SPIRITUAL DIARY
FOR 11/21/2012 9:52:12 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Psalm 138
PT-1
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 138:1-8
Message of
the verses: We will begin looking at the 138th
Psalm in Today’s Spiritual Diary by looking at different commentators
introduction to this psalm.
“This psalm is generally thought to have been
written by David upon his being advanced to the throne; on account of which he
praises the Lord, who had supported him under many exercises, and had made good
his promise to him, at least in part; and he firmly believed the accomplishment
of the rest, that he would perfect what concerned him, #Ps 138:8. It seems as
if this psalm was composed between his being king over Judah and over all
Israel. Though Theodoret understands the psalm as a thanksgiving of the Jews
upon their return from Babylon, which David prophesied of. The Syriac version
calls it a thanksgiving with a prophecy; as indeed it is a prophecy of the Messiah’s
kingdom, and of the calling of the Gentiles in the latter day, as appears from
#Ps 138:4.” (John Gill)
“TITLE: A Psalm of David. This Psalm
is wisely placed. Whoever edited and arranged these sacred poems, he had an eye
to apposition and contrast; for if in #Ps 137:1-9 we see the need of silence
before revilers; here we see the excellence of a brave confession. There is a
time to be silent, lest we cast pearls before swine; and there is a time to
speak openly, lest we be found guilty of cowardly not confessing. The Psalm is
evidently of a Davidic character, exhibiting all the fidelity, courage, and
decision of that King of Israel and Prince of Psalmists. Of course the critics
have tried to rend the authorship from David on account of the mention of the
temple, though it so happens that in one of the Psalms which is allowed to be
David’s the same word occurs. Many modern critics are to the word of God what
blowflies are to the food of men: they cannot do any good, and unless
relentlessly driven away they do great harm.
“DIVISION:
In full confidence David is prepared to own his God before the gods of the
heathen, or before angels or rulers (#Ps 138:1-3); he declares that he will
instruct and convert kings and nations, till on very highway men shall sing the
praises of the Lord (#Ps 138:4-5).
Having thus spoken, he utters his personal confidence in Jehovah, who
will help his lowly servant, and preserve him from all the malice of wrathful
foes.” (Charles H. Spurgeon)
“This
is the first of eight psalms attributed to David. They form a special collection just before
the five ‘Hallelujah Psalms’ that climax the book. The psalm probably grew out of the opposition
of the neighboring nations when David became king of a united Israel (2Samuel
5; 8:1-14). It was God’s plan that David
reign over Israel (v.8), but the Jebusites, Philistines, and Moabites wanted a
divided Israel with a weak leader. David
knew God’s will, prayed for God’s help (v.3), trusted God for victory (vv.
7-8), and defeated the enemy. The psalm
does not mention the Lord until verse 4, but it is obvious that Jehovah is the
object of David’s prayers and praise.
The psalm helps us understand better what really happens when God
answers prayer.” (Dr. Warren Wiersbe)
Answered Prayer
Glorifies God’s Name (vv. 1-3): “1 A Psalm of David: I will give You thanks with all
my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods. 2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple And
give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have
magnified Your word according to all Your name. 3 On the day I called, You
answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.”
David’s
desire was to glorify the Lord which is expressed in this section of this
psalm. Even though we don’t see the word
God here we do know that David is writing about God when he uses the word
“You.” In verse two we see the words
Holy Temple and we know that David had died before the temple was built by his
son Solomon, but this could be translated tabernacle, and so David was speaking
about the tabernacle and not the temple.
In
writing on verse two Dr. Wiersbe states that the third line in verse two in the
KJV and the NKJV “so as not to give the impression that God’s Word is greater
than God’s character and reputation (‘name’).
The meaning seems to be: ‘I trusted your promises and prayed, and the
Lord answered above and beyond anything that He promised.” This reminds us of Ephesians 3:19-20, “19 and
to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up
to all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly
beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within
us.”
Answered Prayer
Gives Witness to the Lost (vv. 4-5): “4 All the kings of the earth will give
thanks to You, O LORD, When they have heard the words of Your mouth. 5 And they
will sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD.”
A
friend of mine was helping to coach his son’s little league team and the coach
of the team revealed that he was unhappy at his job. My friend told him that he would pray for
him. A few weeks went by and then the
coach told my friend that out of the blue he was able to change his job. This answer to my friend’s prayer was a
wonderful witness to this man. David’s
prayers were also a witness to the surrounding Gentile nations as can be seen
in 2Samuel 5:11&12, “11 Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David
with cedar trees and carpenters and stonemasons; and they built a house for
David. 12 And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over
Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people
Israel.” We read in the life of David
that Hiram was a good friend of David’s and so David could be a good witness to
him.
David
writes that all the kings of the earth will give thanks to the Lord, and this
could be a prophetic statement for we read the following in Revelations 21:24,
“The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring
their glory into it.” This part of the
book of Revelations is about the eternal kingdom of God, and this all happens
after this present world has been destroyed, (2Peter 3:10). There is a New Jerusalem that comes down from
God and it is unknown whether it is placed upon the new earth or is suspended
in space or if it sits upon the earth, but at any rate the kings of the earth
will bring glory to the Lord.
Answered Prayers
Accomplishes God’s Purposes in Our Lives (vv. 6-8): 6 For though
the LORD is exalted, Yet He regards the lowly, But the haughty He knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch
forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save
me. 8 The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O LORD,
is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.”
We
know that the Lord is the highest of the high and that He is the greatest of
the great, and yet the Lord still “regards the lowly.” “5 For
He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are
speaking. 6 But one has testified
somewhere, saying, "WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN,
THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM? 7
"YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU
HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF
YOUR HANDS; 8 YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN
SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET." For in subjecting all things to him, He left
nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things
subjected to him. 9 But we do see Him
who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because
of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of
God He might taste death for everyone.”
Hebrews 2:5-9 which speaks of the lowliness of Jesus. Jesus is the highest of the high and the
greatest of the great, but Jesus was more humble than anyone ever born to
woman. I can’t comprehend how the Lord
Jesus Christ could be beaten by the very people that He created. Jesus had power under control something that
very few men can handle. I suppose I do
know the answer to this question is LOVE.
“4 ¶ Love is patient, love is
kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek
its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but
rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all
things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1Cor. 13:4-7) Look at these verses and you see Jesus Christ
in them for Jesus is patient, kind, not jealous, does not brag, is not
provoked, He did not take into an account the sufferings of wrong He went
through, He never rejoiced in any unrighteousness, but He did rejoice in the
truth. Jesus bore all things, believed
all things, He hoped all things and He surely endured all things. Since I have again memorized this 13th
chapter of 1Corinthians I could not help but see that God is love as this
chapter describes God’s love.
Dr.
Wiersbe concludes his commentary with these words, “It has well been said that
the purpose of prayer is not to get man’s will done in heaven but to get God’s
will done on earth, and this was demonstrated in David’s life.”
Spiritual meaning for my life
today: I have been a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ for almost
39 years and can still say that prayer is a complicated adventure, something
that I still don’t fully understand, but continue to learn more about it. I realize that to tack on “in Jesus’ name,
Amen,” does not assure me of having a positive answer to my prayer. I have learned that my prayer must be in the
will of God so that it will bring glory to God.
I have learned that I am to pray about things that the Lord has already
promised in His Word. (Look at the first
23 verses of Daniel chapter nine.) I
have learned that I have to have a short list with the Lord in order for God to
hear my prayers. I have learned that I
am to treat my wife in a godly manner to have my prayers answered. My prayers must be sincere. I have learned that God wants me to pray
Scripture back to me. I have learned
that prayer is a privilege and that my prayers should reflect that and that I
should be passionate in my prayers. But
there is still much more to learn about prayer.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Be
passionate in my prayer. Be more content
in my life, and be transformed by His Word.
“Establish my footsteps in Your word, And do not let any iniquity have
dominion over me.” (Psalm 119:33)
Memory verses for the
week: Psalm 130:1-5
1 Out of the debts I cried to You, O
LORD. 2 Lord hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my
supplications. 3 If You, Lord, should
mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul does
wait, and in His Word do I hope.
11/21/2012 11:48:29 AM
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