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#Post#: 1859--------------------------------------------------
Thoughts on the Psalms
By: Kerry Date: November 16, 2012, 6:37 am
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1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the
ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the
seat of the scornful.
If you are sitting with the scorners, you may rise and stand
with the sinners; and when you stand about with them, then you
may follow them and go with them.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth
he meditate day and night.
What means the second "his" in this verse? Whose law? Is it
God's law of the blessed man's law? Could it be both? At
first, it can be seen as God's law; but after a while, Rashi
said it can also be said to be the man's law. Thus the words
become part of the person.
Deuteronomy 11:18 Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in
your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your
hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
Compare that to what Paul said of the righteous Gentiles:
Romans 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by
nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the
law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their
conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean
while accusing or else excusing one another;)
So we learn that the "law out there" as we read about it is to
become part of us; and then it is "our law" too. Rashi also
points out that the word "meditate" as used by the Psalmist
refers to the heart, not the head. Compare that thought to
Deuteronomy 11:18 and Romans 2:15 quoted above and to other
passages in the Scriptures about the heart meditating.
Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of
my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and
my redeemer.
Isaiah 33:18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the
scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the
towers?
In these passages, the same word "hagah" is translated as
"study," but it's the same word; and again it's connected with
the heart.
Proverbs 15:28 The heart of the righteous studieth to answer:
but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.
Proverbs 24:2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their
lips talk of mischief.
So we can see that Psalm 1:2 means meditating that is associated
with the heart.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall
not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The tree which does this is obeying the laws of nature, being
true to its own nature just as the lilies of the field are true
to their nature. It is not the intellectual understanding of
these laws that lilies or trees possess. It is the ability to
respond properly to their environment.
Note that the leaf, deemed to be a lowly part, is found worthy
of preservation. Even the lowliest of the parts of the man who
is blessed by God will be preserved.
4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind
driveth away.
With men, it is different. We can be misled by wrong thoughts
and behave in ways which are not suitable. We must seek the
proper nature. Such men can be said to be ungodly since they
are betraying their own nature which should be respected as
godly, the image and likeness of God.
Such evil or ungodly attributes are not worth preserving. They
are like chaff which eventually will fall somewhere, decay and
become part of the soil again and then become part of another
plant.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor
sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of
the ungodly shall perish.
This will continue until all which is not worth preserving
takes on a form which is worth preserving. Both good and evil
are witnesses to us that God is real. Whether the God-in-us
rejoices to see beauty and good in the world or retracts in
horror at ugliness and evil, it is the God-in-us which informs
us that if we possess this nature, there must also be a
God-out-there who is not content with ugliness and evil.
If the chaff worth saving? It is, but not as chaff. It can be
changed into something else. Similarly evil is not worth
saving; and it too can be changed into good.
#Post#: 1874--------------------------------------------------
Re: Thoughts on the Psalms
By: Leaf Date: November 16, 2012, 10:35 am
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Amen!
With God all things are possible!
Hallelujah!
#Post#: 1880--------------------------------------------------
Re: Thoughts on the Psalms
By: Kerry Date: November 16, 2012, 12:17 pm
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Psalm 2:1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain
thing?
"Heathen" means "the nations." This has two applications. It
can be read to refer to the coming King Messiah; and it can be
read as meaning David when the Philistines gather to oppose him
when they heard he had been made king.
2 Samuel 5:17 But when the Philistines heard that they had
anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to
seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold.
This plot was in vain. When progress is being made in the
Kingdom, the Dark Side foolishly gets roused and imagines they
can prevent the progress.
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take
counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed
<messiah>, saying,
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords
from us.
This can be compared also to John's prophecy:
Revelation 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the
earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against
him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall
have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in
his sore displeasure.
This is in the present tense, not future as some translations
have it. This kind of scheme is predictable just as it was
predictable that Pharaoh would chase after Israel. Evil is
brought to justice by this means. God is laughing now. Do not
think God will wait to laugh later the way men laugh after their
enemies meet catastrophe.
6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
I would say this also has more than one meaning. The most
obvious is that David sat and ruled in Jerusalem; but I would
say also that he ruled on a spiritual throne on a spiritual
hill. It also refers to the coming Kingdom.
7 I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou
art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
A great deal seems to be made of this verse in the book of
Hebrews; but I think it fair to say that God's Kingdom was
established in a new form when the throne of David (or throne of
God) connected Heaven with earth.
2 Samuel 3:18 Now then do it: for the Lord hath spoken of David,
saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people
Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand
of all their enemies.
David was told that God would act as Solomon's "father."
2 Samuel 7:12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt
sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which
shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his
kingdom.
13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the
throne of his kingdom for ever.
14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit
iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the
stripes of the children of men:
Lastly we are told explicitly that David was God's firstborn in
a certain manner:
Psalm 89:26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God,
and the rock of my salvation.
27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of
the earth.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine
inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy
possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them
in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges
of the earth.
This also has more than one interpretation. It refers to David
in one way, and we can compare this passage to:
Revelation 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as
the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as
I received of my Father.
11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way,
when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they
that put their trust in him.
Sheep who understand their shepherd know they have nothing to
fear. The kingdom of God is for the benefit of His children.
Those who accept that and can "kiss the son" have nothing to
fear; but those who seek to devour the innocent may meet with
what seems to them like wrath as lions and wolves may come to a
bad end at the hands of shepherds.
I believe God was laughing even before David met Goliath.
#Post#: 1952--------------------------------------------------
Re: Thoughts on the Psalms
By: Kerry Date: November 18, 2012, 1:18 pm
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Psalm 3 varies in the numbering of its verses since some
translations omit the opening phrase which is numbered 1 in
Hebrew versions.
A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.
It is said that David was relieved when he discovered how the
prophecy of Nathan was fulfilled.
2 Samuel 12:11 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil
against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives
before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he
shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before
all Israel, and before the sun.
David's fear was this would be by a slave or a "mamzer" (a
child of an irregular marriage) which would be a sign of
weakness of the social order and perhaps the start of a long or
large revolt. When he learned it was his son who did it, he was
relieved since his servants and the Sanhedrin were not involved,
and his bodyguard (the Kerethites and Pelethites) were not
involved.
We are told his "servants" remained loyal:
2 Samuel 15:14 And David said unto all his servants that were
with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not
else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake
us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the
edge of the sword.
15 And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy
servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall
appoint.
Others also remained loyal:
2 Samuel 17:27 And it came to pass, when David was come to
Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children
of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai
the Gileadite of Rogelim,
28 Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and
barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles,
and parched pulse,
29 And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for
David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they
said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the
wilderness.
3:1 Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they
that rise up against me.
This includes Saul, of course, as well as Doeg the Edomite and
Ahithophel and the "sons of Raphah" or "sons of the giant" (2
Samuel 21).
2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him
in God. Selah.
This was criticism concerning his dealings with Bathsheba.
3 But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the
lifter up of mine head.
4 I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of
his holy hill. Selah.
5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.
There is an interpretation of this as sleep meaning his heart
was stopped up with fear and worry; and awaking means he awoke
from his worry, realizing God would sustain him.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set
themselves against me round about.
7 Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all
mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of
the ungodly.
Hitting someone on the cheek was disgraceful. Compare to Micah
5:1 (which some say should be Micah 4:14):
Micah 5:1 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he
hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel
with a rod upon the cheek.
And to:
Lamentations 3:30 He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him:
he is filled full with reproach.
Breaking their teeth means, of course, that they can no longer
bite.
8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy
people. Selah.
#Post#: 2039--------------------------------------------------
Re: Thoughts on the Psalms
By: Kerry Date: November 22, 2012, 10:53 am
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The preface is not given in the KJV:
To the conductor with melodies, a song of David.
4:1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast
enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear
my prayer.
2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame?
how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
This should read "sons of man" since iysh in the singular. Not
beniy adam, the spiritual man, but beniy iysh. This refers to
the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who are all called iysh
in the Torah:
Genesis 20:7 Now therefore restore the man <iysh> his wife; for
he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt
live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt
surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
Genesis 24:65 For she had said unto the servant, What man <iysh>
is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant
had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and
covered herself.
Genesis 25:27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter,
a man <iysh> of the field; and Jacob was a plain man <iysh>,
dwelling in tents.
Some instances of people accusing David of dishonorable deeds:
1 Samuel 20:30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan,
and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman,
do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine
own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?
1 Samuel 22:8 That all of you have conspired against me, and
there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league
with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry
for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my
servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the
servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to
Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
1 Samuel 25:10 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said,
Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many
servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
We find one example of lies in the Ziphites who pretended to be
friendly with David but who then went to Saul to inform on him:
1 Samuel 23:19 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah,
saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in
the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of
Jeshimon?
20 Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire
of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him
into the king's hand.
Back to the Psalm:
3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for
himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him.
"Set apart" meaning also severed, separated, made distinct,
distinguished, etc.
4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon
your bed, and be still. Selah.
"Awe" of course often inspires silence; and the commandment
given here is for people to enquire of their hearts when alone
in their beds away from the chatter of daily life, and then
keep silence. God will answer David's prayers, but surely not
the prayers of those opposed to him and all the talk against
David was unrighteousness. The enemies of David prayed in
vain:
2 Samuel 22:41 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine
enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
42 They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the Lord,
but he answered them not.
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in
the Lord.
Performing righteous deeds is a way of offering up sacrifices.
The "sons of man" being addressed are being told to trust God,
do not sin against God out of the desire for the reward of money
or any other reward from Saul.
6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift
thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
The word translated as "countenance" here is also the word
translated as "face" elsewhere. This phrase, "the light of thy
countenance," occurs elsewhere in the Psalms: 44:3, 89:15, and
90:8. It also is reminiscent of what Moses wrote:
Numbers 6:25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be
gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee
peace.
So we learn that we may receive Light from the face of God
although no man may see God's face and live.
Exodus 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there
shall no man see me, and live.
Some say that the "banner" or "standard" is of Divine Light.
Isaiah 49:22 Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up
mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people:
and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters
shall be carried upon their shoulders.
Isaiah 62:10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the
way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the
stones; lift up a standard for the people.
7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that
their corn and their wine increased.
8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord,
only makest me dwell in safety.
David ends with a pastoral refernce, as though he were a sheep
in God's fold. Compare to this from the Torah:
Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath
are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from
before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.
28 Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of
Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens
shall drop down dew.
#Post#: 2040--------------------------------------------------
Re: Thoughts on the Psalms -- Psalm 5
By: Kerry Date: November 22, 2012, 11:58 am
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Psalm 5
To the conductor, on nehiloth, a song of David.
There is one opinion that nehiloth was a musical instrument and
another opinion that it signifies a "swarm" as in a swarm of
bees or a bands of sinners.
2 Samuel 22:5 When the waves of death compassed me, the floods
of ungodly men made me afraid;
1 Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation.
In other words, when he's strong enough to pray out loud and
perhap salso when he's too weak to pray out loud.
2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for
unto thee will I pray.
3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the
morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
The morning is a good time to pray for the elimination of evil,
rising up for the day with confidence that God will preserve
that day the good and eliminate the evil. Compare:
Psalm 101:8 I will early <in the morning> destroy all the wicked
of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city
of the Lord.
Isaiah 33:2 O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for
thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the
time of trouble.
Isaiah 28:18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled,
and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the
overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden
down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for
morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and
it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.
4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness:
neither shall evil dwell with thee.
5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all
workers of iniquity.
When both parties in a disagreement are guilty, how should God
judge? Would God heed the prayers for justice from either of
them? However if one side is guilty and one side is innocent,
we can be sure God will protect the innocent just as the
faithful shepherd can be trusted by his sheep.
6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the Lord will
abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
Most probably a reference to Esau and offspring, the Edomites.
7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of
thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy
temple.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies;
make thy way straight before my face.
David's enemies were hoping he would sin grievously against them
and against God. If he failed to repent, he would be guilty as
they were. God could not then act to remove evil from the
world. Solomon would not have reigned in peace for forty years.
This attack on David was an attack on the throne which God had
given him.
9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part
is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they
flatter with their tongue.
Their words may appear smooth, but they are not sincere.
You can read the phrase about the sepulchre two ways, I think.
One, they open their mouths as if to swallow up the works of
others or even consume the souls of men if they could. Compare
to what Jesus said -- this surely seems to be an allusion to
this Psalm:
Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear
beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and
of all uncleanness.
28 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye
devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer:
therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
10 Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own
counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their
transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
Does this sound like strong language? Compare to what Jesus
said of the "vipers" of his generation:
Matthew 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye
escape the damnation of hell?
11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let
them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them
also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
12 For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt
thou compass him as with a shield.
Never mind if the evil seems to be compassing the righteous and
about to win.
1 Samuel 23:26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and
David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made
haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men
compassed David and his men round about to take them.
Was not Pharoah led to destruction when he tried to box Israel
in?
Exodus 14:3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They
are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after
them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his
host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And they
did so.
Note that Pharaoh was provoked to attack when he thought he
perceived the innocent Israelites were in a weak position.
David acted as a lightning rod of the same sort, attracting the
strikes of many evil men. Judgment of evil was possible in
Exodus because Israel was innocent and Pharaoh was bloodthirsty
and a liar. Judgment was possible in David's generation also
because David kept his heart pure and knew the jeopardy he would
be in if he allowed himself to fall into sin and fail to repent.
We cannot eliminate evil in the world by imitating it. Keep
the heart pure, and trust God to protect the innocent and remove
the wicked.
Deuteronomy 33:29 Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto
thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and
who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be
found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high
places.
#Post#: 2047--------------------------------------------------
Re: Thoughts on the Psalms
By: Runner Date: November 22, 2012, 2:05 pm
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3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the
morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
The waking hours are the best, the time when the mind is clear,
the daily needs have not yet started to niggle or distract.
I find if God is going to speak, that is the time that I hear
Him the clearest.
By evening my mind is cluttered, focus is harder, and things
which have happened during the day keep creeping back in.
Night time is good too...if there is ever a trip to the bathroom
needed....it can be a bonus if precious thoughts are dripped in
the heart at that time. I always keep a writing pad and pencil
by my bed....and scribble away in the dark. :)
#Post#: 2048--------------------------------------------------
Re: Thoughts on the Psalms
By: Kerry Date: November 22, 2012, 2:20 pm
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[quote author=Runner link=topic=201.msg2047#msg2047
date=1353614708]
3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the
morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
The waking hours are the best, the time when the mind is clear,
the daily needs have not yet started to niggle or
distract.[/quote]
Yes, and how much better it would be to pray and avoid trouble
if at all possible than to wait until later in the day after the
trouble came to pray. Just asking for Divine Protection
throughout the day and being grateful the first thing in the
morning sounds like a very good idea.
I revolved this around in my mind. Now I'm wondering why
children are so often taught to pray before going to sleep but
not when they wake up also?
[quote] I find if God is going to speak, that is the time that I
hear Him the clearest.
By evening my mind is cluttered, focus is harder, and things
which have happened during the day keep creeping back in.
[/quote]
I had trouble sleeping last night. I was asleep, more or less;
but in my dreams even or it seemed like a foggy dream, I was
trying to remember the name of someone I knew years ago. I
finally did remember his first name and then I fell off to
sleep. When I woke up, then I remembered his last name too.
In the dream, it seemed important that I remember his name so I
could pray for him. [quote]
Night time is good too...if there is ever a trip to the bathroom
needed....it can be a bonus if precious thoughts are dripped in
the heart at that time. I always keep a writing pad and pencil
by my bed....and scribble away in the dark. :)[/quote]I'm more
negligent. I figure if I forget something, it must not have
been that important to begin with.
#Post#: 3201--------------------------------------------------
Re: Thoughts on the Psalms
By: Kerry Date: January 8, 2013, 5:22 am
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The introduction to Psalm 6 is also not in some Bibles.
6:0 To the conductor with melodies on the harp, a song of David.
The harp in question was a sheminith, with eight strings.
6:1 O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in
thy hot displeasure.
The author of Hebrews states that the Lord chastens those whom
He loves; but it may be up to us much of the time if we will be
corrected by mild measures or more severe ones. The heart which
desires correction from Heaven prays as David did.
2 Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me;
for my bones are vexed.
3 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long?
The last phrase means how long will God wait?
4 Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies'
sake.
"Deliver my soul" means restore it to health.
5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who
shall give thee thanks?
A controversial verse sometimes used to teach that all whose
physical bodies die are no longer aware of anything; but if we
pay careful attention we see that this verse follows a prayer
for mercy to have his soul restored to health. Those who die in
a blessed state may die in the flesh; but this does not
necessarily mean they die in every way.
Similarly we ought not to believe that the souls of all are in
their graves, unable to give thanks.
6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to
swim; I water my couch with my tears.
7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because
of all mine enemies.
"Dimmed" may be a better expression. Compare Paul's phrase
about seeing through a glass darkly.
8 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath
heard the voice of my weeping.
9 The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my
prayer.
10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them
return and be ashamed suddenly.
There are varying opinions about what this means. One view is
that his enemies are all the wicked ones of the world who will
complain about being in Gehinnom. God will let them out
temporarily to show them their records and then return them to
Gehinnom.
Another opinion is that the ungodly first call to their idols
for help; and when they do not answer, they will try calling to
God who will tell them He would have helped them if they had
called to Him first. They are told to return to their idols to
their shame.
#Post#: 3330--------------------------------------------------
Re: Thoughts on the Psalms
By: Kerry Date: January 16, 2013, 7:27 am
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Psalm 7:0 A shiggayon of David, which he sang to Adonai because
of Kush the Ben-Y’mini:
This introduction is also omitted in the King James Version.
Some say the word "shiggayon" is related to the word used by the
prophet and is a reference to a melody line named for the
instrument:
Habakkuk3:1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.
Most of the Jewish Sages say however that it is an expression of
error. A third opinion is that he refers to the part of Saul's
garment David cut off.
Kush or Cush means Saul. Just as a Cushite had skin that was
not considered usual, so too could Saul's deeds be considered
unusual, hence this nickname.
7:1 O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all
them that persecute me, and deliver me:
The reference to Saul is clear, is it not?
2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while
there is none to deliver.
The word translated here as "rend in pieces" is the same word
used of earrings in Exodus:
Exodus 32:2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden
earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and
of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
3 O Lord my God, If I have done this; if there be iniquity in my
hands;
I.e., that which will be described.
4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me;
(yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)
We see that David did not kill Saul when he had the chance; nor
did David rob him by stripping him naked but cut only a portion
of his garment off.
5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him
tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the
dust. Selah.
The person doing what David did had to be without fault. Had he
attacked Saul, he would have been lifting his hand against the
anointed one. He would have been guilty too.
6 Arise, O Lord, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the
rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou
hast commanded.
Not for his own account, but for the sake of Israel.
7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about:
for their sakes therefore return thou on high.
"So shall the congregation of the people" may read better in the
conditional, "If a congregation of the nations." If the sinful
nations pray to God, David is asking God to distance Himself
from them and not to answer their prayers. This is an
extraordinary prayer, I would say inspired by God, so the
Heavenly Decree could be made final and judgment set.
8 The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according
to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in
me.
Here David asks God to grant mercy to Israel and to cover their
sins with David's righteousness. A saint has this privilege.
Christians often think only Jesus could do it; but here we see
David doing it. Similarly, we read:
James 1:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the
Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they
shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another,
that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a
righteous man availeth much.
9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but
establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and
reins.
Perhaps this should read, "May evil bring to an end the wicked."
We say two wrongs don't make a right; but we also see how the
wicked often destroy each other by keeping things going and
never considering ending the cycle of returning evil for evil.
David is praying for an end to wickedness here, asking that it
consumes itself.
10 My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.
11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked
every day.
This tells us how the righteous can call for judgment.
12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow,
and made it ready.
13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he
ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.
God will take care of those who attack the innocent if indeed
the innocent remain innocent.
14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived
mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
These inventions of the wicked are his own downfall. If the
godly does not seek revenge and become like the ungodly, the
wicked tend to consume themselves by self-deceptions.
15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch
which he made.
16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent
dealing shall come down upon his own pate.
Naturally this is so for even the wicked have consciences which
tell them they should be stopped. If the righteous returns evil
for evil, the wicked man's conscience does not pain him so much.
He can excuse himself. If the righteous gives the guilty no
excuse at all, the wicked will fall into the pit he has dug for
others.
17 I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and
will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.
It is a wonderful thing if we can see how evil contains within
itself the seeds of its own destruction.
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