Psalms - Chapters 3-10

well we're reviewing exploring the Book of Psalms it's the last of our series we've been through the whole Bible we won't stop we'll go back and repair some of the damage that we've done to some of the other books of the Bible but we will have the Bible complete when we complete the Book of Psalms but this study is a very different one for us because generally what we try to do is provide an expositional review of the books that we're studying we get into the exegetical issue start with exegesis that is what does that translate what is the original language really say and then from there you go to the exposition okay what does it mean and most of our materials are expositional verse by verse in the hopes of providing a basis of understanding Book of Psalms is a very different kind of book not the only part of the Bible is devotional obvious obviously but it's primarily a devotional book it's a hymnal and so we will go through and try to highlight here and there some exegetical potholes if there's some exist we'll expose it where we think it's really essential or useful but I want to emphasize right up front this is a different kind of experience this is an experience that needs to be devotional this is a book that you study with your heart not your mind in the usual sense not that you have to sacrifice either in any case we're going to address Psalms 3 2 through 10 tonight and just remind you that here we have poetry although it's laced with very strong theology it is primarily poetry the Hebrew term the hilum is uh praises is what it means and fifty five of the hundred and fifty are addressed literally to the chief musician these were in these were originally designed to be sung in with the accompaniment of various instruments and so forth in the Greek opponent would be sung and stringed instrument in some way and that's why the word Psalm our English name for this book comes from really the Greek if you will now most poetry is designed an arc in the western world on phonemes phonetic design two kinds of parallelism rhyme of course and also rhythm rhyme and meter if you will are really constitute the structure of Western poetry not so the Hebrew poetry it's based on conceptual design and the parallelism in the poetry of Israel was based on the parallelism of ideas not sounds and there were three kinds of parallelism at least imperative that's to illuminate contrastive where the second line tends to be antithetical to the first and the uncompleted where the second line completes the thought introduced in the first so there's different structures and I want to highlight that so you're aware of it then encourage you to forget it well explains what I mean in a minute we'll encounter a strange word throughout the Psalms called Sayla and that's Evette either means to lift up or to pause many assume or presume that it's a musical term and there are musical terms scattered throughout the songs but there are number of scholars that have analyzed this rather convincingly to suggest that the Sayla is a pause not for sound or for music but to connect ideas it actually may be both of course one of the strange aspects of the study is really reliable background on ancient Jewish music is is lacking a lot of conjectures some interesting books being written but the truth of matter is we really know surprisingly little about the music of ancient Israel but in this parallelism we have synonymous parallelism that's where the second line restates the first the Lord who shall who shall abaya thy temple who shall dwell in my holy hill so it just restates a different expression of the same thing that's pretty comfortable another form of parallelism is antithetic parallelism contrast just the opposite the lines are in contrast to each other or evildoers shall be cut off but those that wait upon the or they shall inherit the earth there's a contrast there obviously often we learn a concept more clearly by knowing what its opposite is what's the opposite of love no not hate it's fear but good question that's it I'm glad you said it because that's that's a very common conception strangely enough and and that isn't a complete from there you can build a whole issue but anyway there's also thin or what they call synthetic parallelism where each successive line expands the previous one the statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes the fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether each one amplifies the previous one that's the example of what they call synthetic parallelism there are lots of different sources 73 are David's and you can easily figure out which one is the oldest Psalm in the book because one of them was written by guess who Moses himself okay now many people organize through the years have organized the Psalms as a Torah or Pentateuch organizing 150 Psalms into five books as they call them first book is they called the Genesis book and they would argue that the the first 41 Psalms seemed to be focused on man the second book would be the Exodus books some people call it focuses in on deliverance leviticus focusing on the sanctuary numbers focus on unrest or the wandering suggestive of the thirty eight years in the wilderness and so on and Deuteronomy the word of the Lord now those are just those are just categories that a scholar would make I want to let you know of them I tend to be underwhelmed by them because I keep finding exceptions the first we're in the Genesis section by that reckoning and where man presumably is in view in the state of blessedness then his fall in his recovery the first Psalm does deal with the perfect man and fulfilled by the last Adam second Psalm one could argue is rebellious man certainly in the collective sense Psalm three perfect man rejected Psalm four would be argued as a conflict between the seat of the woman of the serpent psalm five the perfect man in the midst of his enemies and on it goes she can go right through the whole list here and I want you to be aware of them just for completeness of perspective and yet I'm gonna urge you to take those notes and then shelter and Christ amidst those people okay here's the caveat that having said all that one throw out a caveat in the Bible and make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and I'm going to urge you to take the role of the clean animal what and by the way I like to how many of each animal to know what take into the ark hey pardon good I've got a lot of the right answers here right not to seven of the clean two of the unclean now the question that when you the next question that comes out of that how did Noah know those definitions are in Genesis six those definitions show up in Leviticus they weren't ordained in the days of Israel they foreshadowed Israel by over a thousand years they were codified in the Levitical law but those distinctions apparently were prevalent in Genesis six the Sabbath Shabbat was ordained in Genesis 1 natural Genesis 2 anyway getting back to this chewing the cud was one of the distinctives of a clean animal and I don't think this is just a pun or an accident I think as Jacob pressure has written several books arguing that the difference of an animal being clean or unclean is not whether or not it's a bottom-feeder or all these biological categories the animals that are clean are all animals in the scripture that are used as an idiom of the Messiah the animals that are unclean are used idiomatically as other other than that and so forth so the lion is idiom of the Lion of the tribe of Judah and that I don't think the Lions use to their cuts okay and I could go on but the it's an interesting hypothesis anyway but the real point of getting that is we're going to suggest are instructed to chew the cud Psalms are not designed to just be read they're not really designed to be expositor in the scholastic sense they're designed to be meditated upon you probably won't really appreciate any one of the Psalms until you've read it maybe 50 or 60 times I'm not exaggerating only a little bit to see the chewing the cud was the key to clean sacrifices and if we're going to be a sacrifice for the Lord we should be digesting meditating on his word that's really where I'm headed let's avoid analysis paralysis as a guy whose specialty is information sciences I will have a tendency in many contexts to overanalyze bring out things that you really didn't want to know we'll try to avoid that here because these technical categories and categorizations and what-have-you can blindfold our souls to the real message and so I'm going to suggest that what we want to indulge in is prayerful absorption not intellectual dissection there is a place for that if you're going to get an eschatology you'll quickly learn it's very essential to be very precise you'll discuss himself highlights that the Word of God will often hang on a yacht or a tittle and some of his most profound arguments with the legalists of that day in Matthew 22 hang on a yacht in the possessive of my Lord and so on anyway but in this case our dimension that we're seeking is a little different we want the each psalm to be for each of us a gateway to his presence so okay I could go on and on but we'll leave the other introductory remarks that were in the first session to your notes let we picked up the first two Psalms who introduced Psalms more thoroughly the previous session and we took the first some two men two ways and two destinies and then we jump right into what's one of the most profound Psalms of the package Psalm 2 which was a discussion among the Trinity itself and fascinating fascinating piece of work and if it weren't there last time I encourage you when you get a chance to take some too and diagram it and figure out who's speaking to whom the great exercise now there are alternative interpretations of each of the Psalms and we're going to encounter one of these issues right here and Psalm through it takes we're gonna pick up from Psalm 3 and on there is the primary interpretation these Psalms most of them were written by David and they were written as a result of some experience of his some favorable some unfavorable all different kinds and he was a poet and a songwriter and he wrote these in fact probably brought wrote many more than are even bodied here but he was he was not only a great warrior and a very faithful servant despite his stumblings but his personal experiences including his stumblings are embodied in the passion in his thumb so it's a that's a to understand the psalm we will try where we can to draw some inferences as to what experience probably led him to that particular song in any case if that was all there was that would be very provincial very parochial know each some also has a direct application to the godly remnant of the nation Israel and many of them specifically for the comfort of the godly remnant during the Great Tribulation which is yet to come yes the Holocaust was grim the one that we all know of in Nazi Germany there's one coming that'll be even more severe that Jesus himself labels as the Great Tribulation and many of these may have direct application to that very very dark time that is on the horizon but most of us are interesting the third application the more gentle application to God's people everywhere at any time in the history almost all these Psalms will impact every one of us at one time or another and one of the great gifts if we can so organize it is to be able to get at the ones we need when we need them and I encourage you to figure out how to do that and if you look at the Psalms from this point of view the third point of view they'll all become more meaningful every one of us some historical background before we get into Psalm 3 in fact it's going to impact Psalm 3 4 & 5 we believe that the historical background for those Psalms of David occurred from the background and second samuel 15 through 18 and i won't take the time tonight to go through it verse by verse although I was tempted to I figure that's something you can do at your leisure I'll summarize it this Psalm came out of the personal experience of David it tells us what went on in his heart when he had to flee from Jerusalem when his own son Absalom rebelled against him he was king but Absalom was out to unseat him in fact even kill him his own son can you imagine David became an outcast and a fugitive from his own City Jerusalem he's the king and Jews was called the City of David he'd been driven from the people he drooled can you imagine what was going on and so innocent in his heart set aside the politics and those details can you imagine how he felt what he was going through abyssal zone son was in rebellion against him and seeking his life his intention was to actually put his father to death can you imagine that as he fled the enemy was on the sidelines cursing him and Absalom was able to get a lot of people he's a very colorful guy very articulate making all kinds of promises he couldn't possibly keep ABBA shy one of David's loyal said let me run a spear through him Dave said oh no they would not let not would not let harm come to Absalom and you imagine that the Prophet Nathan told David that God would punish him for his sins and his sins were many adultery and murder God forgave him but that doesn't relieve the consequences of those I'm reminded of a father whenever his son did something wrong he drove a nail into the dining room table when the son repented he forgave him and pulled the nail out but those holes were still there to remind him of the past where's God does better than that right your sins I will remember no more say no same at 12 thus saith the Lord God behold I will raise up evil against the out of thine own house and I will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy neighbor and on there's a very detailed indictment presented by Nathan to David that he was going to have trouble and that trouble would be in his own house and boy did he have family problems started of course with the death of the first son the the one that the first son of Bathsheba died the rape of his daughter Tamar and the slaying of his sons and then Absalom dad an idea before was all over he would lose three of them slain who he had family problems now second samuel 15 says the enemies David's enemies increased from all sides the hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom Absalom was successful at fermenting this revolt he was attractive clever politician and able to you know make a sale and of course there many others that rose up against David of course second Samuel 15 through 18 details all that so David actually went out of Jerusalem barefoot weeping passing over the Kedron valley and it looked as if there was no help for him at all and that's the context of these Psalms that are here recorded Psalm 3 and I think a foreign fiver I think from morning of the same events a psalm of David when he fled from Absalom the Sun this one is labeled for us to point us in the right place David says Lord how are they increased that trouble me many are they that rise up against me many there be which say of my soul there is no help for him in God sayla pretty dark times for many not just Absalom and many are saying there's no help for him where does he look for help apparently not except God himself and the word sale occurs there which is I say some people think is a musical term perhaps could be others believe that's that's that as a signal to stop and digest what's been said so far it's used 71 times in the Psalms and it's three times in Habakkuk three which is a psalm in the book of Habakkuk but is worthy of some study we'll look at that later now the word Psalm here happens to be the word mizmor what actually means to pluck the strings so again this was not just a poem it was intended to be sung and accompanied with a stringed instrument interesting Lee enough the word help here interestingly enough is the word Yeshua which means help salvation and as a proper name is the name of whom Jesus Christ is Yahshua Yehoshua is also the name of Joshua by the way but anyway okay that's the Hebrew lesson for the day alright and the word Sayla means to lift up or to be silent and there's two two basic schools of thought on that I just mentioned okay and so but I tend to lean I think you know be a bullinger makes the most thorough argument here to argue to support the idea that it's re to connect subject matter not music it connects the end of one strophe with the beginning of the next it's the connecting of two subjects together it's sometimes synthetic sometimes antithetic he argues that it's concerned with truth not with tunes but that's a view you can try on yourself now that hopeless opening David then says but Thou O Lord artists are a shield for me their word is Magan and magan dahveed the sixth the famous six pointed star of Israel is called the shield of David it actually derived from some earlier history that's not relevant to our discussion here but the word Magan anyway is the word shield here but that will lord out a shield for me my glory and the lifter up of mine head so when it's really dark everybody's against him in fact not only against him they regard his situation as hopeless David is confident of his real help valo Lord are a shield for me my glory and the lifter up of mine head I cried unto the Lord with my voice and he heard me out of his holy hill sale again God would indeed lift up his head and restore his throne he knew he would cuz that's what was prophesied in 2nd Samuel 7 the Davidic covenant and he was relying on that covenant that's a very very interesting thing we should not overlook from Genesis 1 to revelation 22 God goes out of his way to present himself as one who keeps his promises he's a God that delights in making and keeping his promises some of his commitments would seem to put him in a very tight box the ruler of the universe allows himself to cornered into a tight box of his commitments and he keeps them that's a total contrast to the presentation of Allah of Islam who is presented as a capricious one who can do anything he wants read that is untrustworthy the very presentation of the characteristics or attributes of Allah are absolutely opposite from the attributes of the God of Abram eat suck in your coffee ok he trusted God's promise the key thought here in 2nd Samuel 7 that's the source of the Davidic covenant it's very very crucial and it too of course is being challenged by the world today and God by the way in case you've forgotten is still on the throne we need to be it's clipped it's good to say that here in a Bible study like this but it's quite another to grab onto that when you're going through a dark times when everybody's turning against you whether it doesn't seem to be any hope that's the time to remind yourself but God is on the throne put a tab on Romans 8:28 and just check to make sure it's still there I check it about once a day sometimes David renews I laid me down and slept I awaked for the Lord sustained me I awaked this is a Morning Sun he's had a good night's sleep for the Lord sustained me I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about that's a lot how many people are gathered against you right now I suspect it's less than ten thousand morning somme somme four will be an evening some on the same events some three is a morning some and some five is also on that's probably on the same subject by the way but the key idea here is that God works on our behalf even when we're asleep I love some other than 21 when we get there but it talks about Israel he that keepeth Israel will neither slumber nor sleep everybody's worried about Israel with good reason on the one hand and yet we don't need not worry who's watching throughout for Israel God is who's watching out for America these days I'm not so sure mornings are special abraham worshiped the morning moses worshipped in the morning joshua worshiped in the morning samuel worshipped in the morning Jobe worshiped in the morning our Lord Himself mark 1:35 you can check these verses out but I don't think if you really want to challenge those views I don't think I'm not suggesting they worship only in the morning but there is something you might remember when do you feed the sheep in the morning and we are as she that we should feed ourselves in the morning when it's fresh His mercies are fresh if there's something unspoiled about the morning I guess I for reasons that I have no idea I have all my life been an early riser I wake up very in those few hours before breakfast are the most precious time of the day many days what I don't get done by breakfast I don't get done phone starts ringing their appointments there's issues there's who knows but those precious precious morning hours now some of us you know stay up late to make up for it you know no it's important to get a good night's sleep too so here is David the mornings as a rise oh lord save me oh my god for thou has smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone that's a right cross or left hook what I suspect it's a right cross anyway thou has broken the teeth of the ungodly salvation belongeth unto the Lord thy blessing is upon thy people say hello again it is here in the past tense save me oh my god for thou hast smitten the new American Standard and King James put it in the past tense there's several other translations that put it in the present or future tense and we're talking about an action of God they're often expressed either way God often speaks of future prophecy in the past tense and they often call that the prophetic past in other words it's a way it's just the idiom with God he's the same yesterday today and forever there's many strange passages where what you're learning is clearly future and yet it's written as if it's already happened and but so since this is a prayer many of them many some translations convert the past tense to a future tense there but what it's worth now as enemies are seen as a pack of animals who needed have their teeth broken teeth here broken the teeth is is sort of its idiom idiomatic of a vicious animal and so all my name that has smitten all my enemies upon the cheekbone I think he's knocked his teeth out and then salvation belongeth unto the Lord same word again by the way the Osher were there belong to the Lord thy blessing is upon my people say law verse a here one that Jonah quoted when he was inside the fish and so the David here even though he used his brilliance to outmaneuver Absalom doesn't take credit he gives it all to the Lord salvation belongeth to the lord that blessing has run my people they like and again salvation is Yeshua which means help or salvation and of course is a proper name of the Messiah okay that's right that's the number three let's take a look at number four - the chief musician on the big enough and that is apparently a stringed instrument or among stringed instruments plural that's found in the titles of 53 of the Psalms and they usually rendered stringed instruments I like it and also in Habakkuk 3:19 to the chief musician implies of course the lead part of the temple choir that was played on the stringed instruments so okay I would assume it's analogous to the first violin and orchestra or something something like that anyway we infer from a study of the psalm that the circumstance here appeared a parallel the psalm three except this one will be in the evening rather than the morning david says hear me when I call o God of my righteousness thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress have mercy upon me and hear my prayer now this will seem a little more clear the word distress SAR in the Hebrew really here to translate distress really technically means pressed into a corner in a tight place that kind of distress and that's why God in response to that enlarged him set him in a broad place in contrast to that so those two words are in a sense antithetical although it's not obvious in the English I'm really going okay david contains o ye sons of men how long will ye turn my glory into shame how long will he love vanity and seek after Leasing say love well first of all so we don't stumble over this this has got nothing to do with the way you're financing your car okay the word leasing today is used differently than it was in the 17th century the word leasing then was that or here the key word in the Hebrews Kasab and what it really refers to as a lie untruth falsehood a deceptive thing now some of you may feel that way about some of the leases you've signed but that's that's really a long way from what the word meant as it is used here in this translation how long will you love vanity seeking see the rebels were rebelling against David but what's more relevant that's his point they were rebelling against the god appointed leader and they also were victims of lies and deceit that's his point that underlies this oh he sons of men how long will you turn my glory into shame how long will you love vanity and seek after lies and deceit and then there's a call to reflect on that think it through what's really going on here say light okay lift up exalt pause the accentuation of some kind continuing but know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself the Lord will hear when I call unto Him stand in awe and sin not commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still say live that's David's both comfort and also his call to his adversaries know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself they're messing around with God's property in effect the Lord will hear when I call unto Him david knew despite the appearances he had a channel to the ruler of the universe and he would listen so he warned them standing on it seemed not commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still sayla offer the sacrifices of righteous and put your trust in the lord there be many that say who will show us any good lift up the light of thy countenance upon us now is put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety see is an evening song and Psalm 3 was on the morning of the same events we believe and so Psalm 5 will fit the same set of circumstances as well the word peace by the way as Shalom no surprise how many have heard that term before see it doesn't mean what you probably think it means yes it's used for peace but it also means completeness soundness welfare health prosperity adequacy for life saying Shalom is more than you know freedom of war or just having a quiet heart no no it's much more than that it's about as broad and there's comprehensive a greeting or gesture or blessing that you could articulate or more than just what I am yes right ok ok let's go on then number 5 again we think it's the same events get prompt of this as Psalm 3 and 4 to the chief musician upon that nihill off a psalm of David now the niall off it's apparently a term suggesting flutes or you know a Aramis and their instrument of some kind give ear to my words O Lord consider my meditation hearken unto the voice of my cry my king and my god for unto thee will I pray my voice that shall foul here in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up that may sound familiar to you because a very common chorus among the younger music in in many many fellowships it's amazing how many of the current choruses that are familiar to us are actually just literally lifted out of the Psalms give ear my words O Lord consider my meditation I you know I I keep thinking that meditation is probably a lost art we don't take time to meditate you know we we have a nervous breakdown if we miss one of the veins in a revolving door you know we just got it when things are just we live in such a strange world we can get point-to-point communication while we're walking down the street with a phone in our ear I mean it's a it's a different world and what a precious thing it is to somehow extract from this hurried existence of our time to meditate it just pause in silence not listening to the latest tape from or whatever but just to meditate on God's Word and listen for listen to him hearken unto the voice of my cry my king and my god run to thee will I pray my voice shalt thou hear in the morning the Lord in the morning I will direct my prayer to thee and will look up and now if this this probably if I saw five was probably the same experiences from the absolute me that it could if not it certainly implies a flight from Jerusalem and when he says direct that's a key word by the way I won't try to do this all the way through all the Psalms we'd be at it all day but let's there there is nuances to the verb is here translated direct that is a bit distinctive the word implies prep orderly preparation and the word is Arak in the Hebrew it means to arrange the set or put lower layin orders what you did to a sacrifice or to set to arrange for a fire lay in order to prepare to order ordain handle or furnish if you are going to if you had an opportunity next week to meet and chat with President Bush would you prepare for that if you are going to meet a famous author pick one that's really on your hit list as you've been invited to a dinner Tuesday next Tuesday or Wednesday or something with so-and-so you probably run out and make sure you got a current copy the book and skim through right so you wouldn't be embarrassed when you're in the you find what I'm saying but you got got an appointment with a ruler of the universe do you prepare for it already treated casually you know time with a time of prayer we take it's so accessible we take it casually rather than to prepare for it to think it through make a list of some thoughts put them in order get really ready for that opportunity that's what the word Arak would imply it was used of arranging the sacrifice and altar honor this is exactly what an event occurs all through the details they're ranging the wood on the fire for a campfire or whatever placing the showbread in the tabernacle which is a very orderly specifically prescribed thing that need to be done setting a meal before I guess get some important guests do you sort of throw it on plate and dump it in there you go to an upscale restaurant the food is not really good the presentation is a big deal it makes a difference it also is a term that's usually associated with a soldier ready to receive orders let me mention something else that you won't find in your Bible probably but how many of you have been an active employee at reasonable management levels of a larger corporation large corporation good have you ever seen the Secretary of the boss go into his office without a pad if he asks for a serie to come on in I got you come on in she will no matter how much in a hurry she is she will go with a pad and a pencil into that office why because she's always in a position of expecting some assignments do we do that when we go before the throne room of the universe take a pad along just in case God might have something on his heart who here is voice we gives us an insight gives us an assignment if you're ready to jot it down so you won't forget just a thought let's move on to verse four David says for thou art not a god that hath pleasure and wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee and we here we could concatenate a whole bunch of verses but I'll let you search about for yourself where evil cannot cohabit with God revelation 21:8 is the end of it there's a whole bunch of others the foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all workers of iniquity now shall destroy them that speak leasing and there a hint that word and that what some people think and the Lord will up or the bloody and deceitful men you know it's interesting if you're in a large organization corporation or whatever and something happens where suddenly there's a new guy a new boss in place the old guy is either retired or maybe hit by a car or something suddenly there is a new boss running the old show what happens quickly the rumor mill will try to work what's he like what does he like what doesn't he like only pastel shirts with striped eyes or whatever I mean you know whatever it is there'll be a scurry to try to understand his buying habits what pleases him what displeases him you know it's interesting how an organization will quickly scramble to somehow you know I can remember at the Ford Motor Company when I was there in the engineering organization there were two organizations the lion engineers that released the product that product engineers and the results of what they called engineering staff the proving grounds and labs and all that they were all that reported to engineering staff of the vice-president sharing of the company the product engineers reported to the chief engineer of the Ford division or whatever will happen in Hantz Mathias who was in charge of the product division was a guy when he got to work he took off his shirt he worked to the shirt sleeves on the tie and then Jerry staff herb mesh he would always wear his coat when he was not you know in the saw he was in his office when he said if you went to a meeting in the company there was 20 guys the meeting some from staff from some proteins you could tell who came from which the Freudian just came initially the time cuz that's just their habit they developed they didn't have a tie clip they were probably from truck engineering at conjuring it wasn't conscious it wasn't it was just an unconscious thing and the guys managed very well came in the shirt you know it was due to it to someone new in the organization you watch it it's couldn't help but chuckle you know but because it wasn't like a conscious thing it just people just adopt the style of the organization apart of point you see it is how much effort do we take to find out what pleases God not everything pleases God even if it has good intentions it may not please God that's what the Book of Leviticus is all about the only book on the biker Bible on holiness he has specifications there are things that displease him we need to understand that and not dismiss them without not a God that have pleasure and wickedness neither shall evil dwell over thee the foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all workers of iniquity I want ask for a show of hands of how many of you are workers of iniquity and embarrasses all thou shalt destroy them that speak falsehoods the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man oh boy see there is no such thing hear me this is important there is no such thing as abstract evil except in dictionaries and in philosophy books evil is not an abstraction except in vocabulary evil is a terrible force wrecking lives and capturing people into hell it's active moment by moment everywhere you look and the people who are the losers in that battle are called in the Bible the earth dwellers we are not to be dwelling on the earth we're passing through and the Book of Revelations the term earth dwellers is very clearly as you study it the losers and of course leasing is Kazaa but yeah I think covered that untruth Paulsen doesn't think she was financing david contains but as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple it takes God seriously we talk a good game I appreciate you coming out here tonight didn't join the study but the issue that's before all of us is we take him seriously enough every one of us in this room me included needs to raise the bar on a personal walk we need to understand that and sometimes the people in the pulpits like myself have the most urgent need to raise that bar especially in America the American pulpits how few really declare a gospel that God wouldn't have pour as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple lead me O Lord and thy righteousness because of mine enemies and make thy way straight before my face so David is praying for guidance he's confident in the god he worships but he's soliciting guidance or there is no faithfulness in their mouth their inward part is very wickedness their throat is an open Sepulchre they flatter with their tongue this sounds like the Absalom aurelion that's one of the reasons we suspect this emerge from that same period in David's Adventures destroy thou them O God let them fall by their own councils cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions where they have rebelled against thee now by the way this is what we call an imprecatory song we'll talk a little bit about that as many people as New Testament Christians are very uncomfortable with some of the Psalms David here is praying for justice anyone who resents this kind of praying can't pray hallouwe time thy kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as heaven could we have a just God Thomas Jefferson summarize that so well as I tremble for my country when I recall that God is just and his justice will not sleep forever he understood it on a national basis destroy them Oh God let them fall by the own counsels why because I'm a de daño because they are dishonouring God cast them out in the multitude of transgressions for they have rebelled against me no against me God the issue is isn't that they're against David the issue is that they're against David's appointed leader they are against God where they realize it or not so this opens the door to a classification of psalms sometimes called the imprecatory psalms and Psalm 6 is one of those and we will obviously incur a number of others as we go the enemies that are here prayed about our rebels against God so don't let some of that language shock you because it sounds so unchristian no this is this is a question of being jealous for God the Covenant people the Jews the nation Israel were protected against conditions of obedience whiticus 26 Deuteronomy 27 to 29 never forget Genesis 12:2 and 3 I'll bless them that bless thee and curse them that curse of thee is God's commitment to Abraham and you can study the rise and fall of Empires by their treatment of Israel the - abrogated their commitments of the balfour agreement they were given the League of Nations in the UN gave him the mandate to give a homeland to the Jews they gave 75% of that to the Palestinians Palestine State called Jordan that's when the Sun began to set on the British Empire Germany set up some ghettos and machine-gunned anyone that claimed over those walls and wasn't long before there was the wall around Berlin anyone climbed over the wall aswer machine gun until Rudolf Hess the last of the that generation passed away and spend our prison then that wall came down interesting see this battle between good and evil has been going on since Genesis 3 we need to understand that it hasn't gone away and you and I are participants in that battle we're both the pawns and also the prize in that contest and you can't remain neutral there's no way you can miss life is not a spectator sport whether you realize or not you're in the action you may have been sidelined be aware of that I want you to compare Jeremiah's imprecatory psalms john the baptist's imprecatory psalms in matthew three jesus' own comments in matthew 23 the martyrs in heaven in revelation 6 law Lord how long before you avenges know these are centreline stuff uncomfortable to many because they don't understand that Jesus Christ is not only our kinsman redeemer he is our Avenger of blood those are two sides of the same coin need to understand what a go L is a move on David conveniens but let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice let them ever shout for joy because thou defend us them let them also that love be joyful in thee boy and we digest that sentence for what but thou Lord will bless the righteous and with favor wealth I'll compass him as with a shield and the word shield here is not the Magan it's a different word meaning the large almost like a door that wraps around them a different word okay let's keep moving Book of Psalms Psalm 6 this is the first of a series of Psalms sometimes cataloged as a penitential Psalm fancy word for someone who is repentant undergoing discipline okay suffering under God's discipline don't assume because you're suffering you don't deserve it what's really in mind here is suffering you don't deserve so often we don't think we deserve it we probably do there ostracizing it's not because we're Christians because we're obnoxious okay we have choices and these choices if you're under discipline now this is the case where God is putting you in discipline that can be for correcting something that you need correcting on or it can be like training an athlete for a race he can discipline you for something that's happened he can discipline you for something that's going to happen you can discipline yourself for the big game in advance you follow me same thing takes place well when you're in discipline you got some choices you can despise it if you like you can resist it if you like you can collapse under it and quit if you like or you can accept it and submit what does God after submission absolutely and then pray that the lessons not be wasted there's nothing more foolish than to have to go through the same drill because you didn't do it right the first time and by the way be sure it's undeserved if it's deserved that's a different by the way many of us have hurts the hurts that are justified are the most dangerous if someone's hurt you you have a justified hurt they're the most dangerous why because they're the ones you won't let go of if you recognize that if you can forgive it will be out of your life and not hold you in bondage if you think it's a it's undeserved you'll cling to it and it'll hold you in bondage and if you don't know what I'm talking about i encourage you getting my wife's books there the route book being a way of Agape incredible how fundamental that is okay let's move on verse 1 of chapter of Psalm sings to the chief musician on nagging off of chemin ahthe a psalm of David now the mégane off word we've heard before a strained instrument chemin F is like saying the eighth so this may have something to do with an octave moving up an octave down an octave maybe down so the deeper voices can who knows those are all speculations but it's negative upon the chemin F so it's on a stringed instrument but an octave off somehow I'll leave that for you to guess what that might mean we move on david says o lord rebuke me not in thine anger nor chasten me in thy hot displeasure have mercy upon me Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me from my bones are vexed my soul is also saw vexed but Thou O Lord how long so he's pretty desperate here a couple of comets the word vexed in the 17th century when this was translated was a far more intensive word than you and I are familiar with we don't use that word very often when we use it it sounds sort of light I'm vexed a little puzzled know what it really meant I'm faint I'm weak I am so troubled I'm terrified that's what the word next really means or did in that this time have mercy upon me O Lord I assume most you've realized the difference between mercy and grace grace is getting something you don't deserve mercy is not getting that what you do have mercy upon me O Lord for I am we never pray for justice by the way just thought it point that out to you I want mercy not justice O Lord rebuke me not 9 anger neither chasing you in the heart displeasure have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed my soul is also saw vexed without Oh Lord how long the how long question comes up 16 times in the Psalms and of course is echoed by the martyrs in under the altar in Revelation chapter 6 but David continues his return O Lord deliver my soul o save me for thy Mercy's sake for in death there is no remembrance of thee in the grave who shall give thee thanks the word grave there Schill grave is physical that's something you can own you can only grave chill is the depart that the the realm of the departed after life thing now the not the understanding of the afterlife in the Old Testament is very limited and New Testament clarifies that in 2nd Timothy 1:10 with the New Testament we have much more illumination on all of that heavily indebted to Luke 16 and other passages so don't be surprised in the Old Testament you find some less than clear understanding of some of that foreign death there's no the David's argument he's assuming in afterlife who's gonna praise your God he that's our you don't let me go to afterlife I don't want to continue to praise you saying that's free what you say or in the death there is no remembrance of thee in the grave who shall give thee thanks I am weary with my groaning all the night make I my bed to swim i water my couch with my tears his bed is drenched with tears through the night that's graphic and probably not an exaggeration mine I is consumed because of grief that waxeth old because of all mine enemies plenty how our eyes telegraph so much of our situation it's amazing what a doctor can tell by looking in your eyes the window and ear and your being David depart from me all ye workers of iniquity for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping the Lord have heard my supplication the Lord will receive my prayer let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore backs let them return and be ashamed suddenly see it echoes the same thing the last few songs so let's now go to Psalm 7 the sugar on of David which he sang unto the Lord concerning the words of cush the Benjamite ok we know what the context is here a little bit cush the Benjamite was among a group of evil men from the tribe of the King King Saul's tribe who spied and they were paid to do that on David and they spread vicious rumors back to Saul about it to get approval to get money and so I'll believe them and much of what they reported was contrived so they're they're shredding his personal reputation and intentions and so forth it's astonishing what gossip can do it's probably the most painful sin now the word shaggy on of David is that word occurs only here in the Psalms and occurs also in Habakkuk 3 which is the psalm of Habakkuk it apparently means to wander and cry aloud visualize visualize almost a wandering minstrel crying and calling and that's sort of the flavor of this so let's jump in Oh Lord my god envy do I put my trust save me from all them that persecute me and deliver me lest he tear my soul like a lion rendering it in pieces while there is none to deliver notice the change in from plural to singular in verse one does all them that persecute me it's a group but his real concern shows up in verse two lest he singular tear my soul like a lion he's taught my soul salt hearing all this false reports getting angrier and angrier and and destroying any possibility of reconciliation with David O Lord my God if I have done this if there be iniquity in my hands if I have rendered evil unto him that was that peace with me yay I've delivered him that without cause is mine an enemy but the enemy persecute my soul take it yay let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay my honor in the dust Saila they understand that David had had two opportunities to kill Saul and didn't he refused to do so so he demonstrated his his lack of malice in ways that Saul should have understood and there's no personal analogy or Avron if I have rendered evil unto him that was a piece of me yeah I've delivered him with that with that without causes mine enemy twice yeah an enemy without cause and he chose not to take advantage if that's not for his look the enemy persecute buy sell take it let EA let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay mine honor in the dust sayla her eyes old Lord and nine anger lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded so shall the congregation the people compass me round for their sakes therefore return vow on high boy we'd like to call that right now wouldn't we the Lord shall judge the people judge me O Lord according to thy righteousness and according to mine integrity that is in me boy what a wonderful ability to make that claim oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end but established the just for the righteous God try if the hearts and the reins my defenses of God would save us the upright in heart God judges the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every day he turned out he will whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready this is what Romans 12 essentially argues that only God can truly vindicate Davers not trying to vindicate himself against his enemies he's leaving that to the Lord that's where we supposed to do the same thing he hath alts are prepared for him the instruments of death here ordained as arrows against the persecutors behold he travels with iniquity and have conceived mischief and brought forth falsehood he made a pit and digged it and has fallen into the pitch the ditch which he had made turn his enemies obviously he has made a pit and digged it and has fallen into the ditch which he made his mischief shall return upon his own head and his violent dealings shall come down upon his own path bait hit I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High the Lord Most High that's a phrase that's very unique it occurs relatively rare here it's you know Dave Ave El Elyon the Most High and this this this whole flavor here's what you might call retributive justice remember Saul wanted to kill David right Saul died by his own son Pharaoh ordered the male babies drowned in the Nile in Egypt remember his own army drowned in the Red Sea Haman built gallows to hang Mordecai the book of Esther who hung who was the first to hang on those gallons Haman I didn't bother to make the correction here because most people assume their gala was that's a mistranslation they were impaled its crucifix you're talking about which is invented by the Persians but that's a subtlety we don't have to deal with here now we get to Psalm 8 now you know every once in a while there's one of these gems that we really want to savor and I don't want to shortchange Psalm 8 let's just read it through first to the chief magician musician on giveth a psalm of David this one's a treasure o Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth who has set thy glory above the heavens out of the mouths of babes and sucklings has thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the enemy and the Avenger when I consider thy heavens the work of thy fingers the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained what is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him for thou has made him a little lower than the Angels and has crowned him with glory and honour thou made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands thou has put all things under his feet all sheep and oxen hey the beasts of the field the fowl of the air and the fish and sea and whatsoever passes through the pads of the Seas who there's an unusual word we'll come back to that Oh Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth Psalm 8 it's one of a small group of what are called nature Psalms there's five of these that extol the focuses in the natural world around us this one is also one of the messianic sounds and how do I know that because it's quoted as such in the New Testament as a messianic Psalm Matthew 21 16 Jesus himself quotes it after he cleanses the temple and Hebrews 2 first Corinthians 15 Ephesians 1 I'll quote this son so let's look a little more closely to the chief musician upon a gibbous a psalm of David negative it's a word that means a winepress it apparently also must mean some kind of instrument or possibly it's a reference to some vintage tunes it's a who knows that may be culturally dependent Oh Lord our Lord that's not obvious but there's a three-fold confession there that there's one God that he created all people of the air in the earth and and that his people in particular are the people of his pasture that they can say our Lord that's something in those days only you could say Oh Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth who has set thy glory above the heavens beyond the atmosphere indeed we'll talk a little bit about that out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength does that sound familiar it's because Jesus quotes it when after he cleans cleanses the temple because thine enemies now that that thou mightest still quiet down that is the enemy and the Avenger you know the cry of Moses the baby and the bullrushes brought Egypt to its knees baby Samuel saved the nation and brought David to his throne a babe in Bethlehem brought salvation to the world interesting then he goes on when I consider thy heavens the work of thy fingers the moon and the stars which thou has too ordained Wow Ralph Waldo Emerson penned a line that I had to stick in the notes if the stars came out only once in a century everybody would gaze at them all night such a breathtaking spectacle we take for granted because their all time if it came out only on the gravitation smen would we be overwhelmed with a majesty of just the stars at night interesting thought then this famous line what is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him what makes this even more emphatic in the hebrew the first word man there is annachi which means weak and frail the second the son of man as the word is autumn ah born of the earth both are diminutive --zz in other words for thou has made him a little lower than the angels and sexually Elohim which is it can be used a generic term for God in the Angels and that but in any case made him look he didn't make him a little above the animals like science would have you believe but a little lower than God and the angels the different difference in perspective that was crowned him with glory and honor in the last Adam of course thou madest made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands and thou has put all things under his feet see the Dominion the entire creation is put on the Dominion of Adam and he blew it he blew it he gave the Dominion to Satan by who his rebellion the last Adam has regained that Dominion and is going to put all things under our feet and we'll talk about that from the New Testament in a minute but then that's expanded all sheep and oxen ate the beasts of the field the fowl of the air and the fish of the sea and here is a line then that changed the world and whatsoever passeth through the pads of the Seas in the nineteenth century there's a guy that was impressed with that line from Psalm eight and a similar line a similar line in Isaiah they're pads in the sea and from that he dedicated himself to find out that and they ended up joining the Navy he ended up eventually becoming the head of the hydrographic office he had all the ships at sea keep records take data and ship it in and his name was Matthew Fontaine Mari and he has recognized in all countries not just America as the father of Oceanography and if you go down the Naval Academy the dormitory is called Bancroft Hall there's a long walk down to the academic group and the core building in the academic group is Mari hall named after Matthew Fontaine Murray and all because he was a Bible reading believer he saw this term pads of the season Eve there's pads I want to figure out where they are and he did and that's changed that's created the whole field of Oceanography I'll move on Oh Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth praise His name let's take a look at some new Testament echoes of the same thing Hebrews chapter 1 verse there tene but to which of the Angels said he at any time sit on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool the writer here is making a point that Christ is above the angels Marlon are they the angels are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation angels are ministers our destiny is to rule maybe people don't realize that the Angels do not have the destiny that is in store for us in Christ Romans 8:29 Paul says for whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to boot to what what's our destiny to be conformed to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren that's our destiny be shaped to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ Hebrews again chapter 2 but one in a certain place testified saying what is man that thou art mindful of him that's out of Psalm eight being quoted here right or the son of man that thou visitest him that made him a little lower than the Angels that crowns him with glory and honor and did set him over the works of thy hands thou has put all things in subjection under his feet for him that he put all in subjection under him he left nothing that has not put under him but now we see not yet all things put under him but we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man 1st Corinthians 15 again this quote for he hath put all things under his feet but when he say if all things are put under him it is manifest that he is excepted that did put all things under him and when all things shall be subdued unto Him then shall the son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all he is going to correct this fracture in God's universe then emerged from Genesis three seasons one sorry about verse 20 which he wrought in Christ when he raised him up from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and Dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come and I put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church which is his body the fullness of him that filleth all in all that's our destiny far above them far above the angels first John 3 this is my one of my favorites behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the sons of God therefore the world knoweth us not because it knew him not and here's my favorite physics verse beloved now are we the sons of God and it does not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is we know from his resurrection body that he enjoys many dimensions far beyond the three that were familiar with but whatever dimensionality enjoys we will also because we will see him as he is we're not going to see a a three dimensional representation of a two dimensional image or a four dimensional representation of a three dimensional we're going to enjoy whatever dimension is that's how many we'll have because when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is you won't understand that unless you've done some studies and hyper spaces wild stuff raw stuff anyway Psalm 9 let's knock off a couple more and we're called and leaving to the chief musician on the Moose Laban a psalm of David now this is one of those strange places by the way where the word mu slobbin means the death to one coming between and sound it has no bearing on Psalm line that we can find there are some scholars that believe it really belongs as the tag to the previous one referring to you know Goliath the man between two hosts a champion and so forth so some think this should be at the center of some eight in the front psalm nine it's not that big a deal except it's a caution flag to recognize some of these annotations even though they're very ancient still could be a scribal error if you will we're salmon seventeen has a whole goliath thing and so forth that's where the word same word appears okay let's go into it I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart I will show forth all thy marvelous works I will be glad and rejoice in thee I will sing praise to they name almost high when mine enemies are turned back they shall fall and perish at thy presence thou most high there again is this famous this strange El Elyon the same thing name that Abraham used when he had honoring God after the victory in Genesis 14 over the night the Battle of the nine kings continuing for thou hast maintained I write and my cause thou settest on the throne judging right that was rebuked the heathen thou has destroyed the wicked that was put out their name for ever and ever although enemy destructions are come to a perpetual end and thou has destroyed cities their memorial is perished with him but the Lord shall endure forever he hath prepared his throne for judgment now there's a parallel passage to all this and Isaiah 25 the first to half a dozen verses if you like verse 5 here says talks about blotting out a maintenance of course send them for just destroying them a lot of examples that in the scripture and he shall judge the world in righteousness he shall minister judgment to the people and not brightness the Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed a refuge in times of trouble they that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou o Lord has not forsaken them that seek thee sing praises to the Lord was 12 in Zion declare among the people his doings in verse 8 that first to the top one hears is quoted by Paul on Mars Hill in Athens incidentally and verse nine speaks of the times of trouble what it really speaks of crimes of the times of extremity it could end up becoming it may have a eschatological overtone when he maketh a Inquisition for blood he remembered them he forgetteth not the cry of the humble have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer them that hate me now that lifts us me up from the gates of death that I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion I will rejoice in thy salvation the Inquisition for blood is official investigation of guilt this is what the term really can't know it's there the healer sunk down in the pit that they made and the net which they hid is their own foot taken well how often we become trapped by our own snares here huh the Lord is known by the judgment which he executes if the wicked is snared by the work of his own hands hanging on Sayla hagion may here just mean meditation sailors that pause we talked about the wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God boy okay or the needy shall not always be forgotten the expectation of course will not perish forever arise O Lord let not man prevail let the heathen be judged in thy sight put them in fear o Lord that the nations may know themselves to be but men say Allah the word again here for man is Enosh which means weak or frail and that's something that sinners won't admit we're gonna see that amplified in psalm 10 so let's stick quickly to tenly it opens up why Stannis now afar off o Lord why hide us thyself in times of trouble - the problem in Psalm 9 was enemies from without the problem in in Psalm 10 will be the enemies from within and this is really the paradox that this Psalm is going to deal with which is another way we fret it's the age-old paradox why do the wicked prosper book of Job etc that kind of thing Jeremiah 14 cetera why stairs how far off Lord why hide us thyself in times of trouble wisely there when we need him is sort of the thing here this is were talking about the beliefs of the wicked the first belief of the wicked that we're deal with the first - cooking up versus two three and four is there is no God that's the belief of the wicked believe the wicked the wicked in this prize have persecute the poor let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined for the wicked most of them his heart's desire and blessed the covetousness of whom the Lord worth the wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts the problem of the atheist is not as intellect as his pride his unwillingness to acknowledge the reality of design they alter nature the second belief of the wicked is that he will not be moved he can do what he likes verses 5 through 7 his ways are always Grievous that judgments are far above out of the sights for all his enemies he puffs about them yes in his heart I will not be moved for I shall never be an adversity really his mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud under his tongue is mischief and vanity because he doesn't regard himself accountable to anyone is really the net of it okay there's a third belief of the wicked that God doesn't see him really he said who the lurking places of all of the villages in the secret places Duffy murder the innocent his eyes are privately set against the poor he lieth in wait secretly is a lion in his den he life and wait to catch the poor he deaf catch the poor when he draw off him into his net remember the small child asked his grandfather there's God see me when I'm alone grandfather wisely said God loves you so much that he can't take his eyes off you great I love that I love that he crouches and humble himself that the poor may fall into it by a strong ones he has said in his heart got a forgotten he hide of his face he will never see it so that's the third belief the last belief is God will not judge me a denial of the judgment there is a final exam coming arise O Lord o God lift up thine hand forget not the humble where for death the wicked condemned God he has said in his heart thou wilt not require it so those are the beliefs of the wicked who might just review those over read those over again there is no God I shall not be moved God doesn't see me God will not judge me does these four views characterize sinners today it's interesting these ancient hymns by David how relevant they are and getting more relevant to each of us these days there are four rebuttals in this song before we finish it up first of all God does see what's going on and this answers verses 8 to 11 Lord Peis they think that Lauri's the Lord pays no attention what they're doing some verse 14 says thou hast seen it for thou hast behold it's mischief in spite and to require it with eye-hand the poor committed himself unto thee thou art the helper of the fatherless okay the second rebuttal God does judge sin verse 15 this answers the claim at verses 12 and 13 earlier break vow of the arm of the wicked and the evil man seek out his wickedness till thou find none and the third one God is king Lord is king for ever and ever the heathen are perished out of his hand the rebuttal of the first four verses of the song and the last one of course is the declaration that God defends his people Lord thou has heard the desire of the humble that prepared their heart thou will cause thine ear to hear to judge the fathers and the oppressed that the man of the earth may no more oppress so there we have it we've taken the first 10 Psalms if you will now for the next session don't just read I want you to meditate on about the next you know 10 or so 11 through 19 19 maybe a special case that's that's the that's the dessert we may or may not get to it next time if so we'll make it a special on the following but you might jump into those and let's stand for a closing word of Prayer

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Length: 81min 42sec (4902 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 30 2020