Praises for Life - Deliverance
Introduction to the Exodus Psalms Book 2
Never Fear, God is on Your Side! ,
While each of these psalms can be taken separately, Psalms 42–43 go well together as a song with three stanzas: they share a refrain (42:5, 11; 43:5); 43:2 is almost the same as 42:9; and they both express the longing to return to God’s presence in the sanctuary (42:2; 43:3–4). In these psalms the singer laments his circumstances (connected with enemies who despise God and oppress his faithful servants), which keep him from attending worship at the central sanctuary. Singing this in corporate worship would especially foster a sense of yearning and expectation in the faithful, so that they would learn to attend worship looking for God’s presence, to mourn any circumstances that prevent them from attendance, and to count their attendance at worship as a great gift from God (certainly not a burdensome duty!). Other psalms that express yearning for God include Psalms 63 and 84.
It is the cry of a man far removed from the outward ordinances and worship of God, sighing for the long-loved house of his God; and at the same time it is the voice of a spiritual believer, under depressions, longing for the renewal of the divine presence, struggling with doubts and fears, but yet holding his ground by faith in the living God. Most of the Lord’s family have sailed on the sea which is here so graphically described. It is probable that David’s flight from Absolom may have been the occasion for composing this Maschil.
As the hart panteth after the waterbrooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” As after a long drought the poor fainting hind longs for the streams, or rather as the hunted hart instinctively seeks after the river to lave its smoking flanks and to escape the dogs, even so my weary, persecuted soul pants after the Lord my God. Debarred from public worship, David was heartsick. Ease he did not seek, honour he did not covet, but the enjoyment of communion with God was an urgent need of his soul; he viewed it not merely as the sweetest of all luxuries, but as an absolute necessity, like water to a stag. Like the parched traveller in the wilderness, whose skin bottle is empty, and who finds the wells dry, he must drink or die—he must have his God or faint. His soul, his very self, his deepest life, was insatiable for a sense of the divine presence. As the hart brays so his soul prays. Give him his God and he is as content as the poor deer which at length slakes its thirst and is perfectly happy; but deny him his Lord, and his heart heaves, his bosom palpitates, his whole frame is convulsed, like one who gasps for breath, or pants with long running. Dear reader, dost thou know what this is, by personally having felt the same? It is a sweet bitterness. The next best thing to living in the light of the Lord’s love is to be unhappy till we have it, and to pant hourly after it—hourly, did I say? thirst is a perpetual appetite, and not to be forgotten, and even thus continual is the heart’s longing after God. When it is as natural for us to long for God as for an animal to thirst, it is well with our souls, however painful our feelings. We may learn from this verse that the eagerness of our desires may be pleaded with God, and the more so, because there are special promises for the importunate and fervent.
2. “My soul.” All my nature, my inmost self. “Thirsteth.” Which is more than hungering; hunger you can palliate, but thirst is awful, insatiable, clamorous, deadly. O to have the most intense craving after the highest good! this is no questionable mark of grace. “For God.” Not merely for the temple and the ordinances, but for fellowship with God himself. None but spiritual men can sympathise with this thirst. “For the living God.” Because he lives, and gives to men the living water; therefore we, with greater eagerness, desire him. A dead God is a mere mockery; we loathe such a monstrous deity; but the ever-living God, the perennial fountain of life and light and love, is our soul’s desire. What are gold, honour, pleasure, but dead idols? May we never pant for these. “When shall I come and appear before God?” He who loves the Lord loves also the assemblies wherein his name is adored. Vain are all pretences to religion where the outward means of grace have no attraction. David was never so much at home as in the house of the Lord; he was not content with private worship; he did not forsake the place where saints assemble, as the manner of some is. See how pathetically he questions as to the prospect of his again uniting in the joyous gathering! How he repeats and reiterates his desire! After his God, his Elohim (his God to be worshipped, who had entered into covenant with him), he pined even as the drooping flowers for the dew, or the moaning turtle for her mate. It were well if all our resortings to public worship were viewed as appearances before God, it would then be a sure mark of grace to delight in them. Alas, how many appear before the minister, or their fellow men, and think that enough! “To see the face of God” is the nearer translation of the Hebrew; but the two ideas may be combined—he would see his God and be seen of him; this is worth thirsting after!
3.—“My tears have been my meat day and night.” Salt meats, but healthful to the soul. When a man comes to tears, constant tears, plenteous tears, tears that fill his cup and trencher, he is in earnest indeed. As the big tears stand in the stag’s eyes in her distress, so did the salt drops glitter in the eyes of David. His appetite was gone, his tears not only seasoned his meat, but became his only meat, he had no mind for other diet. Perhaps it was well for him that the heart could open the safety valves; there is a dry grief far more terrible than showery sorrows. His tears since they were shed because God was blasphemed, were “honourable dew,” drops of holy water, such as Jehovah putteth into his bottle. “While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?” Cruel taunts come naturally from coward minds. Surely they might have left the mourner alone; he could weep no more than he did—it was a supererogation of malice to pump more tears from a heart which already overflowed. Note how incessant was their jeer, and how artfully they framed it! It cut the good man to the bone to have the faithfulness of his God impugned. They had better have thrust needles into his eyes than have darted insinuations against his God. Shimei may here be alluded to who after this fashion mocked David as he fled from Absalom. He roundly asserted that David was a bloody man, and that God was punishing him for supplanting Saul and his house; his wish was father to his thought. The wicked know that our worst misfortune would be to lose God’s favour, hence their diabolical malice leads them to declare that such is the case. Glory be to God, they lie in their throats, for our God is in the heavens, ay, and in the furnace too, succouring his people.
Verse 4.—“When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me.” When he harped upon his woes his heart melted into water and was poured out upon itself. God hidden, and foes raging, a pair of evils enough to bring down the stoutest heart! Yet why let reflections so gloomy engross us, since the result is of no value: merely to turn the soul on itself, to empty it from itself into itself is useless, how much better to pour out the heart before the Lord! The prisoner’s treadwheel might sooner land him in the skies than mere inward questioning raise us nearer to consolation. “For I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God.” Painful reflections were awakened by the memory of past joys; he had mingled in the pious throng, their numbers had helped to give him exhilaration and to awaken holy delight, their company had been a charm to him as with them he ascended the hill of Zion. Gently proceeding with holy ease, in comely procession, with frequent strains of song, he and the people of Jehovah had marched in reverent ranks up to the shrine of sacrifice, the dear abode of peace and holiness. Far away from such goodly company the holy man pictures the sacred scene and dwells upon the details of the pious march. “With the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.” The festive noise is in his ears, and the solemn dance before his eyes. Perhaps he alludes to the removal of the ark and to the glorious gatherings of the tribes on that grand national holy day and holiday. How changed his present place! For Zion, a wilderness; for the priests in white linen, soldiers in garments of war; for the song, the sneer of blasphemy; for the festivity, lamentation; for joy in the Lord, a mournful dirge over his absence.
“I sigh to think of happier days
When thou, O God, wast nigh,
When every heart was tuned to praise;
And none more blest than I.”
When in a foreign land, amid the idolatries of Popery, we have felt just the same home-sickness for the house of the Lord which is here described; we have said “Ziona, Ziona, our holy and beautiful house, when shall I see thee again? Thou church of the living God, my mother, my home, when shall I hear thy Psalms and holy prayers, and once again behold the Lord in the midst of his people?” David appears to have had a peculiarly tender remembrance of the singing of the pilgrims, and assuredly it is the most delightful part of worship and that which comes nearest to the adoration of heaven. What a degradation to supplant the intelligent song of the whole congregation by the theatrical prettinesses of a quartette, the refined niceties of a choir, or the blowing off of wind from inanimate bellows and pipes! We might as well pray by machinery as praise by it.
5. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” As though he were two men, the Psalmist talks to himself. His faith reasons with his fears, his hope argues with his sorrows. These present troubles, are they to last for ever? The rejoicings of my foes, are they more than empty talk? My absence, from the solemn feasts, is that a perpetual exile? Why this deep depression, this faithless fainting, this chicken-hearted melancholy? As Trapp says, “David chideth David out of the dumps;” and herein he is an example for all desponding ones. To search out the cause of our sorrow is often the best surgery for grief. Self-ignorance is not bliss; in this case it is misery. The mist of ignorance magnifies the causes of our alarm; a clearer view will make monsters dwindle into trifles. “Why art thou disquieted within me?” Why is my quiet gone? If I cannot keep a public Sabbath, yet wherefore do I deny my soul her indoor Sabbath? Why am I agitated like a troubled sea, and why do my thoughts make a noise like a tumultuous multitude? The causes are not enough to justify such utter yielding to despondency. Up, my heart! What aileth thee? Play the man, and thy castings down shall turn to liftings up, and thy disquietudes to calm. “Hope thou in God.” If every evil be let loose from Pandora’s box, yet is there hope at the bottom. This is the grace that swims, though the waves roar and be troubled. God is unchangeable, and therefore his grace is the ground for unshaken hope. If everything be dark, yet the day will come, and meanwhile hope carries stars in her eyes; her lamps are not dependent upon oil from without, her light is fed by secret visitations of God, which sustain the spirit. “For I shall yet praise him.” Yet will my sighs give place to songs, my mournful ditties shall be exchanged for triumphal pæans. A loss of the present sense of God’s love is not a loss of that love itself; the jewel is there, though it gleams not on our breast; hope knows her title good when she cannot read it clear; she expects the promised boon though present providence stands before her with empty hands. “For I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.” Salvations come from the propitious face of God, and he will yet lift up his countenance upon us. Note well that the main hope and chief desire of David rest in the smile of God. His face is what he seeks and hopes to see, and this will recover his low spirits, this will put to scorn his laughing enemies, this will restore to him all the joys of those holy and happy days around which memory lingers. This is grand cheer. This verse, like the singing of Paul and Silas, looses chains and shakes prison walls. He who can use such heroic language in his gloomy hours will surely conquer. In the garden of hope grow the laurels for future victories, the roses of coming joy, the lilies of approaching peace.
“Judge me, O God.” Others are unable to understand my motives, and unwilling to give me a just verdict. My heart is clear as to its intent, and therefore I bring my case before thee, content that thou wilt impartially weigh my character, and right my wrongs. If thou wilt judge, thy acceptance of my conduct will be enough for me; I can laugh at human misrepresentation if my conscience knows that thou art on my side; thou art the only one I care for; and besides, thy verdict will not sleep, but thou wilt see practical justice done to thy slandered servant. “And plead my cause against an ungodly nation.” One such advocate as the Lord will more than suffice to answer a nation of brawling accusers. When people are ungodly no wonder that they are unjust: those who are not true to God himself cannot be expected to deal rightly with his people. Hating the King they will not love his subjects. Popular opinion weighs with many, but divine opinion is far more weighty with the gracious few. One good word from God outweighs ten thousand railing speeches of men. He bears a brazen shield before him whose reliance in all things is upon his God; the arrows of calumny fall harmlessly from such a buckler. “O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.” Deceit and injustice are boon companions: he who fawns will not fear to slander. From two such devils none can deliver us but God. His wisdom can outwit the craft of the vilest serpent, and his power can overmatch the most raging lion. Whether this was Doeg or Ahithophel is small matter, such double distilled villains are plentiful, and the only way of dealing with them is to refer the matter to the righteous Judge of all; if we try to fight them with their own weapons, we shall suffer more serious injury from ourselves than from them. O child of God, leave these thine enemies in better hands, remembering that vengeance belongeth not to thee, but to the Lord. Turn to him in prayer, crying, “O deliver me,” and ere long you shall publish abroad the remembrance of his salvation.
2. “For.”—Here is argument, which is the very sinew of prayer. If we reasoned more with the Lord we should have more victories in supplication. “Thou art the God of my strength.” All my strength belongs to thee—I will not, therefore, use it on my own behalf against my personal foes. All my strength comes from thee, I therefore seek help from thee, who art able to bestow it. All my strength is in thee, I leave therefore this task of combating my foes entirely in thy hands. Faith which leaves such things alone is wise faith. Note the assurance of David, “thou art,” not I hope and trust so, but I know it is so; we shall find confidence to be our consolation. “Why dost thou cast me off?” Why am I treated as if thou didst loathe me? Am I become an offence unto thee? There are many reasons why the Lord might cast us off, but no reason shall prevail to make him do so. He hath not cast off his people, though he for awhile treats them as cast-offs. Learn from this question that it is well to enquire into dark providences, but we must enquire of God, not of our own fears. He who is the author of a mysterious trial can best expound it to us.
“Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.”
“Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” Why do I wander hither and thither like a restless spirit? Why wear I the weeds of sorrow on my body, and the lines of grief on my face? Oppression makes a wise man mad; why, Lord, am I called to endure so much of it for so long a time? Here again is a useful question, addressed to the right quarter. The answer will often be because we are saints, and must be made like our Head, and because such sorrow is chastening to the spirit, and yieldeth comfortable fruit. We are not to cross-question the Lord in peevishness, but we may ask of him in humility; God help us to observe the distinction so as not to sin through stress of sorrow.
3. “O send out thy light and thy truth.” The joy of thy presence and the faithfulness of thy heart; let both of these be manifest to me. Reveal my true character by thy light, and reward me according to thy truthful promise. As the sun darts forth his beams, so does the Lord send forth his favour and his faithfulness towards all his people; and as all nature rejoices in the sunshine, even so the saints triumph in the manifestation of the love and fidelity of their God, which, like the golden sunbeam, lights up even the darkest surroundings with delightful splendour. “Let them lead me.” Be these my star to guide me to my rest. Be these my Alpine guides to conduct me over mountains and precipices to the abodes of grace. “Let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.” First in thy mercy bring me to thine earthly courts, and end my weary exile, and then in due time admit me to thy celestial palace above. We seek not light to sin by, nor truth to be exalted by it, but that they may become our practical guides to the nearest communion with God: only such light and truth as are sent us from God will do this, common light is not strong enough to show the road to heaven, nor will mere moral or physical truths assist to the holy hill; but the light of the Holy Spirit, and the truth as it is in Jesus, these are elevating, sanctifying, perfecting; and hence their virtue in leading us to the glorious presence of God. It is beautiful to observe how David’s longing to be away from the oppression of man always leads him to sigh more intensely for communion with God.
4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
4. “Then will I go unto the altar of God.” If David might but be favoured with such a deliverance as would permit his return, it would not be his own house of heritage which would be his first resort, but to the altar of God his willing feet should conduct him. His whole heart would go as a sacrifice to the altar, he himself counting it his greatest happiness to be permitted to lie as a burnt offering wholly dedicated to the Lord. With what exultation should believers draw near unto Christ, who is the antitype of the altar! clearer light should give greater intensity of desire. “Unto God my exceeding joy.” It was not the altar as such that the Psalmist cared for, he was no believer in the heathenism of ritualism: his soul desired spiritual fellowship, fellowship with God himself in very deed. What are all the rites of worship unless the Lord be in them; what, indeed, but empty shells and dry husks? Note the holy rapture with which David regards his Lord! He is not his joy alone, but his exceeding joy; not the fountain of joy, the giver of joy, or the maintainer of joy, but that joy itself. The margin hath it, “The gladness of my joy,” i.e., the soul, the essence, the very bowels of my joy. To draw near to God, who is such a joy to us, may well be the object of our hungering and thirsting. “Yea, upon the harp will I praise thee.” His best music for his best love. When God fills us with joy we ought ever to pour it out at his feet in praise, and all the skill and talent we have should be laid under contribution to increase the divine revenue of glory. “O God, my God.” How he dwells upon the name which he loves so well! He already harps on it as though his harp music had begun. What sweeter sounds can music know than these four words? To have God in possession, and to know it by faith, is the heart’s heaven—a fulness of bliss lies therein.
5. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” If God be thine, why this dejection? If he uplifts thee, why art thou so near the ground? The dew of love is falling, O withering heart, revive. “And why art thou disquieted within me?” What cause is there to break the repose of thy heart? Wherefore indulge unreasonable sorrows, which benefit no one, fret thyself, and dishonour thy God? Why overburden thyself with foregodings? “Hope in God,” or “wail for God.” There is need of patience, but there is ground for hope. The Lord cannot but avenge his own elect. The heavenly Father will not stand by and see his children trampled on for ever; as surely as the sun is in the heavens, light must arise for the people of God, though for awhile they may walk in darkness. Why, then, should we not he encouraged, and lift up our head with comfortable hope? “For I shall yet praise him.” Times of complaint will soon end, and seasons of praise will begin. Come, my heart, look out of the window, borrow the telescopic glass, forecast a little, and sweeten thy chamber with sprigs of the sweet herb of hope. “Who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” My God will clear the furrows from my brow, and the tear marks from my cheek; therefore will I lift up my head and smile in the face of the storm. The Psalm has a blessed ending, such as we would fain imitate when death puts an end to our mortal existence.
The psalm is a hymn celebrating Zion as the special city, to which God has pledged himself and through which he will bless the world. Other psalms like this include Psalms 48; 76; 87; and 122. The psalm has two stanzas, marked by a refrain (46:7, 11).
Not our armies, or our fortresses. Israel’s boast is in Jehovah, the only living and true God. Others vaunt their impregnable castles, placed on inaccessible rocks and secured with gates of iron, but God is a far better refuge from distress than all these: and when the time comes to carry the war into the enemy’s territories, the Lord stands his people in better stead than all the valour of legions or the boasted strength of chariot and horse. Soldiers of the cross, remember this, and count yourselves safe, and make yourselves strong in God. Forget not the personal possessive word “our;” make sure each one of your portion in God, that you may say, “He is my refuge and strength.” Neither forget the fact that God is our refuge just now, in the immediate present, as truly as when David penned the word. God alone is our all in all. All other refuges are refuges of lies, all other strength is weakness, for power belongeth unto God: but as God is all-sufficient, our defence and might are equal to all emergencies. “A very present help in trouble,” or in distresses he has so been found, he has been tried and proved by his people. He never withdraws himself from his afflicted. He is their help, truly, effectually, constantly; he is present or near them, close at their side and ready for their succour, and this is emphasised by the word “very” in our version, he is more present than friend or relative can be, yea, more nearly present than even the trouble itself. To all this comfortable truth is added the consideration that his assistance comes at the needed time. He is not as the swallows that leave us in the winter; he is a friend in need and a friend indeed.
“Therefore.” How fond the Psalmist is of therefores! his poetry is no poetic rapture without reason, it is as logical as a mathematical demonstration. The next words are a necessary inference from these. “Will not we fear.” With God on our side, how irrational would fear be! Where he is all power is, and all love, why therefore should we quail? “Though the earth be removed,” though the basis of all visible things should be so convulsed as to be entirely changed. “And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;” though the firmest of created objects should fall to headlong ruin, and be submerged in utter destruction. The two phrases set forth the most terrible commotions within the range of imagination, and include the overthrow of dynasties, the destruction of nations, the ruin of families, the persecutions of the church, the reign of heresy, and whatever else may at any time try the faith of believers. Let the worst come to the worst, the child of God should never give way to mistrust; since God remaineth faithful there can be no danger to his cause or people. When the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the heavens and the earth shall pass away in the last general conflagration, we shall serenely behold “the wreck of matter, and the crash of worlds,” for even then our refuge shall preserve us from all evil, our strength shall prepare us for all good.
“Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled.” When all things are excited to fury, and reveal their utmost power to disturb, faith smiles serenely. She is not afraid of noise, nor even of real force, she knows that the Lord stilleth the raging of the sea, and holdeth the waves in the hollow of his hand. “Though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.” Alps and Andes may tremble, but faith rests on a firmer basis, and is not to be moved by swelling seas. Evil may ferment, wrath may boil, and pride may foam, but the brave heart of holy confidence trembles not. Great men who are like mountains may quake for fear in times of great calamity, but the man whose trust is in God needs never be dismayed.
Remember, Honor, and Serve the Lord and 45
This is a hymn for when the people of God as a whole have suffered some great calamity at the hands of their enemies and are seeking God’s help. The calamity is particularly painful, since God has chosen his people, given them a special place, and favored them over their enemies in the past. The corporate focus is not impersonal, however; each member of the congregation identifies with the whole people, using the singular “I” (vv. 4, 6, 15). When the worshiping congregation sings this, they do more than simply present the request to God; they remind themselves of their privileged standing with God, of the obligation to faith and holiness that is laid upon them, and of God’s unfailing loyalty to his purpose for his people. Similar psalms include Psalms 74; 77; 79; 80; and 83. In some cases, the cause for the calamity is mysterious (as here); in others, it is acknowledged as due to the people’s unfaithfulness (e.g., 79:8).
God sleepeth not, but the Psalmist puts it so, as if on no other theory he could explain the divine inaction. He would fain see the great Judge ending oppression and giving peace to the holy, therefore does he cry “Awake;” he cannot understand why the reign of tyranny and the oppression of virtue are permitted, and therefore he enquires, “Why sleepest thou?” Arise. This is all thou needest to do, one move of thine will save us. “Cast us not off for ever.” Long enough hast thou deserted us; the terrible effects of thine absence are destroying us; end thou our calamities, and let thine anger be appeased. In persecuting times men are apt to cry, Where is the God of Israel?
This is a hymn celebrating a royal wedding; as the title says, it is a “love song.” It is impossible to be sure for which king in David’s line the song was first composed, but it does not matter; after 2 Sam. 7:11–16, the line of David was the appointed channel through which God would bless his people and carry out his mission to the whole world. The psalm has sometimes been taken as directly messianic, because Heb. 1:8–9 cites Ps. 45:6–7, applying the verses to Christ. The notes below will make clear how the book of Hebrews uses these verses.
He who could sing other Psalms so well was fitly entrusted with this noble ode. Trifles may be left to commoner songsters, but the most skilful musician in Israel must be charged with the due performance of this song, with the most harmonious voices and choicest music. For the Sons of Korah. One alone cannot fulfil the praise, there must be picked choristers under him, whose joyful privilege it shall be to celebrate the service of song in the house of the Lord. As to why the Sons of Korah were selected, see our remarks at the head of Psalm 42. It may be well to add that they were a division of the Levites who took their turn in serving at the temple. All the works of holy service ought not to be monopolised by one order of talent, each company of believers should in due course enjoy the privilege. None ought to be without a share in the service of God.
A Song upon Alamoth. Which may denote that the music was to be pitched high for the treble or soprano voices of the Hebrew virgins. They went forth in their dances to sing the praises of David when he smote the Philistine, it was meet that they should make merry and be glad when the victories of Jehovah became their theme. We need to praise God upon virgin hearts, with souls chaste towards his fear, with lively and exalted expressions, and gladsome strains. Or the word Alamoth may refer to shrill-sounding instruments, as in 1 Chron. 15:20, where we rend that Zechariah, and Eliab, and Benaiah were to praise the Lord “with psalteries on Alamoth.” We are not always, in a slovenly manner, to fall into one key, but with intelligence are to modulate our praises and make them fittingly expressive of the occasion and the joy it creates in our souls. These old musical terms cannot be interpreted with certainty, but they are still useful because they show that care and skill should be used in our sacred music.
SUBJECT.—Happen what may, the Lord’s people are happy and secure, this is the doctrine of the Psalm, and it might, to help our memories, be called THE SONG OF HOLY CONFIDENCE, were it not that from the great reformer’s love to this soul-stirring hymn it will probably be best remembered as LUTHER’S PSALM.
Our God Reign’s! and 48
This psalm celebrates God’s kingship, i.e., his rule over all the earth (see note on 5:2). The promises to Abraham (47:9), that all peoples will be blessed in him (Gen. 12:3), are founded on the fact that there is only one true God, to whom all mankind owes love and loyalty. Other psalms like this are Psalms 93; 96–99.
Like Psalm 46, Psalm 48 is a hymn celebrating Zion as God’s special city, which he defends for the sake of the world. It commemorates some great event, in which Gentile powers had besieged Jerusalem but came away dismayed; it recognizes that though material fortresses may have their place, it is crucial that God himself be the defense of his people.
“Faith,” Don’t “Fear”! , , and 58
This is a wisdom psalm, i.e., a hymn that reflects on topics typically covered in the Bible’s Wisdom Literature. In particular, it addresses the perplexity that the pious often feel when they encounter trouble, while unfaithful people seem to get along so well. Is not God expected to show his favor for the pious in how he treats them? The answer is that God will distinguish between the faithful and the unfaithful in what happens to them when they die. The psalm follows a very simple argument: it calls everyone to pay attention (vv. 1–4); then it reminds the singers that everyone has a common outcome, namely, all will die (vv. 5–12); and it finishes by stressing the contrasting destinations for the faithful and the unfaithful (vv. 13–20). Verses 12 and 20 are very similar, the key difference being in the words translated “remain” and “understanding,” which sound almost the same in Hebrew (yalin and yabin). The element of understanding makes the difference, as the notes will show. Those who sing this will want to continue living faithfully, and will be strengthened against the temptation either to despair or to give up and join the unfaithful. Other psalms that address the same topic include Psalms 37 and 73.
It is probably best to describe this psalm as an “oracular hymn,” i.e., with it the worshipers sing God’s pronouncement about how they should live as part of his covenant people. The God who speaks and summons the earth (v. 1) especially plans to judge his own people (v. 4), particularly to warn any of them who presume on the privileges of the sacrificial system, thinking that it is a way to buy God off, apart from a living relationship with him.
God’s people should sing this song when they are confronted with injustice among their own rulers (it is thus a community lament). In the time of David, of course, the focus was on those who ruled Israel, a theocracy (which was thus, at least in name, supposed to be governed by the principles of the Pentateuch); and yet Christians may pray this way since the rulers of God’s people, indeed all people, everywhere and at all times, ought to embody the highest human ideals of justice (see notes on Prov. 31:1–9). Singing this in worship helps the faithful to pray more earnestly for godly leadership, and forms in the leaders of the community a true moral compass for their own leadership. It also celebrates the prospect that—one day, sooner or later—God will vindicate his justice in the world, and those who trust him will rejoice exceedingly.
Lord, Do Heart Surgery! , , and 53
This is probably the best known of the “Penitential Psalms” (Psalms 6; 25; 32; 38; 51; 130; 143). According to the title, David composed this psalm as a result of Nathan the prophet convicting him of his sins, both in his committing adultery with Bathsheba and in his arranging for the murder of Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah the Hittite (2 Sam. 12:1–14). At the same time, this is more than David’s personal prayer: its instructional elements (e.g., Ps. 51:16–19) show that, though the situation that led to the psalm was intensely personal, the psalm in its current form is well-suited to be a hymn by which the members of the worshiping congregation confess their own sins. As is the case with Psalms 25 and 32, the psalm enables its singers to appeal to God’s own gracious character as the grounds for their cry for forgiveness, echoing Ex. 34:6–7 (see note on Ps. 51:1–2). The psalm also reinforces the view, found in the Levitical system itself, that the sacrifices bestow their benefits only on those who use them in humble and penitent faith.
This psalm enables the faithful to develop confidence in God’s care and protection, particularly when surrounded by ruthless enemies. The title sets the psalm during David’s flight from Saul (1 Sam. 21:1–7), which led to the slaughter at Nob of the priests who had helped David (1 Sam. 22:9–19). Doeg’s report put the priests’ hospitality to David in the worst light (see note on 1 Sam. 22:10); when none of Saul’s Israelite men would strike the priests down, Doeg willingly did so. He is thus an example of the enemies that the faithful might face.
This psalm is almost identical to Psalm 14, and the two psalms were probably alternate versions of the same hymn before they were included in the Psalter. The two hymns serve the same function, namely, to mourn the fact that mankind does not seek after God and thus treats God’s people cruelly. (See notes on Psalm 14 for exposition.) The chief difference between the two psalms is that 53:5 is as long as 14:5–6 together (and thus 53:6 = 14:7). In 53:5 the psalmist describes in greater detail the terror that will befall the wicked instead of emphasizing God’s care for the poor (14:5–6). Also, Psalm 53 uses “God” throughout to refer to the deity, while Psalm 14 uses “the LORD” in several of these places.
Lord Defend Me from My Enemies! and 55
This is an individual lament, asking (as many laments do) for God’s help against those who threaten the lives of the faithful. The title connects the song to the events of 1 Sam. 23:19, where the Ziphites, among whom David was hiding, informed Saul of where David was, promising to hand David over to him. The psalm directs its singers to God’s protection and is therefore well-suited for the pious to use when they are under threat of deadly persecution; for those who do not face such persecution, this psalm is appropriate to sing on behalf of their brethren in danger.
Like many other individual laments, this psalm prays for God’s help against dangerous enemies who hate the faithful. There is a unique twist here, though: the danger comes from betrayal by a close friend (vv. 13–14, 20–21) who had seemed a fellow pilgrim on the path of life. Some deny that David could be the author of this psalm, because there is no clear instance of such betrayal in the recorded life of David. But that misses the point: the psalms are hymns, not merely autobiography. David has provided this psalm for God’s people to sing under this kind of duress. In addition, David was betrayed by his son Absalom (2 Sam. 15:1–12; 16:15–23) and by his counselor Ahithophel (2 Sam. 15:12; 16:15–23).
Quiet and Confident, Trust and Praise! , , and 59
. Many take this to be an individual lament, but it could also be a psalm of (anticipated) thanksgiving: the description of troubles and prayer is taken up into gratitude that God has heard and will act (as he has acted in the past). The specific troubles arise from people who aim to hurt the pious singer, as is common with lament psalms. The title links the psalm with the events of 1 Sam. 21:10–15 (similar to Psalm 34).
This is another individual lament, based on an event in David’s life (probably 1 Sam. 22:1, but possibly 1 Sam. 24:3; Psalm 142 is likewise from one of these passages). Like Psalms 34; 52; 54; 56; 59; 63; and 142, Psalm 57 arose from Saul’s persecution of David. The psalm has two sections, each ended by the refrain (vv. 5, 11), and each mentioning God’s “steadfast love and faithfulness” (vv. 3, 10, drawing on Ex. 34:6). In the first section (Ps. 57:1–5), the dominant strain is cheerful confidence amid danger, while in the second (vv. 6–11), the accent is on the expectation of victory, and thus of God’s vindication. The faithful who sing this hymn can identify with David’s confidence in the presence of serious dangers, and can look through those dangers to seek God’s honor. Psalm 108:1–5, also by David, uses 57:7–11. “Do not destroy” in the title (Psalms 57–59; 75) may be some kind of tune or chant pattern, perhaps influenced by the phrase in Deut. 9:26 and 1 Sam. 26:9.
This is another individual lament, seeking God’s protection from enemies who threaten the pious person’s life. The title connects the psalm to 1 Sam. 19:11, where David escaped from Saul’s men through a window. The psalm is geared for the particular case in which the enmity is “for no fault of mine” (v. 4). The song has two sections (vv. 1–10, 11–17). Verses 6–7 (description of howling dogs) correspond to vv. 14–15; and vv. 9–10 (“O my strength … steadfast love”) correspond to v. 17. The first section is a cry for help in the face of fierce and bloodthirsty enemies, and the second section voices confidence that God will protect the singer and make an example of the persecutors.
Do You Need a Father’s Help? , , and 62
Do You Need a Father’s Help? , , and 62
This is a lament for the whole community, at a time when Israel’s continued life in the land is under threat from Gentile neighbors. The title says it is “for instruction”; perhaps this means that it is to instruct the people how to pray when their troops must fight. The original setting is Israel, which by God’s appointment dwelt in the land and was to be the source of blessing to the rest of the world (which often came, at least in Israel’s better days, by making the other nations their subjects). Christians, who are not limited to one theocratic nation, recognize that God’s process of conquering the Gentiles is through the witness of faithful believers (cf. Matt. 28:18–20); but they may still use this psalm to pray for God’s blessing on this endeavor. The title seems to link the psalm with the events of 2 Sam. 8:1–14; but 2 Sam. 8:13 reports the number of Edomites killed as 18,000 instead of the “twelve thousand” here. If these are the same events, then probably the different numbers represent different ways of computing the casualties (e.g., 12,000 could be the number in an earlier report, while 18,000 could be the adjusted tally, after some time had passed). The campaign resulted in a great victory for David and brought several Gentile kingdoms under David’s rule. This psalm, with its air of lament, would thus represent the prayers of the people before the campaign had been completed. Verses 5–12 of Psalm 60 are taken up again in Ps. 108:6–13.
This is an individual lament of sorts: it serves as a general request for God’s help in times of trouble for particular members of God’s people. At the same time it is certainly not individualistic: in praying for the (Davidic) king, vv. 6–7 ties royal well-being to the well-being of the whole people; and v. 8 looks forward to acts of public worship as the proper result of the help for which the psalm prays.
God’s people sing this psalm to foster confidence in his care, especially as they are faced with people who use power and wealth to oppress them. The strong temptation in such a case is either to despair or else to seek security in power and wealth rather than in God. The simplest way to follow the flow of thought in the psalm is to observe how the addressees shift: from a description of “my soul” and God (vv. 1–2), to speaking directly to and about the attackers (vv. 3–4), then back to “my soul” and God (vv. 5–7), on to exhorting the whole of the worshiping congregation (vv. 8–10), and finally back to a description of God’s trustworthiness (vv. 11–12).
God Helps us Like a Father , , and 65
This psalm opens as if it were a lament, seeking God in a time of trouble; and yet the overall flow of the song is one of confident expectation. Hence it is best to see the psalm as enabling each of God’s people to develop confidence during their times of trouble. In particular, the psalm inculcates the confidence that the worshiper will indeed be able to return to the sanctuary to worship God. Biblically, the highest privilege a mortal can enjoy is to be a welcome member of the worshiping congregation; and the psalm, in instilling such confidence, also enables its singers to treasure this worship as the gift that it is. The several references to “my soul” (vv. 1, 5, 8) point to the intensely personal devotion to God that infuses the whole song. The title links the psalm to David’s days as a refugee, but it is not immediately clear whether the reference is to fleeing from Saul (1 Sam. 23:14–15; 24:1) or from Absalom (2 Sam. 15:23, 28). The latter may seem more likely, since the author calls himself a king (Ps. 63:11); cf. also 2 Sam. 16:14 for the term “weary” found in Ps. 63:1. On the other hand, the land through which David fled is not normally counted as part of the wilderness of Judah, and David could have thought of himself as a king even when he was fleeing Saul, since Samuel had already anointed him.
This psalm shares many themes with Psalm 63, namely, confidence in God’s victory over those who bring troubles on the righteous. However, since the psalm begins with a request, it is best to see it as an individual lament. The psalm has two parts: a request for help against deadly schemes (vv. 1–6), and confident expectation that God will fight on behalf of his faithful (vv. 7–10). The psalm presents God’s purpose for his victory as instruction for mankind (v. 9) and the bringing of joy to the godly (v. 10).
This is a thanksgiving; the specific occasion is a fruitful harvest (vv. 9–13). Perhaps this good harvest has come after a drought, which was seen as a sign of divine displeasure (see vv. 3, 9–10; cf. Deut. 28:23–24); or perhaps the psalm is celebrating the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). The harvest is set in the context of God’s faithfulness to his covenant promises (Ps. 65:1–8). The Sinai covenant ties together God’s grace, the believing response of the people, and the fruitfulness of the land. Singing this song should develop a deep spirit of gratitude in the hearts of the worshipers.
Mighty Miracles Have Made Us Who We Are! , , and 68
This is a thanksgiving for God’s answer to the prayer of a particular member of God’s people. Perhaps it was especially suited to the occasion on which a worshiper brought various sacrifices to express his thanks and consecration (cf. vv. 13–15). The marvel of this psalm is the way in which the first half (vv. 1–12)—with its references to “us” (i.e., to the people of God as a whole) and to “all the earth,” and its recounting of God’s “awesome deeds” for Israel (v. 6 describes the exodus and the crossing of the Jordan)—sets God’s deeds for the particular person into the context of his commitment to the people as a whole (indeed, to mankind as a whole, for whose sake the people exist). The biblical worldview does not require a choice between “corporate” and “particular”: rather, the particular person experiences God’s love as a member of his people. Psalms 66–67 represent a break in the pattern of Davidic authorship that began in Psalm 51; Psalms 68–70 resume the pattern. At the same time, there are connections between Psalms 65 and 66, such as the mention of vows and sacrifices (65:1–4; 66:13–15).
This psalm, like Psalm 65, seems to be a thanksgiving for a fruitful harvest. Unlike Psalm 65, it is not really a thanksgiving hymn; it is rather a prayer that God will bless his people Israel so that the rest of the world may come to know the true God. Verses 3 and 5 of Psalm 67 are the same, marking the ends of their stanzas; they summarize the desire of this psalm, “Let all the peoples praise you!” Singing this helps Israel to keep its own calling in view: their blessing is not simply for themselves but for the Gentiles too (cf. Gen. 12:2–3). Each Israelite is a player in a grand story that stretches far beyond the boundaries of his own life, or even of his own land.
This is a hymn by which God’s people celebrate his continued care and protection for Israel, remembering how God led them through the wilderness into their inheritance, and daily bears his people up (v. 19). The celebration does not stop with Israel, however: it recognizes that defeating Gentile kingdoms “who delight in war” is for the sake of all the Gentiles coming to worship the true God. It is possible that David composed this psalm to commemorate the moving of the ark into the tabernacle (2 Sam. 6:12–15): Ps. 68:1 echoes Num. 10:35 (Moses’ words when the ark set out); Ps. 68:16 mentions the mountain of God’s abode; vv. 24–25 describe God’s procession; and vv. 17, 35 speak of the sanctuary. In any event the overall theme of the psalm is God’s residence in Zion and his care for his people.
God, Don't Delay: Come Quickly! and 70
This is an individual lament, geared especially to a situation in which a faithful Israelite is suffering for wrongs he has done (v. 5) but also finds attackers piling on, taking advantage of his suffering and making it worse (v. 26). The NT cites several passages from this psalm, applying them to the life of Christ. Some have argued that NT use shows that the right way to read the psalm is as David’s personal prayer, which believers sing in order to identify with him. A better approach comes from remembering that David was the representative for the people of God, and in that role he wrote this as a prayer that is well-suited to each of God’s people in analogous situations, providing the ideal response to such trials (see note on Psalm 3, where the issues are similar); the notes will show how this sheds light on the NT writers’ portrait of Jesus.
This short psalm is an individual lament, an urgent prayer for rescue from gloating enemies. The whole psalm is very close to 40:14–16. The title specifies the psalm as “for the memorial offering” (cf. note on Psalm 38).
Cry Out for a Father's Compassion! and 72
This is another individual lament, suited to a faithful person in danger from enemies who would cause hurt by taking advantage of any weakness or distress (vv. 9–11). These enemies could be foreign, and they could be Israelite; the wording is general enough to apply to either. There is no title for the psalm; it would appear that its author composed it using material from earlier psalms (esp. Davidic ones), albeit with variations (e.g., 71:1–3 echoes 31:1–3; the cross-references give other examples). The exposition here discerns the stanza structure of the psalm by following the vocatives, “O God” or “O LORD.”
The last psalm of Book 2 (see note on 41:13) is a royal psalm, praying that the heirs of David’s line (beginning with Solomon) might have success in the task that God has assigned the king (namely, ruling God’s people well, protecting the poor and needy, and bringing blessing to all nations of the earth). Like Psalm 2, this song looks forward to a worldwide rule that embraces in full what the Messiah will accomplish: the OT anticipates the ultimate heir of David, who will take the throne and bring the light of God to all nations (cf. Isa. 2:1–5; 11:1–10), and the NT is careful to explain that Jesus, by virtue of his resurrection, has begun to fulfill this task through the Christian mission (cf. Matt. 28:18–20; Rom. 1:1–6). Therefore Christian hymns based on this psalm, such as “Jesus Shall Reign” and “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed,” have used the song according to its proper meaning. (This also explains why Christian witness, when it is true to the messianic picture of the Bible, goes beyond basic gospel proclamation and also fosters social justice and the moral transformation of whole societies.) The title, “of Solomon,” can mean that Solomon was the author (just as “of David” normally means that David wrote the psalm). On the other hand, it could mean that someone (perhaps David) spoke these words of (i.e., about) Solomon, setting out the goal for his reign (and for the reigns of his heirs). The reference in Ps. 72:20 to the prayers of David may favor this view, although David did not author all the songs of Book 2 (cf. Psalms 42–50; 66–67; 71), and thus this reference is not decisive.
