September 2nd
Psalm 143
A Psalm of David
Hear
my prayer
1: Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to
my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. 2: And enter not into judgment with
thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. 3: For the enemy hath persecuted my
soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in
darkness, as those that have been long dead. 4: Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within
me is desolate. 5: I remember
the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands. 6: I stretch forth my hands unto
thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah. 7: Hear me speedily, O LORD: my
spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go
down into the pit. 8: Cause me
to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to
know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee. 9: Deliver me, O LORD, from mine
enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. 10:
Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into
the land of uprightness. 11:
Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my
soul out of trouble. 12: And of
thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for
I am thy servant.
Psalm 144
A Psalm of David
Thankyou
Lord
1: Blessed be the LORD my strength,
which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: 2: My goodness, and my fortress; my
high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth
my people under me. 3: LORD,
what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou
makest account of him! 4: Man
is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away. 5: Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come
down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. 6: Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine
arrows, and destroy them. 7:
Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from
the hand of strange children; 8:
Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9: I will sing a new song unto
thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing
praises unto thee. 10: It is he
that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the
hurtful sword. 11: Rid me, and
deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and
their right hand is a right hand of falsehood: 12: That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that
our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a
palace: 13: That our garners
may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth
thousands and ten thousands in our streets: 14: That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no
breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets. 15: Happy is that people, that is in
such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.
Today we are reading Psalm 143 & 144. Psalm 143 is a
Psalm of David a hymn/prayer in the middle of trouble. David begins with prayer
in the context of enemy action against him and ends with prayer in the presence
of the judgment of God on his enemies. In between these concepts David
remembers Gods providence of old and he stretches out his hands to God for his
future. He begins saying, Hear my prayer O LORD. This opening statement reveals
the simplicity, directness and frankness of his prayer. He says O LORD, listen
to me and in your faithfulness answer me and do the right thing – i.e. deliver
me. David asks the Lord not to judge him – to show him mercy, because he says,
if you acted only in righteousness, then no man who ever know justification.
Then David gets to the heart of his prayer, he says, because – my enemy has
persecuted my life. He has struck me down to the ground. He had made me to live
in the darkness, like those who have long been buried. This is why I am depressed
and my mind is like a desert. But I remember the days of old when I spent time
thinking about all the things that God had done. I lifted up my hands to you
and my soul was thirsty for you, like a desert is thirsty for water. Think
about that. Listen to me - quickly O LORD, because my spirit is failing – do
not hide your face from me at this time, because if you do then I will be like
a dead person being buried. Make me to hear your lovingkindness in the morning,
because I am trusting in you and make me to know the path I should walk,
because I offer myself to you. Save me from my enemies O LORD I am running to
hide myself in you. Teach me how to do your will, says David, because you are
my God. Your spirit is good so lead me into the land of uprightness. David’s
life was focused on law keeping as a means of obtaining the blessing of God and
in this context the blessing of God was the continuation of his mortal life.
David is at the very brink of death, so he says, bring me back to life for your
names sake. For the reputation of your righteousness, save my life out of
trouble. And in mercy to me kill my enemies and destroy those who afflict my
physical life because I am your servant. David pleads for his life because he
has dedicated himself to the service of God. In a coming day men will plead for
their lives based on their service. They will say we have preached in your name
etc but the Lord will say I never knew you and why will he not know them?
Because they do not live righteously according to law. He will say depart from
me you that do wickedness. Psalm 144 is
another song of David, a hymn of praise and thanksgiving. The song has two
verses again both beginning with praise and worship and both repeating the words
of foreigners which are vain and false. Then he ends with a beatitude that
declares that the truly blessed people (Israel) are those whose God is the LORD
Jehovah. In v1-7 David says that the Lord is blessed because he strengthens him
in the battle. And the LORD teaches his hands and fingers how to fight. Then he
continues to describe the LORD, he says he is my goodness, my fortress, my high
tower, my rescuer, my shield and I am trusting in him who will quietens all
those who are under me the king. He says, what is man that you take any notice
of him or me, the son of man, that you take hold me responsible. Man’s life is
pointless and his days fade away like a shadow when the sun sets. Then David
calls on the Lord to come down from the heavens and touch the mountains so that
they will burn. He says throw lightening at my enemies and scatters them. Bring
down lighting bolts on them to destroy them. David says rid me of them and
deliver me from the flood of men, from strangers who speak empty threats. They
are full of trickery. Lord, says David, I will sing a new song of praises to
you on the harp of ten strings. You are the one who delivers kings and delivers
me your servant from the painful sword of his enemy. Rid me of them, so that
our sons will be like plants growing up and that our daughters will be like
corner stones – polished like a palace, so that our storehouses are full of
everything. May our flocks give birth to ten thousand lambs and that our oxen
will be strong to work the fields. And that there will be peace in the streets.
Happy Israel will be because the LORD is their God. David has amply described
the life of Israel under law. Peace from enemies, children, security, crops,
flocks, cattle and all because Israel faithfully keeps the law. How very
different from christians who are not under the law of Moses. They receive
troubles and persecution but in it all forgiveness and grace abounding to the
chief of sinners.
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