Day 157: Psalms 11-15

(The previous post covered psalms describing God's Righteousness, God's Justness, God moving for the humble, and the attributes of the wicked.)

Psalm 11

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

¹ In Jehovah do I take refuge: How say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain;
² For, lo, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string, That they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart;

(David took refuge in the Lord instead of fleeing from his enemies. The wicked attacked the "upright in heart." Persecution happened to people who did things righteously!)

³ If the foundations be destroyed, What can the righteous do?
⁴ Jehovah is in his holy temple; Jehovah, his throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
⁵ Jehovah trieth the righteous; But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

(God tested the righteous. This was for their benefit, to become more right, to be "pruned" back so more fruit grew: John 15.)

⁶ Upon the wicked he will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.
⁷ For Jehovah is righteous; he loveth righteousness: The upright shall behold his face.

(God was Righteous!)




Psalm 12

For the Chief Musician; set to the Sheminith. A Psalm of David.

¹ Help, Jehovah; for the godly man ceaseth; For the faithful fail from among the children of men.

("Children of men" represented the wicked.)

² They speak falsehood every one with his neighbor: With flattering lip, and with a double heart, do they speak.

(The wicked spoke unprofitably and contradictory.)

³ Jehovah will cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaketh great things;
⁴ Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; Our lips are our own: who is lord over us?
⁵ Because of the oppression of the poor, because of the sighing of the needy, Now will I arise, saith Jehovah; I will set him in the safety he panteth for.
⁶ The words of Jehovah are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, Purified seven times.

(God's Word was pure. It was used to purify (make clean, remove dust/flesh). God's Words were compared to a precious metal that was purified by fire.)

⁷ Thou wilt keep them, O Jehovah, Thou wilt preserve them from this generation for ever.
⁸ The wicked walk on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.



Psalm 13

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

¹ How long, O Jehovah? wilt thou forget me for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
² How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
³ Consider and answer me, O Jehovah my God: Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

(David asked God to consider something he had said and to answer him! This request was in-line with the Book of Job. Did David have an understanding of that book? (That book seemed to be written prior to David's time.) Or did David know God that well?)

⁴ Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; Lest mine adversaries rejoice when I am moved.
⁵ But I have trusted in thy lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
⁶ I will sing unto Jehovah, Because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

(David sang to God in response to how God had dealt with him.)




Psalm 14

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

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

(A fool says there is no God. 1 John 5:9-12 said that those who did not believe God were saying God was a liar. The same applied to those who said there was no God.)

² Jehovah looked down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there were any that did understand, That did seek after God.
³ They are all gone aside; they are together become filthy; There is none that doeth good, no, not one.
⁴ Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And call not upon Jehovah?

(Workers of iniquity did not call on God, which was something we learned from the Book of Job.)

⁵ There were they in great fear; For God is in the generation of the righteous.
⁶ Ye put to shame the counsel of the poor, Because Jehovah is his refuge.

(Workers of iniquity put people to shame for having God as their refuge.)

⁷ Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When Jehovah bringeth back the captivity of his people, Then shall Jacob rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.



Psalm 15

A Psalm of David.

¹ Jehovah, who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

(David was asking God "Who will have eternal life?")

² He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, And speaketh truth in his heart;

(Cause: he that walked (made progress) uprightly (with integrity), he that did Righteousness (by the Holy Spirit), and he that spoke the truth in his heart (what was planted in the heart will come out). As we have seen, David was wise and excellent with his words.)

(The Effects are the following....)

³ He that slandereth not with his tongue, Nor doeth evil to his friend, Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor;
⁴ In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honoreth them that fear Jehovah; He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not;
⁵ He that putteth not out his money to interest, Nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

(Verse 5 ended with, "He that doeth these things shall never be moved." This pointed back to the Causes listed in verse 2.)

(This post covered five psalms from David that appeared to mirror some of the lessons from the Book of Job.)

Day 158