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Psalm 31
This is the 3rd longest Psalm in our studies thus far, only 18 and 22 are longer. There are also several very unique literary features to Psalm 31:
- It has both captivated and comforted the characters of the Bible
- And whilst this great poem has encouraged many of God’s servants it has likewise perplexed many scholars. What is so fascinating about Psalm 31 is that it actually contains 2 prayers. The first plea is found in verses 1-8 and the second plea in verses 924. The difference is the second prayer is longer and more intense than the first. Now this tells us something profound about the prayer life, God’s deliverance is doubly important. David was working “double time” in his prayer closet.
Let us join the saints of God in singing the illogical praise of Psalm 31 as we learn what is doubly important in our Christian experience!
David gives more words to the “roller coaster” experience of living life in Christ.
- A Popular Metaphor
- A Rock of Refuge.
- An “illogical plea”?
- David says 2 things about God in this passage which has caused a stir amongst critics. He says in verse 3 “since you are my rock and fortress” and in verse 2 he says “be my rock”. How can David say to God “you are” and yet ask God to “be” a refuge all at the same time? Well, this teaches us to “enjoy in experience what we grasp by faith”-Spurgeon. In other words, it’s one thing to say you believe something about God in faith but its altogether different to experience God as something for yourself.
- Application: When was the last time you prayed “Lord, I know you are…then be in my life today?” How important is it that we should not simply “know” something about God in theory but that God “is” that to us in reality? —It is doubly important.
- What is your life verse…what is your death verse?
- Notice verse 5- “Into your hand I commit my spirit” Oftentimes, Christians will ask fellow believers “what is your life verse?” And, we ought to have a life verse. (Isaiah 55:6-7) But, this Psalm asks us what is perhaps the more pressing question “what is your death verse?”. In all this, these saints were asking God to be to them in death what they knew Him to be in life. How important is it that we have a life verse? Very important. How important is it that we have a death verse? —It’s doubly important!
- In God’s Hands Verse 15
- David says “my times are in your hands” so exactly what times does he mean? — All of our times are in God’s hands!
- The times of our birth are in God’s hands
- The times of our youth are in God’s hands
- The times of our maturity are in God’s hands
- The times of our good and bad choices are in God’s hands
- The times of our old age:
- Application: How can David pray “into your hand I commit my spirit” in verse 5? Because he prayed that all “my times are in your hands” in verse 15. David had been committing his life into God’s hands all along so it’s only appropriate that he would commit his spirit into God’s hands in his neediest moment of death. How important is it that we commit all of our times into God’s hands? —It’s doubly important!
- David says “my times are in your hands” so exactly what times does he mean? — All of our times are in God’s hands!
- Illogical Life – This Psalm explores the thin line between faith and doubt. While life seems to have a logical order, we come to understand that is simply untrue. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. 4 seasons come and pass. On the surface, things seem to have a logical flow but human life and experience says something completely different. How important is it that we understand life is perplexing and illogical? — It’s doubly important.
Conclusion: In the year 1927, “The Great Mississippi River Flood” broke through 145 levees, flooded 17 million acres of land, killed 250 people and left another 700,000 people homeless. This was the worst flood in the history of the U.S. To commemorate this terrible tragedy, Randy Newman wrote the deeply moving song “Louisiana”.
What has happened down here, is the wind have changed?
Clouds roll in from the north and it started to rain
Rained real hard and rained for a real long time
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline
Louisiana, Louisiana
They’re tyrin’ to wash us away
They’re tryin’ to wash us away
One could imagine lines from Psalm 31 on the lips of people watching helplessly as the river rose all day and all night. They have little alternative but to say to God, “Into your hand I commit my spirit.” … When there are six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline, you feel the need to find somewhere that is seven feet higher than Evangeline. In the psalm, God is the crag onto which people climb for safety as the waters swirl.
