Psalm 41 - Prayer for recovery

This psalm is the final one in the first book of the five that are found in the Psalter. In the psalm, David is suffering from an illness which his opponents hope will result in his death (v. 8). Among those conspiring against him is one who had been a close friend (v. 9). Their conspiracy was more than dislike of David; it was rebellion against God’s revealed will that David was his chosen king.

His troubles caused David to reflect on his circumstances. He was aware that he had considered the poor, which was a particular responsibility connected to his position as king, as well as a general requirement of him as a believer. Even in New Testament times, when Israel no longer has their unique position, the church is required to take care of the poor.

 

David had done so because he wanted to serve God correctly. He also knew that such service would result in divine help whenever his opponents rose against him. Further, he was aware that if God wanted him to continue as king, he would restore his health (vv. 1-3).

 

David often complains of ill health. No doubt, illnesses were more common then than they are now, and would have caused more concern in those who suffered from them. David knew that all problems that he faced, including illnesses, were connected to the fact that he was a sinner. He was aware of the curse that was imposed on Adam when he sinned as our representative. David was also alert to the possibility that his illness could be an expression of divine chastisement for his personal sins, therefore he asked the Lord to be merciful to him (v. 4).

 

The activities of his opponents concerned David. Probably he was not in a position to silence them at that moment because of his physical weakness. But he knew that he could turn to the Lord for help, which he does in this psalm. He expresses in detail their words and actions (vv. 5-9). 

 

In verses 10-12, he asks God to raise him up so that he can deal with their rebellion. His intention to punish them is not one of personal revenge, but rather the fulfilment of his responsibility to govern on God’s behalf over his people. His recovery from health and his resumption of royal duties would be evidence that he retained divine favour, that the Lord approved of his heart devotion and delighted to have David in his presence.

 

Jesus quoted verse 9, where David complains about the treachery of a close friend, in connection to Judas (John 13:18). The Saviour omits the phrase ‘whom I trusted’ because he knew all along what was in the heart of Judas. David did not have omniscience regarding his former friend, perhaps Ahithophel, the counsellor who sided with Absalom in his rebellion against his father.

 

The doxology in verse 13 closes the psalm and the first book in the Psalter. It is an affirmation that the covenant God of Israel is worthy of eternal praise

 

Psalm 40 - Song of Deliverance

Psalm 40 is a difficult psalm to understand at one level and that is because some of its verses are applied to Jesus in the Book of Hebrews. Not every verse can be applied to him, however. In verse 12, the author complains of his iniquities and that could not be said of Jesus.

In verses 1-4, the psalmist describes a great deliverance he had experienced as a result of prayer. The Lord had not answered his prayer immediately and the psalmist had been left in a situation that was like a pit (impossible to get out off without help and no solid standing while in it). But once he was delivered, the psalmist thanked God for his rescue. His words are an acknowledgement of divine sovereignty and divine wisdom regarding the timing of God’s action. His deliverance through answered prayer would also be an encouragement to others to fear the Lord and trust in him.

Although David had experienced a wonderful personal deliverance, he also recognised that there was a communal benefit linked to it, probably connected to him being the chosen king of God’s people. David determined to tell them about the greatness and favour of God, that he constantly works wonderful things on behalf of his people. At the same time, he confessed that the number of the Lord’s works was so great that it was not possible to mention all of them (vv. 4-5).

Verses 6-8 are the verses that are applied to Jesus by the author of Hebrews. They do not seem to be applicable to David because he was required to offer burnt offerings and sin offerings. Even in this statement we see a difference between Jesus and everyone else in that it points to his sinlessness. Verse 7 could be a reference to the Old Testament, or it could refer to a special book such as the book of divine decrees or similar. Only the first line of verse 8 is applied to Jesus in Hebrews, and it describes his remarkable dedication to fulfilling his Father’s will.

Two other details can be mentioned. In verses 6-8, we have a conversation between persons of the Trinity, although only Jesus speaks (the author of Hebrews says the conversation occurred when Jesus was coming into the world, at his incarnation). The second detail is a reminder that descriptions of and references to Jesus are found throughout the Old Testament.

In verses 9-10, a preacher describes his style of preaching. Some see this as a continuation of the previous verses about Jesus, although that would mean that he moves on thirty years from the reference to his incarnation to describe his public ministry. The verses could merely refer to David as to his manner of preaching and verse 9 could indicate that he had already told the people about his deliverance described at the start of the psalm. When he described it, he said everything that should be said, and did so from his heart, which is what true preaching must be.

David knew that, since he was still a sinner, there would be constant need of divine deliverance. But he knew that he could depend on the covenant faithfulness of God, even although his sins, from his point of view, were innumerable and overpowering. As described in previous psalms, David saw a connection between his sins and the activities of his enemies, and therefore he prayed to be delivered from the attacks of both (vv. 11-15).

And as with previous psalms, he wanted his experience of deliverance to be an encouragement to God’s people (vv. 16-17). When that happens, they and he would have reasons for praising God for his deliverances. And he wanted his own experience of divine rescue to happen as soon as possible.

Psalm 39 — Prayer of a Pilgrim

In this psalm, David begins by stating his intention not to speak in the presence of his opponents. He realised that there are times to be silent. Yet although he did so, he discovered that mere silence did not solve his concerns. He had to speak to someone because the issues that he had and felt disturbed him greatly. So he spoke to God about them.

What were the issues that burdened him? In verses 4 and 5, he mentions the shortness of his life. In this regard, he is like everyone else. Despite all the efforts people put into accumulating wealth, they will not have it for long. They cannot even be certain who will have it after they have gone. Of course, David recognised that this was part of God’s sovereignty since it was him who had fixed the number of years a person will live.

In verse 6, he mentions another issue that concerned him. David’s priority was to be delivered from breaking God’s law. If he did fall into sin, those who did not fear God (the fool) would mock him. Is there a connection between his sense of the shortness of life and the possibility of sinning? The third issue that David mentions indicates the connection.

In verses 7-11, David highlights the third issue, that of divine chastisement for sin. David knew that he had been under divine discipline for his sins, and this discipline, whatever it was, had shown him how weak he was, and how it had removed much that was valued by him. It is this realisation that explains his inner turmoil about shortness of life and his concern about his transgressions. 

Yet he mentions this concern while also stating that his hope is in God. His description of what he felt is similar to how the author of Hebrews describes chastisement when he says it is grievous to endure. David’s desperation to be relieved of this burden is clearly stated in his bold requests for a cessation of the chastisement.

Therefore he asked the Lord to listen to his tearful prayers, and give him peace. He knew that he was like his fathers, a sojourner on the earth, but he did not wish to pass his days under the frown of God. So he asked the Lord to look on him in another manner than that of chastiser.

We may wonder what happened to David as a result of his prayer? We are not told, although we can assume that the Lord answered his petitions. Yet, in the psalm, the stress is on the fact that in his troubles David spoke to the Lord rather than complaining to men about what he felt. The psalm teaches us how to deal with our spiritual dilemmas — speak to God about them.

Psalm 38 — Coping with chastisement

When David wrote this psalm, he was undergoing three difficulties. He was experiencing divine chastisement for his sins, he was suffering from a severe illness and he was enduring harassment from his enemies. The illness could have been part of the chastisement, and God could also have allowed the intensity of the ongoing opposition to David to increase.

Regarding his sin, whatever it was, David knew that it had offended God. His God was coming against him like a warrior firing arrows deep into his soul. He was discovering that sin is much more than the particular action; that it flows from a reservoir of sin within him that could show itself in numerous other ways. Indeed it was like a burden submerging him down and down.

His illness had not only produced physical pain. It had also resulted in isolation from those who were closest to him, his friends and relatives (v. 11). They were afraid to come near him because a plague is contagious. While there would have been natural causes for the plague, it is also likely that God was using the resultant isolation to deal with the plague of sin in David’s heart and to remove opportunities for diverting David away from focussing on it.

The opponents of David realised that his separation from others was an ideal time to increase their attacks on him. Indeed they assumed that his ruin was near, so they were laying their traps to snare him. David was too weak even to respond to them, and he felt unable to rebuke them, perhaps because of his sense of his personal failures and sins (vv. 12-14).

Where could David go? Only to the Lord who was arranging the distress. He tells God what he longs for, he mentions his sense of weakness, his experience of isolation from others, and the behaviour of his opponents. Yet what dominated his outlook was the reality of being brought face to face with his sin and his experience of God’s indignation against him.

Nevertheless, he realised that he could approach his God for help. He prayed for protection from his foes. He admitted his inability to preserve himself, and stated his grief over his sins. His desire was to engage in good activities, unlike his opponents. In his distress, he asked the Lord to come to his aid, not to leave him in danger, and to work in grace and in providence for his deliverance and restoration (vv. 15-22).

This psalm is somewhat unusual because in it David does not say if the Lord heard his prayer, which means that he wrote it before he had received an answer. Yet he had been guided by God to compose it in such a way. There could be a lesson here for us to write out our thoughts and cares and present them often to God while we wait for his answer. 

Psalm 37 — Keep the future in mind

David in this psalm teaches us to live in light of the future. He does not mean the immediate future but the long-term future. Several times, he reminds his readers that the righteous will inherit the land, whereas the wicked will lose everything, even if they had plenty in this life.

The reality of what is ahead should cause us to live in certain ways in the present, particularly regarding our relationship with God. In verses 3-7, David tells us to trust in the Lord, to delight in the Lord, to commit our way to the Lord, to be still before the Lord, and to do so because he is the God who eventually blesses his people.

The reality of their future should cause them not to get over annoyed with the prosperity of the wicked and the sinful in this life. We are conscious how unjust and self-centred people seem to get on well, but David reminds us that those gains are short-lived in comparison to the eternal inheritance. The Day of Judgement is coming when the Lord will deal with such; and sometimes he intervenes long before then and works in providence to bring them down (vv. 8-15).

The reality of this should cause the righteous to have a true perspective on life. They understand that the Lord knows where they are every day and is able to meet their needs in difficult times, even when famine comes (vv. 16-20). Their endless inheritance is secure in his protection, even as Peter was to remind his readers who were suffering for the faith. They had an inheritance that was incorruptible and undefiled, and reserved in heaven for them.

Because that is the case, God’s people can be kind and generous to those in need. They know that even when they fail, their gracious God will restore them. Despite their lack of resources, they know that God will provide for them and their families. Sharing what they have almost guarantees continuation of supply, and their children follow their example (vv. 21-26).

The incentives to live a righteous life are great. Because their God is faithful, they have a wonderful future. Even in this life, they usually enjoy divine protection and they are able to speak truth because God’s law is dominant in their hearts. They walk on a righteous path to the end and then they receive the inheritance. It is and will be very different for the wicked. There is no peace from God for them, but there is peace ahead for his people (vv. 27-40).

Life in the present reveals many things. Among them, it reveals what we think about the future.

Psalm 36 - Meditate and pray

This psalm has three sections. In the first section, David describes the inner state of the wicked, those who oppose God. They respond to suggestions of sin in their hearts, and therefore have no fear of God. Instead, they assume that their sinful intentions will remain hidden, and their speech reveals what they desire. They do not realise that their path leads to increased sinful living, very displeasing to God (vv. 1-4).

In contrast, David thinks about the bigness of God in the second section. He uses illustrations drawn from the extent of the sky, the heights of the mountains, and the depths of the sea to indicate the size of God’s attributes. He is capable of looking after humans and animals. In contrast to God’s abilities, the abilities of the wicked are minute. The outcome is that the righteous enjoy wonderful expressions of divine love. They experience assured safety, abundant sustenance and clear direction from the Lord (vv. 5-9).

The third section is David’s prayer that the Lord would continue to show such favour to his people and prevent the wicked from attacking them. In verse 11, he prays for one aspect of that favour to be shown to him in a personal way, that of deliverance from any attacks by those who wanted to destroy him. Indeed, he prays for complete deliverance (vv. 10-12).

David, in this psalm, reminds us that a good way to prepare for prayer is to meditate on the vast difference in capability that exists between God and the wicked. Whatever the wicked intend, the Lord is much wiser and more powerful in defending and delivering those who trust in him from all their enemies. In fact, he is infinitely more wise and powerful. 

 

Psalm 35 – Praying again in difficult circumstances

David once again is facing a great deal of hostile opposition who are determined to get rid of him (v. 4). Their animosity is unjustified (v. 7). Therefore he asks the Lord to fight for him (v. 1). He likens the Lord to a soldier in verses 2 and 3 who takes up weapons to pursue enemies. At the same time, he desires that the Lord would give him inner assurance that he would be delivered. 

The victory he desires is comprehensive (v. 4), which is a measure of his degree of confidence in the Lord’s ability to remove from any place of influence and position all those opposing his servant. He asks that they be reduced to nothing (chaff) and to find themselves in dangerous places where they will be destroyed (v. 8). The Lord can do all this in his providence, a reminder of how David’s confidence was based on his knowledge of God. (David even requests special divine help associated with the ‘angel of the Lord’ [vv. 5-6], which may be a reference to a pre-incarnate appearance and activity of the second person of the Trinity; since other references to this angel in the Old Testament clearly indicate that he is divine).

 

When that happens, David will be full of joy and everything within him will acknowledge gladly that the Lord delivers those who trust in him from powerful opponents (vv. 9-10).

 

In verses 11-12, David mentions the behaviour of his opponents to the Lord, which is how we should respond to trouble. They did this to him even although he had helped them in the past, showing sympathy to them in a public way (vv. 13-14). In contrast, they rejoiced when something adverse happened to him; they met together in a party spirit to speak fiercely against him (vv. 15-16). Yet while David was puzzled as to why the Lord seemed to be taking a long time to deliver him from their threats and actions, he knew by faith that he would yet participate in worshipping God with his people (vv. 17-18).

 

Nevertheless, he knew he had to persist in prayer about their behaviour, which was troubling not just him but others also in the land. Their false witness could only be dealt with by the Lord, and he appeals to his God for divine vindication (vv. 19-26). At the same time, he expressed his concern for God’s people who were distressed at what was happening to him. His deliverance by God would be a great encouragement to them (v. 27).

 

David knew from God’s promises to him about becoming king that he would yet be delivered from those who opposed him (whether in the time of Saul pursuing him or at a later stage). Those future fulfilments were an encouragement to him in the present. They gave him light on his future when he would be able to speak freely about his God and serve him without interruption (v. 28). 

 

The psalm tells us that troubles will come to God’s people, but they should bring the troubles to him in prayer while reminding him and themselves of his great promises of deliverance, and to draw comfort by anticipating their fulfilment.