Sermon Tone Analysis

Setting

Our belief in the power of praying to God and our trust in Him is reflected in our expressions of gratitude to Him.

As God responds to our needs, we graciously thank Him.

However, even before we receive an answer, we can thank Him because we know His loving character.

We can pray with an attitude of thankfulness because we are certain that God will answer in the best way.

This psalm provides a way of offering thanks to God for signs of his constant care.

are the final collection of psalms attributed to David.

The themes of these psalms reaffirm David’s confidence in God’s promise to uphold His covenants.

Let’s start with

is the first of eight consecutive Davidic psalms (cf.

heading) near the close of the Psalter.

They seem to have been written during a time when the Jewish people were suffering under the wicked.

The psalms emphasize David’s own need, and that of the Jewish people corporately.

And they encourage them to continue to trust in God to accomplish all that He promised, especially with regard to the Davidic covenant Thus this unit of psalms affirms the messianic hope (Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 346).

Verse 1 “Before the gods”?? Compare:

has many parallels to the oracles of blessing in Isaiah (cf. ).

Some of the LXX manuscripts link this psalm to the period of Haggai and Zechariah.

Why praise and exalt God for being above something that doesn’t exist?

What did the temple represent in ancient Israel?

The psalmist honors the temple because it is Yahweh’s residence on earth.

The psalmist sees God’s presence as especially localized in the Jerusalem temple because of His covenant relationship with Israel.

138:2 give thanks to your name.

138:title are the last psalms affiliated with David and make up roughly half of the psalms affiliated with David in Book Five of the Psalms ().

Book Five contains 14 psalms attributed to David.

We talked about names in the Bible before.

What was significant about names?

Since are collectively a conclusion to the entire Psalter, this final block of Davidic psalms () adds weight to the traditional view of the entire Psalter as “The Psalms of David.”

Although about half of the psalms are affiliated with David, they are not distributed evenly throughout the Psalter.

For example, Books Three and Four () have only three Davidic psalms (; ; ).

See note on 3:title.

David and the Psalm Titles

138:1–3 The psalmist thanks Yahweh for His help and praises His reputation and character.

His praise portrays a strong sense of personal gratitude.

The psalmist may more specifically be referring to some sort of armed conflict when God delivered him (and Israel).

138:2

God’s name represents a summary reference to His character and all the past deeds for which He is known cf. ; ; ; ).There is a link between the word of God, which is truth and his name, which epitomizes His character.

Examples:

One ATTRIBUTE of God is His word is truth:

This phrase emphasizes God’s commitment to Israel.

What’s in a name:

1; ).

On bowing down toward God’s holy temple see comment on 134:2.

Praise is expressed for His lovingkindness (cf.

comment on 5:7) and truth (v.

2; cf.

comment on 43:3), as when He redeemed David from Saul (cf.

57:3; ; ).

Let’s move to

In verse 3, David proclaims he feel the Lord answering him and strengthening him.

What does that say about his relationship with God?

How does your relationship compare?

In verse 4, David speaks in future tense regarding the kings of the earth.

Does this sound familiar in other Scripture?

What was the Abrahamic Covenant?

138:4–6 The Lord Is High, and Looks on the Lowly.

The very personal experience of God’s help is now put in perspective: the God to whom the singer had prayed is the universal Lord (he is high), to whom all the Gentiles will one day come in worship (all the kings of the earth shall give you thanks; cf.

102:15; ); and yet he regards the lowly person (such as the one giving thanks in this psalm).

The actual Abrahamic Covenant is found in .

The actual Abrahamic Covenant is found in .

Make a case for the message of and being in line with the second part of verse 4 and verse 5. What do they have in common?

ps

138:4–6 The psalmist widens his view to the international stage, and he seems to imply that Yahweh will gain fame because He helped him.

He implies that Yahweh’s personal help for the psalmist will eventually translate into a more prominent place for Israel among the nations, which other kings will notice.

138:4 This explicitly identifies the international context of the psalm (compare note on v. 1).

The psalmist doesn’t specify how the kings heard God’s words.

He may have related God’s words to the foreign kings himself as he declares his thanks and praise to God.

138:5 The psalmist anticipates that the foreign kings will sing (shir in Hebrew) of the ways of Yahweh, which seems to indicate that they will come to worship the God of Israel, Yahweh, at some point.

Foreign kings would see God’s work as He acts on behalf of Israel—usually at their expense.

However, the psalmist doesn’t specify that the foreign nations have been defeated and then worship God; he only states that they will eventually worship God.

What is meant by lowly?

What part of us indicates if we are haughty or lowly?

The Hebrew word used for lowly, shapal, refers to humility in both one’s life condition and attitude.

Verse 6

Compare:

Go to

).

Together the redeemed of the Gentile nations and the people of Israel will sing of the ways of the Lord (cf. ; ; ; ).

The concept of God’s spiritual provision is also affirmed by David’s statement that He regards the lowly (v. 6).

The verb translated “regards,” when used with God as the subject, typically signifies His assessment and provision of what is most needed (see comments on 4:6).

).

Together the redeemed of the Gentile nations and the people of Israel will sing of the ways of the Lord (cf. ; ; ; ).

The concept of God’s spiritual provision is also affirmed by David’s statement that He regards the lowly (v. 6).

The verb translated “regards,” when used with God as the subject, typically signifies His assessment and provision of what is most needed (see comments on 4:6).

Compare to

Notice the tense of these verses.

Why is that significant for David and for us?

We should not just look backwards to see what God has done for us.

The psalm closes by telling of God’s constant care for each of his faithful.

It is not easy for even the most faithful believer to be mindful of this care at all times

singing this will help the members of the congregation be more aware of the ways in which God preserves and protects them.

The Right Hand of God (verse 7)

A figure of speech that represents God’s ultimate power and authority, and where the exalted Jesus Christ now sits.

You have a strong arm; Your hand is mighty, Your right hand is exalted.

The right hand of God as a symbol

:8

A symbol of power

I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

A symbol of protection See also ; ; ;

:8

A symbol of God’s presence See also ; ;

My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.

A symbol of God’s saving power pp See also ; ; ; ;

:10

A symbol of victory ; ; ;

Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

A symbol of the defeat of God’s enemies See also ; ;

:13

"For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you.'

A symbol of God’s mighty works See also ; ;