2/10/2012 9:11:47 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Help from David
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 41
Message of the verses: “Title. To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. This title has frequently occurred before, and serves to remind us of the value of the Psalm, seeing that it was committed to no mean songster; and also to inform us as to the author who has made his own experience the basis of a prophetic song, in which a far greater than David is set forth. How wide a range of experience David had! What power it gave him to edify future ages! And how full a type of our Lord did he become! What was bitterness to him has proved to be a fountain of unfailing sweetness to many generations of the faithful.
“Jesus Christ betrayed by Judas Iscariot is evidently the great theme of this Psalm, but we think not exclusively. He is the antitype of David, and all his people are in their measure like him; hence words suitable to the Great Representative are most applicable to those who are in him. Such as receive a vile return for long kindness to others, may read this song with much comfort, for they will see that it is alas! too common for the best of men, to be rewarded for their holy charity with cruelty and scorn; and when they have been humbled by falling into sin, advantage has been taken of their low estate, their good deeds have been forgotten and the vilest spite has been vented upon them.
“Division. The psalmist in #Ps 41:1-3, describes the mercies which are promised to such as consider the poor, and this he uses as a preface to his own personal plea for succour: from #Ps 41:4-9 he states his own case, proceeds to prayer in #Ps 41:10, and closes with thanksgiving, #Ps 41:11-13.” (Introduction to Psalm 41 by Charles H. Spurgeon)
Note from John MacArthur’s Study Bible: “The words of this psalm are general and apply to anyone who might be considered ‘down.’ The most painful and specific factor addressed here is the insult which is being added to the psalmist’s injury (cf. Pss. 6, 38; and portions of Job and Jeremiah). While the form and structure of Ps. 41 is quite complex, ‘blessed’ serves as bookends in vv. 1, 13. Within these, others elements include 1) confidence (vv. 1b-3, 11, 12), 2) prayers (vv. 4, 10), and 3) lament (vv. 5-9), with moments of wisdom and praise. David’s message in Ps 41 speaks of God’s tender, loving care in the critical care unit of life.”
In the ending sentence of Dr. Wiersbe’s introduction he writes: “When we find ourselves in difficulty, we may use this psalm to take an inventory of our spiritual condition by asking and answering four questions.”
Integrity: How Do We Treat Others (vv.1-4)? “1 ¶ «For the choir director. A Psalm of David.» How blessed is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble. 2 The LORD will protect him and keep him alive, And he shall be called blessed upon the earth; And do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. 3 The LORD will sustain him upon his sickbed; In his illness, You restore him to health. 4 As for me, I said, "O LORD, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.’”
Before getting started on the commentary of this section from Psalm 41 I want to say a word about why I put the introductions from different sources at the beginning of the psalms and why it was not there before. I began to look at different sources in order to help understand the psalms better. I use a program called “Online Bible,” and have used it in my devotions since the 1980’s to help me to understand the Scriptures better. In that program are many different Bible translations, notes, and books along with many other things. The program also has the “Strongs” numbers so one can look up all of the different words in the Scriptures. For instance if you wanted to look up the word “blessed” from verse one all you have to do is click on the word and the Hebrew word that was translated “blessed” into English will come up and give the meaning. “0835 רשׁא ‘esher eh’ sher
from 0833; n m; {See TWOT on 183 @@ "183a"}
AV-blessed 27, happy 18; 45
1) happiness, blessedness
1a) often used as interjection
1b) blessed are”
The Online Bible program also has notes from different people such as John Gill, Charles Spurgeon, Matthew Henry and others which can be read to help understand a verse or even a chapter and that is where I got the note from Spurgeon. The reason that I choose the note from Spurgeon is because of this statement: “How wide a range of experience David had! What power it gave him to edify future ages!” I think that this statement helps me to understand why David had to go through some of the difficult circumstances he went through, and because he went through them and wrote about them all who read them can be blessed. I go through difficult circumstances and need to be encouraged by what David has written.
When I look at the first section of this psalm it again reminds me of the book of Proverbs, for in this section we see a scenario in which if David did something (to help the poor) then the Lord would bless him for this action. Where did David get this information from? The OT Law that God had given through Moses had things in it that told how to care for the poor. Jesus said in the gospels when Mary poured oil over him to prepare for His burial and Judas complained about using the money for the poor “You will always have the poor with you, but I will not always be here.” Jesus was stating that there will always be opportunity to help the poor for they will always be in the world. David knew this and while king we can be sure that David helped the poor like the Law had told about. I believe that David also helped the poor because he was a compassionate man, and had the heart to help them. Again we go back to the statement that David was a man after God’s own heart, and we know that God has compassion on those who He created. The coming of Jesus Christ shows the compassion of God.
“ For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.” (2Thes. 3:10) The Apostle Paul gave this order to those who lived in Thessalonica and I think that it is something that can help a person decide whether or not they are going to help someone or not.
David knew who it was that he was to help and he helped them and therefore he had a clear conscience before the Lord as he wrote the words in this section of Psalm 41.
We see again that David admits that he is a sinner, and as for the background of Psalm 41, and the occasion that he sinned we do not know, but what we see is the willingness of David to admit to God that he had sinned. The word “confess” actually means to agree with so when a person confesses his sins to the Lord he is agreeing with the Lord that he has sinned.
As we have stated many times that David was a man after God’s own heart it comes up here because David knew that when he sinned it was sin, and this is unlike Saul who would argue with Samuel when he sinned not wanting to admit it. It was the people of Israel who wanted a king to rule over them and so God gave them Saul, a man that the people wanted, for he was tall and handsome so the people wanted a man like him, while David was small and not good looking like Saul, but David’s heart was right with the Lord and that means that God had chosen him.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: When a person is down the best place for him is to be in the book of Psalms, and to see the times when the authors of the Psalms were also down and what they did about it. This is the case for me today, and I am grateful for this psalm.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Trust the Lord to see me through a difficult time.
2. Continue to trust the Lord to teach me contentment.
2/10/2012 10:30:32 AM
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