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 66:3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
Psalm 66:4 All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” Selah

In our previous post we dwelled on the awesome deeds of God, and of our privilege to speak of the deeds of God to God out loud. I got a bit caught up in the theme of praise to God of His awesome deeds, that I missed a small point in the passage that I feel needs to be addressed.

Verse 3 speaks of the enemies coming to God cringing to Him, even as he then says in the very next breathe that all the earth worships God.

How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.

Is this a reluctant approach to God by the enemies? It certainly feels that way when the translators speak of cringing. And rightly so, for those who fight against God must surely find at one point in their existence the utter futility of fighting against the All-powerful God. Upon seeing their mistake, their sin, cringing is a natural response. But is it a continual cringing, reluctant and grudging response to God, to whom all praise belongs?

The Hebrew word used in this verse can speak of cringing or of submitting. Many commentators make a point of stating this term refers to a continual forced subjection, a submission that is against the will of the enemy. That may be true, yet this entire psalm speaks of all the earth giving praise, of joy being experienced throughout the earth.

Have you ever been forced to praise God? Would you consider those times as times you lived in the truth, in real joy and provided heartfelt praise? There may be an effort by some to make the enemies of God continual enemies, that they cringingly crawl to God and never repent, never find joy, never love Him.

I don’t know about you, but there was a time I cringed, I was an enemy, a hater, a lowlife, a fighter against God. Out of His mercy, He rescued me, and because of that I want others to be rescued.

When I come across a passage as above, speaking of those who “have to” praise God, I recall Philippians 2:10-11

Philippians 2:10-11

so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Could the message Paul gives here allow for cringing submission, a submission that is exterior only, and not an internal willing submission? Maybe. Maybe not.

As I have mentioned in an earlier posting, the term in Philippians for confessing doesn’t seem to have the cringing, reluctant and grudging component as suggested in an earlier post. If this is of any interest to my reader I would suggest reading Book Look – Jesus Undefeated – Passage 6.

There may yet be a time when His victory over death is complete, not only in His authority but also in the experience of all the world.

May it be so!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

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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 66:1 To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm. Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
Psalm 66:2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!
Psalm 66:3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
Psalm 66:4 All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.” Selah

This psalm is anonymous and no particular time is referenced in the passage. It is a psalm of praise for all the earth to enter into.

Note that right from the very first verse, the message is joy, loud joy, and that it is expected from all the earth. Joy and praise to the God of all creation.

The psalmist even gives us practical guidance on how we are to praise the Lord. Say to God, that is speak out to God the contents of verse 3 & 4.

“How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.”

At the risk of analyzing this expression of joy to the point of dryness and mere facts, let us nevertheless consider the psalmist’s direction.

Awesome Deeds

To speak of the awesomeness of His deeds, means we need to rehearse in our hearts the very deeds He has performed. The many personal acts of rescue He has performed in your life, the many ways He has provided for you and your loved ones, the protection He has provided. In the midst of this exercise, be specific.

Beyond the personal ministry the Lord has performed in you own life, think beyond your own world and consider the many awesome deeds He has performed recently in your church, at your work, amongst your friends.

Let us not forget the many ways God has moved amongst the nations, how He has delivered many from difficult circumstances of national crisis, or weather related catastrophes. His hand is in the mess!

Even greater deeds are worthy to praise Him for, as we remember the history of the church, of the many ways He has brought about growth and continuity through the years, especially through persecution, trials and tribulations. The church is still marching on, in the midst of a rising hatred of the true God.

One awesome deed that I cannot ignore is the Word of God, it’s existence for our guidance and life giving message. Many are the attacks on the Word, yet it stands against all foes!

The awesome deed that takes the cake? For us in the modern era, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus shines forth, is the capstone of all awesome deeds, representing the tremendous love of God for fallen humans, the glory of God hanging on a cross, suffering for lost men and women. A death that is to be remembered, not only due the depth of injustice performed on an innocent – no a righteous man – but also by the willingness of the Savior to take the death, to suffer the torture, to lay His own life down. This mighty deed is most mighty! And yet three days later, He rose from the dead.

When we as believer’s think of the awesome deeds of God, we are not a poverty stricken people. We are rich in the knowledge of the many many mighty and awesome deeds of the Lord.

As the Psalmist teaches us, speak out of the mighty and awesome deeds of God. He is not a God who is far away, distant from His people, and away from the heartbeat of each of us. Say to God, whether we feel like it or not, of the mighty deeds He has performed. Though our inner man may praise God through out the day, we as believers are the only ones who will speak of the mighty awesome deeds of God to God, and those within earshot!

One thing the psalmist does not direct us to do in this passage is to argue for the truth. Simply speak it out. There is power, and great joy in the speaking of the truth. There are times when we are to defend the truth, to exercise an “apologetic” a robust argument for the truth of the gospel! The psalmist is directing us to simply speak it out, to say it to God with our voice, to offer the sacrifice of our lips unto God

In the next passage, the psalmist continues to speaks of the awesome deeds God has done, and refers back to the crossing of the Red Sea, and the Jordan river. He makes much of the deeds that were in the past for the nation.

We have so much more!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

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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 65

9 You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.

In our last post we considered the previous 4 verses and arrived at the conclusion Paul provided in Romans 1, where those outside of the covenant with Israel has information in creation regarding the nature of God and of His might. Yet David does not stop with the general revelation, that God is mighty, but ventures into the care and abundance of God in relation to the created world. He did not simply create the world we live in and then abandon it, but visits the earth.

He is the creator and sustainer of the created world, as He is with each of us.

Verse 9 – 11 speak of God’s provision to all, through His overabundant care of the earth. His provision of life giving water throughout the world is not with a grudging attitude, or sparingly, but He makes it overflow, He greatly enriches it, the river is full. David repeatedly describes the abundance provided by the Lord of the life giving supply of water. Out of this supply of water, grain is provided, and the seasons produce much produce, more than enough.

Beyond the picture of the domesticated picture of a harvest, David then proceeds to describe four additional areas that receive the abundance of God, as sheer grace to those occupying the area.

Pastures of Wilderness

The term for pastures speaks of a dwelling place, an abode, a home for the animals who are not domesticated, who are of the wilderness. God cares for them, providing them a place to belong to, an environment to dwell in.

Hills

David speaks of the hills as one that would put on a belt, ready for the day, but not a standard belt but a belt of joy. With the blessing of God provided, the hills are personified and exhibit joy. What a great concept to consider.

Meadows

David returns to the domesticated environment, when he refers to the meadow here, also personifying the area, being clothed with flocks. Given the modest environment David wrote from (and not our 20th century bent to skimpy clothing), to be clothed speaks of being covered, of an abundance of flocks.

Valleys

Of course, as the water is provided, the valleys recieve and with the water, the soils are ready to produce food stuffs, such as grain. But David isn’t through with his descriptions bearing human characteristics. The combination of the valleys and the grain, rejoice and shout, and sing!

The whole “system” of this abundant blessing from God only results in a positive, good and fruitful response from His creation.

As my wife and I are entering a slowing down of our lives, we have recently purchased a little hideaway, a place where we go to get away from the stress and strain of modern life, away from the bustle and hurry of cosmopolitan life.

From the outside, it is a little shack, and has nothing about it that may appeal to some, but when the quiet is available and nature cant be avoided, and you listen real hard to the silence, there is a symphony playing, an orchestrated existence that many, if not most, ignore or are bothered by. The city life is required for many – I understand – yet we look so forward to experiencing the blessing of God’s nature when we can. This morning, with the sun just breaking, I look forward to hearing the symphony of nature once more.

Be blessed my friends, and consider the gift God has provided in the world we inhabit. It is a gift for all, even to those at the ends of the earth, and as I have mentioned in previous posts, (Montana, The Quiet) the quiet of our created world simply screams the glory of God.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

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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 65

5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas;
6 the one who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with might;
7 who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples,
8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

In our last post, we spoke of the One who was chosen and brought near to dwell in the Father’s courts, and suggested this makes most sense, (from our perspective – knowing what we know) that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of this verse. We also suggested that this psalm is not restricted to Israel only, but with the development of the first four verses discussing “all flesh”, we suggested it may be to a greater audience.

With this set of verses this morning, this suggestion gains additional traction in my opinion, since David refers to “hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas” David is making a point, looking beyond Israel’s boundaries, beyond the kingdoms he knows of, and declaring God is speaking – answering us with righteousness.

With the entire creation being referenced, and David bringing in the concept of answering us, my natural response is – What was the question? What question was on all of creations lips, that God is answering in righteousness?

This entire portion speaks of the power of God being exhibited in creation and of God’s ability to manage creations “natural” processes. I say “natural” for I believe God is involved in all the processes of nature, as I understand David speaks also

In David’s writing, he speaks not only of the physical creation and it’s seeming upheaval, but also of the restlessness of the people, of those who are unsettled like the seas. They will be answered with the signs provided.

But again, what was the question?

David speaks of the way (or method) God provides an answer in verse 5-7 (by awesome deeds), and speaks of the anticipated response of awe by those who dwell at the ends of the earth in verse 8. This anticipated response speaks of astonishment, reverence or godly fear.

This entire psalm, referring to the ends of the earth often within its verses, is speaking of the nations who at the time of writing, did not have the special revelation of the Law and the privilege of the prophets. The only communication provided to the creation is of the created world. For those without Israel’s elevated status of special revelation, God provided the display of nature to talk to all. The message is that the power and might of the Lord is clearly revealed. Paul speaks of the message and helps to define the question, in Romans 1

Romans 1:20 – For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Creation shows His power and divine nature, so any questions that those outside of Israel had regarding God in relation to our responsibility to Him is addressed by the very existence of our surroundings. God has provided enough evidence, nay more than enough evidence for all to understand the power and nature of God. He is mighty, yet the psalm continues with additional characteristics beyond shear power and might of God.

Please join me as we venture into the next portion of Psalm 65, seeing further evidence of the God we serve.

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

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 65

1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song. Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed.
2 O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come.
3 When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions.
4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!

Our first verse is hanging me out to dry. I am not sure what the message is, and I hope it isn’t because I am daft!

The passage states that “Praise is due to you”, with a footnote, in the ESV, that suggests it may be understood as “Praise waits for you in silence”. When I first read out passage, I was thinking it was a matter of debt to God, that is praise is due to God, as in a natural reaction to all the blessings He provides. This is certainly true, for we shall never express all the praise owed to Him for His many mercies! Yet this passage seems to communicate the idea of silence, and waiting. Consider a few other translations.

• NKJV ..Praise is awaiting You
• NIV … Praise awaits you
• NASB20 There will be silence before You, and praise in Zion, God
• LSB …. To You, there will be silence and praise in Zion, O God,
• NET …Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion.
• ASV…Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Zion;
• DBY …Praise waiteth for thee in silence, O God, in Zion
• WEB …Praise waiteth for thee, O God

Now I don’t want you to think that all translations use the term “wait” instead of due, but a number do, and with the thought of waiting, an occasional translation will also include the thought of “waiting in silence”.

What to make of this? Is this a none issue, a point that makes no difference in our final understanding? Maybe, but I tend to see these minor tweaks or differences to be of interest, to consider what an alternate thought may be communicated.

Hold the thought of praise waiting in Zion, and lets consider verse 2.

Psalm 65:2 O you who hear prayer,
to you shall all flesh come.

To God shall all flesh come. That phrase is huge! How do you understand that phrase? Is it that every man will meet his Maker, and then judgement? Maybe, and we know this general truth is found throughout the Scripture.

Is it that all flesh will come, and that the praise spoken of in verse 1, is waiting for all flesh to come? Is verse 1 speaking of the delay of praise due to the fact that not all flesh has not yet come to God? It is a possible thought that David may be communicating.

Verse 3 continues with David expressing his weight of sin, and that God atones for our transgressions. Is David speaking of our in the singular, that is his transgressions, or is he referring to Israel’s transgressions? Might he be referring to the transgression of all flesh?

Come on Carl, David clears up all ambiguity of who the subject of this psalm is concerning in verse four, where He states that only a few are chosen and brought near to dwell in His courts.

4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!

Oh – I think I may be reading into the passage the idea of a limited number being chosen. David is expressing the blessedness of one who is chosen and brought near, not the quantity of persons brought near, to dwell in His courts.

As a matter of fact, as I read this passage, it seems to lend itself to understanding the one who is brought near as being the Savior Himself. After all, we can only approach the Father by being in the Son, and the Son certainly is One who was chosen and brought near.

Those in Christ shall certainly be satisfied with His goodness, and He will become, out of shear grace and mercy, the entrance, as it were a narrow gate, a door even, into the holiness of His temple.

In closing I have two questions for my dear reader.

Do you see many or few giving praise unto the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit?

Is Zion, the City of the Great King waiting in silence (as verse 1 speaks of) for the praise of all flesh?

May it be so!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

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 64:7-10

7 But God shoots his arrow at them; they are wounded suddenly.
8 They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them; all who see them will wag their heads.
9 Then all mankind fears; they tell what God has brought about and ponder what he has done.
10 Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!

David has just spent the better part of this psalm, describing what he can’t control, the tongue lashing and murderous lips, the evil thoughts and plans of his enemies. He is, in the first few verses, declaring his utter helplessness over controlling his enemies thoughts and plans. We noted earlier that he sought the Lord in finding strength, in seeking relief from the fear of his enemies. He couldn’t control his enemies, but he knows where to find strength to control that which he can control.

In these few remaining verses, David speaks in similar terms regarding God’s protection over him. He refers to the arrows of God wounding the enemies suddenly, and that their evil tongues are turned back on them. How often those who seek evil have the very same evil turned on them!

He speaks of the fear coming upon all mankind, once they see the enemies of David being turned upon. It will be obvious of the judgement of God falling on David’s enemies, as it is obvious of God’s judgement falling on Jesus’ enemies in our current day.

Back in verse 5, the enemies were bold in their endeavors, steadfast in accomplishing their evil plans, since no one could see them!

Psalm 64:5 They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, “Who can see them?“

It turns out, the enemies of the upright will not only have their plans folded back onto their lives, but all mankind will see their plans backfire and their lives impacted with judgement. The end of David’s enemies, as with the end of Jesus’ enemies, will become an example of God’s justice for all men to reflect on, to consider, and to take as a warning!

In all of this psalm, as David seeks God’s will, the conclusion is clear. The righteous have a refuge in God, and have every right and privilege to rejoice in their circumstances. Even as the Apostle Paul wrote.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

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 64:1-6

1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers,
3 who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,
4 shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear.
5 They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, “Who can see them?”
6 They search out injustice, saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.” For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.

How dare David complain to God. He is addressing God, bringing a complaint to Him. Does he not have faith? Does He not understand that to submit to God means no complaining or whining? Ok – I may have been a bit sarcastic with “whining”, but I think you get my point.

I would suggest that David has strong faith, a faith that has developed an understanding of the Living God allowing for this freedom to express his concern (complaint?) before the King.

I remember the first time I came across a saint complaining before God in the book of Jeremiah. It was shocking to think Scripture would allow a complaint to God be recorded!

Jeremiah 12:1 Righteous are you, O LORD, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?

Even though it appears that David is bringing a complaint before the Lord, the word is more akin to meditation or musings. He is, as it follows in the psalm, in dire need of protection, and that against the intangible enemy of others thoughts and plans. David’s enemies have secret plots (vs 2), tongues like swords (vs 3), words like arrows (v3), they hold fast to (won’t give up on) evil purposes, (vs 5), talk of laying snares (vs 5), and searches out injustice (vs 6). He can’t use a sword against his enemy to defeat this situation.

All of David’s concerns are of his enemies thoughts, words and plans. That which he has no power of and has no real specific knowledge of, other than that they are malicious!

And yet let us reconsider the original plea from the king. He is requesting God to “preserve my life from his enemy” correct? Not quite. His plea to God is to “preserve my life from dread of the enemy” (emphasis mine)

As a victim of the fear monster myself, I can relate to David’s plea. At times I am frozen with fear over what actually is a minor problem, and which actually resolves itself most times. It is truly ridiculous the things that paralyze me, but not so with David, for he has serious men seeking his life and he needs boldness to think straight, a clear mind to make wise decisions and a willingness to take action instead of simply feeling a victim! He needs to be delivered from the dread of the enemy! It is not a garden variety fear that David speaks of, for he speaks of a heightened sense of fear, that of terror, dread, or of a sudden alarm. This is no simple Carl-style fear situation going on here! He is in serious lock down and he isn’t afraid to admit it to God! (no pun intended!)

An old preacher by the name of G Campbell Morgan once spoke the truth of David’s focal plea of this psalm.

“We need to pray as the psalmist does, not so much for the deliverance from enemies as for deliverance from fear of them.”

At the end of this section David provides a summation of the mind and heart of a man, which is the very thing he dreads through the previous verses!

For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.

To be deep does not necessarily carry a moral distinction with it – although in this instance it surely does, but to be deep simply describes a relative amount or “volume” the mind and heart has to contain something. It also carries with it the implication of mysterious, or unknown, unsearchable.

May the Lord help us to somewhat understand our own mind and heart as we walk with Him, seeking cleansing and forgiveness as He reveals the depths of our heart and mind!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

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 64:7-10

Psalm 64:7 But God shoots his arrow at them; they are wounded suddenly.
Psalm 64:8 They are brought to ruin, with their own tongues turned against them; all who see them will wag their heads.
Psalm 64:9 Then all mankind fears; they tell what God has brought about and ponder what he has done.
Psalm 64:10 Let the righteous one rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!

David has just spent the better part of this psalm, describing what he can’t control, the tongue lashing and murderous lips, the evil thoughts and plans of his enemies. He is, in the first few verses, declaring his utter helplessness over controlling his enemies thoughts and plans. We noted that he sought the Lord in finding strength, in seeking relief from the fear of his enemies. He couldn’t control his enemies, but he knows where to find strength to control that which he can control.

In these few remaining verses, David speaks in similar terms regarding God’s protection over him. He refers to the arrows of God wounding the enemies suddenly, and that their evil tongues are turned back on them. How often those who seek evil have the very same evil turned on them!

He speaks of the fear coming upon all mankind, once they see the enemies of David being turned upon. It will be obvious of the judgement of God falling on David’s enemies, as it is obvious of God’s judgement falling on Jesus’ enemies in our current day.

Back in verse 5, the enemies were bold in their endeavors, steadfast in accomplishing their evil plans, since no one could see them!

Psalm 64:5 They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, “Who can see them?“

It turns out, the enemies of the upright will not only have their plans folded back onto their lives, but all mankind will see their plans backfire and their lives impacted with judgement. The end of David’s enemies, as with the end of Jesus’ enemies will become an example of God’s justice for all men to reflect on, to consider, and to take as a warning!

In all of this psalm, as David seeks God’s will, the conclusion is clear. The righteous have a refuge in God, and have every right and privilege to rejoice in their circumstances. Even as the Apostle Paul wrote.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

---

Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

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 64:1-4

1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from dread of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the throng of evildoers,
3 who whet their tongues like swords, who aim bitter words like arrows,
4 shooting from ambush at the blameless, shooting at him suddenly and without fear.
5 They hold fast to their evil purpose; they talk of laying snares secretly, thinking, “Who can see them?”
6 They search out injustice, saying, “We have accomplished a diligent search.” For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.

How dare David complain to God. He is addressing God, bringing a complaint to Him. Does he not have faith? Does He not understand that to submit to God means no complaining or whining? Ok – I may have been a bit sarcastic with “whining”, but I think you get my point.

I would suggest that David has strong faith, a faith that has developed an understanding of the Living God allowing for this freedom to express his concern (complaint?) before the King.

I remember the first time I came across a saint complaining before God in the book of Jeremiah. It was shocking to think Scripture would allow a complaint to God be recorded!

Jeremiah 12:1 Righteous are you, O LORD, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?

Even though it appears that David is bringing a complaint before the Lord, the word is more akin to meditation or musings. He is, as it follows in the psalm, in dire need of protection, and that against the intangible enemy of others thoughts and plans. David’s enemies have secret plots (vs 2), tongues like swords (vs 3), words like arrows (v3), they hold fast to (won’t give up on) evil purposes, (vs 5), talk of laying snares (vs 5), and searches out injustice (vs 6). He can’t use a sword against his enemy to defeat this situation.

All of David’s concerns are of his enemies thoughts, words and plans. That which he has no power of and has no real specific knowledge of, other than that they are malicious!

And yet let us reconsider the original plea from the king. He is requesting God to “preserve my life from his enemy” correct? Not quite. His plea to God is to “preserve my life from dread of the enemy” (emphasis mine)

As a victim of the fear monster myself, I can relate to David’s plea. At times I am frozen with fear over what actually is a minor problem, and which actually resolves itself most times. It is truly ridiculous the things that paralyze me, but not so with David, for he has serious men seeking his life and he needs boldness to think straight, a clear mind to make wise decisions and a willingness to take action instead of simply feeling a victim! He needs to be delivered from the dread of the enemy! It is not a garden variety fear that David speaks of, for he speaks of a heightened sense of fear, that of terror, dread, or a sudden alarm. This is no simple Carl-style fear situation going on here! He is in serious lock down and he isn’t afraid to admit it to God! (no pun intended!)

An old preacher by the name of Morgan once spoke the truth of David’s focal plea of this psalm

“We need to pray as the psalmist does, not so much for the deliverance from enemies as for deliverance from fear of them.” (Morgan)

At the end of this section David provides a summation of the mind and heart of a man, which is the very thing he dreads through the previous verses!

For the inward mind and heart of a man are deep.

To be deep does not necessarily carry a moral distinction with it – although in this instance it surely does, but to be deep simply describes a relative amount or “volume” the mind and heart has to contain something. It also carries with it the implication of mysterious, or unknown, unsearchable.

May the Lord help us to somewhat understand our own mind and heart as we walk with Him, seeking cleansing and forgiveness as He reveals our depths of heart and mind!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

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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 63:9-11

9 But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

Back in our first post on Psalm 63, (Psalms for Psome – Ps 63.01) I suggested the situation David found himself in was running from his own son, as Absalom led a rebellion against the chosen King of Israel.

The next few verses that we are in this morning may be difficult to grasp if my suggestion of David’s flight truly is from Absalom the rebel. Nevertheless, whether those who David refers to as seeking his life is Absalom or King Saul, David’s prayer is for revenge!!!

Are you sure Carl? Are the words of David dripping with bloodthirsty revenge, intent on inflicting the maximum punishment upon whomever is seeking David’s life?

Notice that David makes statements in verse 9 and 10, statements that appear to be provided as facts as opposed to desires.

Let me try to explain. David does not write the verses with any description of his desires or wishes, as I suggest below.

But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth, where I want them to suffer incredible pain without end;
they shall be given over to the power of the sword; hopefully with each cut of the sword providing excruciating pain and agony, they shall be a portion for jackals, with the jackals tearing them limb from limb if it was up to me!

^{(italicized/underlined text added by author – my apologies to david)}

I can’t be certain that David was not looking for punishment on his enemy, whether it be King Saul, whom he honored as he lived and upon his death, or his son Absalom, whom he mourned when he found out he was a victim of the war he started.

But as I read the passage, I am led to believe David was providing the inevitable result of anyone who seeks to destroy any man or woman. One who seeks to destroy a human life should expect to have their life taken from them. Is that not the expected outcome of a life of violence, deceit and malice? He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword. He who sows to the flesh shall reap corruption. I suggest that David is simply, and quite possibly with tears in his eyes, stating a fact about the eventual outcome of a man’s decision to destroy other lives.

David eventually finds that his son died in the battle, and this would cause him additional pain, beyond the murder of Amnon, and the rebellion of Absalom, yet he looks forward in faith, declaring he would rejoice in the victory God provided.

Brother and sister – recognize that our King rejoices even now! The King of Kings has proven to be the one who seeks to save lives and not to destroy, to rescue lives and not to kill, to provide life and not to provide barely but abundantly. Is not joy the expected outcome of a life of blessing? Surely the King of Kings will rejoice as no other, for He has been the absolute polar opposite of the one seeking to destroy!

He rejoices!

Like no other!!!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

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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 63:5-8

5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Through the beginning passages of this psalm, David recounts his great thirst, both physical and even more so, his spiritual longing for God. He is not restricted in this expression of love due to location, for though he is in a most inhospitable location, thirsty and weak physically, he speaks of his soul being satisfied with fat and rich food.

In our culture, we tend to have a negative connotation over “fat” and “rich food”. Unhealthy. Artery clogging. Weight gain. Let us leave that behind in our thoughts, for David is not thinking such. The sustenance he speaks of is for kings and the wealthy, for those who have an abundance. The image is not of simple sustenance, just enough to keep the body going, but of the finest nourishment, of top class grub that provides much enjoyment in the consuming of it.

But Carl – he is speaking of spiritual nourishment when he speaks of fat and rich food. That is the truth, but he is trying to describe his spiritual heart to those who understand physical experiences.

Yes – his actions of lifting his hands, and his offering of praise is the result of God providing an overabundance of sustenance to a dry and parched soul. Is speaking praise not a natural, expected response to such an overproviding God?

Previously, he spoke of his physical condition, and of his reaching out to God, comparing his desire with a thirst. In our verse above, he speaks of remembering, and meditating on his bed during the night. Again, he is speaking of times when he directed his mind and thoughts to the person of God, of His nature, His character, His actions and His saving efforts to a simple man. With joyful lips, singing for joy, David blurts out a most intimate statement.

His soul clings to God.

Now we could analyze this statement, saying that David is simply stating the obvious, since the Creator is the natural center for our souls to return to. But I don’t think in this psalm, David is making any logical argument, for his writing is full of emotion, full of desire and longing. He is beyond logic, beyond facts and now driven by shear desire.

His soul clings to God.

Clings דָּבַק dâbaq

For David to use this word speaks of a most intimate experience. The first time this term is used in the Word, it describes the relation between a man and his wife. (Genesis 2:24).

David is an open book, revealing his deep connection to the Creator of all. No shame or embarrassment of his relation is evidenced in this expression of his desire with the Lord, even in the midst of this terrible trial, that should naturally cause bunches of inner complaining – at least for me!.

In our trials, we may be exposing (to ourselves and everyone around us) our very relationship with the Creator if we turn to complaining as opposed to commitment to Him. As David teaches us, our previous interactions with the Lord will prepare us for trials that will result in singing with joy, and praising Him, even with parched dry lips.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

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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 63:1-4

1 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.

David was in the Judean wilderness during three periods of his life. His first time in the wilderness was as a young man, a shepherd taking care of his father’s flock. David was thrust out into the wilderness again, under the pressure of Saul’s murderous threats. A final time David found refuge for his life was when his own son Absalom turned traitor, and David had to flee his own city.

I offer to my reader that it is during this third time that this psalm was written, when he was on the run for his life due to his son’s uprising against him.

Depending on the time of year, the Judean wilderness provides a brutal environment to exist in. The dry air around him sucked the moisture from his body during the dry months. Even as he perspired, the water actually evaporated off his skin.

You see, when you are in a condition as David may have been, your sweat doesn’t provide any cooling effect for the body. It is a situation of your precious body fluids simply leaving your body with no beneficial effect for yourself. For a fellow who lives in Houston Texas, where it feels like you enter a shower when you go outside in August, I find this hard to imagine.

Nevertheless, the dryness of the desert pulled liquids from his body, draining moisture from his flesh. Much like the world we live in, that constantly sucks the life out of us, seeking to take our peace, deprive us of joy, and strip us of love. We are a needy people also!

At this point, his flesh and soul were drained. He may have been experiencing early dehydration, heat stroke, headaches, dizziness, weakness etc. As an elderly man, he was surely susceptible to all the physical malady’s extreme heat and dryness inflict on a man.

His experience was physical – he can feel the pain and exhaustion, yet he refers to his outer suffering, his physical thirst, his need for moisture as the basis to describe the greater longing of his seeking God. As his body was in a cruel environment, so his heart and spirit were being crushed by the circumstances, and in this condition, he yearns for God.

In each of our trials, we seek God with focused hearts. In our tribulations, we seek the important Person in our life. In our suffering, God actually appears more desirable, for there are no distractions that compete with our trials while we are in them. (He is always desirable, but the suffering brings the truth home, making the fact of who He is appear much greater!)

Imagine a man in the desert, cracked lips, dry burnt skin, raspy voice due to dryness, and his first thought is to be with God, to recall his time with God in the sanctuary.

It is so very interesting that David speaks of seeing and beholding God in the sanctuary. Obviously, he is not speaking of seeing the full manifestation of God, (or even the Shekinah glory above the mercy seat). but as the tabernacle spoke of the divine nature, David must have spent many hours meditating on the tabernacle. Remember that the temple had not been built yet and the tabernacle was replete with symbology that would provide much to meditate on.

Remember the condition he finds himself in, and that he is recounting his experience in the tabernacle. Truly this was a man who had invested his time is cultivating a meditative stance before the Lord. Out of his time considering the God of Israel, he became awestruck with the Creator of all.

Motivation

Also, take notice of David’s motivation for his writings. He doesn’t look to God and express his thoughts as such

Because your steadfast rules are perfect, I am obligated to praise you.

No – though God’s rules are perfect, David speaks of a free will praise, not a forced submission and obedience but a longing for beyond this physical existence to a true life. He is not asking for anything in this psalm, but simply letting his heart sing out to the One who not only gave us life, but is actually greater than the life He gave us. But surely this makes sense, for the builder is greater that the building. The Creator is greater than the creation.

Yes David has much to teach us the goodness of God, the greatness of God and the graciousness of God, even in the most troubling of times.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

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 62:11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,
Psalm 62:12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work.

David continues in this psalm, after considering the futility of trusting in men or money (verse 9 & 10), returning to the person He trusts, the God who has heard his prayers and is still on the throne. David speaks of God as the One who has power, in that power belongs to God. It is His nature and possession.

His will is not frustrated by a lack of ability. The outworking of His will are seen in the actions that are tempered by His wisdom, His mercy, His judgements, and for that we must be thankful. But His will is never restricted by a lack of power, for all power belongs to God.

David continues to verse 12, a verse that brings together the grace, mercy and lovingkindness of God, with reward to man based on his works.

How can we understand both topics? How can we relate these seemingly opposing thoughts? David is in the midst of a troubling time of trial, and as he looks to God for his salvation in this trial, he rightly speaks of God’s power and love toward him, of his trust in God because of God’s ability and desire to save him.

And then he adds “You will render to a man according to his work”.

Do we “get what we deserve” or do we experience a deliverance and salvation from God who sees our plight and forgives us, delivers us, saves us, guides us, comforts us, and finally brings us to Himself.

In the mysteries of God, David has encapsulated both truths into one salient verse that challenges us all to seek Him all the more, for as we seek Him all the more, we will become more like Him in our character, our emotions, our desires and our actions. As we become more like Him, which is our eternal goal, our works may have a beneficial reward, in the wisdom of God.

If we walk away from God, our works will naturally degrade, our hearts will darken, and our souls will shrivel. We will set our lives on a trajectory that is establishing our a character upon which judgement will fall.

John the apostle gave us the following warning.

Revelation 22:11 – Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

Trust in God, for He is good, and He is good all the time, and He alone is good all the time. He is our source of loving kindness, mercy and power, and it is our privilege to seek Him, and to be influenced by Him for our good!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

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 62:9 Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.
Psalm 62:10 Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

Let’s remember David’s theme of trust only in the Lord, at all times. He has, even as he has been in himself, considered his situation and active trust before God, and come to a resolved standing before God.

Even as we read this psalm, David’s ability to stand firm has increased. Back in verse 2, he states he “shall not be greatly shaken”, and only 4 verses later, using the exact same words describing our God, he speaks even more assuredly when he states “I shall not be shaken”.

We enter into two verses in our post this morning where David is considering the trustworthiness of men, both ordinary men and the great rulers and champions of the day. His description of them brings us to reality, for we often think our ourselves in terms of granduer and importance, even irreplaceable. David speaks a truth that puts us in our place, a place that reminds us we are but less than a breath.

Think back in your family. If you can remember you grandparents, you are rare. That is two generations. What about your great grandparents? Three generations. Sixty to eighty years.

We truly are but a breath in time. David, in his description of the man of low estate is kind, not relating them to a moral failure. Not so with those who have “made it” in this life. The successful man, the man of high degree is associated with lies and delusion.

Forgive me for being an arithmetic geek, but when combined, both the men of low and high estate are less than the man of low estate, for David describes them when combined as “lighter than breath”! The man of high estate is actually less than nothing in this comparison! Incredible.

If we only consider this thought, it is easy to become disillusioned, fall into despair and depression. What is the use of our lives, if in the end we are “but a breath”. Let us not forget the theme of this psalm, for David is writing of the theme of trusting God.

Though this description of created man is accurate, it is not the intent of David to simply provide this fact for us to wallow in, to be self absorbed into, but to again consider the greatness of God, the importance of shifting our trust from man to God.

Trust in man, who is at best but a fleeting breath makes no sense. This trust is futile and empty, destined for disappointment. Those of power that we trust are liars, full of deception and of themselves, leading us all to the wrong solutions.

Similarly, David exhorts us to refrain from trusting in riches, no matter how attained. Of course if ill gotten, the riches will fly away, leaving your trust disappointed. If riches are possessed through diligence, hard work, and the blessing of God, they still represent a danger, an object that does not deserve our trust, nor will reward the trust we place in them.

Difficult verses to face for the modern believer, for some may look to men for solutions to the mess we find ourselves in as a nation, or as a church, or even as a family.

Men and money are impotent in their ability to bring any salvation to our lives, any permanence, any real value or weight to our existence.

Men and money, when compared to our God, are not worthy of any trust, cannot reward our trust, and actually may become a temptation and snare, a trap that actually destroys instead of delivers.

These short two verses, when considered alone, present a dire situation for those reading them.

As we ponder a passage such as this, we must keep our eyes on the Lord, as He alone has the power to redeem this breath of life from futility.

He is good and He is good all the time!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

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 62:8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

Let’s remember that David is in himself during this psalm, that he is ruminating on the goodness of God in a very difficult situation. He is all prayed out, made his requests known to God, struggled with his thoughts and concerns, and is now in a settled stage of waiting on the Lord.

Trust in him at all times.

As I consider the ramifications of this phrase, I want to consider an alternative frame of reference in a relationship with God. For you see, I have spent a good portion of my life in utter fear of God, not the type defined by respect and acknowledgement of His greatness, but paralyzed by fear, struck down by the sheer concept of the All Powerful.

In that fear, I had no freedom to ask a question, no rights of privilege before Him, no ability to please Him, for I could not perform all the requirements on my own, and I “knew” I couldn’t ask Him for help. The fear was paralyzing, but it is an experience that has taught me the blessings of trust.

Trust is a freedom to look to Him for decisions to be made, for outcomes to be controlled, to understand my weakness and failure, to consider Him as a loving Father, and not as a terror inducing All Mighty Person who only seeks to dominate and control.

Please do not misunderstand me. I am not seeking to relegate the Lord to a minor god, a weak kneed deity that has been cast aside by man.

He is the Almighty.

He has no challengers.

He is the Creator of all, and the mighty Redeemer.

Yet we are to trust Him, as David exhorts us, and that implies a relationship of son and Father, of friend and friend. He is approachable due to the blood He has shed, He is One that has an open door policy due to His heart of love.

O people; pour out your heart before him

Out of this trusting relationship, David exhorts the people of God to pour out their hearts to Him. I don’t know about you, but I do not pour out my heart to my boss, or to any authoritarian figure in my life. Rare as it is, this exercise of shedding my cares onto someone is shared with only the closest of family. It is a connection that provides safety and no condemnation, no fear of rejection, and the hope of solutions to be offered.

Do you see God in this way? Is He a Master over you, needing obedience of the law to be able to accept you, or a Father waiting for a deeper relationship, approachable and willing to hear of my fears failures and frustrations.

God is a refuge for us.

My friends, do not abandon God as a refuge by not opening up to Him. The image of a refuge is often used to describe God and most assuredly it is in the midst of trials that the people of faith are experiencing. As a refuge, He is there to protect, and to guard against the enemy, be they physical, emotional or spiritual.

He has experienced torture and an excruciating death to prove His desire to be with us. Consider His love for you. Trust will be a natural response to such great love.

Trust in him at all times

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

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 62:8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

Let’s remember that David is in himself during this psalm, that he is ruminating on the goodness of God in a very difficult situation. He is all prayed out, made his requests known to God, struggled with his thoughts and concerns, and is now in a settled stage of waiting on the Lord.

Trust in him at all times.

As I consider the ramifications of this phrase, I want to consider an alternative frame of reference in a relationship with God. For you see, I have spent a good portion of my life in utter fear of God, not the type defined by respect and acknowledgement of His greatness, but paralyzed by fear, struck down by the sheer concept of the All Powerful.

In that fear, I had no freedom to ask a question, no rights of privilege before Him, no ability to please Him, for I could not perform all the requirements on my own, and I “knew” I couldn’t ask Him for help. The fear was paralyzing, but it is an experience that has taught me the blessings of trust.

Trust is a freedom to look to Him for decisions to be made, for outcomes to be controlled, to understand my weakness and failure, to consider Him as a loving Father, and not as a terror inducing All Mighty Person who only seeks to dominate and control.

Please do not misunderstand me. I am not seeking to relegate the Lord to a minor god, a weak kneed deity that has been cast aside by man. He is the Almighty. He has no challengers. He is the Creator of all, and the mighty Redeemer.

Yet we are to trust Him, as David exhorts us, and that implies a relationship similar to that of son and Father, of friend and friend. He is approachable due to the blood He has shed. He is One that has provided an open door policy due to His heart of love.

O people; pour out your heart before him

Out of this trusting relationship, David exhorts the people of God to pour out their hearts to Him. I don’t know about you, but I do not pour out my heart to my boss, or to any authoritarian figure in my life. Rare as it is, this exercise of shedding my cares onto someone is shared with only the closest of family or friend. It is a connection that provides safety and no condemnation, no fear of rejection, and the hope of solutions to be offered.

Do you see God in this way? Is He a Master over you, needing obedience of the law to be able to accept you, or a Father waiting for a deeper relationship, approachable and willing to hear of our fears, failures and frustrations.

God is a refuge for us.

My friends, do not abandon God as a refuge by not opening up to Him. The image of a refuge is often used to describe God and usually it is in the midst of trials that the people of faith are experiencing. As a refuge, He is there to protect, and to guard against the enemy, be they physical, emotional or spiritual.

He Himself has experienced torture and an excruciating death to prove His desire to be with us. Consider His love for you. Trust will be a natural response to such great love.

Trust in him at all times

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

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 62:5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.
Psalm 62:6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
Psalm 62:7 On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

As we mentioned in an earlier post, this psalm does not ask anything of the Lord, but the psalmist is “in himself”, ruminating on the person of God, reminding himself of God’s active work in his life, of God’s presence and His character.

God

• provides hope
• is my rock
• is my salvation (x2)
• is my fortress
• is my glory
• is my mighty rock
• is my refuge

Take a moment and consider each of these descriptors of God. Is there a common denominator, a common theme in these descriptors, something that indicates the condition of David’s heart as he reviews the character of God?

I would suggest that David is in a very difficult place, a place in which there appears to be no escape, no path to safety, no place of security or of strength, and no area that is stable, that is constant.

There are times when we, as believers will also experience this condition. In our lives, there appears to be many enemies, many difficulties, many obstacles and many temptations, that are seemingly insurmountable.

During these times, I have spent too much time looking for solutions, ways out of the problem, solutions to my difficulty. And in these difficult times, I have worried myself into a fit of doubt and despair.

But the rare time, I have turned introspective, remembered the goodness of God, His former guidance, His continued protection, (though not without some scrapes and bruising), and His constant care. During these times of dwelling on God, I have found that my worry machine has run out of gas.

Amazing – we can dwell on His goodness, on His person, on His care for us, or we can worry.

Let’s think on Him. He is good, and He is good all the time.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

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 62:3 How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
Psalm 62:4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah

In our previous post, I sought to explain my understanding of this psalm, and that David was silent before God, that he was not making any petitions or requests before God in the psalm. He was silent before God.

Not so much in relation to those who had attacked him. Remember – the attacker is his son, who also had enlisted David’s trusted counselor Ahithophel, one who David considered a friend.

In his silence before God, he questions his attackers.

How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?

As attackers, they naturally sought to find victory when their enemy was weak, like a leaning wall or a tottering fence. David was on the run, with his forces decimated, and unsure who was loyal to him. Who could be trusted, when his very friend Ahithophel had rebelled?

This attack had the smell of death, not only in its eventual outcome, which David could not admit to, but also in the intent of his enemies. Their attack had all the hallmarks of the evil one, saying one thing and doing the other. Hypocrites!

Verse 4 speaks of taking pleasure in falsehood. How foolish and short sighted. Do they not understand the fountain of all truth is the Lord, and that this treachery cannot succeed.

Remember David’s attitude when he was on the run? The rogue king Saul chased him and on multiple occasions, David had opportunity to strike him down, and yet he would not. He would not touch the Lord’s anointed. No success would come of it, and it would frustrate the will of God.

How could David reconcile that his son and friend were doing that which was abhorrent to him.

David could have justified an attack on Saul, since he had been anointed the king of Israel, yet he waited on the Lord. Absalom had no anointing, nor call of God on his life. He was simply a headstrong, deceitful, self willed, spoiled young man.

This rebellion was, from David’s standpoint, utterly spawned in falsehood. Absalom and Ahithophel surely had heard of the previous exploits of David in his ascension to the throne, yet they decided to pursue a completely different method of attaining power. Through falsehood. Through lies to the people of Israel and by deception to the king.

How utterly shortsighted.

And yet, if we consider our own lives, how often do we seek to short circuit God’s will with the same motivation, the same “pleasure in falsehood”, looking to find advantage through another’s weakness and by deception taking advantage of a weakness.

Ephesians 4:20, 25

But that is not the way you learned Christ!–
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

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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 62:1 To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David. For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
Psalm 62:2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

As I take my time through the Psalms, I have an increased realization of the impact family conflict has on the Psalmist.

The Psalm we are entering this morning has no petitions to God, pleadings to God, requests of God, or praising to God. The Psalmist is quiet before God, having expressed his concerns previously.

He is alone with God.

But ever the curious fellow, I sought to understand what prayers and petitions were offered to God in which David was resting upon, in which he could simply express that it was only him and the Lord, and that he was content in this situation. What I found, thanks to Blue Letter Bible, was a timeline of each of the Psalms and their likely cause of writing, along with the time of their writing.

This little table was somewhat shocking, for in it we find that the a greater number of Psalms were written due to Absalom than I would have guessed. He surely was a thorn in David’s side, and his petitions to God were many during this rebellion.

With this understood, let us remember that during the upheaval and treachery of this time, that David had sought refuge and response from his God. In this Psalm David expresses trust only.

Nothing else.

He is alone with God, waiting in silence.

Quite possibly the greatest challenge David faced in life, and he is silent before God. No requests, no wrestling with Him. Simply recounting that God is the decider, the One in charge, the One who is.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

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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 61

8 So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day.

In our previous post, I skipped over the concept of vows. He had mentioned vows in verse 5, and I find this repetition to be worthy of a short discussion. Let’s read verse 5 once more.

5 For you, O God, have heard my vows;

David had earlier mentioned that God had heard his vows. In our final verse, he speaks to the Lord, reminding Him that he will perform his vows.

It is interesting that the vows are not connected with the results he is requesting. It isn’t a tit for tat type of discussion here. David isn’t entering into a bargaining stance with the Creator of all, hoping to get one over on Him.

We have all heard of the fox hole vow – Get me out of this trouble God and I will serve You the rest of my life. Yet this rarely sticks, and as soon as the trial is over, so is the remembrance of the vow.

But notice that is David’s final statement to the Lord, the cause and effect seems to be turned on it’s head. My common understadning of vows in relation to God goes something like …

I will continually and constantly, out of a previous legal obligation, perform my promise as a payback for a previous rescue! (I know it sounds crass, but that is how my little brain works!)

No, notice that David states that he will sing praise, in order to perform his vows to God.

God does expect us to keep our vows, especially our vow to follow Jesus, but we cannot follow properly simply out of a spirit of obligation. Now don’t get me wrong, we are obligated to Him due to His great sacrifice, yet in the goodness of God, He has provided the power, the energy, the strength to perform our vow, to follow after Him as we sing praise to Him. As we have a spirit of joy in our lives, thankful for His goodness and mercy, may we be faithful “singers’ of His goodness.

Even for those of us whose natural singing voice leaves much to be desired. Yikes!

May our lives honor the One who is good!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

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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 61

6 Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations!
7 May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!

When we last read David’s prayer, he had turned a corner, due to his looking back to the faithfulness of God and the promise he had received of the kingdom.

Our first verse, verse 6, when I initially considered it, made me think of David himself, how he was stating that the Lord would prolong the king’s life in the midst of this emergency. God would prolong the kings life, and then he begins to state the impossible.

The kings life would extend to many generations? He already was an aged man, and he has the audacity to state the Lord would extend his life for “many generations”? Never mind that – consider the next statement, that the king shall abide before God forever!

OK, so we have a shift in the topic from the immediate rescue of David by prolonging his life, to one of two topics

First topic that came to my mind is that he is referring to his eternal state, that he would abide before God forever, no matter his time of death on this old earth.

And yet the subject seems to change in verse 7, where David looks to another king, whom he asks God to prepare mercy and truth to preserve the King.

Can anyone imagine who that King is? When I see mercy and truth, I automatically think of John’s gospel, where he speaks of grace (mercy) and truth in the person of Jesus

John 1:17b … grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Does it not make sense that David, in his time with God, at a dark, deeply difficult time, would be caught up with the promised King who would reign forever.

It is only through the reign of Jesus that any of us can expect to have our lives extended through many generations, even forever.

Jesus has been enthroned forever, according to David’s prayer. David was restored to his throne, as the promise of God was maintained for David.

Not only was David restored to the throne for his final days, but in the big picture, his life has been extended through the power of the resurrected King, who was full of mercy and truth.

May His name be honored in our lives this day!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

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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 61

4 Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah
5 For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

First, lets remember that I am approaching this psalm as from the hand of David, during a most dangerous time in the reign of the King. Rebellion had broken out and his very son had committed the treason. To make matters worse, it looked very promising for Absolam, and that David may be facing his last days on earth.

In David’s cry to God, he speaks of dwelling forever in the tent of the Lord. At this time in the life of the nation, the Temple had not been constructed, and the tabernacle was still a temporary structure, per the wishes and will of God. So when David uses the term “dwell”, he uses a term that sometimes has the connotation of dwelling for a time, to temporarily dwell. This makes sense if the context of the Psalm is as I have suggested. He may only have a few days left in the land. Things were looking very dark.

But notice that he uses the term dwell, sometimes signifying a temporary sojourn, with a qualifier. He wants to stay forever in the tent. Forever in the tabernacle, that would soon be taken down, for the construction of the Temple.

So what gives here?

David is more than a five year planner, figuring out things that need to be accomplished in a set time frame. He is looking long term here, speaking of his eventual demise and permanent state with the Living God.

We also see that he is not only looking to the Lord for his permanent dwelling, but that he is requesting permission to reside under the Lord’s protection, seeking refuge from danger. With this very next phrase, is David requesting protection from the danger that is on his doorstep, and that may bring him to the gates of his grave?

I cannot imagine the strain he is going through, and the multiple conflicting thoughts racing through his head and heart. Yet in the midst of the confusion, he looks to the Lord for his help, whether it is by life or through death.

At this point, starting in verse 5, David turns a corner and begins to remember his God, and the promises he has received from the hand of God.

The very promise David recalls is the promise that seems to be hanging in the balance with this rebellion. David recalls that God had given him “the heritage of those who fear your name”. He is referring to his rule over the people of God, those who fear God’s name.

How could Absalom frustrate the will of God? It seems this very contradiction is a comfort to David in the midst of his present circumstances. Wherever David was during this trial, he resorted to his past experience with the Lord and looked away from his circumstance that seemed so dark. This is the practice of the saint who has walked with the Lord, has seen His faithfulness, and trusts in the midst of a trial that the Father’s heart has not changed.

He is the faithful One, and as we sojourn through our lives down here, it is wise to consider His faithfulness in the midst of trials that come upon us.

For He is the faithful One, and He is Good!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

Follow Considering the Bible on WordPress.com

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 61:1 To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. Of David. Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer;
Psalm 61:2 from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,
Psalm 61:3 for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.

It seems no one is sure of when this Psalm was written or even if it was King David. Some suggest this psalm was written during the Babylonian captivity. I tend to look at the psalm from a traditional approach and consider this Psalm to be of David, and the situation he finds himself in is the rebellion of Absalom.

David was on the run, across the river Jordan, and eventually makes it to the city of Mahanaim, where he gathers reinforcements and prepares for the battle of Ephraim, where his son is defeated.

Prior to the battle, David is in the weakest position he has experienced. If this psalm comes from the hand of David, it is at this point where I feel he may have given us his passage. Having crossed the Jordan, he is away from the temple, from his city, from the throne, and essentially running for his life.

He may have felt like he was at the ends of his kingdom, near the extent of his authority, the limits of his national borders, as he travelled away from his capital. When he refers to the end of the earth, the phrase may be translated the ends of the “land” also, and makes better sense, at least in my mind.

As he is on the run, priorities come to his heart, and as his hopes and dreams are seemingly being dashed by his own blood, he calls out to God as was his habit.

Hear my cry. Pay attention to my prayer O Lord. Not only pay attention, but also understand my prayer. This type of boldness of the Psalmist is what I find so refreshing, so challenging. He had been in enough experiences with Almighty God that he could speak to Him in this manner.

I often come to the Lord with a cowering sense of subjugation, a head bowed and a knee bent attitude, which is due His Person, and yet the one who is on the run is looking up to God, standing in front and requesting (demanding?) an audience with the Most Holy.

Is this stance of David one out of pride of association, out of a familiarity of relationship with the Father? David admits his heart is faint. To be faint originally meant to be covered over, or enveloped. He was completely distracted or consumed in heart with the circumstances and out of this weakness looked to the Lord for three requests

Guidance to

David was looking for His Rock, the God who never changes, is solid in His Person and that gushes forth living water when least expected. David sought a higher position, knowing that both in military battles and spiritual safety, being higher is preferred. He was not looking to stay where he was, to wallow in his experience but to seek higher ground, to the Rock who is always higher.

Guidance Away

David sought God in his deepest and weakest experiences. But let us not miss that he seeks a position or place that is higher than him. He is not looking to himself for any direction, and it may be read that he is looking for guidance away from his own wisdom, abilities or strengths.

He is looking for guidance to God away from a dependence on his own, for he knows he is faint, at his end, distracted from his priorities, and without resources.

A Historic Haven

The Refuge, his Strong Tower against his enemy, who turns out to be his own son. How conflicted David must have been, distracted in his decisions and faint of heart. No matter what David looked to accomplish, he would wrestle with his decisions, having contrary desires pulling at him. Restore his kingdom, but loose his son, or loose the kingdom and die a traitor at the hand of his son.

To put it bluntly, David was in the worst of situations and he had no idea what to do. He desperately needed guidance, and he needed to get out of his own headspace, where he found no solution that was acceptable. He needed a place of refuge, and that place of refuge was His God.

It is good to remind ourselves that David is not crying out to God for a first time in this instance. Notice that he refers to God as having been his refuge in times past. His previous trials, though arguably of lighter concerns than the present trial, trained his heart to reach out to the God of Israel. This experience was critical, for now David was drowning in this trial, and he naturally had experience with his God as his refuge, as a strong tower from which he might be protected.

As we go through trials, no matter the size or complexity, run to the Father for your help. Not only will this please the Father, and deepen your dependency on the ever faithful One, but it will prepare you for trials that may be heading your way.

Not matter the trial or temptation, He is the One we need to resort to. He is the One who is our Strong Tower. Don’t refuse the great blessing of God’s guidance and protection as you go about your day today.

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

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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 60:9 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?
Psalm 60:10 Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.
Psalm 60:11 Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man!
Psalm 60:12 With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.

Our last portion of Psalm 60. I always love the last portion of a psalm, for the body of the typical psalm provides a struggle, a failure, a disappointment, even a question of faith, and the author is struggling with a topic in each psalm, but when we get to the last portion, I do not recall a psalm yet that ends without a time of encouragement and hope in the Lord.

Psalm 60 is no different!

Yes verse 10 reminds us that the nation is feeling the loss of God’s help, that there is something going on that reminds the people of their state of weakness. They have been rejected in some manner and David reminds the people of this fact, yet he doesn’t sit there. He doesn’t remain in a defeated, woe is me state, for he immediately begins his plea with God for help, for his admission of his utter need of help.

No where is there any help in the efforts of men, for where could he go – God is the strength of the nation.

I can hear echoes of Peter in David’s writing here, of when Peter was asked if he would leave after a period of testing. What was Peter’s response in John 6:68?

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

To whom shall we go? What great reminder for each of us. David spoke of the vanity of the salvation of man. Peter takes the flip side and states the lack of any effective source to rely on other than the Lord.

We have a choice.

With God we shall do valiantly, for in the end, it is He who will tread down our foes!

Seeking help from man will lead us to empty results. No one reading this short post wants empty results!

Seek the Lord for His help!

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Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.

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