Psalms

INTRODUCTION

Psalm 8 is one of the great psalms of praise and wonder: marveling at the greatness of God’s creation and the greatness of His mindfulness of man. But the center of that mindfulness is Jesus Christ who has been given the name above all names, who has silenced sin and death. Everything has been put beneath His feet, and He will reign until His name is confessed as the greatest name in all the earth.

The Text: “TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN UPON GITTITH, A PSALM OF DAVID. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!…” (Ps. 8:1-9).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The “Gittith” is probably a musical instrument or tune and is probably related in some way to the winepress in Gath. Because of this, it has historically been associated with a harvest festival. The Psalm opens and closes with an exuberant doxology of praise to the majesty and excellence of the name of God in all the earth (Ps. 8:1, 9). Between those two bookends there are a number of parallels: children taming enemies (8:2) and all the beasts, birds, and fish being tamed (8:7-8). You have the heavenly works of God’s fingers (8:3) and the dominion over the works of God’s hands (8:6). And at the center of the Psalm, there is the awe-inspired questions: What is man? Why do you care for him? And God has even crowned him with glory and honor (8:4-5).

A PROPHECY OF CHRIST

We’ve said that the psalms are all generally the songs of Christ, but some of them are directly Messianic and specific prophecies of Christ. Psalm 8 is one of those Psalms. We know this because the New Testament tells us: Hebrews specifically insists that Psalm 8 is prophesying Christ who, even though we do not yet see all things put under Him, “was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor” (Heb. 2:8-9). Paul applies this Psalm to Jesus in 1 Cor. 15:27: “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his feet…” And again in Ephesians 1:21-22: speaking of the resurrection, it says that Christ has been seated at God’s right hand: “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And hath put all things under his feet…” Finally, Christ Himself appeals to this psalm when He clears the temple of the money changers and the children followed Him crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” When the chief priests and scribes objected, Jesus appealed to Psalm 8:2 and said it was talking about Him. We might add to all of this that it is the name of Jesus in particular that will be magnified in all the earth: every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11).

This is a Psalm about the dominion of Jesus. He was born of a woman, and even His cries were the beginning of the defeat of all our enemies. He became a man, the son of man, and visited us in person because God remembered all His covenant promises. He was made a little lower than the angels in the incarnation in order to suffer and die for us. And He was raised from the dead and crowned with glory and honor, and all things have been put beneath His feet. All of creation belongs to Him: all nature, all kingdoms, all families, all nations, all people, all galaxies.

THE CHILD KINGDOM

There is a remarkable childlike theme throughout Scripture that began in the Garden of Eden. There is a childlike faith and curiosity and courage that God is determined to bless, and there is a devilish old fussiness that God is determined to destroy. Adam and Eve were meant to trust their Father, but they grasped for maturity and grew old and died. But God promised that the seed of the woman, a child, would crush the head of the seed of the serpent. And so the tension builds: Will Sarah have a son? Will Hannah conceive? And they do, and so does Ruth, and her great-grandson was a young shepherd boy who fought lions and bears and giants. But David was promised a son, who would be God’s own son, and Isaiah said that a virgin would conceive: unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given (Is. 7, 9). And a little child would come and tame the wolf to lie down with the lamb, and the leopard to lie down with the baby goat, and lions and calves would play together, and a nursing child would play with poisonous snakes (Is. 11:6-8).

Psalm 8 is about that Child King taming the enemies, the sons of the snake, the lions and giants that roar and taunt. And when John saw his vision of the incarnation, he saw the dragon hunting a woman giving birth to a man child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, “and her child was caught up unto God and to His throne” (Rev. 12:4-5). Jesus is the man child whose cries silence the enemy and the avenger. Jesus is the Child King caught up to God and His throne who rules all the nations.

APPLICATIONS: FAITH & WONDER

Hebrews says that faith does many different things: faith builds enormous ships, moves to strange lands and builds altars, conceives babies, offers impossible sacrifices, suffers afflictions, and sometimes faith goes to war and subdues kingdoms. It is trendy to overly spiritualize the obedience of faith on the one hand, and it is sometimes strongly tempting to overly carnalize the obedience of faith. Faith always wins, and sometimes it looks like winning and sometimes it doesn’t. Faith doesn’t look like the wisdom of carnal men, but faith really is wise. Faith obeys, works hard, studies hard, learns from mistakes, doesn’t give up, and faith wonders at the glory of it all.

Jesus says that what He is looking for is the faith of children. When His disciples asked Him who is the greatest in the Kingdom, Jesus set a little child in front of them and said, “verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 18:3-4). The apostles were the first little children of the Kingdom (Lk. 10:21), but there have been many generations since: missionaries, businessmen, scientists, statesmen, soldiers, mothers, teachers, pastors, artists, and musicians.

Child-like faith and wonder are essential to Christian dominion. This is not a call for sentimentalism or mysticism. We need men and women who are strong and confident and full of wisdom and courage, but we need an army that knows that their greatest power is found in the fact that they are children of God.

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INTRODUCTION

Part of growing up into biblical wisdom is coming to understand just how grave the situation is and at the same time just how good and just our God is. It’s worse than you think, and God has it in hand. American Christians need a lot more desperation in their prayers, and then a lot more praise in their hearts.

The Text: “Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the Lord, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite. O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me…” (Psalm 7:1-17)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The context of this Psalm is a bit mysterious. A “shiggaion” is probably a song of deep or intense emotion. The word only occurs in one other place in Hab. 3:1. Cush the Benjamite is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible, although it seems likely he was in some way involved in Saul’s persecution of David since Saul was from Benjamin.

David cries out for deliverance from an enemy seeking to tear his soul to pieces like a lion (Ps. 7:1-2). He prays an oath, saying that if he has done anything to deserve such treatment, let it come upon him (Ps. 7:3-5). David pleads with God to arise in His anger, and he asks God to judge him according to his righteousness and integrity (Ps. 7:6-8). David prays that God’s judgments would distinguish between the righteous and wicked, since God is angry with the wicked every day (Ps. 7:9-11).

The psalm warns that if the wicked will not turn from their evil ways, God will hunt them down (Ps. 7:12-13). The wicked do not merely do evil; they labor in their evil, bringing it forth with great effort and determination like a woman giving birth and they will fall into their own pits and plots (Ps. 7:14- 16). So David praises the Lord for His righteous judgments (Ps. 7:17).

THE INSOLENT REBELLION

Because of God’s goodness and power, evil is kept in significant check. This is the doctrine of common grace: God constantly restrains the evil impulses of sinners. Because of this, people are tempted to think that evil is not as bad as it is. We do not see sin for the insolent rebellion and suicidal terrorism that it is. For example, it came as something of a surprise for many when the COVID insanity persecuted businesses and churches and medical freedom. But “tyranny” is simply lawlessness: “As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people” (Prov. 28:15). If God and His law are not over the state, then you have a lawless state, a tyrannical state. The lion may not be hunting you right now, but it can turn on you any minute.

Many Christians have made peace with a lawless state simply because it hasn’t targeted Christians explicitly yet. But every law or policy in defiance of God’s law is an inherent claim to the right to. This is what pure democracy is: “vox populi vox dei.” Whether we are talking about socialized medicine, sodomite mirage, the abortion carnage, or unjust taxation, it doesn’t matter what the people vote for if they are disobeying God. We can and should be deeply grateful for God’s restraining mercy on our land, but we must recognize that we live in a land full of roaring lions and ranging bears.

OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

It’s often hard for Calvinists to pray the psalms that ask God judge us according to “our righteousness,” since we believe in “total depravity,” but there are at least three reasons we should not choke on these words at all.

First, we believe that by faith in Jesus Christ, His righteousness has truly been imputed to us, and therefore we are righteous in the sight of God (Rom. 4:22-25). He has done this by His free grace, and therefore it is humility to appeal to it. Second, remember that the Psalms are the Songs of Christ (Col. 3:16). He is our lead singer, and we sing in Him. This is really just another way of saying the first, but Christ sings for us and our lives are hidden in Him (Gal. 2:20, Col. 3:3). Third, the Holy Spirit is working in us what is well-pleasing to God (Eph. 2:10, Heb. 13:21). There really is a difference between the fruit of the Spirit and the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19ff). It is not inappropriate to ask God to judge between us and our enemies on this basis. We cannot do it on an absolute basis (if God should mark iniquity, who could stand? Ps. 130:3), but we can do it on the basis of God’s work. And when we do, we should be willing for God to hold us to it (Ps. 7:3-5).

NO LITTLE SINS

This psalm says that the wicked “labor” with iniquity, literally they are “pregnant” with evil, having “conceived” mischief, which will always give birth to monstrous lies (Ps. 7:14).

James says that every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust and enticed, and conceives sin, and when sin is born it brings forth death (Js. 1:14-15). The answer to this is looking to God as the giver of every good and perfect gift (Js. 1:17). When you think of “lust” do not merely think of sexual lust; think of all your desires, all your longings. Desire is not evil, but it must be constantly taught to receive the good and perfect gifts of God. Desire turns into sinful lust when it resents what God has given (and not given). This can be your desire for a meal, a different tone of voice from your spouse, better pay, different clothes or body, a car, a husband/wife, children, a house, leadership/respect, etc.

Psalm 19 says that the fight against sin begins at the level of “secret sins,” or they grow into presumptuous sins, which grow into great transgressions (Ps. 19:12-13). This is why sins need to be put to death when they are little through confession, repentance, and forgiveness. Keep short accounts. What are you in labor with?

CONCLUSION

We live in a land that has attempted to make peace with evil, but that is to actually be at war with God and to have God angry with us as a nation. And much of the church has led in this insolence. At the same time, He has demonstrated that He is a God who distinguishes between the wicked and the righteous. God did this in Sodom, and He has done this decisively in the resurrection of Jesus. How much more will He do this in our land, where thousands still refuse to bow to the death-Baals?

Worship holds these realities together. The joy of the Lord if your strength. If you would avoid the ditches of panic and apathy, worship the Lord and sing the Psalms with gladness. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. The Cross is where God’s justice and mercy meet, and He will always do what is right.

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INTRODUCTION

The Christian religion is not stoic; it is covenantal. This means that we do not deny or seek to ignore the real pain and trouble that we face, but we live in the certainty that every atom in the universe obeys its Lord. God has determined to work in this world to restore it, through His covenant Word and covenant Presence. He has determined to act for His people in history, and so one way we trust our Lord is by crying out to Him in our trouble expecting Him to act.

The Text: “To the chief musician on Neginoth upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David. O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure…” (Ps. 6:0-10)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

This psalm can be broken into three sections: the first section is a desperate cry for mercy (Ps. 6:1-3), the second section is the request for deliverance because of his enemies (Ps. 6:4-7), and the third section is the triumphant turn, defying enemies and resting in God’s answer (Ps. 6:8-10).

David’s initial cry for mercy acknowledges that God disciplines His people, but David prays that the discipline would not be so fierce (Ps. 6:1). He cries out for healing because he has grown weak in his body; even his bones are troubled (Ps. 6:2). But his soul is troubled the most, and so he cries out to the Lord, ‘how long?’ (Ps. 6:3). The word for “troubled” could also be translated “panicked” – this is intense pain and fear.

Then David makes his direct request, asking God to return and deliver his soul; he asks God to save him for the sake of his covenant mercy (Ps. 6:4). David appeals to God’s honor and asks how it is better for him to be in the grave where he cannot give thanks out loud (Ps. 6:5). And he once more tells God what his pain and grief are like: groaning, crying, and wearing thin because of his enemies (Ps. 6:6-7).

Having cast his cares upon God, David faces his enemies and warns them in no uncertain terms to leave him alone because God has heard him (Ps. 6:8). Because God has received his prayer, he sings defiantly that his enemies will be ashamed and panicked and turn away in a moment (Ps. 6:9-10).

CHRISTIAN PEACE & TROUBLE

The Bible does not teach that Christians never feel down or anxious or troubled. Rather, the Bible teaches that Christians know what to do with their trouble. In Philippians 4, it says, rejoice always, maintaining self-control because the Lord is with us, and then it says that this means we ought not be anxious about anything, but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make our requests to God (Phil. 4:4-6). And the promise is that the peace of God which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7). This is the basic biblical outline for dealing with depression, anxiety, and panic: practice rejoicing, remember that God is present, and present your requests to God with thanksgiving.

While Christians are certainly to fight depression and anxiety and panic, they are to fight it by bringing it to God. David is not describing a mere cerebral experience; he is describing an ache in his whole being (Ps. 6:2-3). But he does what the godly always do: he brings it to the One who can handle it all.

GOD’S STEADFAST LOVE

The central request is that God would turn, deliver, and save for the sake of His hesed. The word hesed is the word for God’s covenant mercy or His steadfast loving kindness. God’s hesed is His sworn allegiance to His people in the covenant. This is the center of David’s appeal in the midst of his pain: “I am yours. Save me. Deliver me because You have claimed me and promised to never leave me.”

This is what gives Christians great boldness even in the face of great trouble: sickness, abortion, political corruption, terrorism, sexual debauchery, etc. We do not deserve God’s mercy, but God has freely promised it and therefore He loves to be asked for it. Adam and Eve were promised mercy in the Garden, and Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. God’s covenant mercy called Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and delivered Israel out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and into the Promised Land and established the Kingdom under David. Despite all their sins and failures, God’s covenant is His sure and eternal Word to be the God of His people and to save them and deliver them from their sins, from the grave, and from all our enemies. And on top of all of that steadfast love, God sent His only Son to seal it in His blood for all time.

This is part of David’s appeal regarding the silence of the grave. It is absolutely true that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8), but the silent grave of every saint is still a standing, temporary offense to the Covenant of Grace, awaiting the sure and certain hope of the resurrection of the body. The promise is that even the grave must be undone. Death will be swallowed up in victory. The worship of Heaven is currently embodied by the Church on earth, but at the resurrection, the graves will be opened and the worship will thunder.

THE LORD JESUS HEARS

This psalm uses God’s covenant name YHWH eight times: four times in the initial cry for mercy, one time in the request for deliverance, and three more times in the defiant doxology at the end. This is the name that was given to Moses at the burning bush, “I am,” but in the third person, “He is” (Ex. 3:14-15). In Jewish tradition the name was rarely pronounced and the vowels were not printed (YHWH), and the generic word for “lord” (Adonai) was substituted, with the vowels from Adonai sometimes inserted, creating the word “Jehovah,” although most modern scholars think the original vowels would give us something more like “Yahweh.” Our English Bibles designate YHWH as “LORD” in all caps as opposed to “Lord.”

Some have thought it important to return to a regular use of the name “Yahweh,” and while it is perfectly fine to use, the New Testament gives us at least two indications that it isn’t necessary. First, when the New Testament quotes the name, it routinely translates it with the generic Greek word for Lord (“kurios”) (e.g. Mt. 3:3, 22:44). But secondly, and more emphatically, God has given us a new covenant name for Himself: Jesus – which means “savior.” In Romans 10 it says that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, and then a couple verses down it quotes from Joel to prove this is true: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13, cf. Joel 2:32). Jesus is Yahweh; Jesus is LORD.

CONCLUSION

Question 1 of the Heidelberg Catechism famously begins: What is your only comfort in life and in death? That I am not my own but belong body and soul in life and in death to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ…

This is our only comfort: that we belong to Him. He has purchased us with His blood. He has claimed us publicly in baptism and set His name upon us. And therefore, He has claimed all that we are: your family, school, business, city, nation. He is Lord. So cry out to Him. Claim His covenant promises. And then defy all your trouble in the name of Jesus.

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INTRODUCTION

In a world of sin and tragedy, evil men and corrupt leaders, it is easy for God’s people to be tempted to panic, to give in to anxiety or anger, to lash out in desperation. But Christians are to be marked by faith that knows God is righteous, God is for us, and He hears us.

The Text: “To the chief musician on Neginoth, a psalm of David: Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness…” (Ps. 4:1-8)

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

This psalm is part of a collection for the “chief musician,” and this one is to be played on stringed instruments and is a psalm of David. Psalm 4 has a number of similarities to the previous psalm and may come from the same time period (fleeing from Absalom) or may be from another time like when he was on the run from Saul.

David asks God to hear him, and he addresses God as “the God of my righteousness,” which is explained by the fact that God has often answered David’s prayers to deliver him from the narrowest troubles (Ps. 4:1). God is righteous, and God has proven it in the past. And David knows that this is pure mercy (Ps. 4:1).

David addresses his enemies directly in this prayer, asking how long they will slander him with lies, and the psalm pauses to meditate on how empty it all is (Ps. 4:2). Worship is not a private religious gathering; it is in the presence of our enemies (Ps. 23:5). David insists that God has chosen him and will therefore answer him (Ps. 4:3). He says his enemies should stop their lying babble for a minute, tremble before God, stop their sinning, and mediate for a moment in silence (Ps. 4:4). If they did that honestly, it would drive them to repent and be cleansed by sacrifice and put their trust in God (Ps. 4:5).

Finally, David contrasts two different kinds of joy: many are carnal and worldly and look for happiness entirely in material goods (wealth, houses, cars, wine), but David says he has more joy in the smile of God than all of that (Ps. 4:6-7). And like Psalm 3, David says this gives him a kind of peace that allows him to lay down and enjoy deep and restful sleep (Ps. 4:8).

GOD OF MY RIGHTEOUSNESS

The doctrine of justification by faith alone means that God is our righteousness, our justice, and our vindication. “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifies” (Rom. 8:33). This means that God declares sinners righteous for the sake of Christ. While it is painful to be falsely accused, it is not fatal for Christians because we stand before God and the world in the righteousness of Christ (Rom. 3:22, Phil. 3:9). He is our judge, our witness, and our jury. But if the attacks and opinions of men constantly shake you, are you justified before God? To be justified is to be assured that nothing can separate you from God (Rom. 8:33-39). “If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:31-32). Faith is the gift that rests in that strong tower.

SET APART

David once again appeals to God’s promise to him and his house, that his throne will be established forever (cf. 2 Sam. 7). This was a particular promise to David, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and therefore it has a specific application to those who are in Christ: “According as He hath chosen us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Eph. 1:4-5).

The doctrine of election means all Christians can pray Psalm 4 with the same confidence: “The Lord hath set [me] apart for Himself: the Lord will hear when I call.” Charles Spurgeon said, “Since He chose to love us he cannot but choose to hear us.” Faith knows that God hears.

BETTER THAN WINE

We can consider the next couple of sections together: When the godly tremble before God and quiet their hearts on their beds, they have great peace and joy in the pleasure of God – more than all earthly comforts (Ps. 4:4, 6-7). They can see their sin and repent through the final sacrifice of Christ, and the joy and peace of salvation flood their hearts (Ps. 4:5, 7).

But those who do not know God cannot stand silence. They refuse to tremble before God and stop their sinning. They cannot sleep unless they have done some mischief, unless they have caused someone to fall (Prov. 4:16). Their only happiness is the temporary buzz of paychecks and wine (Ps. 4:7). But the light of God’s countenance on His chosen people (in spite of our sin) – His favor, His love, His smile – lightens every moment. Thomas Watson says, “There is as much difference between heavenly comforts and earthly, as between a banquet that is eaten, and one that is painted on the wall.”

CONCLUSION: THE CHRISTIAN’S GOODNIGHT

God justifies the ungodly. God is perfectly righteous, and by the sacrifice of Christ, the ungodly are made righteous. When you tremble before God and are silent before Him, you know your sin, your failures, but God is the One who hears those who cry out for His righteousness. And His righteousness become our righteousness.

There are only two kinds of people in this world: those who trust in their own righteousness and those who trust in the righteousness of Christ. Those who trust in their own righteousness are trying to justify themselves.

They must constantly try to protect themselves, defend themselves, and prove themselves, and so they’re constantly exhausted and miserable. But faith in Christ knows that God hears and so it sleeps soundly in the face of every accusation.

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