PM July 22nd Psa 59

July 22^nd            Psalm 59

 

Micham of David, when Saul sent and they watched the house to kill him.

A Prayer for deliverance

1: Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me. 2: Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men. 3: For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD. 4: They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold. 5: Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah. 6: They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. 7: Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear? 8: But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision. 9: Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence. 10: The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies. 11: Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield. 12: For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak. 13: Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah. 14: And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. 15: Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied. 16: But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. 17: Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.

To the chief musician, upon Shasan-eduth

 

Psalm 60

 

Michtam of David to teach, when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah when Joab returned and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand.

A Prayer for help

1: O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again. 2: Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh. 3: Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. 4: Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. 5: That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me. 6: God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. 7: Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; 8: Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me. 9: Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom? 10: Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies? 11: Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. 12: Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

To the chief musician, upon Neginah

In today’s reading in Psalm 59 we find that David in this Psalm brings a Hymn of two nearly identical verses. He begins with the fact that he is surrounded by those who are seeking to murder him. And he compares them to wild dogs. In the first verse they howl and in the second verse they are ravenous. But in both verses he declares his trust in the Lord because he says God is my defence. There is a note attached saying that this Psalm was penned when David’s house was watched by the servants of Saul to find an opportunity to secretly murder him. So David begins saying, Deliver me from my enemies, O my God defend me from those who rise up against me. Save me O Lord from evil men whose hands are stained in blood. Its interesting that David’s life and service was not based on military power and civil law alone but was actually based on his spiritual experience of God and David understood this and so when his house is watched the first thing he does is to go into his room and falls on his knees to pray. He says to the Lord they set ambush for my life and great soldiers are gathered against me personally. Not because I have sinned or broken the law, but because they hate me. They hate me for no cause I have given. So Awake Oh Lord and help me, says David. He asks the Lord to come in judgment on his enemies and not to be merciful to them. Then he pauses in the music to let the hearers to think about that. Then David repeats the same theme in a second verse with slight variations. He describes the dogs who vomit their filth all over the city. But he says the Lord will laugh at their vain schemes. David says that he will continue to wait on the Lord because his defence is only in the Lord. The Lord encourages David and he asks that the Lord will allow him to see the destruction of the wicked.  He asks that the Lord will judge them for the sin of their proud conspiracy and for their cursing a lying. David calls on the Lord to consume them in his wrath. Think about that. May they be like dogs who have nothing to eat. But says David I will sing of your power, Yes and I will sing aloud of your mercy to me first thing in the morning because you were a place of safety to me in the day of trouble. I will sing to the Lord because he is my defence and the God of mercy to me. This Psalm is addressed to the Choir master and this is to be a testimony to the Lord. Psalm 60 is a song of deliverance for Israel. When David fought long and difficult battles against Syria and Edom.  Again this Song has two verses. He begins asking O God have you cast us aside and scattered us? Have you been displeased with us? Turn again to us O Lord.  You have made the earth shake and you have shown us things hard to understand. But you have been a standard to those who fear you. Think about that! Deliver us O Lord says David by your right hand and hear me. You have spoken in holiness and therefore I will rejoice. You have said that you will divide Shechem and you will measure the valley of Succoth. You have said that Gilead belongs to the Lord and so is Manasseh and the land of Ephraim is going to be a stronghold. Judah is where the judges will sit and Edom is where you will wash your hands. You will throw a shoe at Edom (An insult) And the Lord will have victory over Philistia. David pleads for help from the Lord for the armies at war. Because he says it is pointless to look to men for help. Lastly he says these magnificent words - Through God we will fight with courage and the Lord will tread down his enemies. This psalm was sent to the choir master at the time when the Lord smote Israel’s enemies.