Day 159: Psalms 21-25

(The previous post covered five psalms that demonstrated David's reliance on God.)

Psalm 21

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

¹ The king shall joy in thy strength, O Jehovah; And in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

(David was writing about himself as king…)

² Thou hast given him his heart's desire, And hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah
³ For thou meetest him with the blessings of goodness: Thou settest a crown of fine gold on his head.
⁴ He asked life of thee, thou gavest it him, Even length of days for ever and ever.
⁵ His glory is great in thy salvation: Honor and majesty dost thou lay upon him.
⁶ For thou makest him most blessed for ever: Thou makest him glad with joy in thy presence.
⁷ For the king trusteth in Jehovah; And through the lovingkindness of the Most High he shall not be moved.

(David had trust/faith in God. He recognized that all the good things in his life came from God.)

⁸ Thy hand will find out all thine enemies; Thy right hand will find out those that hate thee.
⁹ Thou wilt make them as a fiery furnace in the time of thine anger: Jehovah will swallow them up in his wrath, And the fire shall devour them.

(God is Just.)

¹⁰ Their fruit wilt thou destroy from the earth, And their seed from among the children of men.
¹¹ For they intended evil against thee; They conceived a device which they are not able to perform.

(The enemies of God will be destroyed because of their how/why: "For they intended...")

¹² For thou wilt make them turn their back; Thou wilt make ready with thy bowstrings against their face.
¹³ Be thou exalted, O Jehovah, in thy strength: So will we sing and praise thy power.

(David had a lot of experience with the enemies of God and he knew how God handled the enemy.)




Psalm 22

For the Chief Musician; set to Aijaleth hash-Shahar. A Psalm of David.

¹ My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?

(This verse was a Messianic prophecy. It was fulfilled in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34.)

² O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou answerest not; And in the night season, and am not silent.

(This verse was specific to David. God always answered Jesus.)

³ But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

(This was an amazing response to not having a prayer answered. David still recognized God as Holy, like Job did in the Book of Job.)

⁴ Our fathers trusted in thee: They trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
⁵ They cried unto thee, and were delivered: They trusted in thee, and were not put to shame.

(An effect of trusting (having faith) in God was that you be delivered/protected and would not be put to shame.)

⁶ But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised of the people.
⁷ All they that see me laugh me to scorn: They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
⁸ Commit thyself unto Jehovah; Let him deliver him: Let him rescue him, seeing he delighteth in him.
⁹ But thou art he that took me out of the womb; Thou didst make me trust when I was upon my mother's breasts.
¹⁰ I was cast upon thee from the womb; Thou art my God since my mother bare me.
¹¹ Be not far from me; for trouble is near; For there is none to help.

(This also referred to Christ. He alone bore the cross.)

¹² Many bulls have compassed me; Strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
¹³ They gape upon me with their mouth, As a ravening and a roaring lion.
¹⁴ I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint: My heart is like wax; It is melted within me.

(A picture of what Christ experienced while on the cross.)

¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd; And my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; And thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
¹⁶ For dogs have compassed me: A company of evil-doers have inclosed me; They pierced my hands and my feet.

(In Job 2, Job scraped himself with a potsherd while his three "friends" sat and watched. Christ was surrounded by unbelievers: evil-doers. The mention of the pierced hands and feet was also a Messianic prophecy which was referenced in John 19:37.)

¹⁷ I may count all my bones; They look and stare upon me.

(Fulfilled in John 19:33.)

¹⁸ They part my garments among them, And upon my vesture do they cast lots.

(Fulfilled in Matthew 27:35 and John 19:24.)

¹⁹ But be not thou far off, O Jehovah: O thou my succor, haste thee to help me.
²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword, My darling from the power of the dog.
²¹ Save me from the lion's mouth; Yea, from the horns of the wild-oxen thou hast answered me.
²² I will declare thy name unto my brethren: In the midst of the assembly will I praise thee.

(Hebrews 2:12 referenced this verse.)

²³ Ye that fear Jehovah, praise him; All ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; And stand in awe of him, all ye the seed of Israel.

(Those who feared (reverenced) God should praise Him and stand in awe of Him...)

²⁴ For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Neither hath he hid his face from him; But when he cried unto him, he heard.

(…because He heard the cries of the afflicted. Again, like it was stated in the Book of Job.)

²⁵ Of thee cometh my praise in the great assembly: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
²⁶ The meek shall eat and be satisfied; They shall praise Jehovah that seek after him: Let your heart live for ever.
²⁷ All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto Jehovah; And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
²⁸ For the kingdom is Jehovah's; And he is the ruler over the nations.

(God was all ruling. "All ruling" was the non-contradictory definition of omnipotent. God had complete control over everything that did not have a will, as well as being able to lead rulers because they were politically motivated to act in the short term in order to retain power. God knew the causes within those leaders/kings and therefore could foreknow the effect.)

²⁹ All the fat ones of the earth shall eat and worship: All they that go down to the dust shall bow before him, Even he that cannot keep his soul alive.
³⁰ A seed shall serve him; It shall be told of the Lord unto the next generation.
³¹ They shall come and shall declare his righteousness Unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done it.

(While the next psalm was one of the most widely quoted, Psalm 22 was not only prophetic with Messianic prophecy, it also drew from themes in the Book of Job.)




Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.

¹ Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want.

(This Psalm was considered by some to be the John 10 of the Old Testament.)

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside still waters.
³ He restoreth my soul: He guideth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

(God restored souls and guided people into Righteousness.)

⁴ Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

(Death would not bring fear if we believed God was with us.)

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup runneth over.

(It is understood that in David’s culture, a host was expected to provide everything for their guests. If someone invited another to dinner, the safety/refuge of the guest was guaranteed.

For David to say that God "preparest a table before me," he was saying that God’s protection was so powerful that he was safe among even the strongest of enemies and deepest affliction.)

⁶ Surely goodness and lovingkindness shall follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of Jehovah for ever.

(David recognized he would live eternally with God.)




Psalm 24

A Psalm of David.

¹ The earth is Jehovah's, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein.

(God was the First Cause, the Creator.)

² For he hath founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the floods.
³ Who shall ascend into the hill of Jehovah? And who shall stand in his holy place?

(None was greater than God; None was holier.)

⁴ He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; Who hath not lifted up his soul unto falsehood, And hath not sworn deceitfully.
⁵ He shall receive a blessing from Jehovah, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

(Righteousness was the measure of our blessings and Salvation.)

⁶ This is the generation of them that seek after him, That seek thy face, even Jacob. Selah
⁷ Lift up your heads, O ye gates; And be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors: And the King of glory will come in.
⁸ Who is the King of glory? Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle.
⁹ Lift up your heads, O ye gates; Yea, lift them up, ye everlasting doors: And the King of glory will come in.
¹⁰ Who is this King of glory? Jehovah of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah




Psalm 25

A Psalm of David.

¹ Unto thee, O Jehovah, do I lift up my soul.
² O my God, in thee have I trusted, Let me not be put to shame; Let not mine enemies triumph over me.
³ Yea, none that wait for thee shall be put to shame: They shall be put to shame that deal treacherously without cause.

(Waiting on God would lead to not being put to shame in the long term. Those who dealt treacherously without cause would be put to shame.)

⁴ Show me thy ways, O Jehovah; Teach me thy paths.
⁵ Guide me in thy truth, and teach me; For thou art the God of my salvation; For thee do I wait all the day.

(David wanted God to lead him in truth and to teach him.)

⁶ Remember, O Jehovah, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindness; For they have been ever of old.
⁷ Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: According to thy lovingkindness remember thou me, For thy goodness' sake, O Jehovah.
⁸ Good and upright is Jehovah: Therefore will he instruct sinners in the way.

(An effect of God being Good (Right and Just) was that He helped sinners by making them aware of their sin.)

⁹ The meek will he guide in justice; And the meek will he teach his way.
¹⁰ All the paths of Jehovah are lovingkindness and truth Unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
¹¹ For thy name's sake, O Jehovah, Pardon mine iniquity, for it is great.
¹² What man is he that feareth Jehovah? Him shall he instruct in the way that he shall choose.

(God not only instructed sinners but also those who feared Him. God instructed all of us to doing His Will.)

¹³ His soul shall dwell at ease; And his seed shall inherit the land.
¹⁴ The friendship of Jehovah is with them that fear him; And he will show them his covenant.

(Fearing God led to His friendship. Similar to Jesus’ Words from John 15:14 – "Ye are my friends, if ye do the things which I command you." In the Bible, friends were able to speak for each other.)

¹⁵ Mine eyes are ever toward Jehovah; For he will pluck my feet out of the net.
¹⁶ Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; For I am desolate and afflicted.
¹⁷ The troubles of my heart are enlarged: Oh bring thou me out of my distresses.
¹⁸ Consider mine affliction and my travail; And forgive all my sins.
¹⁹ Consider mine enemies, for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred.
²⁰ Oh keep my soul, and deliver me: Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in thee.
²¹ Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for thee.
²² Redeem Israel, O God, Out all of his troubles.

(This psalm read like a prayer.)

(This post covered five psalms from David that contained Messianic prophecy and themes from the Book of Job.)

Day 160