SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
4/6/2012 8:07:11 AM
My Worship Time Focus: David’s “unusual” prayers
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm
69:19-36
Message
of the verses: In yesterday’s SD we
read these words from the introductory commentary of Warren Wiersbe “when you
read the psalm, you find the author confronting the Lord with three important
concerns.” We went over the first
concern yesterday.
Vindication: “Judge My Enemies!” (vs. 19-29): “19
You know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor; All my adversaries
are before You. 20 Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick. And I looked
for sympathy, but there was none, And for comforters, but I found none. 21 They also gave me gall for my food
And for my thirst they
gave me vinegar to drink. 22 May
their table before them become a snare; And when they are in peace, may it
become a trap. 23 May their eyes grow dim so that they cannot see, And make their
loins shake continually. 24 Pour out Your indignation on them, And may Your
burning anger overtake them. 25 May their camp be desolate; May none dwell in
their tents. 26 For they have persecuted him whom You Yourself have smitten,
And they tell of the pain of those whom You have wounded. 27 Add iniquity to
their iniquity, And may they not come into Your righteousness. 28 May they be blotted out of the book of life And may they not be
recorded with the righteous. 29 But I am afflicted and in pain; May Your
salvation, O God, set me securely on high.”
Today around the world many people
observe “Good Friday,” the day of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. While on the cross Jesus was offered gall and
vinegar to drink when He said that He was thirsty in order to fulfill these
words that were written many years before by King David in Psalm 69:21.
David was looking for sympathy
because of the physical shape he was in, but got none and then he writes about
the food and drink he was offered and so at this point David was looking for
the Lord to judge his enemies. He prays
for this judgment in verses 22-29. David’s
desire was that God would give his enemies what they deserved. The discussion that we see in verses 22-29 is
what is referred to as an imprecatory (to call down harm, especially a curse,
on somebody) psalm, and Psalm five is another example of an imprecatory psalm.
David’s enemies had put gall and
vinegar on his table for him to eat and now in verse 22 David asks God to make
their tables become a snare and a trap to them.
Dr. Wiersbe writes “This meant that judgment would catch them unprepared
in their careless hours of feasting. “While
they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon
them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not
escape (1Thes. 5:3).” “9 And David says,
"LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A
RETRIBUTION TO THEM. 10 “LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR
BACKS FOREVER." 11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did
they? May it never be! But
by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them
jealous.” Paul is quoting verses 22-23 here in Romans 11:9-10 in order
to show Israel’s religious complacency.
These verses could be speaking of the sacrifices and the meals that
Israel had and how they in no way were honoring to the Lord so Paul speaks to
this issue as to why God was going to set Israel aside and turn His attention
to the Gentiles.
Dr. Wiersbe goes on to say that
“David prayed that some of the basic blessings of life would be taken away from
his enemies—eating, seeing, walking, and having descendants—and then that life
itself would be snatched from them (vv. 27-28).” It is in the book of Acts that Peter would
apply these verses to Judas.
In order to help us understand verse
28 I will again quote from Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary: “David asked in verse 28 that his enemies be
slain, blotted out of the book of the living.
Even more, he didn’t want them identified with the righteous after they
died, which meant they were destined for eternal judgment. While this kind of prayer is hardly an
example for God’s people today (Matt. 6:12; Luke 13:34), WE CAN UNDERSTAND David’s hatred
of their sins and his desire to protect Israel and its mission in the
world.”
Praise: “Be Glorified, O Lord!” (vs. 30-36): “30 I will praise the name of God with song
And magnify Him with thanksgiving. 31 And it will please the LORD better than
an ox Or a young bull with horns and hoofs. 32 The humble have seen it and are
glad; You who seek God, let your heart revive. 33 For the LORD hears the needy
And does not despise His who are prisoners. 34 Let heaven and earth praise Him,
The seas and everything that moves in them. 35 For God will save Zion and build
the cities of Judah, That they may dwell there and possess it. 36 The
descendants of His servants will inherit it, And those who love His name will
dwell in it.”
I think that one can see why
David prayed the prayer that he prayed against his enemies when one reads the
last section of this psalm, for in this section we see that David desires for
Israel to be saved and then have the Lord build again the cities of Judah. This will happen in the 1000 year reign of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
It is the desire of David to glorify
the Lord even in the difficult times he was in when he penned this psalm (vv.
30-31). Dr. Wiersbe writes in conclusion
to his commentary “He saw a day coming when the land would be united and healed
and the cities populated again. ‘Pray
for the peace of Jerusalem’ (122:6).
‘Even so, come, Lord Jesus!’ (Rev. 22:21)”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: I can
understand how David felt when he prayed the way that he prayed against his
enemies in this psalm. I also understand
the importance of Israel in the world and as their King, David knew the
importance of Israel in the world, knowing that through his line the Messiah
would come and provide salvation for His people, and also one day reign over
all the earth. There are times when I
feel the same way about evil people in this world today and then I wonder how
many people were praying for Saul of Tarsus before he became the Apostle Paul. I wonder if people were praying for Hitler or
Stalin or people like that when the Bible says that we are to pray for those in
authority over us. These are hard things
to understand, but if God can save Saul, who by his own words said that he was
the chief of sinners, then He can save anyone.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust
that the Lord can answer all of my hard questions and give me contentment in
His answers.
4/6/2012
9:05:49 AM
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