Meditations on the Psalms

He has Shown His Marvellous Kindness

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 1 In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be ashamed; deliver me in Your righteousness. 2 Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily; be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me. 3 For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name's sake, lead me and guide me. 4 Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, for You are my strength. 5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. 6 I have hated those who regard useless idols; but I trust in the Lord. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, for You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities, 8 And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a wide place. 9 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; my eye wastes away with grief, yes, my soul and my body! 10 For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away. 11I am a reproach among all my enemies, but especially among my neighbors, and am repulsive to my acquaintances; those who see me outside flee from me. 12 I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. 13 For I hear the slander of many; fear is on every side; while they take counsel together against me, they scheme to take away my life. 14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, "You are my God." 15 My times are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. 16Make Your face shine upon Your servant; save me for Your mercies' sake. 17Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You; let the wicked be ashamed; let them be silent in the grave. 18 Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous. 19 Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men! 20You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. 21 Blessed be the Lord, for He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city! 22 For I said in my haste, "I am cut off from before Your eyes"; nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried out to You. 23Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. 24 Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

The occasion for writing this psalm is an accident that happened to David when he was running from Saul from one place to another till he reached the Wilderness of Maon. Saul stalked him until he was hurriedly summoned to come back and defend his land, as the Philistines had launched an attack against Israel. Saul returned and David escaped, therefore the place was called the Rock of Escaping. It was not due to his intelligence or craftiness that David escaped, but because the Lord allowed him to (1 Samuel 23).

The psalmist had grown weary, mentally and physically, from persecution and defamation. He could only cast himself upon God and sing this psalm. He lifted it up as a prayer, and it lifted him up above the problems that plagued him, and filled his heart with faith and hope in the living God.

This psalm must have been on Jeremiah's mind when he quoted the idea of "a broken vessel" (verse 12) when talking about the potter's vessel (Jeremiah 18:4; 22:28), from whom also he quoted the expression "Fear is on every side" (verse 13) in Jeremiah 6:25; 20:10; 49:29. Jonah, too, quoted verse 6 in his prayer in Jonah 2:8,9. A pious elder also quoted the first three verses at the beginning of Psalm 71, which was perhaps his favourite song in the beginning of his life.

On the cross Christ quoted a part of verse 5: "Into Your hand, O Lord, I commit my spirit", after adding to it "Father". These words imply trust in God. Christ did not quote the second half of the verse that says, "You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth" because, as He was Himself the Redeemer, He did not need redemption.

These words have become a source of encouragement to believers generation after generation. Saint Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, recited them as he was martyred by burning. Also Saint Jerome, who translated the Bible into Latin, recited them at his death. John Hus recited them when he burned at the stake for translating the Bible into the vernacular of the people. A countless number of believers must have quoted them at their death or when their souls were in anguish. They fixed their gaze upon the Lord, to commit their spirit into His hands.

Martin Luther said, "Blessed is the man who dies with Christ as a believer because he believed. Blessed is the man who dies for Christ as a martyr. Blessed is the man who dies with Christ as He says, 'Into Your hand I commit my spirit.'" By these devotional words we commit ourselves to the Lord completely, knowing that this world is not our dwelling-place. Christ said, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also...I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:2-6).

This is a blessed psalm and this jewel is in the centre of it: "Into Your hand I commit my spirit", which raises our eyes to the Lord, no matter how weary or pursued we might be.

The psalm includes the following:

• First: Prayer is the refuge of the sufferer (verses 1-8)

• Second: The story of the sufferer (verses 9-18)

• Third: God's goodness (verses 19-22)

• Fourth: Two pieces of advice to the saints (verses 23,24)

	First: Prayer is the Refuge of the Sufferer

(verses 1-8)

The psalmist begins this psalm with prayer, afterward he lifts up his complaint. Perhaps if we were in his place we would begin with complaining and expressing our pain and grievances! We learn how to pray in our difficult times from the author of this psalm.

1. Five reasons made the psalmist pray:

   1. The psalmist's confidence: "In You, O Lord, I put my trust"(verse 1a). The psalmist's confidence in the Lord made him trust Him, because he experienced Him and found Him the only one worthy of his trust. He never shamed him or let him down "According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed" (Philippians 1:20). This is why he repeats the declaration of his trust: "But I trust in the Lord" (verse 6b), because he realises that God is a loving Father, who bows down and pick up His suffering child and sets him above suffering. He declares his trust again by saying, "For You are my rock and my fortress" (verse 3a). The rock is a high mountain and the fortress is the place where you run for shelter. He says again, "For You are my strength" (verse 4b). "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken" (Psalm 37:25).

   2. God's name: "For Your name's sake, lead me and guide me"(verse 3b). The Lord's wrath was kindled against the Israelites during their journey in Sinai, because they worshipped a golden calf who, they claimed, brought them out of bondage to Pharaoh. The Lord told Moses He was going to destroy all the people who associated another god with Him, and start a new nation from Moses himself. Moses said to the Lord, "Why should the Egyptians speak and say, 'He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains...'? Remember...Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, '...all this land I have spoken of I give to your descendants'" (Exodus 32:7-14). Moses' intercession worked! God was testing Moses' faithfulness to his mission: Would he be happy if the nation were called "the children of Moses" instead of "the children of Israel"? Moses knew God's name that leads and guides, because he walked closely to his Lord, and the Lord performed what he asked for.

   3. God's past dealings with the psalmist: "You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth"(verse 5b). The God of truth obtained for David an eternal redemption and paid the ransom on his behalf to deliver him. Now the greatest and the most tremendous ransom is Christ's redemption of us, for it is the "great sacrifice". He came from heaven, became sin for us so that we should become the righteousness of God in Him. He replaced us and became our substitute.

   4. The psalmist's godliness: "I have hated those who regard vain idols"(verse 6a). The vanity of idols extends to witchcraft, divination and clairvoyance.

   5. The psalmist's joy: "I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy"(verse 7a). In the past he rejoiced in the Lord's mercy, which did not execute punishment that he deserved, and he trusts that this same mercy still endures, because his mercy endures forever (Psalm 138:3).

2. The psalmist asks six requests:

   1. Not to let him be ashamed(verse 1b): He knew that Saul pursued him unjustly. He remembers also that as a shepherd boy the prophet Samuel came and anointed him king, and from that time on he became the anointed of the Lord. He did not desire to seize or grab the office, but waited on the Lord to give it to him, knowing that God's promise was sure. True, Saul wanted to halt God's purposes, but God's will must be fulfilled, and David would not be ashamed forever. Yes, he will sit on the throne, and from his seed "The Son of David" will come, to whose reign there will be no end.

   2. To rescue him quickly: "Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily"(verse 2a). Many years went by as David roamed aimlessly from place to place. "Shall not God avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily" (Luke 18:7,8). It is paradoxical to say "He bears long with them" and "He will avenge them speedily." But they are not really contradictory. In our viewpoint we think that God bears long with us, but in His divine viewpoint He avenges us speedily.

   3. To be his rock: "be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defence to save me"(verse 2b). "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life", Peter asked (John 6:68). Solomon said, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe" (Proverbs 18:10). The request to be "my rock of refuge" may mean: Be once more a rock of refuge; or: Reassure my soul afresh. Prove to me that You are still the same, so that I can dwell with You in safety, and abide with you forever.

   4. To lead him and guide him: "For Your name's sake, lead me and guide me"(verse 3b). The fearful little child runs to his father, who hugs him and reassures him, and gives him protection. After he is reassured, he runs away. But the father always has useful advice to his child. The father may say, "You were afraid because you made a mistake in that matter." If the little one waited a while after the reassurance in his father's bosom he might hear his advice and guidance. We are like children, of limited information and in need of a father to guide us. As travellers we need a guide to show us the way; as soldiers of Christ we need to receive instructions from the commander-in-chief step by step. Let us always lift up this supplication: "For Your name's sake, lead me and guide me." In this supplication David says to the Lord, "I got my confidence from You, but I want to always be in Your bosom, near Your heart. Guide me by the skilfulness of Your hands" (cf. Psalm 78:72).

   5. To pull him out of the net: "Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me"(verse 4a). The enemies are cunning and crafty; they hid a net to catch the psalmist. It is a powerful net, but God is more powerful. Their deed is evil, but God is a good God who performs all goodness.

   6. To receive his spirit: "Into Your hand I commit my spirit"(verse 5). When afraid of falling into sin, when there are spiritual enemies around we commit our spirits into His hand to find deliverance. When sick and on our deathbed we commit our spirits into His hands, to hear Him say, "Come, you blessed of My father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34).

3. Four things God did to the psalmist in the past:

   1. God considered his trouble: "You have considered my trouble"(verse 7b). Usually people don't take interest in a troubled person; they look away from the painful sights, because they don't like to see tragedy. But God lends the suffering believer who experiences trouble a special care, as He said to Moses, "I have seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them" (Exodus 3:7,8).

   2. The Lord knew the psalmist's situation: "You have known my soul in adversities"(verse 7c). People know each other in times of relief and prosperity, but rarely do they do so in adversities. The Lord, however, considers and knows. We all take a passing look at the oppressed, but if we are interested we take a second, scrutinising, effective look. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19).

   3. The Lord rescued the psalmist: "You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy"(verse 8a). It is true that God allowed Saul to pursue the psalmist, but He never delivered him into his hand. When Saul arrived at David's place to capture him, David inquired of the Lord: "Will the men of Keilah deliver me into the hand of Saul?" And the Lord said, "They will deliver you" (1 Samuel 23:12). "Saul sought him everyday, but God did not deliver him into his hands" (1 Samuel 23:14). God gave Saul the freedom to move, because in His wisdom and power He allows an opposition party to rise and contest the divine acts. But God's present power always puts things in the proper perspective, and brings everything back to where it belongs!

   4. God gave the psalmist a wide space: "You have set my feet in a wide place"(verse 8b). The Authorised Version says, "Thou hast set my feet in a large room." Saul wanted to put him in a dungeon or a grave, but God set his feet in a broad room, just as Paul and Silas were put in the inner prison, but the Lord snapped open the prison gates and released them to preach without hindrances (Acts 16:26). He opens and no one can close, brings us out of dire distress into a broad place where there is no restraint! (Job 36:16).

	Second: The Story of the Sufferer

(verses 9-18)

1. The psalmist suffers from inner trouble: "Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; my eye wastes away with grief"(verse 9a). His eyes sank deep in their sockets because of too much grief, and could no longer be visible. "My soul and my body" (verse 9b). The Hebrew says, "My soul and my stomach." He has so many spasms that he cannot eat. He could no longer enjoy anything, therefore he said, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble." His life wasted away with sorrow, and his years with sighing. "My strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away" (verse 10b). He wonders: "How long will Saul run after me? You promised me, Lord, when I was still young to become King. But all those years I have been running from one place to another. Will I have a sound body when I assume the throne to lead the people? Lord, my whole body is tired!" When we fail under the weight of physical pains and emotional problems, let us lift up this supplication.

2. The psalmist suffers from outer trouble: "I am a reproach among all my enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and am repulsive to my acquaintances; those who see me outside flee from me"(verse 11). Because Saul persecuted him no one wanted to have anything to do with him, for they feared the king's anger. He may question them and their friends and their acquaintances, or he may persecute and even kill them, as he did the priests in Nob (1 Samuel 22:18).

   David was troubled by his enemies, his neighbours and acquaintances! He had no more refuge among men, so he had to turn to God for refuge, who never refuses any refugee. Oh, how we thank God for Christ who suffered and was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin, is able to help all those who are tempted. He said when Judas sold Him, Peter denied Him and all His disciples left him and ran away, "You...will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the father is with Me" (John 16:32).

3. The psalmist is troubled by the people's evaluation of him: "I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel"(verse 12). He was like a dead man, with no one wanting to mention his name, just as Job said of himself, "My relatives have failed, and my close friends have forgotten me" (Job 19:14). Saul's secret police trailed him everywhere to arrest him. He became like a broken, useless vessel, good only for throwing out of the window. The most dangerous thing is to lose one's self-confidence!

4. The psalmist is troubled by the people's speech and actions: "For I heard the slander of many; fear is on every side; while they take counsel together against me, they scheme to take away my life"(verse 13). Although David was as god as dead, people banded together against him to insult him. They showed the cruelty of the serpent's seed! The prophet Jeremiah said, "For I heard many mocking: 'Fear on every side!'...But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome one. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten...Sing to the Lord! For He has delivered the life of the poor from the land of evil-doers" (Jeremiah 20:10-13).

5. The psalmist still has a glimmer of hope in the midst of complaint: "But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. Make Your face shine upon Your servant; save me for Your mercies' sake"(verses 14-16). David complained because his enemies reviled and defamed him, so that he lost confidence. Yet they could not make him lose his relationship with the Lord, nor his dependence on his God. He affirmed, "I trust in You." David based his hope on two things:

   1. The fact that he belongs to God: "You are my God"(verse 14b). He willingly chose to be the Lord's, and the Lord became his: "My beloved is mine, and I am his" (Song of Solomon 2:16).

   2. The fact that his life is in God's hand: "My times are in Your hand"(verse 15a). This means: The beginning and the end of my life are in the Lord's hand. It also means that life, with all its changes, sorrows and joys are in His hand. David's life will not be in Saul's hand, nor in the hand of David's friends or foes. We are not left to circumstances; we are in the hands of a loving God.

   Because of these two reasons he asked the Lord for three things:

   1. Deliverance: "Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me"(verse 15b).

   2. Approval: "Make Your face shine upon Your servant"(verse 16a). He asks the Lord to smile at him with approval so that his many pains may come to an end.

   3. Salvation: "Save me for Your mercies' sake"(verse 16b). We do not depend on personal worthiness, but on God's mercy that lifts the deserved punishment from the believer, and on the divine grace that grants him what he does not deserve.

   No doubt the psalmist was pondering over the believer's blessings promised in the priestly benediction: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26).

6. The psalmist asks for the evildoers to be punished: "Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You; let the wicked be ashamed; let them be silent in the grave. Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous"(verses 17,18). The psalmist had already asked God never to let him be ashamed (verse 1), rather that the wicked should be ashamed. He asked for his times to be in the hand of the Lord (verse 15) and for the wicked to die and be silent in their graves. He asked for his tongue to be released to praise, and that the liars who mock him shut up. He asked the Lord to be his rock and fortress (verse 3), and that the lips of the proud and contemptuous be silenced.

   I believe that the New Testament believers should not pray for the punishment of the wicked, but for their repentance. Abraham Lincoln said, "I kill my enemies by turning them into friends."

	Third: God's Goodness

(verses 19-22)

1. His goodness is a treasure for those who fear Him: "Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men!"(verse 19). This is the shout of triumph; whenever the weary thinks of God's goodness and generosity he overcomes his troubles; because God's goodness is a treasure laid up for those who need it, those who turn to Him at all times. It is preserved for the believer, and the believer is preserved for it (1 Peter 1:4,5). "To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat" (Revelations 2:17). There are blessings preserved and hidden by the Lord for the believers, and there are blessings laid open. There are blessings in this present age and blessings in the one to come. Men will see in public what the Lord has given the believers in secret. "All who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed" (Isaiah 61:9). David likewise said, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies" (Psalm 23:5).

2. His goodness guards those who fear Him: "You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues"(verse 20). In the hiding place of God's presence there is light that darkness cannot comprehend. The psalms list several places where God hides His children, so that the plots of the wicked should not overtake them. They are the secret place of His tabernacle (Psalm 27:5), the shelter of His wings (Psalm 61:4), the secret place of the Most High (Psalm 91:1), and the secret place of His presence.

3. His goodness corrects the course of those who fear him: "Blessed be the Lord, for He has shown me His marvellous kindness in a strong city! For I said in my haste, 'I am cut off from before Your eyes'; nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried out to You"(verses 21,22). Here the believer corrects his course. He thought he was cut off from before the eyes of the Lord, because Saul was chasing him and he could settle down anywhere. He finally hit bottom, and said, "My life wasted away with sorrow, and my years with sighing" (verse 10). Jonah has the same experience. He said, "I have been cast out of Your sight; yet I will look again toward Your holy temple" (Jonah 2:4). The divine goodness and heavenly loving-kindness have done marvellous things for him. After declaring God's goodness he wanted to act in a way that suits this goodness. It had dawned on him how wrong he was to assume that God forgot him, because he had established his assumption on wrong information. The more the believer ponders the divine goodness the more good thoughts he develops concerning God. God has never forgotten or forsaken His children.

	Fourth: Two Pieces of Advice to the Saints

(verses 23,24)

These two pieces of advice come from an experienced heart; they are absolutely important:

1. Love God: "Love the Lord, all you His saints!"(verse 23a). The first and the greatest commandments is: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might and (Jesus added) with all your mind" (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37). He who loves the Lord obeys Him, reads His word, speaks with Him and follow His example. Let the mind of Christ be in us.

   The psalmist gives two reasons for loving the Lord:

   1. Because the Lord is faithful: "For the Lord preserves the faithful"(23b). The Hebrew plural EMONIM refers to a state of being, namely to faithfulness itself. He is always as good as His words. Let us also be as good as our words and promises.

   2. He repays the proud in full: "And fully repays the proud person"(verse 23c). This is His justice.

2. Be of good courage: "Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord"(verse 24). "Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, 'Be strong, do not fear. Behold, your God will come with vengeance with the recompense of God; He will come and save you"' (Isaiah 35:3,4).

   The psalmist rounds this psalm off with the same thing with which he rounded off Psalm 27: An exhortation to hope in the Lord. All those who hope in the Lord receive strength from Him, and lack no good thing. Let us hope in the Lord, into whose hand we commit our spirit.

	Questions

1. In Psalm 31:1-8 the psalmist mentions five things that motivated him to pray. List them.

2. In Psalm 31:15-16 the psalmist asked God for three things. List them and comment on each of them briefly.

Repentance and the Joy of Forgiveness

A Psalm of David. A Contemplation. 1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord", And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 6 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him. 7 You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you. 10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. 11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

This is one of the seven psalms of repentance (6,32,38,51,102,130,143). Please refer to the introduction to Psalm 6. Psalm 32 carries the title of a Contemplation. Contemplation is the translation of the Hebrew word MASKIL, which was also translated "knowledge" in 2 Chronicles 30:22. It means a poem of contemplation on the mercies of the Lord who forgives the sins of the His people, so that man might increase knowledge and wisdom. There is a relation between this psalm and Psalm 51, which David wrote after his fall into his well-known sin. He wrote Psalm 32 after he had made sure all his sins were forgiven, and his heart was at peace. He wrote Psalm 51 shortly after he sinned, in which he asked for forgiveness.

The psalm includes the following:

• First: The necessity of confessing sin (verses 1-7)

• Second: The danger of failing to confess sin (verses 8,9)

• Third: The sorrows of the wicked and the delights of the righteous (verses 10,11)

	First: The Necessity of Confessing Sin

(verses 1-7)

1. Confession is the basis for receiving the joy of salvation: "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile"(verse 1,2). The first psalm blessed the man who does not sin, but Solomon said in the prayer inaugurating the temple, "There is no one who does not sin" (1 Kings 8:46). So it was necessary to bless the one who repents of his sin so that God might forgive him. How happy is he to whose account the Lord does not charge any sin, since he confessed it and repented of it. How unhappy is he who prays, "God, I thank You that I am not like other men!" How happy is the confessor who prays, "God be merciful to me a sinner!" (Luke 18:9-14) because he experiences the statement that says, "For this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all long-suffering, as pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life" (1 Timothy 1:16). Forgiveness turns the hell of the sinner into everlasting joy. The psalmist describes alienation from God using three words:

   1. Iniquity:Iniquity is perverseness. Blessed is he whose perverseness is forgiven, meaning whose iniquity has been lifted up from him, not more weighing him down. Blessed is he who cast his iniquities on "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), the one who bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12).

   2. Sin:It is missing the mark. Blessed is he whose sin is covered. To cover sin is to blot it out or conceal it so that the Judge may not see it, which can be done because "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

   3. Guile:Is deceit and moral corruption. Blessed is he to whom the Lord does not impute guile. Shemei the son of Gera pleaded, "Do not let my lord impute iniquity to me, or remember what wrong your servant did" (2 Samuel 19:19). Oh, how we thank Christ who paid off our debts and redeemed us by His great sacrifice. Let us turn to the grace of His redemption apart from trusting our own righteousness, for "to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin'" (Romans 4:4-8). This indicates that we cannot do anything to have our iniquities blotted out, for the soul that sins must die. Due to our inadequacy to cover ourselves Christ dies to atone for us, redeem us, and pay off our debts.

      Our sins cannot be covered except through the blood of His atonement. When we have a right relationship with God His face shines upon us and He beams down a smile of approval upon us, and then we start to have joy. How great is the grace of God that put an end to the unrighteousness of the ungodly, the sin of the sinner, and the deception of the deceptive by imputing Christ's righteousness to them! Divine grace does not count the sins of the confessing and penitent sinner, but accounts Christ's righteousness to him. The secret of this "accounting" lies in this verdict: "If One died for all, then all died...that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:14,19).

2. The misery of not confessing: "When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groanings all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer"(verses 3,4). When the psalmist sinned he refused to confess his sin to himself, to God, and to the ones he offended. The more you try to hide your sin the fiercer the fires of guilt roar up inside you. But God did not leave David to the misery of failing to confess, out of love for him, and inflicted a heavy punishment on him, which awakened his conscience and led to the confession of his sin. He appears to have contracted fever, so that he started to groan like a wounded lion: "But a broken spirit dries the bones" (Proverbs 17:22). The psalmist has separated himself from the source of living water, and for that reason his vitality was turned into the drought of a scorching hot summer. Both his emotional and physical pains were enormous, ongoing and incurable- until he confessed. How wretched is he who does not confess his iniquity, and how happy is he who does so. In a quite similar situation David said, "For Your arrows pierced me deeply, and Your hand presses me down. There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, nor is there any health in my bones because of my sin" (Psalm 38:2,3). Truly, "He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13).

3. Confession brings forgiveness: "I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,' and You forgave the iniquity of my sin"(verse 5). How happy is the soul that makes a complete and candid confession, because it experiences God's forgiveness and is completely transformed. Tertullian said, "The less you pardon yourself the more God pardons you." God took the weight of his iniquity away from the psalmist's shoulders and set him at the glorious liberty of the sons of God (Romans 8:21).

4. A call for confession: "For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to you in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him. You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance"(verses 6,7). Since confession of sin is the foundation of the joy of being forgiven, and since failing to confess leads to misery, the godly who fears God and prays to God seeking forgiveness at any time will find Him, and this time is now! "Behold, now is an acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation...Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (2 Corinthians 6:2; Hebrews 3:7-8). Christ promised, "The one who comes to me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37). God said, "Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other" (Isaiah 45:22). It is now! "But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, in the acceptable time" (Psalm 69:13). The chance may be lost forever, and then they will hear God say, "Then they will call on Me, but I will not answer...They would have none of my counsel" (Proverbs 1:28,30). The psalmist lists four blessings the confessor got:

   1. Deliverance: "Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near"(verse 6b). The flood is known to have drowned the sinner but never came near to the believer who stood on the rock. The believer is delivered in much the same way the survivors of the ark of Noah were. The flood of great waters fell upon all the inhabitants of the earth and killed them, but those who took refuge in the ark "they shall not come near" them. Let us seek Christ's protection, who is our delivering ark, because He is the atonement for our sins.

   2. A hiding place: "You are my hiding place"(verse 7a). "For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock" (Psalm 27:5). "You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man" (Psalm 31:20). "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (Psalm 91:1).

   3. Preservation: "You shall preserve me from trouble"(verse 7b). Anyone who hides by God will live under divine preservation and nothing will harm him. Truly, "In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old" (Isaiah 63:9).

   4. Joy: "You shall surround me with songs of deliverance"(verse 7c). Singing surrounds him wherever he goes, because there is "joy in heaven over one sinner who repents...and there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:7,10). "Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with singing" (Psalm 126:2).

	Second: The Danger of Failing to Confess Sin

(verses 1-7)

1. Failing to confess puts God's plan on hold: "I will instruct you and teach in the way you should go"(verse 8a). As a response to the prayer of the confessing sinner God imparts to him a word of teaching and instruction. God has designed a good plan for the life of each one of us. He also teaches and instructs us in His ways, advising us while we walk in them, and observing and following us with His loving eyes. "Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He teaches sinners in the way...Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses" (Psalm 25:8,12).

   God calls with the voice of love to reclaim us to Himself through a sermon we hear in church, an accident trauma, a loss of money, a betrayal by a friend, a Bible verse that shakes our heart and emotions, or through the example and model of a good friend. God says that through all these "I will guide you with My eye" (verse 8b) because He wants us to take a straight path, with our full choice, under His leading and mercy. But when we disobey His voice, continue to sin and not confess or repent, we put His good plan for our lives on hold.

2. Failing to confess ravages the psychic powers: "Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they would not come near you"(verse 9). This is a warning to him who ignores God's plan and refuse to obey Him. He becomes like a stubborn mule, and a horse that bolts. People put bit and bridle in the mouth of a horse or a mule for decoration and direction, so that the animal might submit to its master. Likewise, if man does not come near God and obeys Him willingly and readily, he becomes like an unruly animal that needs bit and bridle to follow the command of its master, lest it should come near him, attack him, and do him harm. "Man who is in honour, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish" (Psalm 49:20).

   We are in no need for a bit because God gave us minds. Yet, when we walk in ignorance and stubbornness like animals God uses hardships on us to bring us back to Him. Let us not be as insubordinate as Cain, to whom God said, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door" (Genesis 4:6,7). But Cain did not do well! Let us not be as stubborn as Balaam who disobeyed the Lord and loved the wages of unrighteousness, for which he was rebuked on account of his transgression. It was a dumb donkey with human voice that prevented his folly (Numbers 22; 2 Peter 2:15,16).

	Third: The Sorrows of the Wicked and the Delights of the Righteous

(verses 10,11)

There is a contrast in these two verses between the destiny of the wicked and the righteous. It calls for confessing sin and repenting of it:

1. The sorrows of the wicked are numerous: "Many are the sorrows of the wicked"(verse 10a). No one sorrow, but successive sorrows! I wonder if sin is worth all the price paid for it? "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26). How many are the sorrows of the wicked which he incurred on himself because of his resistance to the divine will, and his refusal to confess his sin, although God calls him for repentance time and time again! Sadly, Satan comes and snatches away what has been planted in his heart (Matthew 13:19).

2. The mercies of the righteous are great: "But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him"(verse 10b). He trusts in the Lord who walks in the light of God's word, depends on the divine promises, obeys the heavenly directions. "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me", (Psalm 23:6), he says. Goodness and mercy are two guardian angels who follow the believer. When a man confesses and repents he becomes just and righteous, having a right standing with God. A man as such says, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God" (Romans 5:1). His heart is right now because he has a right attitude toward God, just like the tax-collector who prayed, "God be merciful to me a sinner!" and went back home justified (made just and righteous), with a right heart. This sinner and those like him is surrounded by mercies on all sides, therefore he rejoices and delights in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4), and the joy of the Lord becomes his strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

   Many people seek earthly mercies; such as health, children, finances and peace of mind. But they are in a much more dire need of seeking the kingdom of God first and His righteousness, so that God may add all these things to them (Matthew 6:33). The beginning of seeking the kingdom is the confession of sin, asking for forgiveness, and having a right standing with God.

The last verse of our psalm is an application of the first verse. The psalm begins with saying, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven" and ends with saying, "Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous" (verse 11a). You, to whom the righteousness of the Lord was accounted, having been justified by grace -by the redemption that is in Christ. "And shout for joy, all you upright in heart" (verse 11b). Because the Lord does not consider you sinful any more, has forgiven you your unrighteousness after you had confessed it, and regards you now as upright. It is true that you missed the mark, but after repenting and confessing you got to know the correct mark, so God renewed and transformed your lives, and adorned them with His salvation. He took away your sins and filled your mouths with jubilation and praise to Him. Joy is not only your privilege, it is your duty as well! There is no room for murmuring or sorrow any more!

Let us return to the Lord in repentance, and He will have mercy on us and will freely pardon (Isaiah 55:7).

	Questions

1. Write down four reasons for confessing our sins to God.

2. List two dangers in not confessing our sins to God.

A Call for Praise

1 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. 2 Praise the Lord with the harp; make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. 3 Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy. 4 For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. 6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. 10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. 11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance. 13 The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. 14 From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; 15 He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. 16 No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. 18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, 19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. 22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.

This psalm is a call for joy and praise to God after He has granted forgiveness to the psalmist, who has confessed his sin in Psalm 32 and made sure that God covered his sin. In the above-mentioned psalm he said, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven" (verse 1), and ended with calling the believers to "Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart" (verse 11). He starts Psalm 33 with the same call: "Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the harp; make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song." Those who enjoyed the Lord's forgiveness of their sins assemble together to sing and encourage one another to sing a new song of thanksgiving, in which they would glorify God for His attributes and works. They admit He is the Creator, the King, the Judge and the Saviour, with whom the right relationship started by being forgiven and accepted before Him. Therefore the righteous shout for joy and magnify Him, declare their trust in Him and wait on Him in adoration.

In football matches goals are only accredited to the team members. The spectators may watch the game all they want, but if any of them scores a goal it will never be accredited to him. If you want to score the goal for which God created you, and enjoy spiritual joy, do not sit back and be a spectator, but get active and take part in the game by joining the people of God. Only then will you relish true joy that comes from the Lord to those whose slates have been cleared by the Lord Himself after they had put their trust in Christ's atonement. Then you'll shout out loud with them, "Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the harp; make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings...Play skilfully with a shout of joy." Our God deserves all the singing, glorification and praise that can be, because He accepted us in spite of our sin, and granted us the free gift of Christ's dwelling in our hearts through faith, in whom also we became a new creation.

The psalm includes the following:

• First: A call on the believers to praise (verses 1-3).

• Second: Praising the God of creation (verses 4-11)

• Third: Praising the God of mankind (verses 12-19)

• Forth: How should praise be? (verses 20-22).

	First: A Call on the Believers to Praise

(verses 1-3)

1. A description of the praisers:

   1. They are the righteous: "Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!"(verse 1a). The righteous received a new standing from the Lord, a right standing, the standing of the justified. They were once sinners, separated from Him, but now they have become righteous with a right standing with Him, with a call to rejoice and praise the Lord who justified and forgave them. "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God" (Romans 5:1) because the righteousness of Christ was accounted to us. It is known that "They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one" (Psalm 14:3). But the righteous, the just and the upright took asylum in Christ's blood, and were completely covered, and purposed in their heart to lead an upright life.

   2. They are the upright: "For praise from the upright is beautiful"(verse 1b). The righteous is the upright. The righteous Joseph was upright, for he refused the crooked invitation of his master's wife and did not commit iniquity (that is crookedness). Those upright and righteous people have acquired a new life, for which they praise God who gave them the free gift of adoption. The righteous praises his Father who takes care of him, who has a personal relationship with him. "Whoever offers praise, glorifies Me" (Psalm 50:23). The sinner, on the other hand, does not rejoice, because he is separated from God and has no relationship with Him.

2. The instruments of the praisers: "Praise the Lord with the harp; make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings"(verse 2). Believers join all God's creation in singing to and praising Him, for the mountains sing (Isaiah 55:12), and the tress of the woods sing (1 Chronicles 16:33), the valleys sing (Psalm 65:13), as well as the morning stars together with all the sons of God (Job 38:7). In the book of Revelation we read about the songs of the 144 thousand believers, on whose foreheads the name of the Lord has been written, playing on their harps and singing a new song before the throne (Revelations 14:1-5).

   In praise there are words, a melody, voices and musical instruments:

   1. There are words:They come as the believer who loves the Lord reacts to the Lord's kindness as it touches his heart, which overflows with good words and sings out a poem of glorification to the Lord for His mercies that never go away and are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22,23). The believer may also be so moved as to put the words of his praise to music, or another believer may read the words, be touched by them and set them to music for the glory of the Lord.

   2. There are voices:These go higher and break out in singing; some of which are beautiful enough to sing in the choir, and some lack in beauty, but all take part in praising and thanking the Lord. Singing is as much a duty as it is a privilege for these who have been given justification and a right standing with God, as well as a new life and tongue of praise.

   3. There are musical instruments:They accompany the singing to add more beauty to it. The best instruments to play at the time of the psalmist were the harp and the ten-stringed lute or rebec. But even if there were no instruments to play on, believers would sing and make melody in their hearts to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19). This praise has harmony and newness: "Sing to Him a new song; play skilfully with a shout of joy" (verse 3). The believer sings praises by himself or together with all believers in a corporate fellowship.

	Second: Praising the God of Creation

(verses 4-11)

All creation praises God:

1. Because of His rightness and justice: "For the word of the Lord is right, and His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord"(verses 4,5). God's words and actions are right and faithful, and both reveal His good will. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is n variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17). This is why they shout for Him: "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face" (Psalm 89:14). Nature testifies to His faithfulness by the trustworthiness of its laws- you can always depend on the law of gravity and utilise it in your life. The trustworthiness of God's laws teaches us that His faithfulness if absolute and that He is abounding in goodness and truth (Exodus 34:6).

2. Because of His great power: "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth"(verse 6). God created the heavens and all the stars and the angels in them. "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made" (John 1:3). "Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if you know?" (Proverbs 30:4,5). "The hosts of the heavens" are the sun, the moon and the stars. They move along as a disciplined army in obedience to God's command: "Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things...by the greatness of His might the strength of His power; not one is missing" (Isaiah 40:26).

   "He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap"(verse 7a). In the beginning the waters covered the dry land, and God said, "'Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear'; and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas" (Genesis 1:9,10). Can anyone make the waters stand like a wall? God alone can do that through His righteous and true prophets: He did so through Moses, Joshua, Elijah and Elisha. At the time of the Exodus "Moses stretched out his hand over the [red] sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left" (Exodus 14:21,22). They said later in the praise of deliverance, "With the blast of Your nostrils the waters were gathered together; the floods stood upright like a mound; and the depths congealed in the heart of the sea" (Exodus 15:8). When it was time to cross the Jordan river "and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan [river], and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped into the edge of the water (for the river overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest),...the waters...stood still, and rose in a heap" (Joshua 3:15,16). As for Elijah, he "took his mantle, rolled up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them [that is Elijah and Elisha] crossed over on dry ground" (2 Kings 2:8). When Elisha took Elijah's mantle, he went to the Jordan river and said, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" and when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over (2 Kings 2:14).

   "He lays up the deep in storehouses"(verse 7b). The psalmist means that the great God stores up the waters in the clouds, the seas and the oceans to use them at the time He wants to accomplish His purposes, just as was said that on the time of the Flood of Noah "all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened" (Genesis 7:11). God challenged Job, "Have you entered the treasury of snow, or have you seen the treasury of hail, which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war?" (Job 38:22,23).

3. Because of the universality of His authority: "Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the earth stand in awe of Him. For He spoke and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast"(verses 8,9). God created the universe and everything in it by a word from Him. The psalmist demands that all the inhabitants of the earth should acknowledge His authority, which extends to cover the whole earth, not only His people; and he asks all the nations of the earth to fear the Lord, because the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10). All the inhabitants of the earth, whether righteous or unrighteous, enjoy God's gifts, and all of them have to fear Him and praise Him because He looks after them and keeps them safe by means of His miracles every day. Have we ever had to do without the sun, or have ever we lacked oxygen in the air? If we just think over the miracles He performs with us we will urge each other earnestly, saying, "Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful."

4. Because of the wisdom of His administration: "The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations"(verses 10,11). "There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the Lord's counsel- that will stand" (Proverbs 19:21). The hearts, the plans and the decisions of the world leaders are in His hand. They think and plot, but the Lord plans and arranges. If their thoughts contradict His, their counsels come to no effect and their plans dissolve, because they are evil. God brought the evil counsel of Ahithophel to nothing (2 Samuel 15:31; 17:23), brought the plans of the unrighteous Haman down on his head (Esther 8:7). But His own counsel stands forever and His plans to all generations, because they are plans of love; and love never fails. Our good God plans for all the inhabitants of the earth as a loving Father. How great is this praiseworthy God!

   The writer of Psalm 2 wondered, "Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed...He who sits in the heaven shall laugh" (verses 1-4). They are like mob of little children wanting to knock down a mountain! The desires of the loving heart of God will come true, and the evils will be defeated! "Be shattered, O you people, and be broken in pieces! Give ear, all you from far countries. Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; speak the word, but it will not stand, for God is with us" (Isaiah 8:9,10).

	Third: Praising the God of Mankind

(verses 12-19)

1. They praise the All-wise: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, and the people whom He has chosen as His own inheritance. The Lord looks from heaven; he sees all the sons of men. From the place of His habitation He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works"(verses 12-15). God created all mankind, and he watches them and knows all their works and the plans of their hearts; He takes care of them, makes His sun shine, and pours down rain on them. Among them is His chosen creation, the ones who have a special place in His heart because He chose them as His own precious inheritance; He will never dispose of them or replace them. The elect are those who received Jesus as their Saviour: "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: who were born...of God" (John 1:12). God extends a general invitation to all people, saying, "Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth!" (Isaiah 45:22). Everyone who accepts this invitation becomes a member of the chosen family of God who received Him as Saviour, for whom Christ prayed in His intercessory prayer: "And for their sake I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified by the truth" (John 17:19). He dedicated Himself to the body of believers, so that they should become His body. Let them shout for joy and gratitude because they belong to Him, that they are His inheritance, to whom He says, "Your father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him" (Matthew 6:8).

   If you are far from God, have committed sins, but did not get what you deserve, you believe that God does neither good nor evil (Zephaniah 1:12). But you should know that God must repay everyone according to his work because He knows everything. "O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; you understand my thought afar off...For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether...My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret, and skilfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth" (Psalm 139:1,2,4,15).

2. They praise the All-powerful: "No king is saved by a multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength"(verses 16,17). People think that to be saved from their enemies depends mainly on their large army and military arsenal, but the truth is that victory is from the Lord, for nothing restricts the Lord from saving by many or by few (1 Samuel 14:6). He delivered His weak people from the powerful hand of Pharaoh, and was glorified through Pharaoh, his chariots and horsemen (Exodus 14:18). Again He rushed to rescue His people when Gideon the judge led three hundred men with trumpets and jars and torches to defeat the Midianite army that consisted of 32 thousand soldiers (Judges 7:19-25). The great might of the Midianites could not deliver them, neither could their cavalry protect them from slaughtering one another as they were taken by horror when they hear the sound of trumpets and breaking jars! This was the same experience of David before Goliath the giant (1 Samuel 17), as well as of Peter in the prison of Herod (Acts 12) and Paul and Silas in the prison in Philippi (Acts 16).

3. They praise the perfect Deliverer: "Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep alive in famine"(verses 18,19). "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil" (1 Peter 3:12). God has a chosen people from every tribe, nation and tongue (Revelations 7:9) who love the Lord, enjoy His loving care, fear Him and hope in His mercy. The Lord looks upon His people with an approving and caring eye, delivering their souls from death in the wars waged against them by their enemies, and keeping them alive when the drought hits their lands and their crops diminish. He says to them, "The very hairs of your head are numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:30,31). When we fear the Lord we revere Him, hope in Him and wait for Him to deliver our souls from death and keep us alive in famine.

	Fourth: How Should Praise Be?

(verses 20-22)

In these three verses we see how praise should be:

1. In a waiting spirit: "Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield"(verse 20). We praise a living and active God, whom we wait for, because He is our help and shield. Shields were pieces of wood covered with animal skin, with which the soldier defended himself against poisoned arrows, which drained their poison into the shield. When the Israelites found the Red Sea ahead of them and the Egyptian army behind them, they feared terribly and Moses said to them, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for your today" (Exodus 14:13,14). The Lord was their help and shield. Today, we don't follow fantasies, for "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (Psalm 91:1). We wait upon the Lord and He rushes to our aid. He does not offer us verbal encouragement only, but promises coupled with actions. He is a God who is active in history, in the present and in the future. He said, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). Let us praise Him, therefore, and wait for His salvation.

2. In a rejoicing spirit: "For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name"(verse 21). "The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe" (Proverbs 18:10). The name of the Lord represents the Lord Himself, who is perfect in love, holiness, wisdom and power. We trust in Him joyfully because He is alive, the Rock of ages, the One who holds full authority in all the earth, who said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). When Pilate said to Him, "Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?" He answered Him, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given You from above" (John 19:10,11). When believers trust in Him they find deep spiritual joy even under the hardest of circumstances. In the city of Philippi Paul and Silas were beaten, then locked up in the inner jail, but they rejoiced because they were considered worthy to be reviled for sake of Christ's name. No prisoner, beaten and badly wounded, could sing out loud and joyfully, so that all prisoners cold hear, unless his joy sprang from a higher strength. This isn't strange, since "the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). When the jailer of Philippi found the salvation of his soul "he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household" (Acts 16:34). How happy are His people when they hear Him say, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27,28).

3. In a prayerful spirit:The psalmist turned his praise in a prayer, in which he said, "Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You" (verse 22). He praises Him and waits for His help joyfully, trusting that he will obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). The psalmist repeats the declaration of his hope in the Lord. As much as we wait on Him He gives us: "And as you have believed, so let it be done for you" (Matthew 8:13). Let us pray with confidence, because without faith no one can please Him (Hebrews 11:6).

There are big differences between human discipline and divine discipline. Humans are happy to know that their children can stand on their own feet and depend on themselves. The heavenly father, however, does not want independent children, but children who always depend on Him, because without Him they actually can do nothing (John 15:5). Even as they grow spiritually and achieve a great deal for the glory of God, they still must depend on him. Let us pray the Lord to increase our hope in Him, enlarge the horizons of our faith and give us a bigger vision. Let His mercy be upon us, just as we hope in Him to bring a revival in our spiritual life and church, to refresh us and bless us together with our country, spread justice among us, stop the injustice and accomplish God's purpose for our life even more. We will become a blessing to our country just as Christ wanted us to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world and a yeast that leavens the whole dough.

	Questions

1. The psalmist mentions four reasons why creation should worship God. What are they?

2. Psalm 33:20-22 explain what worship should be like. What do they say?

His Praise Shall Continually Be in my Mouth

A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. 1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. 6 This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. 10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. 11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. 20 He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken. 21 Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. 22 The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

Saint Augustine called seven psalms "the fugitive psalms". They are Psalms 7,34,54,56,57 and 142. David wrote these psalms while he was running away from King Saul, moving from one town to another, from one cave to another, even into the lands of the Philistines.

David wrote down this psalm as a thanksgiving hymn celebrating the Lord's care for all those who fear Him. In it he called on his audience to lead a God-fearing life resulting in their own blessedness. He wrote it after he had run away from Saul's presence to Gath, one of the five capitals of the Philistines, which are: Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Akron and Gath. The counsellors of King Abimelech, the king of Gath, told him that David was the killer of Goliath and that he was the coming king of the Israelites, which upset the king. David felt the danger, so he faked insanity, started to scratch the gate and let his saliva drip down his beard. Believing that David was insane, the king of Gath drove him out and did not kill him. Thereupon David escaped and hid himself in the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 21,22), where four hundred men who were in distress rallied around him and David became captain over them. On the occasion of this deliverance David wrote down this psalm as a thanksgiving hymn, which he began by saying, "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

Some people may wonder why the name of the king of Gath is Achish in 1 Samuel but Abimelech in the heading of our psalm? The answer is that the personal name of the king was Achish, but Abimelech was his formal title, which actually means "My father is king". This was the title of Philistine kings, just as the kings of Egypt carried the title of Pharaoh. The same applies also to the Amalekite kings; their title was Agag, but each individual king had his own personal name.

David composed another psalm for the same occasion, that is Psalm 56, which he started by saying, "Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; fighting all day he oppresses me", and ended it by saying, "For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not delivered my feet from falling, that I walk before God in the light of the living?" Divine deliverance is the lot of those who love God, those who want to obey Him.

The psalm is the third acrostic, with every verse starting with a consequent letter of the Hebrew alphabet, except for the Vav. The first two acrostic psalms are Psalm 9 and 25. The church chose this psalm to be read during the communion because verse 8 says, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him."

The psalm includes the following:

• First: A praise of thanksgiving (verses 1-10)

• Second: A sermon from the cave of Adullam (verses 11-14)

• Third: God's good relation to His people (verses 15-22)

	First: A Praise of Thanksgiving

(verses 1-10)

1. A call for praise (verses 1-3):

   1. This praise is spontaneous and enthusiastic: "I will bless the Lord"(verse 1a). He mentioned the great danger that threatened him as he was in the palace of King Achish, and how the Lord delivered him from it. Danger was an unexpected surprise, as much as deliverance was. Thanksgiving just welled up from his heart!

   2. It is continual: "At all times...continually"(verse 1b). King Saul could bear no more to see David alive, so David ran away to Achish, who could not bear it either. But God smiled on him in approval and delivered him from death, so he made up his mind to spend the rest of his life praising God. Happy is the grateful and joyful believer, whose godliness becomes visible as he sings during his sickness as much as during his health, and in times of failure as much as in times of success.

   3. It is secret and public: "His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord"(verses 1c, 2a). His tongue praises and his heart praises, too. He makes his boast in the Lord. He neither boasted over his intelligence when he feigned madness, nor over earthly things. He did not bother to congratulate himself for delivering himself, but blessed the Lord for it and gloried in Him who said, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising loving-kindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth" (Jeremiah 9:23,24). Let us glory in the person of the Lord, His promises and His miracles.

   4. It affects those who hear it: "The humble shall hear of it and shall be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together"(verses 2b,3). The humble heard his invitation and started singing with him. The humble are those who learned humility in the school of suffering and magnified the Lord with David, acknowledging God's favour and the greatness of His grace. The humble proclaim, "Ascribe greatness to our God" (Deuteronomy 32:3). "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable" (Psalm 145:3). The deeper we perceive God's greatness the more often we will invite others to join us in praising Him.

2. The incentives to praise (verses 4-11):Miraculous deliverance was not only David's experience, but the common experience of everyone who trusts in God, the God of all beings. The psalmist lists four incentives to praise:

   1. Great deliverance: "I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears"(verse 4). He was afraid of Saul so much, and of Achish only a little, but this little turned out to be much. Yet, the Lord delivered him from the two fears; the big and the small! Both the sinner and the believer face dangers, and often the dangers of the sinner are less than those of the believer; because the devil, the prince of this age, supports the sinner. The sinner, however, lives in a greater fear, because he knows that the Lord is not on his side. The believer, on the other hand, seeks the Lord and He hears him and delivers him from all his fears. The mighty hand of God can reach down to us in the deepest pit into which we might fall, and as we seek Him whole-heartedly He hears us.

   2. The coming bright days: "They looked at Him and they were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles"(verses 5,6). Looking to the world causes depression. It is enough to skim through the first page of any newspaper to see wickedness, hatred and despair. The one who looks at the Lord, however, his spirits soar up, just as Hannah's spirits soared up after her prayer and her face was no longer sad (1 Samuel 1:18). The people who were stung by the serpents looked up to the fiery serpent and got healed of the deadly venom (Numbers 21:9). The fiery serpent stands for Christ who saves from the poison of sin (John 3:14-16). For this reason the believer says, "Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God" (Psalm 123:1,2). He lights up because he obeys the command of the Lord, who says to the believers, "Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you" (Isaiah 60:1). As Moses saw the glory of the Lord, his face shone (Exodus 34:30). "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

   3. Angelic protection: "The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them"(verse 7). He is called "the angel of His presence" in Isaiah 63:9: "In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old." This angel delivers all those who fear the Lord just like an army. He is also called the "commander of the army of the Lord" (Joshua 5:14) who comes in an army of angels to protect, as was the case with Jacob. When Jacob met the angels of the Lord, he said, "This is God's camp", and consequently the place was called Mahaniam, meaning Double Camp (Genesis 32:2). This also happened to the servant of Elisha, who was afraid of the enemies. The man of God prayed, "Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." The servant saw the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2 Kings 6:16).

      God delivers us from troubles that are known to us. We cry out because of these and thank Him for His deliverance. he also delivers us from troubles that we do not see approaching, because in His love He hides the danger from our sight so that we do not panic.

   4. The believer's good relations with the Lord urges him to praise (verses 8-10).

      1. It is a personal relationship: "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him"(verse 8). The believer tastes God's goodness when he comes to know Him in an intimate, personal way. He discovers His great goodness and learns to trust Him and depend on Him, adjusts his daily conduct to fit his belief, and draws strength from Him. Peter said, "You have tasted that the Lord is good" (1 Peter 2:3 NIV). By the "Lord" he meant Christ. Paul also said, "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection" (Philippians 3:10). This knowledge is the intimate, experiential knowledge that leads to true happiness. The Hebrew word gever, translated in this verse by "man", refers to the strong man. The one who tastes God's goodness has a strong moral and faith life.

      2. It is a transforming relationship: "Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!"(verse 9a). "Fear the Lord" means become godly by fearing God in your conduct. Holiness or sanctity means to be devoted and consecrated to God, as well as being pure and walking in a way fit for our calling to become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6). God says, "For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and you shall be holy" (Leviticus 11:44). We say, "This church is holy", not because its building materials are different from those used in any neighbouring house, but because it is dedicated to God. Paul said, "The God to whom I belong and whom I serve" (Acts 27:23), because he had already dedicated himself to serving Him.

      3. It is a blessed relationship: "There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing"(verses 9b,10). The Lord supplied the needs of the indebted widow by making the jar of oil fill all the vessels which she borrowed from her neighbours. She sold the oil, paid off her debts and managed to live together with her sons on what was left (2 Kings 4:1-7), while the young lions lacked and suffered hunger. The psalmist may have meant the literal meaning of the word "young lions" as it is the case in Job 4:11: "The old lion perishes for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered", or maybe he meant the oppressors, as it the case in Psalm 35:17: "Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions." The lions here were his enemies who wanted his destruction. The meaning of the verse then is: The strong man who snatches away will be reduced to starvation, but the gentle believer will inherit the land and lack nothing. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1). "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). Christ asked His disciples, "When I sent you without money bag, sack, and sandals, did you lack anything?" "Nothing," they said (Luke 22:35). Those who have a personal relationship with God ensure for themselves all the divine blessings.

         Saint Columba (521-597 AD) who brought Christianity to Scotland was writing down an exposition of our psalm right before his death. He stopped at verse 10 and did not write on. His biographer commented on this by saying, "Saint Columba did not lack any good thing while he lived with God here, and he will not lack any good thing as he lives with God there. He left the trust of preaching and teaching to those who will carry it after him."

	Second: A Sermon from the Cave of Adullam

(verses 11-14)

After feigning madness David ran away from the presence of King Achish to the cave of Adullam, where four hundred men joined him, mostly people who ran away from debts or arrest. All of them were in distress and their souls were embittered, but they accepted him as leader and captain over them (1 Samuel 22:1,2). On a Saturday in Adullam he preached a sermon that was an answer to a question he had asked. We will meditate on the preacher, the question and the sermon/answer.

1. The preacher: "Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord"(verse 11). As a preacher he pitied the sinners and advised them. As a fighter and leader he was brave and strong. But he also experienced the suffering of being driven away though innocent, just as they did. Yet, his ethics and interests were higher than theirs and his knowledge of God deeper, so he received instruction from God and passed it on to them. A successful preacher listens to God, then tells the people what he has heard out of a desire to change their lives to the better. He could have been concerned with his own safety or the material and economical affairs of the four hundred men, but he never forgot the spiritual life of that group.

2. The preacher asks a question: "Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?"(verse 12). The kind of life which the godly man desires is the abundant life which Christ came to give to us (John 10:10). It is not measured by the number of days, but by achievements, happiness and obedience. It is a meaningful life that serves others and grows day after day in the fear of the Lord, which is the ultimate good.

3. The sermon:The theme of the sermon is that the happy man is the man who fears God in his speech and actions:

   1. Godliness in speech: "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking guile"(verse 13). Usually the outcasts use rough language, and fight together and with others. The preacher advises them that if they want long and good lives, they have to restrain their tongues from evil and deceit, "For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). The hearts must be mended. This can never happen until each one of them finds a personal relationship with the Lord, and tastes how good God is, and that the man who trusts in Him is blessed. The word "man" here means a strong one who can control his tongue, because "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passes away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

   2. Godliness in actions: "Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it"(verse 14). The outcasts are in bad need of peace with God, with themselves and with others. They have to pursue it continually and undespairingly. "Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another" (Romans 14:19). The apostle Peter quoted these same words in 1 Peter 3:10 because he wanted to explain to the believers how to have a meaningful and valuable life by controlling the tongue and departing daily from evil and doing good.

	Third: God's Good Relation to His People

(verses 15-22)

The psalmist concludes his psalm by talking of the Lord as being good in respect to His relation to His people. He spells out three things:

1. The Lord cares for His people: "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ear are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth"(verses 15-17). The Lord's relation to His people is:

   1. One of perfect knowledge:An eye that sees, and ear that hears, because He is father who cares for and watches over His people. "Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them" (Isaiah 3:10).

   2. One of absolute tenderness and divine intervention: "In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears"(Psalm 18:6). Since believers cry out from the persecution of their oppressors, God, who cares for them, punishes the oppressors and cuts off their remembrance from the earth.

2. The Lord lifts up His people: "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned"(verses 18-21). The broken-hearted and the contrite of spirit are those who have been crushed by sorrow, despair, persecution and sin, and were humbled by all of these. To such as these Christ says, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn" (Isaiah 61:1,2). The more a man's heart is broken the humbler he becomes, and the more prepared to receive God's blessings: "For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones'" (Isaiah 57:15). The Lord lifts up His broken people and says to them, "I will...bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick" (Ezekiel 34:16).

   The Lord never promised a pain-free life; He never said we won't face tribulations. On the contrary, He promised us that in the world we will have tribulations, but to be sure that He overcame the world. With Him we also overcome the world, for He who is within us is greater than the one who is in the world (John 16:33; 1 John 4:4). The believers really suffer and face many afflictions in this world that hates the truth. But their God is with them; His love refreshes them, His promises comfort them and the throne room is always open to them. Evil shall slay the wicked, however, and the Lord shall revive the spirit of the righteous, who has been justified by what Christ did for him through His precious atonement.

   "He guards all his bones"(verse 20a). He cares for the physical just as much as He cares for the spiritual, for the body of the believer is the temple for the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). This prophecy was fulfilled in the crucified Messiah, when the soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves crucified with Him but did not break His because they "saw that He was already dead...For these things were done so that the Scripture should be fulfilled, 'Not one of His bones shall be broken'" (John 19:32-36).

3. The Lord redeems His people: "The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned"(verse 22). Redemption is the soul's salvation from sin, the body's salvation from disease, hunger and pain. Prisoners used to pay a ransom or redemption money. Christ completed our redemption when he paid the price of our sins, and He became for us wisdom from God-and righteousness and sanctification and redemption- (1 Corinthians 1:30), provided that sinners accept His redemption by faith. "There is...now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:1), who have been redeemed by Christ through His blood, for the praise of His glorious grace. They say, "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth."

	Questions

1. In Psalm 34:4-7 the psalmist mentions three motivations for praising God. List them.

2. What was the subject of the Adullam sermon?

They have dug without cause for my life

A Psalm of David. 1 Plead my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me; fight against those who fight against me. 2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help. 3 Also draw out the spear, and stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul, "I am your salvation." 4 Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor who seek after my life; let those be turned back and brought to confusion Who plot my hurt. 5 Let them be like chaff before the wind, and let the angel of the Lord chase them. 6 Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of the Lord pursue them. 7 For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit, which they have dug without cause for my life. 8 Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly, and let his net that he has hidden catch himself; into that very destruction let him fall. 9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation. 10 All my bones shall say, "Lord, who is like You, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?" 11 Fierce witnesses rise up; they ask me things that I do not know. 12 They reward me evil for good, to the sorrow of my soul. 13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; and my prayer would return to my own heart. 14 I paced about as though he were my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother. 15 But in my adversity they rejoiced and gathered together; attackers gathered against me, and I did not know it; they tore at me and did not cease; 16 With ungodly mockers at feasts they gnashed at me with their teeth. 17 Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue me from their destructions, my precious life from the lions. 18 I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people. 19 Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies; nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause. 20 For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful matters against the quiet ones in the land. 21 They also opened their mouth wide against me, and said, 22 This You have seen, O Lord; do not keep silence. O Lord, do not be far from me. 23 Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, to my cause, my God and my Lord. 24 Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me. 25 Let them not say in their hearts, "Ah, so we would have it!" Let them not say, "We have swallowed him up." 26 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion who rejoice at my hurt; let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who exalt themselves against me. 27 Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, "Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant." 28 And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long.

David wrote this psalm in a time of severe persecution, perhaps during Saul's constant hunt for him. Maybe it was during that time also that David said to Saul, "Let the Lord be judge, and judge between you and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand" (1 Samuel 24:15). He could also have written it during the insurrection against him that was organised by his son Absalom. David's persecutors were among his beloved ones; David defended King Saul and his honour, but Saul wanted to kill him because he was mentally sick. If you have done good to somebody and he repaid you with evil, you will find assistance and encouragement in this psalm.

There is Messianic prophecy in this psalm. The psalmist says, "For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit" (verse 7). Christ cited this prophecy as speaking of Himself when He said, "They have seen and also hated me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'" (John 15:24,25). The same concept is also repeated in Psalm 69:4. Verses 11 and 12 of our psalm describe Christ's trial: "Fierce witnesses rise up; they ask me things I do not know. They reward me evil for good, to the sorrow of my soul." They asked Christ about things that never happened, and many false witnesses came to testify against Him, but their testimonies did not agree (Mark 14:56).

The psalm is full of requests to God to inflict punishment on the enemies. Maybe the psalmist wanted Go