My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.

This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.

I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.

Psalm 71 is a psalm written by an aged saint, a man who had walked with the Lord through many trials and triumphs. Some think this psalm represents David’s thoughts as he approaches the grave, as he ages and finds his life coming to a close.

One thing that is obvious in this psalm, that whoever wrote this psalm had an intimate experience with the Word of God. I have heard the claim that in the 24 verses of this psalm, there are up to 25 references, allusions and hints of other psalms within this reflection of an old saint. He has saturated his life with the Word, to the point that even phrasing of the old book comes through this old man’s message.

It is truly a witness of the wisdom to engage in an early and consistent immersion into the Word of God for every saint.

Let’s take a moment to consider.

Psalm 71:1 In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame!
Psalm 71:2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me!
Psalm 71:3 Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

Our saint must have been considering Psalm 31 recently in his times with God, or there has been circumstances in his life that brought the psalm to mind, for these verses are built on the first three verses of the 31st psalm.

Consider the likeness!

Psalm 31:1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me!
Psalm 31:2 Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!
Psalm 31:3 For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;

The cry for rescue was heartfelt in Psalm 31, as it is in this psalm. The timing is different, and the problem may be different – heck the person crying out to God may be different, but it is the same God we look to, the same Savior who is always waiting for our admission of weakness and need. Even if this elderly saint had copied the passage verbatim, it takes nothing away from the desire of the saint for God’s rescue.

I may have mentioned this in earlier posts, but to refer to shame in this passage reminds me that the Israeli man speaking this lived in a shame based culture, where the goal of a man or woman was not primarily appearance of wealth, or intelligence, or influence, as it may be in our society. No, the highest goal for a faithful Israeli was to be honored amongst his or her peers, and even more so, how the man’s honor or shame reflects on the Lord whom he follows.

In our first verse, this elderly man, this faithful saint is not looking for rescue from poverty, as we modern believers may seek, but from shame. The word originally referred to being “pale”, and did not relate to being embarrassed, or to blushing, but was associated with a terror. It spoke of a troubled mind, one who was characterized as disturbed or confused, not of a right mind, a soul that experienced a failure of hope. This shame referred to an expectation not realized. A loss of esteem from associates. To be disgraced amongst others.

For you see, in a shame based society, to be honored amongst family, peers and even strangers was the highest goal for a man in this culture. (Our modern society, I fear, lacks in this goal, even amongst some believers!)

This saint sought to be “in the Lord” and found “in Him” refuge from shame. At the very least, this is his plea. Is this not our plea. Shame may be directed to us from those we rub shoulders with, that those we know may consider us a disappointment, even a disgrace – even rightly so – yet we can turn to Jesus and seek His comfort, To learn from Him that even in the shame He experienced, He looked beyond, He obeyed the Father, and was eventually delivered from it.

This old saint sought to never be put to shame. Oh how we should seek that also, to honor God with an honorable life, yet we are weak, mere dust and dirt.

My reader may be experiencing a period of shame even as he/she reads this. Do not loose faith in Him, for as the world poured shame on the only truly honorable Man that has walked this earth, we should not expect different treatment. Shame poured on the believer by the world due to being “in the Lord” may be a believer’s lot for a period of time.

As James once said

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,

Our old saint sought to be rescued from shame. We know that the One who suffered the greatest shame was rescued and now has the name that is above every name. As we follow Him, we can be assured of our rescue from any shame we experience in this life.

As I close for this morning, may I mention that shame associated with a sinful decision or action before the Lord is to be responded to in repentance! Forgiveness from the Lord is abundant, quick and assured upon a true repentance before Him.

Remember – It is to be “in the Lord”, and not against the Lord that we find our refuge.

For He is good.

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