Tuesday, November 27, 2012

More from Psalm 140 (Psalm 140:6-13)


SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/27/2012 10:05:57 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                               Focus:  Psalm 140 PT-2

 

            Bible Reading & Meditation                                             Reference:  Psalm 14:6-13

 

Message of the verses:  We will continue looking at Psalm 140 in Today’s Spiritual Diary, apologies for not doing my SD yesterday.

Dr. Wiersbe stated the following at the end of his introductory commentary on Psalm 140:  “We learn four lessons from this psalm that encourage us to trust God and be faithful when Satan’s servants oppose us.”

 

What People Should Do to Sinners (vv. 6-8):  “6  I said to the LORD, "You are my God; Give ear, O LORD, to the voice of my supplications. 7  "O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.  8 "Do not grant, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; Do not promote his evil device, that they not be exalted. Selah.”

I would suppose that the first thing that a person could do for a sinner is to bring him up before the Lord in order for the Lord to save him.  However we have to remember the circumstances that David was in when he wrote this psalm, and that was that he was in the court of King Saul, and it was not a friendly place to be because most everyone with the exception of Jonathan hated him.  David when found in this position would ask the Lord of wisdom on how to deal with it, wisdom and strength were things that he needed and that is not unlike what we as believers need today.  When put in situations like this, like David we are in need of the Spiritual Armor that is found in Ephesians 6:10-18, but David did not have that letter to read, but we do see in verse seven that the helmet of salvation can be seen.  In verse eight David prays for his enemies, praying that God not give them their desires, and I suppose that their desire would kill David, so David was praying for his life.  Dr. Wiersbe writes, “Our prayers for godless people must focus on changing their character, and not just stopping their persecution of believers. David obeyed (Matthew 5:44),” “’But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’”

 

What Sin Does to Sinners (vv. 9-11):  “9  ‘As for the head of those who surround me, May the mischief of their lips cover them. 10  "May burning coals fall upon them; May they be cast into the fire, Into deep pits from which they cannot rise. 11  "May a slanderer not be established in the earth; May evil hunt the violent man speedily.’”

We can look at Numbers 32:23 to see the outcome of what sin does for sinners, along with a verse in Galatians, “Be sure your sin will find you out.”  (Num. 32:23b).  “7  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8  For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9  Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10  So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” (Gal. 6:7-10) 

The things that the enemies of David were planning for him would be eventually put on them.  We know the outcome of King Saul, and yet David was moved greatly at the killing of King Saul even though he was David’s enemy.  David knew that he was the anointed of the Lord to be king of Israel and therefore David mourned over his death. 

There is a verse in the Bible that tells us that God did rain down fire and brimstone on two cities that greatly sinned against the Lord, “Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven.”  Perhaps this is what David was thinking about when he wrote this section. 

 

What God Does for His People (vv. 12-13):  “12  I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted And justice for the poor. 13  Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name; The upright will dwell in Your presence.”

As Paul Harvey use to say, “And that’s the rest of the story.”  Well we know the rest of the story of David, how God saved him from his enemies, how God established his kingdom through David bys sending the Lord Jesus Christ to earth through the line of David.  How David prepared to have Solomon to build the temple.  David was a great man.  Dr. Wiersbe ends his commentary on this psalm with the following statement:  “For God’s devoted people, the best is yet to come.  Yield to Him and He will accomplish what He has planned for you, and you will be satisfied.”

 

Spiritual meaning for my life today:  David is one of my heroes in all of Scripture, but especially in the OT.  We named our son David Paul (first and middle names) because of David being my hero in the OT and Paul in the NT.  I have learned much from the life of David and continue to do so by reading the psalms that he wrote, psalms like Psalm 140.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to continue to teach me contentment, and to continue to use the Word of God to transform my mind. (Romans 12:2)

 

 

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 130:1-6

 

            1 Out of the debts I 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 watchman for the morning; indeed more than the watchman for the morning.

 

11/27/2012 11:19:13 AM

 

           

 

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