Note: It is interesting that there seems to be quite a bit of variance with the word here translated as arise. Gill directly opposes Poole and Augustine in their application as you will see below. Franz Delitzsch would compliment Augustine more than Gill as would James Strong. Yet while the application is the same between Delitzsch and Strong they too have some variance in their interpretation here; although it seems to be more a matter of grammar than anything. The word is quwm (Strong) or kumáh (Delitzsch) and signifies action as to arise, stand, become powerful, be confirmed, come on the scene, etc. So Gill might be off base a little here since he stands opposed to all others that I looked to here, even with their slight variances.
“Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God”
• […] it seems… probable, that, after having made mention of his confidence in God, he returns again to make the same prayers as at the beginning. He therefore asks to be preserved, because he was in imminent peril. JC
• Arise, bestir thyself on my behalf, and be no longer as an idle spectator of my miseries, O my God; who art mine by special relation and covenant, and I am thy son and thy servant; Lord, save thine own. Matthew Poole
• Awaking in health and safety, he feels grateful to Him whom he owes it (Ps. 2:5). God is said to arise when He takes a decisive part in what takes place in this world. The cry for help is… not… of a prophetically certain hope as in 6:9, 7:7, 9:5, etc., for the logical connection requires an appeal to previous experience in the present passage: they express facts of experience, which are taken from many single events down to the present time. K & D, Franz Delitzsch
• God sometimes, in the apprehension of His people, seems to be as if He was asleep: when He does not appear to them and for them, and does not exert His power on their behalf, then they call to Him to awake and arise… and it may be observed, that though David enjoyed so much peace and tranquility of mind, and was in such high spirits as not to be afraid of ten thousands of men, yet he did not neglect the right means of deliverance and safety, prayer to God… who was able to do it, and to whom salvation belongs: so Christ, his antitype, prayed to God as His God to save Him, and was heard by Him in like manner; so the saints call upon God in a day of trouble, cry to Him in their distresses, to be delivered out of them. JG
• It is not said to God, “Arise,” as if asleep or lying down, but it is usual in Holy Scripture to attribute to God what He doeth in us. Augustine
• Promises of salvation do not supersede, but engage, our petitions for it. His faith became triumphant. He began the psalm with complaints of the strength and malice of his enemies, but concludes it with exultation in the power and grace of his God, and now sees more with him than against him. MH
“for thou hast smitten all mine enemies on the cheek-bone”
• [This] may be explained two ways: either that in praying he calls to his remembrance his former victories, or that having experienced the assistance of God, and obtained the answer of his prayers, he now follows it up by thanksgiving: and this last meaning I am much inclined to adopt. In the first place, then, that he fled to God for help in dangers, and humbly prayed for deliverance; and after salvation has been granted to him, he gives thanks, by which he testifies, that he acknowledged God to be the author of the deliverance which he had obtained. JC
• Smitten, thou hast hitherto helped me, do not now leave me. Upon the cheekbone; which implies either contempt and reproach, as this phrase signifies; or the smartness and soreness of the blow, whereby, as the next clause explains it, their teeth were struck out; and so they did not only receive hurt themselves, but were disenabled from doing that mischief to others which they desired and were accustomed to do. Matthew Poole
• The idea of contempt is combined with that of rendering harmless in this “smiting on the cheek”. K & D, Franz Delitzsch
• To smite anyone upon the cheek is reckoned reproachful, and is casting contempt upon them; and the sense is, that God had poured contempt upon His enemies in time past, and had brought them to shame and confusion: hence he puts up the above prayer as a prayer of faith for salvation, founded on past experience of God's goodness. JG
• When God takes vengeance upon the ungodly, He will smite in such a manner as to make them feel His almightiness in every stroke. All His power shall be exercised in punishing and none in pitying. Oh that every obstinate sinner would think of this, and consider his immeasurable boldness in thinking himself able to grapple with Omnipotence! Stephen Charnock
• [God] silenced them and spoiled their speaking, blemished them and put them to shame, smitten them on the cheek reproachfully, had disabled them to do the mischief they intended. MH
“thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly”
• The teeth, i.e. their strength and the instruments of their cruelty. He compares them to wild beasts. Matthew Poole.
• David means, an ignominious end has always come upon the ungodly who rose up against him and against God’s order in general, as their punishment. The enemies are conceived of as monsters given to biting, and the picture of their fate is fashioned according to this conception. K & D, Franz Delitzsch
• He compares his enemies to wild beasts, and he declares that God hath broken their jaws, so that they could not injure him. CHS
Personal Summary:
We have a multiple recurring themes in these first three Psalms. In this verse we see one of them realized. In Ps. 1 the wicked were compared to the chaff that blows away in the wind (1:4), told they will not even be able to stand in God’s presence (1:5), and that they will perish (1:6). In Ps. 2 we are told that God mocks the wicked (2:4), that He will express His wrath and displeasure against them (2:5), that Christ will utterly destroy them (2:9), and that the wicked will perish and feel His wrath if they do not repent (2:12). Now in Ps. 3:7 we see the destruction of the wicked yet again. Here the wicked are pictured as brute beasts, animals, monsters seeking to prey upon and destroy the people of God and David specifically.
The great arrogance of mankind is that we think because we have not seen immediate repercussions that we are ok and become ever more emboldened in our sin, the wicked especially so. They think because they have seen some small measure of success in their persecution of God’s people that they may do so with impunity. But even their temporal success is measured by God and their wickedness will be paid for. God will not be long-suffering forever. One day they will hear the thunderous roar of an angry God that demands of them to, “prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.” (Job 38:3) Oh! the fear that will overwhelm them in that moment! Even the righteous crumble in the presence of the Lord (i.e. John, Isaiah, Job), how much more so the wicked? We know we have been forgiven and we still melt in the presence of an almighty God. They would do well to heed the wise words of Stephen Charnock when he says, “Oh that every obstinate sinner would think of this, and consider his immeasurable boldness in thinking himself able to grapple with Omnipotence!” When that day comes their will be no more striving, only the full force of God’s wrath born against the wicked in convicting and punishing them for their iniquity. Let the wicked repent, let the righteous rejoice, for God does reign now and forever more!
Another thing that has been seen in this Psalm is a pattern for godly living, and this continues in this verse. We know from 3:4-6 that we are to be a people of prayer, faith, and confidence. Each of those things compliments and builds upon the other. Now the layering continues, for now we are to be thankful. We are to praise God for what He has done for us, be grateful for all that he has done for us, not the least of which is salvation. How often do we thank God for salvation? I now often make a point of doing this in my prayer time. How immense a thought to think that God, in the scope of eternity, has always loved and chosen us in spite of knowing what our hate and sin against Him would be; the Son asked for us as His inheritance and voluntarily laid down His life for us knowing we would revile and reject Him throughout the course of time; The Spirit calls with a call we would otherwise happily refuse and then sanctifies us, conforming us to the image of the Son throughout our lives until we finally come home to see our blessed Redeemer; and we are preserved until our Lord comes again not by our strength or actions but by God Himself. It is a comforting thought for me to know that in the scope of time God has always loved me since before the foundations of this earth were even laid and that He is the security for my soul, accomplished entirely by Him. How can I not give thanks and praise for such a reality? One who deserves it least has always been preferred amongst men by God with all of the other saints through all of time.
Should our thanks stop there though? In the Western world specifically I think we tend to forget how blessed we are. We have challenges that others don’t for sure, but we have luxuries that most can’t even imagine either. It isn’t just that our necessities are met and we must give thanks for them, even though we should, but we lead extravagant lifestyles to be sure. I don’t want to make this an indictment or discussion about the evils of materialism, this isn’t the time or place, but we must at some point stop, and realize just how good we have it that we live so well and so free from persecution. God has given it to us and we must give thanks. It isn’t owed us in any way. Paul tells us that we are to be content and give thanks if we have “food and raiment.” (1 Tim. 6:8) Who here can claim that the Lord has given them only clothes and food? Stop, take stock of your life and give thanks. Is it salvation you cherish? Give thanks. Is it you wife or husband? Give thanks. Is it your kids? Give thanks? Your temporal needs being met and even exceeded? Give thanks. Living in a country that guards your right to worship God openly, freely, and without interference? Give thanks, give thanks, give thanks! All of these things are blessings and all of them are more than any of us deserve.
Through experience we, like David, see the realities of the Lord’s hand in our lives played out over and over again. Through difficult times and trials, when we had thought the day was lost, He has consistently delivered a victory, met our needs, and grown us. Have faith in God, pray diligently to Him daily, be confident that His will will be accomplished to His glory and your good, and praise Him continually, for He is God and he is worthy of all praise and honor! “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” (Heb. 13:15)
Friday, January 28, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Psalm 3:6
“I will not be afraid…”
• As the power of God is infinite, so [the godly] conclude that it shall be invincible against all the assaults, outrages, preparations, and forces of this whole world. And, indeed, unless we ascribe this honor to God, our courage shall always be failing us. Let us, therefore, learn, when in dangers, not to measure the assistance of God after the manner of man, but to despise whatever terrors may stand in our way, inasmuch as all the attempts which men make against God, are of little or no account. JC
• […] God will protect him, his protection during the past night is now a pledge to him in the early morning. All israel, that is to say ten thousands, myriads, were gone over to Absalom. […] I will not fear is not uttered in a tone of triumph, but is only a quiet, meek expression of believing confidence. K & D, Franz Delitzsch
• [David] was not dismayed and this was owing not to himself; but to the Lord's sustaining of him; see (Ps. 27:1-3) ; and such courage and greatness of soul did his antitype the Messiah express, and to a greater degree, when Judas, with his band of soldiers, and the multitude with clubs and staves, entered the garden to apprehend Him; and when the prince of this world was marching towards Him, and when He was engaged with all the powers of darkness, and when the sorrows of death compassed Him about, yet He failed not, nor was He discouraged: and something of this spirit appears in true believers, When they are in the exercise of faith, have the presence of God, and the discoveries of His love; they are then not afraid what man can do unto them; nor are they afraid of devils themselves, but wrestle against them; nor of any nor all their enemies, they having victory over them, given by God through Christ. JG
• When he considered the truth of God’s promise, and tried the same, his faith increased marvelously. 1599 GB
• Ten thousands opposed to one man becomes a mighty army! But millions against us, when God is on our side, are as nothing. Oh! for faith in the Lord, and in the power of His might. RH
• Observe that he does not attempt to underestimate the number or wisdom of his enemies. He reckons them at tens of thousands, and he views them as cunning huntsmen chasing him with cruel skill. Yet he trembles not, but looking his foeman in the face he is ready for the battle. […] they may surround me on every side, but in the name of God I will dash through them; or, if I remain in the midst of them, yet shall they not hurt me. CHS
• No man seemed less safe… and yet no man was more secure: “I will not be afraid… they cannot hurt me… whatever prudent methods I take for my own preservation, I will not disquiet myself, distrust my God, nor doubt of a good issue at last.” Note: a cheerful resignation to God is the way to obtain a cheerful satisfaction and confidence in God. MH
Personal Summary:
In vs. 4 we saw that David was a man of prayer. In vs. 5 we saw that David was a man of faith. In vs. 6 we see what being a man of prayer and faith produces… confidence in God. As BB Warfield said in our previous study: “[This is] one whose state of mind is free from faintheartedness (Isa. 7:9) and anxious haste (Isa. 28:16), and who stays himself upon the object of his contemplation with confidence and trust. The implication seems to be, not so much that of passive dependence as of a vigorous active commitment. He who, in the Hebrew sense, exercises faith, is secure, assured, confident (Deut. 28:66, Job 24:22, Ps. 27:13), and lays hold of the object of his confidence with firm trust.” This is David! This is what being a man of prayer and faith is intended to produce. We aren’t faint hearted because we stand not with our own confidence but with confidence in God. If not, then we are actually saying that we doubt that God will do what He says He will do.
William Cowper addresses this vs. by looking to Rom. 8 and says, “[…] stronger is He that is in us, then they who are against us; nothing is able to separate us from the love of God. In Christ Jesus our Lord, we shall be more than conquerers.” David got this, he understood it, he believed it and lived with an unwaivering confidence as a result of this. We too must live this way, it is not an option, it is a requirement. We are not called to partake in some passive Christianity. We are called in full confidence to a militant Christianity where we “put on the whole armor of God “ (Eph. 6:11) and do battle.
Here I am reminded of and will leave you with the words to the old hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers” written by the Anglican Sabine Baring-Gould. The words express what David must have felt as if he had written them himself. The words express what we are to feel and live out in our lives in the service of our holy God. Let us engage in the fight for the time is short. We will trust in God to deliver us from temptations, battles, and every sin that has assaulted us in this life; we are assured that we will reign with our Lord forever more! (Rev. 22:5)
• As the power of God is infinite, so [the godly] conclude that it shall be invincible against all the assaults, outrages, preparations, and forces of this whole world. And, indeed, unless we ascribe this honor to God, our courage shall always be failing us. Let us, therefore, learn, when in dangers, not to measure the assistance of God after the manner of man, but to despise whatever terrors may stand in our way, inasmuch as all the attempts which men make against God, are of little or no account. JC
• […] God will protect him, his protection during the past night is now a pledge to him in the early morning. All israel, that is to say ten thousands, myriads, were gone over to Absalom. […] I will not fear is not uttered in a tone of triumph, but is only a quiet, meek expression of believing confidence. K & D, Franz Delitzsch
• [David] was not dismayed and this was owing not to himself; but to the Lord's sustaining of him; see (Ps. 27:1-3) ; and such courage and greatness of soul did his antitype the Messiah express, and to a greater degree, when Judas, with his band of soldiers, and the multitude with clubs and staves, entered the garden to apprehend Him; and when the prince of this world was marching towards Him, and when He was engaged with all the powers of darkness, and when the sorrows of death compassed Him about, yet He failed not, nor was He discouraged: and something of this spirit appears in true believers, When they are in the exercise of faith, have the presence of God, and the discoveries of His love; they are then not afraid what man can do unto them; nor are they afraid of devils themselves, but wrestle against them; nor of any nor all their enemies, they having victory over them, given by God through Christ. JG
• When he considered the truth of God’s promise, and tried the same, his faith increased marvelously. 1599 GB
• Ten thousands opposed to one man becomes a mighty army! But millions against us, when God is on our side, are as nothing. Oh! for faith in the Lord, and in the power of His might. RH
• Observe that he does not attempt to underestimate the number or wisdom of his enemies. He reckons them at tens of thousands, and he views them as cunning huntsmen chasing him with cruel skill. Yet he trembles not, but looking his foeman in the face he is ready for the battle. […] they may surround me on every side, but in the name of God I will dash through them; or, if I remain in the midst of them, yet shall they not hurt me. CHS
• No man seemed less safe… and yet no man was more secure: “I will not be afraid… they cannot hurt me… whatever prudent methods I take for my own preservation, I will not disquiet myself, distrust my God, nor doubt of a good issue at last.” Note: a cheerful resignation to God is the way to obtain a cheerful satisfaction and confidence in God. MH
Personal Summary:
In vs. 4 we saw that David was a man of prayer. In vs. 5 we saw that David was a man of faith. In vs. 6 we see what being a man of prayer and faith produces… confidence in God. As BB Warfield said in our previous study: “[This is] one whose state of mind is free from faintheartedness (Isa. 7:9) and anxious haste (Isa. 28:16), and who stays himself upon the object of his contemplation with confidence and trust. The implication seems to be, not so much that of passive dependence as of a vigorous active commitment. He who, in the Hebrew sense, exercises faith, is secure, assured, confident (Deut. 28:66, Job 24:22, Ps. 27:13), and lays hold of the object of his confidence with firm trust.” This is David! This is what being a man of prayer and faith is intended to produce. We aren’t faint hearted because we stand not with our own confidence but with confidence in God. If not, then we are actually saying that we doubt that God will do what He says He will do.
William Cowper addresses this vs. by looking to Rom. 8 and says, “[…] stronger is He that is in us, then they who are against us; nothing is able to separate us from the love of God. In Christ Jesus our Lord, we shall be more than conquerers.” David got this, he understood it, he believed it and lived with an unwaivering confidence as a result of this. We too must live this way, it is not an option, it is a requirement. We are not called to partake in some passive Christianity. We are called in full confidence to a militant Christianity where we “put on the whole armor of God “ (Eph. 6:11) and do battle.
Here I am reminded of and will leave you with the words to the old hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers” written by the Anglican Sabine Baring-Gould. The words express what David must have felt as if he had written them himself. The words express what we are to feel and live out in our lives in the service of our holy God. Let us engage in the fight for the time is short. We will trust in God to deliver us from temptations, battles, and every sin that has assaulted us in this life; we are assured that we will reign with our Lord forever more! (Rev. 22:5)
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!
At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise;
Brothers lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.
Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.
We are not divided, all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.
What the saints established that I hold for true.
What the saints believed, that I believe too.
Long as earth endureth, men the faith will hold,
Kingdoms, nations, empires, in destruction rolled.
Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.
Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.
Glory, laud and honor unto Christ the King,
This through countless ages men and angels sing.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Children's Study: Psalm 1:1
In an attempt to make this accessible to both my children and to others; I am working to create a version of this study to supplement the larger study and post them here as well. I will edit them down (as an example I removed a little over 50% of the original study in 1:1 leaving only the most vital and necessary elements) and remove some of the more technical language that may be a hindrance to the children. Another change will be review questions added at the end of each segment of study. You are welcome to compare against the normal counterpart to ensure you are confident I am still being faithful to the text. My desire is that not only will this expose them to the beauty of the Psalms which is God's word (and this is by far the more important consideration); but, that this too will expose them to some reformed theologians and will help to develop their thought in this area. You do not need any permission to print this and use it if you should choose to do so, feel free.
Title:
Psalms: “Praises”, instituted to praise and give thanks to God for His benefits. 1599 Geneva Bible
Psalmos – a set piece of music, a sacred ode. Strong’s Dictionary
We have now before us one of the choicest and most excellent parts of the OT, nay, so much is there in it of Christ and His gospel , as well as of God and His law, that it had been called the… summary of both Testaments. Matthew Henry
Psalm 1
This Psalm may be regarded as the preface Psalm, having in it a notification of the contents of the entire book. This then… may be looked upon… as the text upon which the whole of the Psalms make up a divine sermon. C.H. Spurgeon
[…] all the Godly must take on the duty of meditating upon the law of God. The sum and substance of the whole is, that they are blessed who apply their hearts to the pursuit of heavenly wisdom; whereas the profane despisers of God, although for a time may reckon themselves happy, shall at length have a miserable end. John Calvin
This is a Psalm of instruction concerning good and evil, setting before us life and death, the blessing and the curse that we may take the right way. The different character and condition of godly people and wicked people… is here plainly stated in a few words; so that every man… may see his own face and read his own doom. The division of men into saints and sinners, righteous and unrighteous... [and] by this men’s everlasting state will be determined, and the distinction will last as long as heaven and hell. MH
"Blessed”
• See how this book of Psalms opens with a benediction (a blessing)… hence we may learn the… blessing which shall rest upon the man whom God has justified, and the perfection and greatness of the blessedness he shall enjoy. CHS
• It was of importance that the righteous should be confirmed in the way of holiness, by the consideration of the miserable condition of all men without the blessing of God, and the conviction that God is favorable to none but those who zealously devote themselves to the study of the divine truth. JC
“counsel of the wicked (ungodly)”:
• When a man hath given once place to evil counsel, or to his own [lust or longing], he begins to forget himself in his sin, and so falls into contempt of God, which contempt is called the seat of the scornful. 1599 GB
• [The Christian’s] footsteps are ordered by the Word of God and not by the cunning and wicked devices of carnal men. It is a rich sign of inward grace when the outward walk is changed, and when ungodliness is put far from our actions. CHS
• … he teaches how impossible it is for anyone to apply his mind to meditation upon God’s law, who has not first withdrawn and separated himself from the society of the ungodly. The first step to living well, is to renounce the company of the ungodly, otherwise it is sure to infect us with its own pollution. JC
• This part of his character is put first, because those that will keep the commandments of God must say to evil-doers Depart from us (Ps. 119:115), and departing from evil is that in which wisdom begins. The ungodly are unsettled, aim at no certain end and walk by no certain rule, but are at the command of every lust and at the beck of every temptation. MH
“he stands not in the way of sinners”:
• The way – customary manner of living. When a person willingly walks after the gratification of his corrupt lusts, the practice of sinning so infatuates him, that, forgetful of himself, he grows hardened in wickedness. JC
“…nor sits in the seat of the scornful”:
• […] those that set their mouths against heaven. These the good man sees with a sad heart; they are a constant [bother] to his righteous soul. MH
Summary:
• The sum of the whole is that servants of God must endeavor utterly to abhor the life of ungodly men. Men do not, at first step, advance so far as a proud contempt of God; but having once begun to give ear to evil counsel, Satan leads them, step by step, farther astray, till they rush headlong into open transgression. We ought carefully to avoid all dangerous society, that we may be kept unstained by its impurities. The prophet not only commands the faithful to keep at a distance from the ungodly, from the dread of being infected by them, but his admonition further implies, that every one should be careful not to corrupt himself, nor abandon himself to impiety. JC
Personal Summary:
We must delineate between ourselves and the world, we must be willing to step out and be different from them. We must differentiate ourselves from the lost world and quite frankly from the religiously incompetent. If the world views God through the prism of today’s Christianity then it is just as lost today as it was before it looked. We do nothing to separate ourselves from the world and the church and the secular have merged into one. Reformed people are running as fast as they can to join the apostate, the heretic, and the blasphemers of our day. So that even within religious circles there is no clear difference between godly doctrines and the doctrines of men.
Yet this Psalm specifically tells us that we must change that, that we must strive for more, and that we must be willing to step out from our comfort zones and reach forward for the sake of God’s glory. MH said, “… departing from evil is that in which wisdom begins” and could he be more right? When we mingle with the world as if we are the same we become like them every time, not once (or rarely for certain) do they become like us. We must step away from the world and allow our light to shine as a city set on a hill that cannot be hid (Matt. 5:14). We must be on guard at work, at school, in friendships, when watching tv, listening to music, or reading books, we must not sit in the counsel of the ungodly. And what if calamity should befall us for our stepping out? Matt. 5:10-12, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” If calamity is coming I say come swiftly! For our reward is waiting, and it is eternal, and it is beyond compare!
The other key factor here is what will happen when we do keep the company of sinners? It leads to evil within our lives as we have all surely experienced. It is gradual, it sneaks up on you, and it is crafty and catches you when you are least aware. We rationalize this sin or that sin based first on the company we keep; and that may be in very small matters. Later, we openly sin… no longer concerned with what people will think and least of all what God Himself thinks. Then in the greatest sign of sinfulness we openly advocate others to do as we have done and to walk in our sinful ways openly defying God. Many a Christian has been in these shoes, the younger you are and less mature in Christ the more apt you are to this error. We must be on guard at all times. We must focus on the Lord at all times. We must be mindful of every person and every activity we allow ourselves to be involved with. For nothing in this world is to further your walk with God apart from the things He Himself has given us. Hold on to those things for dear life! They will be the things that carry you through as you struggle through these issues and strive to be obedient to and please the Lord in your life.
Questions:
Q) What is a Psalm?
A) “Praises”, a set piece of music, the… summary of both Testaments.
Q) What is a benediction?
A) A blessing.
Q) In Psalm 1:1 who receives the blessing and who does not?
A) The righteous receive it while the wicked do not and incur the wrath of God against their sin.
Q) What does it mean to walk in the counsel of the wicked or ungodly?
A) It means to keep company with and receive advice from the lost rather than being obedient to the Word of God which is to be our rule for faith and life.
Q) Does it lead to standing in the way of sinners? Why is this dangerous?
A) Yes. Bad company corrupts good character and by doing this we are ever more inclined to embrace our sin and to defy God and His commandments in our lives. We then find justification to keep company with the scorners of God.
Q) What does scorn mean?
A) To despise or hate. They reject God, they mock Him, and they try to explain Him away.
Q) How should a righteous man react to the behavior of the ungodly as they express their scorn?
A) They should make him sad, even angry; it should bother him to the depths of his soul for they have offended and sinned against his holy God.
Q) When a Christian first starts keeping company with the lost do they immediately see their godly living disappear?
A) No, gradually they will see a loosening of their morals; which, if not corrected, will only lead to more frequent and easy godless living until they have turned their backs on God altogether.
Q) Should we be on guard against the world in all places and at all times?
A) Yes, we are to put on the whole armor of God and never, even for a moment, believe that we are no longer battling the temptations and sin of this world, which the lost embrace.
Q) As we separate ourselves from the influence of the world should we then shine as an example to them?
A) Yes, we are to be examples of God’s grace with every interaction we have with the lost of this world. Our good character, enabled by God, should always stand as an example to the wicked.
Title:
Psalms: “Praises”, instituted to praise and give thanks to God for His benefits. 1599 Geneva Bible
Psalmos – a set piece of music, a sacred ode. Strong’s Dictionary
We have now before us one of the choicest and most excellent parts of the OT, nay, so much is there in it of Christ and His gospel , as well as of God and His law, that it had been called the… summary of both Testaments. Matthew Henry
Psalm 1
This Psalm may be regarded as the preface Psalm, having in it a notification of the contents of the entire book. This then… may be looked upon… as the text upon which the whole of the Psalms make up a divine sermon. C.H. Spurgeon
[…] all the Godly must take on the duty of meditating upon the law of God. The sum and substance of the whole is, that they are blessed who apply their hearts to the pursuit of heavenly wisdom; whereas the profane despisers of God, although for a time may reckon themselves happy, shall at length have a miserable end. John Calvin
This is a Psalm of instruction concerning good and evil, setting before us life and death, the blessing and the curse that we may take the right way. The different character and condition of godly people and wicked people… is here plainly stated in a few words; so that every man… may see his own face and read his own doom. The division of men into saints and sinners, righteous and unrighteous... [and] by this men’s everlasting state will be determined, and the distinction will last as long as heaven and hell. MH
"Blessed”
• See how this book of Psalms opens with a benediction (a blessing)… hence we may learn the… blessing which shall rest upon the man whom God has justified, and the perfection and greatness of the blessedness he shall enjoy. CHS
• It was of importance that the righteous should be confirmed in the way of holiness, by the consideration of the miserable condition of all men without the blessing of God, and the conviction that God is favorable to none but those who zealously devote themselves to the study of the divine truth. JC
“counsel of the wicked (ungodly)”:
• When a man hath given once place to evil counsel, or to his own [lust or longing], he begins to forget himself in his sin, and so falls into contempt of God, which contempt is called the seat of the scornful. 1599 GB
• [The Christian’s] footsteps are ordered by the Word of God and not by the cunning and wicked devices of carnal men. It is a rich sign of inward grace when the outward walk is changed, and when ungodliness is put far from our actions. CHS
• … he teaches how impossible it is for anyone to apply his mind to meditation upon God’s law, who has not first withdrawn and separated himself from the society of the ungodly. The first step to living well, is to renounce the company of the ungodly, otherwise it is sure to infect us with its own pollution. JC
• This part of his character is put first, because those that will keep the commandments of God must say to evil-doers Depart from us (Ps. 119:115), and departing from evil is that in which wisdom begins. The ungodly are unsettled, aim at no certain end and walk by no certain rule, but are at the command of every lust and at the beck of every temptation. MH
“he stands not in the way of sinners”:
• The way – customary manner of living. When a person willingly walks after the gratification of his corrupt lusts, the practice of sinning so infatuates him, that, forgetful of himself, he grows hardened in wickedness. JC
“…nor sits in the seat of the scornful”:
• […] those that set their mouths against heaven. These the good man sees with a sad heart; they are a constant [bother] to his righteous soul. MH
Summary:
• The sum of the whole is that servants of God must endeavor utterly to abhor the life of ungodly men. Men do not, at first step, advance so far as a proud contempt of God; but having once begun to give ear to evil counsel, Satan leads them, step by step, farther astray, till they rush headlong into open transgression. We ought carefully to avoid all dangerous society, that we may be kept unstained by its impurities. The prophet not only commands the faithful to keep at a distance from the ungodly, from the dread of being infected by them, but his admonition further implies, that every one should be careful not to corrupt himself, nor abandon himself to impiety. JC
Personal Summary:
We must delineate between ourselves and the world, we must be willing to step out and be different from them. We must differentiate ourselves from the lost world and quite frankly from the religiously incompetent. If the world views God through the prism of today’s Christianity then it is just as lost today as it was before it looked. We do nothing to separate ourselves from the world and the church and the secular have merged into one. Reformed people are running as fast as they can to join the apostate, the heretic, and the blasphemers of our day. So that even within religious circles there is no clear difference between godly doctrines and the doctrines of men.
Yet this Psalm specifically tells us that we must change that, that we must strive for more, and that we must be willing to step out from our comfort zones and reach forward for the sake of God’s glory. MH said, “… departing from evil is that in which wisdom begins” and could he be more right? When we mingle with the world as if we are the same we become like them every time, not once (or rarely for certain) do they become like us. We must step away from the world and allow our light to shine as a city set on a hill that cannot be hid (Matt. 5:14). We must be on guard at work, at school, in friendships, when watching tv, listening to music, or reading books, we must not sit in the counsel of the ungodly. And what if calamity should befall us for our stepping out? Matt. 5:10-12, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” If calamity is coming I say come swiftly! For our reward is waiting, and it is eternal, and it is beyond compare!
The other key factor here is what will happen when we do keep the company of sinners? It leads to evil within our lives as we have all surely experienced. It is gradual, it sneaks up on you, and it is crafty and catches you when you are least aware. We rationalize this sin or that sin based first on the company we keep; and that may be in very small matters. Later, we openly sin… no longer concerned with what people will think and least of all what God Himself thinks. Then in the greatest sign of sinfulness we openly advocate others to do as we have done and to walk in our sinful ways openly defying God. Many a Christian has been in these shoes, the younger you are and less mature in Christ the more apt you are to this error. We must be on guard at all times. We must focus on the Lord at all times. We must be mindful of every person and every activity we allow ourselves to be involved with. For nothing in this world is to further your walk with God apart from the things He Himself has given us. Hold on to those things for dear life! They will be the things that carry you through as you struggle through these issues and strive to be obedient to and please the Lord in your life.
Questions:
Q) What is a Psalm?
A) “Praises”, a set piece of music, the… summary of both Testaments.
Q) What is a benediction?
A) A blessing.
Q) In Psalm 1:1 who receives the blessing and who does not?
A) The righteous receive it while the wicked do not and incur the wrath of God against their sin.
Q) What does it mean to walk in the counsel of the wicked or ungodly?
A) It means to keep company with and receive advice from the lost rather than being obedient to the Word of God which is to be our rule for faith and life.
Q) Does it lead to standing in the way of sinners? Why is this dangerous?
A) Yes. Bad company corrupts good character and by doing this we are ever more inclined to embrace our sin and to defy God and His commandments in our lives. We then find justification to keep company with the scorners of God.
Q) What does scorn mean?
A) To despise or hate. They reject God, they mock Him, and they try to explain Him away.
Q) How should a righteous man react to the behavior of the ungodly as they express their scorn?
A) They should make him sad, even angry; it should bother him to the depths of his soul for they have offended and sinned against his holy God.
Q) When a Christian first starts keeping company with the lost do they immediately see their godly living disappear?
A) No, gradually they will see a loosening of their morals; which, if not corrected, will only lead to more frequent and easy godless living until they have turned their backs on God altogether.
Q) Should we be on guard against the world in all places and at all times?
A) Yes, we are to put on the whole armor of God and never, even for a moment, believe that we are no longer battling the temptations and sin of this world, which the lost embrace.
Q) As we separate ourselves from the influence of the world should we then shine as an example to them?
A) Yes, we are to be examples of God’s grace with every interaction we have with the lost of this world. Our good character, enabled by God, should always stand as an example to the wicked.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Blog Update:
I have added labels to the blog which will now allow you to quickly bring up only the Psalm you may be interested in if you are desiring to go back through one, or share it, or whatever the case may be. It is on the right side of the page under the archives section.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Psalm 3:5
Note: The word that you will see in your bibles translated as either sustains or sustained is the Hebrew word camak (Strong’s 5564). Obviously some are translating it with a present tense and others with a past tense. A number of the commentaries did take note of tense in this verse and comment on it with almost all of the commentaries I am using settling on the past tense application. Most of them don’t recognize the present tense at all and refer to a possible reading of the text in the past or future tense. It is interesting to note, that even if used only as a compliment to the translations we have been given, that this word is rendered “help” in the Septuagint making the last half read “for the Lord will help me” rather than “for the Lord sustains/ed me”. There does seem to be at least a logical basis for the rendering since the word has some application as lean upon, bear up, and uphold. It would also seem to keep in context with the passage. In fact it may give more credence to the idea of faith being addressed in this verse; I would think that is why they settled there. Of course you are then back to dealing with the present/future tense which would seem to stand opposed to the other translations and commentators.
“I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.”
• […] David expresses a wonderful and almost incredible steadfastness of mind in that he slept so soundly in the midst of many deaths, as if he had been beyond the reach of all danger. He had doubtless been tossed amidst the merciless waves of anxiety, but it is certain their violence had been allayed by means of faith, so that however much he was disquieted, he reposed in God. Thus the godly never fail in ultimately proving victorious over all their fears, whereas the ungodly, who do not rely upon God, are overwhelmed with despair, even when they meet with the smallest perils. David… declares how much good he had obtained by means of faith and prayer; namely, the peaceful and undisturbed state of a well regulated mind. But let us… notice that David came to have this confidence of safety from the protection of God, not from stupidity of mind. JC
• I laid me down and slept securely, casting all my cares and fears upon God, and relying on His help. I awaked… after a sweet and undisturbed sleep. [God] upheld my spirit, and person, and cause. M. Poole
• David’s faith enabled him to lie down; anxiety would certainly have kept him on tiptoe, watching for an enemy. Yea, he was able to sleep, to sleep in the midst of trouble, surrounded by foes. There is a sleep of presumption; God deliver us from it! There is a sleep of holy confidence; God help us so to close our eyes! CHS
• […] that soul which hath the beauty or holiness shining in it, shall be preserved for the glory of the structure, God will not suffer his own temple to be destroyed. Would you be secured in evil times? Get grace and fortify the garrison; a good conscience is a Christian’s fort-royal. True grace may be shot at, but can never be shot through; grace puts the soul into Christ, and there it is safe, as the bee in the hive, as the dove in the ark. Thomas Watson
• The psalmist committed himself to the care and protection of God; he laid himself down in His arms, and there slept in safety; the Lord preserved him, who is Israel's keeper, that neither slumbers nor sleeps: and he rose in health and cheerfulness in the morning, supported by His right hand. This shows, that lying down to sleep, when in such circumstances, and awaking with cheerfulness, were not owing to rashness, stupidity, and insensibility, but to divine supports. JG
• Having by prayer committed himself and his cause to God, and being sure of His protection, his heart was fixed, and he was easy. [The entire situation] never deprived him of an hour’s sleep, nor gave any disturbance to his repose; for the Lord, by His grace and the consolations of His Spirit, powerfully sustained him and made him easy. It is a great mercy when we are in trouble to have our minds stayed upon by God, so as never either to eat or sleep with trembling and astonishment. MH
Personal Summary:
In vs. 4 we saw that David was a man of prayer and how we must be that too. Now David shows us that he is a man of faith. David is such a man of faith that he is listed among the Heroes of the Faith in Heb. 11. The two are naturally tied together here and who can but attest to the fact that in their own lives this is true as well? Let us stop praying for a season and our faith will weaken as well. But frequent time in prayer and the study of God’s word emboldens our faith and sustains us through all of life’s difficulties. The same is true here of David. His world collapsing around him, betrayal and danger on every side, men actively seeking to take his life, David placed all of this in the hands of God and peacefully slept without worry. The difficult times didn’t drive him from prayer, they drove him to it. Difficult times didn’t stop him from believing in the promises of God, they proved them.
Faith is everything to the believer. It is a foundation for which our lives are built upon. Sola Fide was a cry of the Reformation. So let us look for a moment at the doctrine of faith and see what it is David had attained that allowed him to sleep so soundly amidst the turmoil.
The Westminster Confession of Faith XIV says:
In another place David (Calvin here gives David the credit although it is uncertain who the author is for sure) says, “The Lord is for me, I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Ps. 118:6) In this vs. fear is dealt with; which is also the pressing matter in the case of David in Psalm 3. Perhaps in a similar situation we would not have slept so well. So let us look at fear through the prism of faith as David did so well.
We see that to have the faith that David has we must focus our eyes on Christ and never look away, that we must be diligent in the godly exercises He has left for us (namely prayer, sacraments, and the reading and study of the Word of God). We see that our perseverence and growth in faith depends not on man but on Christ Himself. We see that, with the Heroes of Faith, we cannot let fear cripple us to inaction. That we must have faith in God that He is sovereign over all things and that He has ordained all things to come to pass so that nothing is beyond His control, including our lives. We see that faith is a vigorous giving of ourselves to God, living with a complete assurance and trust in Him, it is believing with a sure conviction that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He has said He will do. Finally, it is a complete assurance that Christ has died for our sins and we are saved from the wrath of God that is going to come on all of the ungodly of this world. Faith drives you to God in all circumstances and allows you to rest easy in Him. The world has not known this; nor will they, unless they become born again believers as well.
Let troubles come, let men rail against us, let the depths of hell be unleashed in a rage against us! God will preserve us, we will be sustained, we will be glorified with Him one day in heaven. His will is perfect and if that will is that those forces defeat us in this life it matters not, for they have lost in eternity. If it means that times are hard and the road is bumpy for far longer than we would have liked or anticipated, so be it, our road will be smooth soon enough when it is Christ who has paved the road to heaven. Regardless of what we are facing, unpleasant as it might be, pray that God sanctify the situation, trust that He will do so, lie down, and sleep in peace. Sola Fide!
“I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.”
• […] David expresses a wonderful and almost incredible steadfastness of mind in that he slept so soundly in the midst of many deaths, as if he had been beyond the reach of all danger. He had doubtless been tossed amidst the merciless waves of anxiety, but it is certain their violence had been allayed by means of faith, so that however much he was disquieted, he reposed in God. Thus the godly never fail in ultimately proving victorious over all their fears, whereas the ungodly, who do not rely upon God, are overwhelmed with despair, even when they meet with the smallest perils. David… declares how much good he had obtained by means of faith and prayer; namely, the peaceful and undisturbed state of a well regulated mind. But let us… notice that David came to have this confidence of safety from the protection of God, not from stupidity of mind. JC
• I laid me down and slept securely, casting all my cares and fears upon God, and relying on His help. I awaked… after a sweet and undisturbed sleep. [God] upheld my spirit, and person, and cause. M. Poole
• David’s faith enabled him to lie down; anxiety would certainly have kept him on tiptoe, watching for an enemy. Yea, he was able to sleep, to sleep in the midst of trouble, surrounded by foes. There is a sleep of presumption; God deliver us from it! There is a sleep of holy confidence; God help us so to close our eyes! CHS
• […] that soul which hath the beauty or holiness shining in it, shall be preserved for the glory of the structure, God will not suffer his own temple to be destroyed. Would you be secured in evil times? Get grace and fortify the garrison; a good conscience is a Christian’s fort-royal. True grace may be shot at, but can never be shot through; grace puts the soul into Christ, and there it is safe, as the bee in the hive, as the dove in the ark. Thomas Watson
• The psalmist committed himself to the care and protection of God; he laid himself down in His arms, and there slept in safety; the Lord preserved him, who is Israel's keeper, that neither slumbers nor sleeps: and he rose in health and cheerfulness in the morning, supported by His right hand. This shows, that lying down to sleep, when in such circumstances, and awaking with cheerfulness, were not owing to rashness, stupidity, and insensibility, but to divine supports. JG
• Having by prayer committed himself and his cause to God, and being sure of His protection, his heart was fixed, and he was easy. [The entire situation] never deprived him of an hour’s sleep, nor gave any disturbance to his repose; for the Lord, by His grace and the consolations of His Spirit, powerfully sustained him and made him easy. It is a great mercy when we are in trouble to have our minds stayed upon by God, so as never either to eat or sleep with trembling and astonishment. MH
Personal Summary:
In vs. 4 we saw that David was a man of prayer and how we must be that too. Now David shows us that he is a man of faith. David is such a man of faith that he is listed among the Heroes of the Faith in Heb. 11. The two are naturally tied together here and who can but attest to the fact that in their own lives this is true as well? Let us stop praying for a season and our faith will weaken as well. But frequent time in prayer and the study of God’s word emboldens our faith and sustains us through all of life’s difficulties. The same is true here of David. His world collapsing around him, betrayal and danger on every side, men actively seeking to take his life, David placed all of this in the hands of God and peacefully slept without worry. The difficult times didn’t drive him from prayer, they drove him to it. Difficult times didn’t stop him from believing in the promises of God, they proved them.
Faith is everything to the believer. It is a foundation for which our lives are built upon. Sola Fide was a cry of the Reformation. So let us look for a moment at the doctrine of faith and see what it is David had attained that allowed him to sleep so soundly amidst the turmoil.
The Westminster Confession of Faith XIV says:
I. The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word, by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened.The scripture proof for the end of number 3 requires a moment of our focus. It is Heb. 12:2 which says, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finsisher of our faith.” Simon Kistemaker in his commentary on the book of Hebrews says, “As contestants in running the race, we have no time to look around. We must keep our eyes focussed on Jesus and must do so without distraction. And He whom God perfected through suffering perfects His brothers and sisters who have placed their trust in Him. As originator and perfecter of our faith, Jesus has laid its foundation in our hearts and in time brings faith to completion. He can do this because He is able, and He will do this because He is our brother (Heb. 2:11-12). In a similar vein, Paul encourages the Phillippians when he says that God, “who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (1:6). Therefore, “turn your eyes upon Jesus.” Truly this is the faith that David has expressed in this Psalm. See, it wasn’t dependent on David specifically. It isn’t that there aren’t exercises that God has given the saints to embolden their faith, He has. That is what the Westminster Divines were expressing in XIV.1. But ultimately it comes from, is sustained, and perfected through Christ. What an assurance!
II. By this faith, a Christian believes to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God Himself speaking therein; and acts differently upon that which each particular passage thereof contains; yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life, and that which is to come. But the principal acts of saving faith are accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.
III. This faith is different in degrees, weak or strong; may often and many ways assailed, and weakened, but gets the victory: growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance, through Christ, who is both the author and finisher of our faith.
In another place David (Calvin here gives David the credit although it is uncertain who the author is for sure) says, “The Lord is for me, I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Ps. 118:6) In this vs. fear is dealt with; which is also the pressing matter in the case of David in Psalm 3. Perhaps in a similar situation we would not have slept so well. So let us look at fear through the prism of faith as David did so well.
“God is sovereign and in comlplete control. Therefore, what are we to fear?BB Warfield says this when discussing the word faith,
• Are we to fear our futures? No, we’ve already given those to God.
• Are we to fear for our families? No, that is resloved in the assurance that God loves and cares for our families even more than we do.
• Are we to be held captive by our fears themselves? No, belief in God’s total sovereignty solves that issue.
One way to stop being afraid is to have the correct view of God. Do you truly believe that God is sovereign and that there are no accidents in His eyes?
Even those things which seem accidental are ordained by God. To have faith, we must believe God for our futures, our families, and our fears.” Dr. Louis Hill, “Faith Is…”, pp 114-115
“[This is] one whose state of mind is free from faintheartedness (Isa. 7:9) and anxious haste (Isa. 28:16), and who stays himself upon the object of his contemplation with confidence and trust. The implication seems to be, not so much that of passive dependence as of a vigorous active commitment. He who, in the Hebrew sense, exercises faith, is secure, assured, confident (Deut. 28:66, Job 24:22, Ps. 27:13), and lays hold of the object of his confidence with firm trust.In another place faith is coupled with assurance to describe what it is to the believer.
[Faith] consists neither in assent nor in obedience, but in a reliant trust in the invisible author of all good (Heb. 11:27), in which the mind is set upon the things that are above and not on the things that are upon the earth (Col. 3:2, 2 Cor. 4:16-18, Matt. 6:25).The examples cited in Heb. 11 are themselves enough to show that the faith there commended is not a mere belief in God’s existence and justice and goodness, or crediting of His word and promises, but a practical counting of Him faithful (11:11), with a trust so profound that no trial can shake it (11:35), and so absolute that it survives the loss of even its own pledge (11:17).” BB Warfeild, “The Works of BB Warfield”, vol. 2 “Biblical Doctrines”, pp 468, 501
“(1) The objective assurance of faith, which is the “certain and undoubting conviction that Christ is all He professes to be, and will do all He promises.” (2) The subjective assurance of faith, or the assurance of grace and salvation, which consists in a sense of security and safety, rising in many instances to the height of an “assured conviction that the individual believer has had his sins pardoned and his soul saved.” Louis Berkhof, “Systematic Theology”, pp 507I believe I could go on for quite a long time and still probably never scratch the surface of what the books will say about faith and the Christian; most of which is worthwhile to read, although it will, of course, at times be repetitive. But what I have included here is because, hopefully, it will describe what David has experienced in this vs. and how that then lays an example for the saints in their own lives.
We see that to have the faith that David has we must focus our eyes on Christ and never look away, that we must be diligent in the godly exercises He has left for us (namely prayer, sacraments, and the reading and study of the Word of God). We see that our perseverence and growth in faith depends not on man but on Christ Himself. We see that, with the Heroes of Faith, we cannot let fear cripple us to inaction. That we must have faith in God that He is sovereign over all things and that He has ordained all things to come to pass so that nothing is beyond His control, including our lives. We see that faith is a vigorous giving of ourselves to God, living with a complete assurance and trust in Him, it is believing with a sure conviction that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He has said He will do. Finally, it is a complete assurance that Christ has died for our sins and we are saved from the wrath of God that is going to come on all of the ungodly of this world. Faith drives you to God in all circumstances and allows you to rest easy in Him. The world has not known this; nor will they, unless they become born again believers as well.
Let troubles come, let men rail against us, let the depths of hell be unleashed in a rage against us! God will preserve us, we will be sustained, we will be glorified with Him one day in heaven. His will is perfect and if that will is that those forces defeat us in this life it matters not, for they have lost in eternity. If it means that times are hard and the road is bumpy for far longer than we would have liked or anticipated, so be it, our road will be smooth soon enough when it is Christ who has paved the road to heaven. Regardless of what we are facing, unpleasant as it might be, pray that God sanctify the situation, trust that He will do so, lie down, and sleep in peace. Sola Fide!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Psalm 3:4
Note: Augustin seems to go out of his way here to ensure we interpret this verse as not meaning a literal voice where others make certain that it is a literal interpretation. What Augustin says is indeed true and worthy; I think the difference lies in Augustin viewing this from the perspective of what lies behind the prayer versus the prayer itself. The word they are all addressing here is qara’ (Strong’s 7121) which means to cry out, call out, proclaim, etc; all of which hold a sense of a verbal action. It is derived from a word that indicates accosting someone when you meet them which would seem to give credence to a literal calling out in prayer and a raising of the voice.
“With my voice I have cried to the Lord”
• [David] here informs us that he had never been so broken by adversity, or cast down by impious scornings, as to be prevented from addressing his prayers to God. And it was an infallible proof of his faith to exercise it by praying even in the midst of his distresses. Nothing is more unbecoming than sullenly to gnaw the bit with which we are bridled, and to withhold our groaning from God, if, indeed we have any faith in His promise. David distinctly mentions his voice… how much soever the ungodly might rage against him… but pronounced, in a loud and distinct voice, the name of his God. David’s meaning appears to me to be principally this, that amidst the blasphemies of his enemies, by which they endeavored to overwhelm his faith, he was not put to silence, but rather lifted up his voice to God, whom the ungodly have imagined to have become his enemy. He adds that he cried not in vain, to encourage all the godly to the like constancy. JC
• When prayer leads the van, in due time deliverence brings up the rear. Thomas Watson
• With my voice; the witness of my faith and fervency of affections. Matthew Poole
• That is, not with the voice of the body, which is drawn out with the sound of the reverberation of the air; but with the voice of the heart, which to men speaks not, but with God sounds as a cry. By this voice Susanna was heard; and with this voice the Lord Himself commanded that prayer should be made in closets that is, in the recesses of the heart noiselessly. Nor would one easily say that prayer is not made with this voice, if no sound of words is uttered from the body; since even when in silence we pray within the heart, if thoughts interpose alien from the mind of one praying, it cannot yet be said, “With my voice have I cried unto the Lord.” Nor is this rightly said, save when the soul alone, taking to itself nothing of the flesh, and nothing of the aims of the flesh, in prayer, speaks to God, where He only hears. But even this is called a cry by reason of the strength of its intention. Augustin
• The experience which the psalmist had of being heard in prayer, was what gave great encouragement to his faith, as to his interest in God and salvation by Him, when his enemies were so increased about him; for crying here is to be understood of prayer, as it is often used in this book of Psalms: and so the Targum renders it, "I prayed"; and this designs vocal prayer. The object addressed in prayer is the Lord, the God of his life, and who was able to save him, and supply all his wants. JG
• David had been exercised with many difficulties, often oppressed and brought very low; but still he had found God all-sufficient. He now remembered with pleasure, that his troubles had always brought him to his knees, and that, in all his difficulties and dangers, he had been enabled to acknowledge God and to lift up his heart to Him, and his voice too. Care and grief do us good and no hurt when they set us a praying, and engage us, not only to speak to God, but to cry to Him, as those that are in earnest. When the earnestness of the voice comes from the fervency of the heart, it shall be taken notice of, in the account, that we cried unto God with our voice. MH
“… and He heard me”
• Answers to prayers are sweet cordials for the soul. We need not fear a frowning world while we rejoice in a prayer-hearing God. CHS
• David was a man of prayer, and he was often heard and answered by God. And this also is true of Christ, He offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to God that was able to save Him; and He was heard by Him, yea, the Father always heard Him: and God is a God hearing and answering the prayers of His people, sooner or later: sometimes before, sometimes at, and sometimes after their crying to Him. JG
• […] he had always found God ready to answer his prayers. MH
Note: Calvin and Poole make mention of the possibility that some will intend this to mean from heaven and both unequivocally say it is wrong. All of the commentators I have used here readily confess that David is referring to Mount Zion where the ark of the covenant was resting at the time. The word we are translating as hill or mount is harar (Strong’s 2042) which literally means mountain, hill, or mount.
“out of His holy hill”
• As to the expression... from His holy hill, it is improperly explained of heaven, as has been done by some. Heaven, I indeed confess, is often called, in other places, God’s holy palace; but here David has doubtless a reference to the ark of the covenant, which at that time stood on Mount Zion. JC
• Out of the hill of Zion, where God was especially present, the ark being there at this time; towards which the saints then used to direct their prayers, and from thence God heard and answered and blessed them. Matthew Poole
Personal Summary:
It has been awhile since I have posted one of these studies. I have been going through and extrememly hard time and withdrew from the world for awhile. The unpleasant thing about putting yourself in front of others is that in such times it is perhaps more obvious than it would otherwise be to mask the difficulties. Please forgive my absence and pray for me that the Lord will be my strength when I am weak. As Ps. 61:2 says, “…when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Yet what a wonderful place to resume the study; addressing the importance of prayer and the faithfulness of God in our lives. For truly He is enlivening my heart once again and my prayers have been heard, of that I have no doubt.
David was called a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:14). Because of that David was a man of fervent prayer. He says in another place, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” (Ps. 55:17). And every time we see David speaking of his fervent prayer life we see him speaking of God’s answer, and care, and love for His people and him specifically. Even when David is in the throws of sin God hears him. This isn’t to say that God doesn’t discipline him and withdraw Himself from David for a time, He certainly did. But that never caused David to cease praying and it was never permanent; it was to form character in this godly man and draw him ever closer to the Lord. Times like that are hard, really hard, extremely hard. It feels like someone has ripped your heart out, that they have stolen the air from your lungs, you feel as though you are drowning in an ocean of your own sin knowing the only thing that will save you is God throwing you the life preserver; and yet, for a time, it doesn’t come. You can hear this at various times in the Psalms of David. Some examples are:
There is doubt, there is shame, there is lack of faith. There is sin, Satan, and the world to block our way every chance they get. But go to the Lord. For as Paul has told us, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself." (2 Tim. 2:13) Praise God for His encouraging words and His faithfulness to His saints. Who is like Him? He is beyond comprehension. I am constantly baffled at the condescension or our God. His righteousness endures forever and His name is to be praised above all others. Laus Deo!
“With my voice I have cried to the Lord”
• [David] here informs us that he had never been so broken by adversity, or cast down by impious scornings, as to be prevented from addressing his prayers to God. And it was an infallible proof of his faith to exercise it by praying even in the midst of his distresses. Nothing is more unbecoming than sullenly to gnaw the bit with which we are bridled, and to withhold our groaning from God, if, indeed we have any faith in His promise. David distinctly mentions his voice… how much soever the ungodly might rage against him… but pronounced, in a loud and distinct voice, the name of his God. David’s meaning appears to me to be principally this, that amidst the blasphemies of his enemies, by which they endeavored to overwhelm his faith, he was not put to silence, but rather lifted up his voice to God, whom the ungodly have imagined to have become his enemy. He adds that he cried not in vain, to encourage all the godly to the like constancy. JC
• When prayer leads the van, in due time deliverence brings up the rear. Thomas Watson
• With my voice; the witness of my faith and fervency of affections. Matthew Poole
• That is, not with the voice of the body, which is drawn out with the sound of the reverberation of the air; but with the voice of the heart, which to men speaks not, but with God sounds as a cry. By this voice Susanna was heard; and with this voice the Lord Himself commanded that prayer should be made in closets that is, in the recesses of the heart noiselessly. Nor would one easily say that prayer is not made with this voice, if no sound of words is uttered from the body; since even when in silence we pray within the heart, if thoughts interpose alien from the mind of one praying, it cannot yet be said, “With my voice have I cried unto the Lord.” Nor is this rightly said, save when the soul alone, taking to itself nothing of the flesh, and nothing of the aims of the flesh, in prayer, speaks to God, where He only hears. But even this is called a cry by reason of the strength of its intention. Augustin
• The experience which the psalmist had of being heard in prayer, was what gave great encouragement to his faith, as to his interest in God and salvation by Him, when his enemies were so increased about him; for crying here is to be understood of prayer, as it is often used in this book of Psalms: and so the Targum renders it, "I prayed"; and this designs vocal prayer. The object addressed in prayer is the Lord, the God of his life, and who was able to save him, and supply all his wants. JG
• David had been exercised with many difficulties, often oppressed and brought very low; but still he had found God all-sufficient. He now remembered with pleasure, that his troubles had always brought him to his knees, and that, in all his difficulties and dangers, he had been enabled to acknowledge God and to lift up his heart to Him, and his voice too. Care and grief do us good and no hurt when they set us a praying, and engage us, not only to speak to God, but to cry to Him, as those that are in earnest. When the earnestness of the voice comes from the fervency of the heart, it shall be taken notice of, in the account, that we cried unto God with our voice. MH
“… and He heard me”
• Answers to prayers are sweet cordials for the soul. We need not fear a frowning world while we rejoice in a prayer-hearing God. CHS
• David was a man of prayer, and he was often heard and answered by God. And this also is true of Christ, He offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to God that was able to save Him; and He was heard by Him, yea, the Father always heard Him: and God is a God hearing and answering the prayers of His people, sooner or later: sometimes before, sometimes at, and sometimes after their crying to Him. JG
• […] he had always found God ready to answer his prayers. MH
Note: Calvin and Poole make mention of the possibility that some will intend this to mean from heaven and both unequivocally say it is wrong. All of the commentators I have used here readily confess that David is referring to Mount Zion where the ark of the covenant was resting at the time. The word we are translating as hill or mount is harar (Strong’s 2042) which literally means mountain, hill, or mount.
“out of His holy hill”
• As to the expression... from His holy hill, it is improperly explained of heaven, as has been done by some. Heaven, I indeed confess, is often called, in other places, God’s holy palace; but here David has doubtless a reference to the ark of the covenant, which at that time stood on Mount Zion. JC
• Out of the hill of Zion, where God was especially present, the ark being there at this time; towards which the saints then used to direct their prayers, and from thence God heard and answered and blessed them. Matthew Poole
Personal Summary:
It has been awhile since I have posted one of these studies. I have been going through and extrememly hard time and withdrew from the world for awhile. The unpleasant thing about putting yourself in front of others is that in such times it is perhaps more obvious than it would otherwise be to mask the difficulties. Please forgive my absence and pray for me that the Lord will be my strength when I am weak. As Ps. 61:2 says, “…when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Yet what a wonderful place to resume the study; addressing the importance of prayer and the faithfulness of God in our lives. For truly He is enlivening my heart once again and my prayers have been heard, of that I have no doubt.
David was called a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:14). Because of that David was a man of fervent prayer. He says in another place, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” (Ps. 55:17). And every time we see David speaking of his fervent prayer life we see him speaking of God’s answer, and care, and love for His people and him specifically. Even when David is in the throws of sin God hears him. This isn’t to say that God doesn’t discipline him and withdraw Himself from David for a time, He certainly did. But that never caused David to cease praying and it was never permanent; it was to form character in this godly man and draw him ever closer to the Lord. Times like that are hard, really hard, extremely hard. It feels like someone has ripped your heart out, that they have stolen the air from your lungs, you feel as though you are drowning in an ocean of your own sin knowing the only thing that will save you is God throwing you the life preserver; and yet, for a time, it doesn’t come. You can hear this at various times in the Psalms of David. Some examples are:
5:1-2, “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.”
6:1-3, “O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?”
And who can forget the most glaring example of this in Ps. 51:1-12, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”Wow! You can hear the anguish in his words. He is a regenerate man as are all the saints. As a result we have a need for God that surpasses this world. Bread and water cannot sustain us, the oxygen in the air fails, sleep is worth nothing to us if we have not God. He is more vital to the saint than all of those things combined and multiplied to the nth degree. So why when we find ourselves in this situation do we cower in the corner and avoid prayer? Calvin rightly says of this attitude, “Nothing is more unbecoming than sullenly to gnaw the bit with which we are bridled, and to withhold our groaning from God, if, indeed we have any faith in His promise.” We don’t just come to Him in times of ease when we have evaluated that things are going as they should be. No, during these times of spiritual upheavel we must cleave to the Lord even more than we normally do. Perhaps this is the lesson you are being taught, GO TO THE LORD! Notice in none of those situations did David avoid the Lord or cease to pray. No, even in his anguish he cast his cares upon the Lord, he confessed his sins, and he prayed and waited for the Lord’s answer. As he said in Ps. 40:1, “I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.”
There is doubt, there is shame, there is lack of faith. There is sin, Satan, and the world to block our way every chance they get. But go to the Lord. For as Paul has told us, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself." (2 Tim. 2:13) Praise God for His encouraging words and His faithfulness to His saints. Who is like Him? He is beyond comprehension. I am constantly baffled at the condescension or our God. His righteousness endures forever and His name is to be praised above all others. Laus Deo!
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