by Donya Dunlap | Oct 21, 2016 | Bible Study, The Spiritual Life
As a person who is always searching for joy, this psalm of thanksgiving is a treasure of insight.
Verses 1-2
David’s first sentence goes straight to the punchline.
Lord, the king finds joy in your strength. How greatly he rejoices in your victory!
Obviously, David has won a battle he is excited about. Possibly the one he worried about in Psalm 20. So this is an answer to prayer and a big win for David as king. But the important thing to take away is not the answer to prayer, but David’s focus on God as the source of his victory.
Yes, he prayed. Yes, he fought. But God did the work. I believe this is why David is so full of joy. He isn’t concerned with himself, how he rates as a leader, or what he could improve for the next battle. I’m all for self evaluation and self improvement, but if we are to find joy we must look to God and shift our focus off ourselves. Praise and thanksgiving are key to this as well as focusing on the attributes of God.
Verses 3-7
This passage takes the set up of the first two verses and exaggerates it. God gives rich blessings, He answers prayer, He gives long life, He gives glory and majesty and joy and love. God is the source of all those things.
David is just a grown up shepherd boy living a dream. He acknowledges God brought him to his position and God continues to grant him life and blessing. The joy doesn’t come from the position or the things. The joy comes from relationship with God. The rest is just frosting.
Verses 8-12
David jumps from the present victory to a future battle where God wipes out His enemies firsthand. There is no mercy for those who intend to harm him. He eliminates them and their family line from the earth.
Verse 13
The psalm closes with a final word of praise.
Be exalted, Lord, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might.
If we are to find joy in our battles, we must look to the Lord as David did—eyes off ourselves and circumstances and on our King who gives all good gifts.
This post is Day 21 of the 31 Days of Journaling through the Psalms series. If you would like to read the first post, Psalm 1: The Wise and the Wicked, click here. The introduction to the series can be found here.
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by Donya Dunlap | Oct 20, 2016 | Bible Study, The Spiritual Life
The notes in my HCSB study Bible say Psalm 20 is an enthronement psalm. This can mean:
- an emphasis on divine kingship and sovereignty
- the celebration of significant events in the life of a king (e.g. – his enthronement, a military victory, or a wedding)
- then overall praise of Yahweh as King.
This particular passage appears to be written as preparation for a battle and then later celebration at its completion.
Verses 1-3
The beginning of the psalm appears to be a blessing prayed over the king, presumably David, despite David being named as the author. Perhaps David is recording the blessing another prayed over him? Verses 1-3 seek the help of Yahweh for protection and sustenance, and a hope that God will remember the king’s faithfulness in offerings and sacrifices in times past.
Verses 4-5
It is the petitioners hope that the king’s desires and purpose will be fulfilled and that the king will return from battle victorious.
Verses 6-9
The closing verses seem to be written at a later time, after the battle was complete. Verse 6 reads,
Now I know that the Lord gives victory to His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with mighty victories from His right hand.
This indicates that the previous verses were hopeful prayers and the last a confirmation of God’s answer. Of course, it could also be an expression of faith prior to the battle as well, as could be indicated by the request in verse 9:
May He answer us on the day that we call.
This post is Day 20 of the 31 Days of Journaling through the Psalms series. If you would like to read the first post, Psalm 1: The Wise and the Wicked, click here. The introduction to the series can be found here.
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by Donya Dunlap | Oct 19, 2016 | Bible Study, The Spiritual Life
The second song of praise in David’s collection focuses on creation, much like the first, Psalm 8. This contemplation leads from praise to repentance and should be the same for us as it was for David.
Verses 1-4
The heavens repeat praise and the mighty works of God unceasingly day and night. There is no cloud or star remaining silent. The majesty of the universe speaks to every soul in their own language of the great and mighty Creator, calling attention to our humble flesh.
Verses 5-6
The sun rises, spreading its heat to all the same. Replenishing the needs of our bodies, energizing our spirits, and celebrating God’s genius. Who else could have designed a star, an ecosystem, and a human body to be so interconnected? Even our moods and mental states are connected to the sun’s rays. Only an Almighty, All-Knowing Creator could design such a complex system.
Verses 7-11
David transitions in this paragraph from the general revelation of creation to the specific revelation of God’s Word. The results from taking heed to the written Word has a similar effect as the sun, renewing one’s life, making the heart glad and the eyes light up. In verses 10 and 11, David compares the Word to an abundance of gold and as sweet as a honeycomb. God’s Word warns and rewards the people. It’s good to remember that at this point, the only written Word would be the five books of the law of Moses. Not exactly easy reading material.
Verses 12-14
As it should, the contemplation of God’s Word through creation and the Pentateuch lead David to consider his own words. He seeks forgiveness for unintentional sins and seeks protection from purposeful sin. He desires that both the words of his mouth and the motives of his heart be pure and acceptable before the Lord.
This post is Day 19 of the 31 Days of Journaling through the Psalms series. If you would like to read the first post, Psalm 1: The Wise and the Wicked, click here. The introduction to the series can be found here.
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by Donya Dunlap | Oct 18, 2016 | Bible Study, The Spiritual Life
The introduction to this psalm reveals the occasion for which it was written. It is a celebration of thanks to God upon delivering David from Saul. It is a long psalm consisting of 50 verses, but the joy contained in them makes the reading fast.
Verses 1-3
David expresses his love for the Lord in metaphoric descriptions of His character. The Lord is his strength, rock, fortress and deliverer—all making reference to His power and stability. He is David’s God, his mountain refuge, shield, horn of salvation, and stronghold. All of the second list indicate protection and security. It was to this God David looked to in times of trouble and found deliverance.
Verses 4-6
As he continues to describe his situation, David explains he was afraid, trapped, and near death. He cried to God for help and God heard his cry. The next two sections describe God’s response.
Verses 7-15
God grew angry with David’s enemies so much so that it was as if the earth shook and smoke and fire were released from his mouth. The description painted of God soaring from heaven to come to the aid of his child is powerfully poetic and best left to the original author. The sight of Him in this condition would frighten even the boldest of foes.
Verses 16-19
David continues to write about his fearsome God who sweeps down to pull him from the waters threatening his life. He is rescued from the enemy and carried to a “spacious place” of safety.
Verses 20-24
This paragraph reinforces the idea of Old Testament saints that God loves the good and brings judgment to the evil—which of course is partially true. It is also true that God allows the righteous to endure horrible trials and the evil often have blessed, rich lives. Regardless, David attributes God’s deliverance to his own good works and obedience.
Verses 25-29
With the faithful, blameless, and pure, God reacts in kind. With the shrewd God is also shrewd. He rescues the afflicted, humbles the haughty, illuminates the darkness, and gives strength to those in need.
Verses 30-36
In this section, David offers praise to God whose way is pure, who is a shield to all who seek Him, who makes steady the feet who follow Him. The imagery is similar to the opening verses, repeating many of the metaphors and expounding upon them.
Verses 37-42
This stanza seems to take the focus off God and on to David, but I believe these verses are a continued thought from the previous stanza. Because God is David’s strength, refuge, shield, David is able to pursue his enemies and overtake them.
Verses 43-45
These verses speak of David’s rise to king, not only over Israel, but foreigners also submit to his leadership out of fear. What a drastic difference from his days of hiding in caves with a handful of men at his side!
Verses 46-50
David continues the celebration of his God as he did at the beginning and in verses 30-36. It seems this comparing God to the tangible is similar to a chorus we would have in a song today. His repeated passages are similar, but this section also summarizes the psalm as a whole too. David calls for God to be praised and exalted for His vengeance and the deliverance of His people. Because of what God has done, David offers praise and song to Yahweh. Amidst his celebration, he hints at the Messianic line in the last verse:
He shows loyalty to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.
Though the concept of grace is not clearly stated, it is certainly displayed in God’s treatment of David. Though David did many good things, he did many bad things as well. The fact that God delivers him, promotes him to power, and sends the Messiah through his family line—this is all due to the greatness and goodness of God, and not David, the recipient of His grace.
This post is Day 18 of the 31 Days of Journaling through the Psalms series. If you would like to read the first post, Psalm 1: The Wise and the Wicked, click here. The introduction to the series can be found here.
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by Donya Dunlap | Oct 17, 2016 | The Spiritual Life
David’s prayers have a lot of repetition to them, but even in studying what seems on the surface to be another verse of the same, we can learn new and reinforce old truths. His requests for protection and intervention are tempered with the knowledge that regardless of his need, only the Lord truly satisfies.
Verses 1-5
David opens the psalm with a request for God to hear his prayer and reminds God of his righteousness. He states his cause is just and his lips are free of deceit.
Verses 6-9
David makes three requests of the Lord.
- Listen to his words
- Display the wonders of His love
- Protect Him from his enemies
David bases all of his petitions on two things mentioned in verses 6 and 7.
- He knows God will answer him
- God saves all those who seek refuge in Him
No matter what he faces, David knows he can relax in God’s faithfulness.
Verses 10-12
David describes his enemy as one with a hard heart, determined and eager to destroy him.
Verses 13-14
David pleads with God to intervene on his behalf. He asks God to save him with His sword. This brings to mind violent action. A battle to the death. But David also prays for God to save him with His hand. This implies protection and gentleness.
Our God is a united, complex grouping of seeming opposites. He is holy yet full of grace. He is a God of righteous vengeance, yet full of love and gentle as a parent is with a child.
Verses 14 and 15 show a contrast. The men of the world have only a portion in this life which they leave behind for their children when they die.
Verse 15
David’s portion, however, is the Lord. Only the company of God satisfies his longings. Earthly things pass away, but our relationship with God is eternal. It is this relationship we should seek to cultivate.
This post is Day 17 of the 31 Days of Journaling through the Psalms series. If you would like to read the first post, Psalm 1: The Wise and the Wicked, click here. The introduction to the series can be found here.
To receive email reminders of new posts, please subscribe. As a thank you, you will receive a free ebook, The Wonder Woman’s Manifesto.
