Thoughts on Psalm 7

The first thing we notice about this Psalm is that it is titled ‘Shiggaion’. It’s a wild, passionate cry. David is being pursued by a ruthless enemy. None other than Saul. ‘Cush, a Benjamite’ appears to be a code-word for Saul.

The second thing we notice is that David is being falsely accused. He is being slandered by many. Satan is the one who keeps accusing us falsely. If his direct attack fails, then he will try calumny and lies. He hates the children of God. David was one who was hated more than any other man of God, barring Joseph. He was neglected by his father, hated & rebuked by his brothers, pursued by Saul and cursed by Shimei.

Why was Saul so angry with David, and wanted to ‘tear his soul like a lion’? David remembers the sight of a lion dragging away a poor, defenseless lamb. The same David had come to its rescue. Now he cries out to God to rescue him from the rage of his enemies.

Thirdly, we see David pleading his innocence. He never conspired against Saul, despite Saul trying to kill him again & again. His heart was pure; his hands were clean. In fact, twice David let Saul escape (1 Sam 24 & 26).

Fourthly, David cries out to God the Righteous Judge. He calls Him, ‘LORD, my God’ (the 1st time we come across this phrase in the Psalms). Yes, Jehovah is MY God. He is my Redeemer. The Lord Jesus Christ is MY God and Savior. But He is also Judge, the Righteous Judge, seated on the Judgment Seat, 7b, surrounded by His people who cry out for justice. Yes, the Lord will vindicate His people. No weapon formed against them will prosper; and every tongue that falsely accuses them will the Lord condemn. Isaiah 54.17.

Fifthly, David takes refuge in God and sees God as his shield, his defence, 10. David has left the matter of his vindication in the hands of his Righteous Judge, 11.

And, sixthly, we see how the Righteous Judge responds. If the anger of the wicked is like a fierce lion pouncing on a poor lamb, the wrath of God is even more terrible. God is angry with the wicked every day, 11b. He is patient & longsuffering, wanting the wicked to repent, 12a. But if he does not, then the Lord’s sword & arrows (fiery shafts) will fall. That’s exactly what happened to Saul. Saul was wounded by the arrows of the Philistines (who he plotted to use to destroy David). Saul was killed by the sword of the Amalekite (whom he spared in 1 Sam 15).

God’s retribution! Haman was hanged upon the gallows he himself had prepared. Ahitophel’s cunning recoiled on himself, and he went & hanged himself. Even the Rich Man in Luke’s gospel, who did not give a crumb to the beggar Lazarus, received not a drop in return. As you sow, you shall reap, Gal 6.7

Seventhly, as God’s children, we have to go through such painful experiences. Envy, jealousy, malice, hate. It was out of envy that the chief priests accused the Lord Jesus before Pilate, and stirred up the crowd to demand our Lord’s crucifixion. Envy like a canker burns in the soul and blinds us with hate. Our greatest enemies are from within; false friends who betray us (like Judas), jealous companions. Why so? If the flesh is not completely crucified, if the cross has not dealt completely with our old nature, we too can betray the Lord and deny Him and be no better than the uncircumcised Philistines. The Philistines dwelt in Palestine along with the Israelites; but the difference was that they were ‘uncircumcised’ (the mark of the cross was lacking in them). So also in the church, there is the mixed multitude. And it takes the inward cross to separate the sheep from the goats.

The Lord in His wisdom takes His children through fiery experiences so that they can see how deceitful and wicked the human heart is, and how incorrigible the flesh remains.

Psalm 9

Psalm 9

What do we learn from this Psalm? The English translation is not as smooth as the indigenous translation. Many translations in the native tongues are inspired by God’s Spirit. They have a wonderful smoothness & flow.

First, we see that it is a psalm of deliverance & is very positive and full of thanksgiving. The first 2 verses strike a high note of praise. Joy and gratitude pours from the heart of David. [And observe, he is still undergoing trials & afflictions, v. 13.]

When we go through trials we find it very hard to praise God. How could David be so positive and so full of praise?  I believe he was in the habit of praising God repeatedly every day; see Psalm 119.164. We pray more than we praise God. We moan & complain instead of magnifying God through praise & worship.

Secondly, the psalm is full of faith. As we have said, deliverance has been accomplished (vv 3-4); God has pleaded David’s cause & vindicated him; as a consequence, his enemies are routed. But David continues to go through afflictions, v.13.

The approach of the man of God is: ‘God who delivered me in the past, will deliver me even now and in the future.’ Was that not Paul’s attitude also, as we see in 2 Corinthians 1.10? Both David and Paul are strong in faith, because they have passed through many trials, many experiences of death, and they have come on to resurrection ground. Compare 9.13b and 2 Cor 1.9. If we want strong & unshaken faith, we must go through deep experiences of the cross. It is the cross that brings us to the higher ground of a deeper knowledge of Christ and a more steadfast mustard-seed faith.

Thirdly, we observe that David is not complacent about God. He knows that God who has delivered him in the past will continue to deliver him. But He is not passive or resigned to the situation; he keeps crying out for help and mercy, v.13. The psalms reflect the continuous outpouring of prayers from the heart of the man of God. May we also learn to pour out our heart to God in prayers and praises. This is daily devotional exercise that we must cultivate.

Fourthly, we see how David through his deep personal experiences has proved the faithfulness & righteousness of God, that ‘God is faithful’. The Lord will never forsake those who seek Him, v.10. God never forgets the cry of the afflicted, the humble, v.12. Are we longing for God? Are we crying out to Him?

Now David as one who represents the righteous, seeing how God has obtained the victory for him, in him and through him in a personal level, brings out the faithfulness and righteousness of God on to the general  & universal level, vv. 5-6. You, O Lord, who have dealt righteously and mercifully in my case, have always done so in the history of the nations. How did God deal with the seven ungodly nations in Canaan? Deut 7.1. How did God deal with Pharaoh and Egypt? How terrible were His judgments in Egypt! We know how God dealt with Babylon, Egypt, Edom & Tyre. When God passes a final judgment, it is final, irrevocable. Therefore let the rebellious & ungodly nations tremble before Him.

The ungodly are like the chaff which the wind blows away. Does that not remind you of Dan 2.35? Is that not what David is saying in vv. 5b, 6c? ‘Their names have been blotted out forever; their very memory has perished.’ Has not Babylon the great empire become a desolation? Jer 51.29, 37. Very shortly the Babylon of modern civilization (the political, religious and commercial ‘Babylon’) will be judged & condemned forever. Read Revelation 18.

Fifthly, we see the God of retribution. Those who dig a pit will fall into it; those who hide a net will be snared by it. The Lord will avenge His saints, Rev 16.6. For all the blood of the martyrs spilt throughout history, there is going to be a terrible carnage. O you godless ones, read the Book of Revelation and tremble. We are warned in the Old Testament by  the instances of proud & wicked individuals who met God’s dreadful retribution. Haman hung from his own gallows, Saul who threw his spear at both David & Jonathan, was killed by an Amalekite with his own spear. (Though he fell on his sword, he did not die. I believe the Amalekite killed him with his spear.) And do we not know the fate of Adonibezek, Agag, Ahithophel? Perhaps the most dreadful example of God’s retributive justice is Pharaoh of Egypt. There is a divine principle: ‘as you sow, you will reap’. Gal 6.7-8; Hos 8.7. Sow to the flesh, and you will reap corruption. Sow the wind, and you will reap the whirlwind.

Sixthly, and most importantly, in this Psalm we see God’s throne, vv. 4, 7. It is a throne of grace for all the saints, or as the O.T. puts it, for the ‘poor & needy’, v.18. There are several comforting verses in this Psalm: 9-10, 12, 13c, 14c, 18. But while the throne is a throne of grace, it is also a throne of judgment. And God’s judgment & justice predominate in this psalm, vv. 4, 5-6, 7-8, 16 & 19. The throne means that God is in full control. The wicked cannot escape. And neither can we, if we take God lightly and harbour casual & indifferent thoughts about God. We live in an age of sentimentality, shallowness & spurious faith.

David is conscious of the throne of God; though it is not recorded that he had a vision of God’s throne like Isaiah and John. Now we believers must also be conscious of  and in touch with the throne of God. We see the altar, but not the throne. Acts of the Apostles shows clearly that the early church was in constant touch with the throne of God, and that throne was brought to bear upon every conspiracy and onslaught of the wicked against the children of God.

Finally, the Psalm ends with a homily against man. Let not man prevail, v.19a. Let the nations realize that they are ‘but men’, v.20b. We live in an age where ungodly man is constantly being glorified. Who is man? He is a mere breath, Ps.39.5, a vain show, Ps.39.6; lighter than breath, Ps. 62.9. What are the nations? They are a drop in a bucket, Isa. 40.15; they are dust on the balances, Isa. 40.17. The believer too must realize that he like Jacob is a ‘mere worm’, Isa 41.14. David is not impressed by outward show, by man’s false glory or his splendid talents & gifts. How much we idolize man! Humanism and modern science are reprehensible to God. David is not afraid of Goliath, even as Elijah was not afraid of Ahab. The man of God stands in the presence of God, and he knows that his God is a living God, an almighty God, who alone is worthy to be worshipped forever & ever. How dare man exalt himself before the living & awesome God!

Why does David refer to the nations as the wicked, the ungodly? We observe that the wicked have (i) no fear of God, v.20a; (ii) they forget God; ie. God is not at all in their thoughts, v.17; (iii) and they constantly plot against and persecute the children of God,v.15. Will not God, for the honor of His name, judge them for this? He will surely do so.

Pachelbel on the Highway

An Assortment of Tropical Fruits

My Balcony Garden

Monsoon

“The monsoon marches on fierce grey clouds,

And the city streets mushroom with umbrellas.”

Tan Pratonix

(Inspired by Twitter.)

Just joined Ping.fm and I hope it’s going to be a cool experience.

Groaning…Prayer in the Spirit

Prayer has to come from the bottom of our heart. We cannot pray merely with our lips. We have to put our heart and soul into our prayers. Especially when we pray alone. We need to groan and travail in prayer. Our prayer can be short, just 2 to 3 minutes, but if it is fervent and intense and from the bottom of our heart, I believe it touches the throne of grace. How many of our prayers merely hit the roof and bounce back! Oh, we need to get in touch with God. He hears prayer!

Prayer has to come forth like groaning. Oh, Lord, You must help me; You must deliver me; You must glorify Your name [as a prayer-hearing and prayer-answering God]! I do believe that we must prove God through prayer. Lack of earnest intense prayer is the greatest drawback in our spiritual life. Everything has to come from God. We live in and by and through Him. That is why it is written that Christ is our life, Colossians 3.4. And that is why He said, ‘You have to eat Me and drink Me in order to experience eternal life.’ May we learn to groan in the spirit.

Aids to the Prayer Life

I find it difficult to pray alone. I believe this problem affects more than 90% of Christians. How can we find time for prayer alone? He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty. We need to enjoy the presence of God every day in our lives. This is only possible through personal prayer.

I have found two ways to help me pray more. One: singing spiritual songs. When I sing these songs, my heart is at peace and I feel inspired to pray. The prayer is short and intense; behind it is the inspiration of the Spirit. Two: the alarm on my cell-phone! I fix up the alarm on my cell-phone clock at, say, 11 am in the morning. I’m in my office and the alarm rings. I’m busy; I press ‘snooze’. The alarm shuts down. But again after 5 minutes the alarm is ringing again. It’s buzzing me for prayer. “Get up and pray! Get up and pray!” it says. And I have to get up and go into my ante-room and pray, because the alarm is insistent. Lord, help me to pray more and more. Help me spend more time at Your feet in prayer. Then my heart is strengthened, my faith is made steadfast, and my thought-life is purified and I gain heavenly wisdom. It’s a great experience. I’m able to pray 3 to 4 times like this in my office. And I am able to do much more work, with a great amount of inner peace and tranquillity in my thought life.

Strengthen your spirit by prayer. Keep in touch with God. He is your life, your strength, your wisdom in Christ Jesus.

Joseph is a Fruitful Bough

Joseph is a fruitful bough, Gen 49.22. When Jacob spoke these words of blessing, he spoke into the future. Jacob was aware of the failings of all his sons; some did not receive blessings, others got mixed blessings, and only two [Judah and Joseph] receive full blessing. While Judah received the sceptre, Joseph received something special – fruitfulness. The difference between Judah and Joseph was that the latter paid the ‘price’ for his blessing. Are we prepared to pay a price? The price is nothing but absolute surrender to the will of God, and that price only a few would dare to pay.

Joseph was a fruitful bough whose branches ran over a wall. Though he had but two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, their descendants grew into a numerous and powerful people. We remember that Joshua was an Ephraimite, while Gideon was from Manasseh. Manasseh received two portions of territory, on either side of the river Jordan. However, the historical explanation does not suffice. There is a spiritual explanation for fruitfulness. God is looking for fruit in us, but it is not in mere numbers. While ‘in the days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and sprout and will fill the whole world with fruit’ [Isa 27.6], it is the remnant of the house of Judah which shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward.’ [Isa 37.31]

What is this fruit? How do we become a ‘fruitful bough’? Careful study of the Scriptures would show that there are seven ways to arrive at fruitfulness, and while this is explained to some extent in the Parable of the Sower and his Seed, I believe that the Bible explains this fruit to us in clear spiritual terms. We need the fruit of repentance [Matt 3.8], followed by the fruit that comes from the implanted word [Matt 13.23]. Then comes the fruit that we receive while walking in the light as children of light [Eph 5.9], and the more abundant fruit that comes from having the ‘fear of the Lord’. Perusal of Psalm 128.1-4 would show that by fearing the Lord and walking in His ways, the blessings flow into the family; the wife becomes a fruitful vine, the children olive plants around the table. And then there are the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which we read in Galatians 5.22,23, when we learn to walk by the Spirit or under the lordship of the Spirit. And then follow the fruit of righteousness [Heb 12.11], which comes from the discipline of the Lord and results in ‘good works’ [Col 1.10, Tit 3.14], whereby men may glorify the Lord. But deeper still is the fruit of travail.

We read in Isaiah 53 of the ‘offspring’ of the travail of the Cross, and how the Lord is satisfied with such fruit. Only a remnant will come to this level. Zion travailed and gave birth to her ’sons’, Isa 66.8. We remember the barrenness of Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel. They could produce no fruit of the womb until God visited them, and this He did in His own time, after much waiting. That waiting is a tremendous exercise, which brings with it a deep burden in the heart and a longing for the divine answer. The fruit produced by the travail of the soul is enduring fruit which will not perish, which will bring glory to the Lord and blessing to the world. Joseph was a blessing not only to his brothers, but to all Egypt, and in fact to the whole famine-stricked world as they came to him to receive bread from his hands.