SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/23/2012
10:28:11 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Psalm 130
PT-1
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 130:1-2
Message of
the verses: As has been our practice as we begin to look
at a psalm, we look at several introductions from different Bible Commentators
in order to get a grasp on what the background of the psalm is and therefore
have a better idea on how the psalm can be used in our lives.
“This psalm is by some
thought to have been written by David either when persecuted by Saul, and in
great distress, and fearful he should perish by him; or else when in great
distress of mind because of sin, after the affair of Bathsheba; and it is
reckoned therefore among the penitential psalms. Though others think it was
written by Ezra, or some other godly person in the captivity; and Aben Ezra and
R. Obadiah interpret it of Israel in captivity.” (John Gill)
“This psalm relates not to
any temporal concern, either personal or public, but it is wholly taken up with
the affairs of the soul. It is reckoned one of the seven penitential psalms,
which have sometimes been made use of by penitents, upon their admission into
the church; and, in singing it, we are all concerned to apply it to ourselves.” (Matthew Henry)
“It would be hard to see
any upward step from the preceding to the present Psalm, and therefore it is
possible that the steps or ascents are in the song itself: certainly it does
rise rapidly out of the depths of anguish to the heights of assurance. It
follows well upon 129: when we have overcome the trials which arise from man we
are the better prepared to meet those sharper sorrows which arise out of our
matters towards God. He who has borne the scourges of the wicked is trained in
all patience to wait the dealings of the Holy Lord. We name this the DE
PROFUNDIS PSALM: "Out of the depths" is the leading word of it: out
of those depths we cry, wait, watch, and hope. In this Psalm we hear of the
pearl of redemption, #Ps 130:7-8: perhaps the sweet singer would never have
found that precious thing had he not been cast into the depths. ‘Pearls lie
deep.’” (Charles H. Spurgeon)
“The sixth of seven Penitential
Psalms, Psalm 130 emphasizes what God does for helpless people who cry out to
Him for mercy. Perhaps the Jewish
pilgrims used this psalm to confess their sins and seek God’s forgiveness and
blessing as they made their way to the sanctuary. (See Hebrews 10:19-25 for the kind of
preparation believers today need when they approach the Lord.) No matter what our need, when we call upon
the Lord in faith, He hears us and makes the changes needed in our lives.” (Dr. Warren Wiersbe) Let’s look at Hebrews 10:19-25 as suggested
by Dr. Wiersbe, “ 19 ¶ Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence
to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated
for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21
and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full
assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed with pure water. 23
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who
promised is faithful; 24 and let us
consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as
is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see
the day drawing near.”
Now before we begin to look
at this psalm I want to repeat a story that I heard from a missionary who
ministers in Portugal, and who is a part of the missions conference that we are
having at the church that I attend. He
tells the story of a lady who is now a member of the church that he ministers
in. I do not remember the name of the
lady but the story that he told is a story of how God’s grace worked in her
life. This woman was a great athletic
along with her husband and they traveled around teaching youngsters gymnastics
as they had a school. I don’t remember
all of the wonderful things that she did other than she was very rich and very
famous and as the world would look at her, she was on top of the world. This lady was driving a van full of kids when
she stopped for gas and in her haste to leave she forgot to fasten her seat
belt and then got into an accident and went through the windshield of the
van. She became paralyzed in most of her
body after the accident. She was pregnant
and then after giving birth later on became pregnant again. Sometime after the birth of her second child
her husband left her and now this lady who had been rich and famous was now paralyzed
with two small children and did not have the money that she once had. She tried several different churches; one who
promised healing for her and another that said they could do nothing for
her. When her daughter was about twelve
years old she began to go to the church that this missionary was at and became
a believer. She would walk two miles to
church, rain or shine, and her mother began to notice a difference in her
daughter and so this lady began to come to church where she also became a
believer in Jesus Christ and now has a glowing testimony stating that she was
happy for the accident for because of it she found the Lord. The missionary said that if there are any people
who are having a great deal of trouble in their life and they come to talk to
him, he first sends them to see this lady and she tells them her story and they
come away with a new attitude. Now let
us look at the 130th Psalm in its entirety to see how this lady’s
story is similar to the psalmist’s story.
“1 ¶ «A Song of Ascents.» Out of
the depths I have cried to You, O LORD. 2
Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my
supplications. 3 If You, LORD, should
mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4
But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.
5 ¶
I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.
6 My soul waits for the Lord More than
the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with
the LORD there is lovingkindness, And with Him is abundant redemption. 8 And He
will redeem Israel From all his iniquities.”
From Death to Life (vv. 1-2)
We can conclude from these
first two verses that the psalmist was in a desperate situation, and death was
staring him in the face. Dr. Wiersbe
states that the tense of the verb “cry” indicates that the psalmist had been
crying out to the Lord in the past and was continuing to cry out to him as he
penned this psalm and the reason was because without the mercies of God in
intervening in his situation he would die.
When you look at this psalm in the NASB you see that the word “Lord” is
sometimes in all caps and sometimes just has the first letter “L”
capitalized. When it is in all caps it
is the word Jehovah, and when it is just has the first letter capitalized it is
the word “Adonai,” of “Master.” The
combination of these words for God is seen eight times in this psalm. The psalmist was remembering the prayer that
Solomon prayed when he dedicated the temple when Solomon cries for God’s eyes
to be opened, “’Now, O my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and Your ears
attentive to the prayer offered in this place.’” He may have been thinking of Psalm 34:15, “The
eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.”
Dr. Wiersbe writes, “We can
cry out to God from the depths of disappointment and defeat and from the depths
of fear and perplexity. Like a heavy
weight, sin drags its victims to the depths, but God made us for the heights
(Isaiah 40:31; Col. 3:1).” “Yet those
who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings
like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become
weary.” “Therefore if you have been
raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated
at the right hand of God.”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: As I am trying to
make a concerted attempt to begin to memorize more Scripture I think that I
would like to put this psalm to memory beginning next week. I understand what Dr. Wiersbe says about sin
wearing you down and the best way to combat against it is the Word of God.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
My desire is to learn contentment and
to be humble before the Lord.
Memory verses for the
week: 1Cor. 13:8-13
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy,
they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is
knowledge, it will be done away. 9 For
we know in part and we prophecy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes the
partial will be done away. 11 When I was
a child, I use to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child;
when I became a man I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then
face to face, now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also
have been fully known. 13 But now faith,
hope, love, abide these three, but the greatest of these is love.
10/23/2012 12:50:56 PM
No comments:
Post a Comment