Baptist Christian Church

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Psalm 40

Psalm 40 probably follows after 38 and 39 for good reason.  In the 38^th Psalm, David laments a serious illness with no end in sight.  And it was this terrible illness which caused him to ponder the brevity of life in 39.

In Psalm 40, we have the Psalmist giving thanksgiving to God on account of God delivering him “from the pit of destruction” and “out of the miry bog”.  

Sinfulness and sickness cause us to consider life’s brevity and vanity then we call out to God in our despair, He is gracious to reveal that the true meaning of life is found in fellowship with our Creator, thus we begin to live out the original purpose for which we were created—to glorify God and enjoy Him forever with thanksgiving praises! 

If the greatest kings and saints who ever lived find themselves bogged down by muddy times then how much more you and I?  Let us learn to cry out to God from the slimy pit!

No one ever wants to go down into the slimy pits but when (not if) we find ourselves there, Psalm 40 puts words to that experience.  Here are several points to consider:

1. The Testimony of Joyful Patience in Verses 1-3
   1. A Patient Testimony—We have several sayings in our culture that go “good things come to those who wait” and “patience is a virtue”.  But, in Psalm 40 good things come to those who wait upon God to deliver them.  When we find ourselves bogged down in a muddy pit oftentimes the last thing we want to do is wait.  But, that is exactly what David did and God delivered him.
   2. A God-Centered Testimony—Notice the phrases “He inclined…and heard” “He drew me up…and set” “He put”.  Salvation is not about what we can do for God but what God has done for us.  When we give our testimony do we tell me people what great things God has done for us? —Because our testimony is really His testimony.
   3. A Miraculous Deliverance—See Jeremiah 381b-13.  In that passage, Jeremiah finds himself in a literal pit filled with mud, he nearly dies but God was not through with his prophet yet and so Jeremiah is delivered.  We are not given a historical setting for this instance when David claims he was down “in the pit of destruction” so the text lends itself to being interpreted as a metaphor.  What is your slimy pit today?
      1. The Slimy Pit of Sin—David had several instances in his own life whereby he found himself in the pit because of his sins.  The good news is the pit is where the Lord meets all His people.  We think the pit is a place too dirty and nasty for the Lord to rescue us from…its actually the opposite that is true.
      2. The Slimy Pit of Defeat—Defeats in business ventures, in school, work or relationships.  You may have failed at something and found it extremely difficult to recover.  But if you live your life for God He has something profound for you to do and He will make you as successful in that as He wants you to be. —When you are in the slimy pit of defeat, cry out and wait upon God!
      3. The Slimy Pit of Bad Habits—Bad habits keep people bogged down.  Perhaps you have a bad habit of anger or laziness or overworking.  Bad habits can be broken by the power of God and replaced with new healthy habits.  God wants to develop His image in you and make you more like Christ.  When you find yourself in the slimy pit of bad habits—Cry out to God!  
      4. The Slimy Pit of Circumstances—Its one thing to feel like you are in the pits because of defeat or bad habits but imagine being in the pit like Jeremiah because you were doing what God wanted you to do.  The Apostle Paul found himself in some bad situations on account of the gospel.  See II Cor. 11:24-28. —You may find yourself in the slimy pit because of your witness for Christ and when you do cry out to God.
2. The New Song of Thanksgiving in Verses 4-11
   1. The Lyrics of the New Song Encourage Others to Trust the Lord in Verses 4-5
   2. The Lyrics of the New Song Arise from a New Heart in Verses 6-8—This speaks of the New Covenant.  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.—Jeremiah 31:33. *See Ezekiel 36:22-27   
   3. The Lyrics of the New Song Testify to God’s Faithfulness—”Have you experienced the righteousness of God toward you through faith in Jesus Christ? Have you found the Lord faithful? Is his salvation good? Have you learned that he loves you, and have you discovered his truth in Scripture? To be a Christian is to have experienced exactly those things. But how can you have experienced them “in your heart” and yet fail to speak about them? If you are really aware of them, you will speak of them often, as David did.—Dr. Boice  
3. The Renewed Prayer in Verses 12-17
   1. The Stunning Reversal—This great Psalm does something which we would not have expected.  Normally, the Psalms begin with a petition and then move into a praise.  This pattern can lead us to think that petition to prayer is the only experience in the life of faith.  But, God teaches us something in the 40^th Psalm by reversing the order from praise to petition.  Sometimes the life of faith takes 3 steps forward and 2 steps back…then 2 steps forward and 3 steps back etc.  You might praise God with your feet set solidly on the Rock but then cry out from the depths of the pit tomorrow.  This Psalm closes with the reminder that even this reversed trajectory is part of the life of faith. — “I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me…”

Psalm 37

In our Bible study we would do well to remember that the truth of God’s Word is progressive in nature.  In other words, as the Bible goes on throughout the entirety of Scripture we find the truth develops more and more.  

For example, in Genesis 3:15 God promises Eve that she would have a seed (Son) who would bruise the head of the serpent.  But, we don’t meet Eve’s son in person until Matthew’s gospel thousands of years later.

But sometimes the principle works the other way around.  An O.T. passage will help us to better understand a N.T. passage.  The key portion of the first section is Psalm 37:11- “But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.”

This verse is quoted by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 5:5- “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” Now, when Christ speaks these words in the “Sermon on the Mount”, he does not expand upon exactly what He means.  But, this is what Psalm 37 is all about!

Psalm 37 showcases the saint’s faithful meekness in the face of the apparent prosperity of the wicked!  Let us come to know what it means to walk in meekness before God and humanity!

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread-Psalm 37:25.  The final verse of Psalm 37 was written by David in old age after a lifetime of reflection on the way of the faithful and the way of the faithless.  Here are several points to consider as we study this 37^th Psalm:

1. Do Not Let Your Anger Burn in Verses 1-11—Most English Versions open with “do not fret” but that is not nearly strong enough, literally the command is to “not let your anger burn”.  This phrase is repeated 3 times in verses 1, 7 and 8 which is the theme of this great section.  “Do not let your anger burn” when you see God’s servants suffering and evil people prospering.  The Beatitude of Jesus says “the meek shall inherit the earth” but it seems on the surface it’s the ungodly who will inherit it. How can we keep our anger from burning when we see this happening?
   1. Psalm 37:3-11 gives us 2 answers:
      1. Look Upward—
         1. “Trust in the Lord” in Verse 3
         2. “Delight yourself in the Lord” in Verse 4
         3. “Commit your way to the Lord” in Verse 5
         4. “Be still before the Lord” in Verse 7
         5. “Refrain from Anger” in Verse 8
      2. Look Ahead—In verses 9-11 we see the evil only flourish for a short time and are then thrown down.  In the short run, it may seem as if the wicked will prosper and take the earth for their possession but this Psalm reminds us that in the long run the meek shall inherit the earth!—It’s the long run that counts!
2. What does it mean to be “Meek”?
   1. Meet the Meekest Man in All the Earth—” Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.”-Numbers 12:3 There is not a greater illustration in all the O.T. of meekness than the Man of God Moses.
      1. Meekness is not Weakness
      2. Meekness will take off its shoes before the burning bush, but in the power of God it will also always be able to stand tall before the powerful of this world.    

On the surface, it appears the wicked will inherit the earth, in the short run it may seem evil people prosper and God’s saints suffer.  But, this great Psalm reminds us that we are to walk in meekness before God and man and patiently await the Lord’s righteous judgements in His timing!

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Psalm 35

There are certain portions of the Bible that cause problems for some people.  And perhaps no other portion of the book of Psalms is more hotly contested than the Imprecatory Psalms.  

The word “Imprecation” literally means “curse”.  So, in these Imprecatory Psalms the Psalmist calls for curses and judgements against the enemies of God.  And some have found this to be antithetical to the message of Christ in the N.T.  For example:

“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust”—Matthew 5:44-45

 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”. —Luke 23:34

Now contrast the words of Christ with the word of God in Psalm 35:4-8

Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life! Let them be turned back and disappointed who devise evil against me! Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away…And let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it—to his destruction!

As we live in the tension between the words of Christ to “love your enemies” in the New Testament and the word of God in the O.T. for God’s enemies to have “destruction come upon him when he does not know it” therefore, may we learn how to use the Imprecatory Psalms in our own relationship with God and the world around us!

As we consider Psalm 35, it is important to keep several principles in mind before we seek to interpret and make application of this great passage of Scripture!

1. Seeking a Balanced Approach
   1. Be careful with trying to relieve the tension between the Word of Christ in the N.T. and the Word of God in the O.T. by saying that the God of the OT is a God of Wrath and Judgment and the God of the NT is a God of Mercy and Grace.  If you are not careful you will give the impression that there are 2 Gods and not 1 God revealed in 3 persons.
   2. David was not personally vindictive in his Imprecatory Prayers.  In fact, David was one of the most forgiving men in the entire O.T.—Note David’s relationship to Saul after the latter tried to murder David many times—I Samuel 24:9-10
   3. David claims to be completely innocent from any wrong doing against these enemies—Notice 3 mentions of “without cause” in verses 7 and 19.  In other words, David is falsely accused of something he did not do. 
   4. Although it may seem the tone and message of the N.T. is different than that of the O.T. they are actually far more similar than we realize.  (Rev. 18:20, Rev. 19:3). As far as Jesus himself is concerned, we must remember that the One who said, “Father, forgive them,” also pronounced a terrible catalogue of woes upon the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, recorded in Matthew 23.
   5. Remember that David is not writing as a mere private citizen but rather as the Chief Justice of Israel—
   6. As private citizens in God’s kingdom we are to earnestly pray for God’s justice to be manifested here on the Earth.  Imprecatory Psalms help us do that.
   7. Always remember our own sin and hypocrisy.

How can Christians in contemporary churches pray Imprecatory Prayers? 

A supernatural balance occurs in our lives when we know God in His holiness and divine justice but also know our own sin nature.  On one hand we earnestly desire God to defeat evil in the world and on the other hand we are aware of our own worldly sinfulness and are humbled by God’s grace to us—only then, can we, like David have this supernatural balance and pray Imprecatory Prayers against the enemies of God! 

2. Two-Fold Profound Imagery:  In verses 1-3, David introduces 2 profound images for what he needed God to be on his behalf, namely a Champion and Advocate.  The opening line conjures images of a courtroom “Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me” and David asks God to be his defense attorney.  Then in the words “fight against those who fight against me!”  David asks God to be his champion on the battlefield.  These 2 images are then developed in greater detail as we move through the remainder of the Psalm.  
   1. A Champion on the Battlefield in Verses 4-10—David cries out to his Champion!
      1. Poetic Justice—
      2. The Angel of the Lord—Notice verses 5-6.  Who is this “angel of the Lord?”—In the O.T. we have “2 Yahweh Figures” one visible and the other invisible.
         1. 3 angels appeared to Abraham but 1 of them is referred to as “the Lord”.  See Genesis 18:1-3.
         2. The Commander of the Lord’s Army in Joshua 5:13-15
         3. The Angel of the Lord is Christ Himself.  Do you believe the words of Colossians 2:12-15?   
   2. An Advocate in the Courtroom in Verses 11-18—David Cries out to the Lord to be his Advocate!  
      1. Perhaps the worst kind of betrayal is by those whom you tried to help.
      2. When we are returned evil for good—A knife in the back!
      3. When we suffer defeat in something it’s one thing but when you have people standing over you mocking you for failing it makes the wounds doubly harmful—The Word “rejoice” appears in verses 19, 25 and 26!
      4. When we experience this kind of oppression we must cry out to our Advocate! —I John 2:1
      5. Application:  Cry out to Christ your Advocate when you have sinned and when you have not sinned and are being falsely accused.

Here are several takeaways from our study:

1. Beware of being personally vindictive in your prayers.  David was the Chief Justice of Israel and not merely a common citizen. —David was being persecuted “without cause”.
2. Make sure you pray for justice to be shown for other people.  I am always amazed at how people are blaze’ about justice until it hits close to home.
3. Do not take matters into your own hands.  Remember that vengeance belongs to the Lord…not you.  “It is mine to avenge; I will repay” (Deut. 32:35). The apostle Paul quotes this verse in Romans with this application: “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.
4. Remember that even the vilest sinners are not beyond God’s grace.  If the early Church would have prayed Imprecatory Prayers against Saul of Tarsus then we wouldn’t have ½ of the N.T. and the church’s greatest missionary!
5. We can always apply prayers of Imprecation against Satan and his dark emissaries.  He is our great foe, “a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8) and a slanderous “accuser of our brothers” (Rev. 12:10). We are like helpless sheep before this powerful enemy. But, thank God, we have a powerful champion and advocate in King Jesus.
6. Jesus Christ Himself quotes from Psalm 35:17 in John 15:25— ^“But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.”  In this passage, Jesus warns his disciples that the world will hate them just like it hated him and that the hatred they would experience would be without cause.  When David prayed for deliverance from his hateful enemies, Jesus succumbed to that hatred at the Cross.  And David curses those who hated him because they violated a treaty.  Christ comes bearing the curse of sin on His own self and authors a New Treaty, a New Covenant in His own blood.

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Psalm 33

Please notice the connection between Psalm 32:11 and Psalm 33:1. Also, notice there is no title in the heading of this great Psalm which suggests Psalm 33 is a further expansion of Psalm 32.

The person who experiences the complete and immediate forgiveness which God promises to those who come to Him will thus have great warrant to praise God.  In fact, this Psalm suggests that only those who have come to know what it means to experience God’s forgiveness first hand are the only ones who can properly praise the Lord.  In other words, no true forgiveness no true praise.  Also, this true praise in Psalm 33 is redemptive praise.

This also tells us something about God, in that God allows us to sin against Him sometimes in order that we may be brought to the place where we understand what it means to have Him forgive us so that He can relate to us in His steadfast love.

But notice, this “steadfast love” is being spread not just to Israel but to the whole world in Psalm 33:8.  Now do we see why Paul used Psalm 32 as the foundation for his doctrine of justification by faith. —Remember, the Jewish people did not want the Gentiles to be brought into God’s covenant but thank God that God had different plans for us!

What is God’s “steadfast love” (hesed) in Psalm 33:5, 18 and 22?

The Hebrew word “hesed” occurs 255 in the O.T. with 130 of those occurrences being in the book of Psalms.  This word is notoriously difficult to translate properly into English, even when translators double up the words.  “steadfast love” “loving kindness” or “covenant loyalty”.  But those words fall short of describing the meaning of hesed.  

Steadfast love is a relational term which describes the benefits and duties that one party bears to another party because of their relationship with one another.  In other words, to know the Lord means to know the benefits of being in relationship with the Lord.  In Psalm 32, we meet the Lord whose nature is to forgive and in Psalm 33 we find the benefits of knowing the Lord who forgives and are called upon to worship and praise Him for His ‘steadfast love’. 

Psalm 33 teaches us that everyone who experiences the undeserved forgiveness of God enters into a life of incredible praise!

ancient hymn reveals at least 4 great benefits of God’s steadfast love for us!

1. The Benefit of Knowing a New Song of Praise in Verses 1-3-This Psalm tells us that the “righteous” sing a “new song”.
   1. Who are the “righteous” in verse 1? —We tend to think of the word “righteous” in strict moral terms.  In other words, we think the righteous are those who don’t do bad things but do good things.  While morality is suggested in the word ‘righteous’ there is something more to it.  Here are several characteristics of those whom the Lord calls ‘righteous’:
      1. The righteous are relational with God.
      2. …rely on God
      3. …are aware of their own frailty, finitude and fallibleness and are driven into God’s arms of mercy.
      4. As Creach says, “the righteous are distinguished from the wicked mainly by their confession of helplessness … and therefore they ‘seek refuge’ in the Lord.
      5. Because the righteous are in a relationship with the Lord they are challenged to live in a right relationship with each other.
   2. What is this “New Song” in verse 3?
      1. What the “New Song” is not—Not primarily a new composition even though the 33^rd Psalm was ‘new’ at the time it was written. 
      2. What the “New Song” is—2 things: “A Renewed Song”
         1. The ‘New Song’ is one that arises out of a renewed heart and a New Life.  In other words, only the redeemed can sing this new song.  The song which God puts into our hearts after our redemption.  
         2. The ‘New Song’ is a fresh praise which we sing to God for His works day by day.  Yesterday’s praise song to God is old what we need is be experiencing God afresh and praising Him with a New Song daily.
2. The Benefit of Knowing God’s Word and Works in Verse 4 and 5 — Notice verse 4 “the Word of the Lord” and “all His work”. There are 5 qualities of God in these verses upright, faithfulness, righteousness, justice and steadfast love.  All of this suggests that God’s Word and God’s Works always mesh perfectly together.  How different is it with us as fallen creatures in a fallen world?  Very often we say one thing and do another…although we may have the best intentions.  Sometimes we are merely inconsistent, other times we are hypocritical or blatantly dishonest at worst.  The Lord is never like that!  Therefore, He should be praised for everything He says and does! —The Fidelity of God!
3. The Benefit of Knowing a Trustworthy God in Verses 4-12— God deserves to be trusted because He has proven Himself trustworthy!—In at least 4 ways from our text:
   1. God proves Himself trustworthy in His wise ordering of creation.  The world is filled with the “steadfast love” of the Lord because He is keeping chaotic cosmic forces at bay.  Like a dam which holds back the crushing waters and keeps them in check.  In this way, we see God’s Creative Work as ongoing.
   2. God Proves Himself Trustworthy by Choosing His People in Verse 12— God chooses a people who will love and reverence Him. God is a God of order and so He chooses His people to be people of order by conforming their lives to His will and plans for them.  Just as God is faithfully sustaining the creation He is also sustaining His saints.
   3. …Through His Providential Ordering of Human History in Verses 8, 10 and 11.  God frustrates the purposes and plans of the nations but His own counsel and plans shall endure forever.  When we look at God’s providential ordering of human history do we stand in awe?  Because God has been at work from the beginning of time bringing His will to pass!  God has put both the chaotic forces of creation and the rebelling nations in their place!  God is trustworthy because every generation has had God providentially ordering the world!
   4. …Because He Sees and Knows the Hearts and Deeds of All Humanity in Verses 13-15.  There are 4 statements that God “looks down” “sees” “looks out” and “observes” which emphatically underscore the thoroughgoing, universal, and complete nature of the Lord’s seeing and knowing.  Remember, in Psalm 10:11 those who say “God does not see” but this Psalm boldly declares God does in fact know all things.  We can trust our trustworthy God because He is the Creator of humanity and He alone possesses the power to discern and see the hearts and actions of everyone!
4. The Benefit of Knowing the God Who Saves in Verses 16-19—
   1. What does not save? —In verses 16 and 17 we are told who cannot save!  “In sum, the first two verses of this stanza make the point: deliverance cannot come from military strength. Military strength is here a metaphor for all human power and earthly efforts. It stands as the symbol for all of the earthly sources of comfort—wealth, security, family, career, home, etc.—in which the mortal will is bound to trust.”
   2. Who can save? — See Verses 18-22.  Set over against the various objects in which human beings naturally trust is the declaration that we are not to be trusting in objects at all.  The focus of our worship, trust, love etc. is a subject Whom is God Himself! —Not an object!       

One last powerful benefit of this great Psalm is original context in which it was written.  For the ancient Hebrew, the themes of creation, human history, covenant and human response in praise and worship are not to be taken apart from each other but rather together as a whole.  In our day, we use the Bible doctrine of creation and treat it like a science.  This Psalm reminds us that creation is merely the stage upon which the eternal redemptive purposes of God are played out.