Biblical Reflections

Psalm 56 is part individual lament and part a Psalm of anticipated thanksgiving.  A prayer of gratitude that God has heard the cry for help and will act.  The events behind this Psalm are the same as Psalm 34, and they are discussed in 1 Samuel 21:10-15, when the Philistines seized David in the City of Gath.

1-4 – David reviews his difficult circumstances and sets his mind to trust in God for help and rescue.  Notice the words attacker, oppress, and enemies are followed by the word trust.  In this way, with the proper response of trust in God, David is not afraid.

5-7 – David gives further description of his enemies.  They are the opponents of all that is good, not just opponents of David.

8-11 – Here the singer acknowledges that God is for him, and this is the basis of his trust and his decision not to be afraid.  God is always for those who trust in him.

12-13 – Finally, the singer expresses confidence that if God is for him, then it is as good as done.

Psalm 55 is an individual lament only this time the danger comes from the betrayal of a close friend.  This likely based upon the betrayal of David by his closest friend and counselor, Ahithophel in 2 Samuel 15:12, 16:15-23.

1-3 – Here is a plea for mercy.  Danger comes from an enemy that bears a grudge against David in anger.

4-8 – David describes his desperation with words like anguish, terrors of death, fear, trembling, and horror.  He wishes he could be a dove and fly away to the desert for safety.

9-11 – David now asks God to destroy the enemy that brings such fear upon him.  Notice that the singer does not pray that the enemy will repent and relent as in other individual laments.

12-15 – David describes the betrayer, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend, with whom he took counsel, and with whom he walked side-by-side together in house of God.

16-19 – Now a call to God for help and an expression of trust that God will hear David’s plea.  

20-21 – Here is further description of the enemy, my companion, with whom we swore and oath together to protect each other.

22-23 – Confident declaration that the faithful who cast their burden on the LORD will be sustained by God and the righteous faithful person will be delivered from his enemies.  

Psalm 54 is an individual lament asking for God’s help against those who threaten the lives of the faithful.  This Psalm is based upon 1 Samuel 23:19 when the Ziphites, Hebrews, inform King Saul that David is hiding among them.  

1-3 – David calls to God to save him from ruthless men who seek his life.  Although the Ziphites are covenant people of Israel, they do not set God before themselves.

4-5 – David calls God his helper, the one who upholds the life of the faithful and who will return the evil back on his enemies.

6-7 – David looks forward when his promises to make a freewill offering God in thanksgiving of his anticipated rescue.

Psalm 53 is almost identical to Psalm 14.  They were likely alternate versions of the same Psalm before they were included in the Psalter.  The theme is to mourn that mankind does not seek after God, and they thus treat God’s people cruelly.  Psalm 14 uses the word LORD for Deity, whereas Psalm 53 uses the word God for Deity.  Psalm 53 describes in greater detail the terror that will befall the wicked, while Psalm 14 emphasizes the God’s care of the poor.

1-6 – The fool says in his heart that there is no God.  All people are corrupt.  No one is good no not one.  They eat up my people as they eat bread.  Yet, it is God who fights against them for us.  Although the Psalm is talking about the salvation of the faithful people of Israel, how much more we can pray the prayer as those saved by the blood of Christ.

Psalm 52 is a Psalm that gives the faithful confidence that God will deliver them when they are confronted with ruthless enemies.  This Psalm is based upon the murder of the priests of Nob, who had helped David, when he was being pursued by King Saul.  The chief evil doer is a man named Doeg.  Who reports the priests of Nob to King Saul, and at King Saul’s command Doeg slaughters all but one of high priests.  See 1 Samuel 21:1-7 and 1 Samuel 22:9-19.

1-4 – The main attack of Doeg against David is his lying tongue and boastful words.  

5-7 – David says to Doeg that God will deal with Doeg in the sight of all for his evil against David. The faithful who take refuge in God, like David, can rely on the LORD’s protection.  Doeg trusts in the abundance of his riches, but it will not help him. 

8-9 – In contrast, the man who trusts in God will be safe in the steadfast love God forever and ever. 

Merry Christmas from all of us here at Cogworks Media.

Psalm 51 is one of the seven penitential Psalms, and it is probably the best known of the penitential psalms because it is David’s confession and repentance when he is confronted by the Prophet Nathan after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband, Uriah the Hittite.  David appeals to God’s grace as the grounds for forgiveness.  Note that sacrifices in and of themselves do not provide forgiveness, but they are only of benefit to the sinner who is humble and repents in faith. 

1-2 – David begins by asking God to have mercy upon him because of God’s steadfast love. Here David calls back to Exodus 34:6-7, where God passes before Moses, who is in a cave on the side of a mountain, and proclaims “the LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgressions and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty…”  David calls for God to wash away his iniquity and cleanse him from sin.

3-5 –  David confesses his sin; he owns up to his sin.  David acknowledges that his actions have sinned against God, and that God’s judgment or justice upon him is clear and justified.  David goes so far as to say that he has been a sinner since the moment that he was conceived.   

6-13 – David asks for restoration and renewal with a fresh sense of God’s presence.  He wants to be clean on the inside, his inner self.  David asks that God blot out and no longer look at David’s sin.  David asks that God not take away the Holy Spirit from him.  Much has been said and written about this statement. The Old Testament says little about the Holy Spirit, so it is hard to use this one-line to justify a theological position on the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit.

14-17 – These verses deal with worship after a person’s sins have been forgiven.  True worship only comes as a result confession, repentance, forgiveness and restoration.

18-19 – These are interesting verses that imply each person’s spiritual relationship with God is somehow related to everyone else’s spiritual relationship with God.  The application for us is that as church body, we are a community of forgiven people worshipping God in the way that he has directed us.

Psalm 50 is a hymn an oracle, where the worshippers sing God’s instruction for how they should live holy lives.  Yes, the sacrificial system was given to the people as part of their covenant worship, yet sacrifice does not buy any favor or reward from God.  God wants faithfulness, thanksgiving, and obedience.  Of note there are seven different names of God in this Psalm.  This seems to be intentional as to say to the worshipper, no matter what your conception of God may be, God does not want you to think that your sacrifices can buy favor with him or bribe him to answer your supplications.

1-6 – God summons the Earth to assemble before him.  Three names of God are given in verse one; the Mighty One – El Gibhor, God – Elohim, and LORD – Yahweh.  El Gibhor means Mighty God, the powerful and mighty warrior, and the Messiah.  Elohim refers to God, the creator, all powerful and strong.  Notice that this word is plural, in reference to the Trinity and the name of God used in the creation account of Genesis chapter 1. Yahweh is the special covenant name that God told the Hebrews who agreed to the covenant blessings that they should call him.  Again, the psalmist uses poetic terms describing God as a devouring fire and a mighty tempest.  The fourth name of God is found in verse 6, where the word Judge – Shaphat is used.  God is the one who pronounces judgement.  These all-encompassing names of God make way for God as judge, who will judge all of the people of Earth.

7-15 – God calls people to worship him from their heart.  There he will judge their worship of him.  He does not need their sacrifices.  Instead, God wants their thanksgiving, praise, and obedience, this is what worships God.  In verse 14 we see the fifth term for God, the Most High – El Elyon.  God wants sacrifices from the heart from all peoples of the Earth. 

16-22 – God now rebukes the wicked who mouth their praise to God, yet by their actions show that they do not honor God with their heart.  In verse 21, we see the sixth term for God, I – Yahweh, which often stated in the English translations as I Am.  God is, he has no beginning and no end.  So, this instruction from God is not going to change, it is timeless.  Finally in verse 22, we find the seven name of God, God – El-oah, this is a term for Mighty God, made in the vocative case, directly addressing God.

23 – The final verse summaries the Psalm, the one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me, to the person who is disciplined and follows my commands, I will show that person the salvation of God.

Psalm 49 is a wisdom psalm.  It explains why the pious often deal with trouble, while in contrast, the unfaithful seem to get along so well in life.  The short answer is that God will distinguish between the faithful and the unfaithful after their death.  

1-4 – Here is a call to pay attention to attain wisdom and understanding, which is often used in Wisdom Literature to mean spiritual perception, the ability to approach life from God’s perspective.  The singer states that he will do this by solving a riddle.

5-12 – The riddle is presented, which, as stated above, is the question of why the faithful have times of trouble, while the unfaithful always seem to prosper.  The unfaithful trust in their wealth, yet they are not wealthy enough to ransom their lives from death.  All of the wealth of the unfaithful is left to others.  The unfaithful will die just as the faithful will someday die.  Then the Psalm explains what happens after death.

13-20 – The singer tells us that after death the unfaithful will be sent to Sheol, a grim place of destruction.  The unfaithful dead will be in an unnatural situation of having a soul unattached to a body.  In contrast God will ransom the soul of the faithful from Sheol.  Here we see future reference of Christ’s death on the cross that paid the ransom for our sins.  Instead of Sheol, the faithful after death will live in glory with God.  The implication is that the faithful will have new bodies in glory with God.

Official episode 1 from our sister podcast, The Bible in 3D, Slaves of God Season.