Psalm 101: The Model Kingdom

 Excellence in Ruling

The author of this Psalm is King David. Psalm 101 is a Royal Psalm in the form of a deceleration of commitment, a solemn promise, an Ancient Near Eastern vow, or a covenant. This psalm displays the model king with a model administration. This psalm may have been used at the coronation of some of the kings of Judah. The King was to serve in the theocracy of Israel under the Word of God (Deut 17:14–20) and under Yahweh himself as a vice president under the CEO of a corporation. Many Bible students note that King David failed in the very areas he writes about in this psalm. This psalm describes the true model king and kingdom, that only Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah can and will fulfill. This will be significantly evident at His next coming and during the millennial reign of the Messiah.  David knew he was not speaking of His own characteristics in the psalm, but of the decedent promised in the Davidic covenant to rule forever on David’s throne. He was able to see beyond his own failure and sin to the righteous administration of the Messiah of Israel and David’s redeemer, Jesus of Nazareth, the eternal Son of God who became fully man about 4 B.C. at Bethlehem. 

  I. The righteous King’s Commitment to God’s Kingdom (vs. 1–3a)

     A. The King’s motive for intense loyalty is the covenant love (Hesed) and righteous                                 judgements that produce true justice by the emperor, Yahweh

     B. The major requirement of the lesser party in a covenant is loyalty to the superior party

     C. The king and the people were bound to God by covenant in Israel and to each other

     D. Justice requires the king to punish the wicked and reward the righteous

     E. Yahweh’s keeping His covenantal promises causes the king to sing and praise God

     F. The righteous King is going to follow the path of wisdom as stated in Proverbs

He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of conduct will die. (Prov 19:16 NASB)    

     G. Jesus alone was able to live a life blameless before the Moral, Civil, and Ceremonial law

Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him--a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight will be in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what He sees with His eyes, He will not execute justice by what He hears with His ears, but He will judge the poor righteously and execute justice for the oppressed of the land. He will strike the land with discipline from His mouth, and He will kill the wicked with a command from His lips.  Righteousness and faithfulness will be a belt around His waist. (Isa 11:1-5 HCSB)

     H. His question shows the king’s dependence on God

     I. His life show integrity and that all those around him practice steadfast love and justice

     J. A godly leader is blameless before God and in his house. The king's house is the palace                  where the business of the kingdom is conducted. His officials are there with him.

        1. David’s fall to adultery was at the palace

        2. David’s plan to kill Uriah was at the palace

        3. He is knowledgeably writing of the Davidic king to come, Jesus

     K. The king’s oath to Yahweh is that his administration will have unreproachable integrity

     L. Loyalty to the covenant involves faith, obedience, and pursuing righteousness

     M. The king vows to have nothing to do with (the Belial thing) any wicked, evil, perverted                     person, object, or spirit. His rule’s conduct will be opposite of Satan’s

 II. The righteous King’s hatred of evil (vs. 3b–5)        

     A. The godly leader stays away from evil in any form. He has a pure mind, heart, and                    associates. 

     B. To love righteousness one must hate sin. The righteous king hates disloyalty, betrayals, and                faithlessness.

    C. The king will have to sentence the wicked rather than copy them

 Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character. (1Cor 15:33 TNIV)

    D. The righteous king will silence the slanders and bring strong judgment on the proud

    E. King Jesus is concerned with heart attitudes and actions done in secret

    F. Slander, greed, pride, gossip, and false witness display the inner depravity and wicked                         hearts of men. The king vows to punish these sins fully. These sins cause the death of others

   G. “Silencing” and “not enduring” are legal acts by the king/judge

III. The righteous King’s love for God’s people (vs. 6)

     A. The king will protect the faithful, loyal, blameless, and righteous in the land 

     B. The king’s cabinet will be chosen from the faithful and blameless

     C. These are the opposite people from those in vs. 8, so these are humble, truth tellers, wise,                    honest, loyal, loving, peacemakers

     D. See Psalm 15

     E. Wise leaders surround themselves with the best and most capable men

IV. The righteous King’s detestation of evil (vs. 7)

     A. The king will maintain his integrity and not allow liar to have ruling power

     B. The choice to surround yourself with people of integrity is a choice to exclude those who                 do not obey God’s moral law

     C. Deceptive, greedy, dishonest, disloyal, promise breakers cannot be on the king’s cabinet

     D. No matter how talented or intelligent, a man lacking integrity cannot serve in a righteous                king's court (Prov 29:12)

V. The righteous King’s Commitment to Justice (vs. 8) 

     A. The King vows to administer justice every day by removing the wicked from the land

     B. Jerusalem is to be a city of righteousness, so the wicked and evildoers must be judged

     C. The city of Yahweh is to a city of righteousness, so breakers of God’s moral laws must be                 removed and their reign of terror ended

Lessons to live by:

• The king must make a serious commitment to God. How serious is your commitment?

• Integrity is more important that talent or intellect. Telling the truth about others is vital.

• Like 1 Tim 3 is a snapshot of a spiritually mature Christian man, this chapter presents a model of a godly leader, but especially the Lord Jesus the Messiah of Israel

• Truth telling and knowing when not to speak is an important virtue

• Loyalty is also a key element in the new covenant. Faith, trust, obedience, love, commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ is not optional for a real believer

Psalm 94: The LORD (Yahweh) is the Judge of the Earth

The author of this Psalm is not known. Psalm 94 is a community Lament (1–15) combined with an individual lament (16–23). The parts of a lament include 1) Address to God, 2) Plea for God to help, 3) Complaints—the issue of this prayer, 4) Confession of trust displaying confidence in God, 5) Petition, 6) Hymn or blessing

   I. Yahweh alone has righteous vengeance or recompense, retributive justice (vs. 1–2)

      A. Yahweh alone is the Judge who punishes evil [Address to God]

            1. Evil has its own reward, the just consequences attached to it

            2. The call for Yahweh to shine forth, is asking for Him to personally come to judge

            3. The LORD will arrive in royal splendor to judge the world

            4. His appearing will include His “rising up” (stepping up) to judge mankind

      B. God will give the proud what they deserve, severe punishment

The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. (Prov 16:5 NIV)

I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. (Isa 13:11 NIV)

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (1 Pet 5:5 ESV)

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Prov 16:18 ESV)

He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. (1 Tim 3:6 NIV)

  II. The arrogant person’s thoughts, words, and deeds all require punishment (vs. 3–7)

      A. The call for the LORD’s justice to come sooner [the plea for God to help]

           1. The question is not, denying God’s power or will to deal with evil

           2. The question about evil is When? When will the Day of Yahweh appear, the wrongs be                     made right, all sin be consigned to the lake of fire. How much longer?

           3. God is not without power or like a politician making back room deals

      B.  Self-sufficient, autonomous man, is free to do evil in his own mind [the complaints]

           1. The wicked are boaster, we have evolved, God is a delusion, Huxley, Dawkins

           2. Wicked hearts produce wicked thoughts which produce arrogant words

     C. Wicked deeds are done to God’s real people by the proud tyrants

          1. God’s people are persecuted

          2. The most vulnerable: widows, non-resident foreigners, orphans

          3. The helpless are brutally murdered by those in power

          4. These wicked may be rulers in the land like king Manasseh or government officials

     D. God’s presence, awareness, knowledge and power are denied by the wicked

          1. They pretend He cannot view what they cover in darkness

          2. They declare He will not or cannot pay attention to, act on, or justly deal with these                         wicked deeds

          3. Believers may tell themselves these same lies before they commit sin

III.  The wicked person is rebuked for this pagan or deistic world view (vs. 8–11)

       A. You need to pay attention to yourself, ignorant scoffers

            1. You are acting like wild beasts with no reasoning or thinking skills

            2. You foolishly run your little crooked kingdom bragging that you are an Agnostic

       B. You lack the most basic understanding and reasoning

            1. Ears have an obvious design. The designer can also hear

            2. Eyes have an amazing design. The creator of this can also see

      C. Since God brings judgments on nations which you have seen, why do you think individual             are going to get away with sin? (Greater to lesser argument)

      D. God the Creator, teaches the only true knowledge and He knows that mere man’s small                  thoughts are just hevel: vapor, breath, temporary, puzzling, mystery, ironic, unreliable, insubstantial

IV. The blessing of the wise person who belongs to God [The Blessing] (vs. 12–15)

       A. God disciplines His real children so they will repent and live life to the fullest

       B. The Word of God, the Torah, reveals what God likes and dislikes, so the wise man knows                     how to live—not by legalism, but living to please the God he loves by copying His moral                      nature. The moral law is vital to life.

       C. Justice will one day prevail, and God will sustain and protect His righteous remnant                             until that day. Be patient. (He will not forsake His people) [Confession of trust]

 V. An Individual Lament, the Petition (vs. 16–21)

     A. The LORD is my champion, He will stand with me against the wicked

     B. Yahweh provides protection, perseverance, and inner peace by His covenant love

     C. God does not allow His people to be lost, stumble to destruction

     D. Things were really bad before he was rescued, delivered, saved

     E. It appeared their government coalition was unstoppable

     F. How long will God tolerate wicked rulers and evil civil laws? By God’s nature, He must                     bring all wicked regimes to an end and to the Great White Throne Judgment

VI. Praise to Yahweh, he will right the wrongs [The Hymn] (vs. 22–23)

      A. God is a stronghold, a rock of refuge (A fortress like Masada, beside the Dead Sea)

      B. God will punish the wicked in this world and the next

      C. Those outside of the Messiah will pay for every word, though, and action for all eternity as             well as the new sins they continue to commit in the lake of fire

Lessons to live by:

• Be patient when you are wronged and persecuted for the gospel's sake. Be patient when small men make evil laws and arrogantly display their power.

• Beware of the consequences of sin. It is never worth the price. God see’s all, knows all, records all. Everything done in the dark will be reviewed at the judgment.

• There is no free lunch. Someone always pays. The foolish person creates his own theology. The wise person builds a theology from God’s Word, the Bible and then lives by it.

• Chastisement is a good thing. Judgment begins with the house of God. It ends with the wicked masses who will not submit to King Jesus’ reign in their lives.

• God records the death of every innocent person, including the 40 million plus babies murdered in the USA

• The Day of the LORD is coming, not only should we get ready, but also help other get ready so that they can escape the wrath to come.

“Invictus” (Latin Unconquered) by the English poet William Ernest Henley (1849–1903) displays the arrogance and rebellion of humans

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeoning's of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

Contrast this with "MY CAPTAIN" by Dorothea Day 

Out of the night that dazzles me,

Bright as the sun from pole to pole,

I thank the God I know to be

For Christ the conqueror of my soul.

 

Since His the sway of circumstance,

I would not wince nor cry aloud.

Under that rule which men call chance

My head with joy is humbly bowed.

 

Beyond this place of sin and tears

That life with Him! And His the aid,

Despite the menace of the years,

Keeps, and shall keep me, unafraid.

I have no fear, though strait the gate,

He cleared from punishment the scroll.

Christ is the Master of my fate,

Christ is the Captain of my soul

---------------------------------

A famous hymn

I heard the bells on Christmas day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along the unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Till ringing, singing on its way

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head

“There is no peace on earth,” I said,

“For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail

With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Psalm 79: How Long will Your Chastisement Continue, Oh Lord?

This psalm is a national lament after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 A.D. It does not appear to have been written personally by Asaph, but for his choir that continued in the temple long after his death. New generations of Levites were recruited and trained to provide music in the temple. It appears that this author was one that was allowed to stay in the land and was not deported with the leaders and merchants.

  I. Lamentation over Jerusalem’s destruction (vs. 1–4)

     A. Pagans have destroyed the city and the temple

     B. Pagans have annihilated the covenant people of God

     C. Even though the people’s idolatry caused God to send the Babylonians in His sovereignty,             they are still fully responsible for their cruelty, desecration, and theft

     D. When the people are faithful to Yahveh and their covenant commitment to Him, He blesses           them beyond measure (Lev 26:1–13)

     E. When the people rebel, are disloyal and unbelieving and give their hearts to false gods,                 Yahveh sends chastisements so they will repent (Lev 26:14–39)

     F. One of the covenantal curses is to not be buried after death, a final humiliation to be                        unloved and insignificant (like a deer carcass along a highway)

NKJV Deuteronomy 28:26 Your carcasses shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and no one shall frighten them away.

ESV Jeremiah 16:4 They shall die of deadly diseases. They shall not be lamented, nor shall they be buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. They shall perish by the sword and by famine, and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth.

(See also Jer 34:20; Lam 4:14–20)

    G. The siege and the exile kept their relatives from being able to treat them as image bearer’s               of God with dignity and value

    H. Some of the righteous died, but blood flowed like water at the cruelty of the pagans

    I. Those remaining are starving and being ridiculed by foreign peoples

    J. The curses of the covenant are not pleasant (Deut. 28:15–68; 1 Kings 9:6–9)

 II. Question: How long will the discipline last? (vs. 5)

      A. The author acknowledges that God kept His promise to send chastisement

      B. They know why God’s judgment fell on the wicked, He is holy and hates sin

      C. They know they got exactly what they asked for by their national rebellion

      D. The question is, how much longer will we be in exile and Jerusalem in ruins?

NAU Zechariah 8:2 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.'"

ESV Jeremiah 25:11–12 This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste.

III. Prayer for vindication and forgiveness (vs. 6–9)

      A. Bring justice to the pagans that have denied Yahveh’s existence and power

      B. They have used the exile to dishonor God

      C. Why would God judge His own people and delay the judgment of Babylon?

NIV Amos 3:2 You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore, I will punish you for all your sins.

     D. The pagans have destroyed God’s land, temple, and people and appear to be getting away                with it to others. God’s glory is at stake

     E. The remnant in exile prays for themselves for forgiveness

     F. Yahveh has spared them for a reason, so they call on Him for deliverance, salvation                     (See Dan. 9:1–19)

     G. Even in chastisement, hope remains for God will never abandon His plan of redemption

IV. Question: How long will the pagans be able to deny God exists? (vs. 10a)

    A. The pagans have asked, “Where is the God of the Jews? Why is He not powerful enough to             protect them?

    B. The remnant calls on God to glorify His name by judging the pagans for their war crimes

    C. They want God to step in soon rather than later

ESV Joel 2:17 Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep and say, "Spare your people, O LORD, and make not your heritage a reproach, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?'"

 V. Prayer for vindication and restoration (vs. 10b–13)

      A. A needy a suffering slave in a foreign land full of idols calls on God to judge justly

      B. Their hope is that those who saw the blood shed will also see justice rendered

      C. Like the Jews in Egypt their prayers are coming before God for salvation

      D. The sevenfold fold restitution is requesting God’s full justice

      E. Leviticus 26 show the Jews had reached the fifth level of God’s seven-fold punishment

      F. The judgment needs to be equal to the blasphemy of God’s name

     G. The prayer looks in hope to restoration and worship 

      H. Yahveh is still the remnant, the real believer’s shepherd, they are his sheep

       I. The national lament ends in hope because it is a prayer to the Creator God who sustains                  the universe, is sovereign, powerful, loving, and answers His people's prayer

Lessons to live by:

• It always pays to obey God, once we have a relationship with Him. We don’t have the power to obey in ourselves, so we must be born from above first.

• Sin is not worth it for the believer. It costs too much.

• God’s spanking when we sin is not proof that we have lost our salvation, it is proof we were saved to start with, and God is bringing us to repentance (Heb 12:3–14)

• What is it about human nature to never be satisfied with God’s timing? Confess this as sin and wait on the LORD

• God hears our prays when we are suffering. He is still our Shepherd when He allows us to suffer

• Hope in God! Have faith in God. Believe Him, trust Him, love Him, repent and obey Him

Psalm 59: God is My Rescuer

This psalm is viewed by some as an individual lament, others a community lament, and still others as a royal lament. It was written by David as a song of mourning and prayer, asking God to deliver him from his enemies, but it broadens out to the nations. The first event that is tied to this prayer is 1 Sam 19:11–18. But it is applicable to many situations, much broader than an evil king abusing his power. There are several themes in this psalm that make it difficult to see the structure intended by the author. It seems each Bible student divides the psalm differently.

  I. A prayer for deliverance/salvation (vs. 1–3)

     A. God alone is the One who can deliver, protect, save

     B. David cannot turn to the government; it is a wicked ruler who is stalking him

     C. The righteous will have enemies that will seek their destruction and use ruthless tactics

     D. The wicked deny the sacredness of human life, they are people of bloodshed

     E. The wicked set traps for the righteous and loves to divide people

     F. The wicked love sinful behavior and breaking God’s laws and bringing calamity on others

    G. The wicked use the element of surprise to their advantage

 II. A cry for justice (vs. 4–5)

     A. The wicked attack the righteous without cause

     B. The government was pursing David when he was innocent

     C. The government is not following justice, but the will of corrupt men

     D. God, the sovereign king, must reign in the wicked leaders: God is the Divine Warrior

     E. It is God who punishes the nations of the world for violating His moral law

     F. Yahweh is the God of armies and the God of Israel, His covenant people

    G. Antagonistic people will attack the innocent they perceive as a threat to their power or 

         position, do not join yourselves with them

    H. The Great King in a covenant was responsible to bring his army to defend his loyal 

         governors and subjects (Rev 19:11–21)

III. A description of the wicked (vs. 6–7)

     A. The wicked are like a pack of wild dogs that come into an area looking for food

     B. They are cowards, but they try to intimidate others with their noise

     B. They promote disorder, division, and chaos, and are extremely arrogant

     C. Their talk is mocking, scoffing, accusing, and lying

     D. They deny God’s sovereignty and God’s justice

          1. They are sure they will get away with their sin

          2. They think no one knows about their backroom deals or midnight meetings

IV. A description of God, our hope (vs. 8–10a)

      A. God sees, hears, and records all things. He laughs at those covering up sin

      B. God knows that lawbreaking is self-destructive and the secrets will be revealed

      C. God will make sure His will triumphs in justice and deliverance (Exod 1:8)

      D. Yahweh is stronger than the enemies of the believer

      E. Yahweh is a stronghold and defender of His people

      F. God showers His hesed (covenant love) on his anointed ruler and on His people 

 V. A cry for justice (vs. 10b–13)

      A. God will bring deliverance and justice in His time

      B. The wicked rulers will be held accountable for their thoughts, plans, deeds, and words

      C. These men are deceptive, cruel, and corrupt. What they have sown, they will reap

      D. God will make an example out of the wicked rulers from time to time

      E. These men are liars, slanderers, arrogant, and proud

      F. Wrath from God will come upon them, even though they were part of His wrath on others

     G. God punishment of the wicked shows His rule and authority over Israel, the church, and 

          the world 

     H. God’s wrath on the wicked is another proof of His existence and sovereignty

VI. Trust in God’s response (vs. 14–17)

      A. While the wicked are barking and growling, the righteous are praising God in song

      B. We sing of God’s power, sovereignty, and might, therefore we can trust Him to act

      C. We sing with joy of God’s grace and covenant love

      D. Each new day we can sing of God’s power and might to judge evil

      E. Faith and confidence replace the mourning of the acts of wicked leaders

      F. God has protected David and His people for generations through the times of persecution

      G. God is the only reliable stronghold and refuge in tough times

      H. God is our strength, so let's join David and praise Him for His awesome power

       I. We will experience the hatred of the enemies of the truth, but at the same time, the 

           covenant love of our God

Lessons to live by:

• Salvation/deliverance ultimately comes from God and not from men or nations

• Wicked governmental leaders will pursue and seek to destroy God’s people

• We can cry to God for justice like the Jews under Egyptian bondage

• Wicked talk reveals a wicked heart

• God alone is our true defense and shield

• God loves you and will bring about justice in His time

• God is all powerful, and fully sovereign, He sees and knows all

• God is holy and will bring to justice those who do wicked deeds

• God’s wrath is now being revealed from heaven against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men

• We should praise God for who He is during the trials and storms

• God is faithful and God has covenant love for His people