PSALM 17: The Awaking

Psalm 17: 

Thou hast proved mine heart; 

Thou hast visited me in the night; 

Thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; 

I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. 

vs.2

"David approaches the divine court with 3 clusters of appeals in seeking justice.
(1)Appeals Dealing with Response and Recognition (17:1-5).

Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. vs.1
(2)Appeals Dealing with Rescue and Relief (17:6-12).

Shew Thy marvellous lovingkindness, O Thou that savest by Thy right hand them which put their trust in Thee from those that rise
up against them. vs.7
A. His Need for Rescue is Presented (17:6-8);

I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. vs.6
B. His Need for Relief is Documented (17:9-12).

They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth; Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places. vs.11,12
(3)Appeals Dealing with Retribution and Rest (17:13-15).

From men which are Thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly Thou fillest with Thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. vs.14
A. His Anticipation of Their Retribution (17:13-14);

Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is Thy sword: vs.13
B. His Assurance of His Own Rest (17:15).
As for me, 

I will behold Thy face in righteousness: 

I shall be satisfied, 

when I awake, with Thy likeness.vs.15

*David had already spoken of death as a "sleep" (Psalm 13:3).
*Now he speaks of "awaking."
Q: What awaking can this be but an awaking from the sleep of death?"

Keep me as the apple of the eye, 

hide me under the shadow of Thy wings.

vs.8

BooksOfTheBible

PSALM 7: Psalm Of The SLANDERED SAINT

Psalm 7:

Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end;

vs.9

"The superscription indicates that the psalm was written while David was being ruthlessly assailed by “Cush the Benjamite”, who was evidently one of Saul’s radical kinsmen.

David’s confidence in the Divine Judge is the backbone of Psalm 7
This psalm follows David through 3 progressively calming stages of expression in response to the painfully false accusations that were being hurled against him.

1. Stage One: David’s Concern as He Passionately Begs the Attention of the Divine Judge (7:1-5).
O LORD my God, if I have done this;.... vs.3
2. Stage Two: David’s Court Appearance as He Painstakingly Argues His Case before the Divine Judge (7:6-16).
My defense is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. vs.10
3. Stage Three: David’s Composure as He Patiently Waits for the Verdict of the Divine Judge (7:17). I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. vs.17

Psalm 7 introduces one of the more enigmatic terms found in superscriptions of the psalms, “a Shiggaion (Hebrew), of David”. ..Shiggaion is a song or psalm (the word is used so only here and Hab. 3:1 )—a wandering song. This may be called the SONG OF THE SLANDERED SAINT.

Consequently, the term may also indicate the song’s irregularity in rhythm “He sang” also indicates that this was a vocal solo.
David appears before God to plead with him against the Accuser, who had charged him with treason and treachery. The case is here opened with an avowal of confidence in God. Whatever may be the emergency of our condition we shall never find it amiss to retain our reliance upon our God.

Psalm 7:1,2 O Lord my God, in You do I take refuge; save me from all them that pursue me, and deliver me; Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, when there is none to deliver.
*This is the cry of a soul in extreme peril.
*He is chased by an enemy who is like a raging lion, which will tear him in pieces if he does not find a place of safety.
We see at the very outset that we have before us the cry of a soul

pursued by Satan, the great Destroyer; for: 1 Peter 5:8 The devil, as a roaring lion, goes about, seeking whom he may devour.

Psalm 7:3-5 O Lord my God, if I have done this; if there be
iniquity in my hands: If I have rendered evil to him that was at peace with me; (I have even delivered him that was my enemy without cause); Let the enemy chase my soul and catch it; and let him tread my life to the earth, and cast down my glory to the dust.

--The lion cares nothing for the fact that his prey is inoffensive, 

and has done him no injury. 

--He is filled with a desire to destroy, 

and he slays to gratify his own passion for destroying. 

--So the devil lies in wait for the innocent, as shown 

in his dealing with our first parents in the garden of Eden.

Psalm 7:6,7 Arise, O Lord, in your anger; lift up yourself against the fury of my adversaries; and awake for me the judgment You have commanded. So shall the congregation of the peoples compass You about, and over it return You on high.
Read in the light of the first section of the psalm, this cry for vengeance does not seem so revengeful as it sometimes does to the careless reader.
---It is not the demand of one man for vengeance upon other men who are hostile to him, but it is a call for judgment upon the arch-enemy. 

Moreover it is inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that the element of human passion does not enter into it.

Psalm 7:11 God is angry with the wicked every day.

The words in italics, however, show what was added by the translators. Even if we take the text as it stands in the common version, there need be no difficulty, since we see that “the wicked” *are not sinners on probation, 

but the devil and all his hosts, both of angels, 

and of men who have sold themselves to him to persecute the godly.

Psalm 7:11 God is a righteous judge, yea, a God that has
indignation continually.
Q: Is it not comforting to know that we are not left alone and forgotten?
Psalm 7:17 I will give thanks unto the Lord according to His righteousness: and will sing praises to the name of Jehovah Most High. And thus we find, as we always shall, that the portion of Scripture which Satan uses for the purpose of discouraging people, is the one that is full of comfort for them.

Verse 15. "He made a pit, and digged it." He was cunning in his plans, and industrious in his labors. He stooped to the dirty work of digging. He did not fear to soil his own hands, he was willing to work in a ditch if others might fall therein. What mean things men will do to wreak revenge on the godly."

....save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:

Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces,

while there is none to deliver.

vs.1,2

BooksOfTheBible/MatthewHenry/CharlesSpurgeon/E.J. Waggoner

PSALM 79: Let Thy Tender Mercies.......

Psalm 79:

O remember not against us former iniquities:

let Thy tender mercies speedily prevent us:

for we are brought very low.

Vs.8

[Do not hold us accountable for the sins of earlier generations!
Quickly send your compassion our way, for we are in serious trouble! NET]

"A companion poem to (Psalm 74), this psalm laments the destruction of Jerusalem at the time of the Babylonian captivity.
The psalm has two distinct parts:
--expression of the lament to God (verses 1-5),
--and petition to God for deliverance of His people and retribution on their enemies (verses 6-13).

Three motives for God to act are cited:
--the misery God’s people are experiencing (verses 1-4),
--the tender mercies of God Himself (verse 8),
--and the humiliation brought to His name (verse 10).

Unlike (Psalm 137), which seems to have been written during the Captivity, this psalm was apparently written by eyewitnesses of the

desolation of Jerusalem.

Verses 1-13: The historical basis for this lament psalm was probably Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction of the temple in 586 B.C. (compare Psalm 74; 2 Kings 25:8-21; Lam. Chapters 1 to 5). The psalm contains prayer for the nation’s spiritual needs, curses against the enemies of God’s people, and praises in anticipation of God’s actions.

The psalm helps the believer express his anguish in a disaster when it seems as though God is aloof.

The Lamentation Over the National Disaster (79:1-4).

O God, the heathen are come into Thine inheritance; Thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. The dead bodies of Thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of Thy saints unto the beasts of the earth. Vs.1,2

The Supplication for Divine Intervention (79:5-13).
How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire? Vs.5

The Prayer for Vindication (79:5-7);
Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name. Vs.6

The Prayer for Forgiveness (79:8-9);
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for Thy name's sake. Vs.9

The Prayer for Reprisal (79:10-12)
And render unto our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached Thee, O Lord. Vs.12

The Praise for Response (79:13).
So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations. Vs.13

Verses 1-5: God is complained to: whither should children go but to a Father able and willing to help them?
---Those who desire God’s favor as better than life, cannot but dread His wrath as worse than death.
---In every affliction, we should first beseech the Lord to cleanse away the guilt of our sins; then He will visit us with His tender mercies."
BooksOfTheBible

Let the sighing of the prisoner come before Thee;

 according to the greatness of Thy power preserve 

Thou those that are appointed to die;

Vs.11

PSALM 8: Astronomer's Psalm

PSALM 8:

When I consider thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers,

the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained;

vs.3

"Though the bulk of the psalm describes man and his dominion over the universe, the first and last verses make clear to the reader that the psalm was written primarily to exalt the Creator. 

“A little lower than the angels” (verse 5), is literally “a little lower than God” (Hebrew [Elohim], the normal generic word for God). 

The Septuagint translated the word as “angels”, however, and this translation is quoted (in Hebrews 2:6-8). The word may be taken in loose sense, "divine beings”, in which case it could refer to both God and the angels. Three interpretations of man’s position are described (in verses 5-8):

(1) It refers only to man’s original condition (Gen. 1:26-28);

(2) It refers to man’s present, actual position, though ruined somewhat by the Fall;
(3) It points to man redeemed and restored in the future to his exalted position.
The second view is preferred since the psalmist seems to be observing life as it is in the present: “When I consider” (verse 3).

Verses 1-9: The theme of Psalm 8 (“how excellent”), blazes across this Psalm from start to finish (8:1, 9).
Structurally, Psalm 8’s beginning and concluding bursts of praise are driven by David’s contemplation of two pairs of radical contrasts.

(1) Introductory Praise (8:1);
O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! vs.1
(2) Two Pairs of Radical Contrasts (8:2-8);
A. Between the Nature of “infants” and infidels (8:2);
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, vs.2
B. Between Unaided General Revelation and Unveiled Special Revelation (8:3-8);
When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, vs.3
(3) Concluding Praise (8:9).
O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! vs.9

An instrument is referenced in this title, most probably a guitar-like harp associated with Gath in Philistia.

A survey of the solar system has a tendency to moderate the pride of man and to promote humility.

*Unable to express the glory of God, the Psalmist utters a note of exclamation.
The countless myriads of terrestrial beings, from man the head, to the creeping worm at the foot, are all supported and nourished by the Divine bounty. 

The solid fabric of the universe leans upon His eternal arm."
BooksOfTheBible/CharlesSpurgeon

For Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,

and hast crowned him with glory and honor.

vs.5

PSALM 88: So Sad a Psalm

Psalm 88:

Lover and friend hast thou put far from me,

and mine acquaintance into darkness.

vs.18

"Certainly, the gloomiest psalm in the entire collection, this psalm fails of the slightest ray of hope. 

Perhaps the author had experienced a tragedy like that of Job for

which he had no explanation.
The elements of the psalm consist of petition (verses 1-2), lament verses (3-9, 15-18).
In this last section eight rhetorical questions are addressed to God to reinforce the fact that the psalmist can only praise Him and be faithful to Him in this life.
His death will serve no purpose.

Verses 1-18: This lament is unusual in that it does not end on a happy note. The psalmist has been ill or injured since the days of his youth (verse 15), and bemoans God’s failure to hear his prayer for good health. 

He assumes that God is angry with him, but like job, he knows of no cause for that anger. But though he does not understand God’s ways, the psalmist does turn to God, thus indicating an underlying trust.

I. Complaints Against God’s Action (88:1-9).
Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all Thy waves. vs.7
II. Challenges to God’s Wisdom (88:10-12).
Shall Thy wonders be known in the dark? and Thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? vs.12
III. Charges Against God’s Conduct (88:13-18).
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. vs.15

---He looked upon himself as a dying man, whose heart was ready to break with sorrow (v. 5): "Free among the dead (one of that ghastly corporation), like the slain that lie in the grave, whose rotting and perishing nobody takes notice of or is concerned for, nay, whom thou rememberest no more, to protect or provide for the dead bodies, but they become an easy prey to corruption and the worms.
---Title: “Sons of Korah”
“Mahalath Leannoth”: “Mahalath” is either the name of a tune or an instrument, possibly a reed pipe which was played on sad occasions. “Leannoth” may mean “to afflict” and describes the despair which permeates this psalm."
BooksOfTheBible

O LORD God of my salvation,

I have cried day and night before Thee:

vs.1

PSALM 99: He Sits Between the Cherubims

Psalm 99:

The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble:

He sitteth between the cherubims;

let the earth be moved.

vs.1

The final psalm of the divine kingdom is composed of three stanzas, each followed by a call to worship (verses 3, 5, 9).

The first stanza describes the King’s greatness (verses 1-2); 

the second, His justice (verse 4); 

and the third, His forgiveness (verses 6-8).

The psalmist encourages praise to the king for His holiness which is the utter separateness of God’s being from all other creatures and

things, as well as His moral separateness from sin.
I. Exaltation of the King’s Holiness (99:1-5).
Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at His footstool; for He is holy. vs.5
II. Examples of the King’s Holiness (99:6-9).
He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: vs.7
Verses 1-5: God governs the world by His providence, governs the church by His grace, and both by His Son.
Every king in ancient times had a “footstool” as a symbol of His position of authority. God’s footstool is the earth."
BooksOfTheBible

Exalt the LORD our God, 

and worship at His holy hill;

for the LORD our God is holy.

vs.9

Psalms for the Soul

But as for me, my feet were almost gone; 

my steps had well nigh slipped. 

So foolish was I, and ignorant: 

I was as a beast before Thee.

Nevertheless I am continually with Thee: 

Thou hast holden me by my right hand. 

Whom have I in heaven but Thee? 

and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee. 

Psalm 73:2,22,23,25

Where Were They?

Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;

Why?

Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the Most High:

Then............

...they fell down, and there was none to help.

Then What?

Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.

The Result:

Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!
Psalm 107:10-15
Praise GOD for HE is Wonderful

Give ear to my words, O LORD, 

consider my meditation. 

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: 

for unto Thee will I pray. 

My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O LORD; 

in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.

Psalm 5:1-3

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, 

and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions: 

and my sin is ever before me. 

--Create in me a clean heart, O God;--

and renew a right spirit within me. 

--Cast me not away from Thy presence;--

and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. 

Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; 
Psalm 51:1-3,10-12

With my whole heart have I sought Thee: 

O let me not wander from Thy commandments. 

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, 

that I might not sin against Thee.

Blessed art Thou, O LORD: 

teach me Thy statutes.

--Open Thou mine eyes,--

--that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.--

Psalm 119:10-12,18

Cast me not off in the time of old age;

Now also when I am old and grayheaded,

O God, forsake me not;

--until I have shewed Thy strength unto this generation,--

--and Thy power to every one that is to come.--

Psalm 71:9,18

Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary:

 who is so great a God as our God?

To see Thy power and Thy glory, 

so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary.... 

my lips shall praise Thee.

We have thought of Thy lovingkindness, 

O God, in the midst of Thy temple. 

For this God is our God for ever and ever:

 He will be our guide even unto death.

Psalm 77:13/63:2,3/48:9,14

What He did in that SANCTUARY:

Christ walked into the outer court to the Altar of Sacrifice (that was for the Forgiveness of sins) and said Father Forgive Them.

He then proceeded to the Brazen Laver (representing Baptism) and said Today thou shalt be with Me in paradise, as He was about go through the Baptism of Death.

He then entered the inner court and went to the Table of Bread (that contained the cups for the drink offering) and said I thirst.

He then crossed over to the 7 Branch Candlestick and said Woman,

Behold Thy Son.

He then went to the Altar of Incense (representing the Prayers of God's people) and communed with the Father -- My God, My God, Why hast Thou Forsaken Me?

He then entered the Most Holy Place and approached the Ark of the Covenant (where the Law of God was placed -- the Law that requires complete submission) and uttered a Prayer of total submission Father into Thy Hands I commit My spirit.

Finally, He climbed up on the Judgment Seat and gave a decree while wearing a Crown of Thorns -- It Is Finished.

Then He bowed His head and died.

He sent redemption unto His people: 

He hath commanded His covenant for ever: 

holy and reverend is His name.
Psalm 111:19