DBG - June 19 - Psalms 17-20

This psalm is a prayer of David.  It is an appeal for heavenly aid from earthly enemies. 

vs. 1-7 – David calls out to the Lord.  We do not see it until later but once again he is troubled by the wicked around him.  He makes the case for the Lord to hear him based on the character of God and David’s integrity.  David is not being boastful but establishing himself among the righteous.

vs. 8-12 – The reason for David’s plea is shown.  He is surrounded by the wicked and desires that God should shield him from their attacks. 

vs. 13-15 – David’s request is made clear.  He asks for deliverance from the wicked and for their plans to be disappointed in defeat.  In vs. 14 the wicked are described, who focus on this life and greedily devour the blessings of God which should turn them to faith.  Countering the wicked, in vs. 15 David says that he will focus on God’s presence and sees beyond this world into Heaven.

This psalm is by David and intended for public worship.  It was composed when David finally had peace from his enemies and Saul, Reese’s Chronological Bible places it after Saul stopped chasing David in I Samuel 27:2-4.  There is another version of this psalm found in II Samuel 22.  I think this was something of a theme song for David that he used through much of his life and went through some variations based on his experiences.  It is a song of grateful praise.

vs. 1-3 – God is exalted in the opening verses as David’s sure hope and refuge.  Through faith and experience he knew that the Lord would hear and answer prayers in desperate situations.

vs. 4-5 – Here the gravity of the situation is described that David had been delivered from.  He is not speaking poetically.  His life was in danger so many times.

vs. 6 – In that desperate hour, David’s prayer is heard.  The temple mentioned here I either referring to Heaven or the Tabernacle because this certainly predates Solomon’s Temple.  Sometimes David speaks of the coming Temple in way that anticipates its existence, but this does not seem to be the case here. 

vs. 7-15 – God responded to David’s call in an awe-inspiring display of this might and power.  The description harkens back to events when Moses and the children of Israel were camped at Sinai. 

vs. 16-19 – God responds to David prayer and rescues him from his calamity.

vs. 20-24 – David states that the reason for God’s rescue is based on his being righteous.  He is not boasting in these verses.  He is establishing himself to be righteous and not wicked.  God would not move so to save a wicked man, but for His own child He would.

vs. 25-29 – David reinforces that his deliverance was based on him being righteous.  He then goes on to describe how the Lord reacts to the righteous and how He aided David’s escape.

vs. 30-36 – It is God who strengthened and empowered David in his day of distress.  He still does so for us today.

vs. 37-42 – God is gracious and not only delivers David but gives him a great victory.  His foes are obliterated.

vs. 43-45 – God also expands David’s kingdom to foreign people.  This shows God’s greatness was not just over His people Israel but over all peoples.

vs. 46 – Here is a burst of praise toward the mighty God who works in the lives of His children.

vs. 47-50 – David describes God’s personal blessings upon him.  Every believer should be able to echo this sentiment.

This psalm is by David and intended for use in public worship in the Temple.  It is a song of praise for God’s revelation of Himself through creation and His Word.

vs. 1-6 – David appeals to the wonders of the heavens as proof of God’s glory.  He points to the cycle of day and night and the path of the sun.  The sun appears every morning with the joy of a newly married man and the eagerness of a runner about to race.  It testifies of God throughout all the earth through what theologians call general revelation, which is God showing Himself indirectly, which in this case it through Creation.

vs. 7-9 – David now turns from the general revelation of Creation to the special revelation of God’s Word.  That God who created all things and through them His glory is shown, He has revealed His mind and will to us in His Word.  The special revelation of God’s Word is greater and that the general revelation of Creation.

vs. 10-14 – The effects of God’s Word upon man are shown.  The righteous find sweetness therein.  The Scripture guides the thoughts and actions of the righteous.

This psalm is by David and is meant for public worship in the Temple.  It is an anthem of war and deliverance in battle.  We can also see in this the hope of deliverance through Christ.

vs. 1-5 – The structure of this psalm is like a blessing pronounced upon a soldier going to war.  It is addressed to a singular person.  Upon that person is pronounced the blessings of the Lord and the reinforcement of their righteousness.  It anticipates victory through the strength of the Lord.

vs. 6-8 – The coming victory is celebrated as if already completed.  It is vain to trust in human strength and the powerful weapons of war when the Almighty God fights against you.

vs. 9 – The psalm ends with a final plea for God to deliver.  The king in the final part of the verse is believed to refer to the Messiah.

It is sad to day how so many can look at the wonders of this world and the universe and not see the fingerprints of their Creator in them.  The general revelation of Creation loudly proclaims that it the product of a Master Creator.  Yet, today people use God’s masterpieces as proof that He does not exist.  Imagine seeing the Mona Lisa and doubting that Da Vinci existed!  Creation tells us there is a God, but He has gone beyond that and tells us in His Word details about Himself. 

Our hymn today appeared in early hymnals under the heading “Of the Glory of God in the Starry Heavens”.  It was written in 1712 by Joseph Addison, and picks up on the opening theme of Psalm 19 of God’s glory seen in Creation.

The spacious Firmament on high,
With all the wide, etherial Sky,
And spangled Heav’ns, a shining Frame,
Their great Original proclaim.
Th’ unwearied Sun, from Day to Day,
Does his Creator’s Power display;
And publishes to every Land
The Work of an Almighty Hand.

Soon as the Evening Shades prevail
The Moon takes up the wondrous Tale,
And, nightly to the listning Earth,
Repeats the Story of her Birth:
While all the Stars that round her burn
And all the Planets in their Turn
Confirm the Tidings as they roll,
And spread the Truth from Pole to Pole.

What tho' in solemn Silence all,
Move round the dark terrestrial Ball;
What tho' nor real Voice nor Sound,
Amidst their radiant Orbs be found;
In Reasons Ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious Voice,
For ever singing, as they shine,
The Hand that made us is divine.