Day 165: Psalms 51-55

(The previous post covered psalms that pointed to God's Nature and the creation of a new nation. Next was the first psalm by David in the "Exodus" section...)

Psalm 51

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David; when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

¹ Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
² Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
³ For I know my transgressions; And my sin is ever before me.

(David was aware of his sin (2 Samuel 12) and how it was in need of cleansing.)

⁴ Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, And done that which is evil in thy sight; That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, And be clear when thou judgest.

(David recognized his sin was against God. Paul referenced this verse in Romans 3:4.)

⁵ Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; And in sin did my mother conceive me.
⁶ Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; And in the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wisdom.

(God desired truth and gave us the wisdom to be truthful.)

⁷ Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
⁸ Make me to hear joy and gladness, That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
⁹ Hide thy face from my sins, And blot out all mine iniquities.
¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.

(David knew that the cause of his sin was the state of his heart. David wanted his heart cleaned because this would cause his actions to be pure.)

¹¹ Cast me not away from thy presence; And take not thy holy Spirit from me.

(David had the Holy Spirit. This was unusual during the Dispensation of the Law when the Holy Spirit was primarily on the prophets.)

¹² Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with a willing spirit.
¹³ Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; And sinners shall be converted unto thee.

(David knew he would need to be restored before he could help others.)

¹⁴ Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
¹⁵ O Lord, open thou my lips; And my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
¹⁶ For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering.
¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

(God would not despise a person who was continually being broken, a state of continual humility.)

¹⁸ Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: Build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then will thou delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, In burnt-offering and in whole burnt-offering: Then will they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

(In the next psalm, the situation with Doeg the Edomite was covered in 1 Samuel 21 and 1 Samuel 22. It was the first time David acted deceitfully. Ahimelech was the priest that gave David the showbread and Goliath's sword. Doeg saw David and told Saul...)




Psalm 52

For the Chief Musician. Maschil of David; when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech.

¹ Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The lovingkindness of God endureth continually.
² Thy tongue deviseth very wickedness, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
³ Thou lovest evil more than good, And lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah
⁴ Thou lovest all devouring words, thou deceitful tongue.
⁵ God will likewise destroy thee for ever; He will take thee up, and pluck thee out of thy tent, And root thee out of the land of the living. Selah
⁶ The righteous also shall see it, and fear, And shall laugh at him, saying,

(These were the effects of a man who...)

⁷ Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, And strengthened himself in his wickedness.

(...did not make God his strength.)

⁸ But as for me, I am like a green olive-tree in the house of God: I trust in the lovingkindness of God for ever and ever.
⁹ I will give thee thanks for ever, because thou hast done it; And I will hope in thy name, for it is good, in the presence of thy saints.

(David’s strength did come from God because David’s trust/faith was in God.)




Psalm 53

For the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath. Maschil of David.

¹ The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none that doeth good.

(Those who believed that God did not exist were called fools and corrupt. Psalm 14 began the same way.)

² God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there were any that did understand, That did seek after God.

(God looked for those who had understanding and had sought Him out.)

³ Every one of them is gone back; they are together become filthy; There is none that doeth good, no, not one.
⁴ Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And call not upon God?
⁵ There were they in great fear, where no fear was; For God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: Thou hast put them to shame, because of God hath rejected them.
⁶ Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Then shall Jacob rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

(Choosing to get understanding and seeking God out was in the control of the individual. The next psalm covered the events of 1 Samuel 23 when an entire community conspired against David...)




Psalm 54

For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. Maschil of David; when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?

¹ Save me, O God, by thy name, And judge me in thy might.
² Hear my prayer, O God; Give ear to the words of my mouth.

(David wanted to be judged before he asked God to hear his prayer. This was contrastive. David wanted to know what he had done wrong before he asked for anything.)

³ For strangers are risen up against me, And violent men have sought after my soul: They have not set God before them. Selah
⁴ Behold, God is my helper: The Lord is of them that uphold my soul.
⁵ He will requite the evil unto mine enemies: Destroy thou them in thy truth.

(David requested God to destroy his enemies with truth. God’s warfare was a battle of words.)

⁶ With a freewill-offering will I sacrifice unto thee: I will give thanks unto thy name, O Jehovah, for it is good.
⁷ For he hath delivered me out of all trouble; And mine eye hath seen my desire upon mine enemies.

(The next psalm covered the events of 2 Samuel 15 when David was betrayed by his friend Ahithophel...)




Psalm 55

For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. Maschil of David.

¹ Give ear to my prayer, O God; And hide not thyself from my supplication.
² Attend unto me, and answer me: I am restless in my complaint, and moan,
³ Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked; For they cast iniquity upon me, And in anger they persecute me.

(David was feeling pressured by his enemies and wanted God to answer his prayer.)

⁴ My heart is sore pained within me: And the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
⁵ Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, And horror hath overwhelmed me.
⁶ And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then would I fly away, and be at rest.

(David wanted to be delivered from his situation and to have rest.)

⁷ Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah
⁸ I would haste me to a shelter From the stormy wind and tempest.
⁹ Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongue; For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
¹⁰ Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: Iniquity also and mischief are in the midst of it.
¹¹ Wickedness is in the midst thereof: Oppression and guile depart not from its streets.
¹² For it was not an enemy that reproached me; Then I could have borne it: Neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; Then I would have hid myself from him:
¹³ But it was thou, a man mine equal, My companion, and my familiar friend.

(David was speaking about a friend: Ahithophel.)

¹⁴ We took sweet counsel together; We walked in the house of God with the throng.

(David prayed that Ahithophel's counsel would be turned to foolishness. This was wrong and was witchcraft by David. He prayed for something that was against the will of another individual (Ahithophel).)

¹⁵ Let death come suddenly upon them, Let them go down alive into Sheol; For wickedness is in their dwelling, in the midst of them.
¹⁶ As for me, I will call upon God; And Jehovah will save me.
¹⁷ Evening, and morning, and at noonday, will I complain, and moan; And he will hear my voice.

(David committed to praying to God in the morning, at noon, and in the evening.)

¹⁸ He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me; For they were many that strove with me.
¹⁹ God will hear, and answer them, Even he that abideth of old, Selah The men who have no changes, And who fear not God.
²⁰ He hath put forth his hands against such as were at peace with him: He hath profaned his covenant.
²¹ His mouth was smooth as butter, But his heart was war: His words were softer than oil, Yet were they drawn swords.
²² Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee: He will never suffer the righteous to be moved.

(God would bear our burdens if we gave them to Him.)

²³ But thou, O God, wilt bring them down into the pit of destruction: Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; But I will trust in thee.

(David ended up prevailing.)

(This post covered five psalms from David related to specific situations in David's life when he was in distress.)

Day 166