Psalm 141
A Psalm of David.
1 Jehovah, I have called upon thee; make haste unto me: Give ear unto my voice, when I call unto thee.
2 Let my prayer be set forth as incense before thee; The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
(David called on God and requested a quick response.)
3 Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth; Keep the door of my lips.
4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, To practise deeds of wickedness With men that work iniquity: And let me not eat of their dainties.
5 Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness; And let him reprove me, it shall be as oil upon the head; Let not my head refuse it: For even in their wickedness shall my prayer continue.
(David was contrastive, he wanted to be shown where he was wrong. He even counted the smiting by the righteous to be kindness!)
6 Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock; And they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.
7 As when one ploweth and cleaveth the earth, Our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
8 For mine eyes are unto thee, O Jehovah the Lord: In thee do I take refuge; leave not my soul destitute.
(David’s focus was on God and he went to God for protection.)
9 Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, And from the gins of the workers of iniquity.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, Whilst that I withal escape.
(The next psalm was called a prayer...)
Psalm 142
Maschil of David, when he was in the cave; a Prayer.
1 I cry with my voice unto Jehovah; With my voice unto Jehovah do I make supplication.
2 I pour out my complaint before him; I show before him my trouble.
(David shared his complaints with God.)
3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walk Have they hidden a snare for me.
4 Look on my right hand, and see; For there is no man that knoweth me: Refuge hath failed me; No man careth for my soul.
(David felt alone. He responded to this by going to God.)
5 I cried unto thee, O Jehovah; I said, Thou art my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.
6 Attend unto my cry; For I am brought very low: Deliver me from my persecutors; For they are stronger than I.
(David knew God was stronger than him and asked for God’s strength to deliver him.)
7 Bring my soul out of prison, That I may give thanks unto thy name: The righteous shall compass me about; For thou wilt deal bountifully with me.
(David felt imprisoned by those who afflicted him. Again, a psalm of prayer followed...)
Psalm 143
A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah; give ear to my supplications: In thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant; For in thy sight no man living is righteous.
(All men are unrighteous in their own strength. We become Righteous when we allow God to live through us.)
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; He hath smitten my life down to the ground: He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is desolate.
(David was overwhelmed because he felt as if he was someone who had been dead for a long time. The cause of this was the enemies David had who were persecuting him.)
5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy doings; I muse on the work of thy hands.
(David thought deeply on God’s works and allowed God’s works to produce fruit through him.)
6 I spread forth my hands unto thee: My soul thirsteth after thee, as a weary land. Selah
7 Make haste to answer me, O Jehovah; my spirit faileth: Hide not thy face from me, Lest I become like them that go down into the pit.
8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; For in thee do I trust: Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; For I lift up my soul unto thee.
(David asked for God to answer him quickly and to direct his actions.)
9 Deliver me, O Jehovah, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
10 Teach me to do thy will; For thou art my God: Thy Spirit is good; Lead me in the land of uprightness.
(David asked for God to teach him God’s Will. David wanted understanding of how he could do God’s Will. God’s Spirit was Good: Right and Just.)
11 Quicken me, O Jehovah, for thy name's sake: In thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And in thy lovingkindness cut off mine enemies, And destroy all them that afflict my soul; For I am thy servant.
(David asked for deliverance for himself and judgment for his enemies. Again, a psalm of prayer followed...)
Psalm 144
A Psalm of David.
1 Blessed be Jehovah my rock, Who teacheth my hands to war, And my fingers to fight:
2 My lovingkindness, and my fortress, My high tower, and my deliverer; My shield, and he in whom I take refuge; Who subdueth my people under me.
(David acknowledged God as his teacher of war and his protector during war.)
3 Jehovah, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him?
(David wanted to know why God would take such an interest in man.)
4 Man is like to vanity: His days are as a shadow that passeth away.
5 Bow thy heavens, O Jehovah, and come down: Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 Cast forth lightning, and scatter them; Send out thine arrows, and discomfit them.
7 Stretch forth thy hand from above; Rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, Out of the hand of aliens;
8 Whose mouth speaketh deceit, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
(David wanted deliverance from those deceivers and liars. Deception was a right what with a wrong or no how/why. Lies were an intentional wrong what.)
9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: Upon a psaltery of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.
10 Thou art he that giveth salvation unto kings; Who rescueth David his servant from the hurtful sword.
11 Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hand of aliens, Whose mouth speaketh deceit, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
(Again, David asked for deliverance from deceivers and liars that were afflicting him.)
12 When our sons shall be as plants grown up in their youth, And our daughters as corner-stones hewn after the fashion of a palace;
13 When our garners are full, affording all manner of store, And our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;
14 When our oxen are well laden; When there is no breaking in, and no going forth, And no outcry in our streets:
15 Happy is the people that is in such a case; Yea, happy is the people whose God is Jehovah.
(Happiness was an effect of having Jehovah as your God. The final six psalms were psalms of praise...)
Psalm 145
A Psalm of praise; of David.
1 I will extol thee, my God, O King; And I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
2 Every day will I bless thee; And I will praise thy name for ever and ever.
(David stated he would continually bless and praise God.)
3 Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised; And his greatness is unsearchable.
(God was so great that we would never fully grasp how great He was. However, we should spend eternity trying to understand this.)
4 One generation shall laud thy works to another, And shall declare thy mighty acts.
5 Of the glorious majesty of thine honor, And of thy wondrous works, will I meditate.
6 And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts; And I will declare thy greatness.
(David said he would meditate on God’s works and also declare His greatness to others.)
7 They shall utter the memory of thy great goodness, And shall sing of thy righteousness.
8 Jehovah is gracious, and merciful; Slow to anger, and of great lovingkindness.
9 Jehovah is good to all; And his tender mercies are over all his works.
("Jehovah is Good to all" meant that God was always Right and Just in how He acted towards everyone.)
10 All thy works shall give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah; And thy saints shall bless thee.
11 They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, And talk of thy power;
12 To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, And the glory of the majesty of his kingdom.
13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
(God’s Kingdom is eternal.)
14 Jehovah upholdeth all that fall, And raiseth up all those that are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all wait for thee; And thou givest them their food in due season.
16 Thou openest thy hand, And satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
17 Jehovah is righteous in all his ways, And gracious in all his works.
(God was Right and Just in all that He did.)
18 Jehovah is nigh unto all them that call upon him, To all that call upon him in truth.
(God was close to those who called upon Him for the right reason (why) and in the right way (how). This verse proved that how we talked to God was important to understand.)
19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him; He also will hear their cry and will save them.
20 Jehovah preserveth all them that love him; But all the wicked will he destroy.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of Jehovah; And let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.
(We have seen fifteen psalms of Ascent, followed by two psalms of praise, followed by eight psalms of prayer, followed by the first of six psalms of praise.)
(This post covered the final psalms of prayer and the first of six psalms of praise.)
Day 184
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