Tag Archives: Psalms

Some trust in chariots

21 Tuesday Feb 2023

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Psalm 20:7 (ESV)

            7       Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

      but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

What is the trust which is commended here?  To say that I trust in the name of the Lord when I am not facing any trouble allows me the appearance of faithfulness without the cost. There is no actual trust in such a situation.

At the other end, one who is in an solvable problem for which there is viable response, to say I trust the Lord means more I hope the Lord will act. There is some actual trust here, but it is a trust without other option. I trust in the Lord, because there is nothing else I can do.

There is a third situation where I could act, and in fact will act, but my trust is not in my own conduct but in God.

Then looking to the commentators:

4. Weak man cannot choose but have some confidence, without himself, in case of apparent difficulties; and natural men do look first to some earthly thing wherein they confide: some trust in chariots, and some in horses, some in one creature, some in another. 5. The believer must quit his confidence in these things, whether he have them, or want them, and must rely on what God hath promised in his word to do unto us: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

Dickson, David. A Brief Explication of the Psalms. John Dow; Waugh and Innes; R. Ogle; James Darling; Richard Baynes, 1834, p. 100.

Cassiodorus takes the passage in a very different way. He speaks of the sorts of triumphs one could enjoy with chariot and horse, then concludes:

But the psalmist leaves such things to worldly men, and maintains that he has been exalted in the Lord’s name. It is not chariots or the horse that exalt, though they are seen to glorify with distinctions in this world, but the Lord’s name which in the end leads to eternal rewards.

Cassiodorus. Cassiodorus: Explanation of the Psalms. Edited by Walter J. Burghardt and Thomas Comerford Lawler, Translated by P. G. Walsh, 51st ed., vol. I, Paulist Press, 1990, p. 207.

Some trust in chariots. I do not restrict this to the enemies of Israel, as is done by other interpreters. I am rather inclined to think that there is here a comparison between the people of God and all the rest of the world. We see how natural it is to almost all men to be the more courageous and confident the more they possess of riches, power, and military forces. The people of God, therefore, here protest that they do not place their hope, as is the usual way with men, in their military forces and warlike apparatus, but only in the aid of God. As the Holy Spirit here sets the assistance of God in opposition to human strength, it ought to be particularly noticed, that whenever our minds come to be occupied by carnal confidence, they fall at the same time into a forgetfulness of God. It is impossible for him, who promises himself victory by confiding in his own strength, to have his eyes turned towards God. The inspired writer, therefore, uses the word remember, to show, that when the saints betake themselves to God, they must cast off every thing which would hinder them from placing an exclusive trust in him

Calvin, John, and James Anderson. Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Logos Bible Software, 2010, p. 340.

LUTHER: God must help and advise; our plans and actions are otherwise of no value.—OSIANDER: Great, exalted titles do not make a king invincible, but God’s help, which is gained by the prayer of faith. The victory is a gift of God, and is not accomplished by great preparation or a great host

Lange, John Peter, et al. A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Psalms. Logos Bible Software, 2008, p. 160.

A collect based on the Psalm:

Hear us, O LORD, we beseech Thee, in the day of trouble, and defend us from all evils, that risen, and standing upright, when our enemies are fallen, we may ever rejoice in Thee, our LORD and GOD.

Neale, J. M. A Commentary on the Psalms from Primitive and Mediæval Writers: Psalm 1 to Psalm 38. Second Edition, vol. 1, Joseph Masters; Pott and Amery, 1869, p. 269.

Sermon: Psalm 37, Part 3

06 Tuesday Nov 2018

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The previous sermon in this three part series may be found here.

Psalm 37 (ESV)

He Will Not Forsake His Saints
37  OF DAVID.

1  Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
2  For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.

3  Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4  Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5  Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
6  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

7  Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!

8  Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9  For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.

10  In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11  But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.

12  The wicked plots against the righteous
and gnashes his teeth at him,
13  but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is coming.

14  The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose way is upright;
15  their sword shall enter their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.

16  Better is the little that the righteous has
than the abundance of many wicked.
17  For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

18  The LORD knows the days of the blameless,
and their heritage will remain forever;
19  they are not put to shame in evil times;
in the days of famine they have abundance.

20  But the wicked will perish;
the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures;
they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

21  The wicked borrows but does not pay back,
but the righteous is generous and gives;
22  for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.

23  The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
when he delights in his way;
24  though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the LORD upholds his hand.

25  I have been young, and now am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his children begging for bread.
26  He is ever lending generously,
and his children become a blessing.

27  Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you dwell forever.
28  For the LORD loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29  The righteous shall inherit the land
and dwell upon it forever.

30  The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks justice.
31  The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps do not slip.

32  The wicked watches for the righteous
and seeks to put him to death.
33  The LORD will not abandon him to his power
or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.

34  Wait for the LORD and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

35  I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
36  But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.

37  Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
38  But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

39  The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40  The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

Fathers, Sons & Sin & Pride

12 Friday Oct 2018

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Psalm 147:

5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The LORD lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.

2 Chronicles 33:9-13:

9 Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel.
10 The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention.
11 Therefore the LORD brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon.
12 And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
13 He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.

2 Chronicles 33:21-23:

21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem.
22 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manasseh his father had done. Amon sacrificed to all the images that Manasseh his father had made, and served them.
23 And he did not humble himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself, but this Amon incurred guilt more and more.

2 Kings 22:15-20

15 And she said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me,
16 Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read.
17 Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched.
18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard,
19 because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD.
20 Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.'” And they brought back word to the king.

Counseling from Psalm 39, Part 1

25 Wednesday Oct 2017

Posted by in Biblical Counseling, Uncategorized

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Psalm 39

The Psalmist begins with self-control,

Psalm 39:1 (ESV)

1  I said, “I will guard my ways,

that I may not sin with my tongue;

I will guard my mouth with a muzzle,

so long as the wicked are in my presence.”

The reason is good, “that I may not sin with my tongue.”  As Spurgeon writes,

I steadily resolved and registered a determination. In his great perplexity his greatest fear was lest he should sin; and, therefore, he cast about for the most likely method for avoiding it, and he determined to be silent. It is right excellent when a man can strengthen himself in a good course by the remembrance of a well and wisely-formed resolve.

C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: Psalms 27-57, vol. 2 (London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers, n.d.), 214.  Now, perhaps this was repression as opposed to a godly determination: self-will as opposed to godly blessing when cursed; because,

Psalm 39:2–3 (ESV)

2  I was mute and silent;

I held my peace to no avail,

and my distress grew worse.

3  My heart became hot within me.

As I mused, the fire burned;

then I spoke with my tongue:

This moves the Psalmist on to a prayer which will provide the basis for his transformed affection: to learn how brief one lives:

Psalm 39:5–6 (ESV)

5  Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,

and my lifetime is as nothing before you.

Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah

6  Surely a man goes about as a shadow!

Surely for nothing they are in turmoil;

man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

How our responses to our circumstances do not match reality: “Surely for nothing they are in turmoil”. Our affections are judgments upon our circumstance: we think our anger justified, necessary because some tremendous has taken place. We think our lust for power meaningful, our wealth and fame: but, “man goes about as a shadow”.

 

 

If you have tasted that the Lord is good

02 Tuesday Feb 2016

Posted by in 1 Peter, Preaching, Psalms, Sermons, Uncategorized

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Why does Peter quote a Psalm of David to Christian believers in the First Century?

1 Peter 2:1–3 (ESV)

2 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Psalm 34:8(ESV)

8  Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Have mercy on me

01 Tuesday Sep 2015

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“His first prayer is one suitable for all persons and occasions, it breathes a humble spirit, indicates self knowledge, appeals to the proper attributes, and to the fitting person. Have mercy upon me, O Lord. Just as Luther used to call some texts little Bibles, so we may call this sentence a little prayer-book; for it has in it the soul and marrow at prayer. It is multum in parvo, and like the angelic sword turns every way. The ladder looks to be short, but it reaches from earth to heaven.”

Spurgeon on Psalm 9:13

Six Questions to Ask in the Midst of Trial and Depression

04 Tuesday Aug 2015

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In the midst of severe trial, our thoughts and desires become so broken and twisted that it seems impossible that our sorrow should ever end. We see this in Psalm 77, where Asaph writes:

Psalm 77:1–4 (ESV)

1    I cry aloud to God,

aloud to God, and he will hear me.

2    In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;

in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;

my soul refuses to be comforted.

3    When I remember God, I moan;

when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah

4    You hold my eyelids open;

I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

Note the way in which Asaph speaks of God in these verses: He calls out to God, for he knows that God alone can solve his trouble. Yet, at the same time, the though of God becomes the basis for further woe:

When I remember God, I moan;

when I meditate my spirit faints.

 

The deepest depression for the Christian comes not from circumstances, but from the thought that God has abandoned me. The one whom Asaph would hope to protect him seems to be the one who troubles him.

 

Here is the important part: The way Asaph thinks about God determines the way in which he experiences his circumstances. This is the “secret” which Paul speaks of in Philippians 4:11–13 (ESV)

11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Now consider Asaph’s heart most closely: when he comes to the place where he cannot sleep due to his mind running over his trouble. There in the midst of his trouble he begins to focus his attention:

Psalm 77:5–6 (ESV)

5    I consider the days of old,

the years long ago.

6    I said, “Let me remember my song in the night;

let me meditate in my heart.”

Then my spirit made a diligent search:

 

This of course is the matter of self-preaching

By directing his attention, Asaph then begins to ask the right questions:

 

Psalm 77:7–9 (ESV)

7    “Will the Lord spurn forever,

and never again be favorable?

8    Has his steadfast love forever ceased?

Are his promises at an end for all time?

9    Has God forgotten to be gracious?

Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah

 

Consider these questions carefully:

Will the Lord spurn forever? No.

Will the Lord never again be favorable? No.

Has his steadfast love ceased? No.

Are his promises at an end? No.

Has the Lord forgot to be gracious? No.

Has the Lord shut up his compassion? No.

 

In the midst of depression, Asaph feared most that God had abandoned him. Yet, when he examines his heart — by asking questions about how he understands the Lord — Asaph undoes the strongest basis for his depression.

[Side note: Yes, there are times when people suffer depression on the basis of physiological trouble. One of the most godly men I have ever known — a man who never doubted the goodness of God — suffered from a very serious depression which was unrelated to his circumstances. Therefore, be careful on how you understand what is happening in another’s heart.]

 

Note that the circumstances have not changed, but the meaning of the circumstances have changed. This helps us understand such inexplicable commands such as:

James 1:2–4 (ESV)

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

The circumstance seen alone is an evil. But when we remember the theological context, when place our trials in view of God’s continued steadfast love and goodness, then we know that the trial cannot solely be a mere evil — even if we don’t see the good, we must know that God is working good for us.

Prepare for Slander

18 Saturday Jul 2015

Posted by in Charles Spurgeon, Psalms

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It will be well for us here to remember that this is a description of the danger to which the Psalmist was exposed from slanderous tongues. Verily this is not an overdrawn picture, for the wounds of a sword will heal, but the wounds of the tongue cut deeper than the flesh, and are not soon cured. Slander leaves a slur, even if it be wholly disproved. Common fame, although notoriously a common liar, has very many believers. Once let an ill word get into men’s mouths, and it is not easy to get it fully out again. The Italians say that good repute is like the cypress, once cut, it never puts forth leaf again; this is not true if our character be cut by a stranger’s hand, but even then it will not soon regain its former verdure. Oh, ’tis a meanness most detestable to stab a good man in his reputation, but diabolical hatred observes no nobility in its mode of warfare. We must be ready for this trial, for it will surely come upon us. If God was slandered in Eden, we shall surely be maligned in this land of sinners. Gird up your loins, ye children of the resurrection, for this fiery trial awaits you all.

C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: Psalms 1-26, vol. 1 (London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers, n.d.), 68.