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 71:17 O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
Psalm 71:18 So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.
Psalm 71:19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?
Psalm 71:20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.
Psalm 71:21 You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.
This old man, this old saint who has known God, even from the womb somehow, who leaned on the Lord from before birth, speaks of the teaching work of God in his life. Out of this teaching ministry, the result for this ol’ saint was that he proclaimed the wondrous deeds of God.
He did not proclaim the wondrous works of God out of a vacuum, but had been taught, trained, led by God through many experiences, many trials, many troubles and calamities (vs 20). Given this experience of the leading of God, this ol’ saint does not presume upon his history, but is reaching out to God, seeking that God would continue teaching, that God would not forsake him in his old age.
What a tremendous spirit this ol’ saint had, that he still had a deep resolve to follow, tinged with the fear of God, not assuming but continuing to seek God in his last days.
One additional impression I have of this ol’ saint is that he doesn’t whitewash his pilgrimage with God, but admits that God made him experience trials and troubles.
Did I say one additional impression? Get a load of vs 20. Is that saying what I think it is saying?
Psalm 71:20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.
Yes, the ol’ saint has seem his many troubles and calamities, directly from the hand of God, but in this statement, he speaks of reviving, even bringing him up from the depths of the earth.
Now I have been told by some very respectful Bible teachers that the Old Testament does not speak directly of a resurrection for the faithful very often. One passage that stands out is Daniel 12:2.
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Granted, there are a number of passages that refer to, point to, imply of, and hint at the bodily resurrection of the faithful, but many are pictures of this truth, as in the Shunammite’s child, being resuscitated from death, only to eventually face death later on! 2 Kings 4:18–20, 32–37
Some are super clear, as in Job 19:25–27, and consider verse 26
And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God
Additional passages in the Old Testament that provide the hope of resurrection in various ways may be found at the end of this posting for those interested.
For our passage today, in verse 20, this ol’ saint provided a declaration of resurrection that is as clear as any in the Old Testament. As the Lord was dwelling on the Word, how this short passage must have impacted Him, speaking of the faithfulness of God to this ol’ saint, and the hope of resurrection for him in his last days. Jesus would soon enough face his last days, though as a much younger man, but the hope of resurrection was on His mind and in His heart, fanned by the promise of God to His saints!
Might Paul have had in mind this passage as he wrote to the Ephesians of the resurrection “process” of the Lord Himself?
Ephesians 4:9 ….He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?
He may have, especially in speaking of the lower regions, the earth, and that the psalmist spoke of the depths of the earth.
Additional Old Testament resurrection passages
- Psalm 16:8–11
- Psalm 49:13–15
- Isaiah 26:19–20
- Isaiah 53:10–11
- Ezekiel 37:7–10
- Hosea 6:1–2
- Jonah 1:17–2:2, 6–7, 10
As believers age, and have followed after the Lord during our pilgrimage, we can take the place of this ol’ saint, finding confidence in the faithfulness of God, even of the resurrection, for our God is the only God that has proven Himself to crush death under His heal!
There is a resurrection coming!
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