Day #108

Sermon - Audio
Pslam 17, 35, 54, 63 - Audio
Pslam 17, 35, 54, 63 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Another full day of Psalms today. Enjoy!

Note1: Just to warn you, Psalm 17 is quite graphic and probably not appropriate for children.

Note2: I share the opinion that more important than the historical context attributed to these Psalms (David's circumstances) is their function in worship. These are not just David's prayers; these are prayers of a people. They are our prayers. Listen to the poetic features of these Psalms. More importantly listen to the conversations that occur within them.

Psalm 17

This is an individual lament. One person is crying out to God with a “complaint” which he expects God to respond to. Lament Psalms have distinct parts to them (Psalm 13 is considered the prototype lament Psalms). I will do my best to divide this one up for you.

Vs1-6: Invocation. Essentially the Psalmist is trying to get God's attention and give him the reasons He should listen. The Psalmist calls God by name: YHVH (which the NIV translates as LORD). By invoking the covenant name of God the speaker lays claim to the covenant relationship between God and his people.

Vs 7-9 Petition part 1. There is a shift in verse 7. The Psalmist starts making requests of God. There is some really vivid imagery here. Verse 8 often gets translated “keep me as the apple of your eye.” More literally “keep me like the little person in the eye.” It sounds strange to us. But if you get face to face someone and look them directly in the eyes, what do you see? A little person-right!? It's actually your reflection in their pupil. The Psalmist says: keep me that close.

Vs 10-12 Complaint: here the Psalmist describes the problem. The enemy is out to get them. In fact, the enemy has tracked him down and is ready to pounce like a lion.

Vs 13-14 Petition part 2. Here the request is more serious. Now that the enemy is so close, the plea becomes desperate and grotesque. Verse 14 is especially troubling to our modern ears. How can a Christian reconcile this Psalm with Christ's commands to love your enemies and to pray for those who persecute you? The answer is a complicated one that I do not have time to solve here. I recommend the book A God of Vengance?: Understanding the Psalms of Divine Wrath by Eric Zenger. I will say, however, that a Christian is never permitted to pray this way in specific cases or toward individuals. At most, we pray these prayers generically: calling on God to bring justice into a world full of violence. The image of the “little ones” is a call to not only stop violence in the present, but also root its future potential.

Vs 15 Expression of Trust: Though this may seem like arrogance on the Psalmists part, it is actually the Psalmist showing confidence in God's ability to rescue him. Some translations awkwardly use “satisfied” in this verse. The best translation comes from the NET bible: “As for me, because I am innocent I will see your face; when I awake you will reveal yourself to me.” I hope that clears up any confusion.

Psalm 35

This is another individual lament...and a long one. I'm not going to divide this one up like the last one.

Vs 2 God is described as a warrior.

Vs 7-8 You have to feel for the Psalmist here-and we can all relate. He suffers without cause. “The enemy” hates him for no reason. Characteristic of this Psalm (and others), the Psalmist is simply asking to do to his enemy what his enemy intended to do to him. In other words, he wants his enemy to get what's coming to him. Essentially, they dug a pit meant for me....let them fall into their own pit.

Vs 9 This begins the Psalmist Vow of Praise (a common section of lament psalms)

vs 10 “You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.” The Psalmist is describing God's attributes in hope that God will come to his cause. He is appealing to the kind of God He is.

Vs 13b-14 “When my prayers returned to me unanswered, I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.” Powerful stuff as the Psalmist wrestles with unanswered prayers.

Psalm 54

vs 3: The danger is immediate. His foes are in the process of attacking him. The verb “to seek” has a nuance that they have been constantly seeking him. These enemies have been trying to kill him for a while now.

Vs 4 Even with the present danger, his confidence in God is unwavering.

vs 7 The Hebrew verb tense in v. 7 indicating the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s deliverance and his own vindication as if they were occurring or had already occurred. (NET)

Psalm 63

This is different than the other Psalms we read today. This psalm is a declaration of praise. In this Psalm, the Psalmist is not asking for anything; he is blessing God. The Psalm is outward focused. Notice all the use of the word “you” and “your.”

vs 3 The Hebrew word here is hesed. “Because your hesed is better than life...” Hesed is a key word in the Old Testament that often gets translated “goodness,” “kindness,” “mercy,” or “devotion.” These are all good translations, but hesed carries the weight of all them. Perhaps the best translation is “loyal love.” A good word to keep track of: it occurs 127 times in the Psalms. (This word was also thematic in Ruth)