Psalm 68
To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David.
1Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.
2As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
4Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.
5A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
6God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
7O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:
8The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
10Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
11The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.
12Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.
13Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.
14When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.
15The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan.
16Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.
17The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.
18Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.
19Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
20He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death.
21But God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.
22The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea:
23That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same.
24They have seen thy goings, O God; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.
25The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.
26Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
27There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
28Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
29Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.
30Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.
31Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.
32Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:
33To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
34Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.
35O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.
Chapter 68
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verse by stating the following, "None ever hardened his heart against God, and prospered. God is the joy of his people, then let them rejoice when they come before him. He who derives his being from none, but gives being to all, is engaged by promise and covenant to bless his people." I know that when God comes, enemies flee (v. 1). When God showed up during my darkest moment, Satan fleed as well as perished (v. 2). I continue to rejoice in God for His freeing me from that time (v. 3) as well as praise Him for stuff in general. I guess at the time, I saw His glory in His deliverance and the fact that no one is more powerful than Him. I remembering feeling so renewed once God deliverance came upon me and once His work started in that. It's amazing thing to experience His power at work, especially when He touches you to let you know He's with you. JAH is one of His names (v. 4) and I rejoice when in His presence. God's presence -- or rather God's touch -- is something that warrants praise alone, which is what is implied by "and rejoice before him." I am not fatherless nor am I a widow (v. 5), but I imagine that I would still have a relationship with Him if I did. I can't really relate to verse 6, but if I was able to, I would experience God's giving me to a family as well as being freed from chains if I were to relate to it. I suppose, spiritually speaking, I was freed from the chains Satan had me in. I'm not sure if the verse (also) has spiritual application, but it's something I'd like to explore at a later time. Matthew Henry comments on verses 6-7 are as follows, "Fresh mercies should put us in mind of former mercies. If God bring his people into a wilderness, he will be sure to go before them in it, and to bring them out of it. He provided for them, both in the wilderness and in Canaan. The daily manna seems here meant. And it looks to the spiritual provision for God's Israel." I probably won't go through a literal wilderness, but I did during my darkest moment and God was with me since it was -- no pun intended -- unfamiliar territory. The enemy shook (v. 8) and left me alone, which was how God provided for me. Verses 9-10 deal with God's providing nature in more detail. I remember just a shower of His love over when He was working as a way of His reminding that He was with me. I think through that, I became aware of God's touch and what it is like and what effect it has. I'd say its effect was a rather reassuring one and it helped to bring me closer to Him because as a result of it, I wanted more of Him and less of me. In verse 9, where it says, "whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary" it is talking about being restored or renewed, which I mentioned earlier, so just look at my comments for that. And as a result of being renewed, I continued to dwell in Him (v. 10), which resulted in experience His blessings, such as passing high school and all that jazz. When God spoke (v. 11), the enemy fleed (v. 12). During my darkest moment and applying those verses to it, it was as if God's influence was what told Satan to flee. It reminds that words can have a powerful effect, especially on negative influences. I'm not sure if I can really relate to verses 13-14, but to clarify them here's Henry's thoughts: "When they reach heaven, all remains of their sinful state disappear, they shall be as the wings of the dove, covered with silver, and her feathers as gold. Full salvation will render those white as snow, who were vile and loathsome through the guilt and defilement of sin." I think that's cool that no sin will be with me when I enter heaven. To me, that means that I won't have burdens to carry and that God's not gonna hold anything against me. It's gonna be an awesome to be cleansed from all that sin as well as experience God's forgiveness, which seems to be symbolized by the "wings of a dove" aspect. In a previous reflection, I mentioned Isaiah 1:18 in reference to anotoher verse and in verse 14, I am reminded of Isaiah 1:18 once again because it's bsaically saying that my sins will be washed away and become white, but in this passage it seems to be in an eterntiy with God sense.
Since God's hill is high (v. 15), I can depened on Him and He'll never fail me. He's helped me to pass math tests in school and I think the height of His hill was what made the difference. If His hill was a low thing, I wouldn't have a firm foundation in it and would most likely fail. Since God's dwelling is eternal, that means that my relationship with Him is eternal and since it's set on such a high rock, nothing can cause it fall over even though it may be envied, which is what is implied by, "Why leap ye, ye high hills?" In verse 17, "chariots" is meant to be figurative, and according to Bullinger, it means "ascribing to God what belongs to human and rational beings, irrational creatures, or inanimate things." In other words, mutilple things belong to God and God is among those things, even as He is among Sinai. I don't have much to add to that verse, but it's reminder that all that I have ultimately belongs to Him. God has freed me from the rebels (v. 18), which I suppose was something that He did during my darkest moment. In verse 19, "who loadeth us with benefits" means that God bears the burdens of those who ask Him to in prayer. For the not so theologically minded, in order God to bear my burdens, I have to ask Him to forgive of the sins I've committed during the day. I am thankful that God deals with my burdens because I don't think I could do it myself. And by His bearing my burdens, my salvation is not, I guess you could say lost, since there is the no sin that gets in the way of it. I though I'd share Henry's thoughts on verses 20-21, "The Lord Jesus has authority and power to rescue his people from the dominion of death, by taking away the sting of it from them when they die, and giving them complete victory over it when they rise again. The crown of the head, the chief pride and glory of the enemy, shall be smitten; Christ shall crush the head of the serpent." I think that when I came to Christ, one of the things that resulted from it was being free from the sting of death. Even though I wasn't living a lifestyle where I was a slave to sin before, I was still saved from that in the long run, which I thank Him for. God even crushed Satan's head (v. 21) when I gave my life over to His Son, which resulted in me being free from the possibility from living for sin. If Christ had not crushed the enemy's head, I would have been living a lifestyle of sin and pleasures of the flesh, which wouldn't have been a good thing. Henry's thoughs on verses 22-24, "The victories with which God blessed David over the enemies of Israel, are types of Christ's victory, for himself and for all believers. Those who take him for theirs, may see him acting as their God, as their King, for their good, and in answer to their prayers; especially in and by his word and ordinances." I am thankful for the victory God has blessed me with and that I can share that victory since He has brought us from the depth of the sea (v. 22), which I would assume has to do something with His triumph over the enemy. I'm not sure how I would relate to verse 23, but it seems to be talking about the fate of enemies and the removal of their influence from God's people. God's work is revealed in the sanctuary (v. 24). Although I'm not quite sure what that verse means, it reminds me of when people talk about their walk with God and has He worked in it as well as His work in their lives, say if they were drug addicts before coming to Christ. And how He has worked in others' lives can be encouraging to me because if I'm stuck in my walk, I can see where I need to be if I'm dealing with a similar thing that someone else has. I imagine my talking about my walk with God can be encouraging to others in case they've just came came to Christ or they need to make a change in their Christian life. Kinda cool how it can work both ways. Verse 25 reminds me of worship time in church because there are singers, a few people who play instruments, and one person who plays timbrels or drums. I don't have much else to say about that, but verse 26 does add to it. In church, I do engage in worship when I'm not taking care of worship host stuff and I do bless or praise and one of the reasons I praise Him would be because of the good things He's done in my life and in the lives of others (v. 24). Knowing that He does great things and helps people out reveals that He's work and I'm glad that that shows that His spirit is alive and active and such a powerful, wonderful thing. If God didn't do great things, that'd probably be one of the reasons I wouldn't praise Him, especially if I was a non-believer. Not to say that my faith relies on God's great works, but rather that believing is seeing. I can't relate to verse 27, but in verse 28 I am reminded of God's strength and His providing nature of it. "That which thou hast wrought for us" is talking about God's strength as He has strengthened His people before. I'm glad that God's OK with me asking for His strength more than once because if I could use it only once, I'd fail without it.
Think I'll cover verses 29-35 now. I can't say that I can personally relate to verse 29, but I will say that I use my gifts for God -- such as my art and writing. Here are Henry's comments on verses 29-31, "A powerful invitation is given to those that are without, to join the church. Some shall submit from fear; overcome by their consciences, and the checks of Providence, they are brought to make peace with the church. Others will submit service of God, and in the gospel of Christ which went forth from Jerusalem, which is enough to invite sinners out of all nations." I'd say that I submitted out of wanting to serve God because that saved me what could have been a sinful lifestyle. I suppose verse 31 relates to that since it is talking about Ethiopia's submission to God. Henry comments on verses 32-35, "God is to be admired and adored with reverence and godly fear, by all that attend in his holy places. The God of Israel gives strength and power unto his people. Through Christ strengthening us we can do all things, not otherwise; therefore he must have the glory of all we do, with our humble thanks for enabling us to do it, and for accepting the work of his hands in us." I think pretty much hit the nail on the head and in verse 32 I am reminded of worship time to church when I sing to the Lord with my brothers and sisters in Christ. That's always a wonderful thing, especially when the Holy Spirit is working through the service and touching His people. During worship time and during my personal time, I praise Him for His strength and power (v. 34) and I am reminded by "and his strength is in the clouds" that strength comes from Him when I ask Him for it. Verse 35 is basically a reiteration of verse 34 in the sense of praising God for the strength, which I don't see much need to repeat.
Sources used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 68". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=068>.
Bullinger, E.W. The Companion Bible.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
Reflecting on the Psalms: Chapters 63-67
Psalm 63
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
1O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
2To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
3Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
4Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
5My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
6When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
7Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
8My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
9But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.
11But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.
Psalm 64
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
1Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
3Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
4That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
5They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?
6They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.
7But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.
8So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.
9And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.
10The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.
Psalm 65
To the chief Musician, A Psalm and Song of David.
1Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.
2O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
3Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.
4Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
5By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:
6Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power:
7Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.
8They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.
9Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.
10Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.
11Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.
12They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.
13The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.
Psalm 66
To the chief Musician, A Song or Psalm.
1Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:
2Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.
3Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.
4All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
5Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.
6He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.
7He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.
8O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:
9Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.
10For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
11Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
12Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.
13I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,
14Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.
15I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.
16Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
17I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.
18If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
19But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
20Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Psalm 67
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song.
1God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.
2That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.
3Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
4O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.
5Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
6Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.
7God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
Chapter 63
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, "Early will I seek thee. The true Christian devotes to God the morning hour. He opens the eyes of his understanding with those of his body, and awakes each morning to righteousness. He arises with a thirst after those comforts which the world cannot give, and has immediate recourse by prayer to the Fountain of the water of life." I am reminded of when I spend time with God in the mornings, reading the Word and talking to Him. It's not a time I take for granted and it's something I do daily in order to grow and know Him more. The part where it says, "my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is" reminds me of Christ as the living water. He quenches my spirtual thirst daily and I'm thankful for because if He wasn't the living water in my life, I'd be just like a dried up root in the ground. And knowing what I'm rooted in is essential because from that, the fact that I follow Christ can be displayed to others, through actions or what have you. His power and glory is a wonderful thing to experience (v. 2) and I can't say I've ever thought of God's lovingkindness or mercy as being better than life. I think, though, that His mercy is something that I praise Him for because even though He has given me life, He loves me more than life itself, which is awesome. If the Father was the only One Who loved me more life itself, I'd be OK with that since I seek after His approval and not man's. I like Henry's comment about verse 3, which states, "God's loving-kindness is our spiritual life, and that is better than temporal life." Yeah, I agree with that and I would have to add that it's kinda like saying that His expression of His love for was and is so profound due to His Son's dying on the cross for my sins. It's as if His Son's death is the foundation of God's love through because by redeemed by His Son's death on the cross, my spiritual nature was given new life when I accepted His Son into my life. I guess it also has to due with eternal life because I believe that one's eternal life as soon as he or she accepts Christ into his or her life. Now, they may sound like a contradiction since if something is eternal it doesn't have a beginning, but eternal life -- or should I say the eternal nature of one's spirit -- does start as soon as he or she accepts Christ into his or her life. It's not eternal in the sense that one is born a Christian, but rather in the sense that it is what results from accepting Christ into one's life. At best, I could say that the aspect of eternal life -- as I described -- could be thought of as a paradox, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just don't wanna get off on too much of a tangent. Perhaps the eternal nature of the spirit is a discussion for another time. Anyway, onto verse 4, where I am reminded of showing vulnerability to God by using my hands, which I sometimes do in church. What I'll do is I'll bend my arms at elbows and have my palms facing my chest and have my fingers spread out and slightly bent, which other people in my church do during worship time as well. I think it's great I can use my body language to display reverence before the Lord and it's something that I should probably do more of. Furthermore, I think that when I show vulnerability towards God, I trust Him during that, which helps my faith to grow in Him, which is kinda neat because before I didn’t think that using my body language to praise God had an influence on my walk with Him, which I think makes me wanna spread my hands more often. Matthew Henry comments on verses 5-6 by stating the following, “How happy will be that last morning, when the believer, awaking up after the Divine likeness, shall be satisfied with all the fullness of God, and praise him with joyful lips, where there is no night, and where sorrow and sighing flee away!” I tend to find my satisfaction in who God is and His faithfulness to me because only He can satisfy my soul and He provides me with all I need. I thank Him for His feeding my soul, which is something that happens almost daily. As I said before, I spend time on His Word, which is part of my daily soul food or daily bread. I am thankful that I have the freedom that allows me to read and study God’s Word in the mornings as it’s not something I take for granted. I wouldn’t be surprised if God was behind that freedom being granted when this nation was founded. I am thankful for God’s help (v. 7). To name an example, I’ll mention my darkest moment I’ve described God’s help in that in previous reflections, so I’m not gonna repeat the details. However, I am thankful that God has helped me out numerous times, such as when I had math tests because it was His help that I relied on so I could pass. I rejoice in the fact that He was there for me and provided me with the wisdom and knowledge I needed. I make the effort to follow after Him (v. 8), which can be hard but rewarding. During my darkest moment, my faith was put to the test and I remember not wanting to have God help me out through part of it, but doing so resulted in failure and my submission to Him. If I follow hard after Him, even during the toughest of trials, His right will uphold me, which means I’m not gonna fall if I rely on Him, which is awesome. I see His glory and His work in that kinda thing, which is kinda neat because it’s like God expresses His love by helping me out when I’m dealing with a lot of crap. God wants to protect my soul (vv. 9-10) since He knows I follow after Him. In verse 11, I am reminded that vengeance belongs to God and I’m glad I don’t have the job of dealing of those who try and destroy my soul. Not that that happens often, but it’s always a good idea to let God be God.
Chapter 64
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, “The psalmist earnestly begs of God to preserve him from disquieting fear. The tongue is a little member, but it boasts great things. The upright man is the mark at which the wicked aim, they cannot speak peaceably either of him or to him.” I remember dealing with that enemy in my math class in a reflection I posted before. I did ask God for help in that and I didn’t fear my enemy as much after that. I didn’t like it, though, when he would do things like flip me off , but I know God’s gonna hold him accountable for that. I’m not sure if the guy plotted against me (v. 2), but I know he did say some things that to me that weren’t nice since his tongue was “wet like a sword” (v. 3). His words and actions were like arrows to me, which wasn’t pleasant. I’m not sure what was going through the guy’s head or when I wasn’t around him, so I’m not sure if verses 4-6 really apply, but they do describe what an enemy can do if they don’t like me. I know that God will deal with them (v. 7) and that they will eventually meet their fate (v. 8). Matthew Henry comments on verses 9-10 by stating the following, “The righteous shall be glad in the Lord; not glad of the misery and ruin of their fellow-creatures, but glad that God is glorified, and his word fulfilled, and the cause of injured innocence pleaded effectually.” That’s interesting because I never thought of it that way and it’s a reminder to me that I should to look for God’s glory since its manifestation isn’t always obvious.
Chapter 65
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, “All the praise the Lord receives from this earth is from Zion, being the fruit of the Spirit of Christ, and acceptable through him. Praise is silent unto thee, as wanting words to express the great goodness of God. He reveals himself upon a mercy-seat, ready to hear and answer the prayers of all who come unto him by faith in Jesus Christ.” God’s people are the ones He praises receives from and it’s a great thing to be able to praise Him. In verse 2, it’s as if God wants all to come to Him, which reminds of His love because He doesn’t discriminate against anyone and He wants a relationship with everyone. Unfortunately, not everyone will give themselves over to God. Another thing I see in that verse is that God hears my prayers and He hears ‘em on a daily basis since I talk to Him daily and since He wants to hear from me. I see His love in that because when I spend time with Him, I am expressing my love to Him. It shows that I care to spend time with Him and that my time isn’t more important than His. I am thankful that my sins are forgiven (v. 3) because I’d be living a hell if they weren’t. And when my “inequities prevail against me” I ask God for forgiveness and He definitely takes that burden away. I am thankful that He does that and that the redemption that was brought about by His Son’s death on the cross allowed for that. God chose me, I didn’t choose Him (v. 4). It’s as if He knew I was gonna be born and accept His Son into my life later on. And since He chose me to be part of His Kingdom, there has been and there will be blessings that result from that. I guess the aspect of eternal life could be one as well as a desire to live for God, which means I’m free from living for my sinful desires, which I praise Him for. In verse 5, I am reminded of the hope God provides as well as His righteousness. He performed a righteous deed by delivering me from darkest moment, which illustrated His faithfulness and His love for me. Matthew Henry comments on verses 6-7 by stating the following, “That Almighty strength which sets fast the mountains, upholds the believer. That word which stills the stormy ocean, and speaks it into a calm, can silence our enemies. How contrary soever light and darkness are to each other, it is hard to say which is most welcome.” Yeah…I guess I’m reminded of Psalm 63:8 in terms of God’s upholding those who live for Him. To connect verse 5 with verse 6, I’d say that God is my hope which is why He upholds me. I can hope and trust in Him if I’m dealing with any problems and He’ll be there for me, which was what happened during my darkest moment. He even “stilled the noise of the seas” (v. 7) by delivering me from the enemy and stopping me from giving into the enemy’s lies. Metaphorically speaking, that’s what I think of as the noise of the seas. Verse 8 is speaking of those who live in the farthest corners of the earth and how they will be amazed at God’s works. I can’t really relate since I don’t live in a corner of the earth where I’ve never been exposed to the gospel, but I think it’s a great thing that God can work in such a way to reveal Himself to those who have never heard the gospel. I like Henry’s thought on verse 9, which says, “He who enriches
the earth, which is filled with man's sins, by his abundant and varied bounty, can neither want power nor will to feed the souls of his people. Temporal mercies to us unworthy creatures, shadow forth more important blessings.” I don’t have much to add to that except that I thank Him for providing water because even though it’s a basic need, it’s not something I take for granted. He even provides for those who are against Him, which is expression of His love and I praise Him for that love expressed to those who are against Him. It goes to show that God cares and He’s the only One who provides for both believers and non-believers and I don’t think there’s words which can express His goodness towards both believers and non-believers. He even provides food (corn or grain), which is another basic need. I thank Him for providing food and I’m getting about praying before I eat, which is good it shows that I care to acknowledge that God provides food for me. Verse 10 is another verse that deals with God’s providing for the earth. I think it’s a beautiful description of His creation in motion and I am thankful that He works in the that is described in the verse to provide for me. Besides what I’ve already said, verses 8-13 also talk about cultivating and leading people to Christ, which is made obvious by Henry’s thoughts on verse 11, “Wherever the Lord passes, by his preached gospel, attended by his Holy Spirit, his paths drop fatness, and numbers are taught to rejoice in and praise him.” With that being said, I think verses 9-11 make more sense to me now since they’re (also) about how God works in response when gospel seeds are planted. Those verse are encouraging because sometimes I’ll say something about Christ to a non-believer and most of the time, I’m not really sure how God is gonna work through that since I can’t see it, but He’s at work even when we can’t see it, which something to keep in mind. It makes me wanna make a difference in someone’s life and touch them so they want to know Christ because then they’d truly experience a blessing and be freed from their sin. Perhaps I should start praying so God will bring someone into my life to minister to because I’d like to be used by God in that way and I’d like for Him for work in me to trigger the process that is described in verses. I thought I’d include Henry’s thoughts on verses 11-12, “They will descend upon the pastures of the wilderness, all the earth shall hear and embrace the gospel, and bring forth abundantly the fruits of righteousness which are, through Jesus Christ, to the glory of the Father. Manifold and marvelous, O Lord, are thy works, whether of nature or of grace; surely in loving-kindness hast thou made them all.” I think that pretty much speaks for itself.
Chapter 66
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, “The holy church throughout all the world lifts up her voice, to laud that Name which is above every name, to make the praise of Jesus glorious, both by word and deed; that others may be led to glorify him also.” I am reminded of Sunday worship, especially because verses 1-2 deal with worshipping God. I thank Him for His glorious and wonderful works (v. 3), such as His freeing me from my darkest moment and just the fact that He’s done so many good things in my life and the lives of others. I wonder about the implication in verse where it says, “All the earth shall worship thee.” Perhaps that’s referenced to in Philippians 2:9-11, which says, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” I don’t much else to say about verse 4, but I just thought I’d include my observation. If verse 4 is referenced in Philippians later on, though, it makes me wonder what it will be like when every knee bows and every tongue confesses Jesus Christ is Lord. His works always surpass those of man (v. 5) because He has indeed made a beautiful creation. I praise Him for His creation and that He made it so I could enjoy it. Verse 6 speaks of a glorious work of God, probably a reference to the Book of Exodus where Moses and the chidren of Israel cross the Red Sea. And with His help, I can accomplish great things. I did pretty good this past semester and I know that God helped me to achieve that because I depended on Him to help me out. I praise Him for that and I thank Him for His faithfulness. I don’t have much to say about verse 7, but I will reflect on verses 8-10. Henry comments on those verses by stating the following, “The Lord not only preserves our temporal life, but maintains the spiritual life which he has given to believers. By afflictions we are proved, as silver in the fire.” I praise God even for the little things (v. 8) and I’m thankful for His providing me with eternal life (v. 9). I like the comparison to verse 10 to silver. God tries His people and the more He tries ‘em, the more they grow spiritual strength-wise. I can say that as a result of my darkest moment, I did grow spiritually stronger and I am thankful to God for that. And with spiritual strength, I can endure more and not feel as, should I say, pressured to give into the enemy’s lies. I like Henry’s comments on verses 11-12, “Through various conflicts and troubles, the slave of Satan escapes from his yoke, and obtains joy and peace in believing: through much tribulation the believer must enter into the kingdom of God.” It’s as if God allowed me to go through my darkest moment so I could escape from the enemy and continue living for Him. It was a great thing to come back to God after learning a lesson from what happens when I give into the enemy’s lies. God just welcomed me with open arms because He knew I loved Him and wasn’t gonna give up on Him.
To comment on verses 13-15, Hosea 6:6 says that God doesn’t want my burnt offerings and sacrifices, but rather He wants my love. However, I do express my love towards Him, whether it by serving in my church, doing creative things which glorify Him, or what have you. I’ll include Henry’s thought on verses 16-17,
“We should declare unto those that fear God, what he has done for our souls, and how he has heard and answered our prayers, inviting them to join us in prayer and praise; this will turn to our mutual comfort, and to the glory of God.” Sometimes I just tell others of the great things He’s done in my life. For my church’s newsletter, I was asked to write about my being a worship host. I did, and in that, I touched upon the Holy Spirit’s presence during communion time. You know, when those I am handing out the communion trays to are sitting and waiting to be served the bread and the juice. And in the article, I basically said that it’s a blessing to experience the Holy Spirit’s touch. And I think even the small things are worth praising God for because it lets others see how He works in my life. In verse 18, I am reminded that God hates sin and that I should (continue to) have it as well. If I love sin, that puts a hindrance on my walk with Him because it blocks out any potential for spiritual growth. Plus, it makes it hard for communicate with God and follow His path for my life since I would have a difficult time hearing from Him. To link verses 16-18 as a whole, I would not be able to tell others of the good thing He’s done in my life (v. 16) and ask Him for help and praise Him (v. 17) if my walk with Him was hindered by sin (v. 18). God heard me during my darkest moment since it wasn’t hindered by sin (v. 19) and His mercy was expressed to me when He answered my crying out to me (v. 20).
Chapter 67
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, “All our happiness comes from God's mercy; therefore the first thing prayed for is, God be merciful to us, to us sinners, and pardon our sins. Pardon is conveyed by God's blessing, and secured in that.” I try and ask God to forgive me of my sins on a daily basis (v. 1) and I also try and ask to continue to be like Him, which is what I get from “and cause his face to shine upon us.” If His face shines upon me, then others will see that in me, which will, in turn, make know God’s saving power to those I come in contact with (v. 2). Maybe I should start asking God for my Christlikeness to be made known to others so they’ll see that in me and have a desire to follow Him. I imagine that come to Him due to His working in me will praise Him (v. 3) in due time. Henry comments on verses 4-5 by stating the following, “The joy wished to the nations, is holy joy. Let them be glad that by his providence the Lord will overrule the affairs of kingdoms; that even the kingdoms of this world shall became the kingdom of the Lord, and of his Christ. Then is declared a joyful prospect of all good when God shall do this.” I don’t have much to add to that, but I do look forward to the kingdoms of this world turning to God. It will be a great to experience praising God (v. 5) when nations turn to Him. Not only do I look forward to witnessing that, but I also look forward to praising Him during that time. Verse 6 is talking about the spiritual harvest and its end when God’s touch reaches all the nations. I look forward to God’s blessings during that time, especially if I have brought someone to Christ. Verse 7 is a continuation of verse 6 and I can’t help but imagine what it will be like when “all the ends of the earth shall fear him.” It’s gonna be a great thing to see God’s power at work in that.
Sources used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 63". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=063>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 64". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=064>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 65". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=065>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 66". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=066>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 67". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=067>.
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
1O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
2To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
3Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
4Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
5My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
6When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
7Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
8My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
9But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.
11But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.
Psalm 64
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
1Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
3Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
4That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
5They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?
6They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.
7But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.
8So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.
9And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.
10The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.
Psalm 65
To the chief Musician, A Psalm and Song of David.
1Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.
2O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
3Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.
4Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
5By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:
6Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power:
7Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.
8They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.
9Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.
10Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.
11Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.
12They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.
13The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.
Psalm 66
To the chief Musician, A Song or Psalm.
1Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:
2Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.
3Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.
4All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
5Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.
6He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.
7He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.
8O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:
9Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.
10For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
11Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
12Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.
13I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,
14Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.
15I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.
16Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
17I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.
18If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
19But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
20Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Psalm 67
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song.
1God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.
2That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.
3Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
4O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.
5Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.
6Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.
7God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
Chapter 63
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, "Early will I seek thee. The true Christian devotes to God the morning hour. He opens the eyes of his understanding with those of his body, and awakes each morning to righteousness. He arises with a thirst after those comforts which the world cannot give, and has immediate recourse by prayer to the Fountain of the water of life." I am reminded of when I spend time with God in the mornings, reading the Word and talking to Him. It's not a time I take for granted and it's something I do daily in order to grow and know Him more. The part where it says, "my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is" reminds me of Christ as the living water. He quenches my spirtual thirst daily and I'm thankful for because if He wasn't the living water in my life, I'd be just like a dried up root in the ground. And knowing what I'm rooted in is essential because from that, the fact that I follow Christ can be displayed to others, through actions or what have you. His power and glory is a wonderful thing to experience (v. 2) and I can't say I've ever thought of God's lovingkindness or mercy as being better than life. I think, though, that His mercy is something that I praise Him for because even though He has given me life, He loves me more than life itself, which is awesome. If the Father was the only One Who loved me more life itself, I'd be OK with that since I seek after His approval and not man's. I like Henry's comment about verse 3, which states, "God's loving-kindness is our spiritual life, and that is better than temporal life." Yeah, I agree with that and I would have to add that it's kinda like saying that His expression of His love for was and is so profound due to His Son's dying on the cross for my sins. It's as if His Son's death is the foundation of God's love through because by redeemed by His Son's death on the cross, my spiritual nature was given new life when I accepted His Son into my life. I guess it also has to due with eternal life because I believe that one's eternal life as soon as he or she accepts Christ into his or her life. Now, they may sound like a contradiction since if something is eternal it doesn't have a beginning, but eternal life -- or should I say the eternal nature of one's spirit -- does start as soon as he or she accepts Christ into his or her life. It's not eternal in the sense that one is born a Christian, but rather in the sense that it is what results from accepting Christ into one's life. At best, I could say that the aspect of eternal life -- as I described -- could be thought of as a paradox, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just don't wanna get off on too much of a tangent. Perhaps the eternal nature of the spirit is a discussion for another time. Anyway, onto verse 4, where I am reminded of showing vulnerability to God by using my hands, which I sometimes do in church. What I'll do is I'll bend my arms at elbows and have my palms facing my chest and have my fingers spread out and slightly bent, which other people in my church do during worship time as well. I think it's great I can use my body language to display reverence before the Lord and it's something that I should probably do more of. Furthermore, I think that when I show vulnerability towards God, I trust Him during that, which helps my faith to grow in Him, which is kinda neat because before I didn’t think that using my body language to praise God had an influence on my walk with Him, which I think makes me wanna spread my hands more often. Matthew Henry comments on verses 5-6 by stating the following, “How happy will be that last morning, when the believer, awaking up after the Divine likeness, shall be satisfied with all the fullness of God, and praise him with joyful lips, where there is no night, and where sorrow and sighing flee away!” I tend to find my satisfaction in who God is and His faithfulness to me because only He can satisfy my soul and He provides me with all I need. I thank Him for His feeding my soul, which is something that happens almost daily. As I said before, I spend time on His Word, which is part of my daily soul food or daily bread. I am thankful that I have the freedom that allows me to read and study God’s Word in the mornings as it’s not something I take for granted. I wouldn’t be surprised if God was behind that freedom being granted when this nation was founded. I am thankful for God’s help (v. 7). To name an example, I’ll mention my darkest moment I’ve described God’s help in that in previous reflections, so I’m not gonna repeat the details. However, I am thankful that God has helped me out numerous times, such as when I had math tests because it was His help that I relied on so I could pass. I rejoice in the fact that He was there for me and provided me with the wisdom and knowledge I needed. I make the effort to follow after Him (v. 8), which can be hard but rewarding. During my darkest moment, my faith was put to the test and I remember not wanting to have God help me out through part of it, but doing so resulted in failure and my submission to Him. If I follow hard after Him, even during the toughest of trials, His right will uphold me, which means I’m not gonna fall if I rely on Him, which is awesome. I see His glory and His work in that kinda thing, which is kinda neat because it’s like God expresses His love by helping me out when I’m dealing with a lot of crap. God wants to protect my soul (vv. 9-10) since He knows I follow after Him. In verse 11, I am reminded that vengeance belongs to God and I’m glad I don’t have the job of dealing of those who try and destroy my soul. Not that that happens often, but it’s always a good idea to let God be God.
Chapter 64
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, “The psalmist earnestly begs of God to preserve him from disquieting fear. The tongue is a little member, but it boasts great things. The upright man is the mark at which the wicked aim, they cannot speak peaceably either of him or to him.” I remember dealing with that enemy in my math class in a reflection I posted before. I did ask God for help in that and I didn’t fear my enemy as much after that. I didn’t like it, though, when he would do things like flip me off , but I know God’s gonna hold him accountable for that. I’m not sure if the guy plotted against me (v. 2), but I know he did say some things that to me that weren’t nice since his tongue was “wet like a sword” (v. 3). His words and actions were like arrows to me, which wasn’t pleasant. I’m not sure what was going through the guy’s head or when I wasn’t around him, so I’m not sure if verses 4-6 really apply, but they do describe what an enemy can do if they don’t like me. I know that God will deal with them (v. 7) and that they will eventually meet their fate (v. 8). Matthew Henry comments on verses 9-10 by stating the following, “The righteous shall be glad in the Lord; not glad of the misery and ruin of their fellow-creatures, but glad that God is glorified, and his word fulfilled, and the cause of injured innocence pleaded effectually.” That’s interesting because I never thought of it that way and it’s a reminder to me that I should to look for God’s glory since its manifestation isn’t always obvious.
Chapter 65
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, “All the praise the Lord receives from this earth is from Zion, being the fruit of the Spirit of Christ, and acceptable through him. Praise is silent unto thee, as wanting words to express the great goodness of God. He reveals himself upon a mercy-seat, ready to hear and answer the prayers of all who come unto him by faith in Jesus Christ.” God’s people are the ones He praises receives from and it’s a great thing to be able to praise Him. In verse 2, it’s as if God wants all to come to Him, which reminds of His love because He doesn’t discriminate against anyone and He wants a relationship with everyone. Unfortunately, not everyone will give themselves over to God. Another thing I see in that verse is that God hears my prayers and He hears ‘em on a daily basis since I talk to Him daily and since He wants to hear from me. I see His love in that because when I spend time with Him, I am expressing my love to Him. It shows that I care to spend time with Him and that my time isn’t more important than His. I am thankful that my sins are forgiven (v. 3) because I’d be living a hell if they weren’t. And when my “inequities prevail against me” I ask God for forgiveness and He definitely takes that burden away. I am thankful that He does that and that the redemption that was brought about by His Son’s death on the cross allowed for that. God chose me, I didn’t choose Him (v. 4). It’s as if He knew I was gonna be born and accept His Son into my life later on. And since He chose me to be part of His Kingdom, there has been and there will be blessings that result from that. I guess the aspect of eternal life could be one as well as a desire to live for God, which means I’m free from living for my sinful desires, which I praise Him for. In verse 5, I am reminded of the hope God provides as well as His righteousness. He performed a righteous deed by delivering me from darkest moment, which illustrated His faithfulness and His love for me. Matthew Henry comments on verses 6-7 by stating the following, “That Almighty strength which sets fast the mountains, upholds the believer. That word which stills the stormy ocean, and speaks it into a calm, can silence our enemies. How contrary soever light and darkness are to each other, it is hard to say which is most welcome.” Yeah…I guess I’m reminded of Psalm 63:8 in terms of God’s upholding those who live for Him. To connect verse 5 with verse 6, I’d say that God is my hope which is why He upholds me. I can hope and trust in Him if I’m dealing with any problems and He’ll be there for me, which was what happened during my darkest moment. He even “stilled the noise of the seas” (v. 7) by delivering me from the enemy and stopping me from giving into the enemy’s lies. Metaphorically speaking, that’s what I think of as the noise of the seas. Verse 8 is speaking of those who live in the farthest corners of the earth and how they will be amazed at God’s works. I can’t really relate since I don’t live in a corner of the earth where I’ve never been exposed to the gospel, but I think it’s a great thing that God can work in such a way to reveal Himself to those who have never heard the gospel. I like Henry’s thought on verse 9, which says, “He who enriches
the earth, which is filled with man's sins, by his abundant and varied bounty, can neither want power nor will to feed the souls of his people. Temporal mercies to us unworthy creatures, shadow forth more important blessings.” I don’t have much to add to that except that I thank Him for providing water because even though it’s a basic need, it’s not something I take for granted. He even provides for those who are against Him, which is expression of His love and I praise Him for that love expressed to those who are against Him. It goes to show that God cares and He’s the only One who provides for both believers and non-believers and I don’t think there’s words which can express His goodness towards both believers and non-believers. He even provides food (corn or grain), which is another basic need. I thank Him for providing food and I’m getting about praying before I eat, which is good it shows that I care to acknowledge that God provides food for me. Verse 10 is another verse that deals with God’s providing for the earth. I think it’s a beautiful description of His creation in motion and I am thankful that He works in the that is described in the verse to provide for me. Besides what I’ve already said, verses 8-13 also talk about cultivating and leading people to Christ, which is made obvious by Henry’s thoughts on verse 11, “Wherever the Lord passes, by his preached gospel, attended by his Holy Spirit, his paths drop fatness, and numbers are taught to rejoice in and praise him.” With that being said, I think verses 9-11 make more sense to me now since they’re (also) about how God works in response when gospel seeds are planted. Those verse are encouraging because sometimes I’ll say something about Christ to a non-believer and most of the time, I’m not really sure how God is gonna work through that since I can’t see it, but He’s at work even when we can’t see it, which something to keep in mind. It makes me wanna make a difference in someone’s life and touch them so they want to know Christ because then they’d truly experience a blessing and be freed from their sin. Perhaps I should start praying so God will bring someone into my life to minister to because I’d like to be used by God in that way and I’d like for Him for work in me to trigger the process that is described in verses. I thought I’d include Henry’s thoughts on verses 11-12, “They will descend upon the pastures of the wilderness, all the earth shall hear and embrace the gospel, and bring forth abundantly the fruits of righteousness which are, through Jesus Christ, to the glory of the Father. Manifold and marvelous, O Lord, are thy works, whether of nature or of grace; surely in loving-kindness hast thou made them all.” I think that pretty much speaks for itself.
Chapter 66
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, “The holy church throughout all the world lifts up her voice, to laud that Name which is above every name, to make the praise of Jesus glorious, both by word and deed; that others may be led to glorify him also.” I am reminded of Sunday worship, especially because verses 1-2 deal with worshipping God. I thank Him for His glorious and wonderful works (v. 3), such as His freeing me from my darkest moment and just the fact that He’s done so many good things in my life and the lives of others. I wonder about the implication in verse where it says, “All the earth shall worship thee.” Perhaps that’s referenced to in Philippians 2:9-11, which says, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” I don’t much else to say about verse 4, but I just thought I’d include my observation. If verse 4 is referenced in Philippians later on, though, it makes me wonder what it will be like when every knee bows and every tongue confesses Jesus Christ is Lord. His works always surpass those of man (v. 5) because He has indeed made a beautiful creation. I praise Him for His creation and that He made it so I could enjoy it. Verse 6 speaks of a glorious work of God, probably a reference to the Book of Exodus where Moses and the chidren of Israel cross the Red Sea. And with His help, I can accomplish great things. I did pretty good this past semester and I know that God helped me to achieve that because I depended on Him to help me out. I praise Him for that and I thank Him for His faithfulness. I don’t have much to say about verse 7, but I will reflect on verses 8-10. Henry comments on those verses by stating the following, “The Lord not only preserves our temporal life, but maintains the spiritual life which he has given to believers. By afflictions we are proved, as silver in the fire.” I praise God even for the little things (v. 8) and I’m thankful for His providing me with eternal life (v. 9). I like the comparison to verse 10 to silver. God tries His people and the more He tries ‘em, the more they grow spiritual strength-wise. I can say that as a result of my darkest moment, I did grow spiritually stronger and I am thankful to God for that. And with spiritual strength, I can endure more and not feel as, should I say, pressured to give into the enemy’s lies. I like Henry’s comments on verses 11-12, “Through various conflicts and troubles, the slave of Satan escapes from his yoke, and obtains joy and peace in believing: through much tribulation the believer must enter into the kingdom of God.” It’s as if God allowed me to go through my darkest moment so I could escape from the enemy and continue living for Him. It was a great thing to come back to God after learning a lesson from what happens when I give into the enemy’s lies. God just welcomed me with open arms because He knew I loved Him and wasn’t gonna give up on Him.
To comment on verses 13-15, Hosea 6:6 says that God doesn’t want my burnt offerings and sacrifices, but rather He wants my love. However, I do express my love towards Him, whether it by serving in my church, doing creative things which glorify Him, or what have you. I’ll include Henry’s thought on verses 16-17,
“We should declare unto those that fear God, what he has done for our souls, and how he has heard and answered our prayers, inviting them to join us in prayer and praise; this will turn to our mutual comfort, and to the glory of God.” Sometimes I just tell others of the great things He’s done in my life. For my church’s newsletter, I was asked to write about my being a worship host. I did, and in that, I touched upon the Holy Spirit’s presence during communion time. You know, when those I am handing out the communion trays to are sitting and waiting to be served the bread and the juice. And in the article, I basically said that it’s a blessing to experience the Holy Spirit’s touch. And I think even the small things are worth praising God for because it lets others see how He works in my life. In verse 18, I am reminded that God hates sin and that I should (continue to) have it as well. If I love sin, that puts a hindrance on my walk with Him because it blocks out any potential for spiritual growth. Plus, it makes it hard for communicate with God and follow His path for my life since I would have a difficult time hearing from Him. To link verses 16-18 as a whole, I would not be able to tell others of the good thing He’s done in my life (v. 16) and ask Him for help and praise Him (v. 17) if my walk with Him was hindered by sin (v. 18). God heard me during my darkest moment since it wasn’t hindered by sin (v. 19) and His mercy was expressed to me when He answered my crying out to me (v. 20).
Chapter 67
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, “All our happiness comes from God's mercy; therefore the first thing prayed for is, God be merciful to us, to us sinners, and pardon our sins. Pardon is conveyed by God's blessing, and secured in that.” I try and ask God to forgive me of my sins on a daily basis (v. 1) and I also try and ask to continue to be like Him, which is what I get from “and cause his face to shine upon us.” If His face shines upon me, then others will see that in me, which will, in turn, make know God’s saving power to those I come in contact with (v. 2). Maybe I should start asking God for my Christlikeness to be made known to others so they’ll see that in me and have a desire to follow Him. I imagine that come to Him due to His working in me will praise Him (v. 3) in due time. Henry comments on verses 4-5 by stating the following, “The joy wished to the nations, is holy joy. Let them be glad that by his providence the Lord will overrule the affairs of kingdoms; that even the kingdoms of this world shall became the kingdom of the Lord, and of his Christ. Then is declared a joyful prospect of all good when God shall do this.” I don’t have much to add to that, but I do look forward to the kingdoms of this world turning to God. It will be a great to experience praising God (v. 5) when nations turn to Him. Not only do I look forward to witnessing that, but I also look forward to praising Him during that time. Verse 6 is talking about the spiritual harvest and its end when God’s touch reaches all the nations. I look forward to God’s blessings during that time, especially if I have brought someone to Christ. Verse 7 is a continuation of verse 6 and I can’t help but imagine what it will be like when “all the ends of the earth shall fear him.” It’s gonna be a great thing to see God’s power at work in that.
Sources used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 63". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=063>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 64". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=064>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 65". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=065>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 66". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=066>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 67". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=067>.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Reflecting on the Psalms: Chapters 60-62
Psalm 60
To the chief Musician upon Shushaneduth, Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with Aramnaharaim and with Aramzobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand.
1O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.
2Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.
3Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.
4Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.
5That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.
6God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
7Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;
8Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.
9Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?
10Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?
11Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
12Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.
1Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
2From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
4I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.
5For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.
6Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations.
7He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him.
8So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.
Psalm 62
To the chief Musician to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David.
1Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.
2He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.
3How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.
4They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
5My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
6He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
7In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
8Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
9Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
10Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
11God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.
12Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.
Chapter 60
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, "David owns God's displeasure to be the cause of all the hardships he had undergone. And when God is turning his hand in our favour, it is good to remember our former troubles. In God's displeasure their troubles began, therefore in his favour their prosperity must begin." Yeah, I agree with the aspect of remembering my former troubles because doing so allows to see God's glory in deliverance, which was what I did during my darkest moment. I display the banner to show the truth that can be found in Christ (v. 4). Doing so, I set an example for others in case they're interested in following Christ or just appreciate when a Christian treats them in a way that isn't judgemental. I try and show God's love to people, such as when I'm with friends, which is another way in which I display the banner. I could feel the Holy Spirit's touch, for example, when someone is dealing with problems and then I tell 'em I'll pray for 'em for end up doing it. I'd say there's a variety of ways that I could display the banner to people and it impacts their life as a result. Matthew Henry comments on verses 6-10 by stating the following, "David rejoices in conquering the neighbouring nations, which had been enemies to Israel. The Israel of God are through Christ more than conquerors. Though sometimes they think that the Lord has cast them off, yet he will bring them into the strong city at last." Although I don't have to worry about conquering cities, I am reminded in verses 6-10 that God can help me out with challenging tasks. Nothing is too big for Him and depending on Him is what helps me to do what I can't do on my own. And even if I think God isn't there for me, He'll still help me out when I need it (v. 11). If I were to apply verses 6-11 to my darkest moment, I'd say that God helped me to overcome the enemy since I couldn't do it on my own and there was no man could help me out cuz help from man would have been vain or meaningless. I did have people pray for me during my trial, though, which God did work through. I like Matthew Henry's thought on verse 12: " All our victories are from him, and while those who willingly submit to our anointed King shall share his glories, all his foes shall be put under his feet." Yeah...that sums up the ending of my darkest moment.
Chapter 61
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, "David begins with prayers and tears, but ends with praise. Thus the soul, being lifted up to God, returns to the enjoyment of itself. Wherever we are, we have liberty to draw near to God, and may find a way open to the throne of grace." And sometimes I just wanna draw near to God so I can enjoy His presence. I was overwhelmed during my darkest moment and ran to Him because He is my strong tower. He protected me from the enemy's influence, which I praise Him for. Abiding in His tabernacle or tent (v. 4) is something that I see as part of my daily walk with Him because it helps to not be under the enemy's grip and it helps to have a close connection with God. I suppose if I were to give into the enemy's lies, my walk would be hindered, which wouldn't be a good thing. Matthew Henry comments on verse 5 by stating the following, "There is a people in the world that fear God's name. There is a heritage peculiar to that people; present comforts in the soul, earnests of future bliss. Those that fear God have enough in him, and must not complain. We need desire no better heritage than that of those who fear God." So I feel that I can learn from those who fear God and (continue to) do it myself. I see my dad as a spirtual giant in my life and his fear of God, I'd say, has had an impact on my fear of God. I learn from his example and I don't think I could've asked for anything better. And by fearing God, I free myself from fearing man, which means I don't have to submit to man's power over me and treat man as God. I can't really relate to verse 6, but what verse 7 means to mean is that my covenant with God means I will eternally abide in Him and that nothing can change that since my relationship with Him is strong and I don't plan on quitting before finishing. My praise for Him is an eternal, ongoing thing (v. 7) and I am thankful to Him for His truth and grace. If I didn't have those things in my life, I'd be on the wrong road for sure. I praise Him daily (v. 8), which can be be seen as a vow or a promise, which I suppose is part of my covenant with Him that started when I accepted His Son into my life.
Chapter 62
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, "We are in the way both of duty and comfort, when our souls wait upon God; when we cheerfully give up ourselves, and all our affairs, to his will and wisdom; when we leave ourselves to all the ways of his providence, and patiently expect the event, with full satisfaction in his goodness." I want to do His will, which is a desire of my heart. I want to please Him and I know that nothing can replace the wisdom He provides me with when I ask Him for it. Almost every day, I ask that His will be done in my life, which means that I want to do His will and not mine. He could take a while to do something in my life, but it will have ended up being worth the wait if it's a blessing. I am thankful that He is my soild foundation or my rock (v. 2) because He keeps me grounded. "I shall not be greatly moved" means that God's strength is with me when I face troubles. Henry's thoughts on verses 3-5, "David having put his confidence in God, foresees the overthrow of his enemies. We have found it good to wait upon the Lord, and should charge our souls to have such constant dependence upon him, as may make us always easy." To comment on that, it's as if something simple as putting confidence in God has quite an effect when dealing with enemies. And in order to overthrow Satan, I put my confidence in God during my darkest moment since I couldn't put my trust in man because doing so wouldn't have done much for me. Verses 3-4 basically describe how Satan worked during my darkest moment and waiting on God (v. 5) was what got me through it. Verse 6 is a repeat of verse 2, so just look at what I had to say about that. God is my rock, my firm foundation (v. 7), which helps my faith to be unshaken. Henry's thought on verse 8, "Those who have found the comfort of the ways of God themselves, will invite others into those ways; we shall never have the less for others sharing with us. the good counsel given is, to trust wholly in God. We must so trust in him at all times, as not at any time to put that trust in ourselves, or in any creature, which is to be put in him only." I think it's cool that God can use me in such a way so others will want to trust in Him as well. It's like He wants me to display that to others, which I feel encouraged use as an example to others. And I'll admit trusting Him isn't always easy to do because I feel like I can solve a problem without His help, but I'm a fool to trust myself (Proverbs 28:26) whether or not I agree with God about it. I can't say I've personally trusted in men of low or high degree, as verse 9 talks about, but what I get out of that verse is that God wouldn't like it if I put my trust in those kinds of men because they would eventually betray me or screw me over, which is something God wouldn't do. I'm not gonna around stealing things (v. 10) since doing so could take my mind off God and become an idol to me, which is get of the part where it says, "if riches increase, set not your heart upon them." Power or strength (v. 11) belongs to God and I know I can depend on Him for strength when I need it. I look forward to the day when He judges me according to my righteousness (v. 12), which I believed I talked about before. Verse 12 does talk about God's judgment, which I thought I'd make clear in case it wasn't clear.
Sources used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 60". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=060>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 61". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=061>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 62". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=062>.
To the chief Musician upon Shushaneduth, Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with Aramnaharaim and with Aramzobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand.
1O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.
2Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.
3Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.
4Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.
5That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.
6God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
7Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;
8Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.
9Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?
10Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?
11Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
12Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.
Psalm 61
To the chief Musician upon Neginah, A Psalm of David.1Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
2From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
4I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.
5For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.
6Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations.
7He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him.
8So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.
Psalm 62
To the chief Musician to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David.
1Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.
2He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.
3How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.
4They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
5My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
6He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
7In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
8Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
9Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
10Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
11God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.
12Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.
Chapter 60
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, "David owns God's displeasure to be the cause of all the hardships he had undergone. And when God is turning his hand in our favour, it is good to remember our former troubles. In God's displeasure their troubles began, therefore in his favour their prosperity must begin." Yeah, I agree with the aspect of remembering my former troubles because doing so allows to see God's glory in deliverance, which was what I did during my darkest moment. I display the banner to show the truth that can be found in Christ (v. 4). Doing so, I set an example for others in case they're interested in following Christ or just appreciate when a Christian treats them in a way that isn't judgemental. I try and show God's love to people, such as when I'm with friends, which is another way in which I display the banner. I could feel the Holy Spirit's touch, for example, when someone is dealing with problems and then I tell 'em I'll pray for 'em for end up doing it. I'd say there's a variety of ways that I could display the banner to people and it impacts their life as a result. Matthew Henry comments on verses 6-10 by stating the following, "David rejoices in conquering the neighbouring nations, which had been enemies to Israel. The Israel of God are through Christ more than conquerors. Though sometimes they think that the Lord has cast them off, yet he will bring them into the strong city at last." Although I don't have to worry about conquering cities, I am reminded in verses 6-10 that God can help me out with challenging tasks. Nothing is too big for Him and depending on Him is what helps me to do what I can't do on my own. And even if I think God isn't there for me, He'll still help me out when I need it (v. 11). If I were to apply verses 6-11 to my darkest moment, I'd say that God helped me to overcome the enemy since I couldn't do it on my own and there was no man could help me out cuz help from man would have been vain or meaningless. I did have people pray for me during my trial, though, which God did work through. I like Matthew Henry's thought on verse 12: " All our victories are from him, and while those who willingly submit to our anointed King shall share his glories, all his foes shall be put under his feet." Yeah...that sums up the ending of my darkest moment.
Chapter 61
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, "David begins with prayers and tears, but ends with praise. Thus the soul, being lifted up to God, returns to the enjoyment of itself. Wherever we are, we have liberty to draw near to God, and may find a way open to the throne of grace." And sometimes I just wanna draw near to God so I can enjoy His presence. I was overwhelmed during my darkest moment and ran to Him because He is my strong tower. He protected me from the enemy's influence, which I praise Him for. Abiding in His tabernacle or tent (v. 4) is something that I see as part of my daily walk with Him because it helps to not be under the enemy's grip and it helps to have a close connection with God. I suppose if I were to give into the enemy's lies, my walk would be hindered, which wouldn't be a good thing. Matthew Henry comments on verse 5 by stating the following, "There is a people in the world that fear God's name. There is a heritage peculiar to that people; present comforts in the soul, earnests of future bliss. Those that fear God have enough in him, and must not complain. We need desire no better heritage than that of those who fear God." So I feel that I can learn from those who fear God and (continue to) do it myself. I see my dad as a spirtual giant in my life and his fear of God, I'd say, has had an impact on my fear of God. I learn from his example and I don't think I could've asked for anything better. And by fearing God, I free myself from fearing man, which means I don't have to submit to man's power over me and treat man as God. I can't really relate to verse 6, but what verse 7 means to mean is that my covenant with God means I will eternally abide in Him and that nothing can change that since my relationship with Him is strong and I don't plan on quitting before finishing. My praise for Him is an eternal, ongoing thing (v. 7) and I am thankful to Him for His truth and grace. If I didn't have those things in my life, I'd be on the wrong road for sure. I praise Him daily (v. 8), which can be be seen as a vow or a promise, which I suppose is part of my covenant with Him that started when I accepted His Son into my life.
Chapter 62
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, "We are in the way both of duty and comfort, when our souls wait upon God; when we cheerfully give up ourselves, and all our affairs, to his will and wisdom; when we leave ourselves to all the ways of his providence, and patiently expect the event, with full satisfaction in his goodness." I want to do His will, which is a desire of my heart. I want to please Him and I know that nothing can replace the wisdom He provides me with when I ask Him for it. Almost every day, I ask that His will be done in my life, which means that I want to do His will and not mine. He could take a while to do something in my life, but it will have ended up being worth the wait if it's a blessing. I am thankful that He is my soild foundation or my rock (v. 2) because He keeps me grounded. "I shall not be greatly moved" means that God's strength is with me when I face troubles. Henry's thoughts on verses 3-5, "David having put his confidence in God, foresees the overthrow of his enemies. We have found it good to wait upon the Lord, and should charge our souls to have such constant dependence upon him, as may make us always easy." To comment on that, it's as if something simple as putting confidence in God has quite an effect when dealing with enemies. And in order to overthrow Satan, I put my confidence in God during my darkest moment since I couldn't put my trust in man because doing so wouldn't have done much for me. Verses 3-4 basically describe how Satan worked during my darkest moment and waiting on God (v. 5) was what got me through it. Verse 6 is a repeat of verse 2, so just look at what I had to say about that. God is my rock, my firm foundation (v. 7), which helps my faith to be unshaken. Henry's thought on verse 8, "Those who have found the comfort of the ways of God themselves, will invite others into those ways; we shall never have the less for others sharing with us. the good counsel given is, to trust wholly in God. We must so trust in him at all times, as not at any time to put that trust in ourselves, or in any creature, which is to be put in him only." I think it's cool that God can use me in such a way so others will want to trust in Him as well. It's like He wants me to display that to others, which I feel encouraged use as an example to others. And I'll admit trusting Him isn't always easy to do because I feel like I can solve a problem without His help, but I'm a fool to trust myself (Proverbs 28:26) whether or not I agree with God about it. I can't say I've personally trusted in men of low or high degree, as verse 9 talks about, but what I get out of that verse is that God wouldn't like it if I put my trust in those kinds of men because they would eventually betray me or screw me over, which is something God wouldn't do. I'm not gonna around stealing things (v. 10) since doing so could take my mind off God and become an idol to me, which is get of the part where it says, "if riches increase, set not your heart upon them." Power or strength (v. 11) belongs to God and I know I can depend on Him for strength when I need it. I look forward to the day when He judges me according to my righteousness (v. 12), which I believed I talked about before. Verse 12 does talk about God's judgment, which I thought I'd make clear in case it wasn't clear.
Sources used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 60". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=060>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 61". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=061>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 62". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=062>.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Reflecting on the Psalms: Chapters 56-59
Psalm 56
To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.
1Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.
2Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.
3What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
4In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
5Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.
7Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.
8Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
9When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
10In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.
11In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
12Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.
13For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?
Psalm 57
To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.
1Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
2I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.
3He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
4My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
5Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
6They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
7My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
8Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
9I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.
10For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
11Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.
Psalm 58
To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David.
1Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
2Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
3The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
4Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
5Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.
6Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
7Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.
8As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.
9Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.
10The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
Psalm 59
To the chief Musician, Altaschitch, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.
1Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.
2Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.
3For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.
4They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.
5Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.
6They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
7Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?
8But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.
9Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.
10The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.
11Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.
12For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.
13Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
14And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
15Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.
16But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
17Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.
Chapter 56
Sometimes I may deal with enemies that swallow me up or “hotly pursue me” (NIV). In those situations, I am sure to ask God for mercy so I am not overcome by my enemies. I haven’t dealt with enemies to high degree, but I was in a math class at San Jose City where this one guy treated me like crap cuz I looked at him with a goofy face because he thought it had something to do with him and got pissed about it. So I had a bit of an enemy there and asked God for mercy so that guy wouldn’t beat me up or anything. I thought I’d included Matthew Henry’s comments on the first few verses, “We may flee to, and trust the mercy of God, when surrounded on all sides by difficulties and dangers. His enemies were too hard for him, if God did not help him.” Yeah…God helped me out to no fear my enemy even though he intimidated me a few times. I just let God worry about that and if the authorities needed to get involved, I would not have been hesitant to contact them. Putting my trust in His Word is what directs my steps and I can’t say it’s misled me thus far. And since putting my trust in Him is something I’m used to doing, I know He’ll protect me from any man (v. 4). I’m not sure if my enemy’s thoughts were evil towards me (v. 5) except for when he’d flip me off or something. He did threaten me that time after I made a goofy face at him and his threats did have harmful, evil intentions behind them. I’m not sure if verse 6 relates to the situation, but I know that God shows anger toward my enemies (v. 7) and deals with ‘em as He sees fit. Matthew Henry comments on verses 8-9 by stating the following, “The heavy and continued trials through which many of the Lord's people have passed, should teach us to be silent and patient under lighter crosses. Yet we are often tempted to repine and despond under small sorrows. For this we should check ourselves. David comforts himself, in his distress and fear, that God noticed all his grievances and all his griefs.” I can’t really relate to verses 8-9 since I have yet to deal with enemies on the degree that David did, but I suppose I could apply them to my darkest moment because I know was lamenting during that time (v. 8) and when I cried out to Him, the enemy left me alone (v. 9). I see verse 10 as a reiteration of verse 4, so just see my comment on that. I was thankful for His deliverance and that I was able to reground myself in Him (v. 13).
Chapter 57
Even though I may deal with calamity from time to time, I know that I can make refuge in the shadow of His wings (v. 1). And if I do that, God’s gonna protect me from calamities, which He did during my darkest moment, which I’ll always be grateful for. I cried out to God, yes (v. 2), which I may even have to do for small things. God wants to hear from me and He wants me to depend on Him for help, which I’ve been asking Him for in prayer lately since I have finals this week. So I suppose I cry out to Him in a small way, which is never a bad thing. I am reminded of God’s deliverance in verse 3, mostly in the case of my darkest moment. He saved me when I called upon Him and kept the enemy at bay. In verses 4-5, I’m reminded to praise God in the midst of trials, which may sound kinda weird for some people. I suppose, though, take if I praise God during my trials they’ll not only be easier to get through but I’ll grow closer to Him in the midst of my trials when I praise Him for them. On a related note, James 1:2 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.” And to comment on that verse, I should be thankful for trials that come my way because they will typically result in me growing closer to Him. As I’ve mentioned before, I have finals this week, which I see as a trial because I am trusting God to help me out with them. And by trusting in God, I can grow closer to Him since I trust He’ll help me succeeded. Kinda how faith works because believing is seeing and I believe that, with His strength and wisdom, I will pass. Matthew Henry comments on verse 6 by stating the following, “But the mischief they designed against him, returned on themselves. And when David was in the greatest distress and disgrace, he did not pray, Lord, exalt me, but, Lord, exalt thine own name. Our best encouragement in prayer, is taken from the glory of God, and to that, more than to our own comfort, we should have regard in all our petitions for mercy.” And I if have God exalt Himself during my distress, He’ll help me get through my distress as a result of giving up my pride and selfishness to Him, which is kinda cool. Kinda reminds me of my darkest moment when I exalted Him by giving up my belief that I could deal with my problems on my own. After I complained about my problems, I was thankful that God helped me out (v. 7) and I could even use music to praise Him for that (v. 8). I will praise God among others for all the good thing He’s done (v. 9), which I think I talked about in a previous reflection. Since His mercy is great unto heavens (v. 10), that means to me that no one’s mercy and love is as far-reaching and comforting as His, which I praise Him for. I also praise Him for the fact that nothing can compare to His glory (v. 11) and it’s always a great thing to see it in His creation.
Chapter 58
Verses 1-3 seem to be convicting of rulers who are against God. I’ll include Matthew Henry’s comments, which state the following, “When wrong is done under the form of law, it is worse than any other; especially it is grievous to behold those who profess to be children of God, joining together against any of his people. We should thank the Lord for merciful restraints; we should be more earnest in seeking renewing grace, more watchful over ourselves, and more patient under the effects of fallen nature in others. The corruption of their nature was the root of bitterness. We may see in children the wickedness of the world beginning.” Kinda reminds me of Obama and his connection to shady groups, like Acorn. I’m not gonna go on political conspiracy theory rant, but I just thought I’d mention that. Some people who are born sinners (v. 3) from the start never come to Christ, which is a sad thing. It makes me wanna do something about it and perhaps go the extra mile just to bring someone to Christ. Since their poison is like that of a serpent (v. 4), I don’t imagine myself getting involved with them. Verses 3-5 illustrate to me how deceptive the wicked can be. They also emphasize to me to trust in God because He will protect from any evil I may face, as verse 6 says. I don’t think I’ll ever deal with lions in my life, but I know from experience that God will stop anyone who tries to hurt me. I thought I’d also include Matthew Henry’s thoughts, “David prayed that the enemies of God's church and people might be disabled to do further mischief. We may, in faith, pray against the designs of the enemies of the church. He foretells their ruin. And who knows the power of God's anger?” Sometimes I pray that the enemy won’t harm those I care about so their (potential) connection with God won’t be disrupted, so I guess I do my part by praying for the church by asking God to keep the enemy at bay. Verses 7-9 don’t really apply to me, but I do suppose they describe what happens to the wicked when I pray against Satan and his followers having an influence on my friends. I don’t want evil forces in general to influence my friends and I know if I pray about that, God will honor that, which is cool because it shows that He protects people even if they don’t follow Him. Whenever God has vengeance in my life -- such as what I mentioned in regards to praying against the enemy’s influence -- I will praise Him that for the fact that He has helped those I prayed for to not be influenced by the enemy (v. 10), which is something I should probably start doing. And if God frees His people from the enemy’s influence, I see their freedom as a reward (v. 11). Kinda like in my darkest moment how God freed me from the enemy’s influence. From that, I can use my experience to help others and ask God free them because it’s guaranteed when one asks for it.
Chapter 59
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, “In these words we hear the voice of David when a prisoner in his own house; the voice of Christ when surrounded by his merciless enemies; the voice of the church when under bondage in the world; and the voice of the Christian when under temptation, affliction, and persecution.” And sometimes I have to cry out to God when under affliction and persecution, as David did in verses 1-2. I realize that the only way for me to deal with opposition from my enemies (vv. 3-4) is by reliance on God. His helping me out makes me fearless before opposition and it also comforts me since His comforting me is His of letting me know that He’s gonna help me get through whatever I’m dealing with. He helped me get through moment, for example. And since He is against my transgressors -- those who sin against me -- not only will He deal with ‘em as He sees fit, but He will also deliver me from ‘em so they won’t harm me. The latter part was what God did during my darkest moment: He delivered me from the enemy’s grasp so I wouldn’t be harmed by his attacks on me. I could deal with an enemy who comes in contact with me on a daily basis (v. 6) -- almost like that guy in my math class -- and even though they think that God doesn’t pay attention to what they say (v. 7), God will still have power over them (v. 8). I can’t personally relate to those verses, but there’s been the occasional enemy who has snuck up on me as is described in the verses. I suppose if I were to relate the verses to my darkest moment, I would say that during the times in which Satan returned to give me a hard time, which he did in a sneaky, kind of way, it wasn’t a secret because God knew about it and one day the enemy will be in derision. I remember having to wait upon God a little bit but that was only because He provided me with safety when He knew I needed it the most (v. 9). I think during that time, God allowed me to see my desire upon the enemy, which was having his connection cut off from me (v. 10). God brought Satan down(v. 11), which meant that I no longer had to believe his lies (v. 12). It was a great thing to experience freedom from his lies because continuing to live with them wouldn’t have done me any good. God will eventually destroy Satan and I guess He consumed him by freeing me (v. 13). When God poured out His wrath upon Satan, he lost power over me, which meant that nothing was hindering my walk, which was a great thing. And I think by letting the enemy know that He rules to the ends of the rule, He displayed that His saving power and His sovereignty was more than Satan could handle. The enemy may return to give me a hard time (v. 14), but since I won’t succumb to his lies, as I have learned from experience, he’s not gonna be able to hunt for me and treat me as if I’m food (v. 15). I am thankful that from my darkest moment, God helped to learn how the enemy operates and how I can not be influenced by him. He may go out like a dog to attack, but his efforts won’t be successful if I tell him to get behind me. Matthew Henry comments on verses 16-17 by stating the following, “The trials of his people will end in joy and praise. When the night of affliction is over, they will sing of the Lord's power and mercy in the morning. Let believers now, in assured faith and hope, praise Him for those mercies, for which they will rejoice and praise him for ever.” What I have to add to that is that I should never stop praising God for His saving power because nothing compares to it and He’s the only who can save His people from the enemy’s influence.
Sources used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 56". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=056>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 57". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=057>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 58". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=058>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 59". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=059>.
To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.
1Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.
2Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.
3What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
4In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
5Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.
7Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.
8Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
9When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
10In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.
11In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
12Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.
13For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?
Psalm 57
To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.
1Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
2I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.
3He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
4My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
5Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
6They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
7My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
8Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
9I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.
10For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
11Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.
Psalm 58
To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David.
1Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
2Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
3The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
4Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
5Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.
6Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
7Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.
8As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.
9Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.
10The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.
Psalm 59
To the chief Musician, Altaschitch, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.
1Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.
2Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.
3For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.
4They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.
5Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.
6They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
7Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?
8But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.
9Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.
10The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.
11Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.
12For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.
13Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.
14And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.
15Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.
16But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
17Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.
Chapter 56
Sometimes I may deal with enemies that swallow me up or “hotly pursue me” (NIV). In those situations, I am sure to ask God for mercy so I am not overcome by my enemies. I haven’t dealt with enemies to high degree, but I was in a math class at San Jose City where this one guy treated me like crap cuz I looked at him with a goofy face because he thought it had something to do with him and got pissed about it. So I had a bit of an enemy there and asked God for mercy so that guy wouldn’t beat me up or anything. I thought I’d included Matthew Henry’s comments on the first few verses, “We may flee to, and trust the mercy of God, when surrounded on all sides by difficulties and dangers. His enemies were too hard for him, if God did not help him.” Yeah…God helped me out to no fear my enemy even though he intimidated me a few times. I just let God worry about that and if the authorities needed to get involved, I would not have been hesitant to contact them. Putting my trust in His Word is what directs my steps and I can’t say it’s misled me thus far. And since putting my trust in Him is something I’m used to doing, I know He’ll protect me from any man (v. 4). I’m not sure if my enemy’s thoughts were evil towards me (v. 5) except for when he’d flip me off or something. He did threaten me that time after I made a goofy face at him and his threats did have harmful, evil intentions behind them. I’m not sure if verse 6 relates to the situation, but I know that God shows anger toward my enemies (v. 7) and deals with ‘em as He sees fit. Matthew Henry comments on verses 8-9 by stating the following, “The heavy and continued trials through which many of the Lord's people have passed, should teach us to be silent and patient under lighter crosses. Yet we are often tempted to repine and despond under small sorrows. For this we should check ourselves. David comforts himself, in his distress and fear, that God noticed all his grievances and all his griefs.” I can’t really relate to verses 8-9 since I have yet to deal with enemies on the degree that David did, but I suppose I could apply them to my darkest moment because I know was lamenting during that time (v. 8) and when I cried out to Him, the enemy left me alone (v. 9). I see verse 10 as a reiteration of verse 4, so just see my comment on that. I was thankful for His deliverance and that I was able to reground myself in Him (v. 13).
Chapter 57
Even though I may deal with calamity from time to time, I know that I can make refuge in the shadow of His wings (v. 1). And if I do that, God’s gonna protect me from calamities, which He did during my darkest moment, which I’ll always be grateful for. I cried out to God, yes (v. 2), which I may even have to do for small things. God wants to hear from me and He wants me to depend on Him for help, which I’ve been asking Him for in prayer lately since I have finals this week. So I suppose I cry out to Him in a small way, which is never a bad thing. I am reminded of God’s deliverance in verse 3, mostly in the case of my darkest moment. He saved me when I called upon Him and kept the enemy at bay. In verses 4-5, I’m reminded to praise God in the midst of trials, which may sound kinda weird for some people. I suppose, though, take if I praise God during my trials they’ll not only be easier to get through but I’ll grow closer to Him in the midst of my trials when I praise Him for them. On a related note, James 1:2 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.” And to comment on that verse, I should be thankful for trials that come my way because they will typically result in me growing closer to Him. As I’ve mentioned before, I have finals this week, which I see as a trial because I am trusting God to help me out with them. And by trusting in God, I can grow closer to Him since I trust He’ll help me succeeded. Kinda how faith works because believing is seeing and I believe that, with His strength and wisdom, I will pass. Matthew Henry comments on verse 6 by stating the following, “But the mischief they designed against him, returned on themselves. And when David was in the greatest distress and disgrace, he did not pray, Lord, exalt me, but, Lord, exalt thine own name. Our best encouragement in prayer, is taken from the glory of God, and to that, more than to our own comfort, we should have regard in all our petitions for mercy.” And I if have God exalt Himself during my distress, He’ll help me get through my distress as a result of giving up my pride and selfishness to Him, which is kinda cool. Kinda reminds me of my darkest moment when I exalted Him by giving up my belief that I could deal with my problems on my own. After I complained about my problems, I was thankful that God helped me out (v. 7) and I could even use music to praise Him for that (v. 8). I will praise God among others for all the good thing He’s done (v. 9), which I think I talked about in a previous reflection. Since His mercy is great unto heavens (v. 10), that means to me that no one’s mercy and love is as far-reaching and comforting as His, which I praise Him for. I also praise Him for the fact that nothing can compare to His glory (v. 11) and it’s always a great thing to see it in His creation.
Chapter 58
Verses 1-3 seem to be convicting of rulers who are against God. I’ll include Matthew Henry’s comments, which state the following, “When wrong is done under the form of law, it is worse than any other; especially it is grievous to behold those who profess to be children of God, joining together against any of his people. We should thank the Lord for merciful restraints; we should be more earnest in seeking renewing grace, more watchful over ourselves, and more patient under the effects of fallen nature in others. The corruption of their nature was the root of bitterness. We may see in children the wickedness of the world beginning.” Kinda reminds me of Obama and his connection to shady groups, like Acorn. I’m not gonna go on political conspiracy theory rant, but I just thought I’d mention that. Some people who are born sinners (v. 3) from the start never come to Christ, which is a sad thing. It makes me wanna do something about it and perhaps go the extra mile just to bring someone to Christ. Since their poison is like that of a serpent (v. 4), I don’t imagine myself getting involved with them. Verses 3-5 illustrate to me how deceptive the wicked can be. They also emphasize to me to trust in God because He will protect from any evil I may face, as verse 6 says. I don’t think I’ll ever deal with lions in my life, but I know from experience that God will stop anyone who tries to hurt me. I thought I’d also include Matthew Henry’s thoughts, “David prayed that the enemies of God's church and people might be disabled to do further mischief. We may, in faith, pray against the designs of the enemies of the church. He foretells their ruin. And who knows the power of God's anger?” Sometimes I pray that the enemy won’t harm those I care about so their (potential) connection with God won’t be disrupted, so I guess I do my part by praying for the church by asking God to keep the enemy at bay. Verses 7-9 don’t really apply to me, but I do suppose they describe what happens to the wicked when I pray against Satan and his followers having an influence on my friends. I don’t want evil forces in general to influence my friends and I know if I pray about that, God will honor that, which is cool because it shows that He protects people even if they don’t follow Him. Whenever God has vengeance in my life -- such as what I mentioned in regards to praying against the enemy’s influence -- I will praise Him that for the fact that He has helped those I prayed for to not be influenced by the enemy (v. 10), which is something I should probably start doing. And if God frees His people from the enemy’s influence, I see their freedom as a reward (v. 11). Kinda like in my darkest moment how God freed me from the enemy’s influence. From that, I can use my experience to help others and ask God free them because it’s guaranteed when one asks for it.
Chapter 59
Matthew Henry comments on the first few verses by stating the following, “In these words we hear the voice of David when a prisoner in his own house; the voice of Christ when surrounded by his merciless enemies; the voice of the church when under bondage in the world; and the voice of the Christian when under temptation, affliction, and persecution.” And sometimes I have to cry out to God when under affliction and persecution, as David did in verses 1-2. I realize that the only way for me to deal with opposition from my enemies (vv. 3-4) is by reliance on God. His helping me out makes me fearless before opposition and it also comforts me since His comforting me is His of letting me know that He’s gonna help me get through whatever I’m dealing with. He helped me get through moment, for example. And since He is against my transgressors -- those who sin against me -- not only will He deal with ‘em as He sees fit, but He will also deliver me from ‘em so they won’t harm me. The latter part was what God did during my darkest moment: He delivered me from the enemy’s grasp so I wouldn’t be harmed by his attacks on me. I could deal with an enemy who comes in contact with me on a daily basis (v. 6) -- almost like that guy in my math class -- and even though they think that God doesn’t pay attention to what they say (v. 7), God will still have power over them (v. 8). I can’t personally relate to those verses, but there’s been the occasional enemy who has snuck up on me as is described in the verses. I suppose if I were to relate the verses to my darkest moment, I would say that during the times in which Satan returned to give me a hard time, which he did in a sneaky, kind of way, it wasn’t a secret because God knew about it and one day the enemy will be in derision. I remember having to wait upon God a little bit but that was only because He provided me with safety when He knew I needed it the most (v. 9). I think during that time, God allowed me to see my desire upon the enemy, which was having his connection cut off from me (v. 10). God brought Satan down(v. 11), which meant that I no longer had to believe his lies (v. 12). It was a great thing to experience freedom from his lies because continuing to live with them wouldn’t have done me any good. God will eventually destroy Satan and I guess He consumed him by freeing me (v. 13). When God poured out His wrath upon Satan, he lost power over me, which meant that nothing was hindering my walk, which was a great thing. And I think by letting the enemy know that He rules to the ends of the rule, He displayed that His saving power and His sovereignty was more than Satan could handle. The enemy may return to give me a hard time (v. 14), but since I won’t succumb to his lies, as I have learned from experience, he’s not gonna be able to hunt for me and treat me as if I’m food (v. 15). I am thankful that from my darkest moment, God helped to learn how the enemy operates and how I can not be influenced by him. He may go out like a dog to attack, but his efforts won’t be successful if I tell him to get behind me. Matthew Henry comments on verses 16-17 by stating the following, “The trials of his people will end in joy and praise. When the night of affliction is over, they will sing of the Lord's power and mercy in the morning. Let believers now, in assured faith and hope, praise Him for those mercies, for which they will rejoice and praise him for ever.” What I have to add to that is that I should never stop praising God for His saving power because nothing compares to it and He’s the only who can save His people from the enemy’s influence.
Sources used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 56". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=056>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 57". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=057>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 58". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=058>.
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 59". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=059>.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Reflecting on the Psalms: Chapter 55
Psalm 55
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David.
1Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
2Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
3Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
4My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
6And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.
7Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.
8I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.
9Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
11Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
12For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
13But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.
14We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
15Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
16As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
17Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
18He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.
19God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.
20He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.
21The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
22Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
23But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.
Chapter 55
Whenever I deal with burdens in life, I take comfort in knowing that I can cry out to God, as David did in verses 1-2. And whenever I cry out to God, I take comfort in knowing that He'll hear me and respond as He sees fit. If He didn't respond, my efforts would be a waste of time, but they haven't been in the past in terms of His delivering me from my darkest moment. And, as I've said before, I haven't really dealt with enemies but that doesn't mean I don't face spiritual battles on a daily basis. With God's help, I can overcome that, which I think is where verse 3 comes in. David faced much opposition, yes, and whenever I lose to that opposition, I like being reminded that God wants to use that for me to grow closer to Him and for me to depend on Him. That's kinda what the deal was when I gave into the enemy's lies, which I've talked about before. I cried out to God because I could not deal with the enemy on my, which is how I related to verses 1-3 as a whole. I remember dealing with a sore pained or anguished heart, as described in verse 4. That resulted from giving into the enemy and ignoring God, I'd say. I did feel overwhelmed at that time (v. 5) because I didn't know how to deal with the enemy on my own. I suppose I wanted to flee away from my situation (vv. 6-8) instead of having God deal with it. I'm glad I didn't, though, because that would've just made things worse. Verses 9-10 speak of Jerusalem, which Matthew Henry comments on by stating the following, "No wickedness so distresses the believer, as that which he witnesses in those who profess to be of the church of God. Let us not be surprised at the corruptions and disorders of the church on earth, but long to see the New Jerusalem. He complains of one that had been very industrious against him. God often destroys the enemies of the church by dividing them." Yeah....what I have to add to that is God has His place in destroying enemies and I'll let Him deal with that. I can't really relate to verse 11, but I will comment on verse 12. Henry comments on verse 12 by stating the following, "The true Christian must expect trials from professed friends, from those with whom he has been united; this will be very painful; but by looking unto Jesus we shall be enabled to bear it. Christ was betrayed by a companion, a disciple, an apostle, who resembled Ahithophel in his crimes and doom." Yeah, I can't say I've ever been betrayed by any of my Christian friends, but verses 12-14 will give me something to relate to in case I ever am. And since Christ was betrayed by Judas, perhaps I would end up dealing with that in a fashion similar to that of Christ if I was ever betrayed by a fellow Christian or just a friend in general. I suppose if I were to count that former internet friend of mine, as I mentioned in a previous posting, he kinda did betray me. And verse 15 talks about the fate of those who betray God's people, which is reminder to me that I shouldn't betray my friends because there would most likely be consequences for and God would frown upon it.
Now I think I'll reflect on verses 16-23. I know that, as I've done in the past, I can call upon God (v. 16) and I'm glad I can do it any time I need to (v. 17). Otherwise, I'd be limited to when I could do it, which wouldn't be fun. When I'm facing a spiritual battle, I can trust that God will deliver me from it (v. 18), as He did during my darkest moment. I'm glad I'm not living a lifestyle where sin in glorififed because if I did, I would experience pain and affliction that would have been brought upon myself as a result of no accepting Christ. That verse makes me want to touch people so they can know Jesus and not live life as a slave to sin. I can't really relate to verse 20, but verse 21 shows how deceptive man can be and that if I depend on him, I may end up being betrayed if his actions don't match his speech. I choose to cast my cares upon God (v. 22) since I know that I can trust Him with them and since He won't mock me for it as a man might. I like that part where it says "he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved" because it reminds that God is my foundation and that I won't be shaken if I trust in Him. My trust in His is a continual thing and I am thankful that God has saved me from the pit of destruction.
Source used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 55". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=055>.
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David.
1Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
2Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
3Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
4My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
6And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.
7Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.
8I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.
9Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
11Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
12For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
13But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.
14We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
15Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
16As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
17Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
18He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.
19God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.
20He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.
21The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
22Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
23But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.
Chapter 55
Whenever I deal with burdens in life, I take comfort in knowing that I can cry out to God, as David did in verses 1-2. And whenever I cry out to God, I take comfort in knowing that He'll hear me and respond as He sees fit. If He didn't respond, my efforts would be a waste of time, but they haven't been in the past in terms of His delivering me from my darkest moment. And, as I've said before, I haven't really dealt with enemies but that doesn't mean I don't face spiritual battles on a daily basis. With God's help, I can overcome that, which I think is where verse 3 comes in. David faced much opposition, yes, and whenever I lose to that opposition, I like being reminded that God wants to use that for me to grow closer to Him and for me to depend on Him. That's kinda what the deal was when I gave into the enemy's lies, which I've talked about before. I cried out to God because I could not deal with the enemy on my, which is how I related to verses 1-3 as a whole. I remember dealing with a sore pained or anguished heart, as described in verse 4. That resulted from giving into the enemy and ignoring God, I'd say. I did feel overwhelmed at that time (v. 5) because I didn't know how to deal with the enemy on my own. I suppose I wanted to flee away from my situation (vv. 6-8) instead of having God deal with it. I'm glad I didn't, though, because that would've just made things worse. Verses 9-10 speak of Jerusalem, which Matthew Henry comments on by stating the following, "No wickedness so distresses the believer, as that which he witnesses in those who profess to be of the church of God. Let us not be surprised at the corruptions and disorders of the church on earth, but long to see the New Jerusalem. He complains of one that had been very industrious against him. God often destroys the enemies of the church by dividing them." Yeah....what I have to add to that is God has His place in destroying enemies and I'll let Him deal with that. I can't really relate to verse 11, but I will comment on verse 12. Henry comments on verse 12 by stating the following, "The true Christian must expect trials from professed friends, from those with whom he has been united; this will be very painful; but by looking unto Jesus we shall be enabled to bear it. Christ was betrayed by a companion, a disciple, an apostle, who resembled Ahithophel in his crimes and doom." Yeah, I can't say I've ever been betrayed by any of my Christian friends, but verses 12-14 will give me something to relate to in case I ever am. And since Christ was betrayed by Judas, perhaps I would end up dealing with that in a fashion similar to that of Christ if I was ever betrayed by a fellow Christian or just a friend in general. I suppose if I were to count that former internet friend of mine, as I mentioned in a previous posting, he kinda did betray me. And verse 15 talks about the fate of those who betray God's people, which is reminder to me that I shouldn't betray my friends because there would most likely be consequences for and God would frown upon it.
Now I think I'll reflect on verses 16-23. I know that, as I've done in the past, I can call upon God (v. 16) and I'm glad I can do it any time I need to (v. 17). Otherwise, I'd be limited to when I could do it, which wouldn't be fun. When I'm facing a spiritual battle, I can trust that God will deliver me from it (v. 18), as He did during my darkest moment. I'm glad I'm not living a lifestyle where sin in glorififed because if I did, I would experience pain and affliction that would have been brought upon myself as a result of no accepting Christ. That verse makes me want to touch people so they can know Jesus and not live life as a slave to sin. I can't really relate to verse 20, but verse 21 shows how deceptive man can be and that if I depend on him, I may end up being betrayed if his actions don't match his speech. I choose to cast my cares upon God (v. 22) since I know that I can trust Him with them and since He won't mock me for it as a man might. I like that part where it says "he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved" because it reminds that God is my foundation and that I won't be shaken if I trust in Him. My trust in His is a continual thing and I am thankful that God has saved me from the pit of destruction.
Source used:
Henry, Matthew. "Concise Commentary on Psalms 55". "Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
on the Whole Bible". <http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/mhc-con/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=055>.
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