INTRODUCTION:The background to this psalm is found in 1 Samuel 23, and it is a testimony to David’s faithfulness to God in the midst of much unfaithfulness to him. David had delivered Keilah from the Philistines, but the Lord told David that they would turn him over to Saul. He then went to the wilderness …
Functional Atheism
INTRODUCTION:This psalm is a variation of the fourteenth psalm, and makes a point important enough to be repeated. And that point is that this psalm applies to the whole human race, and not just to the tiny minority willing to claim their atheism openly. This is a psalm, not about atheism proper, but about the …
Reading the Story Lived
INTRODUCTION: This psalm gives us a glimpse of David’s early years, and of the faithfulness and trust he displayed in hard circumstances. But he knew what God was like, and he knew how the world worked. That being the case, he could wait patiently, trusting. THE TEXT: To the chief Musician, Maschil, A Psalm of …
When Crushed Bones Rejoice
INTRODUCTION:If forgiveness of sin is one of the glories of the new covenant, and it is (Heb. 8: 8-12; cf. Heb. 10: 17), then this psalm is one of the glories of the entire Bible. In this psalm, we learn the greatness of forgiveness, and in the course of learning this, we learn the true …
Fifth Decade of Psalms/Psalm 50
INTRODUCTION: This is the first of twelve psalms ascribed to Asaph. Mostly likely this is the Asaph who lived at the same time as David (2 Chron. 29:30), although that name does appear later (2 Kings 18:18). This psalm is a wonderful illustration of how thoroughly the godly saints of the old covenant understood true …
Fifth Decade of Psalms/Psalm 49
INTRODUCTION: We come now to a very potent expression of the biblical take on blind wealth in the face of inexorable death. As we treat the subject of our riches, let us take care, first, to remember the whole counsel of God on this subject, and let us take even greater care to not allow …
Fifth Decade of Psalms/Psalm 45
INTRODUCTION: Psalm 45 is an Epithalamium, which is to say, a wedding song. The way it is quoted in the New Testament makes it very clear that the ultimate fulfillment of this psalm is found in the marriage of Christ to the Church. This psalm is unlike any other, and is likely the wedding hymn …
Fifth Decade of Psalms/Psalm 43
INTRODUCTION: The 43rd Psalm is very similar to the one before it, and in a handful of manuscripts it is even included together with it. But rather than consider it as a detached portion of the 42nd Psalm, it is a simpler explanation to consider this as a supplement, composed with the previous psalm in …
A Preacher of Righteousness, Not Morality
While all the psalms are messianic, this fortieth psalm is a great and glorious messianic psalm. The New Testament plainly declares it to have been fulfilled in Christ, and, given this, we learn a great deal about what Jesus came to accomplish. “I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard …
We Are Not Smoke Forever
This next psalm, along with many other passages, teaches us how to understand the transience of our lives. “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Ps. 90:12). Some men ignore this truth. Some see it and despair. Others, blessed of God, see it and learn wisdom. The …