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Psalm 39, The Brevity of Life
Introduction:
Psalm 39 is another psalm of David. However, the superscription of the psalm tells us that this psalm is to Jeduthun. We can read a little information about Jeduthun in 1 Chronicles 16:37-42; 25:1-8 and 2 Chronicles 5:12; 35:15. Perhaps the most information is revealed to us in 1 Chronicles 25:1-8.
“David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyre, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was: Of Jeduthun, the son of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord” (1 Chronicles 25:1,3).
No other information is given to us concerning Jeduthun. From what we read we can determine that Jeduthun and his sons were in charge of the instrumental worship and thanksgiving to the Lord. We are also told that Jeduthun was prophesying through the use of his instrumental talents. We are not told why, yet for some reason of David’s he chooses to dedicate this psalm to Jeduthun.
Many believe that Psalm 39 was written in conjunction with Psalm 38. In psalm 39 we see David is being struck down for his sins, similarly to what we read in psalm 38 (39:9-11). Therefore, we may see this psalm as a continuation of David’s description from psalm 38 about the pain of sin.
I. Wisdom to Muzzle the Tongue (1-3)
A. Holding silence
The first three verses explain the circumstances surrounding the psalm. David declares he will guard his ways and hold his tongue so that he will not sin. Something is going on in David’s life that he feels compelled to speak, but will not speak because he does not want to sin with his tongue.
We are not told what the particular circumstance is that is causing David to want to speak. However, we are told the reason he would hold his tongue was because “the wicked are in my presence.” There seem to be two possibilities for why David is refraining from speaking.
David may be refraining because the words he wants to say would be sinful. This seems to be the implication from verse 1. But David also may be keeping silent because the words he would say would be taken wrong by those around him because those people are wicked. These evil people will not understand what David is trying to say and his words would be used against him by these evil people. This situation reminds us of the agony of Job. Job, in his frustration and suffering, utters words that were taken wrong by his friends and used against him in a series of discourses. Perhaps David does not want this to happen to him.
B. Self-control
What we must see in David is the great quality of self-control. There are things he desires to say, but he will guard his ways and muzzle his tongue. In the middle of suffering, surrounded by enemies, and feeling the rebuke of sin, David is able to keep control of his tongue so that he will not sin.
David shows us that it is possible, even in the middle of difficult circumstances, to keep our heads about us and do and say what is right. How often we excuse our actions and words because “we are having a bad day.” This is not a justifiable excuse before God. David refuses to suggest he has a right to let his tongue go because of all he is enduring.
Rather than say what should not be said, David keeps silent. But as he is holding his peace, his distress grew worse. David is getting more upset concerning what is taking place with the enemies and the circumstances he is enduring. He says his heart became hot within him and the fire burned (verse 3). But David does not lash out with his tongue. Notice when silence was not working and he felt like he needed to say something, he talked to God and not those around him.
This is a needed lesson for us today. Too many times we feel that we are compelled to speak. We have the burning in our hearts that David speaks of, and when we feel that fire, we think we must express ourselves. When we feel this way, rather than express ourselves to others, let us speak to God. We need to keep silent and still toward others and speak our minds to the Lord.
II. Brevity of Life (4-6)
A. Life is a breath
David’s problem centers around comprehending the brevity of life. In verses 4-6 David contemplates the insignificance of our lives in the greater scheme of this world. In verse 5 David says that our days are a few handbreadths. One handbreadth is the distance of the four fingers together on one’s hand. Therefore, David is saying our days are very short. David further says that a lifetime is nothing is the sight of the eternal God. We are but a shadow and a breath in this world.
Even more interesting is the Hebrew word in verse 5 translated “breath” in most versions is the same word the Teacher in Ecclesiastes used when he said, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” To speak of life as a breath or a vapor is to understand the vanity in pursuing the things of this world. David is drawing the same conclusion that the Teacher in Ecclesiastes drew: life is meaningless and vanity without God.
James also tried to remind us of the vanity of life in James 4:13-16: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.’ Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.”
B. Recognizing our frailty
How rare it is for us to stop and appreciate the brevity of our lives! We assume that things will continue the way we they are day in and day out. The people in many of the countries on the Indian Ocean assumed it would be another vacation day. Little did anyone know that a cataclysmic tsunami would engulf and kill over 130,000 people. We simply assume that tomorrow will be like today and today will be like yesterday without thought about the brevity of life and that our time is truly a vapor.
David prays that he understand this truth more fully in verse 4. We need to understand that how fleeting our lives are. We need to understand the measure of our days to be short. We need to appreciate the day and not assume tomorrow is available to us. We leave so much unsaid and undone. How often we see people who have lost loved ones wishing they had another few hours to say or do some final things. They never imagined they would not have time to offer those final important words. They assumed tomorrow would come.
We must seize each day that is given to us. Paul said as much to us in Ephesians 5:16, telling us to “redeem the time, because the days are evil” (NKJV). Other translations help us understand this phrase “redeem the time” by saying, “making the most of every opportunity” (NIV) and “making the best use of the time” (ESV). The pursuit of the things in the world is vanity. We need to pursue the things that are most important: God and our relationships with family and believers.
III. Turning To God (7-13)
A. Disciplined for sin (7-11)
David now is calling for deliverance from his punishment. David’s hope is in the Lord to help him in his time of suffering. David again speaks about the punishment and suffering he is enduring because of his own sinful activities. Verse 11 strongly makes this point: “you chastise mortals in punishment for sin.”
Often we neglect the possibility that the reason for our suffering is because of our sins. We know there are other reasons for suffering. Job shows us that the suffering he endured came from Satan. Job also shows us that suffering is a testing of faith. But this psalm and the proverbs remind us that our suffering also is because of our own choices. We may not be able to see the direct correlation between our sins and the consequences. In fact, many times the consequences we endure are due to the sins of others. David recognizes that his punishment is due to his own sins.
Discipline is to turn us from the error of our ways. We discipline our children so they will learn what they are to do and what they are not to do. We do not love our children when we refuse to discipline them and teach them about the way of life. In the same way, God must discipline us because he loves us and wants what is best for our lives. Discipline is painful, but necessary to correct us. This very point was what the writer of Hebrews was saying in Hebrews 12:5-11. Discipline is for our own good, to bring us to his holiness (Hebrews 12:10).
B. Pilgrims in this world (12-13)
David closes his prayer by recognizing he is a stranger and alien in this world. Our way of living must always reflect that we are children of God and not permanent residents in this world.
Such a thought reminds me of the powerful words the writer of Hebrews expresses concerning the heroes of faith in chapter 11. “All of these died in faith, without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11:13-16).
Are we willing to leave this land behind for the heavenly city prepared for those who have given their lives to the Lord? Are we looking forward toward the eternal goal or are we looking backward, missing the ways of this physical world? Our citizenship is to be in heaven and our lifestyle shows if we are citizens of God or citizens of the earth. Let us always desire a better country, seeking a better homeland with the Lord. (NRSV)

Lesson adapted from sermon by Brent Kercheville

 
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Psalm 38, The Pain of Sin
I. The Pain of Sin
A. The weight of sin (38:1-4)
David begins this psalm by requesting God to not discipline him in anger or wrath. Throughout this psalm we will see that David has committed sin (what sin we do not know) and is dealing with the pain of sin. The pain of the consequence of his sin is described as arrows piercing him.
David describes the burden of sin as a weight that is upon him. He feels the heavy hand of the Lord upon him. If we have not totally seared our conscience then sinful activities leave us feeling the burden and guilt of our actions. We are disgusted with ourselves. Something feels “off” or not quite what it ought to be. Guilt weighs upon us like a sack of bricks.
Verse 4 describes the guilt as overwhelming David. We are swept out to see and completely immerse in the guilt of our actions. David says his burden is too heavy to bear. Sin takes a terrible toll on our minds and our emotions. Many times the reason for our discouragement, anxiety, and anger is due to our own sinfulness overwhelming our lives.
B. The suffering of sin (38:5-8)
Not only does sin take an emotional toll on us, but it also takes a physical toll on our lives. Notice all the physical suffering David is enduring because of his sin. Notice in verse 5 David clearly identifies this pain to be the result of his sinful folly. David is distressed and diseased with pain.
David goes in mourning all day long. His back is filled with searing pain. There is no health in his body. He is feeble and utterly crushed. These descriptions of his pain from sin are very real. Sexual sins often bring about such emotional and physical havoc that we often choose to ignore. We do not think about what will happen if we go through with a particular sin.
The movies show us the pleasure and joy of the affair. Rarely does anyone show all the ramifications for such sinful behavior. We do not think about what life will be like at home. We do not think about how the trust of the marriage and of the family is shattered. We do not think about the effect such actions will have on our children when they learn the truth. We do not think about how everything we have known with our partner will be turned upside down. As young adults, we do not think about the consequences of pregnancy in high school. We do not think about how our lives will be forever altered by diseases and illness from such activity. We do not consider the emotional scarring and damage that ensues from cheaply throwing our bodies around to whomever says they love us. Sin is devastating and we underestimate its destructive and corrupting effects in our lives.
The Star Wars movies try to depict this physical toll of evil in a very exaggerated way with physical bodies of those who are on the “dark side” falling apart, requiring technology to remain alive. It is an extreme picture to draw the point of what happens with those who continually plunge their lives into evil.
David says that his sin has brought anguish into his heart. We think that we will not be caught. We like to think that we will not pay for our sins. Somehow we will get away with what we have done and no one will ever know. But it is a lie. David is experiencing the devastating effects of sin as his heart is heavy with anguish. He is torn up with all that he must endure.
C. The sorrow of sin (38:9-14)
All of this says nothing about the sorrow of sin. It is hard to describe the tremendous amount of sorrow that comes from sinful activity. Yet David tries to express his sorrow from his actions.
David begins by expressing his sighing to God. Verses 9-10 seem to describe the emotional and spiritual sorrow he feels. David says he has laid completely laid himself out before God. To those who have a close relationship with God as David has, to be severed from God through sin is a sorrowful and painful experience in the soul.
David’s sorrow continues in that all those around him avoid him. He is experiencing social sorrow as friends, companions, and neighbors stay away from him. Sin taints us. People know what we have done and do not want to be around us because of what we have done. The person paying for the consequences of sin is not popular. The single pregnant girl on the high school campus does not have friends flocking to her. The adulterer does not have company but falls into isolation for their evil.
This is especially true in a local church that is obeying the Lord’s commands. At the knowledge of unrepentant sin, disciples must withdraw themselves with those who will not return to God in hopes of repentance. Sin severs us not only from God, but from those most important to us in our lives.
In all of this, David says he is silenced. What else can be said? David has done wrong, deserving of punishment, and asks that he not be disciplined in the anger of the Lord. What else can we say about our sins? We cannot justify ourselves. We cannot excuse ourselves. We have done wrong and we are deserving of punishment. What should be our response to our sins?
II. The Response to Sin
A. “I wait for you, O Lord” (38:15-17)
It is time to begin by submitting ourselves to the hand of God. We must stop ourselves and realize that we are under God’s control and God’s will, not our own. We also cannot expect our suffering to suddenly come to an end. We have put ourselves in a precarious position and are paying the consequences for what we have done.
A time of testing. This is a time where our faith can be purified if we will allow it. Too often we just want to get out of what we have done. It is too late for that. But it is a chance for us to be molded by what has just happened.
A time of learning. We ought to be able to learn from our actions. We need to see what caused us to fall so we can put up roadblocks to help keep us from going down that road again. We need to learn the consequences for our actions so they will be a deterrent for any future rebellion.
A time of strengthening. If we allow our faith to be purified, we can be strengthened so that we will not fall into this sin again. We need to make ourselves more resolute to stand with God and against sin. Too often we just want to quit, give up, and move on. But we need to wait upon the Lord and learn from the experience.
B. “I confess my iniquity” (38:18-20)
We must also respond to sin with confession of our actions. This is no time to try to cover up what we have done. Our presidents of the last 30 years should be negative examples of what happens when we try to cover things up. Concealing sin only make things worse.
We need to confess our sins. We need to accept responsibility for what we have done, no longer blaming others for our problems. As we know, Adam and Eve from the very beginning perfected the art of passing excuses for sinful actions. We must come to God with our sin-stained hands because he knows what we have done. We are not going to get away with any sin. God sees the deeds of man on the earth.
C. I petition God to draw near (38:21-22)
Instead of running from God, we must run to God. Adam and Eve exemplified the wrong actions by running away from the presence of God. But our sin has severed us from God and we need to return to God so he will return to us. “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Return to Me,” says the LORD of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 1:3).
We have to return to God for him to return to us. If we turn our back on God, then all hope is lost and we are dead in our sins. We must show that we want to be near God. We must show that we love God by rededicating ourselves to keep his commands. When we return to God, he has promised to return to us.
Thoughts to go home
Know the consequences of sin. We need to remember the guilt, suffering, sorrow, and pain we experience when we engage in sin. None of like it. None of us like the potential consequences for our actions. We need to stop risking sin and start committing ourselves to the Lord.
Know how to respond to sin. When we do fall, let us be sure to learn the lessons from the temptation and from the fall. If we do not learn, we will likely fall again. It is our chance to become stronger so that Satan does not ensnare us again. Immediately confess our sins and draw near to God.

Lesson adapted from sermon given by Brent Kercheville

 
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Psalm 37, A Proverbial Psalm
Introduction:

Psalm 37 is another acrostic psalm of David. In this psalm, each letter of the Hebrew alphabet appears only once in order, with each successive letter introducing a unit of four lines, with a couple minor exceptions. This psalm is also unique in that is reads like the Proverbs. Instead of having a thematic structure, this psalm consists of short wise sayings concerning wicked and the righteous. Since there is not a readily discernable thematic structure, we will approach the study of this psalm differently. We will notice some key jewels of wisdom in this psalm and make appropriate applications.
I. Trust In the Lord (37:1-11)
A. Do not worry
David begins the psalm with the admonition not to worry or fret because of evil men. The worry seems to be concerning how evil people seem to flourish and prosper. Hence, David says, “do not…be envious of those who do wrong.” We are not to look longingly at the actions of the world, thinking that they are in better circumstances than we are. When we look at them and think they have things better, we are only considering physical and material things. We are not considering the things that are truly important, such as God, families, and relationships.
David reminds us that those who do wrong will soon wither like grace and die away like green plants. Just as a plant looks green and hearty, eventually it must pass away. The outer actions do not reveal what is truly going on within their lives. It may appear that everything is going well for them, just as a plant appears green and healthy. But, something will happen to cause the evildoers to wither.
B. Do good
David says that we are not worry but we are to continue doing good. There are five admonitions David gives to encourage us to not fret or envy the wicked.
Trust in the Lord. First, David calls for us to trust in the Lord. We are to look at all we have in the Lord and enjoy the blessings of God. Too often we do not enjoy what we have because we are too busy looking at someone else’s possessions or circumstances. Trust God to take care of you and to continue to provide for you.
Delight yourself in the Lord. Second, David tells us to find our delight in the Lord. Do not try to find happiness in the things of this world. Material things just continue to let us down. As much we think the next possession will not let us down, it will. Our possessions always let us down and never give us the true happiness we long to achieve. Instead, look to find your joy in the Lord. There is not a greater joy than knowing we have done what God has wanted.
Commit your way to the Lord. Third, David says we have to make a commitment to God to serve him. We cannot be wishy-washy, half-hearted servants and expect to receive God’s promises. We are called to have a purpose in life. We are called to have a firm resolve in our life decisions to have our way match God’s way.
David declares that God will do great things when we commit our way to the Lord. God will make our righteousness shine like the dawn. Our good deeds will stand out. God will notice our works and those works will shine like the sun at dawn. We will be seen as God’s servants by our actions for they will contrast the works of darkness. Further, David says, “He will make…the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.”
Be still and wait patiently. Our challenge is to wait for God. Justice will come. Do not fret when men succeed in their ways and when they carry out their wicked schemes. Wait for God and he will take care of these people, holding them accountable for their actions.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath. How easy it is to be consumed in anger when we see what the wicked are doing. Do not harbor the anger within you. Why? When we keep this anger it leads only to evil. We have lost our trust in God and we build up an anger that wants to bring about our own personal vengeance upon people for their actions. Let God be angry and repay, not ourselves.
II. The Meek Will Inherit the Earth (37:11)
A. Call to meekness
David said, “But the meek will inherit the land, and enjoy great peace.” David is contrasting this end result with consequence of the wicked. The wicked will be cut off and in a little while they will be no more. God is going to strike down those people who practice evil. However, the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.
Does this passage sound familiar? I hope it does. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). David used these words to the people of Israel, understanding the land to be the promised land of Canaan. Jesus expands upon this promise, offering the earth as our inheritance. Meekness is the important characteristic for us to mold into our lives.
What is meekness? The New American Standard translates “Blessed are the gentle.” Gentleness is certainly a key component of meekness. A few people have translated this word as “mildness.” But we are missing something because Jesus was not saying we are to laid back. Neither was Jesus saying that he is laid back when he said he is meek and lowly in heart. Robertson says that meekness describes “gentleness in strength.” Now I think we are able to get our hands on what we are called to be.
B. Becoming the meek of the earth
Meekness sees the right to act with power but remains controlled. Meekness chooses not to exercise its power over other people. Meekness does not demand to heard, demand to be seen, or demand its rights. Meekness practices submission when other options are available.
We want to be heard. We want to forge our way so that we will be appreciated by others. We think we are important and we are willing to take action to show the power and strength we have. Meekness does not use that strength. Meekness does not use the power available to justify oneself. This is the example of Jesus who had the power to end his arrest, to compel people to worship him, and who had the right to be king. But he showed us meekness by submitting himself to God even though he was deserving of these things. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.
III. The Wicked Have Their Day Coming
A. The Lord laughs at the wicked (37:12-13)
Watch what David says: “The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them.” We are terrified at these words. The wicked are plotting against those of us who are trying to be righteous. The wicked desire to see our doom. What is God doing in all of this?
God laughs at the wicked. God laughs at their plots and their schemes. Why does God laugh? How can God sit back and laugh? The Lord laughs because he knows their day is coming. This also can be our response to the wicked. We know their day is coming and they will get what they deserve for God has promised it.
B. The wicked will perish (37:20)
David said, “The wicked will perish: the Lord’s enemies will be like the beauty of the fields, they will vanish—vanish like smoke.” Their end will come. The appeal of the wicked will fade like the beauty of the field. In fact, they will vanish like smoke.
This is why we are not to fret because of evil men. This is why we are not to be envious of those who do wrong. If we want to follow after them our end result will be the same: we will vanish like smoke.
IV. The Righteous’ End Result
A. God uphold them (37:24)
“If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand” (37:23-24). God will stabilize our way and make our feet step on firm ground when we are following his will. We may have some rough patches in life. We may have weak moments and times when we stumble. But we will never fall because God is upholding us by his hand.
What a beautiful thought to be in the hand of the Lord. Always in God’s sight and always on God’s mind. He watches over us and takes care of us. God is always with us. “The Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off” (37:28).
B. God provides for them (37:25-26)
What a statement by David: “I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging for bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.” David declares that he has lived a long life. Over the span of those years he has never seen the righteous forsaken. God always takes care of the righteous.
What is the unique characteristic of the righteous? The righteous are always generous and lending freely. The righteous realize that the things of this world are God’s and by being generous, we are trusting that God will take care of our needs. God says that he will take care of us when we will let go of material things and be generous with all we have. We fight against the religions that preach “health and wealth” from God, and rightly so. But let us not overlook this principle while fighting that error. When we entrust our possessions to God, God will entrust us with more important possessions. Show ourselves to be good stewards of God’s physical blessings and we will be entrusted with God’s spiritual blessings (see the parable of the talents and the parable of the minas-Luke 19:11-27 & Matthew 25:14-30).
C. God gives them wisdom (37:30-31)
“The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.” We must have the law of the Lord in our hearts and in our minds at all times. Too often we are focused on things that are not intended to draw our attention. We focus on money, jobs, family, possessions, and our desires and forget to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.
When we lose sight of Jesus is when our feet can slip. Then we make decisions and reap our consequences because our foundation has not been on the Lord but on ourselves. Our mouths speak what is in our hearts. If our hearts are in tune with God, then our mouth will utter the righteous things of God.
To Go Home
-Better is the little
“Better is little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked” (37:16). It better for us to be righteous and have little than do all we can to have great wealth. The power of the wicked will be broken and all their wealth will be lost. The righteous may have little now, but will never be broken and will inherit far more in the great day of the Lord.
Let us practice contentment. Let us see that we have so much from God. While we may not have all our neighbors have and all we see on television, we will never been lacking and never be wanting as long as we are righteous. God is the giver of every gift. Let us trust him to give us all we need. (NIV)

Lesson adapted from sermon given by Brent Kercheville

 
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Psalm 36, The Evildoers Lie Fallen!
I. The Nature of the Wicked
A. No fear of God
The beginning of wickedness is a lack of concerning for God and His character. I do not know that we fully appreciate this point as the determining point of our character and where we stand with God. Solomon said, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).
The first six verses of Proverbs 1 describes all the benefits of fearing the Lord. “To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.” The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all these things.
By contrast, a lack of the fear of the Lord is the beginning of our own destruction. In Romans 1, Paul is describing people who have been given over to a debased mind, plunging themselves into the lusts of their hearts to impurity, and committing shameful acts. Notice their beginning, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21). They knew God, but did not fear Him. They realized there is a God, but did not honor Him as such. This is the beginning of wickedness: our decisions to not honor, revere, and worship the Lord.
In fact, Paul condemns the whole world to this way of thinking in Romans 3 and in verse 18 he quotes these very words, “there is no fear of God before his eyes.” All of us have not had the fear of God that we ought to have. This is the first step down the road to evil and wickedness.
B. Deeper depravity
David continues by describing how we fall deeper and deeper into our own sinfulness, becoming futile in our thinking and darkening our hearts. First, having displaced God, the wicked person becomes the center of his or her own universe and is self-deceived. Verse 2 describes how a person flatters himself to such a point that he cannot see his own sin and does not hate his own actions. We fall prey to thinking that we do things so well that we cannot be the one who is in error for a particular problem. We cannot see that we are instigator and the sinner. Rather, we look upon our own actions as tolerable and righteous.
Having refused God, the wicked speak deceitfully, act unwise, and do not do good. It is not long that wickedness is a way of life. The person is unable to see that their words are not truthful, nor that they are acting without wisdom or righteousness. Many times the reason why we are making foolish and irrational decisions is because God is not the basis for our decision making process.
Eventually, the wicked abandon themselves to continual evil, plotting ways to maintain themselves in a wicked lifestyle. The person is not merely molded to the ways of wickedness, but now is scheming and devising ways to maintain their wicked behavior. The person is fully caught in Satan’s grasp and he continues to plunge himself into great iniquities. No longer does the person distinguish between right and wrong. Evil is now approved and called righteous in the eyes of the wicked. The wicked is completely committed to their sinful course.
II. The Blessings of God
A. God’s great attributes
Loving kindness. “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens.” Translators have struggled trying to communicate the meaning of this Hebrew word hesed, translated here as love. The New American Standard translates, “loving kindness” while the English Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version translates, “steadfast love.” The New King James Version translates the word as “mercy.” These versions are trying to capture the richness of this word. God’s merciful love, His steadfast love, His lovingkindness reaches to the heavens. This gives us a vast picture of how wide and deep the love of God is toward us.
Faithfulness. God’s faithfulness and loving kindness are tied closely together by David in this psalm. The faithfulness of God usually relates to God’s spoken promises to His people. We would not understand or know God’s faithfulness without seeing God keep His word throughout time. To every promise God has ever made and to every word God has ever said, God has fulfilled those words and promises. Faithfulness is the character of God.
Righteousness. God’s righteousness is described as mighty mountains. Mighty mountains make us think of such attributes as steadfast, immoveable, and constant. The mountain imagery also causes us to consider the vastness and power of God’s righteousness. God always acts righteously toward all the earth, especially His children. God always does what is right toward us.
Justice. God’s justice is like the great deep. We will never find an end to God’s justice. The justice of God will not fail. All of these characteristics are described through the creation to show how vast and continual God is in His steadfast love, faithfulness, righteousness, and justice. These are attributes we can rely upon as we put our trust in God.
B. Blessings to the righteous
David now describes how God’s blessings filter down to those who are His disciples. The first blessing David identifies is abundance. People who take refuge in the shadow of God’s wings will find abundance from God’s house. As we read these blessings, consider how these blessings are a contrast to what we saw with the sinfulness of the wicked. The wicked were full of deceit, lacked wisdom, and committed themselves to a sinful course. In contrast, the righteous receives blessings from the storehouse of God.
Delight. Those who take refuge in the Lord can drink from God’s river of delights. There is great joy is relying upon the Lord as a refuge for our lives. But there is a subtle teaching in the text that is lost in our English translation. The word translated “delights” in our English versions is the Hebrew word eden. Now, when we read this text we see much more being taught to us by David when he says, “you give them drink from your river of Eden.” Those who take their refuge in the Lord and fear the Lord are in the paradise of God. What a great blessing we have as God’s children.
Fountain of life and light. Tied closely to the imagery of the rivers of Eden is David’s words, “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” It is interesting that the apostle John took this imagery and applied it to Jesus, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Jesus said of Himself in John 4:14, “But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountainof water springing up into everlasting life.” Only with the Lord can we see our purpose in life and see where we are to be going in this world. God lights our path to righteousness and holiness so that we can be with the Lord. These are just a few of the great blessings we have when we fear the Lord.
This is the hospitality of God. The Lord has brought those who fear Him into His house and has given them His bountiful riches. God is offering us abundant, full living. He is offering us the paradise of God with rivers of delight. God has opened the fountain of life and guides us with the light of His word and the light of His Son. Yet we keep looking for physical riches, when God is offering so much. Let us see the need to reject the way of the wicked and accept God’s gracious invitation.
III. Prayer of Protection From Evil
A. Plea for divine love
Our spiritual state with God is the determining factor whether we are receiving the blessings of God or are fools rejecting wisdom. David prays that God’s love continue “to those who know you.” How well do we know the Lord? Let us examine ourselves for a moment and reflect on the possibility that we do not truly know the Lord. We are not spending time getting to know Him nor drawing near to Him in prayer, readings, study, meditation, or spiritual thinking. Day in and day out we are tied to our schedules and our way of life and we are not truly concerned about knowing the Lord.
The scriptures remind us about our need to truly know the Lord. The apostle John said, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8). We have to show that we love God by wanting to pay attention to God and learn more about Him so He can change our lives. God’s love will continue only with those who truly know Him.
B. Blessings to the upright
David also declares that the blessings of God fall on the upright in heart. It is not enough to think we know God, but we must apply that knowledge to become more like God’s character and image. Paul said in Titus 1:16, “They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.”
Nor is it enough to pursue God in some sort of academic way. The knowledge which enters our minds must filter into our hearts so that we can be a changed people. I believe we miss out on many of God’s blessings because we are satisfied with the scraps. We have not embarked on a journey to truly change our life for the Lord because we think what we have now is all God has to offer. I think we have only approached the tip of the iceberg of what God can do for His people. Paul said God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to the power at work within us (Ephesians 3:20). We must want to find a deeper knowledge and deeper relationship with God to find the depths of God’s love and righteousness.
C. Confident fall of the wicked
David concludes the psalm with his knowledge of the outcome of the wicked. The evildoers are lie fallen, thrown down and are unable to rise. The evildoers will be given the knock out punch.
We fight in a very unique war against Satan. Most wars are fought to determine who will be victorious. But that is not the war we are involved in. Our war against principalities, powers, and darkness already has the outcome determined. God has won and the evildoers lie fallen, thrown to the ground. The question left to answer is if you and I will fight for the winners or for the losers. The victory was sealed when Christ raised from the dead. Victory is the Lord’s as death has lost its sting and the grave no longer has victory. Let us fear the Lord and take our refuge in His wings so that we can partake of the blessings of God.

Lesson adapted from sermon given by Brent Kercheville

 
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Psalm 35, Lord, Who Is Like You?
Introduction:
The first three verses of this psalm set the tone for how David is going to pray for deliverance. The first verse brings the argument in legal terms. David calls for the Lord to “contend” with those who contend against him. The word “contend” is used as of a defense attorney who is called to argue a case on another’s behalf.
David also takes a military angle in verses 2-3. David calls for the Lord to go to battle and fight for him against his pursuers. David speaks of God as a bodyguard, who in the midst of close combat is called to “take hold of shield and buckler” and “draw the spear and javelin.” The response David is longing to hear from the Lord is, “I am your salvation.” The warm words of God to encourage us to wait for God’s deliverance.
I. Be My Warrior (35:4-10)
A. A call for retribution
As we read this section of the psalm, it is hard to miss all of the requests David prays to the Lord. David is praying a military call for deliverance and vengeance upon those who have without cause hid their net for him and dug a pit for his life (verse 7). David is calling upon God to act against these evildoers.
Let them be put to shame. David calls for his enemies who try to kill him without cause to be put to shame and dishonored. We have seen a number of times in the psalms that to be “put to shame” means to be disappointed or let down. David is saying he wants those who are trying to kill him to be disappointed. Let their plans not come to pass such that they are let down and discouraged.
Let them be turned back and confounded. Second, to those who are devising evil against him, David prays they are rebuffed and sent away. Let their attempts be futile and their plans confused so they will leave David alone.
Let them be like chaff before the wind. Third, let his enemies be blown away in the wind. Let those who pursue David be turned back and driven off by the angel of the Lord who protects the righteous (see psalm 34:7 and its comments).
Let their way be dark and slippery. As they are being pursued, let their way be slippery and dark so that they will feel the wrath of God against their actions. Do not let them get away with what they are doing easily. They must find difficulty as consequence for their actions.
Let ruin come on them unawares. Bring destruction and run upon these evil people. Let them fall into their own traps and catch themselves in their own deceitful schemes. David is simply praying for God to bring upon these people what they deserve.
B. Promise of praise
David declares he will rejoice in the Lord and in his salvation when these things happen to his enemies. When vindication and justice come, he will rejoice all the more in the Lord. Even all his bones will say, “O Lord, who is like you?”
The answer, of course, is no one is like the Lord. He delivers the weak from those who are too strong for them. The Lord delivers the weak and the needy from those rob from them. Only God can bring true justice to those who are suffering. Only God can bring consequences on those who have done such evil. No one can bring retribution for their actions like God.
II. Be My Defense Attorney (35:11-18)
A. Know their godless attacks
David describes the situation that confronts him, painting a legal picture instead of a military picture we saw earlier. David says that malicious witnesses rise up asking him things he does not know about. The picture is that David is on the stand testifying as violent witnesses cross-examine him. David does not know what they are asking about, which signifies his innocence in the matter against which he is charged. These violent, malicious witnesses repay David’s good with their own evil.
Notice how good David has been to these malicious people. When they were ill, he put on sackcloth and humbled himself by fasting. David had compassion on these people to the point he made petitions to God on their behalf. These petitions were earnest to God as he even fasted and put on sackcloth show his sincerity and zeal in the matter. When his prayers came back to him, he went about mourning and grieving as though for a friend, a brother, or a mother.
But when he stumbled, these same people all gathered in glee. They did not show the same compassion and sympathy that David showed for these malicious people in their time of distress and need. Instead, they gathered to attack David while he was unaware. They slandered him without ceasing, maliciously mocking him, and gnashing their teeth toward him.
B. Rescue me
David cries out, “How long, O Lord, will you look on?” How long will these things continue? David has done good toward these people. But when the tables were turned, instead of showing mercy and compassion as he did, they used it as an opportunity to ruin David. Therefore, David cries out to God to be rescued.
This is David’s defense as he calls upon God to be his advocate in this situation. David is declaring his innocence, showing that his actions have been righteous toward these malicious witnesses. He is not the guilty one, but those who have tried to ruin him are the guilty ones.
David makes another promise to thank the Lord in the great congregation and praise the Lord among the throngs of people. David will rejoice and give thanks when the Lord defends him from his enemies.
III. Be My God (35:19-28)
A. You saw it…do something!
David asks the Lord to not let these treacherous enemies rejoice over him. They are schemers and plotters of evil. They do not speak peace but conceivers of deceit against those who are quiet and righteous in the land. These false witnesses open their mouths and declare they have seen David do these wicked things.
David says, “You have seen O Lord; do not be silent! O Lord, do not be far from me!” David says that the Lord has seen what has happened. It is time for the Lord to do something about it. “Awake and rouse yourself for my defense” is what David is longing for from God. Again, David is speaking of God as his defense attorney in these matters. Stand for my cause, Lord! Vindicate me, Lord!
B. Let the righteous rejoice
David calls for the Lord to allow the righteous to rejoice and the wicked to be disappointed altogether. This can only happen when justice is given against evil and righteousness is vindicated. Do not allow the evildoers to claim victory.
Let the righteous be able to shout, “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant.” This is the promise and hope the righteous have in the Lord. Our vindication will come from the Lord. Our oppression and suffering will not go unseen by God and will not forgotten when it is time for judgment. The psalm ends with David’s third promise to tell of God’s righteousness and tell of God’s praise all day long.
IV. Applications
A. The incomparability of God
What a great reminder David offers us in verse 10: “Who is like you?” There is no one like God. There is nothing can compare to the greatness of the Lord. How often we are trading the greatness of God for the worthless things of this world! How often we put our trust in the physical things in this life to get us through our troubles instead of seeing that there is no one like God who can get us through these circumstances.
David saw the need to place his petitions on God. We have a song that says, “Be with me, Lord, I cannot live without thee. I dare not try to take one step alone. I cannot bear the loads of life unaided. I need thy strength to feel that thou art near.” Only God can get us through the loads of life. Do we feel these are accurate words concerning our relationship with God? Can we honestly say that we dare not try to take one step alone? Or have we run most of life’s race without God, attempting the bear these heavy loads ourselves? We need to ask God for more guidance in our lives. We need to ask God to show us the way we ought to go. We need to consult the word of the Lord to be sure our actions are in line with God’s righteousness. We do not know what is best for us and what we need. God knows what is best and only God can get us through.
B. God is our warrior and our advocate
I really like the images found in this psalm which describe God as a help for us. God will take hold of a shield, spear, and javelin and go to battle on our behalf. God can drive off those who devise evil like the wind drives off the worthless chaff. If God is for us, who can be against us? God is going to battle for us. He is on our side and with God on our side, we cannot lose and cannot fail.
I also like the imagery of God as our defense attorney. God is our advocate who sees our innocence and will defend us. We will be vindicated and proven righteous. God see the ways of the wicked and hears the slanders of evil. God will prevail and we have every reason to trust God will not disappoint us.
C. Continue in righteousness
Perhaps the most difficult application of this psalm is noticing how David treated these evildoers. He calls out for their ruin and for his own vindication in the events which surround him. But do we see how David treated these people? He still showed compassion and sympathy, which is absolutely amazing. When they were sick, he wore sackcloth and fasted. When the prayers returned, he grieved with them as if it were his own family members.
We are to repay evil with good. We are not to bring our personal vengeance upon others with our own hands. We are not given the authority to treat others the way they treat us. We are called to be models of God’s righteousness, even though some may be unworthy of such good treatment. Let God vindicate. Let our actions always reflect goodness and righteousness.

Lesson adapted from sermon given by Brent Kercheville

 
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Psalm 34, Faith In Our Darkest Hour
Introduction:
In contrast to many other psalms we have studied thus far, this psalm gives us information in the heading that helps us understand the situation surrounding the penning of these words.
First, let us notice that there are twenty-two verses in this psalm. Many times when a psalm has been given this many verses, it is a clue to us that we are looking at an acrostic psalm, since there are twenty-two letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Such is the case for psalm 34. An acrostic psalm is one where the first line of each stanza begins with the successive letter of the alphabet. Of course, the acrostic is lost in translation into English and is why we do not see the acrostic in our scriptures.
Second, we are told the occasion for the writing of this psalm. The heading declares this was when David “pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech, who drove him out, and he departed.” This instance leads us to 1 Samuel 21:10-15. 1 Samuel 21 falls in the middle of the time when Saul is trying to kill David. Jonathan, Saul’s son, was instructed by Saul to go find David and bring him back to the city to be killed. Jonathan warns David of this and David flees to the land of the Philistines. The Philistines recognize David as the king of Israel who the people sang about him killing tens of thousands. But David was afraid of king Achish and began to act insane so as to not pose a threat to the king. David walked around scratching on the door and letting saliva run out of his mouth. Because of his actions, the king did not see David as a threat and did not arrest him or kill him. This time of near death is when David writes this psalm.
I. Praise the Lord (1-3)
A. Always
The first three verses begin with David declaring he will praise the Lord. There are two main points to the praise David is giving. The first point David makes is that he will praise the Lord at all times. Praising God will always be on his lips.
Now this would be a great of David to say that he is always praising the Lord if he were standing in good circumstances. But let us not forget that David is running for his life. So bad are his circumstances that he must pretend he is insane just to preserve his life. David is the rightful king of Israel and he is forced to act like a madman in Philistia just to keep his own life. These were some of the darkest times in David’s life. Yet, in the midst of these dark times, David is able to say that he will praise the Lord at all times.
B. David’s call to you
In these first three verses, David is basically saying to us, “Look what I went through and I continued to praise the Lord. Should you not be able to always praise God?” Verse 3 brings this concept in when David calls for everyone to glorify the Lord with him and exalt the Lord’s name together.
We really have no excuse as to why our lips should not always be full of praise to God. In the next few verses, David is going to give his testimony of God’s deliverance.
II. David’s Testimony
A. The great works of God (4-7)
David tells us that he was seeking after the Lord and the Lord answered him. Further, the Lord delivered David from all his fears. David had quite a few good reasons to fear, but with the Lord was able to entrust his life to God’s hands. It is important that we always look to God when in our darkest hour.
David describes this importance in verse 5, “Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” God can brighten our lives and our days even in the midst of great turmoil. David reminds us that those who look to the Lord are never let down or disappointed by God. Instead, we are enlightened and radiant for the working of God in our lives.
There are many great lines in this psalm, but verse 6 is one of the best. “This poor man called, and the Lord heard him.” David was in a pitiful state. But even in our most pitiful states, God is there to hear us when we call to Him. God saved David from his troubles and delivered him through his trials. This deliverance is described as an angel of the Lord surrounding and delivering those who fear the Lord. This image brings the mind the power of the Lord coming to our aid. The Lord is ready to defend us, protect us, and fight for us. The angel of the Lord is used to describe God working in this world on our behalf.
B. Taste the Lord and see (8-22)
David encourages us to give God a try. Taste and see that the Lord is good. This is our 100% money back guarantee that you and I will be totally satisfied when we try the Lord. We will see that He is good to those who seek and fear Him. Here are some of the things we will find when we taste the Lord.
Lacks nothing (8-10). Those who fear the Lord will lack nothing. “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19). We must try the Lord and see that God will take care of us. We typically do not believe in this statement. We think we have to supply all our needs. But God says He will take care of those who fear Him.
Longevity of life (11-14). “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.” David tells us that we must be servants of God if we want to have a prosperous life. God’s laws should not be considered a book of rules. God has given us these laws so that we can see long days and enjoy the time God has given us on the earth. God’s laws will help us maximize our physical lives to the fullest.
An attentive God (15-16). God’s eyes are upon the righteous, watching over us. God’s ears are attentive to our cries. God’s face is toward us granting us with blessings, while His face is against those who do evil. Evildoers are cut off from God.
The Lord saves and delivers (17-22). Look at the listing of all God does for the righteous: (1) the Lord hears them, (2) the Lord delivers them from all their troubles, (3) the Lord is close to the brokenhearted, (4) The Lord saves those who are crushed in spirit, and (5) The Lord delivers us from all troubles (this is repeated). These are words to encourage us in our times of suffering.
Turn to 1 Peter 3:10-12 to see that Peter quotes this section of the psalm. Peter quotes this psalm to encourage us to continue to do good in times of suffering. Thus, Peter encourages, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called, so that you may inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9). Taste the Lord and see that serve God is worthy of our efforts for God will do many things for us.
III. Not A Bone Shall Be Broken (34:20)
A. God’s great blessings
I would like to spend the rest of our time on what I think is the most important verse in this psalm, verse 20. “He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.” Carefully read the context again and we will see that the psalmist is talking about the righteous. Verse 19 begins the thought concerning a righteous man who has many troubles but the Lord delivers him from them all. Further, God protects the bones of the righteous, not one of them will be broken. So what does this mean for us as righteous people that none of our bones will be broken?
When we turn to John 19:36 we see that the apostle John quotes this verse and applies it to Jesus. In the context of John 19 we are reading about the death of Jesus. Specifically, we read that when the soldiers came to break the legs of those crucified, they did not break the legs of Jesus because he was already dead. Their pierced Jesus’ side and blood and water flowed from him. By a simple reading of the passage, it seems that the scripture was fulfilled because Jesus did not suffer from any broken bones.
So what does this mean for us? Is David saying that those who are truly righteous will not have their bones broken? Is the passage and its fulfillment speaking about the physical state of our bodies? I believe we are missing something if we do not see that more is implied concerning the bones of the righteous never being broken.
The scriptures talk about the evil have their bones broken and scattered. “God brings him out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox; He shall consume the nations, his enemies; He shall break their bones and pierce them with his arrows” (Numbers 24:8). “There they are in great fear where no fear was, for God has scattered the bonesof him who encamps against you; You have put them to shame, because God has despised them” (Psalm 53:5). Therefore, when we read about bones, those who have broken bones are lacking the blessings, favor, and deliverance from God. Those whose bones are not broken are in favor with God.
This is the great message for our lives today. It does not matter how badly we may suffer in life, our bones are not broken, meaning we are still in favor with God and know that God can deliver us from what we are enduring. Is this not exactly what was meant concerning Jesus? Yes, none of his physical bones were broken. But more importantly, none of Jesus’ bones being broken meant He died in God’s favor and love. Though man considered Jesus smitten by God and afflicted by God, Jesus died in the favor of God. Further, none of his bones being broken meant he held to the promise of God’s deliverance. We know deliverance came three days later as Jesus conquered death, rose from the grave, and ascended to the Father where all glory and honor was bestowed upon him.
In the same way, when we are righteous none of our bones will be broken. Therefore, we may suffer but we are still in God’s favor. We may endure great tribulations, but we can hold on to God’s promise of deliverance. This is David’s message in this psalm. He had to pretend to be insane to protect his life. Saul was trying to kill him and David was running for his life. But God took care of David and delivered him. David was in favor with God, none of his bones were broken. We have the same promise given to us. Let us praise the Lord at all times and exalt his name together for his great deliverance. (NIV)

Lesson adapted from sermon given by Brent Kercheville

 
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Psalm 33, The Power and Providence of the Lord
I. The Lord & His Praise (33:1-3)
A. Joyful people of God
The thirty-third psalm begins uniquely, “Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.” It is rather easy to misread this and think that the psalmist is calling for us to praise God. However, the psalmist is telling us that we need to be joyful in the Lord. The shout for joy is not to the Lord, but is in the Lord.
We have so many reasons to be joyful people in Christ. Paul commanded, “Be joyful always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). We can forget too easily all the good that God has done and is doing in our lives that we become pessimistic, cold-hearted, angry, depressed people. But such attitudes do not display the love of Christ and the grace of God in our lives. This psalm will go about explaining and showing more reasons why we ought to always be joyful in the Lord.
B. Thankful worship
Verses 2-3 are also interesting because of what the psalmist describes as worship. Notice the words “make melody,” “play,” and “sing” are used as encouragement to the people to participate in their worship under the law of Moses. But there is one other word that is part of this Hebrew parallelism that stands out, “give thanks.” This does not seem to fit with the other words make melody, sing, and play. What is being described for us is that our worship must also consist of giving thanks to God. To give thanks to the Lord is to praise and worship the Lord.
Part of this worship is singing a “new song.” Nine times the phrase “new song” is used in the scriptures. The phrase is found twice in Revelation, once in Isaiah, and the rest of the occurrences are in the Psalms. A new song seems to suggest a giving of praise and honor based a renewed perspective of God’s greatness. God will do something great, such as answer prayer or deliver, and a new song will then be encouraged from the worshipper. We see this in Revelation 5:9-10, “And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” This new song seems to show a renewed awareness of God’s power and greatness as the Lamb is able to take and open the scroll.
The psalmist is calling all the people of God to vigorously worship the Lord their God. Verse 1 described the joy of the worshipper and verses 2-3 described the giving of thanks that should come from God’s joyful people. Worship is to be a joyful event to us, not something that must be done. It is hard to change our language from saying that we have to go to church to we want to go worship the Lord. But worship is to be joyful and desired by all of God’s people, not something that puts us to sleep or is considered a chore.
II. The Lord & His Power (33:4-9)
A. The moral power of God’s word (vs. 4-5)
Verses 4-9 describe the power of the Lord. But the power of the Lord is described through the word of the Lord. Verse 4 tells us that the word of the Lord is upright. The word of the Lord does not cause evil. The word of the Lord is righteous and all the work of the Lord is faithful.
The word of the Lord is in keeping with God’s character. Unlike humans whose words often do not match their character, when we speak with lies, hypocrisy, and malice, God’s words cannot be anything but the revealing of His character. Therefore, through God’s word we see His love for righteousness and justice. The word of the Lord reveals the steadfast love of the Lord throughout all the earth.
Notice the Hebrew parallelism found again in these verses. The beginning of verse 4 describes the word of the Lord while the end of verse 4 changes to the work of the Lord. These are being considered one and the same thing in Hebrew poetry. God works through His words. God does not have to lift a finger to accomplish any task. God merely says the word and His will is accomplished. Consider the creation of the world. Did God have to perform any action? No, God simply said what He desired and it came into being. This concept leads us into the next couple of verses.
B. The visible power of God’s word (vs. 6-7)
The power of God’s word is clearly seen in the creation. “By the word of the Lord the heavens were