Psalm 17

A Prayer of David.

1 Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry;
give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence;
let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.

3 Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night;
thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing;
I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips
I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.
5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God;
incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
7 Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness,
O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee
from those that rise up against them.

8 Keep me as the apple of the eye,
hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
9 from the wicked that oppress me,
from my deadly enemies who compass me about.

10 They are inclosed in their own fat;
with their mouth they speak proudly.
11 They have now compassed us in our steps;
they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
12 like as a lion that is greedy of his prey,
and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.

13 Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down;
deliver my soul from the wicked, [by] thy sword:
14 from men [by] thy hand, O LORD,
from men of the world, which have their portion in this life,
and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure;
they are full of children,
and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.

15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

JW: David appealing to God for his integrity, begs for defence against his enemies, ver. 1-9; describes their wickedness, ver. 10-12; prays for deliverance from them, and rests in hope, ver. 13-15.

[On verse 3:] 'Proved' - or, searched or tried it, by many temptations and afflictions. 'Night' - when men's minds being freed from the distraction of business, and from the society of men, they act more vigorously and freely, according to their several inclinations. 'Tried' - as goldsmiths do metals. 'Nothing' - nothing of unrighteousness. 'Purposed' - I have resolved, upon deliberation, as the word implies. 'Mouth' - I am so far from practising against Saul's life, as they charge me, that I will not wrong him so much as in a word.

[On verse 10:] 'They' - they live in splendor and prosperity.

[On verse 14:] 'Treasure' - with extraordinary wealth and glory. 'Children' - when many of thy faithful servants are barren, these are blessed with a numerous posterity.

[On verse 15:] 'I will' - I do not place my portion in earthly treasures, but in beholding God's face, in the enjoyment of God's presence and favour; which is enjoyed in part in this life, but not fully. 'Satisfied' - The time is coming, wherein I shall be abundantly satisfied with beholding thy face. 'Awake' - When I arise from the dead. 'Likeness' - with the image of God stamped upon my glorified soul.

I absolutely love the resolution of this Psalm, and I appreciate Wesley's take on it. The last 2-3 verses sound so much like the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). The Sermon echoes the Psalm when Jesus says things like "...assuredly I tell you, they already have their reward." We also see this Psalm echoed in 1 John 3.2-3: "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure." Do you hear the words of Jesus, too? "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

The Psalmist observes the disconnect between the good things ("fat," "treasures," having children, etc.) that exist in the world and the fact that the wicked enjoy them, seemingly much more than the righteous. Now any serious reading of the Bible will clearly indicate that food, money, and child-bearing are not bad or evil things, but in fact are (or can be) seen and used in a positive light. Certainly being fruitful in bearing children is a very good thing, as it was commanded to our parents in the creation, a very good creation, to "be fruitful and multiply..." The difference is in this phrase: "which have their portion in this life." When these "things" become our ultimate treasure, then we know where our treasure is being stored. But if we use and relate to whatever we are graced with in this life, and realize that we are called to be good stewards in all these areas, then we know that these "gifts" are not our own! The treasure is laid up and we find ourselves ultimately satisfied with the one thing needful: beholding the face of God.

Because David did not bow down to the things of the earth...because he was not ultimately satisfied in what this world had to offer, he was able to proclaim, "I will behold thy face in righteousness." Can we really say that we're ready for that? To behold the face of God? Let's not undervalue the significance of the face and its relation to image & likeness. Isn't this why the bride's veil in a wedding carries such profound eschatological significance for us? And echoing again what I said in relation to the blind man that Jesus touched twice to heal, can't you see this Psalm as Advent-esque, in living in light of the first coming of Jesus, where we can enjoy "God's presence and favour," as Wesley puts it, "but not fully" yet...until we "awake" in the resurrection. Then the veil will be removed and "we shall become like him for we shall see him as he is." I recall the satisfaction I had when Carrie's veil was removed and I have since then known her as my wife! I've heard it said that the longer a couple stays together, the more they begin to look alike as time goes on. People have said as much regarding Carrie and me, specifically. That's but a foretaste of the satisfaction we shall know when we awake with God's likeness. And there's an eternity for that.

Psalm 16

Michtam of David.

1 Preserve me, O God;
for in thee do I put my trust.
2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, "Thou art my Lord;
my goodness extendeth not to thee."

3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent,
in whom is all my delight.

4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god;
their drink offerings of blood will I not offer,
nor take up their names into my lips.

5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup;
thou maintainest my lot.
6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places;
yea, I have a goodly heritage.

7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel;
my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth;
my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell;
neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life:
in thy presence is fulness of joy;
at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

JW: David professes his trust in God, his adherence to him and love of his people, ver. 1-3; his satisfaction in God, ver. 4-7; he speaks in the person of Christ, of God's presence with him, of his resurrection and the glory that should follow, ver. 8-11.

As David was both a member, and an eminent type, of Christ, he speaks of himself sometimes in the one and sometimes in the other capacity: and therefore having spoken himself as a member of Christ in the former part of the psalm, he proceeds to consider himself as a type of Christ, and being inspired by the Holy Ghost: towards the close he speaks such things, as though they might be accommodated in a very imperfect sense, yet could not properly belong to any but Christ, to whom therefore they are justly appropriated in the New Testament.

[On verse 3:] 'But' - I bear a singular respect and love to all saints, for thy sake, whose friends and servants they are, and whose image they bear.

[On verse 5:] 'The Lord' - I rejoice in God as my portion, and desire no better, no other felicity. 'Cup' - the portion which is put into my cup, as the ancient matter was in feasts, where each had his portion of meat, and of wine allotted to him.

[On verse 8:] 'I have set' - I have always presented him to my mind, as my witness and judge, as my patron and protector. Hitherto David seems to have spoken with respect to himself, but now he is transported by the spirit of prophecy, and carried above himself, to speak as a type of Christ, in whom this and the following verses were truly accomplished. Christ as man did always set his father's will and glory before him. 'Right hand' - to strengthen, protect, assist, and comfort me: as this assistance of God was necessary to Christ as man.

[On verse 9:] 'My flesh' - my body shall quietly rest in the grave. 'Shall rest' - in confident assurance of its incorruption there, and of its resurrection to an immortal life.

More than in many other Psalms, Wesley's comments here resemble a test case that displays significant segments of his theology: a Christ-centered hermeneutic (typology), Christology, anthropology, and eschatology.

Staying true to what Wesley said in his introduction to the Book of Psalms, this Psalm is appropriately read through the lens of Christ, especially to the hope that we have in light of his resurrection. And it is in this light that I want to share with you an insight shared with me from a former professor.

If you've read many of my posts, you've likely come across the idea of the importance for Christians to maintain a faith and confidence in the bodily resurrection, as opposed to some notion of an immortal disembodied soul. The resurrection is something that not only happened for Jesus, but also will happen for us all. This is why David declares prophetically here, "my flesh shall rest in hope." It's also why Paul tells us that "we grieve, but not as those without hope." It is because death has been conquered in Christ's resurrection and will be ultimately destroyed in the general resurrection. If after death all that happens to me is that my soul goes to heaven, then death remains the victor. Some may question the pastoral application of this approach if spoken in the context of a funeral or recent loss of a close friend or family member. It is questioned because we're pressured to bring a word of happiness that will bring comfort for grievers NOW, that will cause them/us to be jubilant NOW! We're forced, essentially, into saying that "(fill in the blank) is in heaven, is no longer suffering, so everything is okay and great!" And this all too often leads to a troubling conclusion when you hear someone say of a corpse, "That's not really (fill in the blank)."

That is something I've heard from people many times. And it is what a friend and former professor of mine heard at his grandfather's funeral visitation. His grandfather was the first person he recalls dying with whom he had an intimate connection. Folks attempted to console him with that phrase. "That's not really your grandfather! He's in heaven now!" I'm not sure he actually said this to his "consolers" but his reply was, "I don't know my grandfather apart from that body. Those hands are the hands that held me. Those lips are the lips that read to me and told me stories...I don't know my grandfather apart from that body." Please don't mistake his reply for despair. It is a sobering reality. It is grief. But knowing my friend's confidence that his grandfather's body will one day be raised, it is NOT a grief without hope. I think that's what hope looks like in this "now and not yet" kingdom era we live in. A hope that is dissatisfied with pat answers. A hope that is dissatisfied that hurt still happens. A hope that is dissatisfied that death still stings. But a hope that confidently awaits a day when hurt and death will be no more, when it "shall come to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" That is how we can rejoice! For "my flesh also shall rest in hope."

Psalm 15

A Psalm of David.

1 LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle?
Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness,
and speaketh the truth in his heart.
3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue,
nor doeth evil to his neighbour,
nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned;
but he honoureth them that fear the LORD.
He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
5 He that putteth not out his money to usury,
nor taketh reward against the innocent.
He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

JW: The scope of this short, but excellent psalm, is to shew us the way to heaven. Here is a question posed, ver. 1. The answer to it, ver. 2-5.

[On verse 1:] 'Who' - who shall so dwell in thy church here, as to dwell with thee for ever in heaven.

[On verse 2:] 'Uprightly' - Loving, and serving God, and loving his neighbour not in word only, but in truth; and this constantly. 'Worketh' - makes it his business to do justly, to give every one his due, first to God, and then to men. 'Speaketh' - his words and professions to God and men, agree with the thoughts and purposes of his heart.

[On verse 4:] 'Honoureth' - He highly esteems and loves them, though they be mean [i.e., average] as to their worldly condition, and though they may differ from him in some opinions or practices of lesser moment. 'Sweareth' - a promissory oath. 'Hurt' - to his own damage. As if a man solemnly swear, that he will sell him such an estate at a price below the full worth; or that, he will give a poor man such a sum of money, which afterwards he finds inconvenient to him. 'Changeth not' - his purpose, but continues firm and resolved to perform his promise.

In addition to the selected insights from Wesley (above), two statements from a couple of Church Fathers are pertinent for this Psalm. Athanasius said: "If you wish to learn what sort of person is a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, sing Psalm 15." The other (from Jerome) is more commentary than a simple quip about the Psalm. It's on the idea of 'justice' (or righteousness, verse 2) and that it serves as the mother of all virtues:

Justice alone is the great virtue and mother of them all. Someone may ask, 'How is justice greater than all the other virtues?' The other virtues gratify the one who possesses them; justice does not give pleasure to the one possessing it but instead pleases others...Of what avail is my wisdom to the poor person? Of what avail my courage? My chastity, how does it help the poor person? Justice is the virtue that benefits him...Justice knows no brother, it knows no father, it knows no other; it knows truth; it is not a respecter of persons; it imitates God.

So what are we to make of the whole issue of depravity and the inability of people to save ourselves? Has Wesley (and David, perhaps for that matter) gone Pelagian here? It drives me crazy sometimes when people react negatively to a word or phrase because it has all sorts of negative associations with it. [I can't claim innocence altogether here, so I'm pointing the finger at myself for doing such things from time to time. So yeah, I drive myself crazy.] Like 'works' and 'righteousness.' Since the days of the Reformation, we Protestants have too easily fallen prey to a spirit of looking for a demon of 'works righteousness' under any bush that puts the two together in a positive light. If that's true of us then this Psalm should cause some friction with our approach. Sure our righteousness is as 'filthy rags,' so does that mean we shouldn't try? That we shouldn't let God actually make us righteous? "You can't do anything to please God so stop trying!" Okay then, I guess we should do nothing. And justice is...? Just something for a future judgment?

Wesley's assessment that this psalm "shews us the way to heaven" was not a suggestion that we earn our salvation. It was and is a recognition that the faith that God accounts as righteousness does not come alone. Any notion of 'faith' that does not 'work by love' falls short of any Pauline or biblical notion of 'faith.' This psalm reflects that. This psalm shows us the way to heaven. A way that we are unable to attain on our own, and that needed a pioneer in Christ. But this Author of our faith is also the Perfecter of our faith and enables us to walk the path that He walked. The path of righteousness.

So I'll keep throwing up my filthy rags, because God is transforming them (and so long as I let Him, me) into something pure.

Psalm 14

To the chief musician,
A Psalm of David.

1 The fool hath said in his heart, "There is no God."
They are corrupt, they have done abominable works,
there is none that doeth good.

2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men,
to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy;
there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge?
who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.

5 They were in great fear;
for God is in the generation of the righteous.

6 Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor,
because the LORD is his refuge.

7 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion!
When the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people,
Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

JW: The atheism and corruption of mankind, ver. 1-3; an expostulation with sinners, ver. 4-6; a prayer for the salvation of God, ver. 7.

[On verse 2:] 'Looked' - God knoweth all things without an enquiry: but he speaks after the manner of men. 'Upon' - upon the whole Israelitish nation, and upon all mankind for he speaks of all except his people, and the righteous ones, who are opposed to these, ver. 4, 5.

[On verse 4:] 'Bread' - with as little remorse, and with as much greediness. 'Call not' - they are guilty not only of gross injustice towards men, but also of horrid impiety and contempt of God.

[On verse 6:] 'Because' - this was the ground of their contempt, that he lived by faith in God's promise and providence.

[On verse 7:] 'O that' - These words immediately concern the deliverance of Israel out of that sinful state, in which they now were; which having described, he concludes, with a prayer to God to help them out of Zion, where the ark then was, but principally they design the spiritual redemption and salvation of all God's Israel by the Messiah.

A Psalm against outspoken atheists who belittle or persecute those who would be silly or ignorant enough to profess belief in a deity. Or so it might seem. But something about this psalm haunts. It's those three words that are easily missed if we immediately jump to the philosophical debate between theists and atheists. Those three words: in his [or her] heart. Brennan Manning notably quipped (and was quoted by dc Talk in the seconds before the track 'What If I Stumble?'): "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today are Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle." That statement may be true. But another one that may be equally or more true would be to amend 'cause' to 'evidence.' The fool says in the heart that there is no God. It is practical atheism in view. Even though Wesley didn't say anything of that in his notes here, he was known to speak against this sort of atheism than the atheism of the philosophical arena. If I acknowledge Jesus with my lips but really don't live as though God exists, wouldn't that make me an atheist, really?

Ricky Gervais posted an article a few days before Christmas about why he's an atheist. The turning point came when he was 8 years old and his 19-year-old brother asked him a question. Here's the way he described it:

I was happily drawing [a picture of Jesus] when my big brother Bob asked, 'Why do you believe in God?' Just a simple question. But my mum panicked. 'Bob,' she said in a tone that I knew meant, 'Shut up.' Why was that a bad thing to ask? If there was a God and my faith was strong it didn't matter what people said. Oh...hang on. There is no God. [Bob] knows it and she knows it deep down. It was as simple as that. I started thinking about it and asking more questions, and within an hour, I was an atheist.

Now whether or not his assessment of his mother's intentions or beliefs were accurate, his estimation is fair. His perception was that his mom, in her heart, said there was no God. The heart is what circulates blood, which is life. If my living conveys there is no God, then my heart says the same. All of this is not to discount to the philosophical debate of God's existence as unimportant, but philosophy is not the point of this psalm. And in the end I think that the moral argument is perhaps the best one for this age and where I think Gervais' argument philosophically falls flat. He suggests in conclusion that though there is no God, we should still be "nice." Why do good? And how do you determine what is good or nice?

Returning to the Psalm. Atheists, in this psalm, eat up God's people as one would eat bread. I think Wesley has an accurate comment on that, as lacking remorse and being filled with greed. Consumerism. When the church falls prey to it, we neglect the poor and are nothing short of being atheists in the world because there is no remorse and it is the epitome of greediness. So yes, take Ricky Gervais' advice...be nice. Better yet, take it a step further. Be compassionate. Because there is a God and this God seeks for the good of the other, sides with those who are belittled, neglected, and oppressed, (look at the Incarnation...and its correspondence with verse 7 of this Psalm) and wants us to do the same.

Psalm 13

To the chief musician,

A Psalm of David.

1 How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever?

How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

2 How long shall I take counsel in my own soul,

having sorrow in my heart daily?

How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God;

lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

4 Lest mine enemy say, "I have prevailed against him;"

and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

5 But I have trusted in thy mercy;

my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

6 I will sing unto the LORD,

because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

JW: David complains to God - ver. 1, 2; prays for help - ver. 3, 4; rejoices in hope - ver. 5, 6.

[On verse 2:] 'How long' - shall I be in such perplexities, not knowing what course to take.

[On verse 3:] 'Lighten' - revive and comfort, and deliver me from the darkness of death, which is ready to come upon me.

[On verse 6:] 'I will sing' - It is a common thing for David and other prophets to speak of future deliverances as if they were already come, that so they may signify both the infallible certainty of the thing, and their firm assurance thereof.

I really like the way Wesley puts that: "David...speak(s) of future deliverances as if they were already come." Doesn't that express a great truth about this age in which we live. The age of the resurrection. Drew Causey had a great post yesterday, which you can see here, where he pointed out the power for today that 'Christ is risen!' That conveys some added significance for today than just 'Christ was raised!' Those statements aren't opposed because the former is a statement of the continuation of the latter. That Christ is risen (and ascended) is more than just a promise for our future deliverance, it gives us hope even for today, an ability to somehow participate in a foretaste of what is to come.

In that sense we can speak of our future deliverance as if it has already come because in some sense it has! And the guarantee of that, or the down-payment of sorts, is that Christ resides in us by the Holy Spirit. We have this 'good infection' that is a foretaste of the resurrected life. We still will die. There are times when we sense that God has forgotten us and that our enemies are exalted above us. But we can rejoice today, even today, in God's salvation and sing of the favor that God has poured upon us, his people. Let us live in the power of the resurrection, even as we await its final consummation!

Psalm 12

To the chief musician upon Sheminith,
A Psalm of David.

1 Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth;
for the faithful fail from among the children of men.
2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour;
with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

3 The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips,
and the tongue that speaketh proud things,
4 who have said, "With our tongue will we prevail,
our lips are our own; who is lord over us?"

5 "For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,
now will I arise," saith the LORD,
"I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him."
6 The words of the LORD are pure words;
as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD,
thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
8 The wicked walk on every side,
when the vilest men are exalted.

JW: David begs help of God, having no man whom he could trust, ver. 1, 2; describes the wicked and assures himself, that God would punish them, and preserve the just, ver. 3-8.

[On verse 4:] 'Our own' - at our own disposal to speak what we please, who can control or restrain us.

[On verse 6:] 'Pure' - without the least mixture of falsehood; and therefore shall infallibly be fulfilled.

[On verse 8:] 'Walk' - they fill all places, and go about boldly and securely.

Even most psalms that cry out to God because of injustice end with some sort of note of confident expectation that God will indeed bring justice. This psalm appears as though it would do the same because there is a confidence that God will deliver (v. 5, 7) and that his words are pure, even when tried by fire (v. 6). But at the end there is this final statement of seeming futility. Why is that? This seems out of character with the rest of the psalms that express hope and expectation in the righteous judgment of God to uphold the righteous. Why does the psalmist end on this note of the exaltation and pride of the wicked? Perhaps even in the midst of maintaining a confident hope, it's healthy to maintain a realism that notices that things still are not as they should be. Our hope is not an escapist one that is just bent on getting by until we die so we can get out of this hell-hole called earth or until Christ comes again in final judgment. I actually think this concluding note in the Psalm is a good analogy for us who live in the inaugurated kingdom that is yet to be fulfilled. We live in between the "Christ is risen!" and the "Christ shall come again!" Until that last one takes place, there is still work to be done. Chesterton quipped in Orthodoxy that what the world needs are people who are both radically pessimistic and radically optimistic:

No one doubts that an ordinary man can get on with this world: but we demand not strength to get on with it, but strength enough to get it on. Can he hate [the world] enough to change it, and yet love it enough to think it worth changing? Can he look up at its colossal good without once feeling acquiescence? Can he look up at its colossal evil without once feeling despair? Can he, in short, be not only a pessimist and an optimist, but a fanatical pessimist and a fanatical optimist? Is he enough of a pagan to die for the world, and enough of a Christian to die to it?

There is not much good to be spoken of 'eloquence' in this psalm, is there? "Flattering lips" may help your GPA, but God sees the heart and whether what proceeds from our lips corresponds to what is found within. There's also something here about "pride" being connected to these lips. I wrote a post a couple of months ago about John Wesley's sermon on 'The Good Steward.' It's vital to be reminded that everything we have, are, and do, are not our own. There really is no such thing as pure proprietorship because everything has been given to us so that we may steward them rightly. That includes not only our money, but our bodies, our thoughts, and our words. When we aren't being good stewards, we're acting like proprietors. That is pride. "Our lips are our own." The humble instead cry, "With our tongue we will bless; our lips are not our own; the LORD is lord over us."

Psalm 11

To the chief musician,
A Psalm of David.

1 In the LORD put I my trust;
how say ye to my soul,
"Flee as a bird to your mountain"?
2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow,
they make ready their arrow upon the string,
that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
3 If the foundations be destroyed,
what can the righteous do?

4 The LORD is in his holy temple,
the LORD's throne is in heaven:
his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
5 The LORD trieth the righteous,
but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares,
fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest:
this shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness;
his countenance doth behold the upright.

JW: David encourages himself in God, against the attempts of his enemies, ver. 1-3; asserts the dominion and providence of God, ver. 4-7.

[On verse 2:] 'For lo' - David having directed his speech to his enemies, now turns it to God, and pours out before him his complaints. 'Ready' - they lay designs for my destruction and make all things ready to execute them.

[On verse 3:] 'Foundations' - piety, justice, fidelity, and mercy, which are the pillars or foundations of a state or kingdom. 'What' - the condition of all righteous men will be desperate.

[On verse 4:] 'Temple' - in heaven; which is mentioned as an evidence of his glorious majesty, of his sovereign power and dominion over all men and things, and of his accurate inspection into all men and their actions. 'Throne' - where he sits to examine all causes, and to give righteous sentence according to every man's works. 'Try' - he thoroughly discerns all men, their most inward and secret actions: and therefore he sees and will reward my innocency, notwithstanding all the calumnies of mine enemies; and withal he sees all their secret designs, and will discover and defeat them.

[On verse 5:] 'Trieth' - He chastens even righteous persons, yet he still loves them, and therefore will in due time deliver them.

Not an uncommon thread in the Psalms is to see movement from trust in God (v. 1) - to bewilderment that the wicked are allowed to attack the righteous (v. 2-3) - to a sure confidence that God will bring justice for and uphold the righteous and judgment upon the wicked (v. 4-7).

St. Chrysostom aptly has pointed out the reference to the bird is a metaphor for those who trust in the things of this world. A sparrow, he says, "relies on the wilderness and is prey to all. People who put their hope in money are like that...always taking to flight and migrating..." The proper stance, comes in placing our hope in God. Those who "cling to this anchor are invincible."

We also have in this Psalm references that portray God as Priest (temple), King (throne), and most notably Judge. The reference to God's hatred is inescapable and I have to admit that at times I have difficulty with this notion, especially when so much of the Bible speaks of our God as having a universal love. Anger is understandable, because it can mean to be grounded in God's love or directed toward drawing us to repentance. Wrath is similar in that it is (or at least can be) appeased. But hatred? Is it just my problem? Or is the English language or Western concepts missing something when it comes to God's reactions, tempers, whatever this may be? Is this "hatred" merely an expression of the final judgment against those who have eternally rejected God's grace? Many preachers and evangelists from my upbringing wouldn't have a problem at all with this Psalm, especially the reference to fire and brimstone. How literal or metaphorical are we to take the description of these judgments? Sorry to end with questions on this, but I am confessing that I have difficulty with this hatred language.

Psalm 10

1 Why standest thou afar off, O LORD?

Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor;

let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire,

and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.

4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God;

God is not in all his thoughts.

5 His ways are always grievous;

thy judgments are far above out of his sight;

as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.

6 He hath said in his heart, "I shall not be moved,

for I shall never be in adversity."

7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud;

under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages;

in the secret places doth he murder the innocent;

his eyes are privily set against the poor.

9 He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den;

he lieth in wait to catch the poor;

he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.

10 He croucheth, and humbleth himself,

that the poor may fall by his strong ones.

11 He hath said in his heart, "God hath forgotten;

he hideth his face, he will never see it."

12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand;

forget not the humble.

13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God?

He hath said in his heart, "Thou wilt not require it."

14 Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand;

the poor committeth himself unto thee;

thou art the helper of the fatherless.

15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man;

seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

16 The LORD is King for ever and ever;

the heathen are perished out of his land.

17 LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble;

thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause cause thine ear to hear

18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed,

that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

JW: David complains of and describes the wicked, ver. 1-15; prays to God to appear against them, and rejoices in the prospect of it, ver. 12-18.

[On verse 5:] 'Ar far' - He doth not regard or fear them; yea he despises them, being confident that he can blow them away with a breath. This is a gesture of contempt or disdain, both in scripture and other authors.

[On verse 7:] 'Tongue' - Under his fair and plausible speeches, mischief is hid and covered. 'Vanity' - or injury, the vexation or oppression of other men.

[On verse 10:] 'Croucheth' - like a lion which lies close upon the ground, partly that he may not be discovered, and partly that he may more suddenly and surely lay hold on his prey.

[On verse 13:] 'Contemn' - Why dost thou by giving them impunity, suffer and occasion them to despise thee?

[On verse 14:] 'Requite' - Heb. to give (to restore or pay the mischief which they have done to others) with thy hand, by thy own extraordinary providence, because the oppressed were destitute of all other succours. 'Fatherless' - of such as have no friend or helper, one kind of them being put for all.

[On verse 16:] 'Is King' - To whom it belongs to protect his subjects. Therefore his peoples case is never desperate, seeing he ever lives to help them.

[On verse 18:] 'To judge' - to give sentence for them, and against their enemies. 'The man' - earthly and mortal men, who yet presume to contend with thee their maker.

Where are the songs today that defend the cause of the poor? That take up the case for the fatherless? That cry for the justice of God to excise the wickedness that enslaves the oppressed? Jonathan Powers started this conversation on his blog a few months ago in this post, which includes some powerful lyrics by Charles Wesley about defending the cause of the poor.

What strikes me in this psalm is the discernment and awareness of the psalmist to the schemes of the enemy whose intent is to oppress, rob, and kill. We lack that precision of discernment today: we're either too quick to condemn something as evil that really isn't or we're too naive about the intents of 'the world.' If you give me the choice of being judgmental or naive, I think erring on the side of naivety is perhaps best because in the end God will bring justice in setting free those who have been enslaved and taken advantage of. Still, this psalmist has a keen eye toward the enemy's ploys. Maybe she had been robbed in the outskirts of town. Maybe her naivety was exploited by someone. That seems reasonable. So she cries for God to bring justice to this evil.

The ploy that stands out most to me at this point is what is said in verse 10. The King James Version (as above) notes that the enemy "humbleth" himself. That seems odd, doesn't it? Everything in the Bible I am aware of that speaks of humility is a positive thing that leads to goodness and holiness. But here the enemy is only appearing to be humble. That is dangerous! Very dangerous! What appeals to us more than a picture of innocence? Most English translations of the Bible use the word crafty or something similar to describe the serpent in Genesis 3.1. But did you know the Hebrew word there is the same as what is rendered naked in Gen. 2.25? (Hat tip to Lawson Stone from OT Intro on that point.) Eden pre-fall is the common picture for 'innocence' & the enemy uses this to its advantage. I'm not suggesting we look for a demon under every bush, but being aware of the abuse of the appearance of innocence will be key in practicing discernment in a world that is easily enslaved to and enslaves us to the enemy.

We have a somewhat violent image in verse 15, which calls upon God to "break the arm" of the wicked and evil. It's a metaphor, for "arm" symbolizes strength. Break the source of the strength that enslaves the poor, oppressed, and fatherless, God! Disarm the enemy! It is because of verses like these that I think that Christus Victor atonement speaks so strongly to an oppressed, enslaved, seemingly hopeless people. The cry for justice here is not just a pleading that God would find the oppressors guilty, but that God would actually set the oppressed free from their bondage. That's why it's important to speak not only of being set free from condemnation & guilt but also from sin's grip. (Think justification & sanctification. More importantly, allow God to make these realities in our lives.) Break the power!

Psalm 9

To the chief musician upon Muth-labben,
A Psalm of David.

1 I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart;
I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee;
I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

3 When mine enemies are turned back,
they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause;
thou satest in the throne judging right.

5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked,
thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end;
and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.

7 But the LORD shall endure for ever;
he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness,
he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee;
for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

11 Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion;
declare among the people his doings.
12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them;
he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

13 Have mercy upon me, O LORD;
consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me,
thou that liftest me up from the gates of death.
14 That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion;
I will rejoice in thy salvation.

15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made;
in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
16 The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth;
the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
Higgaion. Selah.

17 The wicked shall be turned into hell,
and all the nations that forget God.
18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten;
the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.

19 Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail;
let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
20 Put them in fear, O LORD;
that the nations may know themselves to be but men.
Selah.

JW: David praises God for giving him victory over his enemies, ver. 1-6; triumphs in confidence that God would judge the world and protect his people, ver. 7-10; calls others to praise him, ver. 11, 12; prays for help, and praises God, ver. 13-20.

[On verse 10:] 'Thy name' - thy infinite power and wisdom, and faithfulness and goodness. The name of God is frequently put for God. 'Put their trust' - the experience of thy faithfulness to thy people in all ages, is a just ground for their confidence.

[On verse 12:] 'Blood' - the bloodshed of his innocent and holy ones; which though he may not seem to regard for a season, yet he will certainly call the authors of it to a severe account. 'Them' - the humble, as it follows, or the oppressed, ver. 9, that trust in him, and seek to him, ver. 10, whom he seemed to have forgotten.

[On verse 14:] 'Gates' - in the great assemblies. These gates he elegantly opposes to the former [of death, ver. 13]. 'Of' - of the people who live or meet together in Zion. For cities are as it were mothers to their people, and the people are commonly called their daughters. So the names of the daughters of Egypt, Jer. 46.11, and of Edom, Lam. 4.21,22, and of Tyre, Psalm 45.12, are put for the people of those places.

This psalm, like several we have already encountered, dwells heavily upon the forthcoming righteous judgment of God. Although other psalms express more discontent with the current status of the people of God being treated unjustly, this psalm at times has an undertone of being unsettled with the current circumstances. However, this psalm expresses a deep-seated confidence that God will put things to right, that he will remember the poor and oppressed and judge those who have murdered and done wrong to his people.

I'm a big fan of Jon Foreman, the lead singer of Switchfoot. I think his lyrical expressions, especially in the EP's released for the seasons, are beautiful and potent, filled with rich biblical imagery, language, and imagination. One song that stood out in my mind as I read this Psalm this morning was 'Equally Skilled,' a song which illuminates our failure to live righteously, but also points out the evils of oppression, and finally expresses confidence in the righteous judgment of God to right the wrongs that are done. Here's a video of Jon singing this song:



I love that Wesley noticed the juxtaposition of the "gates"; first the gates of death are mentioned in verse 13. But when God vindicates the humble and oppressed, they will be found in his gates, and shall rejoice in his salvation. When we hear and read about salvation in the Psalms the first synonym that should come to our mind is 'rescue.' Think about dramatic rescues that have taken place and been noticed in the media. I'm think most recently about the rescue of the Chilean miners. Do you recall the rejoicing that took place as one by one, the miners were rescued and brought to safety? Do you recall what Jesus said about the rejoicing that takes place when a lost sheep is brought back to the fold?

"For the needy shall not always be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever." Now in case you missed some of the lyrics of 'Equally Skilled' by Jon Foreman, I close with his closing lyrics to the third verse:

"I will be patient as the Lord
punishes me for the wrongs I've done against him.
After that he'll take my case,
bringing me to light and to justice for all that I've suffered.

And both of his hands are equally skilled,
at ruining evil...
at judging the judges...
administering justice...
at showing mercy...
at loving the loveless."

Psalm 8

To the chief musician upon Gittith,

A Psalm of David.

1 O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings

hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies,

that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,

the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him?

and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,

and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;

thou hast put all things under his feet;

7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea,

and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

9 O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

JW: David extols the majesty, power, and providence of God, ver. 1, 2; and his loving-kindness to mankind, ver. 3-5; in giving him dominion over this lower world, ver. 6-9.

[On verse 1:] 'In' - Not only in Israel, but among all nations. Which shews that this Psalm speaks of the Messiah, and the times of the New Testament. 'Heavens' - where thy throne of glory is established, where the blessed angels celebrate thy praises, where Christ sitteth at thy right hand in glorious majesty, from whence he poureth down excellent gifts upon babes.

[On verse 2:] 'Babes' - weak and foolish, and contemptible persons, who are frequently called babes or children. Such are very unfit to grapple with an enemy; and therefore when such persons conquer the most powerful and malicious enemies, it must needs confound them, and advance the glory of God: as indeed it did, when such mean [i.e., average, common] persons as the apostles, and disciples of Christ, maintained and propagated the gospel, in spite of all the wit, power, and rage of their enemies. 'Ordained' - perfectly or firmly settled strength; that is, the praise of his strength or power, Matt. 21.16, it is rendered praise. 'Still' - silence and confound them. 'Avenger' - the devil, and all who are his vassals and espouse his quarrel.

[On verse 4:] 'What is man' - how mean and inconsiderable a thing is man, if compared with thy glorious majesty. 'Man' - Heb. infirm, or miserable man. By which it is apparent that he speaks of man, not according to the state of his creation, but as fallen into a state of sin and misery, and mortality. 'Mindful' - carest for him, and conferest such high favours upon him. 'The son' - Heb. the son of Adam, that great apostate from God, the sinful son of a sinful father, his son by likeness of disposition and manners, no less than by procreation. All of which tends to magnify the following mercy. 'Visitest' - not in anger, as that word is sometimes used, but with thy grace and mercy.

[On verse 5:] 'For' - Thou hast in Christ mercifully restored man to his primitive estate, wherein he was but one remove below the angels; from which he was fallen by sin. 'Crowned' - man, fallen and lost man: who is actually restored to glory and dominion in Christ his head and representative, who received this crown and dominion for man's good, and in his stead; which he will in due time communicate to his members. And so the two expositions of this place concerning mankind and concerning Christ, may be reconciled. For he speaks of that honourable estate conferred first upon Christ, and then by his hands upon mankind. But the words more literally rendered are, 'Thou hast made him a little lower than God.' And hence some have inferred, that man in his original estate was the highest of all creatures.

Upon reading Wesley's comments on verse 4, I was a little taken aback that he didn't immediately take 'son of man' to refer to Jesus even though the author of Hebrews seems to do so (see Heb. 2.5-11). But I was glad he brought Christ into the center of this Psalm in his reflections on verse 5. In the wake of the Incarnation, it is appropriate for us to see this passage as referring both to the first creation and the honor that was bestowed to humanity there, as well as to the new creation, inaugurated in the kingdom of Jesus, where our estate is being restored. In light of that, then, Wesley's reference to sin, the fall, and the misery that has befallen the world since our first parents fell, may not be that far off.

On a more personal level, who of us has not stared up into the sky at night noticing how impossible it is to count the stars in the heavens and then pondered, "Really, God? You really think about me/us? Look at how tiny I am!" And the universe is a lot bigger today than it was when David wrote this psalm. We sure do put a lot of value in size, don't we? And yet, even after all the discoveries of science that tell us just how small the earth is, we can still ponder this question that David asks. But isn't it classic Bible to deflate the big and proud and raise up the humble? And more than just being mindful of who we are and our situation, God considers us to such a degree that he decides to 'visit'. And though we are vile, God visits not in anger, as Wesley aptly notes, but in 'grace and mercy' to forgive and restore.

We have this reference to a 'crown,' which undoubtedly evokes the imagery of a kingdom. What does God crown here? Something humble and seemingly small. That's what I like about stories like the Chronicles of Narnia. You see Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy crowned kings and queens, yet they are mere children. God crowned Adam and Eve in the garden as the creatures who will bear the Divine image. It is only to humans that God has bestowed this grace. (Maybe that's why it's appropriate to say 'a little lower than God'.) Many early Church Fathers, including Irenaeus, considered that Adam and Eve were created as infants or youths. This idea helps us to see that though they were created "very good," yet this goodness was not without room for growth in obedience. Christ was born a King. God bestows glory and honor to these Representatives. God bestows glory and honor to us and wants us to steward this kingdom with righteousness.

Psalm 7

Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the Lord,
concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.

1 O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust;
save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me,
2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces,
while there is none to deliver.

3 O LORD my God, if I have done this,
if there be iniquity in my hands,
4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me;
(yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy;)
5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it;
yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth,
and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.

6 Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies;
and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.
7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about;
for their sakes therefore return thou on high.

8 The LORD shall judge the people;
judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness,
and according to mine integrity that is in me.
9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end;
but establish the just, for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
10 My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.
11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword;
he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death;
he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.
14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity,
and conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
15 He made a pit, and digged it,
and is fallen into the ditch which he made.
16 His mischief shall return upon his own head,
and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

17 I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness;
and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

JW: David prays for deliverance from his enemies, ver. 1, 2; appeals to God for his innocence, ver. 3-5; prays to him to judge his cause, ver. 6-9; expresses his confidence in God, ver. 10-17.

[On verse 4:] 'Deliver' - when it was in my power to destroy him, as 1 Sam. 24.2-6.

[On verse 7:] 'Compass' - They will come from all parts to worship thee, and offer thee praises and sacrifices. 'High' - To thy tribunal, to sit there and judge my cause. An allusion to earthly tribunals, which generally are set up on high above the people.

[On verse 12:] 'He will' - God will hasten, and speedily execute his judgments upon him.

[On verse 13:] 'Ordaineth' - Designs or fits for this very use. Of all sinners, persecutors are set up as the fairest marks of Divine wrath. They set God at defiance but cannot set themselves out of the reach of his judgments.

[On verse 14:] 'Travelleth' - This metaphor denotes his deep design, and vigorous endeavours for doing mischief, and his restlessness and pain 'till he have accomplished it.

Another one of those imprecatory Psalms where the psalmist prays for his enemies' destruction. I suppose I should acknowledge that I'm not sure how I would respond or feel if I was being pursued by enemies like David was by Saul for those years. I mean, I've had people who didn't think highly of my sense of humor, of my sometimes immature behavior, but someone seeking my head on a platter? I can't imagine it. Perhaps if I were pursued like that I'd pray something like this, too.

Still, I love that the psalmist acknowledges that there could be some fault on his part (v. 4). The ESV says, "If I have repaid my friend with evil..." This is awareness that I could be at fault in all of this. I do like, however, that Wesley points out the connection to 1 Samuel 24.2-6, an occasion in which David spares Saul's life, even though the latter was in pursuit of the former's death. I watched Prince Caspian last night. I just now realized that's a pretty good comparison of a modern-day book/movie to David's account here. (I don't care what others or the critics say, I thought that was a great production. Probably the most difficult of the Chronicles to make into a theatrical success, I thought Walden Media did a fantastic job.) There's a great scene toward the end where Caspian has the opportunity to deal the deathblow to King Miraz, who had ordered for Caspian to be killed. He raises his sword and strikes it into the ground. Even so, the enemies still pursued Caspian and the Narnians, supported by Peter, Susan, and Edmund, (Miraz was actually dealt his final deathblow by one of his commanders, who used it as a ploy to rile up the Telmarines, accusing Caspian of murdering Miraz.)

I guess David was really at his wit's end when after sparing his predator's life, he was still being pursued by his enemy. They had opportunity to repent, but they didn't. God prepared his sword and readied his bow. Continuing in the comparison with Prince Caspian, the source where the last leader of the enemy is overcome is on the bridge they had built to attack the Narnians. "He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made."

Verse 14 is vivid. You can probably pick it up in the KJV (above). If not, the ESV makes it more comparable in today's terminology: "Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies." James says it this way: "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death" (James 2.14-15). Accordingly, the evil that is conceived ultimately brings death and falls "into the hole that [it] has made."

But praise be unto God for when evil is extinguished, pure and new life emerges and the righteous One reigns on high!

Psalm 6

To the chief musician on Neginoth, upon Sheminith,

A psalm of David.

1 O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger,

neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am weak;

O LORD, heal me, for my bones are vexed.

3 My soul is also sore vexed;

but thou, O LORD, how long?

4 Return, O LORD, deliver my soul;

oh save me for thy mercies' sake.

5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee;

in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

6 I am weary with my groaning;

all the night make I my bed to swim;

I water my couch with my tears.

7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief;

it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.

8 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity;

for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.

9 The LORD hath heard my supplication;

the LORD will receive my prayer.

10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed;

let them return and be ashamed suddenly.

JW: David being sick both in body and mind, because he had offended God, presents his misery before him, ver. 1-3; begs the return of his favour, ver. 4-7; Assures himself of an answer of peace, ver. 8-10.

[On verse 5:] 'Remembrance' - He speaks of the remembrance or celebration of God's grace in the land of the living, to the edification of God's church, and the propagation of true religion among men; which is not done in the other life.

[On verse 6:] 'With my tears' - It well becomes the greatest spirits to be tender, and to relent under the tokens of God's displeasure. David who could face Goliath himself, melts into tears at the remembrance of sin, and under the apprehension of Divine wrath, and it is no diminution to his character.

[On verse 8:] 'Hath heard' - By the workings of God's grace upon his heart, he knew his prayer was accepted. His tears had a voice, in the ears of the God of mercy. Silent tears are no speechless ones. Our tears are cries to God.

[On verse 10:] 'Ashamed' - of their vain confidence. 'Return' - repent of their sins and return to their obedience.

I love Wesley's interaction with this Psalm. I think he's right on. And for one who is often accused of being more of a prose sort of theologian, John Wesley here is perhaps at his poetic best, particularly in his depiction of tears and weeping. To note that David's "tears had a voice...[as] cries to God" is beautiful! I suggest that here we see the connection, as we see elsewhere, of the Spirit and water.

Do you recall what Paul says about praying and the Spirit in Romans? "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." I'm not suggesting that all it takes is to shed a few tears or get emotional to get God to hear you, but there are times when the Spirit does this very thing that Paul says, and I believe that it is exampled here in David's prayer. "Jesus wept." John Wesley broke down uncontrollably in tears in a worship service two weeks after his brother, Charles', death. It is said that Handel, during his composition of the 'Hallelujah' chorus of 'The Messiah' fell prostrate and was weeping in view of the glory of God and his Son Jesus Christ. And that was before he actually heard it sung and played.

In the end, though, tears are not the end...not in this Psalm, not in the Spirit-filled life of following Jesus. They are helpful so far as they go, but the cry for mercy is followed by the cry for walking the path of righteousness. That path is not easy, and invokes us to pray for and love our enemies. That's the other thing I really like about what Wesley brings out in this Psalm: a right way of approaching the passage against the enemies as praying for their 'repentance' rather than their destruction.

Psalm 5

To the chief musician upon Nehiloth (thought to be a wind instrument like a flute),

A Psalm of David

1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,

consider my meditation.

2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry,

my King, and my God;

for unto thee I will pray.

3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD;

in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness:

neither shall evil dwell with thee.

5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight:

thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing;

the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

7 But as for me, I will come into thy house

in the multitude of thy mercy:

and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

8 Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies;

make thy way straight before my face.

9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth;

their inward part is very wickedness;

their throat is an open sepulchre;

they flatter with their tongue.

10 Destroy thou them, O God;

let them fall by their own counsels;

cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions;

for they have rebelled against thee.

11 But let all that put their trust in thee rejoice:

let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them;

let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous;

with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

JW: David beseeches God to hear his prayer, ver. 1-3; assures himself of God's justice against his enemies, ver. 4-6; declares his resolution: to serve God, ver. 7; prays for himself and the people of God, and against his enemies, ver. 8-12.

[On verse 1:] 'Meditation' - my prayer accompanied with deep thoughts and fervent affections of the soul.

[On verse 3:] 'Morning' - every morning. As soon as I wake, I am still with thee, as he saith, Psalm 139.18. The first thing that I do is to pray to thee.

[On verse 7:] 'Come' - with holy boldness and confidence. 'Mercy' - trusting only in thy mercy.

[On verse 8:] 'Righteousness' - in thy righteous laws. 'Because' - that I may give them no occasion of slandering me, or religion for my sake. 'The way' - the way wherein thou wouldst have to one walk.

[On verse 9:] 'Throat' - wide opened ready to devour all that come within their reach. A metaphor for wild beasts gaping for the prey.

It can be difficult to deal with Psalms such as these that talk about destroying enemies and wishing ill on those who are out to get you, especially in light of what Jesus says about loving your enemies, turning the other cheek, and the fact that he prays for forgiveness to those who persecute/execute him. What we must keep in mind, however, is to remember who our true enemy is. This Psalm strikes me as one engaged in spiritual warfare. When we set our minds and hearts in the spirit of verses 1-3, developing a discipline of praying fervently every day, then we can well expect what comes thereafter - resistance.

I like the progression in verses 7-8 from a prayer for mercy to a prayer for righteousness. That tends to be the way things go, and rightfully so. God declares we sinners righteous, but then enables us to actually become righteous. Ergo, the cliché "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven" won't work. Not that sanctimoniousness is the way to go, but if we actually live as though God's mercy actually sets us free from bondage, then our enemy will have no evidence in accusing us of hypocrisy or evil. "Lead me in thy righteousness!"

Walking that path is certainly not easy. But if we commit ourselves to it, then God will put his shield of favor around us. That shield does not protect us from harm but if we walk righteously, we will overcome the evil one. Fight the good fight!

Psalm 4

To the chief musician on Neginoth (or on stringed instruments),

A Psalm of David

1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness:

thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress;

have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame?

How long will ye love vanity and seek after leasing?

Selah.

3 But know that the LORD has set apart

him that is godly for himself:

the LORD will hear when I call to him.

4 Stand in awe, and sin not:

commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.

Selah.

5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,

and put your trust in the LORD.

6 There may be many that say, "Who will shew us any good?"

LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart,

more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.

8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep:

for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

JW: David prays, reproves the wicked, and testifies the happiness of the righteous, ver. 1-3; exhorts them to consider and serve God, ver. 4-5; declares his own experience of the grace of God, ver. 6-8.

[On verse 2:] 'My glory' - By his glory probably he means that honour which God had conferred upon him.

[On verse 3:] 'Godly' - Me, whom, though you traduce as an hypocrite, God hath pronounced to be a man after his own heart, 1 Sam. 13.14. 'For himself' - In his stead, or to be his vicegerent, as all kings are, and especially the kings of God's own people.

[On verse 5:] 'Offer' - Unto God, that he may be reconciled to you. 'Righteousness' - Righteous sacrifices; which requires that the persons offering them be righteous and do righteous things, and offer them with an honest mind, with faith and true repentance. Without which, he intimates, that all their sacrifices were of no esteem with God, and would be wholly unprofitable to them.

[On verse 6:] 'Who' - Who will put an end to our troubles, and give us tranquility. 'Lift up' - Upon me and my friends. Give us an assurance of thy love, and evidence it by thy powerful assistance.

[On verse 7:] 'Thou hast' - Whatsoever thou shalt do with me for the future, I have at present unspeakable satisfaction in the testimonies of thy love to my soul; more than worldly persons have in the time of a plentiful harvest.

[On verse 8:] 'In peace' - In tranquility of mind, resting securely upon God's promises.

I'm found to be convicted in verse 2. There are two ways of seeing this prayer: as being prayed by me or being prayed by someone else. The notion of loving vanity and seeking after "leasing" (or lies) strikes me as the culture of gossiping. So the question of application is: is someone else turning my 'glory' into shame? Or, am I taking part in turning someone else's glory into shame? May it not be so! I think this is an important word for the Church, for although David had done his fair share to bring shame upon himself, he also repented and pursued the heart of God again. How many times do we like to bring up the former sins of our enemies or even our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to hold something over their head? Let's not turn their glory into shame! The Lord hears the cry for mercy! Let's side with the father, who shows mercy and embraces warmly, and not the elder prodigal, who disowns and casts judgment even after the repentance of his brother.

Regarding verse 5, faith and ritual are not opposed nor mutually exclusive. Offering right sacrifices and putting trust in the Lord is the combination of having the form of godliness as well as the power thereof. When all of our tempers and affections as well as all of our actions are done toward the glory of God then that is being wholly devoted to God.

I love that Wesley takes the latter parts of this hymn to be a prayer for and a basking in the love of God! Can we really let that sink in today? "God loved me and gave himself for me." An Octoberfest has lots of merriment to be sure, but there's a joy that surpasses that: the awareness and living in the love of God, who has shown "the light of [his] countenance upon us" in the life, death, and resurrection of his Son. Hallelujah! Be filled with the Spirit!

Psalm 3

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son

1 Lord, how are they increased that trouble me!

Many are they that rise up against me.

2 Many there be which say of my soul,

"There is no help for him in God."

Selah

3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me;

my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice,

and he heard me out of his holy hill.

Selah

5 I laid me down and slept;

I awaked, for the LORD sustained me.

6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people,

that have set themselves against me round about.

7 Arise, O LORD;

save me, O my God:

for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone;

thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

8 Salvation belongeth unto the LORD;

thy blessing us upon thy people.

Selah

JW: David complains to God of his enemies, ver. 1, 2; comforts himself in God, and the experience of his goodness, ver. 3-6; triumphs in the salvation of God, ver. 7, 8.

[On 'Selah':] This word is no where used but in this poetical book, and in the song of Habakkuk. Probably it was a musical note, directing the singer either to lift up his voice, to make a pause, or to lengthen the tune. But withal, it is generally placed at some remarkable passage; which gives occasion to think that it served also to quicken the attention of the singer and hearer.

[On verse 5:] 'Slept' - securely, casting all my cares upon God. 'Awaked' - after a sweet and undisturbed sleep.

[On verse 7:] 'Cheek bone' - which implies contempt and reproach. 'Teeth' - their strength and the instruments of their cruelty. He compares them to wild beasts.

I'm a little surprised Wesley didn't read this passage through the lens of Christ on the cross. Perhaps the seeming spirit of retaliation in verse 7 sounded something different to him than "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." But Wesley did interpret that particular verse (7) metaphorically, so it could easily be read into what takes place in the death and resurrection of Jesus: God destroys the contempt and reproach of the enemy. He breaks their strength and cruelty through the power of the resurrection. I can't help but read this passage through the lens of Christ's death and resurrection. Sure, the prescript indicates David's context, but is there not a striking similarity between this Psalm and Psalm 22, which Jesus embodies and cries during the crucifixion?

"Many say, 'There is no help for him in God'." "'He saved others; he cannot save himself? He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him...' And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way."

"I cried unto the LORD with my voice..." "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" Contrary to the popular notion that the Father turned his back on Jesus (I'll go into more detail on criticizing this idea at a later time), I'm pretty sure the Father heard him. Look what happened to the veil.

The next line in the Psalm is a reference to sleep. Wesley takes this as literal sleep, which is true for David. But if we see Jesus here, then the death and burial is found in this. And this is followed with the being awoken and the command to "Arise!" and "Save me!" These were the cries of Jesus in that dark hour when he cried out to the Father. The Father indeed delivered, but not before he tasted death. Remember, Jesus did not raise himself from the dead. The New Testament is clear: God raised Jesus from the dead! It's the vindication of Jesus as the Righteous and Holy One! Salvation (Rescue) belongs to the LORD! The blessing is upon Jesus, and because Jesus ascended the blessing us upon his people by the Holy Spirit! Praise the LORD!