Psalm 13 How Long?

How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

Psalms 13:1-2

From the middle of Psalm 9 through 12 we find lamentation to be the dominant mood; in Psalm 13 we recognize an increased intensity of David’s desperate cries. In Psalm 12 David perceives himself to be alone, as the godly and faithful men seem to have disappeared from the earth. But if that were not bad enough, as we come to Psalm 13, David falls to the depths of despair as he feels abandoned even by God Himself. To the true child of God, the hiding of the Father’s face is the most terrible of all fates – he will not cease to be comforted until he once more rests in blessed assurance with his Father’s smile upon him.

Several individuals in Scripture have experienced lengthy seasons of distress. Consider: Job’s tumultuous episode; Joseph’s years in prison for something he was innocent of; Moses’s 40 years in the wilderness of Midian, waiting for God to fulfill what He called him to; Noah’s year on the ark; even Jonah’s 3 days in the belly of the fish, must have seemed like a lifetime. The man by the pool of Bethesda (John 5) was paralyzed for 38 years before he was healed by Jesus. A woman bound with a spirit of infirmity for 18 years was loosed by Christ (Luke 13:11). The poor man, Lazarus, labored his whole lifetime under disease and poverty until he was released by death, into Abraham’s bosom (Lk 15:20-22). Under such conditions of great distress, one may find the words of this Psalm to be of great consolation. In seasons of trial and temptation, it is common for one’s thought to turn inward. In Psalm 13 David begins this way, however he does not remain melancholy. We know not how long David labored in his depression, but ultimately attending his soul to prayer, he finds relief, joy and a new song. In fact, the joy he finds is all the greater because of the magnitude of his previous sorrow. Sadly there are many Christians who imitate David in the former state of his experience, and not the latter.

Do you find yourself often asking the question, “How long?” If, as was the case for Joseph and Job, there is no apparent sin that is responsible for your lengthy season of sorrow, take heart and trust that God has not turned His face from you, but has only allowed dark providences in order to work things together for your good and His glory, in conforming you to the image of His Son. Believe that your faith will emerge from the fire as pure gold. Our response to dark providences should be that of the thankfulness expressed by John Anselm: Oh, excellent hiding, which is become my perfection! My God, thou hidest thy treasure, to kindle my desire! Thou hidest thy pearl, to inflame the seeker; thou delayest to give, that thou mayest teach me to importune; seemest not to hear, to make me persevere. In Isaiah 54:7-8, God tells Israel , “For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you.” What glorious promises! More than a mere gathering after forsaking, God promises “great mercy” and “everlasting kindness” to make amends for a “mere moment.” God’s end will always surpass your expectation! Can you ever imagine yourself praying as John Bunyon, “Were it lawful, I could pray for greater trouble, for the greater comfort’s sake.”

There are other cases when you must also ask yourself if there is some reason that the Father is hiding his face from you. Has the joy of your salvation departed? If so, inquire of Him into the cause of His anger – He is never angry unless there is a reason. What is that accursed thing in your heart for which God hides His face and does not smile upon you, as He has in the past? For what particular disobedience, for what unbelief, for what abhorrent attitude, for what manner of behavior toward another, has He taken up the rod against you? Job inquired of God (10:2), “Do not condemn me; show me why You contend with me.” What is it that has caused Him to so long delay His help? Be assured that it is not the normal exercise of God’s providence, to trouble the souls of His children for so long a time; so therefore, with humility, seek Him as to His purpose in dealing with your soul in this way. If there be any evil, whether known or undiscovered, ask that it be revealed, that you might repentant over it and find pardon.

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Psalm 12 When All Faith on Earth is Gone

Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. Psalms 12:1

In the Gospel of Luke 18:8, Jesus asks the thought provoking question, “when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” With this question Christ is foretelling the profusion of unbelievers who will dominate the earth prior to His return. If Christ should not speedily appear, there will be almost none to look for him. Calvin wrote in the 16^th Century, “Would that we did not behold so manifest a fulfillment of this prediction!” His prayer was answered, but what about us? Are we witnessing such a time? Is 57:1, Jer 5:1-2, Hos 4:1-10, Mic 7:1-2, 2 Tim ch.3, 2 Pet 3:3-18, are all descriptions of the last days which emphasize the vanishing faith of those days.

In these few words Christ informs us that as we see all things in shameful confusion; as terrorism, treachery, cruelty, pretense, deceit, and violence, abound on every side; as regard for justice wanes and there is no longer any shame over disgraceful sins; as the poor groan under their oppressors; as the innocent are abused and insulted; as people more and more boast unashamedly of their disbelief and even hatred of God; as they murmur against the Lord in their hearts, saying, ‘where is the promise of His coming?’ As we see all this happening around us, remember that Jesus has already told us of the earth’s condition before His return. Before the Son of man comes to avenge the wrongs of this world, so low will the hope of relief sink, because of the length of the delay, that one would be fain to ask, ‘Is there any faith of a coming Avenger, any expectation that the Church’s Lord will ever return to her?’ Later in his Gospel, Luke reports Jesus’ hopeful words in light of the bleak conditions of the end times: “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” Luke 21:28

Like any kingdom, the kingdom of darkness and the rise of Antichrist, which is to come, is preceded by the spoken word. Scripture is full of verses which describe the attributes of the wicked, and perhaps the most common attribute found in these descriptions involves his tongue, which he uses to boast. (see Ps 10:3, 49:6, 52:1, Is 10:15, Acts 5:36, Rom 1:29-31, 2 Th 2:4, James 4:16, 2 Pet 2:18, Jude 16). Paul writes to Timothy of the condition of individuals in the last days. Take note of how many of Paul’s descriptive words relate to the tongue: But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, … boasters, proud, blasphemers, … slanderers, without self-control, brutal, … having a form of godliness but denying its power. (2 Tim 3:1-6). Daniel prophesies of Antichrist in chapters 7-11, he spoke pompous words; through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper, and he shall seize the kingdom by intrigue. The beast of Revelation was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies (Rev 13:5, Dan 11:36).

One can say that Psalm 12 is about the last days, but more than this, it is particularly about the use of words and speech in this or any age. It contrasts the words of the wicked with the pure words of the Lord. Kingdoms are built upon words – whether vane, flattering speeches which build the kingdom of Antichrist, or Gospel words which populate the Kingdom of God.

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Psalm 11 What Can the Righteous Do?

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?
Psalm 11:3

If you ‘Google’ Psalm 11:3, you will find several ideas ranging from the patriotic to the eccentric to even the absurd, appealing to this very popular verse of the Old Testament. Many a well-meaning, and not so well-meaning persons, have used this verse as a springboard to justify their own ideas about how the foundations of our world, nation, government, businesses, or the church are crumbling and what the righteous can do about it. Some point to the removal of prayer from the public school classroom in 1962 as the ruin of our nation’s foundations. Others point to the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, or the legalization of gay marriage. Many pastors of various denominations have asked the same question of their churches, following decisions such as permitting woman preachers or the ordination of homosexuals. ‘What can the righteous do?’ is a question that many Christians in the United States have been asking in the wake of the recent presidential election. Radical Christian groups have proposed the idea of gathering in Texas , South Carolina , or Alaska and subsequently seceding from the United States ; others have advocated fleeing the country completely.

Indeed the destruction of any national, business or church entity is the result of their being built upon a faulty foundation. Many a nation that have been built upon the sand of human reason and ingenuity have fallen; many a business built upon greed, have gone bankrupt; many a church built upon the sand of pragmatism, liberalism or psychology are crumbling as a result. However, to ask, ‘what can the righteous do?’ under such circumstances while a good question, is not really what the text of Psalm 11 does.

On the contrary Psalm 11 does not advocate that the righteous do anything, except take refuge in God. Though David’s antagonist in the Psalm is telling him to ‘flee like a bird to the mountain’ (v. 1), David knows better. Rather than being shaken into some extreme action, he knows that his foundation cannot be destroyed. As God told Isaiah (28:16), “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation.” Psalm 118:22 reveals that our foundation stone is Christ, “the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” 1 Corinthians 3:11 tells us that, “no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” The whole world was made for Him and by Him, and it exists because of Him. In Him we live, move, and have our being. If this foundation were destroyed all things would cease to be. But the righteous can rest in Christ because He is the solid rock foundation of our very lives, who cannot even be shaken, let alone be destroyed. It is this kind of confidence the Psalmist intends to convey to his audience.

Scripture teaches that the foundation of the church is Christ and His Word. Christ and His Word, we are told, are eternal, and will endure forever; they cannot be destroyed (Ps 119:89, Is 40:8, Mt 5:18, 24:35, Jn 12:34); so His church may go weak for a season, which could be God’s chastisement for sin and indifference, but Jesus declares (Mt. 16:18), “upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” He does not say that the church will not be tried, but that it would remain.

David knows most certainly, that if the foundation be destroyed, there is nothing anybody can do, because the foundation determines everything. The argument He makes in Psalm 11:3 is not that there is a chance that the foundation may be destroyed, so we need an escape plan just in case it happens. Rather this is what is called, Reductio ad absurdum (Latin for “reduction to the absurd”), or reductio ad impossibile, (“reduction to the impossible”). In this type of logical argument, which appears on occasion in Scripture, one assumes a claim for the sake of argument and derives an absurd or ridiculous outcome, (If the foundations are destroyed) and then concludes that the original claim must have been wrong as it led to an impossible or absurd result (What can the righteous do?). Indeed, if Christ, our foundation could possibly be destroyed, then, where can we run? – the mountains, the hills, Texas , South Carolina , perhaps Alaska ? No. Pull our foundation out from under us and we are a people completely without hope. Perhaps that is why the question posed in Psalm 11:3 is unanswered. It is a rhetorical, even absurd proposition. Instead, take heart for even under the worst conditions on earth, the Psalmist assures us, The LORD is in His holy temple, The LORD’s throne is in heaven (Ps 11:4).

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Psalm 10 Atheist Autopsy

God is in none of his thoughts.

Psalms 10:4

He has said in his heart,

“God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see.”

Psalms 10:11

For several reasons related to the observation of ancient manuscripts and the text in the original language, scholars often link Psalm 10 to the previous Psalm. There are equally valid arguments for considering the two Psalms as separate. Some have suggested that the overall themes of the two Psalms are quite different; however, upon closer examination, the wicked nations described in broad terms in Psalm 9 are further described in minutia in Psalm 10.

Following the worship of Psalm 8, the singer of Psalm 9 continues to praise in the midst of the godless culture which surrounds him. The Psalm concludes with the Psalmist calling upon God to arise and judge the nations that they may know themselves to be but men. Though this is the earnest prayer of the godly, because the patience of God is greater than that of man, He waits before He pours out his wrath, until the sinful wickedness of ungodly, tip the scales of His justice, as it were. As Psalm 10 begins, it seems to the Psalmist that the LORD has not answered his prayer at the conclusion of Psalm 9, so he narrates a description of the wicked in quite some detail. In verses 2 through 11, he takes out his scalpel and probe in order to dissect and reveal the heart of the wicked, who he describes only generally in Psalm 9. In this way, Psalm 10 is very much linked to Psalm 9.

These verses of Psalm 10 are an “Atheist Autopsy,” an allusion to the 1995 hoax “documentary” entitled ‘Alien Autopsy.’ Each verse, like a forensic pathologist’s scalpel, cuts and reveals another layer of the heart and soul of the man who has “God in none of his thoughts.” He persecutes the poor, boasts of his heart’s desires, blesses the greedy, and renounces the Lord. As he prospers in his way, he sneers at his enemies, thinking that nothing can move him, considering himself untouchable by any misfortune. His mouth is full of boasting and deceit; he hides iniquity in palatable language; he murders the innocent, but does not call it such; using rhetoric, he seeks to trap the needy and draw them into his net. All the while this man is foolish enough to think that God will never see that which hides in the secret recesses of his own heart. Though he may publicly acknowledge God, when he is alone his prayer is, “God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see.”

The scalpel of God’s Word penetrates to a level that reveals that which the man himself might not be consciously aware of, or that which in he deceives even himself. He is a man who lies, not only to others, but to himself and God. Such is the condition of the heart of the wicked. But “wicked” describes every one of us. In some capacity, a dissection of our own desperately wicked heart would reveal exactly what the autopsy of this Atheist reveals. Does not our old body of death neglect the poor and needy, while boasting in self-sufficiency? Is there not pride, greed and deceit in us, as a result of remaining sin? Does not indwelling sin still try to convince our minds that God does not see our sin? This week let the scalpel of God’s Word in Psalm 10 do an autopsy upon your own body of death – see what it reveals about the person you used to be. Then praise God that He has given you a new heart and new life in Christ.

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Psalm 9 Praise in the Midst of a Godless Nation

I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:1-2

Psalm 9 picks up right where Psalm 8 left off with an exuberant note of praise. Unlike Psalm 8 however, in the 9^th Psalm, the Psalmist will return to lamenting before the end of his song, as he considers the reality of his turbulent earthly circumstances. The context of the Psalm clearly shows that David’s present condition is one of suffering, where any hope of deliverance lies in the future; yet the Psalm begins, and is scattered throughout, with verses of joyful and confident thanksgiving.

If we are honest and let experience tell the truth, Christians faced with turbulent times, seem to prefer to complain and talk about themselves and their problems sooner than they will praise God. It seems that in the life of many in the church, experience and circumstance trump praise. But not so for David; though he is challenged, living amidst his enemies, he nevertheless rejoices over the just Judge of all nations, and as a result sees their future final destruction and his own deliverance (vss. 3-8). Between the realism of his present trials and the equally real, but unseen future, David knows His God to be his refuge in the midst of the present tempest. In verse 9 he confesses:

The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

The key to David’s confidence lies in verses 10 and 11:

And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
for You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion!

David knows and trusts a great God – one who is enthroned, not among men, but in the heavenly Zion; One who is set above, and therefore unaffected by the circumstances of man. It is on the basis of this knowledge of God that he can offer hope to those around him in the composition of this Psalm which praises God amidst the godless wickedness around him.

What is your experience when it comes to praise? When the music stops, is your singing sustained? I don’t ask this literally, but figuratively. When the ‘songs of glory’ end and times of joyful prosperity are over, do you sing on? The song that once was ‘America’ seems to be in its final refrain, but when its over, will you still sing? If the Israelites could rejoice and be glad in the midst of their enemies, how much more should the church, who know of the true wonders of Christ and have shared of His Holy Spirit.

This week some in the body of Christ will be lamenting due to the various circumstances of life. Some will fear the future; others will be lamenting their losses. They do so because they have been taught of a weak and shallow God. But your God sits enthroned in Zion! You are one who has been taught great Truth of a great God – go tell of His deeds among the people. There is a link between great Truth and great singing. Song is the byproduct and response on the part of the grateful Christian who understands great Truth. So sing on, Christian, and let he who would call you, ‘naïve’ do so to their own detriment. For your hope lies not in an earthly nation, for what are they but men; your hope lies in the Maker of men and nations, even of heaven and earth!

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Psalm 7 Song of the Slandered

It is believed that David did not write any Psalm prior to his defeat of Goliath. The sorrows of David’s life began when he was affronted by the envy and jealousy of Saul and his house after he defeated the Philistine giant. It was the storms of persecution which awakened David to tune his harp and pen his Psalms. Psalm 7 is broadly categorized as a Psalm of lament and is believed to belong to the period of David’s life when he was persecuted by Saul’s lineage after his death. The sorrow it expresses however is not penitential in nature, as was the case in Psalm 6; there is no sin and chastening involved in David’s grief. On the contrary, his woeful cries are the result of his being falsely accused and mistreated for righteousness sake. David does not report the accusation in detail, but it seems from verses 3-4 that he was accused of doing evil to one whom he had no cause to even count as an enemy. In relation to the men who sought to take his life, David was blameless. He was conscious of his own sincerity toward God in both his intentions and conduct toward God’s anointed King Saul. In fact in this matter, David was about as devoid of malice as any public character in Scripture. His conduct toward Saul, from beginning to end, displayed meekness and a spirit far from seeking vindication. It is with this knowledge of his own motives that David, in verses 8 and 9 prays, “Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to my integrity within me. Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just.” This is no self-righteous statement; there is no leaven of the Pharisees here. David remains sensible of his own unworthiness before God, but in the matter for which he makes this appeal, he is blameless. Only a man who is absolutely sure of his own innocence would call upon God to judge him as David does here.

Have you ever been the brunt of false accusations, lies, slander or innuendos? How have you dealt with them? What should we do when attacked falsely? Should we respond in a like manner? Doing so only brings us down to the level of our attacker. Are we to protest openly and widely? This may only fan the flame, so to speak, and cause people to suspect you even more. But how are you going to be vindicated? If you’re completely innocent, you can’t even go to the other party and repent of anything. There is only one thing to do in such instances, and that is, take your case to God – which is what David does in Psalm 7. Whereas a false accusation may deceive others, it will never deceive God. We find David’s confidence in God’s justice and righteousness expressed in verses 10-17.

Realize that as far as we can tell, at the time David wrote this Psalm, he had not received the earthly justice he was seeking. In fact we do not know if David was ever vindicated of the matter for which he pours out his complaint, in this life. We do not know if his name was cleared of the slander which served as the motivation of this prayer. But we do know that even this sorest of evil against him served him with the occasion to sing a Psalm. Imagine if we could turn take the most wicked action against us and turn it into a song!

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Psalm 6 Song of the Penitent

O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger,

Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.

Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak;

O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

My soul also is greatly troubled;

But You, O LORD — how long?

Return, O LORD, deliver me!

Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!

For in death there is no remembrance of You;

In the grave who will give You thanks?

I am weary with my groaning;

All night I make my bed swim;

I drench my couch with my tears.

My eye wastes away because of grief;

It grows old because of all my enemies.

Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity;

For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.

The LORD has heard my supplication;

The LORD will receive my prayer.

Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled;

Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.

After reading Psalm 6 a few things stand out. Though verse 10 of the Psalm reminds us of the theme we have found repeated in the first five Psalms – that of the clash between the two classes of mankind: the righteous subjects of the Messiah and the rebels who stand against Him – at the same time, this Psalm differs wholly from the first five Psalms in its expression of humble grief. For this reason, Psalm 6 is classified as the first of seven of what are known as ‘Penitential Psalms” (the others are 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143). Psalm 6 is David’s sorrowful prayer for mercy at a time of deep affliction, which he recognizes is the result of the just chastening of God, which he has brought upon himself. He affirms that he can no longer bear up under his present suffering and that divine glory would only be obscured should his distress continue until his death. Despite this he nevertheless ends up sure of divine compassion – that his prayer is heard and answered in the defeat of his enemies.

In pleading his case before God for deliverance, we find David recognizing the terrible consequences of his personal sin. We find sorrow, humiliation, and even hatred of sin which are the unfailing marks of a contrite and repentant heart. He does not make his plea based upon his own greatness, or God’s wonderful plan to use him in the future, but rather his weakness (v.2). A sense of his own sinfulness has removed the Psalmist’s pride, and so taken away any reliance which he may have had upon his own strength. In this way God even uses sin in our lives to remove any hope that we might have in ourselves. It is one of the ways all things work together for good for those who love Him. Even our very rebellion against God, is used by Him for our good and His glory.

The glory of God is the Psalmist’s chief aspiration. In verse 5, the Psalmist laments: For in death there is no remembrance of You; in the grave who will give You thanks? Although God is glorified even in eternal condemnation, the Psalmist’s desire to live is not so that he might live for himself, but that he might voluntarily glorify God among the living sons of men. God is glorified on earth by the continuing witness of the church. It is to be the utmost desire and prayer of the church to see God’s name hallowed, His kingdom advanced, and His will done on earth, as it is in heaven.

The Penitential Psalms, just like sin and repentance itself, though beginning in the darkness of unbelief usually end in hopeful exultation. This is a reminder to us sinners, that when we sin and are chastened, if we would only pour out our complaint before the throne of grace, our soul too would be unburdened. Can you not see the glory of God’s love and Gospel in this wonderful truth?

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Psalm 5 A Morning Prayer

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.

Men of God throughout history have found solutions to life’s problems by directing their prayers to the One who would hear and assist them. Before even their day begins they receive the confidence necessary to face their afflictions and bear their burdens. There is little doubt that if we would cease the hustle and bustle of our morning hour and deliberately take time to direct our prayers to God, that we too would have the constant joy of looking up into His face all day long.

E. M. Bound has noted, “The little estimate we put on prayer is evident from the little time we give to it. … Not infrequently the preacher’s only praying is by his bedside in his nightdress, ready for bed and soon in it, with, perchance the addition of a few hasty snatches of prayer ere he is dressed in the morning. How feeble, vain, and little is such praying compared with the time and energy devoted to praying by holy men in and out of the Bible! How poor and mean our petty, childish praying is beside the habits of the true men of God in all ages!”

Matthew Henry (1662-1714), best known for his commentary on the entire Bible, spent most of his ministry as a pastor of a church in Chester, England. Henry was a diligent student of the Word, rising as early as 4 o’clock in the morning to spend eight hours a day in study and prayer, in addition to his pastoral labors. Charles Simeon (1759-1836) devoted the hours from four until eight in the morning to God. Martin Luther (1483-1546) testified, “If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day;” and “I have so much to do [today] that I should spend the first three hours in prayer.” He had a motto: “He that has prayed well has studied well.”

Samuel Rutherford (1660-1661) rose at three in the morning to meet God in prayer. Joseph Alleine (1634-1668) arose at four o’clock for his business of praying till eight. The great Scottish preacher Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843) proclaimed, “I ought to spend the best hours in communion with God. It is my noblest and most fruitful employment, and is not to be thrust into a corner. The morning hours, from six to eight, are the most uninterrupted and should be thus employed.

Martyn Lloyd Jones asks us the probing questions: What part does prayer play in our lives and how essential is it to us? Do we realize that without it we faint? Our ultimate position as Christians is tested by the character of our prayer life. It is more important than knowledge and understanding. … The ultimate test of my understanding of the Scriptural teaching is the amount of time I spend in prayer. As theology is ultimately the knowledge of God, the more theology I know, the more it should drive me to seek to know God. Not to know about Him, but to know Him. … If all my knowledge does not lead me to prayer there is something wrong somewhere. It is meant to do that. The value of the knowledge is that it gives me such an understanding of the value of prayer, that I devote time to prayer and delight in prayer. If it does not product these results in my life, there is something wrong and spurious about it, or else I am handling it in a wrong manner.

Take some early morning time this week to search these Scriptures and find their common thread: Gen 19:27, 28:18, Ex 24:4, 34:4, Nu 14:40, Josh 6:12, I Sam 1:19, Job 1:5, 2 Chron 20:20, 29:20, Ps 57:8, 119:47, Mark 1:35.

Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You.
Psalm 143:8

Psalm 3 Though this World with Devils Filled

A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.

The title of Psalm 3 tells us of the context in which it was written. This, the first prayer of the Psalter, was offered as David fled his own palace in the dead of night, in order to run from an army of thousands that had been horrifically gathered together by his son, Absalom. Detailed in 2 Samuel 15:13-16, David’s own son had rebelled and stolen the hearts of the men of Israel from David. Prayer originates in the midst of trouble, in the midst of humanity recognizing that his only hope is in His God. Psalm 3 is a prayer of faith, offered with expectation and confidence, not worried about how it might appear or sound; it is a prayer filled with passion and truth.

In verse 1, David first expresses a sense of being overwhelmed with his present circumstances. It is one thing should trouble come from outside, but when it comes from within, from someone close, the hurt becomes nearly unbearable. However, at the end of verse 2, his mood changes with the little word Selah.

The precise meaning of Selah varies depending on who you hear teaching on it, most seem to think that it is a musical pause – to rest and observe and meditate carefully before you move on. Some theologians believe that Selah means ‘lift up the mood, sing more loudly, pitch the tune to a higher key, re-tune your instruments.’ How wonderful, whether it be a silent pause in meditation or a verbal expression praise, that it is after theSelah, we find David with a new found confidence that God is his shield – his protection (v. 3). And again after crying out to God (v. 4), a second Selah leads David into a sweep sleep (the peace of God), for he trusts in the Lord; he is confident that the hand of the Lord is upon him. Anxiety would certainly have kept him up all night keeping watch for his enemies, but even in this place, far his palace in the dead of night, he knew that God was with him and would protect him.

Read Romans 5:1-5. Do you have peace? What is your peace dependent upon? Are you glorying in tribulation? Realize that it is with tribulation that the authenticity of your faith is tested. In Matthew 13:20-21 the one, who, though he received the word with joy, was tested by tribulation, immediately stumbled. What trial are you facing today? Has it driven you to Christ through prayer or to stumbling in anxiety and stress? Though this world may be filled with devils who threaten to undo you, can you lie down and sleep and awake, knowing the Lord has sustained you (v. 5-6)? Do not fear for,salvation belongs to the Lord (v. 8). Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1-2). Selah. Pause, lift up your heart and meditate upon this doctrine. Do you know this experimentally?

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Overview of Psalms – Intimacy With God

In John Bunyon’s classic work, Pilgrim’s Progress, two characters Christian and Faithful, making their way to the Celestial City, are joined by a gentleman named Talkative, who also claimed to be on the same journey. As they fellowship along the way, it becomes quite clear that Talkative is very well versed in the Gospel. He seems to enjoy talking about repentance and faith, prayer and suffering, the need for Christ’s righteousness, the work of grace, and the abundant life. His doctrine is impeccable. Faithful accepts Talkative as an authentic compatriot. But Christian recognizes him for who he is: “Pure religion has no place in his heart, in his house, or in his daily living.” His religion, even though accurate, is only in his tongue. He thinks that because he has heard, learned, and can talk about Christ that he is a Christian. But Bunyon reminds us that hearing is only a momentary receiving of the Word, and talking is not sufficient proof of anyone’s true love for Christ.

This illustration has much to do with the new series we are beginning in the book of Psalms. First, it is important to realize that that there is much doctrinal instruction in the Psalms. While some poetry makes no claim to instruct the mind, the Psalms do. Jesus and the apostles often quoted the Psalms in order to teach truth (Matt 22:43-45, Heb 7:14-22). When we read the Psalms, we are meant to learn things about God and about human nature. True as this is however, if you read the Psalms only for doctrine, you’re not reading them for what they are intended to be. Psalms are also songs; that’s what the word psalm means. They are musical. The reason human beings express truth with music is to awaken and express emotions that fit the truth. Singing is intended to stir up and carry the affections of the heart. And if we fail to understand this, we will miss the very intention of God in His inclusion of Psalms in the canon of Scripture. We will risk being like Talkative, knowing all doctrine in our head, but failing to embrace truth with our heart. The apostle Paul warned that though one may speak with the tongues of men and angels, he still may be without love for God.

The Psalms is the most often-quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament. It was the hymnal and meditation book of the church for ages. Alongside the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, Psalms is the book that has shaped the thought and emotions of Christian throughout the ages. The reason for this is that Psalms are an expression from a heart that has experienced intimacy with God. They are the exultations of men who not only know about God, but know Him. And this will be our intention as we preach through the book of Psalms, to draw out the praise and emotion that must be the result of knowing God intimately.

Gerald Wilson writes:

“The Psalms can and should be part of the constant practice of the presence of God. Regularly read from beginning to end, they lead us again and again to consider aspects of life and of God’s will that we might not otherwise choose to remember or confront—let alone to embody in our living. Memorized in chunks the Psalms can provide ready response to the pressing realities of our days. When I have wakened in a panic in the darkness of the early morning hours—submerged in fear, self-pity, or self-doubt—the Psalms have often provided the assurance that my anxieties are known by God, who enlightens my dark places. So, I encourage you to make the Psalms your constant companion. Keep a copy at hand, and keep their words in your mind and heart and on your lips as you meet the challenges of your days and nights.”

The NIV Application Commentary, Psalms Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002).

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