Wednesday
Evening Bible Study
January 28, 2004
Psalm 86
A Prayer of David.
This is the only Psalm in this “book” that specifically says it was written
by David.
It’s a prayer for help.
:1-7 Help me
:2 Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that
trusteth in thee.
holy – chaciyd – faithful, kind, godly, holy
one, saint, pious
(Psa 86:2 NIV) Guard my
life, for I am devoted to you
(Psa 86:2 NASB) Do preserve my soul, for I am a godly man
:3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.
Lord – ‘Adonay – my lord,
lord
This is not the word for God’s name (Yahweh) as in verse 1. This is the word simply meaning “lord” or
“master”.
:8-17 God is great
:11 unite my heart to fear thy name.
unite – yachad – to join,
unite, be joined, be united
(Psa 86:11 NLT) Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live
according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, that I may honor you.
Lesson
Help and His Lordship
The opposite of a “united” heart is a divided heart.
A “divided” heart is a heart that can’t decide who its going to trust or
follow.
(Hosea 10:2 KJV) Their heart is divided; now shall they be found
faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.
(Hosea 10:2 NLT) The hearts of the people are fickle; they are
guilty and must be punished. The LORD will break down their foreign altars and
smash their many idols.
The judgment in Hosea’s day was because the people were
following more than the Lord.
Jesus talked about how many “gods” a person could serve.
(Mat 6:19-24 KJV) Lay
not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves break through and steal: {20} But lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves do not break through nor steal: {21} For where your treasure is, there
will your heart be also. {22} The light of the body is the eye: if therefore
thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. {23} But if thine eye
be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that
is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! {24} No man can serve two
masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will
hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
You can only follow one Lord at a time.
Note how many times in this Psalm David refers to God as “Lord” (only first
letter capitalized).
The word “adonai” is found 53
times in the 150 Psalms. Yet in this
Psalm it’s found seven times (Verses 3,4,5,8,9,12,15).
The idea of “Lord” is a major theme in this Psalm.
I think this is why David can call himself “holy” or “faithful”.
There’s a connection to “Lord” and obedience. Jesus said,
(Mat 7:21
KJV) Not every one that saith unto me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will
of my Father which is in heaven.
Jesus also said,
(John 14:15 KJV)
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
This Psalm is a cry for help. But it
comes from a person who understands the Lordship of God in his life.
He doesn’t see himself as perfect.
He asks God to help “unite” his heart.
When you ask God for help, get the Lordship thing straightened out first.
:17 Show me a token for good
(Psa 86:17 NLT) Send me a sign of your favor. Then those who hate
me will be put to shame, for you, O LORD, help and comfort me.
Psalm 87
A Psalm or Song for the sons of Korah.
This next Psalm is about where you’re from.
How many of you were born in California? Where were some of the rest of you born?
Illustration
You know you're from California
when:
*You were born somewhere else.
*The fastest part of your commute is down your driveway.
*You know how to eat an artichoke.
*The primary bugs that you worry about are electronic.
*Your car has bulletproof windows.
*Left is right and right is wrong.
*Your monthly house payments exceed your annual income.
*You pack shorts and a T-shirt for skiing in the snow, and a sweater and a
wetsuit for the beach.
*When you can't schedule a meeting because you must "do lunch".
:1-3 God loves Zion
:2 The LORD loveth the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Zion – another name for Jerusalem.
Zion is the hill that Jerusalem
is built on.
:4-7 Born in Zion
:4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon
to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre,
with Ethiopia;
this man was born there.
These are ancient cities and nations.
Rahab – The chaos monster of mythology, used in the Bible to
symbolize Egypt
Babylon – both the city
and the empire
Philistia – the nation of the Philistines
Tyre – one of the main
cities of the Phoenicians, to the north of Israel
Ethiopia
– the nation, south of Egypt.
:6 The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was
born there. Selah.
God has a record of where people are born. He pays special attention to the
person born in Zion (Jerusalem).
Lesson
Where are you born?
It’s a special thing to God that a person is born in Jerusalem.
God notices where you are born.
(John 3:1-9 KJV) There was
a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: {2} The same came
to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher
come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be
with him. {3} Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. {4}
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter
the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? {5} Jesus answered,
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. {6} That which
is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
{7} Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. {8} The wind
bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not
tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of
the Spirit. {9} Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
Some people claim to be Christians but also claim that
they aren’t “born again”.
Jesus says that a person MUST be
born again.
Jesus will clarify how a person becomes born again.
(John 3:16-21 KJV) For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. {17} For God
sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through him might be saved. {18} He that believeth on him is not condemned: but
he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the
name of the only begotten Son of God. {19} And this is the condemnation, that
light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because
their deeds were evil. {20} For every one that doeth evil hateth the light,
neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. {21} But he
that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that
they are wrought in God.
It’s special if you are born in Jerusalem. It’s even more special when you are born
again.
Psalm 88
Song of the depressed/ hopeless
This is the saddest Psalm in the entire book of Psalms. It doesn’t get more depressing than this.
Speaking of depressing …
Illustration
Mushrooms
When it came time for Jimmy and Susie Brown to have the dinner at their
house, like most women, Susie wanted to outdo all the others and prepare a meal
that was the best that any of them had ever been served. A few days before the
big event, Susie got out her cookbook and decided to have mushroom smothered
steak. When she went to the store to buy some fresh mushrooms, she found the
price was more than she wanted to pay. She then told her husband, “We aren’t
going to have any fresh mushrooms because they are too expensive.” He said,
“Why don’t you go down by the creek and pick some wild mushrooms? There are
plenty of them right on the bank of the creek.” She said, “No, I don’t want to
do that, because I have heard that wild mushrooms can be poisonous.” He then
said, “I don’t think so. I see the varmints eating them all the time and it
never has affected them.” After thinking about this, Susie decided to give this
a try and got in the pickup and went down to the creek and picked some. She
brought the wild mushrooms back home and washed and sliced them to get them
ready go over her smothered steak. Then she went out on the back porch and got
Ol’ Spot’s bowl and gave him a double handful. She even put some bacon grease
on them to make them tasty. Ol’ Spot didn’t slow down until he had eaten every
bite. All morning long Susie watched him and the wild mushrooms didn’t seem to
affect him, so she decided to use them. The meal was a great success, and Susie
even hired a lady to help her serve. She had on a white apron and a little cap
on her head. It was first class. After everyone had finished they all began to
kick back and relax and socialize. The men were visiting and the women started
to gossip a bit. About this time the lady who helped serve came in from the
kitchen and whispered in Susie’s ear. She said, “Mrs. Brown, Spot just died.”
With this news, Susie went into hysterics. After she finally calmed down, she
called the doctor and told him what had happened. The doctor said, “It could be
bad, but I think we can take care of it. I will call for an ambulance and a
couple of EMTs and I will be there as quick as I can get there. We will pump
out everyone’s stomach and everything will be fine. Just keep them all there
and keep them calm.” It wasn’t long until they could hear the wail of the siren
as the ambulance was coming down the road. When they got there, the EMTs got
out with their suitcases and a stomach pump and the doctor arrived shortly
thereafter. One by one they took each person into the master bedroom and pumped
out their stomach. After the last one was finished, the doctor came out and
said, I think everything will be fine now, and he left. They were all looking
pretty peaked sitting around the living room, and about this time the lady who
had helped serve the dinner came in and said, “You know, that fellow that ran
over Ol’ Spot never even stopped!
Talk about depressing!
A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath
Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.
Mahalath – perhaps the name of a tune
Leannoth – ‘anah – to
afflict, oppress, humble, be afflicted, be bowed down
This is a tune of affliction.
Maschil – this is a song that is supposed to teach.
Heman – Heyman –
“faithful”; son of Joel, grandson of Samuel, and a Levitical singer. Also a very strong guy J
Ezrahite – ‘Ezrachiy – “a
native (as arising out of the soil)”; Ezrahite, of the family of Zerach
:1-7 Depression and death
:4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that
hath no strength:
pit – bowr – pit, well,
cistern
(Psa 28:1 KJV) Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent
to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the
pit.
:5 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave,
free – chophshiy – free;
free (from slavery); free (from taxes or obligations)
(Psa 88:5 NASB) Forsaken among the dead, Like the slain who lie in
the grave…
(Psa 88:5 NLT) They have abandoned me to death, and I am as good as
dead.
:8-10 Abandoned, hopeless
:11-18Afflicted and praying
:13 But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer
prevent thee.
prevent – qadam – (Piel)
to meet, confront, come to meet, receive; to go before, go in front, be in
front; to lead, be beforehand, anticipate, forestall
:18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into
darkness.
Many of the Psalms express great sadness, but often the Psalmist finds his
way out of the darkness. This Psalm ends
with apparently no relief.
Lesson
The pit of depression
Depression is very real.
We all experience it.
Illustration
Wrong Answer?!
The psychology instructor had just finished a lecture on
mental health and was giving an oral test. Speaking specifically about manic
depression, she asked, “How would you diagnose a patient who walks back and
forth screaming at the top of his lungs one minute, then sits in a chair
weeping uncontrollably the next?” A young man in the rear raised his hand and
answered, “A basketball coach?”
Moses was so frustrated with the problems of leading the nation of Israel
that he asked God if he could just die.
Jeremiah was known as the “weeping prophet”.
Charles Spurgeon talks to young pastors about the “minister’s fainting
fits”, about how all men in ministry go through times of great melancholy.
Depression can twist the truth
The Psalmist says,
(Psa 88:5 KJV)
…whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.
Does God remember the dead? He certainly does.
The Sadducees did not believe in miracles or in a
resurrection. At one point they tried to
trip up Jesus in the area of the resurrection, coming up with a story about
seven brothers who married the same gal, one after another. They wondered whose wife the gal would be in
this so called “resurrection”. Jesus’
reply:
(Mat 22:29-33 KJV) Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err,
not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. {30} For in the resurrection
they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
{31} But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which
was spoken unto you by God, saying, {32} I am the God of Abraham, and the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the
living. {33} And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his
doctrine.
His implication is that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were not
dead and forgotten, but very much alive after death.
The Psalmist says,
(Psa 88:10
KJV) Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee?
Selah.
Has God shown wonders to the dead?
This is written from the viewpoint of the person who is
hopeless and can’t see past their current tragedy.
It seems to me that some of the Old Testament writers
didn’t have a good idea of what happened after death. Job has this idea that
you just sleep and are eaten by worms.
Other Old Testament writers knew the truth:
(Psa 16:10 KJV) For thou wilt not leave my soul in
hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
When Jesus died, He went to preach to the souls in Sheol. That
sounds pretty “wonderful”.
Do the dead rise and praise God?
Absolutely
Lesson
When you’re depressed, pray
That’s what the Psalmist is doing.
He’s praying.
(Psa 88:13 KJV) But unto
thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.
The enemy wants to convince you that prayer isn’t going to help.
Prayer does help.
It’s not uncommon when I’m counseling with someone that I get to a point of
total frustration, not knowing what to say to them. And then we pray. And I wonder over and over why I don’t just
start all counseling with lots and lots of prayer.
God hears prayer. Prayer breaks
through depression.
Elijah was had won a tremendous contest with the prophets of Baal on Mount
Carmel, yet when he was threatened by Jezebel, he ran for his life and went
into a horrible depression.
(James 5:16-18 KJV) Confess
your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. {17} Elias was a
man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might
not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six
months. {18} And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth
brought forth her fruit.
Elijah got depressed.
But he was a man who knew how to pray.
Psalm 89
Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
Maschil – a song of instruction
Ethan the Ezrahite – thought to be the man also known as Jeduthun, a
worship leader in David’s day. This song
doesn’t seem to be one written during David’s day, but if Jeduthun was a young
man under David, it’s possible he might have written this song after Solomon’s
reign, when the kingdom fell apart under Rehoboam.
The song is about God’s covenant with the house of David. Apparently some sort of national tragedy has
occurred, possibly some sort of wartime defeat.
The Psalmist is reminding God of his everlasting covenant with the house
of David to rule over Israel.
Another suggestion is that the Psalm was written after the Babylonian
captivity, when there was no throne in Jerusalem,
no descendant of David leading the nation.
:1-4 God’s mercy and covenant with David
:1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever
mercies – checed –
goodness, kindness, faithfulness – God’s special love for His people based on
His covenant with them.
:3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David
God’s covenant with David will be the underlying theme of the Psalm.
:5-14 God is strong
:6 who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?
Who among the angels.
:10 Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces
Rahab – Rahab – “breadth”;
storm, arrogance (but only as names); mythical sea monster; emblematic name of Egypt
:12 Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.
Tabor and Hermon – mountains in Israel
:15-18 Blessings of worship
:15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound
the joyful sound – t@ruw‘ah –
alarm, signal, shout or blast of war or alarm or joy
(Psa 89:15 NLT) Happy are
those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of
your presence, LORD.
:19-37 David’s eternal throne
:19 Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid
help upon one that is mighty
(Psa 89:19 NLT) You once
spoke in a vision to your prophet and said, "I have given help to a
warrior. I have selected him from the common people to be king.
God spoke through both the prophet Samuel and the prophet Nathan concerning
the kingship of David.
The Psalmist is now going to talk about how God set up David and his
descendants to rule forever.
:27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
This is ultimately talking about the Son of David, the Messiah, Jesus the
Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
:33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor
suffer my faithfulness to fail.
Even though the descendants of David might fall away from the Lord,
ultimately God would still honor His covenant with David, being fulfilled in
Jesus.
:38-45 A defeated Davidic king
:38 But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine
anointed.
Apparently there has been some national catastrophe and God has not
delivered the nation through the king, the descendant of David.
:46-48 How long?
:49-52 Remember us
:52 Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.
This doxology closes Book III. As
we’ve mentioned, the Psalms are broken into “books”, and each book ends with a
“doxology”, a praise to God.
:49 Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto
David in thy truth?
Lesson
Count on God’s love
When things don’t make sense, it’s good to remind yourself of God’s love.
That’s why the Psalmist starts with:
(Psa 89:1 KJV) I will sing
of the mercies of the LORD for ever
(Rom 8:31
KJV) What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
(Rom 8:35-39 KJV) Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? {36} As it is
written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep
for the slaughter. {37} Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him that loved us. {38} For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor
life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, {39} Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be
able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Lesson
You don’t see the end of it yet
The Psalmist ends with this sad tone, “where are you God?”
He knows God’s promises, but it seems that they aren’t going to happen.
He doesn’t see Jesus yet. Jesus will
fulfill the very things the Psalmist is talking about.
Psalm 90
A Prayer of Moses the man of God.
We’ll do this on Sunday morning.