psalm
The Pruning Process Produces Restoration
This Psalm is a national prayer for restoration. The key word might be translated either “restore us” or “bring us back” (from captivity). The Palmist urges God to listen, wake up, and go to work to save His people (vv. 1-2). Three times is this chapter the wr …
The Historic Faith of The Nation
This Psalm can be divided into three parts: A description of former deliverances and victories (vv. 1-8). A sharing of present trouble and defeat (vv. 9-16). A mixture of praise and pleas (vv. 17-26). It may have been written right after a military loss or in connection with the Baby …
Calling The Nation to Praise
In the concluding verses of this Psalm, God’s triumphal entrance into Zion and the sanctuary is again described (vv. 24-27). It is pictured like a victory parade with singers and other musicians. The tribes of Benjamin and Judah, one small and one large, represent the southern po …
A Prayer For The Nation
David was the General MacArthur of his day, a conquering hero. He begins this stirring psalm by remembering past victories and enemies who have been subdued under him (v. 2). He had a personal relationship with God who is strong, solid, and immovable, yet warm, loving, and …
God’s Love Never Fails
Every verse in this Psalm ends in the words “His mercy endures forever.” It follows the progress of the events from the creation in Genesis to the conquest of Canaan recorded in Joshua. It is thought that the Levite song leader would recite the first half of each verse and the congregation …
The Difference Between Anger And Anguish
David turned to his Lord for help and deliverance because he was in great need (vv. 21-25). He reminds the Lord of his sorrow, his sickness, and his scorners. He is frail and feeble and has headed for the hills with his life in danger. It seems that this may have been written in the early days of …
God’s Promises Are Secure
This psalm was written to describe the glorious reign of David. This reveals God’s promise to make David the mightiest king on earth and to keep his descendants on the throne forever (II Samuel 7:8- 16). Even though Jerusalem was destroyed, and kings no longer reign there, this pa …
David’s Plea With The Lord For Mercy
The tone of the Psalm changes dramatically to that of urgent prayer (vv. 11-12). David is no longer thinking about the past, but of the present troubles, he is facing. Facing trouble was certainly nothing new for him. He faces it as a fugitive from Saul and he faced it as a fugit …
Lessons From God’s Past Judgment
Having briefly referred to the plagues in Egypt (v. 12), the author now describes some of them in greater detail. The death of the first-born was the last and worst of the plagues of Egypt, and that which perfected the deliverance of Israel. If gentler methods would have done the …
Tension Can Produce Character
Four times David asked, “How long†as another lament is about to begin (vv. 1-2). He had been brought low by his feelings. We can relate to David if we’ve ever been through some great trial. If we haven’t been there yet, we will. In the book of Job, we learn that “man was born to trouble as …