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

Psalm 57: Trusting and Praising God During Adversity

This psalm is an individual lament written by David. He is in a cave with his men while running from Saul, who is longing to take David’s life. The psalm starts out describing the dangerous anxiety producing situation. Then it moves to trusting (faith, belief) in God and ends with thanksgiving. In our prayers we also should face the difficulties, contemplate our God’s character and acts, and deeply trust him with the situation committed to Him in prayer. This act of transference brings relief and joy that is expressed in our praises offered to God in prayer and song.

RULE #9: When considering sections that were originally Hebrew poetry, look for two lines that are parallel, contrasting, repeating, adding, or expanding the thoughts of each other. Hebrew poetry has meter, (determined by counting the syllables in each line) figurative language, parallelism, and special grammatical features as well as a unique vocabulary. There are certain words and tenses that are very rarely used in poetry (the, which, etc.).

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  I. David’s complaint (lament) stated (vs. 1–5)

     A. A prayer for protection [refuge] (vs. 1)

          1. He needs God’s gracious compassion

          2. The metaphor “wings” (Ps 17:8, 36:7, 61:4, 91:4; Ruth 2:12; Matt 22:37)

          3. The “disaster” or “destruction,” is like a hurricane [search party]

     B. A prayer for vindication in faith (vs. 2–3)

          1. David trusts the all-powerful God will intervene and save him

          2. God will vindicate His obedient followers

          3. God will rebuke those persecuting His people

          4. God will send His covenantal love

          5. God will send His covenantal faithfulness

     C. A prayer of description of the situation [the enemy] (vs. 4)

          1. The enemy is like a hungry lion that can eat a whole man himself

          2. The enemy’s mouth are full of deadly weapons

     D. A refrain of praise for God’s greatness and glory (vs. 5)

          1. Praising God in the dark valley

          2. His chief concern is for the glory of God

 II. David’s gratefulness expressed (vs. 6–11)

     A. The enemy’s plan backfired (vs. 6)

          1. They set traps for David like he was an animal (nets and pits)

          2. David was depressed and carrying a huge burden of concern

          3. The enemy fell into their own pit

     B. The joy produced by answered prayer (vs. 7–8)

          1. Trusting God produces a restful and peaceful inner man

          2. Believing the promises of God transforms worry into worship

     C. Thankfulness for God’s love and faithfulness (vs. 9–10)

          1. Prophetic view of an international people worshiping God

          2. Praise and thanksgiving is offered in prayer and song     

     D. A refrain of praise for God’s greatness and glory (vs. 11)

          1. Nothing is more important that the glory of God

          2. God’s glory will one day cover the earth

Lessons to live by:

• When we need protection and deliverance we should pray

• We pray on the basis of God grace and mercy

• God is so powerful that He can protect us from anything

• Pray in faith, and prayer aids our faith

• God loves His people and is faithful to His promises

• God justice will eventually come upon His enemies

• We can rest in God during difficult days

• We can rejoice we God answers our prayers

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 (NASB) What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?  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.  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.)  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