Biblical Reflections

Psalm 65 is a hymn of thanksgiving for a fruitful harvest.  The fruitful harvest is the result of God’s covenant promises.  

1-4 – The singer begins with praise for God in Zion.  Blessed are those who are part of the covenant people; they are called to worship God. 

5-8 – God is praised for his awesome deeds of creation.  The hope of all the ends of the earth are in this awesome creator.

9-13 – Now the people delight in the abundant harvest that God provided through the showers of rain.  

Psalm 64 shares the theme with Psalm 63 of confidence in God’s victory over the wicked who pursue David.  Yet, Psalm 64 is an individual lament or request for God’s help against deadly enemies and with confident expectation that God will fight for him.  Psalm 64 presents God’s purpose for his victory as instruction for the faithful and as a way of bringing joy to the godly.

1-6 – David asks that God would hide him from the secret plans of the wicked.  The tools of the wicked in this case are bitter words, lies.

7-10 – But the wicked who shoot bitter words like arrows at the faithful will find that God shoot arrows at them.  The lies of the wicked are turned against them, and they are brought to ruin.  The world looks on in amazement and the faithful rejoice in the LORD.

Psalm 63 is a lament offered with confident expectation.  The idea is to develop confidence in God during times of trouble.  David probably wrote this Psalm as he was fleeing from Absalom.  

1-2 – David is apparently inflight and unable to worship at the sanctuary, so he remembers past worship at the sanctuary.  His soul thirsts and his flesh faints for God.

3-4 – David is confident of future worship in the sanctuary.  David anticipates singing, lifting his hands, and praising God.

5-8 – Yet, David states he clings to God wherever he is, even in the watch of the night because God is his help.

9-11 – David then in confidence declares that those who seek his life will fail and die.  As a result, David will rejoice in God.

Psalm 62 is a call for confidence in God as his people are faced with the wicked who use power and wealth to oppress them.  The temptation in this case is to lose hope and to despair or seek security in power and wealth rather than in God.

1-2 – The singer begins by stating that on God alone and in silence will his salvation come.

3-4 – Next the singer addresses the wicked who attack him with lies and injustice.  

5-7 – Verses 5-7 repeat verses 1-2, although the description of “wait in silence” is now and imperative, a command.  In this way the singer expresses confidence in God salvation.

8-10 – Here the singer addresses the faith.  The wicked are but a breath.  Do not trust riches.

11-12 – God’s word is certain.  To say once and then twice is to say that the idea is sure or certain.  In this case, God alone has power and steadfast love, and God will judge a man’s heart by his deeds.  We see the same sentiment in the New Testament Book of James chapter 2, where faith is displayed by ones works.

Psalm 61 is a lament.  In many ways it is both an individual lament and a community lament, yet it also prays for the well-being of the Davidic King.  The idea here is that the well-being of the people is tied to the well-being of the king, the descendant of David.

1-3 – In poetic form, the congregation imagines themselves at the end of earth as they call upon God who is their refuge and their strong tower against the enemy.

4-5 – Although offered in first person, the Psalm is sung by the entire congregation.  The request for help is again poetic as they request to dwell in God’s tent forever and to find refuge under the safety of his wings.

6-7 – Now the Psalm asks for protection of the king.  Impliedly, the protection of their king will result in their protection as well.

8 – This protection and safety from God will result in songs praising God.

Psalm 60 is a lament for the whole community at a time when Israel’s existence on the land is threatened by gentile nations.  Stated differently, this Psalm informs us how to pray when your soldiers must fight in order to survive as a nation.  We are not sure which of the events in 2 Samuel 8 are the background for this Psalm. 

1-5 – The nation has lost its initials battles with the enemy and now their very existence is at risk.  The singer recognizes that these initial defeats are from God.

6-8 – The singer acknowledges that the land of Israel belongs to God and that they will yet have victory.  

9-12 – There is another plea for God’s saving hand and the acknowledgement that victory only comes from God, not from human effort.  Vain is the salvation of man.

Psalm 59 is another individual lament as the faithful person seeks protection from enemies who threaten his life.  The background for this Psalm is 1 Samuel 19:11 where King Saul sends men to watch and to wait for David at his house.  David escapes through a window.  The point of the Psalm is that David claims this pursuit is not his fault.  David uses the words: God – Elohim, O LORD – YHWH, and LORD of Hosts, YHWH Sabaoth for deity. 

1-10 – This is a cry for help in the face of fierce and bloodthirsty enemies.  Verses 1-2 are plea to be delivered from enemies.  Verses 3-4 give the reason for the prayer.  These evil men pursue David but for no transgression or sin of David.  The wicked are described as howling dogs, prowling about the city, with swords in their lips.  David states that God holds all the nations in derision, perhaps he. Is implying that Saul’s men are acting like gentiles.  

11-17 – This stanza declares confidence that God will protect David and make an example out of his persecutors.  David asks that the wicked may be defeated so that all will know that God rules over Israel and to the ends of the earth.  David again describes these men as howling dogs who curse and lie and who are trapped in their pride.  But David confidently sings of God’s steadfast love for David.  God is David’s fortress and refuge      

The first episode on the Commands of Jesus from 'The Bible in 3D Podcast' from Cogworks Media

Psalm 58 is a community lament, wherein God’s faithful people sing about injustice by their own rulers.  

1-2 – The Psalm begins by directly addressing the wicked rulers over them, who allow injustice, wrongs, and violence to the people.  Calling the wicked rulers gods is not to say that the wicked rulers are somehow the Nephilim, but rather to mock them because they act like they are gods.  Alternatively, some scholars believe that the meaning of the word in Hebrew is not gods but mighty lords.  

3-5 – David now brings the charge against these wicked rulers. The common thread is that the wicked rulers do not honor God.  They do not fear him, and so they act with impunity.  They are compared to poisonous serpents with venom like the adder.  

6-9 – A poetic curse is called upon the wicked rulers that their teeth will be broken, that they will dissolve like snails in the sun, that they will be like a still born child, and that they be swept away like brittle thorns in a fire. 

10-11 – The faithful are reminded that God will seek vengeance against the wicked rulers, and the faithful will glorify God as righteous.  God is the ultimate righteous ruler who will call these petty tyrants to account.

Psalm 57 is a lament as David is once again being pursued by King Saul, who wants to kill David.  Each of the two stanzas mention God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.

1-5 – David begins with a confident request for mercy.  David uses the titles of deity to include the Most High - El Elyon and God - Elohim.  David displays cheerful confidence amid danger because he knows that God fulfills his purpose for David.  Again, we see the poetic terms.  Enemies are described as lions, fiery beasts, men with teeth as sharps as spears, swords, and arrows.  God is described as a mother bird who puts her wings of protection around David.  God is exalted above the heavens and his glory is over all the earth.  And we honor God for such glory.

6-11 – Notice more poetic terms like a pit to fall into.  Here David emphasizes the expectation of victory and God’s vindication.  The result of answered prayer is that David will thank God within the congregation and will also praise God among the nations.  Here now is a question for us, do we thank God for answered prayers among the faithful, and do we praise God for his steadfast love and faithfulness among the unbelievers?