Reading Through the Psalms

When you listen to the news, sometimes it seems like the world has gone

insane. It doesn't seem to make sense. It doesn't make sense because ther

are forces in operation outside of what we immediately see. Not only the Great

I AM, the truine God, and his angels, but also those who rebelled against him

(Rev 12:7-12, Isaiah 14:12) and Paul explains this clearly in Ephesians 6:11-12

where he states the real enemy is evil in three areas: evil rules and authorities

of the unseen world, powers in our world, and evil spirits in heavenly places.

We can see an explanation for the exponential rise in Antisemitism we are

seeing today and the bitter fight over the city of Jerusalem. It is because God

has chosen Zion as his city (v13) and has made an eternal covenant with David

and his descendants (v11, 2 Chronicles 13:5, Number 18:19, Isaiah 9:7, Isaiah

16:5, Isaiah 55:3, Ezekiel 34:23-25, John 7:42, Luke 1:32-33, Romans 11:2)

Jesus won the victory at the cross, but the story isn't over and won't be until the

veil is removed from the eyes of the Jewish people (Romans 11:7-10, Isaiah

29:10, Deut 29:4) and they corporately acknowledge him as Lord and Savior,

ushering in his return (Matthew 23:39, Luke 13:35, Zechariah 12:10, Romans

11:11-12)

It is event that the forces of evil are working against. If there are no

descendants of David in Jerusalem for this spirit of grace and supplication to

be poured out on (Zech 12:10,) no Israel to say to the one who was pierced,

"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD," (Luke 13:35, Matthew

23:39,) then God's Word is broken and Satan wins.

Let us join with Jesus and the prophets who confidently proclaim, "Your Word,

Lord, will never fail." (Matthew 24:35, Isaiah 55:11, Psalm 119: 81:82)

Psalms 32 and Psalm 82 are both proclamations that the LORD alone is

righteous, and all who oppose him will fail. Psalm 82 is a judgment against the

evil spiritual rulers/principalities mentioned in Ephesians 6:12. Psalm 32 is

David's acknowledgement of the innate wickedness of man, that we are utterly

without hope of righteousness without God as Redeemer and Savior. It also

acknowledges the need for repentance and confession as a requirement for

forgiveness and remission of sin. This is reiterated by John in 1 John 1:9 and

Jesus himself when he said, "I have come for those who know they need a

Savior." (Mark 2:17, Matthew 9:12, Luke 5:31-32, 1 Timothy 1:15, Isaiah 1:18)

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This collection of Psalms includes both praise and the prophetic. In Psalm 33, David reiterates his common refrain to trust in the Lord. Whatever the circumstance or situation, God alone is our ultimate hope, to put one's confidence in anything else is foolishness.

Psalm 83 is a prophetic, foretelling a future war in which the surrounding nations will come together in one accord to destroy Israel, but David declares, again, the Lord will be victorious. This particular configuration of allied enemies has not come together as one against Israel to date.

There are many opinions on where this Psalm fits in the End Time prophetic timeline. Some believe that it will be a precursor, one that sets the stage for the peace negotiated by the Man of Lawlessness/the Antichrist (Daniel 9:27)

and his End Time reign over the Tribulation or Time of Jacob's trouble. Some believe it is the same war prophesied in Ezekiel 38-39. There is also the

opinion that this war comes at the end of the MIllenial reign when Satan is loosed for a time. (Revelation 20:7)

Whatever the answer, and one day it will be clear, the truth remains that God's Word stands and he will be victorious.

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In these three Psalms, the writer encourages those who seek after God to praise him for his goodness. Psalm 34 is especially rich in David's exaltation in the Lord after God provided a way out of a difficult situation. He called to God and the Lord answered (vs. 6) and the confident declaration "the Lord's angel encamps around those who fear him and delivers them" is a verse to keep close to our hearts whatever trials come.

As David often does in his Psalms, David transitions from speaking about his own circumstances to prophesy about the Messiah. In verse 20, he prophesies "He protects all of his bones, not one of them is broken." Like the Passover lamb whose bones could not be broken (Exodus 12:46,) none of Jesus's bones were broken at the crucifixion as the perfect Passover sacrifice (John 19:36.)

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In James 4:7, the James, the half brother of Jesus gives a short and succint instruction on how to stand firm in the face of trials and tribulation. "Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee."

Paul gives further instruction in Ephesian 6:10-18 where he talks about the armor of God and how to prepare to stand firm. All of these was preceded by David, who in Psalm 35 also references the armor of God and God's salvation, Yeshua.

While certainly on one level David was speaking of his personal experiences through the many betrayals he experienced by those close to him, on another level it is also prophetic, foreshadowing Jesus's betrayal by one of his closest friends. Judas's plotting in verses 7-8, but ultimately it led to his own destruction. The unrighteous witnesses that testified against Jesus at his trial in verses 11-12. His loving care for his disciples and all those who came to him in verse 13-14, yet the crowd turned on him and jeered when he was beaten by the Romans and while he was hanging on the cross (verses 15-16.)

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In the beginning of Psalm 36, David gives the key insight . . . the one thing . . . that keeps people from God. Pride, and more specifically, pride in their own self righteousness. The wicked flatter themselves and cannot detect their own sin.

This is true of all of us. As David points out again in Psalm 19:12-13 and Psalm 51:10-12, we are not even capable of recognizing our own sin without the assistance of the Holy Spirit. This is a continuing refrain in Psalm 139:23-24 and 1 Corinthians 4:4-5.

It was this self righteous pride that caused Pharisee to miss their Messiah (Luke 7:30) because they couldn't repent, acknowledging their sinfulnes and turn to God (Matthew 3:1-11)

That is still the biggest hurdle people have coming to Jesus today . . . acknowledging their own sinfulness, that they can't do it on their own, and need a Savior.

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In Psalm 37, David addresses the question so many of us ask, "If the wages of sin is death (Genesis 2:17, Romans 6:23,) then why do so many wicked seem to prosper." David's assurance is that God will vindicate the righteous.

Very often God's timing is not at all what we would hope or expect, but He will be absolute justice in his perfect timing (Isaiah 49:8, 2 Corinthians 6:2, Hab 2:3 )

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Psalms 38 and 88 were both written in times of trouble. David cried out to God asking, "Do you see what is happening to me? Do you know what is going on?" Even in the the dark time, David expresses his confidence in God, knowing that if he humbles himself and cries out to God, the Lord will deliver him.

Psalm 138 is a praise for God's goodness and deliverance and presents a juxaposition between the proud and the righteous. God draws near to the humble but resists the proud (vs 6)

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Psalm 139 is one of the most vivid pictures of the loving care of God and his personal interest in us. In contrast to the cold and distant god of Islam who demands followers kill in his name to reach him and the abstract and impersonal god of Hinduism, Kabbalah, and the New Age where not only is the deity impersonal and unaware, even of itself in its highest form, but the ultimate goal is the destruction of the individual, a "oneness with the universe" where the unique person is no more.

All those above are in complete opposition to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the one whom David wrote of in Psalm 139 who knows everything about each person and is intimately aquainted with us. It is this intimate knowing that Paul references in 1 Corinthians 13:12 when he confidently asserts that one day we will fully know God even as he already completely knows us.

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Everyone goes through trials and tribulations, dark times and depression. If you haven't, you either haven't lived long enough or are lying to yourself. God doesn't promise that we won't have trials, but he does promise that he will be with us through them. Psalm 40 was written by David praising God after coming through one of his many trials.

Psalm 40 also reveals the blessing in the trial. Verse 3, "He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord."

When God brings you through a difficult situation, you have a new testimony, a stronger witness, and a more confident faith. And as the Psalm states, we are to proclaim God's faithfulness and tell of his goodness to others, both for encouragement and to draw them to him. For as the angel speaking to the apostle John in Revelation 19:10 states, "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

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Psalm 91 is one of the most powerful of the Psalms written by David speaking of God's deliverance and salvation (Yeshua.) It is God's "911." Satan himself quoted the verse 12 of the Psalm when in the wilderness temptation, he suggested that he through himself off the cliff because angels would lift him up (Luke 4:11-12, Mattthew 4:6-7.) Psalms 41 and 141 both illustrate the characteristics of the person who can have that faith in the deliverance of God.

Jesus's response to Satan is one that every Christ follower should take note of, "Do not test the Lord your God."

Deception and misdirection often use truth to tell a lie. That was Satan's strategy in his temptation of Jesus, distort Scripture to justify what would have been a sin.

Which is why when using Scripture as a support, sometimes the most pernicious lies and horrific doctrine have one tent pole Scripture that they use as a single support. No doctrine, belief, or action should justify itself by one verse. The Bible as a whole has to be taken into account, it all fits together.

How many times do we as Christians follow Satan's wilderness path? We claim the promises and deliverance of God but ignore the rest. We reject God's discipline, his guidance, and go our own way instead of submitting to him. (James 4:7.)

We do what we know we are not supposed to be doing, throwing ourselves off that cliff, and then go to God, claiming the blood of Jesus and never truly repenting, and go back out and do the same thing again.

Dietrich Bonheoffer called that mindset "cheap grace."

"Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession…. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate." - From the Cost of Discipleship

The Bible gives us powerful promises of deliverance that we can stand on, but they are for those who submit themselves to God and put their trust in him (Psalm 91:1-2.)

If you've been praying with no answer, if it seems like God doesn't hear, that this promise is a lie . . . maybe it is a heart issue . . . your heart, not God's. Have you made God your refuge? (Psalm 91:9, Psalm 141:8) Have you walked in integrity? (Psalm 41:12) Have you set your heart to do and speak right according to what God says and not what man says? (Psalm 141:1-4)

Have you truly set your heart after him and his salvation? (Psalm 91:14-16, Matthew 6:33, Luke 12:31)

Get real with God and he will be real with God. He will do exactly what he says he will do.

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