Psalm 56

Psalm 56

David is between a rock and a hard place.  Fleeing from Saul, David goes to the Philistine ruler Achish.  But Achish’s war council reminds him that David has reportedly slain 10,000 Philistines (1 Samuel 21:10-11).  How does David respond to this situation?  He responds with confidence, but why confidence?  In verses 4 and 10, David expresses his love for God’s word.  Clearly this is not the same as our Bible, but the principle is the same. David knows God, and that knowledge of God gives him confidence in God’s care and direction.  Familiarity with God’s past dealing is derived from His word.  God’s story about Himself—how He interacts with His people, what He cares about, and what He thinks about me—can be more important than the circumstance.  Indeed these ought to be more important than the circumstances, people, or emotions.  The result of this confidence is we fulfill our vows or commitments to God.  Knowing God by His word, having confidence in Him, and living a holy life: this is a life worth living.  

“Lord, help me to know You by pouring faithfully over Your word. AMEN.”

Psalm 55

Psalm 55

The story behind this Psalm would make an excellent movie about high-level political intrigue.  This psalm is David' s response to the rebellion of Absalom and especially the treason of David’s trusted longtime friend and advisor Ahithophel.

David’s distress is complete, and he expresses his desire to retreat into the wilderness.  During the oppression of Saul, David was on the run engaging in guerrilla warfare.  Without the constraints of urban life, he was one step ahead of Saul.  But he wants to be like a dove, to get more than one step’s distance between him and danger.  

But David knows that safety isn’t in the dreams of a wilderness retreat or a bug-out location.  Security is found in God alone.  Traitors can be found even in the most secure locations.  The advice of verse 22 is for kings on the run or simple people trying to live faithfully in a crazy, evil world.  Our obligation and only real choice is to be sure that we are the ‘righteous’ as seen in the second part of verse 22.  This is greater security in righteous living than in a fortress.

“In times of ease or trouble, help me, Lord, to be righteous before You. AMEN.”

Psalm 54

 Psalm 54

The backstory or historical context is critical to this Psalm.  The men of Ziph aligned themselves with Saul and chose to betray David.  Saul’s response is interesting; he plans to capture and murder David, but he sounds pious in the process: “May you be blessed of the Lord, for you have had compassion on me” (1 Samuel 23:21).  Not everyone who is fluent in ‘God talk’ is a good person.  

David has a narrow escape and pens these words as a response.  In v. 7 we see the word ‘delivered’ in NASB.  This word carries the connotation or implication of a covenant relationship. David’s rescue was not mere happenstance.  It was God acting out of the relationship between God and David. For David’s benefit, God even used the wicked heathen Philistines.  God rules all things for the benefit of His Kingdom.  We need not fear the plots, plans, and operations of the godless or the powers of darkness.  Nevertheless, it was a close call.  In the past part of verse 7, David says that his “eye has looked upon my enemy.”  Often translations insert words to clarify the meaning, but a literal translation may be best. David was within visual range when the rescue occurred.  God will not fail us.  But He may allow things to develop so that we are frightened occasionally.  

“Help me, Lord, to live in complete confidence and trust in You. AMEN.”

Psalm 53

Psalm 53

This Psalm and Psalm 14 are very similar.  The subject of human evil is a nearly inexhaustible subject.  The source of evil is, at its root, a denial of God.  We are apt to apply this to the lives of dictators, exploitative captains of industry, or leaders of criminal organizations.  But perhaps we ought to apply this a little closer to home.  When I sin, I do so either by intentional choice or by drifting, under the influence of the world, the flesh, or pride, I am denying God.  I cannot in the same moment hate someone and submit to God, who calls me to love even my enemies.  In fundamental ways, purity and lust, truth and lies, and generosity and greed are so incompatible as to make the act of sin a statement of, in practical terms, atheism.

Perhaps rather than consider this Psalm a rebuke for wicked monsters in our world, I ought to take it as a confrontation to that part of my heart that still wants to harbor sin.  When I act sinfully because I think it is a solution, in that moment and space I say there is not a God and I am free to do as I will.

“Lord, never allow me to confess You with my words but deny You with my deeds. AMEN”

Psalm 52

 Psalm 52

This psalm is a reflection on one of the most barbaric events in the history of the kingdom of Israel.  If you are not familiar with the story, take a moment to read 1 Samuel 22.  We can’t say for certain if this Psalm is a rebuke of Saul or Doeg, but that doesn’t really matter; the principles apply to both.  

Verses 1-4 are descriptive of the depth of evil.  Note in v 2 is the reference to a sharp razor.  The one welding the razor is a trusted barber.  The image here is that of betrayal; expecting to have a shave, the victim has his throat cut.  This is an apt description of how wicked evil people are.

Verses 5-7 are descriptive of the destruction of the evil and the reaction of the righteous to their ruin.  God’s justice is perfect, complete, just, and devastating.  Far better than anything humans could accomplish, that is one reason it is commanded that we leave it to God to repay.  But there is an important point in this section about motivation.  Why such evil?  The evil one made wealth his security; anything that threatened his wealth was a threat to his very being (v. 7).  Their ruin is both an occasion for the righteous to fear God and rejoice in His judgment.  Should we laugh at the ruin of the wicked (v. 6), or is laughter an irresistible result of witnessing the ruin of the evil?  

“Lord, bring Your righteous and just judgment against all evil, including the evil of my own heart. AMEN.”

Psalm 51

 Psalm 51

Next to Psalm 23, this is perhaps the most well-known of all the Psalms.  It is the response of David’s heart when it is finally broken over the murder of his loyal friend, prompted by the affair with his friend’s wife.  It is hard not to identify with this Psalm even if our sin is not murder.  As with all the Psalms, this one deserves deep study and meditation from the opening letter to the final period.

For our purposes we will focus on three points in the first verse.  The theme and desperation of the whole Psalm are expressed in three words or phrases.  In the NASB those words and phrases are “be gracious,” “loving kindness,” and “compassion.” There is a growing intensity of these words.  In these three words/phrases, David is asking for ‘kind affection’ that is expressed over one that is loved.  Next he asks for a disposition of ‘beauty and goodness.’  Third, there he places his hope in a deep gut-level emotion that moves the whole person, that is, God, to act.  Herein is the only hope for a sinner.  Thankfully that beautifully describes our Lord God’s passionate want and desire to forgive us.  His desire to forgive is greater than our desire to be forgiven.  But if we have that desire, however imperfectly and incompletely, He is both willing and able to forgive.  

“Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. AMEN.”

Psalm 50

 Psalm 50

It is all about the focus.  When I was a motorcycle riding instructor, I taught my students, “Where you look (focus), you will go.  That is true of riding and of life.” One of the dangers in our lives of worship is we get the wrong focus.  This Psalm is a warning about misplaced focus.  Some made the focus of their worship their sacrifices and imagined that their practices made them right.  These folks were in grave danger and were warned about God’s punishing judgment (vv. 7-13). Others offered the same sacrifices along the way, but their focus was on God.  As a result they were right with Him (v. 14-15).

We often make, or try to make, worship about performance, our style, emotions, traditions, or us. An entire industry has grown up around marketing the worship of church to suit the wishes of people.  There is serious danger here, because worship is not about us.  The grandeur of the God of the universe draws from us worship and relationship.  When He is at the center, everything else falls into place.

“Lord, help me to focus on You, and out of that focus, worship You. AMEN.”