Psalm 55: Betrayal by Someone in the Fellowship

This psalm is an Individual Lament written by David. It was written after his wilderness wandering and he has lived in Jerusalem for a while. The betrayal listed is similar to Ahithophel’s treason with Absalom, but there is nothing in the psalm connecting it to that event. It may include that event as well as others. Betrayal was an experience of David, and Jesus, the son of David. Many Christians have experience this (William Tyndale). Charles Spurgeon’s own brother made the motion to remove Charles from the Baptist Union because he called on pastors to stand for the Word of God and not compromise with fads or Darwinian evolution (The Downgrade Controversy).

RULE #8: Learn to identify some of the different types of figures of speech used in the Bible

III. Figures of speech that show humanization.

      A. Personification (non-living things - as alive) [the trees of the field clap their hands]

      B. Anthropomorphism (human traits given to God) [before the face of God]

      C. Irony (saying - opposite of what is meant) [1 Kgs 18:27, cry louder, for he is a god]

      D. Hyperbole (deliberate exaggeration - emphasis) [all of Jerusalem and Judea went out]

      E. Interrogation (a one-answer-only question) [Is he not rightly named Jacob . . .]

      F. Idiomatic expressions (riddles, fables, euphemism, understatements, litotes, etc.) [sleep]

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  I. A prayer of desperation (vs. 1–3)

     A. God, please listen to my petition and intervene

     B. The king was required to read from Deuteronomy daily. Deut 22:3 forbids a Jew in Israel  

          from hiding from or ignoring the loss animals or clothing of his fellow Jew. This civil law  

          is similar to “Good Samaritan” laws—pretending you don’t know their need

     C. David uses this Scripture in his prayer because it reflects the character of God

     D. God will not ignore the difficult situation in which His children find themselves (Isa 58:7)

     E. In some cases God alone can deal with injustice

     F. The psalmist is in deep despair and constantly distressed by this problem (miserable)

     G. The antagonists are causing him to suffer by falsely accusing him

          bringing pressure, speaking falsehoods, mocking, bearing grudges

     H. These verbal attacks are a heavy burden

 II. An honest prayer (vs. 4–8)

      A. The psalmist is depressed and demoralized

      B. He is full of fear, anxiety, he is overwhelmed

      C. The pain (anguish) is so bad he wishes he could fly away like a bird

           Elijah 1 Kgs 19:3; Jeremiah Jer 9:2, 10:19

      D. David would rather live in a cave than be treated like this

      E. He is paralyzed emotionally and physically, weak and helpless

      F. Emotional pain can be overwhelming

III. A prayer for justice (vs. 9–15)

      A. The Sovereign God can overthrow the plans of men

           The tower of Babel (Gen 11:1–9)

      B. The antagonist has begun a whispering campaign against the man of God

      C. They are making threats, and they are telling lies

      D. The antagonist/traitor/betrayer first set-up a person in authority

      E. Ahithophel and Judas are prime examples of those who pretend to be your friends only for                   the purpose of hurting you later

      F. The betrayer has appeared to be a friend, been close in fellowship, in worship, meals,                          confidence. Those who are closest to you can hurt you the most

     G. Love demands vulnerability rather than safety, but trust is earned and can be lost

      I. Rebellion and treachery against those God has placed in a position requires God’s intervention

      J. David cites the sudden removal of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, those who rebelled against 

         God’s man Moses (Num 16:1–33). The earth opened up and down they went

IV. A prayer acknowledging God’s faithfulness in the past (vs. 16–21)

      A. What to do when attacked and betrayed by antagonists?

      B. Call on God in prayer. Yahweh will save/deliver His real children through (not from)                                the conflict

      C. The psalmist has a disciplined prayer life: morning, noon, and evening—daily

      D. God has ransomed David in past difficult situations

      E. When you attack God’s children, He has to deal with you to protect them

      F. The Divine Warrior steps in to defend and protect his own

      G. The great faithful Judge will handle injustice and keep His covenant

      H. The antagonists are covenant breakers, back stabbers and con men (liars)

       I. The antagonists' flattery is a cover-up for their wicked hearts

 V. A prayer offering praise and trust in God’s coming justice (vs. 22–23b)

      A. Take your cares, fears, and anxieties to God in prayer

      B. God will take care of wrongdoing, injustice, and make-believers

      C. Long before the Day of Judgment God will step in and bring justice 

VI. A prayer of commitment and faith (vs. 23c)

      A. Hopeful trust can sustain us after we take our burdens to God in prayer

      B. Faith will sustain us in the valleys if it is in the Faithful God of the Bible

Lessons to live by:

● Take your burdens to God in prayer

● Be vulnerable with other believers, but when they prove you cannot trust them, proceed with wisdom (forgiveness is granted, trust is earned)

● Be prepared for difficult days to come and for people to let you down

● Rest on the Sovereign God of the Bible who will sustain you through the pain

● Jesus was betrayed with a kiss; He knows exactly what real betrayal feels like

● Don’t assume you have been betrayed without having the facts

Psalm 53: How Bad are We Anyway?

This psalm is an individual lament. It is almost word for word identical with Psalm 14, but it uses the name ‘elohim for God in several places where Psalm 14 uses the name Yahweh. There are also significant differences between Ps 53:5 and Ps 14:5–6. Teaching about the radical, pervasive, complete depravity of man was so important to the psalmist that he included it twice in the Psalms in almost the same words. Paul quotes this Psalm in Rom 3:10–12. Also see Gen 6:5; Prov 6:16–19; Eccl 7:20, 29, 9:3; Isa 53:6; Jer 13:23, 17:9; Zeph 3:7; Rom 3:9–18; Eph 2: 1–3; 1 Tim 5:6 for a sample of verses (there are over 80) that teach this truth. The “fool” in this Psalm is a wicked person who lives as if there is no God, but he is a make-believer and pretends to be religious (Willem VanGemeren). His IQ may be high, and he does not claim to be an atheist with his words to others, only to himself and by his lifestyle choices. He is suppressing the truth that God sees and records everything that men think, say, and do; and that each person will have to answer for these on the Day of Judgment.

RULE #8: Learn to identify some of the different types of figures of speech used in the Bible

I. Figures of speech that show comparison

   A. Metaphor (implied comparison - two unlike things) [I am the door; Yahweh is my shepherd]

   B. Simile (comparison using - words "like" / as") [My enemy is like a lion]

II. Figures of speech that show relationships or associations by substitution of one noun for 

    another

    A. Metonymy (an object named to represent another) [Their throat {speech} is an open grave]

    B. Synecdoche (part of a thing that represents the whole or the whole thing for a part

         {soul, flesh, their feet run to evil, feet=whole man, the rest of his body follows his feet}

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   I. The wicked live as if God did not exist (vs. 1)

       A. The wicked fool tells himself that God will not see or record his evil deeds

       B. He makes lifestyle choices as if the God of the Bible is not real or cannot see

       C. He does not deny God’s existence to other people with words

       D. He does deny the Holy God of the Bible’s existence by his actions

       E. In his inner man, he tells himself, there is no God, live for pleasure, selfishness, sin

       F. He is a wicked fool storing up wrath for himself on the Day of Judgment

 II. Heaven sees all men as they are: sinners, rebels, lawbreakers (vs. 2–3)

      A. God sees His creation, the Creator-King observes as witness and judge

      B. This is pictured in Gen 3:8–10, 6:5, 11:5, and 18:21 

      C. God verdict, there are no people, male or female that act wisely, understand biblical truth, or will             seek Him on their own

      D. God is the seeker in the Bible. The modern concept of “seeker” is not biblical. They are pleasure             seekers and entertainment seekers or lonely people seeking companionship

      E. Awakened sinners are the folks we want to attract so we can help them surrender to Christ. God             has to first resurrect them and give them the gift of faith (Eph 2:1–9)

      F. Everyone has turned toward sin, it's their natural inclination

      G. All people are born corrupt and continue in corruption until arrested by God

      H. There are no people who do good with the right motive and in the right way

       I. There is not even one exception of the sons of Adam. This is why the virgin birth is vital; Jesus                 had to be out of Adam line to be the sinless Son of God

       J. Mankind is spiritually dead, no spiritual life, the natural man cannot receive spiritual things, he                 is totally unable (Rom 8:7; 1 Cor 2:14)

       K. God must rescue the sinner and draw him to himself (John 6:44, 65)

III. God’s people lament the activity of the wicked (vs. 4–5)

     A. The wicked ignore the coming Day of Judgment

     B. The wicked do not individually know God in a close covenant relationship

     C. The wicked persecute the righteous remnant who do know God

     D. The wicked are never satisfied, they want more and more

     E. The wicked do not call on the LORD in repentance to save them from their sin, they love their sin

     F. Judgment is coming upon them, the covenantal curse of mental anguish (Lev 26:36–37)

     G. Judgment is coming, they will die in battle and not be buried (Lev 26:17, 30)

     H. The wicked are rejected by God and will be publicly shamed (Lev 26:28, 30)

IV. The hope of the righteous (vs. 6)

      A. Salvation of Israel will come out of Zion. He will ride in on a donkey, and leave the city carrying             a cross

      B. In the future God is going to bring the Jews back to their land

     C. King Jesus will reign in Jerusalem for 1000 years

     D. The salvation of the sinner and of the nation of Israel is something to shout about 

Lessons to Live by:

·        It is foolish to live as if God does not see our sin

·        God records everything, He is the Creator, Sovereign, King

·        Mankind (all humans), since the fall are in bad, bad shape

·        The fall corrupted the will, emotions, reasoning, choosing, thinking, physical bodies, no part of man escaped the fall

·        The wicked who mistreat the poor, Jews, or Christians are going to get it—Some on the earth, all at the Judgment (what you sow, you will reap)

·        God is our refuge, our protector, and He will bring justice to the wicked fools who ignore His Word, His law, His righteous standards, His coming Day of Judgment

·        Nothing is worse than being rejected by God! Repent while there is time!

Psalm 51: Confession and Repentance Leads to Restoration

This psalm is an individual lament that is also one of the repentance psalms (Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143). This psalm truly is a “sinner’s prayer,” and may be used effectively in evangelism. In this psalm we have a person that is fully aware they have sinned against God, cannot save themselves, and are in desperate need of grace. The context of this psalm is seen in 2 Samuel 11–12. Nathan the prophet tells a story and confronts King David over his despicable sins. A believer sharing God’s word with another believer is the means God uses to move David from covering his sin to biblical repentance. God’s forgiveness, which was granted, David, did not remove the “built-in” consequences for the sin. Four of David’s children (2 Sam 12:6) died in direct response to David’s adultery and murder (2 Sam 12:9–14) [Bathsheba’s baby, Amnon, Absalom, Adonijah]. BEWARE of the consequences of forgiven sins! Sin is never free, it always costs too much. There are civil penalties, everlasting penalties, and earthly penalties (you reap what you plant).

 

A. A prayer for individual restoration (vs. 1–2)

     B. Personal confession, remorse, and repentance (vs. 3–6)

         C. A prayer for forgiveness, renewal, wisdom, and restoration (vs. 7–12)

     B`. Thanksgiving, petition, praise, and a deeper commitment (vs. 13–17)

A`. A prayer for national restoration (vs. 18–19)

 

Our Bible study rule for this week is:            

RULE #7: Interpret each passage according to the literary style chosen by the author. Observe what type of literature the book, paragraph, and sentence are before seeking to discovering the meaning of words.  Look for: a) figures of speech, b) proverbs, c) parables, d) narratives, e) teaching, f) poetry, g) prophecy, h) allegories, i) historical narrative, j) discourse between individuals, k) occasional letters, etc.

   I. A prayer for pardon, cleansing, and restoration (vs. 1–2)

      A. Have mercy, please do not give me what justice requires. I have no rights to demand                               forgiveness; I throw myself on the mercy of the court

      B. Respond to me based on your (hesed) covenant love and great compassion

      C. If I am going to be saved, it will be by grace and not by my merit

      D. Erase my rebellious acts from your book (Col 2:14)

      E. Wash and cleanse me, for I am like a filthy garment. Guilt helps us realize we are not worthy to               be in God’s presence or the presence of His people. We need to understand this to be delivered               from the wrath to come   

  II. Personal confession, remorse, and repentance (vs. 3–6)

      A. David is finally aware of his violations of the law. His sin is confronting him all day long. He               has moved from covering and denying his sin to confessing it (Ps 32:1–5)

      B. David’s greatest sin is treason against God, compared to his sin against God, the sins against                   Bathsheba, Uriah, his neighbors, pale in comparison (Remember this is poetry that is building             to a central conclusion) [Gen 39:9; Luke 15:8] The central issue about sin is that all sin is                       against the holy Creator God who is Sovereign over His universe. David had intentionally                       violated the moral law of God—committed high-handed rebellion         

      C. God sees everything, He hates sin and He records every sin

      D. David is acknowledging the holy God of the Bible right to judge every sinner including himself            (See Luke 23:41) Romans 3:3-6 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the                             faithfulness of God, will it?  ⁴ May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as                 it is written, "THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS, AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE                             JUDGED."  ⁵ But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who                 inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.)  ⁶ May it never be! For otherwise, how                     will God judge the world? 

      E. Men are sinners from conception and are pervasively depraved

      F. God desires men to believe that He is holy, they are sinful—all men have a big problem. God              desires men to be loyal and realize that God must send His wisdom or they will not admit their              sin and guilt and repent and trust Him

III. A prayer for forgiveness, renewal, wisdom, and restoration (vs. 7–12)

      A. David has committed sins that require death by the civil law, the sin offerings were for                             unintentional sins - God is above the king, so He can grant mercy on the civil offense

      B. David goes to the analogy of the Leper in Leviticus 14, he needs cleansing

      C. David’s greatest need is God’s forgiveness, to be right with God

      D. The leper sprinkled with blood seven times pictured substitution and cleansing by the Messiah to            come, the Lord Jesus Christ

      E. David’s white robe is stained with blood; God can wash it whiter than snow

      F. Cleanse, hide, create (only used with God) David is asking for a miracle, a pure heart God must              bring renewal and cleansing of conscience, giving assurance of being right with God

      G. David does not want to lose his office like Saul did (1 Sam 6:14; 1 Cor 9:27)

      H. Restored fellowship restores peace, joy, and assurance

        I. David needs God’s help to be willing to fight his indwelling sin

IV. Thanksgiving, petition, praise, and a deeper commitment (vs. 13–17)

      A. By his testimony of what not to do, David can warn other sinners

      B. He needs God to save him from violating His holy law—bloodguilt

      C. Those who have been saved by grace thank and praise God for it

      D. God hates sacrifices without genuine repentance, sorrow for sin, and faith

 V. A prayer for national restoration (vs. 18–19)

      A. Our sin affects others (Josh 7:1–21; 2 Sam 24:10–17; Cor 6:15–20)

      B. Sacrifices without a relationship and repentance are worthless

Lessons to Live by: Men can never merit God’s favor. We must throw ourselves on the mercy of the court. We are really sinful, and thus, we need a substitute to live a holy life for us and to die for our sin. God is just when He judges sinners, He is gracious when He forgives sinners by judging His Son in their place. We need forgiveness, cleansing, and to be right with God.

Psalm 44: Redeem us Because of Your Unfailing Love

Psalms 42–72 are in the second scroll of the Psalms. The human authors of book two include the sons of Korah, Asaph, David, and Solomon. Psalms 42 and 43 are individual lament psalms. Psalm 44 is a community (national) lament psalm. It is describing Israel’s defeat in battle.

Our Bible study rule for this week is:

Rule # 4: Interpret each passage according to the divine and human author’s purpose and plan.  The “purpose” is the object, goal, and/or reason for the writing of this book, chapter, section, and verse. The plan is the author’s literary method or structure for communicating his purpose. The purpose of the gospel of John is “to produce faith that you might believe Jesus is God and receive everlasting life through Jesus.” The plan of the book of Acts is 1) Jerusalem & Judea; 2) Samaria; 3) Gentile world.

   I. Rehearsing God’s past acts of deliverance (vs. 1–3)

      A. God’s people participated in redemptive history

      B. God’s people shared with their children the mighty acts of God

      C. God’s power caused Israel to be established in the land of Canaan

      D. Israel had been granted God’s election, love and favor (grace)

      E. “Flourishing” is part of the covenantal blessing to be fruitful and multiply

  II. Rekindling confidence in God based on the past (vs. 4–8)

      A. God is the great king who is close to His people

      B. God, as king, decree’s the sons of Jacob’s salvations, deliverances, victories

      C. Trusting in God, the cause and source, not the means, tools, weapons

      D. Boasting only in God, praising His name alone and continually

      E. Instead of national pride, humble reliance on the God of Israel

III. Facing the present suffering, disgrace, and shame (vs. 9–16)

      A. God has withdrawn His presence and protection from the army of Israel

      B. Without God, Israel cannot win

      C. They lost the battle and had to retreat

      D. They were beaten and plundered

      E. The POWs were sold as slaves

      F. God’s people are suffering like Job

      G. Now they are disgraced and humiliated

      H. Shame has set in and is doing its damage

       I. How can the God of our fathers abandon us?

IV. The claim of innocence (vs. 17–22)

      A. This is completely true of the faithful remnant only, but under David’s united kingdom 

            idolatry and evil were not as widespread as it would be from Solomon onward

      B. Because God’s people belong to Him, suffering and mistreatment will come by those who 

           hate God

      C. This dark providence is not a result of a chastisement based on violating the covenant

      D. The inner man, hearts of the people, were remaining faithful to Yahweh

      E. The actions (feet) of the people were in conformity to His law

      F. Desolation and darkness instead of construction and light (jackals = desert wolves)

      G. The heart is the seat of sin and of worship, God see’s all - outward conformity is never 

           enough, love motivated obedience starts in the inner man of the person of faith

      H. How does someone who hates the invisible God attempt to harm Him?

           By attacking his people. They are suffering “vicariously” as substitutes like sheep, Isa 53:7

       I. They are suffering for God's sake (Rom 8:36)

       J. When a nation brings on God’s wrath, the remnant suffers with the wicked in some 

           general ways

       K. Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as 

            serpents and innocent as doves.”

 V. A prayer for deliverance/salvation (vs. 23–26)

      A. Notice there is no answer to the question why God would allow His people to suffer even 

           when they are being faithful to Him (health, wealth, prosperity?)

      B. In faith the community looks to God for deliverance

      C. They need God’s immediate attention and salvation now (figurative language)

      D. God, don’t ignore our misery and oppression

      E. In humble dependence they bow down to the ground in worship (2 Cor 12:7)

      F. Divine Warrior come to our aid

     G. They need redemption in body and soul, only God can do it

     H. In faith, they rest in the promise of God, His hesed covenant love 

          (Exod 34:6–7; Mic 7:18, 20; Rom 8:36–39)

Lessons to Live by:

● We need to read of God’s past mighty acts in the Bible and believe His true truth

● Our confidence in the present is affirmed by the word of God and our memories of God’s past deliverances

● When a nation is under God’s discipline or wrath they need to call out in prayer and repentance

● Suffering and shame are part of a fallen world. But Jesus suffered for us and bore our shame, so we can press on with God confidence and faith

● The internal is more important than the external, but they both must go together

● Only God can redeem us, not based on what we deserve, but by His hesed

Psalm 40: Great is Thy Faithfulness

 A prayer for future deliverance after recounting God’s past deliverances

This Psalm, written by David, is similar to Psalm 27 and Psalm 70. It is a royal prayer that begins with confidence and thanksgiving for what God has done. Then it moves to praying for the present difficulties that need divine intervention.

Our Bible study rule is:

RULE #3: Interpret each passage based on the grammar used in each sentence. Pay attention to the verbs (tenses: past, present, future), subjects, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, preposition, etc. Use a dictionary and an English grammar book for help. If the passage is difficult to understand, label the key words grammatically and note their relationships to each other.

Many of the psalms and other Old Testament passages are written with a special form that is called a chiasm. It has a special pattern that has greater emphasis on the information in the center (D. and D`.) and there are parallels throughout the literary unit (A and A,` B and B,` etc.).

A. A personal experience of divine salvation (vs. 1–3)

     B. The blessing of Yahweh’s protection (vs. 4–5)

          C. A statement of commitment (vs. 6–8)

               D. A proclamation of God’s character (vs. 9–10)

               D`. A prayer based on God’s character (vs. 11)

          C`. A confession of sin (vs. 12)

     B`. A prayer for God’s protection (vs. 13–16)

A`. A personal need of divine salvation (vs. 17)

  I. A personal experience of divine salvation (vs. 1–3)

     A. Waiting patiently was rewarded

     B. The rescue was accomplished by God

     C. Quick sand, Jeremiah in the pit

     D. This may have been a terminal illness from which David was healed 

     E. The nation of Israel was delivered by God just as David was

     F. The rock is a symbol of God’s protection and defense

    G. God’s salvation results in worship, singing thanksgiving unto God

    H. God’s interventions can be seen and results in reverence and trust in Yahweh

 II. The blessing of Yahweh’s protection (vs. 4–5)

      A. Reflection on the life of faith

      B. Pride and idols bring curses

      C. Faith and obedience bring blessings

      D. God’s supernatural providential interventions are the “wonders”

           (Daniel and his friends)

      E. The history of redemption records many deliverances

III. A statement of commitment (vs. 6–8)

     A. Dedication and gratitude show that mere formalism does not do the job

     B. Ritual are not enough; Saul offered a sacrifice wrongly and lost the kingdom

     C. These words go beyond David and are Messianic (Heb 10:5–10)

     D. The O.T. predicted the Messiah’s coming

     E. Loving God with all our heart is first and foremost

     F. The procedure without the heart is never good enough

IV. A proclamation of God’s character (vs. 9–10)

      A. Proclamation of God’s saving acts is a duty

      B. God is righteous, faithful, loving, saving, truthful

      C. Proclamation is to the worshiping assembly

      D. God acts for the benefit of His kingdom and His covenant 

 V. A prayer based on God’s character (vs. 11)

      A. Waiting on God again for deliverance

      B. A new crisis has arisen for David or the nation

      C. David needs God’s hesed (covenant love) and mercy

VI. A confession of sin (vs. 12)

       A. My iniquities or the nations has caused this chastisement

       B. The consequence of sin always involves pain

       C. David goes to God for help even when the problem is his fault because he is in a covenant 

            relationship with God

VII. A prayer for God’s protection (vs. 13–16)

       A. David needs immediate deliverance       

       B. My enemies need to be stopped by God

       C. Those that love God praise and worship Him

       D. Believers seek God and His glory

VIII. A personal need of divine salvation (vs. 17)

        A. My help my deliverer (savior) is the Yahweh

        B. He does not doubt God’s ability to save

Lessons to Live by:

• We are prone to quickly forget God’s past deliverances. When we are going through a new trial we should look back to God’s past acts in the Bible and in our lives

• God is faithful, righteous, true, and keeps His covenant promises

• We need to reaffirm our confidence in God and proclaim His greatness

• We need to trust God for salvation

• We need to confess our sins to God and take responsibility for our iniquities

• We need to go to God our Savior in prayer—He alone can deliver us

• Once we do our part, we need to wait on God 

Psalm 39: Looking for Help at the Right Place

This Psalm is an “individual lament.” This is a poetic prayer asking God to step in and change a desperate situation. This is the late-night cry of the soul out to God about the dark providences' frail humans face in a fallen world full of evil spirits, evil people, faltering friends, and a cursed natural order. A Hymn praises God for who He is or thanks Him for what He has done. A lament begs God for help in times of crisis. Most laments include: 1) An address to God; 2) Complaint; 3) Confession of trust in God; 4) Petition to God; 5) Words of assurance; 6) Vow of praise.

Our Bible study rule for this week is:

RULE #2: Interpret each passage according to the correct meaning of the words used in the verse.  For serious study, use a dictionary and a concordance to be sure of what the key words mean. Each context will limit the possible meanings for each word. Different translations, commentaries, and Hebrew or Greek lexicons are additional sources to help you see the range of nuances each term has and how this context limits those choices. (Think of the English term: trunk. What are some of the possible meanings? How does the context, “The car’s trunk was scratched,” limit the possible meanings?)

   I. Silence before the LORD (Yahweh). vs 1–3 

      A. Address to God: I am going to hold my peace in front of the wicked. vs. 1

           1. I don’t want to be irreverent to God and sin with my mouth.

           2. I don’t want to give evil people additional reasons to blaspheme God.

      B. Complaint: My silence increased my internal agonizing pain.  vs. 2

           1. I kept my murmuring from coming out of my mouth.

           2. I am submitting to God, but I must call on Him for help

      C. Complaint: My emotions were not as easy to control as I thought. vs. 3

           1. I need help.

           2. I must go to God in prayer.

  II. A prayer for the gift of God’s wisdom and discernment. vs. 4–6

      A. Petition to God: Help me come to terms with how short life is. vs. 4

      B. Address to God: Life is brief. I want to go miles, instead I go inches. vs. 5

      C. Address to God: Humans are mortal and can’t control what happens. vs. 6

          1. Compared to God, men are not that important

          2. After death, they have no significant say in their affairs

III. A prayer for salvation. vs. 7–8

      A. Confession of trust: My trust is in the Lord (Adonai).  vs. 7

           1. There is no place else for the righteous to go.

           2. I hope in and wait for the Lord’s salvation.

      B. Petition to God: Save me from all of my violations of your law. vs. 8

           1. Save me from the power of sin.

           2. Save me from the love of and control of sin.

     C. Petition to God: Do not let the fools of the earth laugh me to scorn. vs. 8

IV. Silence before the Lord. vs. 9

      A. Address to God: Lord, I was silent partially because I know You allowed this. vs. 9 

      B. Acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty and secret providence vs.9

          1. God may be using sickness, old age, or evil people to bring this chastisement.

          2. God chastises through secondary means those whom He loves.

          3. This difficult thing has been the Lord’s will up until now.

          4. I willingly accept this is for my ultimate good even though I do not understand

 V. A prayer for grace, strength, and deliverance. vs. 10–11

      A. Petition to God: I repent of my sin, remove the spanking from me. vs. 10

      B. Address to God: Men are frail, life is brief, your chastisement is strong. vs. 11

          1. God rebukes His people when they sin

          2. God disciplines His people when they sin

          3. Covenant violators receive the futility curse for their rebellion

VI. A prayer for restoration to fellowship. vs. 12–13

      A. Petition to God: Yahweh, please answer my prayer. vs. 12a

           1. Prayer for forgiveness.

           2. Prayer for deliverance, salvation.

      B. Address to God: God, you are great and I am not. vs. 12b

           1. I am an illegal alien before you. I don’t deserve blessings.

           2. I am waiting for Your promises to be fulfilled like my fathers.

      C. Petition to God: LORD, I repent, remove the chastisement. vs. 13

           1. I long to be restored to close fellowship with You.

           2. I want to find my joy in you again.

           3. I am a weak human, have mercy on me. (Made from dust.)

Lessons to Live By:

1. There is a time to be silent and a time to speak. When God chastises us for sin, it is time to speak a genuine prayer of repentance. The pain awakens us to how deeply we have sinned against a holy God who hates all sin.

2. We should fear and reverence God, even when in deep pain. We should honestly but reverently express our souls to Yahweh in prayer.

3. The Bible tells us that we should number our days, because life is short. (17,338 days) We need the biblical wisdom to not live for the now, but to live for eternity. If you belong to God, you will have your best life later. Heaven is not here and is not yet.

4. Keep short accounts with God. Stay clean (1 John 1:9) confessing your sin, living lives of repentance and faith, so that you can also stay close to God in sweet fellowship.

5. Human pride is a dangerous thing. God is great, men are frail. God is sovereign, men are slaves. God is holy, men are sinners. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Psalm 37: Wise Living Among Wicked People

This is a wisdom psalm in an alphabet/acrostic form (Analyze [your] Bible Continually, Daily Exegeting [it] Fully & Gracefully w/ Holy Intensity & Journaling, Kingdom Living Modeling). When one uses this form, the material is not always in logical order, but is in alphabetical order. This wisdom psalm is also like Psalm 1, 49, 73, and the book of Proverbs.  This week we will also consider an important rule for Bible study. 

RULE #1: Interpret each passage based on its context. The context is King for most interpretation problems. Context is the verses before and after the verse you are studying. Read them and think. Pay attention to the flow of ideas in each paragraph.

(For more insights see Willem VanGemeren, Derek Kidner, and Charles Spurgeon on Psalm 37)

Theme: How can a just God allow the wicked to prosper and the righteous to be afflicted?

  I. A call to hope in Yahweh’s deliverance (vs. 1–6) 

     A. Be careful with how you respond to the wicked—no anger, resentment, or jealousy

     B. Keep eternity in view, get the big picture. What is their future?

     C. Instead trust in Yahweh. Love Him, have faith in Him. Fretting kills faith

     D. Do good to those afflicting you (rather than self-pity and hatred)

     E. Submit to God’s will while praying for deliverance

     F. Delight yourself in Yahweh and find the fullness of joy in Him while suffering 

    G. If a close relationship with God is your desire, seek Him, and you will have it (Mat 5:6)

    H. Real faith involves a dependent trust and surrender or commitment to Him

         and casting our burdens on Him in prayer (Prov 16:3; 1 Pet 5:7)

     I. Trust in His character: He is holy, just, and righteous and the Judge

     J. Patiently wait for God’s deliverance even if it is until Judgment Day

 II. Comfort from divine retribution (vs. 7–11)

      A. Be still, rest, wait on Yahweh to act (Mat 5:7)

      B. The wicked have an agenda, a plan against the righteous

      C. Replace the negative emotions that can destroy you with deep trust and worship

      D. God’s justice will involve the removal and everlasting punishment of the wicked 

      E. The wicked will soon be forgotten, the righteous will be blessed (Mat 5:5)

III. A contrast between the ways of the righteous and the wicked (vs. 12–26)

      A. The wicked plots against the just, grinds his teeth in anger, prepared weapons to use on the              righteous

      B. Yahweh will laugh, look to the day of deliverance and the Day of Judgment, justly turn the 

           wicked weapons on themselves

      C. The poor righteous are far better off than the rich wicked

      D. Yahweh punishes the wicked and sustains the righteous

      E. Yahweh protects the righteous and gives them an everlasting reward

      F. The wicked will perish and be gone from the land

      G. The wicked borrows and steals, the righteous gives and shows mercy

      H. The blessed enjoy the land of Israel, the cursed are removed from the land

       I. The Sovereign LORD protects and aids those who belong to Him

IV. A call for wise living because of divine retribution (vs. 27–33)

      A. Depart from evil do good, Yahweh does not forsake His holy ones

      B. The families of the wicked reap the consequences of his sin

      C. Yahweh loves righteousness and hates wickedness

      D. Everlasting blessing are for the wise righteous ones

      E. The righteous speak wisdom because God’s moral law is in his heart

      F. Yahweh will cause the wicked plans for murder to fail

 V. A call to hope in Yahweh’s deliverance (vs. 34–40) 

      A. Wait on Yahweh, trust Him, gratefully obey Him 

      B. He is a God of justice, and one day His justice will come

      C. His mercy is holding off His wrath, but not forever

      D. The future of the obedient is complete wholeness and rest

      E. The future of the wicked is destruction and punishment

      F. The salvation of the righteous is from Yahweh

           He is their strength during difficult days

           He delivers them from the wicked

           He saves those who trust in Him

Application: Why should we live in the light of eternity, rather than just for the moment? What good will anger, complaining, fretting, whining, about the prosperity of the wicked do for us? What will trusting God, living by faith, even doing good to our enemies do for us? Which is the wise path, living for eternity, or living for the now only?  What is the price tag for sin? Is it ever worth it? Do you desire a close relationship with God? Do you delight in the God of the Bible? Do you believe in the Judgment Day to come that the Bible repeatedly reveals? How, then, should we live, if today counts for eternity? Which is the real path of wisdom, living for the temporary pleasures of today, with all it consequences,  or living for the future glory in heaven?