Psalm 38 Part Two

2/5/2012 8:13:28 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                                                                     Focus:  Psalm 38 PT-2

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                      Reference:  Psalm 38:9-22

            Message of the verses:  In yesterday’s SD we found out that Psalm 38 is a penitent psalm and that perhaps it was written because of the sin that was committed by David with Bathsheba.  We also quoted the following from Dr. Wiersbe as he made this statement at the end of his introductory commentary, “When God’s people suffer the consequences of sin and feel the chastening hand of God, they must choose one of three responses.”  We will begin today’s SD with the second response. 

            We Can Focus on Others and Experience Sin’s Loneliness (vv. 9-14): “9  Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You. 10  My heart throbs, my strength fails me; And the light of my eyes, even that has gone from me. 11  My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand afar off. 12 Those who seek my life lay snares for me; And those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction, And they devise treachery all day long. 13  But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; And I am like a mute man who does not open his mouth. 14  Yes, I am like a man who does not hear, And in whose mouth are no arguments.”

            Just a reminder that when we see the word “LORD” that is in all caps then it is the word Jehovah, and when it is written the way it is in verse nine “Lord” we know that it is another name for God, and in the case of verse nine that word is “Adonai—Master.” 

            David takes his eyes of himself for a brief moment and turns them to the Lord who knows all of our needs.  Why pray if we know that God already knows all of our needs?  Well the first answer is found in James 4:2d, “You do not have because you do not ask.”  Dr. Wiersbe writes “furthermore, as we pray, God works in hearts to give us a clearer understanding of ourselves and of His will for us.  Prayer isn’t a theological concept to analyze and explain; it’s a privilege to cherish and a blessing to claim.”

We see now that David’s focus, which had been on himself, and then was for a brief moment on the Lord, now turns to others around him, people who he felt had abandoned him in his time of need and he felt abandoned and lonely.  We see in verse 12 that David expected his enemies to plot against him, to gloat over his fall (v. 16), hate him, slander him, and then return evil for the good that he had done to them (vv. 19-20).  We see in verse eleven that David’s family and friends were treating him as if he were a leper for they were keeping their distance.  According to two examples in Scriptures we should not do as David’s friends and family were doing, “1 ¶  Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. 2  Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” 
“5 ¶  But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree-in order not to say too much-to all of you. 6  Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, 7  so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8  Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. 9  For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. 10  But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11  so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.”  (Gal. 6:1-2 & 2Cor. 2:5-11)

            David realized that the best thing that he could do was to keep quiet and not speak to others, but to talk to the Lord and that is what we will see in the next section.

            We Can Focus on the Lord and Experience Sin’s Forgiveness (vv. 15-22):  “15  For I hope in You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my God. 16  For I said, "May they not rejoice over me, Who, when my foot slips, would magnify themselves against me." 17  For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is continually before me. 18  For I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin. 19  But my enemies are vigorous and strong, And many are those who hate me wrongfully. 20  And those who repay evil for good, They oppose me, because I follow what is good. 21  Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me! 22  Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!”

            In verses 15 and 21 we see both Jehovah and Adonai in them. 

            We see the third time that David addresses the Lord, but this time he was going to deal with what had caused the discipline and the pain, that is his sin and in verse 18 we see that David confesses his sin to the Lord.  David was not just praying for his own needs but he was also praying that his enemy couldn’t use him as an excuse for sinning (vv. 16, 19-20, 25:2; 35:19).  Because David was God’s anointed when they slandered his name they were slandering God.  In 2Samuel 2:14 Nathan speaks these words to David:  “"However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.’” 

            We see in verse 17 that David actually felt that he was ready to die and then he confessed his sins to the Lord. 

            In verse 19 we see that David spoke of his enemies as vigorous and strong, and I believe that he may have been contrasting them with the physical condition that he was in at that time, for he was sick because of his sin. 

            Dr. Wiersbe ends his commentary of Psalm 38 with these words, “Confident that the Lord had forgiven him, he closed his prayer with three requests.  Be with me (v.21) is answered by Deuteronomy 4:31 and 31:6, 8, and Hebrews 13:5.  Be near me (v. 21) finds its answer in 16:8, 34:18 and James 4:8.  Be for me and help me (v. 22) leads us to 28:7, Isaiah 41:10 and Romans 8:33-39.  These three requests cover just about everything!”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I began to think of a question when I looked at 2Samuel 12:14, wondering if all leaders of governments are anointed by God in the same way the king of Israel was.  I read in Isaiah 44-45 that Cyrus was anointed by God to bring His children out of captivity, but that still does not answer the question.  I believe that God has a purpose for all those who are leading a country, but as far as being anointed by God I don’t know.  I read in Daniel 2:21 that God chooses all leaders, but that still doesn’t answer my question.  Pharaoh was wicked to the nation of Israel, but God used him for His purposes.  In Ezekiel 38-39 we see that God will use leaders to attack Israel as He says that “I will put hooks in their jaws and bring them down,” and then He goes on to say that by them doing this it will bring glory to the Lord as He destroys them.  This still does not answer the question.

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1.       Trust the Lord to work out His plan for me and for the world.

2.       Continue to learn contentment.

2/5/2012 9:11:58 AM