:6 is the way (v. 1), the truth (v. 2), and the life (v. 3).

The Person Who Needs a Blessing (vv. 4-6)

The first half of the psalm describes the godly person, while the last half focuses on the ungodly, the people the godly must seek to reach with the gospel. How desperately these people need to know God and receive His blessings in Christ! The wicked are pictured in many ways in Scripture, but the image here is chaff. In contrast to the righteous, who are like trees, the ungodly are dead, rootless, blown about, and destined for the fire. Chaff is worth nothing. When the grain is winnowed, the wind blows the chaff away, and what chaff remains is thrown into the fire. John the Baptist used these same images of the tree, fruit, and chaff to warn sinners to repent (Matt. 3:7-12). The wicked of this world seem rich and substantial, but from God’s point of view, they are cheap, unsubstantial, and destined for judgment. (See Ps. 73.) No wonder Jesus used the garbage dump outside Jerusalem (gehenna) as a picture of hell, because that’s where the cheap waste ends up in the fire (Mark 9:43-48). The chaff is so near the grain, but in the end, the two are separated, and the chaff is blown away or burned. But until that happens, we have the opportunity to witness to them and seek to bring them to Christ.

There is a coming day of judgment, and the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will separate the wheat from the tares, the sheep from the goats, and the trees from the chaff, and no unbeliever will be able to stand in the assembly of the righteous. The verb “knows” (NKJV) in verse 6 doesn’t mean that God is aware of them intellectually and has the godly in his mind. Rather, it means that God has chosen them and providentially watched over them and brought them finally to His glory. The word know is used, as in Amos 3:2, to mean “to choose, to enter into covenant relationship with, to be personally acquainted with.” At the last judgment, Jesus says to the wicked, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matt. 7:23, NKJV).

This psalm begins with “blessed” and ends with “perish.” True believers are blessed in Christ (Eph. 1:3ff). They have received God’s blessing, and they ought to be a blessing to others, especially to the unbelievers that will one day be thrown into the fire. Let’s pray and work to help unbelievers KNOW Christ.

 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

The Treasury of David

 Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary