Intro to Psalm 60

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/18/2012 8:40:19 AM

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Learning from the OT

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Psalm 60

            Message of the verses:  In today’s SD we will begin to look at Psalm 60, to the introduction and background as to why David was inspirited by the Holy Spirit to write this psalm.

            “After many psalms which David penned in a day of distress this comes which was calculated for a day of triumph; it was penned after he was settled in the throne, upon occasion of an illustrious victory which God blessed his forces with over the Syrians and Edomites; it was when David was in the zenith of his prosperity, and the affairs of his kingdom seem to have been in a better posture then ever they were either before or after. See #2Sa 8:3, 13; 1Ch 18:3,12. David, in prosperity, was as devout as David in adversity.” (Matthew Henry)

            “Here is a lengthy title, but it helps us much to expound the Psalm. To the Chief Musician upon Shushaneduth, or the Lily of Testimony. The forty-fifth was on the lilies, and represented the kingly warrior in his beauty going forth to war; here we see him dividing the spoil and bearing testimony to the glory of God. Tunes have strange names apparently, but this results from the fact that we do not know what was in the composer’s mind, else they might seem to be touchingly appropriate; perhaps the music or the musical instruments have more to do with this title than the Psalm itself.

            “Michtam of David, to teach. David obeyed the precept to teach the children of Israel; he recorded the Lord’s mighty acts that they might be rehearsed in the ears of generations to come. Golden secrets are to be told on the house tops; these things were not done in a corner and ought not to be buried in silence. We ought gladly to learn what inspiration so beautifully teaches. When he strove with Aramnaharaim and with Aramzobah. The combined Aramean tribes sought to overcome Israel, but were signally defeated. When Joab returned. He had been engaged in another region, and the enemies of Israel took advantage of his absence, but on his return with Abishai the fortunes of war were changed. And smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand. More than this appear to have fallen according to #1Ch 18:12, but this commemorates one memorable part of the conflict. Terrible must have been the battle, but decisive indeed were the results, and the power of the enemy was utterly broken. Well did the Lord deserve a song from his servant.”  (Charles H. Spurgeon) 

            As I look at the different introductions to this psalm I began to think of all the different experiences that David would have had to go through in order to write these different psalms, and many of those experiences can be found in the pages of the OT Scriptures, for there is much written about David.  I then began to think of all that Job went through and these experiences of these two men have given me an opportunity of praising the Lord.  The reason for my praise to the Lord is that there are times when I go through similar experiences and face similar circumstances that these two men went through and am then encouraged by how they handled it, how they on most occasions trusted in the Lord fully to get through the difficult and also the happy times of life.  This truly encourages me, for our God has not withheld the sinful and difficult things from the pages of the OT, but was written down for our benefit.  The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 15:4 these words, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”  Hope for the believer is a noun and not a verb, for our hope is certain in the Lord.  What is our hope?  “11 ¶  For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12  instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 13  looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14  who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”  (Titus 2:11-14) 

            Dr. Warren Wiersbe writes the following in his introduction to Psalm 60:  “According to the superscription, this psalm is a part of the history recorded in 2Samuel 8:1-14 and 10:6-18 and 1Chronicles 18:1-13 and 19:6-19, when David was winning battles and getting a name for himself (2Sam. 8:13). While he was up north fighting the Arameans (Syrians), the Edomites attacked Israel from the south, doing a great deal of damage.  David dispatched Joab with part of the army, and Joab and Abishai (1Chronicles 18:12) defeated Edom in the Valley of Salt, south of the Dead Sea.  David must have written the psalm shortly after hearing the bad news of the invasion by Edom, but the psalm manifests a spirit of trust and confidence that the Lord would give Israel the victory, and He did.  The musical direction means ‘Lilly of the testimony [covenant].’  (See Psalm 45, 69 and 80.)” 

            Edom was the nation that began with Jacob’s brother Esau, as when their mother Rebekah was about to give birth to her twins, Jacob and Esau the Lord said to her “Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger.’”  So when Edom and Israel were fighting against each other it was actually two brothers that were fighting against each other. 

            The OT book of Obadiah begins with these words:  “1  The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom- We have heard a report from the LORD, And an envoy has been sent among the nations saying, "Arise and let us go against her for battle"- 2 “Behold, I will make you small among the nations; You are greatly despised.”  Paul writes the following in Romans 9:13, “Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.’”  These words are a quotation from Malachi one, “1   The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi. 2 “I have loved you," says the LORD. But you say, "How have You loved us?" "Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?" declares the LORD. "Yet I have loved Jacob; 3 but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.’”

            I realize that we have gotten a bit off the path from Psalm 60, but I felt that it was necessary to write these things about Edom, since Edom was a part of the background from Psalm 60.  It seems to me that the commentary that I have read in the past about the statement about loving Jacob and hating Esau was about the descendants of Esau and not Esau personally, although when one reads the story of Esau one will not find many things about him to love, for it seems that “spiritual” things were not a high priority to him.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am thankful for the OT and I truly enjoy reading through it so that the Spirit of God can teach me from it and cause me to grow closer to my Lord.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I desire to continue to grow in the grace and the knowledge of my Lord and Savior and to continue to learn contentment.

3/18/2012 9:37:05 AM