The Tabernacle of David
“Part III”
Part III. - Table of Contents
Title Page
The Tabernacle of David
A Study of how the Psalms
Define Prophetic Numerology
(Psalms 73 – 89)
“Part III”
By
Russell M. Stendal
Chapter 73.
The prime number seventy-three does not occur by itself in Scripture but is included four times as part of a larger number. These occurrences have to do with the firstborn and with the priests and Levites who belong to God.341
Psalm 73
1 Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are pure in heart.
God is good to his people. He does, however, desire and require that his people be pure in heart. Jesus said, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8). It would be disastrous for those who are not pure in heart to be exposed to the direct presence of God. This is why there was a veil in the temple separating the Holy Place of priestly ministry from the holy of holies.
2 But as for me, my feet almost departed from the way; my steps had almost slipped.
3 For I became angry against the foolish when I saw the peace of the wicked.
The psalmist unleashed what he may have thought was righteous indignation against the “foolish;” then he suddenly checked himself when he realized his feet had almost departed from the way and he had almost slipped. The wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God (James 1:20).
4 Because there is no restraint that would bring about their death, but their strength is firm.
The wicked have no restraint. They are lawless. However, if we walk with God, he places us under the restraint of his Spirit, who lets us know when he is pleased or displeased with our behavior.
5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.
6 Therefore they are crowned with pride; they cover themselves with violence as a garment.
Pride got Satan into trouble. Those who are crowned with pride also have a strong tendency toward violence. They take the law into their own hands. The devil and his minions like to trouble anyone who follows Jesus in humility and meekness. On the other hand, Satan does not waste his limited resources troubling those who are foolish and proud. They pose him no threat; furthermore, it is likely that they will prove useful to him in one way or another. One huge problem with pride, however, is that it is mutually exclusive. Those who have large egos do not get along with one another.
7 Their eyes stand out with fatness; they easily obtain the desires of their heart.
8 They are lawless and speak wickedly of doing violence; they speak loftily.
The wicked’s eyes stand out with fatness, which signifies that they are always seeking personal gain, even if they must resort to violence in order to obtain the corrupt desires of their heart.
9 They set their mouth against heaven, and their tongue walks through the earth.
10 Therefore his people shall return here; and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
The tongue of those who blaspheme heaven walks through the earth (here it symbolizes the people of God). However, God’s people will return to earth at the first resurrection. The waters of a full cup represent the judgment that will be wrung out to them. Not one drop of these “waters” of judgment shall be wasted.
11 And they say, How does God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
12 Behold, these ungodly men, without being troubled by the world obtain riches.
The world loves its own. It does not hinder the ungodly. On the other hand, God sends his own to evangelize those who are lost. Whenever God lowers the boom in judgment, he makes sure that there are at least two or three witnesses who have firsthand knowledge of his righteousness and justice.
13 Verily, in vain have I cleansed my heart and washed my hands in innocency
14 and been plagued all day long and chastened every morning:
15 If I should say, I will speak as they do; behold, I should deny the generation of thy sons.
Those who desire to be clean and upright are always targeted and plagued by the enemy. On top of this, God chastens his sons whom he loves. Therefore, cleansing our heart and washing our hands in innocence would be in vain if we speak as our enemies do. Doing this would deny the generation of God’s sons (and daughters).
16 I shall meditate that I might understand this; it is very hard for me to see.
17 When I come into the sanctuary of God, then I shall understand their end.
Many things are virtually impossible for us to see unless God opens our spiritual eyes and ears. When we come into the sanctuary of God (into the heavenly realm represented by the holy of holies), we will be able to see from God’s perspective. Then we will fully understand why God allows the wicked to prosper for a time and a season here on the earth. Then we will understand their end.
18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; in desolation thou shalt cause them to fall.
19 How they are brought into desolation, as in a moment! They have come to an end; they are utterly consumed with terrors.
Sooner or later, the ungodly will slip and fall. This will happen in desolation; there will be no one to help them stand. They will come to an end when they are utterly consumed with terrors. All of their attempts to plant fear and to instigate terror among the people of God will return to haunt them.
20 As the dream of one who awakes; so, O Lord, when thou shalt rise up, thou shalt despise their appearances.
When the Lord directly intervenes to visibly bring forth his righteous, incorruptible kingdom upon the earth, God’s people will think they have been awakened from a dream. When the Lord rises up and sets things in order, he will not judge by outward appearances. The appearance of those who look good on the outside yet are corrupt on the inside will be despised.
21 Truly my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my kidneys.
22 But I was ignorant and did not understand; I was as a beast before thee.
Our heart pumps the blood through our body and is essential for life. Our kidneys perform the essential function of cleansing the blood from impurities. We often use the word heart to indicate something in the depth of our soul. In addition, David has used the word “kidneys” where we might use conscience, which is also a filter. The psalmist was grieved in his heart and pricked in his kidneys when he observed how the wicked seem to prosper without facing the same level of adversity that always seems to accompany the sons342 of God in this life. This distress, however, results from practical ignorance of God’s ways. All of us start out ignorant and without understanding. Without God, humans are like beasts.
23 Nevertheless I was continually with thee; thou hast apprehended me by my right hand.
24 Thou hast guided me with thy counsel, and afterward thou shalt receive me unto glory.
The right hand is a symbol of power and authority. When the Lord apprehends us by our right hand, this prevents us from taking the law into our own hands. It also makes it easy for him to lead and guide us by his counsel. For the righteous, a defining moment will be when God receives us into glory. This will never happen to the wicked and ungodly.
25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? And apart from thee there is nothing upon the earth that I desire.
This psalm has strong messianic overtones. Through the Lord Jesus Christ, we now have access to heaven and to the throne of the Father. The more we walk with God, the more we realize that apart from him there is no longer anything here on the earth that can satisfy our desire.
26 My flesh and my heart fail; the strength of my heart is that God is my portion for ever.
During our temporal visit to earth, our flesh and heart will gradually decay and fail. We are, however, being given the opportunity to draw near to God so that he can take us by our “right hand.” The goal of this is that he might become the strength of our heart, our portion (inheritance) forever. The great hope of the Christian is the resurrection from the dead – not just a spiritual resurrection but a physical, bodily resurrection in space and time. If the dead do not rise, our faith is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:12–19).
27 For, behold, those that stray from thee shall perish; thou dost cut off all those that go a whoring from thee.
If God has truly apprehended us by our right hand, he will not easily let go. Yet those who attempt to use God for selfish personal gain will find themselves straying and making unholy alliances. Those who insist on attempting to use God to obtain worldly treasure (instead of being willing to sacrifice their own way and learn God’s ways) will eventually arrive at a point of no return. They will find that they are far advanced along the wide road to perdition and that God has completely cut them off.
28 But as for me, to draw near to God is good; I have put my hope in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, may you apprehend us by our right hand. May we always seek you with all our heart. May we always understand that you are our only hope. Therefore, we will continually declare all your mighty works. May you continue to work in us and through us. Amen.
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341 Numbers 3:43, 46; Ezra 2:36; Nehemiah 7:39
342 The use of the word “sons” in this context does not determine gender.
Chapter 74.
Seventy-four is two times thirty-seven (illustrating that God decides who will inherit the earth and who will be cut off). This number is used twice in Scripture to describe a group of Levites who returned from Babylon to help rebuild the temple (Ezra 2:40). They remained faithful and also helped to rebuild the wall and gates of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 7:43). Seventy-four is also used twice as part of a larger number describing all the men of Judah who were apt for war immediately after their exodus from Egypt (Numbers 1:27, 2:4). All these men died in the wilderness and never made it into the promised land except for one, Caleb.
Psalm 74
Maschil of Asaph.343
1 O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? Why does thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
2 Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed, this Mount Zion, in which thou hast dwelt.
God’s congregation is called the rod of thine inheritance. God’s people set the standard for everyone else. For instance, the fact that Noah was righteous in all his generations and was saved in the ark with his family (eight persons total) condemned those who failed to respond to Noah’s message and repent.
When God’s anger smokes against the sheep of his pasture, it is because they have compromised the rod (or measuring stick) of God’s inheritance.
3 Lift up thy feet unto the eternal desolations, unto every enemy who has done wickedly in the sanctuary.
4 Thine enemies have roared in the midst of thy assemblies; they set up their own banners for signs.
Every enemy who has done wickedly in the sanctuary is linked to eternal desolations. When things degenerate past a certain point, even in our modern congregations, God may decide to leave. When this happens, it may not be easy to convince him to return. It may be that the time will come when he returns, but it will be in judgment to put his enemies under his feet. The enemies that have roared in the midst of God’s people have also set up their own banners for signs. In other words, they have set the standard for some of the people of God instead of yielding to God.
5 Renowned, as one on the way to heaven, he who lifted up axes upon the thick trees for the work of the sanctuary.
The original construction of Solomon’s temple was done by craftsmen who were moved and inspired by the Spirit of God. This great work was only an example of what God is doing as he prepares living stones for his real temple, which is built without hands. He will soon put this masterpiece on display. The thick trees are symbolic of God’s people. The trees had to be cut down, carved, and overlaid with gold in order to take their place in the temple. Solomon’s temple was made of stones prepared off site and then assembled on site without the use of any iron tool (1 Kings 6:7).344
6 But now they break down all the carved work thereof with axes and hammers.
The reason the enemies were using axes and hammers on the exquisitely carved woodwork was because much of it was overlaid with gold. God had withdrawn his presence long before this happened.
7 They have set fire to thy sanctuaries; they have defiled the tabernacle of thy name in the earth.
8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them at once; they have burned up all the meeting places of the people of God in the earth.
Over the course of the fifty-two-year internal conflict in Colombia, I have seen many Christian sanctuaries and meeting places that were destroyed. However, the real church cannot be destroyed. This is because in the new covenant, we are the temple and Jesus is our head. He is seated at the right hand of the Father in a place where no enemy can harm him. In fact, he has all power and authority over all his enemies.
9 We no longer see our own banners; there is no longer any prophet: neither is there among us any that knows. How long shall this be?
Today in the twenty-first century, many places on earth are fast approaching the disastrous situation described above. When God’s banners get replaced with our own standards, the time soon comes when even the man-made standards imposed on many religious groups will fade as each new generation goes farther and farther off course. If there is no longer any prophet or anyone among us who really knows God, how long can we last?
10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
11 Why dost thou withdraw thy hand, even thy right hand? Why dost thou hide it in thy bosom.
Asaph asks some very good questions. It behooves all of us to seek God and ask him if Asaph’s words apply to our present situation. There are some simple possible answers. One, God desires to give everyone ample opportunity for repentance before he arrives on the scene and lowers the boom. Two, God also verifies who produces good fruit and who produces evil fruit. Three, if God intervened every time an enemy was contemplating evil words and deeds, it would be very difficult to judge these evil people with tangible evidence and multiple witnesses. At the judgment day, everyone will be judged according to their works (Revelation 20:11–14), not necessarily according to their thoughts.
12 For God is my King from of old, he who works saving health in the midst of the earth.
13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength; thou didst break the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 Thou didst break the heads of leviathan in pieces and didst give him to be food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
The wicked pharaoh and his officials at the time of Moses were, in many ways, symbolic of Satan and his hierarchy. This passage refers to heads of the dragons (plural) and to leviathan, who has multiple heads. The destruction of the pharaoh, his princes, and his army in the Red Sea when they attempted to follow the fleeing children of Israel (who were learning to follow God) is an example of what will soon happen to Satan and his followers. Bear in mind, however, that the only one who can break the heads of the dragons and the heads of leviathan (the old sea serpent) is the Lord Jesus, who is the promised seed (Genesis 3:15; Job 41; Isaiah 27:1).
It is not wise for us to attack leviathan unless we are given very specific orders from the Lord. We do, however, need to always be on the lookout, paying attention to our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10–18). If we have a humble attitude and submit ourselves to God, then we may safely resist the devil and his minions and cause them to flee (James 4:7).
15 Thou didst cleave the fountain and the river; thou didst dry up mighty rivers.
Even now, in the end time, God is about to open the fountain (Zechariah 13:1) and grant access to the deep river of God while drying up the mighty river of humanism that the devil has been spewing out (Revelation 12:16).
16 The day is thine, the night also is thine; thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth; thou hast made summer and winter.
God is the one who has carefully set all of the parameters of the natural world around us. The seasons are his doing, both in the natural and spiritual realms. There are times of spiritual famine. There is also a time for planting, a time for harvesting, and the set time (known only to the Father) when Jesus will return.
18 Remember this, that the enemy has spoken against the LORD and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
It is wonderful when we know for certain that the Lord is aware of what we do and say and that he carefully considers our prayers. On the other hand, the Lord is aware of those who have spoken against him and of all the foolish people who have blasphemed his name. If our enemies rage against God and against us (and if we are clean and in a proper relationship with God), this may trigger massive divine intervention on our behalf.
19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the beasts; forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
Those who were poor and unable to obtain the necessary animals to sacrifice were allowed to offer two turtledoves for the guilt of their sin (Leviticus 5:7). Asaph identifies his soul with the turtledove and does not want to be delivered over to the beasts (those who are carnal and violent and do not respect that he belongs to God). Asaph goes on to intercede on behalf of an entire congregation of the poor.
It is possible that this Asaph was among those who returned from Babylon to Jerusalem with Ezra. They faced a very long journey through a desert which was fraught with danger. Yet they were ashamed to ask the king for an armed escort because they had told the king: The hand of our God is upon all that seek him for good; but his power and wrath is against all those that forsake him (Ezra 8:21–23).
20 Have respect unto the covenant; for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of violence.
God’s people knew that Jeremiah had prophesied that the Babylonian captivity would only last seventy years, after which time there would be an opportunity to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem according to the Word of the Lord. Therefore, in their prayer, they brought up the covenant between them and God. Because of this covenant, they were now counting on God to keep them safe.
There are many dark places of the earth where it is virtually impossible for us to go with the gospel unless we have divine protection. These places are full of the habitations of violence.
21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed; the poor and destitute shall praise thy name.
Even though they had been oppressed for seventy years in Babylon, God’s people desired to return to the promised land. They wanted to come back with their integrity intact and bearing the costly vessels of the temple. They desired to enter Jerusalem without being ashamed. Yet they also knew how poor and destitute they were and that the best thing they could offer God was praise to his name. Today, praise continues to be the best we have to offer God.
22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause; remember how the foolish man reproaches thee daily.
23 Forget not the voices of thine enemies; the tumult of those that rise up against thee increases continually.
As Israel now consisted of clean people who belonged to God, the enemies of Israel had now become God’s enemies. We need to take this to heart when we face our own enemies. It would be disastrous if we were to wind up facing capable adversaries that are not God’s enemies.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we ask for wisdom, understanding, and revelation so that we will not be among those who are focused on obtaining the things of this world even while the end of the age is rapidly approaching. May we be found doing your will with great diligence. May we be among those who will inherit the earth instead of among those who will be cut off. Amen.
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343 “Maschil” means “for understanding,” and “Asaph” means “collector.” There are eleven psalms that have to do with Asaph, whose name is mentioned fifty-five times in Scripture. (Obviously, there were several different persons named Asaph over the course of Israel’s history.)
344 Today, there continue to be congregations that someone has “hammered” together, even while the leadership is busy axing anyone they perceive to be a threat. Some have attempted to subvert the New Testament into legalistic “iron tools” of principles, values, promises (oaths), and tithes, which are along the lines of Old Testament law. It never dawns on them that the new covenant is based on a total commitment and is designed to operate according to grace that is indelibly linked to faith and liberty in those who are in tune with the Holy Spirit.
Chapter 75.
The number seventy-five is three times twenty-five (signifying the multiplication of the fruit of God’s mercy and grace) or five times seventeen (praying for more mercy and grace). This number is used twice in Scripture.345 Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Harem and headed for the promised land according to the Word of the Lord. When Jacob went to live in Egypt, Joseph called all of his kindred together, and there were seventy-five souls (which God multiplied to form the nation of Israel).
Psalm 75
To the Overcomer upon, Do not destroy,346 A Psalm or Song of Asaph.
Like David, Asaph had a heart that was pleasing to the Lord. This is true of virtually all God’s legitimate spokespersons. Those who overcome by the mercy and grace of the Lord, love to extend mercy. They do not become extremely angry and destroy someone just because it is in their power to do so.
1 Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks, for that thy name is near, thy wondrous works declare.
This is a beautiful line of praise and thanksgiving to God.
2 When I shall receive the congregation, I will judge uprightly.
3 The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved; I bore up the pillars of it. Selah.
This line is clearly messianic; the Messiah is speaking in the first person. The New Testament tells us that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). True prophets only say what Jesus says.
Selah … Let’s stop and think about this: When will Jesus receive the congregation and judge uprightly?
This will take place when the earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved. Revelation 6:12–17 echoes the same themes. When Jesus removes the pillars of it, all kingdoms (religious or otherwise) that have been misrepresenting or ignoring him will be brought down. Yet there is safety for those who are citizens of heaven – even if they are still walking here on the earth (Revelation 12:12). Before judgment is poured out on the earth, God will seal those who truly belong to him (Revelation 7:3).
4 I said unto the fools, Do not deal foolishly and to the wicked, Do not lift up the horn:
5 Do not lift up your horn on high; speak not with a stiff neck.
In prophetic Scripture, a horn can be a symbol of power. In this verse, there is a distinction between those who are fools and those who are wicked. Both groups are warned to not continue on their present course. The fools are easily deceived by the wicked, who are prone to lift up the horn. They threaten, bluster, and even take the law into their own hands. The wicked and the spiritual principalities behind them like to wield raw power and destroy. Those who demonstrate a “stiff neck” are stubborn and may not heed this warning before it is too late.
6 For promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert.
Promotion does not come from any of three cardinal points. It does not matter if the prevailing philosophy is from the east or from the west or from those that live in the desert (the word for desert, “Negeb,” can also mean south).347 Metaphorically, God lives on the sides of the north (Psalm 48:2). In Scripture, the north is linked to adversity and judgment. When we submit to the discipline, chastening, and judgment of God, we will paradoxically find ourselves being lifted up.
7 But God is the judge; he puts down one and sets up another.
If God decides that the conduct of a given person or group is intolerable, he will send them warning. However, he will eventually put down and replace those who like to exalt themselves. King Saul and Judas Iscariot both discovered this the hard way.
8 For the cup is in the hand of the LORD, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he pours out of the same; yea, the dregs thereof, shall wring out and swallow up all the wicked of the earth.
Wine is often a symbol of life, yet it’s important to note that there are two kinds of wine described in Scripture. Sour grapes represent the fallen race of Adam, but then there is the new wine of Jesus Christ’s life. Those who are drunk on the life of Adam, obsessed with themselves and their group instead of Jesus, will be wrung out and swallowed up. The power of the wicked will fail, and they will be unable to save themselves or anyone else.
9 But I will declare for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 And I will cut off all the horns of the wicked, but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
Those who praise the true God, the God of Jacob, anticipate eternal life. God gave Jacob great and glorious promises, even after Jacob got off to a rocky start with his brother Esau, and then with his father-in-law, Laban. God transformed Jacob into Israel and made him the forefather of an entire nation. God united Jacob’s entire family of seventy-five souls under the protection of Jacob’s son Joseph, who God had placed as the prince of Egypt. Joseph understood the theme, Do not destroy. God showed Joseph how to take action in a time of crisis, and Joseph was able to make provision not only for the people of Egypt to survive a deadly famine but also to save his alienated brothers, who had mercilessly sold him as a slave because they were jealous.
More than anyone, Jesus knows exactly what Asaph and David were feeling because he is the one who inspired them with the theme, Do not destroy. Jesus will soon return. His top priorities will be to not only break the power of the wicked but also to exalt the righteous.
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, please continue to cleanse our hearts until we no longer harbor any unjust animosity toward anyone. May we be content to only do and say that which pleases you. Amen.
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345 Seventy-five also appears seven times in Scripture as part of a larger number (Genesis 25:7; Exodus 38:25, 28; Numbers 31:32, 37; Ezra 2:5; Esther 9:16).
346 The phrase “do not destroy” is found nine times in Scripture. The first four references have to do with David’s decision to not take the law into his hands regarding King Saul, his persecutor (1 Samuel 26:8–9; the titles of Psalms 57, 58, and 59).
347 The Negev, or wilderness, is also symbolic of the people of God who have not yet entered into God’s rest (or into the fullness of their inheritance in Christ). Therefore, this can refer to Christians (groups or individuals) who lack maturity.
Chapter 76.
Seventy-six is two times thirty-eight (signifying the decision to remember the great and wonderful things God does) or four times nineteen (being declared innocent or guilty by God). This number does not occur in Scripture aside from the title of Psalm 76. It appears twice as part of a larger number (Numbers 26:22; Acts 27:37).
Psalm 76
To the Overcomer on Neginoth,348 A Psalm or Song of Asaph.
1 In Judah is God known; his name is great in Israel.
There are those who praise God (in Judah) who actually know God. Among the people of God (in Israel), his name is great.
2 In Salem also is his tabernacle and his dwelling place in Zion.
3 There he broke the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the war. Selah.
Meditate on this: God’s tabernacle is in Salem, which represents peace. His dwelling place is in Zion. God dwells in and with his people, and he is their fortress (represented by Zion). Where God and his people dwell together, there is peace. Then God can do away with the implements of war and even with war itself.
4 Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.
5 The stouthearted are spoiled; they have slept their sleep; and nothing was found in the hands of the men of might.
Those who live by the sword seek prey so that they can consolidate their kingdoms (portrayed here as mountains of prey). They desire to spoil their enemies. However, when God imposes his peace, the stouthearted men of war are themselves plundered. These mighty men have slept their sleep (they have been caught off guard) and have obtained nothing. Yet those who dwell with God realize that he is more glorious and excellent than anything that can be obtained by our own might.
6 At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep
One rebuke from God means the end of the chariot and horse. Human organization (represented by the chariot) that is propelled by those who operate in the flesh (represented by the horse) will never be able to stand against the living Word of God (Revelation 19:13).
7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared, and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?
None of God’s enemies will be able to stand when the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice of men, who hold back the truth with injustice (Romans 1:18).
8 From the heavens thou didst cause judgment to be heard; the earth feared and was still,
9 when thou didst arise unto judgment, O God, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). The meek of the earth are those who hear and obey their master. They are like the white horse that Jesus will ride into the final battle (Revelation 19:11; Job 39:19–25).
10 Surely the wrath of man shall cause praise to come unto thee; the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
When the wrath of man is contrasted to the wrath of God, the difference will be so great that all the praise will be given to God because the Lord’s anger is an expression of his righteousness and a display of his power. At this time, God will restrain the remainder of wrath;349 because the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God (James 1:20). Unlike the wrathful actions of fallen humanity, Jesus will judge and wage war in righteousness (Revelation 19:11).
11 Vow and pay unto the LORD your God; let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.
Anyone offering a vow should follow up and pay the Lord what he is due. He is worthy of glory and honour and praise (Revelation 4:9, 11). All those around him (who dwell with him) are encouraged to bring him “presents.” If we are in covenant with God, and if by the Holy Spirit he is working in and through us, then our presents (the work of our hands) will be acceptable to him. In fact, the best present we can give him is ourselves. Trusting ourselves to God is pleasing to him and is in our best interest. This will work out great both for him and for us!
12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes; he is terrible to the kings of the earth.350
On three separate occasions, Jesus identified Satan as the prince of this world (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11). The spirit of Satan the accuser will soon be cut off – along with all the principalities that have been supporting him (Ephesians 6:12).
Who are the “kings of the earth?” Kings are associated with a kingdom. The kings of the earth are whoever operates a private kingdom and whoever controls others for personal or corporate gain instead of surrendering to Jesus so that they can enter his kingdom. Jesus’s kingdom is the only kingdom that will never be corrupt[1]ed and will stand forever (Daniel 2:44, 7:13–14).
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we ask that you might hasten the fulfillment of all your wonderful promises. May we be found innocent when your righteous judgments are poured out upon the earth. May the Lord Jesus Christ return soon and remove all the workers of iniquity. Amen.
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348 “Neginoth” means “stringed instruments.”
349 This may also have something to do with Matthew 24:21,22 and Mark 13:19,20.
350 The term kings of the earth is used twenty-four times in Scripture. This is the sixth use.
Chapter 77.
Seventy-seven is eleven times seven. In a positive sense, this number signifies the peace and rest of being set apart to exclusively serve and please God; in a negative sense, seventy-seven means exactly the opposite. This number is found twice in Scripture.351
The first use of this number appears when the men of Succoth (meaning “tabernacles”) refused to aid Gideon in the midst of the battle (which ended before dawn). Upon Gideon’s return, Gideon educated the seventy-seven elders of Succoth with thorns and briars from the wilderness (Judges 8:14–16).
The second use of seventy-seven is when Ezra led a remnant out of Babylon to Jerusalem. Ezra, along with all those who had been carried into captivity, offered sacrifices upon the restored altar (which represents the gospel). These sacrifices included seventy-seven lambs that may symbolize us today – if we are willing to put our lives on the altar (Ezra 8:35).
Psalm 77
To the Overcomer, to Jeduthun,352 A Psalm of Asaph.353
1 I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.
It is a great comfort to know that God hears us when we cry out to him.
How can we know if God hears us? We know that God has heard us when he grants our specific requests. Also, if our heart is clean and pure (and properly linked to our conscience), we will know whether or not we are in communion with God.
2 In the day of my trouble354 I sought the Lord; my sore bled in the night and ceased not; my soul refused to be comforted.
3 I remembered God and cried out; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.
Like Asaph, most of us have been in serious trouble. We have been in situations in which we have been unable to “stop the bleeding.” When these times come, we are prone to remember God and cry out to him. As soon as Asaph lodged his complaint and God responded, Asaph’s spirit was overwhelmed.
4 Thou didst hold my eyelids open; I am broken and did not speak.
God did not allow Asaph to go into “a dead sleep.” When God “holds our eyes open” so that we can see from his perspective, this can be a very sobering experience. When we are taken to the breaking point, it is best to not talk back to God. At such times, we need to stop and think because it may be that God desires to show us something. If God has to hold our eyelids open, it behooves us to pay attention.355
5 I have considered the days from the beginning, the years of the ages.
6 I call to remembrance my songs of the night; I commune with my own heart, and my spirit made diligent search.
At this point, God has Asaph’s full and undivided attention.
7 Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?
8 Is his mercy gone for ever? does his word fail from generation to generation?
9 Has God forgotten to have mercy? has he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.
Have you ever been bombarded with thoughts like this while in the midst of a major crisis? It has happened to me on several occasions. Could we, individually or corporately, be blindly doing things we assume to be fine without considering what our behavior looks like to God? This is why we are to be casting down reasonings and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and leading captive every thought into the obedience of the Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
10 And I said, This is my infirmity, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.
11 I remembered the works of JAH; therefore I shall remember thy wonders of old.
12 I meditated also on all thy works and spoke of thy doings.
In times of trouble, it helps to remember the years of the right hand of the most High. This is what Asaph did. Because he remembered the works of the Lord, he was able to shift into future tense and say, Therefore I shall remember thy wonders of old. This is communication with God on a personal level. If we meditate on all of God’s works, then when we speak, it will be of God’s doings. We will experience the relief of not being focused on ourselves.
13 Thy way, O God, is in holiness; who is so great a God as our God?
14 Thou art the God that doest wonders; thou hast declared thy strength among the peoples.
15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph.356 Selah.
Holiness is being set apart to serve and please God. When we walk God’s way in holiness, then praise will overflow as we extol him and all that he has done.
16 The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid; the depths also were troubled.
The people of the seas of lost humanity can be referred to prophetically as “waters” that are under the influence of the enemy (Revelation 17:1, 15). The “depths” are linked to the underworld (Sheol or Hades). For thousands of years, the enemy has been causing trouble and tribulation for God’s people. This is about to undergo a radical change. The enemy is about to experience fear and trouble instead of causing it.
17 The clouds poured out floods of waters; the heavens thundered; thy bolts of lightning also went forth.
The tables are about to turn. Listen to what God promised his special people through his prophet Isaiah: For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine offspring (Isaiah 44:3).
The Holy Spirit was poured out on the early church when the day of Pentecost was fully come (Acts 2:1). Paul described this as the earnest (or down payment) of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:21–22; Ephesians 1:13–14). However, even greater things are yet to come.
18 The voice of thy thunder was all around; the lightnings lightened the world; the earth trembled and shook.
Thunder is a prophetic symbol of the direct voice of God. Lightning can symbolize the direct presence of God. In the past, God has shaken the earth. Now, he is getting ready to shake the heavens and the earth (Joel 3:14–17; Hebrews 12:24– 29).
19 Thy way was in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps were not known.
20 Thou didst lead thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
The sea is symbolic of lost humanity. God puts his way in the sea (he makes a way in the world) so that he might guide his people to the destination he has chosen. For thousands of years, God’s footsteps were not known as he carefully developed his plan of redemption. The fact that the Father would send his only begotten Son to die for the sins of the world was carefully veiled.
The Lord leads his people like a flock because he is the Good Shepherd. When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, God appointed Moses and Aaron as his representatives. Moses was trained as a shepherd for forty years before God called him to lead his people out of slavery. God is still in the business of leading his people out of their bondage to the flesh and sin and into a glorious inheritance in Christ, where there is peace and rest. God still separates people for holiness, for himself.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we ask you to teach us to follow your way in holiness. May we keep our eyes focused on you instead of on ourselves or on the false riches of the fallen world that surrounds us. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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351 Seventy-seven also occurs twice as part of a larger number (Genesis 5:31; Nehemiah 7:18).
352 “Jeduthun” means “designated for praise” or “designated for friendship.”
353 The name Asaph (meaning “gatherer” or “collector”) occurs fifty-five times in Scripture (counting the component in names such as Eli-asaph or Abi-asaph). Interestingly, the word “tribulation” is also used fifty-five times. Asaph was a friend of David. A long line of Asaph’s sons is recorded all the way to the census of Ezra and of Nehemiah. A number of Asaph’s godly descendants may also have been named Asaph.
354 The day of my trouble is mentioned three times in Scripture, all in Psalms. The phrase is used twice by David (Psalm 59:16, 86:7) and once, in this passage, by Asaph. The day of trouble is mentioned ten times in Scripture.
355 Many years later, Hezekiah, the king, and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph, the seer (2 Chronicles 29:30, emphasis added).
356 The tribes of Israel did not consist only of the sons of Jacob; two of Joseph’s sons had their own tribes.
Chapter 78.
Seventy-eight is two times thirty-nine (pointing to a doubling down on the fruit of the kingdom of God or the fruit of rebellion), or three times twenty-six (believing God and witnessing to his mighty works), or six times thirteen (the rebellion of man). This number does not occur in Scripture other than in the title of Psalm 78. The spiritual truth represented by seventy-eight cannot be reckoned by simply reading Scripture because it is a parable containing enigmas. Therefore, as with so many things in Scripture, understanding from God is required.
Psalm 78
Maschil357 of Asaph.
1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter enigmas of old,
3 which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
What does Asaph mean when he refers to my law? His “law” is a parable that contains enigmas that the people of God have heard and known because our fathers have told us. In the highest sense, Asaph is referring to fathers of faith, such as the men and women listed in Hebrews 11.
4 We will not hide them from their sons, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD and his strength and his wonderful works that he has done.
The spiritual sons and daughters will be able to understand that these enigmas [show] to the generation to come the praises of the Lord. The last generation mentioned in Scripture is the generation of Christ (Matthew 1:17). This generation is made up of the members of the body of Christ, those who have been born again into the family of God.
5 For he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their sons:
6 That the generation to come might know them, even the sons which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their sons358
The first scriptural reference to “laws” is when God spoke to Isaac and said:
I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven and will give unto thy seed all these lands, and in thy seed shall all the Gentiles of the earth be blessed because Abraham hearkened unto my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. (Genesis 26:4–5)
Note that Isaac’s father, Abraham, kept God’s charge, commandments, statutes, and laws more than four hundred years prior to the written law of Moses.359
Abraham made sure that his son of the promise, Isaac, understood what God requires (this has to do with God´s statutes). Abraham did not simply tell Isaac wonderful things about God; he showed him. When Abraham demonstrated that he was actually willing to sacrifice his son, this had to have made a lasting impression on young Isaac.
God chose Jacob (before he was even born) to be part of the bloodline of Jesus Christ and transformed him into Israel (a name associated with the people of God). This is how God established a testimony in Jacob and a law in Israel. Both of these were to be demonstrated to the next generation. God commanded this to the end:
7 that they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments
8 and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set their heart aright and whose spirit was not steadfast with God. Those “fathers” who multiply the fallen race of Adam (and fail to demonstrate an authentic walk of faith) can only reproduce a stubborn and rebellious generation in desperate need of redemption and conversion.
God promised Abraham that he would have two types of descendants. Some would be as the sand of the seashore and others would be as the stars of the heavens. These pictures signify that Abraham would have both natural and spiritual offspring. When God ratified the promise to Isaac, he left out the part about the sands of the seashore, but he brought it back up in his interaction with Jacob (Genesis 32:12).
Jacob the “heel-catcher” kept tripping his brother until his conversion at Peniel when God changed his name to “Israel” (Genesis 32:24–31).360
9 The sons of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
10 They did not keep the covenant of God and refused to walk in his law
11 and forgot his works and his wonders that he had showed them.
The tribe of Ephraim, son of Joseph, had a wonderful, godly heritage. Jacob (Israel) adopted Ephraim and his brother Manasseh as his own sons. For this reason, their descendants became fullfledged tribes in Israel (Genesis 48:5). Moses’s successor was Joshua the son of Nun, who was of the tribe of Ephraim. The first sign of trouble came when the sons of Ephraim failed to drive the Canaanites out of their inheritance as the Lord had commanded (Judges 1:29). Eventually, their apostasy became so intolerable that God let them go. After hundreds of years of failing to understand God, they totally forgot about him and became one of the ten lost tribes of Israel (2 Kings 17:22–23, 18:11–12). Today, there are Christians in name only who have forgotten their godly heritage and could suffer a similar fate.
12 He did marvellous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.361
13 He divided the sea and caused them to pass through, and he made the waters to stand as a heap.
14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud and all the night with a light of fire.
15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as out of the great depths.
16 He brought streams also out of the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers.
No matter how much God blesses those whose hearts are not perfect before him, they will never be able to understand the enigmas of this or any other parable. The adult generation of those over twenty years old – who were miraculously delivered by God out of Egypt – all died in the wilderness with the exception of two men (Joshua and Caleb) and never made it to the promised land. Could it be that there are those today who have experienced and are experiencing the mighty hand of God and his marvelous works who will also miss out on the fullness of their inheritance in Christ?
17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.
18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking for food according to the desires of their soul.
Those who insist on petitioning God to feed the selfish desires of their soul are tempting God. What if he grants their request?
19 And they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?
20 Behold, he smote the rock that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?362
21 Therefore the LORD heard this and was wroth, so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel
22 because they had not believed God, nor had they trusted in his saving health;
Like many today, the Israelites believed in the existence of God, but they did not actually believe what he was telling them. They did not have enough faith to trust him in times of apparent difficulty. They were apprehensive of where he might be leading them.
23 and he commanded the clouds of above and opened the doors of the heavens
24 and caused manna to rain upon them to eat and gave them wheat of the heavens.
25 Man did eat the food of the strong; he sent them food to the full.
26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven, and by his power he brought in the south wind.
The east wind is symbolic of God’s judgment, and the south wind is symbolic of prosperity. God did everything imaginable to demonstrate his love and care for his people along with his discipline and correction (Hebrews 3:7–19). This continues to be the case today.
27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:
28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.
29 So they did eat and were well filled; for he gave them their own desire;
Jesus said, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (Matthew 5:6). Those who insist on being fed according to their own desire will never be satisfied, and often are not even grateful.
Therefore:
30 they were not estranged from their lust. But while their food was yet in their mouths,
31 the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them and smote down the chosen of Israel.
Scripture also says of the children of Israel that God gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul (Psalm 106:15).
32 For all this they sinned still and did not give him credit for his wondrous works.
33 Therefore he consumed their days in vanity and their years in tribulation.
34 When he slew them, then they sought him, and they returned and enquired early after God.
It was only after God slew the fattest of them that those who were left sought God.
35 And they remembered that God was their rock and the high God their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless they flattered him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.
37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.
Remember that this parable contains enigmas. There are many today who, when their back is up against the wall, suddenly recall that God was their foundation and Jesus was their redeemer. They have intellectual knowledge of the Scriptures, but their heart is not right with God. Therefore, they flatter him with their mouths and lie to him with their tongues. They spend time in worship services singing about how wonderful God is, but they do not understand sacrifice. They are unwilling to give up their own ways and selfish desires. They are not steadfast in God’s covenant. They remain clueless about what it takes to be dead to sin and alive to righteousness (1 Peter 2:24).
38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; many a time turned he his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath.
39 For he remembered that they were but flesh: a wind that passes away and does not come again.
God never changes. He is still full of compassion. He loves to forgive iniquity (hidden sin). He continues to leave the door to repentance wide open. It gives him no pleasure to destroy the wicked. There is, however, a limit to his longsuffering and patience.
40 How often did they provoke him in the wilderness and grieve him in the desert!
41 And they turned back and tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel.
Today, many among the people of God still wander around in the wilderness of their own seemingly good intentions. They seek the desires of their soul without ever being satisfied. This grieves the heart of God. When those who return to God during an immediate crisis turn back to their old ways, this not only tempts God but it also limits him. God will not force our will. God will not make us love him with all our heart. He will not make us love one another. If this is to become a reality, we must be willing to place our hearts on his altar and allow him to completely have his way with us. The sign of the old covenant was circumcision of the flesh (which could easily be accomplished by any priest); the sign of the new covenant is circumcision of the heart (which can only be accomplished through the intervention of Jesus Christ).
42 They did not remember his hand, nor the day when he ransomed them from anguish.
43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Zoan
44 and had turned their rivers into blood and their floods, that they could not drink.
Whose rivers and floods were turned into undrinkable blood? This happened to a wicked Egyptian pharaoh and his followers who had enslaved Israel.
45 He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.
By the time of the exodus, the Egyptians were worshipping many gods. This does not seem to have been the case in the time of the good pharaoh who had placed Joseph in charge. In Moses’s day, flies and frogs represented some of the Egyptian gods. Their religious rituals required drinking blood. God gave them an ironic and overwhelming dose of their own medicine.363
46 He gave also their fruits unto the caterpillar and their works unto the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail and their wild fig trees with stones.
48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail and their flocks to thunderbolts of fire.
The fruits, works, vines, figs, cattle, and flocks of the Egyptians perished when judgment hit. What will be left of our modern society when God decides to bring down everything that does not meet with his approval?
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation and trouble by sending evil angels among them.
Many people (religious and secular) are terribly naïve regarding the spiritual realm. God can even unleash evil angels (Revelation 9:1–4).
50 He made a way to his anger; he did not spare their soul from death but gave their life over to the pestilence
51 and smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham:364
The firstborn of each family or clan typically functioned as its rulers. They were the ones that helped Pharaoh run the government that had enslaved God’s people.
52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
The safety of our path depends more on who we walk with than it does on where we walk. If we walk with God, we are safe.
54 And he brought them into the borders of his holiness, into this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.
When we walk with God, we find that he does not wander aimlessly. He has a destination in mind. He desires to bring us into the borders of his holiness. Holiness is a realm in God. In order to enter this realm, we must be separated unto his exclusive service. Asaph links the realm of God’s holiness to this mountain, which undoubtedly refers to Mount Zion. This mountain had been considered an impregnable enemy fortress until God delivered it into the hands of David and his men. This is where David built his house. This is where the tabernacle, or tent, where David placed the ark was pitched.
55 He cast out the Gentiles also before them and divided them an inheritance by line and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their habitations.
The enemies of the people of God had occupied their inheritance. As the army of Israel advanced through the land, God cast these enemies out. The inheritance was divided “by line” (i.e., it was measured out to each person). God made it possible for the tribes of Israel to live in the homes that their enemies had been forced to vacate. Something very similar is about to happen when Jesus returns and the people of God receive the fullness of our inheritance in Christ.
56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God and did not keep his testimonies:
57 But turned back and rebelled like their fathers; they became like a deceitful bow.
God’s testimonies are the specific wit[1]ness of God’s words and deeds. They include the witness of his Spirit expressed through his prophets and in the heart of the believer. God’s testimonies are eternal righteousness (Psalm 119:144). Those who refuse to keep God’s testimonies tempt and provoke him. To ignore his testimonies is to turn back. A deceitful bow fails or breaks when it is most needed. It cannot be relied upon. To rebel against the revealed testimony of God is to be like a deceitful bow.
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.
For centuries, people in Israel thought they could simultaneously worship God and Baal365 (the sun god of worldly prosperity). The same type of thing has infected large sectors of Christianity.
59 God heard this and was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel:
60 For this reason he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,366 the tent in which he dwelt among men
61 and delivered his strength into captivity and his glory into the enemy’s hand.
These events took place when the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant after the elders of Israel attempted to weaponize it. Hophni and Phineas (the two evil sons of Eli) removed the ark from the Tabernacle at Shiloh and marched into a disastrous battle in which they lost control of the ark and were killed (1 Samuel 4:2-11). “Shiloh” means “rest,” but there can be no rest for those who are unfaithful. Whenever apathy and apostasy pass a point of no return, God has withdrawn his presence from places of worship (and even from entire congregations367) time and time again over the long history of Israel and the church. The glory of God never returned to Shiloh.
62 He gave his people over also unto the sword and was wroth with his inheritance.
Individuals, groups, congregations, or even entire nations who ignore God’s testimonies have God as a witness against them. They are courting unmitigated disaster. Sooner or later, judgment will fall. From God’s perspective, we are his inheritance. Therefore, he will not tolerate certain behavior. He did not tolerate the apostasy of Israel with their high places, sacred groves, graven images, and the accompanying immorality; neither will he tolerate its modern equivalent.
63 The fire consumed their young men; and their virgins were not honored in marriage songs.
Their young people never made it to maturity. Today, many immature Christians may likewise not qualify for reward or inheritance (1 Corinthians 3:11–15).
64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.
The high priestly line of Eli (whose name means “my God”) came to an end when his two sons, Hophni368 and Phineas,369 carried the ark into battle (without a clear witness from God) and were slain. When he got the news, Eli fell over backwards and died (1 Samuel 4:17–18). Then, the wife of Phineas died giving birth to a son she named Ichabod,370 whose name means “the glory has departed” (1 Samuel 4:20–22).
65 Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep and like a mighty man that shouts by reason of wine.
66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts; he put them to a perpetual reproach.
Apparently, the ark had been reposing at Shiloh for hundreds of years while Israel slid ever deeper into spiritual apathy and degeneration. However, when the Philistines captured the ark, then the Lord awaked. The ark devastated the Philistines. Those that did not die were smitten with hemorrhoids, and the cry went up to heaven (1 Samuel 5:12). After seven months, the Philistines sent the ark back to Israel. The means of transportation was a new cart drawn by milk cows whose calves had been left at home. When the driverless cart arrived at Bethshemish (meaning “house of the sun”),371 many curious people looked at the ark. Therefore, God smote fifty thousand of the people and seventy principal men (1 Samuel 6:19).372
When the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, both the Philistines and the Israelites got way more than they had bargained for. Asaph, inspired by the Spirit, says that the Lord was like a mighty man that shouts by reason of wine. In other words, once the ark left the holy of holies, the protection offered by the veil was no longer in effect, and the effect of the direct presence of the Lord was completely uninhibited. Those in Israel who attempted to weaponize the ark to win their own battles did not fare any better than the Philistines who thought that the ark would be a grand trophy to take home. Those who try to use God for their own ends will be greatly disappointed in the end.
What will happen in our day, when the Lord wakes up? What will happen when the heavens vanish away like smoke (Isaiah 51:6) and the awesome glory, power, and majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ is directly revealed?373
67 Moreover he refused the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim:
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion which he loved.
69 And he built his sanctuary in preeminence like the earth which he has established for ever.
The Lord chose Judah (instead of Ephraim) as the leading tribe in Israel, and he chose Mount Zion (instead of Shiloh) as the place of his dwelling; he didn’t restore the ark to Shiloh because of the unrestrained wickedness that took place there.374 It behooves us all to pay close attention to what God requires of us so that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. It is essential that we show the testimonies of God to the generation to come. In this we will fail – like Eli and so many others – unless our own testimony is clear. Young people are not impressed with hypocrites.
70 He chose David also his slave and took him from the sheepfolds,
71 from following the ewes great with young, he brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance.
72 So he fed them out of the integrity of his heart and guided them by the intelligence of his hands.
The ark was eventually brought to the tabernacle of David at Jerusalem, where Asaph and Obededom and his brethren were appointed to minister (1 Chronicles 16:37–38). They had a deep and awesome respect for the testimonies of God, as is the case with each person whose heart is pure and clean.
As we yield to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the witness of the testimonies of God will become increasingly clear. The new covenant is a fulfillment of the simplicity of the tabernacle of David.375 Now, every believer can have direct and intimate fellowship with God. Like Asaph, we can all become “collectors” of the precious testimonies of God.
Let us pray:
Dear God, may we truly understand the parable of this psalm with its enigmas. May we keep your testimonies and be able to successfully show the generation to come your praises, your strength, and the wonderful works that you have done. Amen.
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357 “Maschil” means “understanding.”
358 Remember that in this context, the word “sons” means “offspring” and includes sons and daughters.
359 The book of Genesis, the first book of the law of Moses, records when God ratified his covenant with Abraham and told him: Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, I will judge; and afterward shall they come out with great riches (Genesis 15:13–14; Acts 7:6). It appears that the four hundred years began with the birth of Isaac and came to an exact end the day of the Exodus (from Genesis 37:1 to Exodus 12:1). God’s promise to Abraham was given when he was still in Ur of the Chaldees, and it seems that this was thirty years prior to the birth of Isaac (as Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac was born) so that a four-hundred-and-thirty-year period is also mentioned (Exodus 12:40–41; Galatians 3:6–18). The number four hundred and thirty (forty-three times ten) has to do with mercy according to the Word of the Lord. (See Appendix B.) We know that Abraham was seventy-five years old when he left Haran, where his father, Terah, died. Haran was on the way from Ur of the Chaldees to the land that God promised to show Abraham. Therefore, God must have given Abraham the promise five years before, when he was seventy (living in Ur). In order for these dates and years to be complete, the years that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelt in tents the land of Canaan are counted as them being strangers (Genesis 17:8, 36:7, 37:1) in a strange land (controlled by Egypt from before the time of the birth of Isaac) because it was under Joshua that the children of Israel actually inherited the promised land. This is also a mystery that points to the real rest that can only be obtained when we receive the fullness of our inheritance in Jesus Christ. In Hebrew, “Joshua” is the same name as “Jesus” in Greek. If we follow God, we are considered pilgrims and strangers in this world until we die or Jesus returns.
360 Jacob got this name because he was holding on to his twin brother Esau’s heel when they were born (Genesis 25:26).
361 “Zoan” means “migration.”
362 Jesus fed the five thousand. Afterward, the people wanted to take him by force and make him their earthly king (John 6:15).
363 Remember that this is all part of a living parable with enigmas that could also apply to those who control some of God’s people today as the age of grace draws to a close (Revelation 11:6). It only took about 150 years or so for Egypt to go completely down the drain morally and spiritually. It was not long after they began the practice of killing the newborn male Israelite babies that God began to intervene, raising up Moses and eventually bringing devastating judgment.
364 “Ham” can mean “a multitude.” It can also mean “warm” (as in lukewarm). Ham brought a curse on his son Canaan (Genesis 9:22–27). If the tenth plague in Egypt took place in the “tents of Ham,” this may mean that the wicked pharaoh who enslaved Israel was really a Canaanite. (“Canaan” means “trafficker.”)
365 Baal worship was linked to Ashtoreth (the moon goddess of sexual promiscuity and perversion).
366 Shiloh had been the center of worship from the time of Joshua; it was in Ephraim between Bethel and Shechem. After the demise of Shiloh, the tabernacle of Moses and the brazen altar were set up at the high place of Gibeon where ministry continued until Solomon’s temple was completed even though the ark was not present (1 Kings 3:4, 1 Chronicles 21:29, 2 Chronicles 1:3,4)).
367 Revelation 2:5
368 “Hophni” means “pugilist.”
369 “Phineas means “serpent’s mouth” or “oracle.”
370 Eli the high priest was plump and seemingly likable but did some very odd things, beginning with the names he gave to his sons. He also raised Samuel, and when Eli’s eyesight began to fade with age, Samuel stayed nearby at night, sleeping in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was (1 Samuel 3:3). This is when God began to speak to young Samuel first by using him to witness to God’s impending judgment upon the house of Eli. This judgment was due to the iniquity (well-known to Eli) of Eli’s vile sons whom he had failed to restrain. It was the failure of Eli to show God’s testimonies to his sons that led to Ichabod (1 Samuel 3:11– 18). By the time David received the kingdom, a new line of high priests was being established under Zadok (whose name means “righteousness”) and his sons. Ichabod, means, the glory has departed.
371 Recall that there were high places all over Israel dedicated to Baal, the sun god.
372 The ark of the testimony (of the presence of God) had been placed in the holy of holies behind the veil precisely to prevent this type of disaster (so that spiritually unclean mortals would not be destroyed).
373 Revelation 6:14–17
374 But go now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel (Jeremiah 7:12).
375 Isaiah 16:5; Amos 9:11; Acts 15:16.
Chapter 79.
Seventy-nine is a prime number that does not occur in Scripture aside from its place in the title of Psalm 79. It appears that this psalm was written about five hundred years after Psalm 78. We know that there was an entire line of Asaph’s sons who made it through the Babylonian captivity and were given responsibility over the work of rebuilding the temple (Nehemiah 11:22). This is a good indication that Asaph took the message of Psalm 78 to heart and was successful in demonstrating the testimonies of the Lord to the generations to come (at least within his own family).
Unfortunately, however, Asaph was something of an anomaly among the families of Israel. Sadly, it is often difficult to find “Asaphs” among some Christian families today. After four hundred and ninety years of failing to comply with things that are important to God (such as the sabbatical years of rest, years of Jubilee, forgiving of debts, granting freedom to slaves, and restoration of land to its proper owner) Israel was turned over to their Gentile enemies, who completely destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. This was the sad state of affairs at the time of the writing of Psalm 79.
Psalm 79
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, the Gentiles are come into thine inheritance; they have defiled the temple of thy holiness; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps.
2 The dead bodies of thy slaves they have given to be food unto the fowls of the heavens, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.
3 They have shed their blood like water round about Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.
4 We are reproached by our neighbours, scorned, and derided by those that are round about us.
5 How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?
The sentence God gave through the mouth of Jeremiah was that the Babylonian captivity would last seventy years until the land had fulfilled her sabbaths (2 Chronicles 36:21). Every seventh year, Hebrew slaves were to be set free (Exodus 21:2) and the land was to rest:
And six years thou shalt sow thy land and shalt gather in its increase, but the seventh year thou shalt leave it free and release it, that the poor of thy people may eat, and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard and with thy oliveyard. (Exodus 23:10–11)
In order for the land to accumulate a deficit of seventy years of rest, Israel would have had to have disobeyed God for four hundred and ninety years (seventy times seven).376 God had been very patient with them, but they had finally reached the limit. The prophets gave ample warning that if repentance was not forthcoming along with a radical change of behavior, they would be turned over to the king of Babylon.
Even so, the Lord was unhappy with the nations who persecuted Israel, even though this persecution functioned as divine judgment. God said through the prophet Zechariah: And I am very sore displeased with the Gentiles that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction (Zechariah 1:15).
6 Pour out thy wrath upon the Gentiles that do not know thee and upon the kingdoms that do not call upon thy name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his dwelling place.
In the highest sense of the word, “Gentiles” are those who do not have a circumcised heart because they are not in a proper covenant with God (Romans 2:28–29). When God was displeased with his people, he called them Gentiles (2 Kings 17:37–41).
8 O remember not against us former iniquities; let thy tender mercies speedily meet us on the way, for we are very poor.
9 Help us, O God, our saving health, for the honor of thy name and deliver us and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.
Under the old covenant of law, God allowed enemies to overcome his people in order to bring them to repentance. This happened repeatedly as a last resort. Then, once his people were clean, he was able to judge the Gentiles.377 It is very likely that this pattern will hold true at the end of the age of grace when judgment will begin from the house of God (1 Peter 4:17–19).
10 Why should the Gentiles say, Where is their God? let him be known among the Gentiles in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy slaves which is shed.
11 Let the sighing of the prisoners come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve those that are appointed to die
12 and render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, with which they have reproached thee, O Lord.
Historically speaking, it has only been a matter of time until God intervenes and turns the tables on those who oppress his people.378
13 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: from generation to generation we will sing thy praises.
For those who are God’s sheep (those who truly belong to him), everything is going to end well.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we ask for the fulfillment of your Word in your people. May your great and glorious promises become reality in our lives and in the lives of everyone who belongs to you. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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376 See Jesus’s words in Matthew 18:21–25.
377 Therefore thus saith the LORD of the hosts: Because ye have not heard my words, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north wind, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my slave, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these nations round about and will utterly destroy them and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations. And I will cause them to lose the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp. And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment; and these Gentiles shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass when seventy years are accomplished, that I will visit upon the king of Babylon and upon that people their own evil, said the LORD and upon the land of the Chaldeans and will make it perpetual desolations. And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have spoken against it, with all that is written in this book, prophesied by Jeremiah against all the Gentiles (Jeremiah 25:8–13, emphasis added).
378 For a small moment I have forsaken thee; but with great mercies I will gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with eternal mercy I will have compassion on thee, said the LORD thy Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so I have sworn that I would not be wroth again with thee, nor reprehend thee. For the mountains shall be removed, and the hills shall tremble; but my mercy shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be changed, said the LORD that has mercy on thee (Isaiah 54:7–10).
Chapter 80.
The number eighty is made up of two times forty (signifying passing or failing a test), or four times twenty (using our gifts and abilities for God), or five times sixteen (resurrection life according to God’s mercy), or eight times ten (a new beginning according to the Word of the Lord). In Scripture, this number occurs thirteen times by itself and twenty-seven times as part of a larger number. The first use is found in the narrative of the Hebrews’ enslavement in Egypt: Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three years old when they spoke unto Pharaoh (Exodus 7:7). The second occurrence of this number is when the Lord used Ehud to deliver Israel from the hand of Moab. When this deliverance took place, the land had rest eighty years (Judges 3:30).
Psalm 80
To the Overcomer upon Shoshannim,379 A testimony of Asaph: A Psalm.
This psalm, dedicated to the Overcomer, is clearly messianic. Shoshannim, or “lilies,” are linked to Jesus Christ who is the lily of the field (Song of Solomon 2:1; Hosea 14:5). The lily has no thorns (Jesus is not under the curse) and produces a beautiful flower with a delightful fragrance; the white color symbolizes purity.
The word “lilies” is used fourteen times in Scripture and also symbolizes those who are saved because they have been redeemed by the atonement of Jesus.
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth.
2 In the presence of Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength and come and save us.
3 Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
In spite of the impeccable godly heritage of these three special tribes of Israel, something had gone seriously wrong. They were in trouble, and their prayers did not seem to be getting through. They were in desperate need of salvation. In this psalm, Asaph clearly identifies the problem: the people of God needed God’s help to turn around and face the right direction.
4 O LORD God of the hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?
5 Thou dost feed them with the bread of tears and give them tears to drink in great measure.
6 Thou dost make us a strife unto our neighbours, and our enemies laugh at us among themselves.
7 Turn us again, O God of the hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
In order for God’s face to shine on his people, they must be turned around so they can once again face him. The title God of the hosts references God’s authority over all Israel.381 The scope of Asaph’s prayer has now broadened to include all his brethren. It is likely that Asaph led the people in singing this at a time of great spiritual need. This is his testimony.
8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt; thou hast cast out the Gentiles and planted it.
9 Thou didst prepare room before it and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the earth.
10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and its boughs were like the cedars of God.
11 She sent out her boughs unto the sea and her branches unto the river.
Under the leadership of Joshua from the tribe of Ephraim, the nation of Israel got off to a wonderful start in the promised
land (Numbers 13:8, 16). Eventually, however, they started having severe ups and downs as they kept forsaking the Lord to serve Baal and Ashtoreth (Judges 2:14–23). For this reason, the Lord did not let them drive all their enemies out of the land. He left some nasty neighbors to test them. By the time this psalm was written, almost a thousand years had gone by and many tears had been shed. The situation was getting worse and worse.
12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all those who pass by the way pluck her?
13 The boar out of the wood wastes it, and the wild beast of the field devours it.
Remember that the priests and Levites were not included in the four “hosts,” nor were they given an inheritance in Israel. They were scattered in key cities (forty-eight in total) across the land. Asaph may have been placed among the host of Ephraim. His ministry was to identify with them, reach out to them in a way that they could understand, and wake them up spiritually so that they would join him and, together, convince God to once again appear on the scene and turn their lives around. The questions posed in the above verses had very simple and obvious answers. Yet Asaph, under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, wanted the people to start asking God the right questions so that they could receive the right answers. And so God deals with us today.
14 Return, we beseech thee, O God of the hosts: look down from heaven and behold and visit this vine
15 and the vineyard which thy right hand has planted and the branch that thou didst make strong for thyself.
16 It is burned with fire; it is cut down; they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.
If we are not satisfied with the present state of affairs among the people of God, it is wise to be honest. We should admit that we are in great trouble as we desperately cry out to the Lord.
17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou didst make strong for thyself,
18 so we will not go back from thee. Thou shalt quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.
Who is the man of thy right hand? Who is the son of man whom thou didst make strong for thyself? Only the Lord Jesus Christ fits this description. He is seated at the right hand of the Father, with all power and authority as the only mediator of the new covenant. He has redeemed us and made available the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit to write his commandments in our hearts and souls so that we will not turn away from God. This is how God will give us new life so that we will call upon his name.
19 Turn us again, O LORD God of the hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
Let us pray:
O Lord God of the hosts, turn us again, cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. Amen.
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379 There are three psalms with “lilies” in the title. This is the third such psalm.
380 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a fountain, whose daughters run over the wall. The arches have sorely grieved him and shot at him and hated him; but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty one of Jacob; from there did the stone of Israel shepherd, by the God of thy father, who shall help thee, and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of the heavens above, with blessings of the deep that lies under, with blessings of the breasts and of the womb. The blessings of thy father were greater than the blessings of my progenitors; unto the borders of the eternal hills they shall be upon the head of Joseph and on the crown of the Nazarite of his brethren (Genesis 49:22–26).
381 When God marched his people through the wilderness, he divided them into four “hosts” of three tribes each. The host of Ephraim, with its standard (or flag), also contained Manasseh and Benjamin. They camped on the west side of the tabernacle (Numbers 2:18–24).
Chapter 81.
Eighty-one is made up of nine times nine (which signifies ultimate consequences). Aside from its place in the title of this psalm, the number eighty-one does not appear in Scripture.
Psalm 81
To the Overcomer upon Gittith,382 A Psalm of Asaph.383
1 Sing aloud unto God our strength; make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
2 Take the song and play the timbrel, the harp of joy with the psaltery.
Imagine Asaph, the lead cantor (from the tribe of Levi), leading worship at the tabernacle of David before the ark of the testimony. Now imagine that he’s singing together with a boisterous group of more than sixty Philistine Gittites from Gath. They had not only followed David home from his exile but had also been assigned the great responsibility of ministering directly to God. Their service prefigures the Gentiles who would be incorporated into the people of God after the first advent of Jesus Christ.
3 Blow the shofar in the new moon in the time appointed on our solemn feast day.
This verse refers to the Feast of Trumpets, which was to be proclaimed on the first day of the seventh month of the agricultural calendar. This is the beginning of the new year according to the sacred calendar. In the seventh month in the first day of the month, ye shall have a rest, an alarm for a reminder, and a holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein; but ye shall offer an offering on fire unto the LORD (Leviticus 23:24–25).
God wants us to rest (and stop messing things up) so that he can come onto the scene and work in and through us. The Feast of Trumpets is an alarm for a reminder of the ultimate consequences of what will happen if we do not cease and desist (even from what we think are our own good ideas). This is a holy convocation and we are to do no servile work therein. The Feast of Trumpets is the prophetic alarm and reminder announcing the day of the Lord. This day will be at the beginning of the seventh millennial day since creation. We are to stop everything and offer an offering on fire unto the LORD. In the highest sense, we are the offering, and God wants us to be totally on fire for him (Revelation 3:15–16).
4 For this is a statute of Israel and an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5 This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt where I heard a language that I did not understand.
Note the shift into the first person as Asaph begins to prophesy under a powerful anointing from God, who speaks about himself through Asaph. It is very likely that Asaph was ministering before the ark when this took place.
What language did God hear in Egypt that he did not understand? There was a total absence of communication between God and the wicked pharaoh. The two did not understand one another. When God said, “Let My People Go!” he would not receive (or even understand) any of Pharaoh’s flimsy answers. A similar confrontation is about to take place today with those modern controllers who would continue to enslave the people of God by quenching their liberty to be led by the Holy Spirit.
6 I removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands were delivered from working with clay.
From whose shoulder did God remove a burden? Whose hands were delivered from working with clay? God is speaking of his people, whom he loves to call “Joseph” or “Israel.” This psalm refers directly to the Hebrews held captive in Egypt, but it also applies to us today. God wants us to surrender our burdens to him. He wants to be the potter and for us to be moldable clay in his hands. Man has a strong tendency to want to be the one to mold and form others. What if God wants to totally deliver us from working with clay?
7 Thou didst call in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder; I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.
Where is the secret place of thunder? The secret place is represented by the tabernacle of David (or wherever the presence of God dwells, such as in the hearts of his people today). This is the place from which the voice of God will thunder forth on the day of the Lord. This future event was pictured by Asaph, Obededom, and their brethren as they celebrated the Feast of Trumpets in the tabernacle of David.
“Meribah” means “strife.” Meribah is where God tested his people, many of whom did not pass the test. This is also where God provided water out of the rock.
8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee; O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me,
9 no strange god shall be in thee, neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
10 I am the LORD thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt; open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His message has never changed. However, if God’s people harden their hearts like Pharaoh, there will continue to be a communication failure between them and God. He does not understand the language coming forth from the lips of those who have hardened their hearts; he does not sympathize with their wicked ways.
The children of Israel were tempted to worship other gods, but nowadays people often worship themselves. God refuses to go along with those who insist on mixing him in with their other priorities and persist in rebellious idolatry.
11 But my people did not hearken to my voice, and Israel did not love me.
What an overwhelming statement! It seems that no one was interested in hearing and obeying God. No one sought the truth. God’s people disappointed God to the extent that he let go of their entire nation.384
12 So I gave them up unto the hardness of their heart, and they walked in their own counsels.
Let’s consider our present condition in light of this tragedy. How many of God’s people suffer from hardness of their heart? How many are walking in their own counsels?
13 Oh, if my people would hearken unto me and Israel would walk in my ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their adversaries.
In the day of David, Asaph, and Obededom, there was a spiritual revival. God brought the entire nation to victory over all their enemies.
15 The haters of the LORD would have submitted themselves unto him, and their time would endure for ever.
During David’s reign, many former enemies (such as Obededom) submitted themselves to God. Now it is our opportunity to reach out to the haters of the LORD. For those of us who submit to God and walk in his ways, desisting from our own counsels and allowing him to replace our hard hearts with his heart, our time will endure for ever.
16 And God would have fed them also the finest of the wheat, and with honey out of the rock I would have satisfied thee.
If God’s people had submitted to him instead of to idols, they could have enjoyed God’s finest. What choice will we make? The apostle Paul knew that true riches are only experienced by those who love God:
For we speak perfect wisdom of God, and not the wisdom of this age nor of the princes of this age, that come to nought, but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God predestined before the ages unto our glory, which none of the princes of this age knew (for had they known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory). But as it is written, That which eye has not seen nor ear heard neither has entered into the heart of man is that which God has prepared for those that love him. But God has revealed this unto us by his Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:6–10)
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, may we heed the message of the Feast of Trumpets. May our hearts be warm and tender toward you so that we will all speak the same language of love. May we hear and obey your Word and give up our own counsels. May all of our enemies fall in a day before your awesome presence, as your voice thunders once again from the secret place. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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382 “Gittith” means “after the manner of the Gittites;” these are people from the Philistine city of Gath (meaning “winepress”). Remember that David left the ark at the house of Obededom the Gittite during a failed attempt to bring back the ark to Jerusalem, and for three months the Lord blessed his household so David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness (2 Samuel 6:10–12). After placing the ark in the tabernacle of David, he left there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren to minister before the ark continually, each thing in its day; and Obededom with their brethren, sixty-eight (1 Chronicles 16:37–38). So it appears that Asaph and David (and God) got along well with an entire extended family of Gittites who were former enemies of Israel (and who undoubtedly remembered what had happened a few years before when the Philistines had captured the ark). There are a total of three Psalms dedicated to the Overcomer upon Gittith (Psalm 8, by David, Psalm 81 by Asaph, and Psalm 84 for the sons of Korah).
383 This is yet another testimony that Asaph collected.
384 The Lord promised Abraham he would spare Sodom for the sake of ten righteous men (Genesis 18:32). Regarding apostate Jerusalem God told the prophet Jeremiah: Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see now and find out and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that execute judgment, that seek the truth; and I will pardon the city (Jeremiah 5:1).
Chapter 82.
Eighty-two is comprised of two times forty-one (signifying discernment between the godly and the ungodly). Except for in the title of this psalm, this number does not occur by itself in Scripture.385
Psalm 82
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 God stands in the congregation of the mighty; he judges among the gods.
2 How long will ye judge unjustly and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
We must ask two questions about these verses. What is the congregation of the mighty? And why are there some in the congregation of the mighty who do not seem to agree with God’s judgments and, therefore, judge unjustly and continue to accept the persons of the wicked?
The tabernacle of David represents the same heavenly realm as the holy of holies, where the direct presence of God dwells and is veiled from the realm of the earth. However, those who gain access to this realm (such as David, Asaph, and Obededom, and us, if we are in Christ) soon discover that there is a spiritual conflict going on between those who accept the just judgments of God and those who accept the persons of the wicked. We know that Satan is the wicked one and that there are powerful principalities and powers in the heavens that support him (Ephesians 6:12). These evil supernatural beings war against God and his people. We also know that there are different levels in the heavens.386 For instance, Paul refers to the “third heaven” (2 Corinthians 12:2)
This congregation of the mighty from verse 1 is spoken of in the book of Job: Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them (Job 1:6).
The word “gods” is used 236 times in the Jubilee Bible translation, beginning when the serpent beguiled Eve by telling her that she would not surely die if she disobeyed God’s instructions regarding the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan added: For God knows that in the day ye eat of it then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:4–5, emphasis added).
There are people who have made their own gods (idols out of gold or silver), there are gods who are devils,387 and there are those who pretend to be gods.
The last use of the word “gods” in the Jubilee translation is when Paul wrote: However then, when ye did not know God, ye did service unto those who by nature are not gods (Galatians 4:8).
God is the only one who can provide us with right judgment. He commands us to:
3 Do right concerning the poor and fatherless; do justice to the poor and destitute.
4 Deliver the poor and destitute; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.
This is exactly what Jesus did. He has enabled us to do the same by his power and authority through the Holy Spirit. If we do right concerning the poor and fatherless, if we do justice to the poor and destitute, and if we deliver them out of the hand of the wicked, this is fruit of the Spirit of God who moves us. Jesus said, Ye shall know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:16–20). The wicked will never produce good fruit.
5 They do not know, neither do they understand; they walk in darkness; they move all the foundations of the earth.
Those who do not know or understand and who walk in darkness are the wicked. They move all the foundations of the earth as they disregard the truth.
What are the foundations of the earth,388 and who laid them? God laid the foundations of the earth, and he placed its cornerstone (Job 38:4–6). The Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is the cornerstone of the foundation, and his throne shall never be moved (Psalm 93:1–2). The wicked one has attempted to displace the truth of God with his lies, which serve as the unstable foundation of this fallen world (which will soon crumble).
6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are sons of the most High.
Jesus quoted the first part of this verse to the Pharisees when they accused him of blasphemy and were about to stone him:
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods unto whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be broken), do ye say of him whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe me. But if I do, though ye do not believe me, believe the works that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him. (John 10:34–38)
God called them gods unto whom the word of God came because the proclamation of the gospel will cause everyone to choose between the truth of God and the lies of the wicked. In the highest sense, Jesus is the Truth: For by him were all things created, that are in the heavens and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they are thrones or dominions or principalities or powers: all things were created by him and in him; And he is before all things, and by him all things consist (Colossians 1:16–17). Here in Psalms, David’s reference to them as gods is a reminder that the gods of this world are created beings and subject to the judgment of God, just as all human rulers are.389
What Satan attempted to do to Jesus will eventually be done to him. He will be judged along with the wicked principalities and powers that have backed him. Everyone will reap what they sow (Galatians 6:7). God turned the tables on the devil. When Jesus died, he broke the power of sin and death and redeemed us. Paul describes it like this: And you, being dead in sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he has quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the bill of the decrees that was against us, which was contrary to us and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross and having spoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it (Colossians 2:13–15).
7 But ye shall die like men and fall like one of the tyrants.
Satan and his wicked principalities will soon find out that their lies lead to death. Their supernatural powers will not prevent them from dying like men and being trapped by death in Sheol (Isaiah 14:7– 21; Revelation 20:1–3).
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth, for thou shalt inherit all the Gentiles.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, may you judge the earth in righteousness. May you inherit all the Gentiles. May Satan – along with his wicked principalities who think they are gods – die like men and fall like one of the tyrants. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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385 The number eighty-two does occur twice as part of a larger number that has to do with the father and grandfather of Noah (Genesis 5:26, 28).
386 It would seem that the first heaven contains everything extending from the physical atmosphere to the sun, moon, and heavenly bodies we can see at night, such as the stars (Genesis 1:6–8). The second heaven seems to be a spiritual realm in which spiritual beings such as angels and demons interact. The third heaven has to do with the direct presence or throne of God. Also remember that Jesus, after his victory over death, ascended up far above all the heavens (Ephesians 4:10) and this is where the heavenly Mount Sion seems to be located (Hebrews 12:22-27).
387 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger. They sacrificed unto devils, not to God, to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came from nearby, whom your fathers feared not (Deuteronomy 32:16–17). Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils (Psalm 106:37).
388 This phrase is used nine times in Scripture.
389 Also see Psalm 29:1-2; the “mighty” are subject to his dominion.
Chapter 83.
Eighty-three is a prime number that only occurs once in Scripture besides in the title of Psalm 83. Aaron was eighty-three years old when he and Moses spoke to Pharaoh (Exodus 7:7). This number has to do with the coming day of reckoning, known as the day of the Lord, when the enemies of God who have been persecuting and oppressing the people of God will be confronted and completely overcome.
Psalm 83
A Song or Psalm of Asaph.
1 Do not keep silence, O God; do not hold thy peace, and do not be still, O God.
2 For, behold, thine enemies make a tumult, and those that hate thee have lifted up their head.
3 They have taken prudent counsel in secret against thy people and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come and let us cut them off from being a people that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
The enemies of God have risen up in a tumult, an uproar, and here the psalmist asks the Lord to not remain silent. During the time of Moses and Aaron, the wicked pharaoh was among the first to desire to cut off the name of Israel (the people of God) by killing all of the male offspring (Exodus 1:15–22). Therefore, when the enemies of God took prudent counsel in secret, Moses and Aaron were among the first hidden ones that they consulted against. This type of persecution is still going on against Israel and the church (against Jews and Christians).
5 Therefore they have consulted together with one consent; they are confederate against thee:
6 The tents of Edom390 and the Ishmaelites;391 of Moab392 and the Hagarenes;393
7 Gebal394 and Ammon395 and Amalek;396 Philistia397 with the inhabitants of Tyre;398
8 Assur399 also is joined with them: they are an arm unto the sons of Lot. Selah.
The enemies of God (those aligned one way or another with the natural man) tend to have a lot of trouble getting along with one another, but one thing that gives them a common bond is their hatred of the people of God. The psalmist sums them up as being an arm unto the sons of Lot. “Lot” means “a veil or covering that represents authority.” All of the enemies of God have their own “covering” and most definitely are not under the covering of the Spirit of God, even though they sometimes make attempts to appear so.
9 Do unto them as unto the Midianites,400 as to Sisera,401 as to Jabin,402 at the brook of Kison,403
10 who perished at Endor;404 they became as dung for the earth.
11 Make them and their captains like Oreb405 and like Zeeb;406 all their princes as Zebah407 and as Zalmunna:408
The battles against the Midianites and the Canaanites are representative of final, end-time events. Oreb and Zeeb perished on this side of the Jordan, while Zebah and Zalmunna were slain on the other side of the river. This seems to indicate that in the end, the battle will take place in both the natural and the supernatural realms in which wicked principalities will be cast down and become as dung for the earth. Endor, like Armageddon (means “height of Meggido” or “place of God”), is symbolic of where and when the end of the generation of the enemies of God will take place.
12 Who have said, Let us inherit for ourselves the habitations of God.
13 O my God, make them like a whirlwind, as the stubble before the wind.
God’s final judgments are often described as a whirlwind409 (a hurricane or tornado) that completely wipes out anyone or anything that is corrupt or perverted. In the case of the righteous prophet Elijah, the whirlwind associated with God did not cause him any harm but served as the vehicle to transport him to a higher realm (2 Kings 2:11–12).
14 As the fire burns a wood and as the flame sets the mountains on fire
15 so persecute them with thy tempest and make them afraid with thy whirlwind.
For millennia, the devil and his cohorts have been persecuting God’s people and causing great tribulation. As we enter the prophesied day of the Lord, the tables will turn, and God will persecute his enemies and make them afraid. The tribulation that God is about to bring on them will shake the heavens and the earth (Haggai 2:6; Hebrews 12:25–29).
16 Fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy name, O LORD.
In the coming great tribulation caused by God, it is possible that some of the people who currently sit on the fence may become ashamed of themselves and seek the name of the Lord. If they don’t, the following will happen:
17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; let them be put to shame and perish
18 That they may know that thou, whose name alone is LORD, art the most high over all the earth.
There will undoubtedly be those who will be put to shame and perish. God sums it up like this:
I have sworn by myself; the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow; every tongue shall swear (Isaiah 45:23).
This is also the testimony of the New Testament:
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:11–12)
Therefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is Lord in the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9–11)
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, may your plans and purposes prevail and all of your enemies be cast down. May the time soon come when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
****
390 The tents of Edom (means “red”) refers to the descendants of Esau, and this is symbolic of those who would build their own kingdoms (instead of God’s kingdom).
391 Ishmael (means “whom God hears”) represents those associated with the natural desire of the flesh, not with the promise. However, even in our natural state, God will hear us if we call on him.
392 Moab (means “of her own father”) was the incestuous son of Lot by his own daughter and represents those who claim to be of the people of God but do not really have God as their spiritual father.
393 Hagarenes (the inhabitants of Hagar) are typed with the Egyptian slave woman and not with the free. woman. Paul equates this to being under the bondage of the law instead of under grace (Galatians 4:21–31)
394 Gebal (means “border” or “chain of hills”) represents those who attempt to sit on the fence and identify with the world and with the people of God both at the same time.
395 Ammon (means “of the people”) was another incestuous son of Lot and represents government by the people instead of by God.
396 Amalek (means “stranger”) represents those in their natural, unconverted state who are at enmity with God and are tares whom the enemy attempts to plant in and among the people of God.
397 Philistia (means “errant ones”) can be symbolic of the land of spiritual death.
398 Tyre (means “rock”) can represent Satan’s antichrist kingdom as he attempts to be a false christ (Ezekiel 28:12–19).
399 Assur (means “graceful” or “mighty one”) is typed with pride and licentiousness (the king of the north).
400 The Midianites or people of Midian (means “strife”) were totally defeated in a war begun by Gideon and his three hundred men when God supernaturally intervened (Judges 7).
401 Sisera (means “binding in chains”) was the general in charge of the army of Jabin, the king of Canaan (means “traffickers”) that was defeated by the army of Israel under Barack (means “thunderbolt”) and Deborah (means “bee” or “word”). Sisera fled from the battlefield and was killed by a woman named Jael, who pounded a stake through his head with a hammer when he was asleep (Judges 4). This seems to be a shadow fulfillment of Genesis 3:15.
402 “Jabin” means “whom he (God) considered.”
403 “Kison” means “tortuous.”
404 “En-dor” means “fountain of Dor (circle or generation).” Later, King Saul consulted with a witch at Endor and sealed his doom when God refused to forgive him, and he died on his own sword (1 Samuel 28:7; 1 Chronicles 10:4, 13–14).
405 Oreb (means “raven”) was one of two princes of Midian slain by the men of Ephraim on the rock of Oreb at the time of Gideon (Judges 7:25).
406 Zeeb (means “wolf”) is the other prince of Midian slain by the men of Ephraim on the winepress of Zeeb (Judges 7:25).
407 Zebah (means “slaughter” or “sacrifice”) was one of the kings of Midian slain by Gideon on the other side of the Jordan (Judges 8).
408 Zalmunna (means “shelter or protection denied”) was the other king of Midian slain by Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.
409 The word “whirlwind” occurs thirty-five times in the Jubilee Bible translation. This is the tenth time.
Chapter 84.
Eighty-four is two times forty-two (our decision to submit to God’s plan of correction and redemption), or three times twenty-eight (the fruitfulness of participating in God’s salvation), or four times twenty-one (God’s heavenly love as the fruit of peace), or seven times twelve (the peace and rest of divine order – that is, of learning to do things God’s way).
Psalm 84
To the Overcomer upon Gittith,410A Psalm for the sons of Korah.411
1 How amiable are thy habitations, O LORD of the hosts!
2 My soul longs, and even faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh sing to the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a house and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young upon thine altars, O LORD of the hosts, my King and my God.
4 Happy are those that dwell in thy house; they shall continually praise thee. Selah.
This is where the word “sparrow” is introduced into Scripture. Jesus told his followers that God does not forget even a single sparrow and that we are of more value than many sparrows (Matthew 10:31; Luke 12:7). The sparrow and the swallow are small birds that fly with liberty in the heavenly realm and may travel long distances. The writer of this psalm has also traveled from afar and has found a house and a nest where his faith may be multiplied into his children. The sparrow and the swallow are representative of the corporate people of God (the bride of Christ) who seek his presence and desire to lay her young upon God’s altars. The best way to secure a great future for our offspring is to place our young in God’s hands. The way to blessing and happiness is to dwell in God’s house (even if we are only the doorkeeper) and to continually thank and praise him. In God’s house, those who are least and who are servants of all are the greatest.
Stop and think about this.
5 Happy is the man whose strength is in thee, in whose heart are thy ways,
6 who passing through the valley of Baca, shall make it a well; the rain also shall fill the pools.
Those whose hearts have been placed on the altars of God for him to circumcise as he sees fit, until all deceit and corruption has been removed, will find their strength in him. Then God’s ways will be an integral part of our hearts. In fact, his heart will be in us. Then when we pass through the trials of the valley of Baca (of weeping), God will turn our tears into a well as we find that unto those who love God, all things help them unto good (Romans 8:28). As we trust in Jesus, this will become a well of living water flowing out of our innermost being (John 7:38). Then the rain of God’s blessing will come down and fill the pools (abundantly supplying every need).
7 They go forth in a great multitude; and in order, they shall see God in Zion.
8 O LORD God of the hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
God is assembling a great multitude of those who have his ways as an integral part of their hearts. They will go forth in order (according to divine order), and they will see God in Zion (Zion is where God dwells on the sides of the north). This psalm is a prophecy, but it is also a prayer to the God of Jacob. Stop and think about it.
9 Behold, O God our shield and look upon the face of thine anointed,
10 for a day in thy courts is better than a thousand outside of them. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
Obededom, the Gittite, and his brethren had literally come out of the tents of wickedness of Gath (the capital of the Philistines) to become doorkeepers in the house of God. They are symbolic of the many Gentiles who would embrace God as their shield and look upon the face of his anointed (his Messiah).
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield unto us; the LORD will give grace and glory; he will not withhold good from those that walk uprightly.
12 O LORD of the hosts, happy is the man that trusts in thee.
Psalm 84 is sung according to the style of the Gittites and with the instruments they used; some of these Gittites were now ministering at the tabernacle of David before the light and protection, symbolized by the ark (a representation of the direct presence of God), alongside Heman412 and his brethren who were Levite sons of Korah.413 Even though on their own they had no glory,414 they could now be extremely happy knowing that they were heirs of the grace and glory that the Lord gives to anyone of faith that trusts in him and walks uprightly.
Let us pray:
O God of Jacob, may our prayer be answered as we seek your face. May you be a sun and a shield for us. May your ways dominate our hearts until our flesh and our hearts continually sing your praises. We pray that we may become participants in the multitude of people who walk according to your divine order until we see your face in Zion. May we receive your grace and glory. Amen.
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410 “Gittith” means “after the manner of the Gittites (the inhabitants of Gath).” Obededom and his brethren were Gittites, and David made them caretakers of the ark along with Asaph and his brethren. In other words, this psalm was sung according to the musical style of Gath, the principal city of the Philistines.
411 Heman was the cantor who David placed in ministry of song (1 Chronicles 6:32–33) before the tabernacle of the testimony (the tabernacle of David – see Appendix A), where David put the ark until the temple of Solomon was built. Heman was of the Levitical line of Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath (1 Chronicles 6:32–37); Asaph, his brother Levite of the line of Gershon, stood on his right hand (1 Chronicles 6:39–43).
412 “Heman” means “faithful.”
413 “Korah” means “baldness.”
414 “Baldness” indicates no glory.
Chapter 85.
Eighty-five is five times seventeen (in a positive sense, prayerful dependence upon God’s grace and mercy; in a negative sense, the exact opposite). This number is used twice in Scripture,415 first in a positive and then in a negative sense. The first use is when Caleb was eighty-five years old and finally received the mountain of his inheritance (Joshua 14:10–13); he was just as strong as he had been forty-five years before and able to drive the Anakim giants out of Hebron, which then became the city of refuge of the priests. The last use of this number is when Doeg the Edomite slew eighty-five priests – following orders of wicked King Saul – because they had aided David (1 Samuel 22:18).
Psalm 85
To the Overcomer, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.
1 LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land; thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people; thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
This psalm is clearly messianic. When David and all Israel were victorious over all of their enemies, this was a sure sign of the favor and grace of the Lord. Yet the fullness is yet to come at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath; thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
4 Turn us, O God our saving health and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou extend thine anger from generation to generation?
6 Wilt thou not give us life again that thy people may rejoice in thee?
7 Show us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy saving health.
Even though things seem to be going extremely well, the psalmist is concerned lest the people of God would return to their former ways. Unless the hearts of the people are continually turned toward God, there will be a repeat of the former fiascoes. This is a problem that must be dealt with from generation to generation. The only solution is for God to give us life again, and his life is eternal life. Note that this is a corporate prayer. Only God can turn us around. The corporate people of God require his mercy in order to be saved and to stay saved. Caleb waited until he was eighty-five for his inheritance because it took forty years for all of the unbelieving, disobedient generation to die off in the wilderness; then it took another five years as he helped consolidate the others into their inheritance in the promised land.
8 I will hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace unto his people and to his saints, that they not turn again to folly.
God has been speaking peace to his people, even while allowing them to be tested and proven so that in the coming millennium (and on into eternity) they will not turn again to folly. King Saul was chosen by God and got off to what seemed like such a wonderful start (as long as he was small in his own eyes), and then he turned to unbelievable folly that even included the murder of eighty-five priests and the slaughter of the entire priestly city of Nob.
9 Surely his saving health is near those that fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
God desires to have mercy on fallen man, but in order to fully do so, he must expose the truth of our fallen condition regarding the wickedness of the heart of man (Genesis 6:5–8; Jeremiah 17:9). God desires for peace to prevail, but there cannot be peace without righteousness (justice), and this requires judgment. His saving health is near those that fear him and this is so that glory may dwell in our land. When mercy and truth meet and when righteousness and peace have kissed each other, then this will happen:
11 Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from the heavens.
12 The LORD shall give that which is good, and our land shall bring forth her fruit. This will be the end of the curse.
13 Righteousness shall go before him and shall set his steps in the way.
Who will righteousness go before? Whose steps will righteousness prepare the way for? This is speaking of the Lord Jesus and the corporate body of Christ. This is the Overcomer.
When Jesus came the first time, John the Baptist went before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way. In the context of Jesus’s return for a bride without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, the fullness of this prophecy will take place.
Let us pray:
O God of our saving health, may mercy and truth meet today in our time; may righteousness and peace kiss each other once again so that truth will spring out of the earth, and righteousness will look down from the heavens. May the curse come to an end, and may you bless us with that which is good so that our land will bring forth her fruit. Amen.
****
415 Eighty-five is also used twice as part of a larger number (2 Kings 19:35; Isaiah 37:36); both times referring to the 185,000 Assyrians slain by the angel of the Lord in the days of King Hezekiah.
Chapter 86.
Eighty-six is two times forty-three (asking for mercy after making mistakes). This number is used once in Scripture416 other than in the title of this psalm. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram (Genesis 16:16).
Psalm 86
A Prayer of David.
1 Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me, for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my soul; for I am merciful, O thou my God, save thy slave that trusts in thee.
3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord, for I cry unto thee daily.
Like Abram who attempted to fulfill the promise of God in the flesh when he had Ishmael with Hagar the Egyptian slave (thinking it was impossible for Sarah to have the heir that God had promised), David also made his share of seemingly honest mistakes and knew from the depths of his heart that above all else he desperately needed God’s mercy. All of us should be able to identify with this.
By saying he is poor and needy in earthly terms, David also recognizes that he is spiritually poor and in need of what he cannot do himself. Jesus said, Blessed are the poor in spirit [those who recognize their need for God and depend on him], for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 5:3).
4 Rejoice the soul of thy slave, for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For thou, Lord, art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all those that call upon thee.
6 Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer and attend to the voice of my supplications.
7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee, for thou wilt answer me.
David knew that by being honest and sincere he could always count on God to forgive and to show mercy; this was not only true regarding his present situation but he knew that it would also be true in any future day of trouble (1 John 1:8). He asks God to hear his supplications – his humble and earnest cries.
8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord, neither is there any other who does thy works.
Among God’s most wonderful works is how he forgives our sin and cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). No pagan god can do that! The consequences of our mistakes can be extremely painful, even if we thought that our own reasoning was adequate at the time, but God provides a way out.
9 All the Gentiles whom thou hast made shall come and humble themselves before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.
10 For thou art great and doest wondrous things; thou alone art God.
Gentiles include entire nations, tribes, families, or individuals who do not have circumcised hearts and, therefore, proceed according to their own ideas (or according to what they think are their own ideas).
11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth; firm up my heart that I might fear thy name.
12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify thy name for evermore.
In order to learn God’s ways, we need to be willing to walk in the truth (Jesus is the truth) and request that God would firm up our heart so that we might fear his name. When we try to walk partially in our own truth and wisdom and partially in God’s, our heart is divided and unstable.417 David learned that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10).
If we walk in God’s truth and allow him to firm up our heart so that the fear of the Lord – profound respect and reverence for the Lord – will always motivate us, then we will always be intensely motivated to praise the Lord and glorify his name forevermore.
13 For great is thy mercy upon me, and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest part of Sheol.
Those in the lowest part of Sheol (Hades, the grave)418 are trapped by death in a very undesirable place awaiting final judgment (Revelation 20:13). When Jesus died, he descended into the lower parts of the earth (Sheol) and took captivity captive, defeating the Enemy and the power of death (freeing Abraham and David as well), redeeming those who were his; then he ascended high above all heavens (Ephesians 4:8–10). Now Jesus has the keys of Hades and of death (Revelation 1:18).
14 O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul and have not set thee before them.
15 But thou, O Lord, art a merciful and gracious God, longsuffering and plenteous in mercy and truth.
Many of the proud, starting with King Saul, rose up against David along with entire assemblies of violent men that were after his soul. Most of David’s worst enemies were fellow Israelites. Many of the most violent attacks on Christians have come from inquisitors claiming to be fellow Christians who have not set God before them (who do not demonstrate authentic fear of the Lord). Those who are really “tares” planted among the “wheat” in and among the people of God look for the slightest mistakes on our part in order to declare that we are heretics so that they may destroy or damage us (or our reputation).
Fortunately the Lord is merciful and gracious and will always come to our aid when we call on him, and he will extricate us from our predicament. God is longsuffering and will bear with us through thick and through thin. He is also plenteous in mercy and truth. That is, he will show mercy, but he will also apply the sword of the truth to our hearts to cut out any deceptive wrong thoughts or motives.
16 O look into me and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy slave and keep the son of thine handmaid.
Here David identifies himself as God’s slave (he belongs entirely to God); he also credits his mother with being God’s handmaid (indicating that his mother also belongs entirely to God) who was undoubtedly used to inspire and train young David in the fear and admonition of the Lord. In fact, it is possible that this psalm could have been written when David was quite young.
17 Show me a token for good that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou, O LORD, hast helped me and comforted me.
What is the token for good that God may show us? When David was yet a boy, the prophet Samuel came and anointed him in front of all his brethren. The Spirit of God is the best token for good that those who hate us may see and be ashamed by when they see it. Paul wrote: Now he who confirms us with you unto Christ and has anointed us is God; who has also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts (2 Corinthians 1:21–22). The earnest of the Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance in Christ (Ephesians 1:12–14). This is the token for good that we may request from the Lord.
The Holy Spirit is our helper (Hebrews 13:6–7) and comforter (John 14:26). In fact, the first mention of the Holy Spirit in Scripture was by David (Psalm 51:10– 11).
Let us pray:
O Lord, may we, like David, also receive a token for good according to your mercy from your mighty hand. Amen.
****
416 Eighty-six also occurs once as part of a larger number (Numbers 2:9) having to do with the host of the camp of Judah, which included Issachar and Zebulon and numbered 186,400. This host marched first and camped toward the sunrise on the east of the tabernacle.
417 See 1 Chronicles 12:33.
418 This is sometimes translated as “hell,” but they are not the same.
Chapter 87.
Eighty-seven is three times twenty-nine (the fruitfulness of hearing the voice of the Lord). It does not occur in Scripture other than in the title of this psalm.419
Psalm 87
A Psalm or Song for the sons of Korah.
1 His foundation is in mountains of holiness.
2 The LORD loves the gates of Zion420 more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.
The foundation that God builds on is in mountains of holiness. Mountains may represent foundational kingdom truth, and holiness describes that which is separated exclusively unto God. This is a description of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the truth and who lives to exclusively please his Father. Jesus desires to bring us (as individual members of the body of Christ) into direct relationship with the Father.
David and his mighty men (who started out as a ragtag band of rejects from the kingdom of Saul) captured the seemingly impregnable fortress of Zion and took up residence there. The difference between those living within the gates of Zion versus all the dwellings of Jacob can be the difference between those who live to exclusively please God versus those who attempt to use God to get what they want. Most, if not all, of us start out like Jacob: And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and clothing to put on so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then shall the LORD be my God; and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth part unto thee (Genesis 28:20–22).
Jacob decided to test and to prove God, and if God passed his test, he would give back to God a tithe of everything God gave him (a wonderful deal for Jacob). God went along with Jacob but also began to allow the faith of Jacob to be tested and proven. After about twenty years of this, a serious crisis developed, and Jacob desperately wrestled with God in a face-to-face encounter that left Jacob’s natural walk in the flesh crippled. Jacob limped away from Peniel (means “the face of God”) with a new name, Israel (means “God prevails”), that has to do with the new nature that God desires to place within those who are registered as citizens of heaven (Hebrews 12:22–23).
Zion, the impregnable citadel of Jerusalem (known as the city of David), is referred to here as the city of God. This is where David pitched a tabernacle for the ark of the testimony of the presence of the Lord. By faith, Abraham, the friend of God, lived in tents (or tabernacles) during his earthly sojourn because he looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:9–10). We know that there is such a thing as a heavenly Jerusalem, and John saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven, prepared of God as a bride adorned for her husband (Revelation 21:2). This will be revealed when God brings forth his new creation in which heaven and earth will once again be joined together.
The glorious things that are spoken of in the city of God include this: Behold, the tabernacle of God with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and death shall be no more neither shall there be any more sorrow nor crying nor pain; for the former things are passed away (Revelation 21:3–4).
4 I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those that know me; behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this one was born there.
By faith the harlot Rahab [David’s greatgreat grandmother who was from Jericho] did not perish together with the disobedient, having received the spies with peace (Hebrews 11:31). Abram was from Ur of the Chaldees (part of Babylon) and left his native home following the word of God until he reached the promised land (where he lived with Isaac and Jacob as strangers). God recruited many of David’s mighty men from Philistia (including the extended family Obededom the Gittite).421
Hiram, king of Tyre, developed a wonderful friendship with David and helped build David a house. He later helped Solomon with the temple. There are also outstanding examples in Scripture of some from Ethiopia who left home on a long journey to follow God, such as the Queen of Sheba and the Ethiopian eunuch. There were people, born in their native land, who left everything behind in order to follow God seeking his land and his city and his presence.
5 And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man were born in her; and the highest himself shall establish her.
6 The LORD shall count when he writes up the peoples that this one was born there. Selah.
Stop and think about this.
Those who are willing to leave everything to follow God, no matter what the cost, have the most wonderful opportunity to bring forth children that are actually born in Zion. They fulfill the Scripture: the sparrow that has found a house and the swallow a nest, where she may lay her young upon thine altars, O LORD of the hosts, my King and my God (Psalm 84:3). There are those of us of whom it shall be said, This and that man were born in her (in Zion). Zion is symbolic of wherever we find the presence of God, wherever he sees fit to call us to worship him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:21–24).
This is a wonderful promise that God may apply to our natural offspring, but it also transcends the natural realm and includes those who are born again by the Spirit of God.
God himself will establish the city of God. The LORD shall count when he writes up the peoples … and his books will be opened at the final judgment (Revelation 20:12). Imagine standing before the throne of God as his books are opened; imagine hearing your name being read with the observation: this one was born there in Zion. Paul writes of the heavenly Jerusalem (where Christ reigns and his followers are citizens) as the mother of us all (Galatians 4:26). As citizens of this Jerusalem, born again Christians are her children.
7 And singers and players on instruments in her shall say: all my springs are in thee.
The city of God has singers and players on instruments. I am quite confident that all of the registered citizens of the city of God will join in the joyous refrain: all my springs are in thee. As long as all of our springs are in God, then there will no longer be any possible source of corruption or contamination.
Let us pray:
Dear Lord, may we always hear and respond to your voice so that our faith will continue to increase until we trust you so profoundly that we will genuinely sing along with all the residents of your city: all my springs are in thee. Amen.
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419 Eighty-seven does appear twice in Scripture as part of a larger number. And Methuselah lived one hundred eighty-seven years, and begat Lamech (Genesis 5:25). And their brethren among all the families of Issachar were valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their genealogies eighty-seven thousand (1 Chronicles 7:5).
420 “Zion,” meaning “sustained” or “lifted up,” is mentioned 153 times in OT Scripture (this is the same number of times as the word “Sabbath(s).”
421 In fact, it seems that all of David’s mighty men, known as the Cherethites (the executioners) and Pelethites (the swift), lived with David in Zion. Many were foreigners (2 Samuel 23:8–39).
Chapter 88.
Eighty-eight is two times forty-four (our decision to persevere according to God’s word), or four times twenty-two (God sets forth the times and seasons by his Word), or eight times eleven (new beginnings in Christ). This number does not appear in Scripture other than in the title of this psalm.422
Psalm 88
A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the Overcomer: to sing upon Mahalath,423 Maschil424 of Heman the Ezrahite.425
1 O LORD God of my saving health, I cry day and night before Thee;
2 let my prayer come before thee; incline thine ear unto my cry;
3 for my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near unto Sheol.
4 I am counted with those that go down into the pit; I am as a man that has no strength:
5 Freed among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou dost remember no more; and they are cut off from thy hand.
6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
7 Thy wrath lies hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.
Heman writes as if he is as good as dead here in this condition. This was the plight of the children of Israel under the bondage of the wicked pharaoh who did not know Joseph (Exodus 1:8–14; Acts 7:17– 19). This is also the plight of all of us (of godly heritage) who are born into this fallen world that is dominated by those who do not know Jesus.
Therefore, we cry to the Lord and ask for understanding as to why he allows all the pain and suffering and trouble that surrounds human existence to continue. All of us here on earth are on a journey from the cradle to the grave.
Let’s stop and think about this.
8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintances far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them; I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
9 My eye mourns by reason of affliction; LORD, I have called daily upon thee; I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
10 Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.
At the time of Heman the Ezrahite, it was not at all clear that there could be resurrection life after death.
11 Shall thy mercy be declared in the grave? or thy truth in hell?
Most people considered the grave and hell to be virtually synonymous (and some still do). Heman knows about God’s mercy (this is a motive for his psalm), but time is going by fast, there is oppression all around, and his life is liable to end by old age before he is able to see any intervention from God. After death, where would he go? To the grave? To Sheol? To hell? It did not become clear until near the end of the New Testament that Sheol (linked to the grave, to the lower parts of the earth, to the abyss, and also called Hades in the Greek of the New Testament) is not the same as the lake of fire (also known as the second death), which is the real eternal hell (Revelation 20:12–14).
12 Shall thy wonder be known in darkness? And thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
Egypt (meaning “double black”) is also known as the land of darkness. The writer also refers to it as the land of forgetfulness.426 Heman has hope and even assurance that there will be a new day, that in the morning his prayer will come before God. Even though it was difficult for Heman to see at the time, God was about to destroy the power of Pharaoh and bring his people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with great wealth. It is most likely that Heman lived to see this day.
Another reason God did not move faster was that he was still giving an extended opportunity to the people that inhabited the promised land to repent because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full. Therefore, God told Abraham that the Israelites would return to the promised land in the fourth generation (Genesis 15:16). From Jacob (who went to Egypt with sixty-six souls) to Judah to Zerah to Heman is four generations. Jacob was 130 years old when he went to Egypt, and Heman could have also been very old at the time of the exodus.
14 LORD, why dost thou cast off my soul? why dost thou hide thy face from me?
15 I am afflicted and destitute; from my youth up I have feared thee and been in awe of thee.
“Heman” means “faithful.” Throughout history there have been many faithful men and women of God who have lived during dangerous, perilous times for the people of God. This continues to be the case today in many nations around the world.
16 Thy fierce wrath goes over me; thy terrors have cut me off.
17 They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.
18 Thou hast put lover and friend far from me, and placed my acquaintances into darkness.
There has always been a great cost involved with following God (Matthew 5:10–12; Hebrews 11). The psalmist describes his troubles with the analogy of flood waters engulfing him, and he is cut off from his friends. It is very interesting that Heman has written up this psalm describing all that he has been through, even though he has feared God and been in awe of him since his youth; he addressed it to the sons of Korah (apparently) after the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram when they rose up against Moses with 250 men because they were uncomfortable with the conditions that God (through Moses) was leading them into (Numbers 16).
Yet here is a very interesting observation in Scripture, which is ten chapters after the one about the rebellion: And the sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram, who were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the LORD. And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, when the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men and they became an example. Notwithstanding the sons of Korah did not die (Numbers 26:9–11, emphasis added).
The sons of Korah didn’t die that day. A long line of his sons went on to be faithful to God for many generations into the kingdoms of David and Solomon, through the Babylonian captivity, and all the way to the days of Ezra and Nehemiah.
Have you ever had a spiritual mentor or an ancestor who did something terrible and went down in irreconcilable public disgrace and defeat? I believe you will be greatly encouraged to meditate on the psalms dedicated to the sons of Korah, of which there are eleven, and this is the last (they are not in chronological order).
The original sons of Korah were named: Assir (means “captive”), Elkanah (means “whom God is possessing”), and Abiasaph (means “father of gathering”). It is obvious that Heman the Ezrahite reflected a very special place in the heart of God for them when he dedicated this inspired psalm.
Let us pray:
O Lord God of our saving health, may you grant us understanding to see things from your perspective so that we will not complain or become bitter in the midst of our present difficulties. Amen.
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422 Eighty-eight does occur twice in Scripture as part of a larger number (1 Chronicles 25:7; Nehemiah 7:26).
423 “Mahalath” means “meek” (and may also refer to a musical instrument).
424 “Maschil” means “understanding.”
425 Heman the Ezrahite was the third son of Zerah son of Judah by Tamar (1 Chronicles 2:6). The English spelling is a bit confusing, but “Ezrahite” means “son of Zera (or Zerah),” which means “dawn.” It appears that Heman and his brothers, Ethan, Chalcol, and Darda were men of renowned wisdom referred to in 1 Kings 4:31. Zerah was probably a young lad when the entire extended family of Jacob (of sixty-six souls) moved to Egypt where Joseph saved them from the famine, and it is likely that Heman was born in Egypt and provided with a good education while his great uncle Joseph was in power. This psalm, along with the book of Job, is probably among the oldest writings of the Bible (and of human history). Heman the Ezrahite lived at the time when the pharaoh who did not know Joseph began to persecute the Israelites, and they began to cry out to the Lord. Heman was third generation from Judah, and Korah was fourth generation from Levi. It is definitely possible that Heman lived long enough to participate in the first months or years of the Exodus and that he could have personally known Korah (who came to a bad end in the wilderness when he opposed Moses) and the sons of Korah (who were spared when the judgment of God fell upon Korah). Moses and Aaron were also fourth generation from Levi.
426 God did not really forget. He told Abraham that his seed would be oppressed and afflicted in a strange land for 400 years, and the exodus took place the very day that his word was fulfilled (Genesis 15:13). Abraham had been dwelling in the promised land – which at that time was governed by Egypt (the major world power at the time) – as a stranger for thirty years when he received the prophesy of the 400 more years. And the very day that the 430 years were fulfilled, the children of Israel left Egypt with great riches (Exodus 12:40–41). See Appendix B.
Chapter 89.
Eighty-nine is a prime number that does not occur in Scripture other than in the tittle of this psalm. Therefore, the spiritual meaning of this number is veiled. I do believe, however, that it has to do with having the proper balance between truth and mercy.
Psalm 89
Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite.427
1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever; with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever in the heavens; in them thou shalt establish thy truth.
3 I have made a covenant with my chosen; I have sworn unto David my slave, saying,
4 Thy seed will I establish for ever and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.
This is a clear reference to the sure mercies428 promised to David and to the house of David that are fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the seed of David, who God promised to establish forever (2 Samuel 7:1–17). All generations eventually come together in Christ, the only source of salvation. Ethan has a clear understanding of the linkage between God’s mercy and his truth. God´s covenant with David is of the truth that will be established.
Stop and think about this.
5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonder, O LORD, thy truth also in the congregation of the saints.
6 For who in the heavens can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?
7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints and to be had in reverence of all those that are about him.
8 O LORD God of the hosts, who is like unto thee? Strong JAH, compassed about with thy truth.
Ethan has a full and wonderful concept of God the Father that also seems to include God the Son. Here, a key element that defines God is his truth, and Jesus is the very personification of truth. A principal reason for why God is greatly to be feared is because he will never cease to apply his truth in the congregation of the saints. It is not only the unconverted Gentiles who will be confronted with the truth; God will also confront and deal with his own people whenever he finds it necessary. This is an overwhelming truth that surrounds the Lord; he is compassed about with it and nothing can be compared with him.
9 Thou dost rule the raging of the sea: when its waves arise, thou dost still them.
10 Thou hast broken Egypt in pieces as one that is slain; thou hast scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm.
Those who insist on persecuting the people of God and who pride themselves in their hardness of heart (like the wicked pharaoh) will eventually be broken in pieces and completely scattered. Pharaoh kept hardening his heart, and God continued to intervene and harden it even more, until Pharaoh was shattered and Egypt was broken in pieces as one that is slain. 429 Therefore, God can rule the raging of the sea: when its waves arise and he can also still them. Even so, on their way through the wilderness, the children of Israel were also confronted with the truth about themselves, and those who were filled with unbelief and were disobedient died off as God raised up a faithful generation to enter the promised land.
11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: the world and its fullness, thou didst found.
12 Thou hast created the north and the south; Tabor430 and Hermon431 shall sing in thy name.
13 The mighty arm is thine; strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.432
14 Thy throne is composed of righteousness and judgment; mercy and truth go before thy face.
God’s throne has two key components: righteousness (same word as justice in Hebrew) and judgment. This is the formula for everlasting peace. God will not dispense mercy by compromising the truth.
15 Happy are the people that know how to enter into joy; they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.
16 In thy name shall they rejoice each day; and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.
17 For thou art the glory of their strength, and in thy favour our horn433 shall be exalted.
18 For the LORD is our shield, and the Holy One of Israel is our king.
In order to truly be happy, we must know how to enter into joy. That is, we must walk in the light of God’s face (light that will destroy anyone that is corrupt). The only way to survive and to know how to enter into joy is to cleave to the mercy and truth that go before God’s face (we must unite to the Lord Jesus Christ without wavering). It’s in his name (nature) that God’s people will rejoice each day. It’s in his righteousness – as he works in us and through us – that we will be exalted. God is the glory of our strength (for in Christ we can do all things) and in his favor (in his grace) our horn shall be exalted – we will triumph.
Above all, we are to take the shield of faith, with which we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (Ephesians 6:16). Jesus is our shield. It is by his faith (by his total dependence upon the Father) that we are defended if we cleave to him. Jesus, our Messiah, is the Holy One of Israel. He is our King.
19 Then thou didst speak in vision to thy holy one and didst say, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of my people.
20 I have found David my slave; I anointed him with the oil of my holiness,
21 with whom my hand shall be established; mine arm also shall strengthen him.
The “holy one” to which verse 19 refers is none other than the prophet Samuel,434 who was set apart for the Lord by his mother even before she conceived. God did not allow any of Samuel’s prophetic words to fall to the ground. Samuel was sent by God to anoint David with God’s holiness. David was set apart for God at a very young age and destined by God to lead and shepherd Israel.
22 The enemy shall not overcome him, nor the son of iniquity break him down.
23 But I will break down his foes before his face and smite those that hate him.
24 But my truth and my mercy shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
David received all of these wonderful promises. However, they are all linked and conditioned to God’s truth and mercy (notice here that truth comes first).
25 In the same manner I will set his hand also in the sea and his right hand in the rivers.
26 He shall call me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my saving health.
27 Also I will make him my firstborn, high above the kings of the earth.
28 I will keep my mercy for him for ever, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
29 I will also make his seed to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of the heavens.
In the same manner means that truth and mercy continue to be an essential part of the promises that follow.
30 If his sons forsake my law and do not walk in my judgments,
31 if they profane my statutes and do not keep my commandments,
32 then I will visit their rebellion with the rod and their iniquity with stripes.
David also represents and is an example of Jesus Christ the coming Messiah. And it is also true that those who are born again as sons of God will receive correction and chastisement if they should rebel against God. In fact, we will see in the verses that follow that David himself was not immune from being severely humbled and chastised by God.
33 Nevertheless I will not take my mercy from him, neither will I falsify my truth.
God’s sure mercies with David will endure, but God will never falsify his truth. David will be painfully held to account for any high-handed, willful disobedience (such as his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her lawful husband, Uriah the Hittite).
God continues speaking through Ethan the Ezrahite:
34 I will not profane my covenant, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
36 His seed shall endure for ever and his throne as the sun before me.
37 It shall be established for ever as the moon and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.
God will never go back on the covenant that he has made with his slave David. David belongs to him. God will not lie unto David. He will apply the truth no matter how inconvenient this may seem to David (and to those dependent on David). Nevertheless, his seed shall endure for ever. Jesus is the seed of David (along with the entire body of Christ that is completely dependent on Jesus). His throne (Jesus’s throne) will be like the sun before God. Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2) and his body will be established forever like the moon. In the same way the moon reflects the sun, the body of Christ will reflect the light of the Sun of Righteousness like a faithful witness in heaven. 435 Those who are born again by the Spirit of God into the life of Christ are registered in God’s book as citizens of heaven.
Stop and think about this.
38 But thou hast cast off and abhorred thine anointed; thou hast been wroth with him.
39 Thou hast made void the covenant of thy slave; thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.
40 Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.
41 All that pass by the way spoil him; he is a reproach to his neighbours.
42 Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.
43 Thou hast also blunted the edge of his sword and hast not made him to stand in the battle.
The writer of this psalm may have been Ethan the son of Kishi, who was one of the three principal Levite cantors that stood with Heman and Asaph to minister before the ark of the presence of God at the tabernacle of David on Mount Zion (1 Chronicles 15:16) along with Obededom and his brethren, who were doorkeepers before the ark (1 Chronicles 15:24). All of them were most likely overjoyed with the revival that was taking place, which began when David brought the ark back to Jerusalem.
Imagine their dismay and utter consternation when all of a sudden one day Absalom declared himself king in Hebron (after asking David permission to go there to pay a “vow” to the Lord) and led a national uprising against the government, causing David to immediately flee Jerusalem with his loyal Cherethites and Pelethites to avoid being slaughtered.
The priests and Levites attempted to take the ark along with David but were sent back to await the outcome of the impending battle (2 Samuel 15:24–26). This is when, I believe, this psalm was written. “Ethan,” meaning “ancient” or “elder,” may have then been given the surname “the Ezrahite,” meaning “the son of the dawn,”436 as he wrote this inspired psalm that juxtaposes two scenarios: First, God personally ratifying his covenant with David – along with God’s insistence that truth and mercy cannot be separated; second, the reality that David now faced along with the desperate situation of those who were left on Mount Zion to minister before the ark.
44 Thou hast made his clarity to cease and cast his throne down to the ground.
45 The days of his youth hast thou shortened; thou hast covered him with shame. Selah.
David had committed his sin in secret, but even though David repented and God did not withdraw the Holy Spirit from him (as happened with King Saul), God decreed that David would be humbled publicly and would even lose control of some of his wives.437
Stop and think about this. I have personally seen tragedy hit several wonderful revivals due to secret sin in the lives of key leaders. Sometimes it takes quite a while for restoration to take place in the midst of extremely painful circumstances.
46 How long, O LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember how short my time is; why hast thou made all men subject to vanity?
48 What man is he that lives and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of Sheol? Selah.
Those who remained with the ark did not know what Absalom might do to them as he entered the city in triumph.
Think about it. The consequences of David’s sin seriously affected a huge number of devoted and wonderful people who were totally committed to God. Ethan began by singing about the mercies of God, and then he faithfully wrote down and probably sang God’s reply to David, which is recorded in the next thirty-six verses of this psalm. He continued for another fourteen verses, intensely interceding before God to have mercy and restore David. It is likely that this entire psalm took place in the presence of the ark (as was the case with many of the psalms of David and Asaph).
49 Lord, where are thy former mercies, which thou didst sware unto David in thy truth?
50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy slaves; how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of many peoples,
51 because thine enemies have dishonoured, O LORD; they have dishonoured the footsteps of thine anointed.
Here, Ethan finishes his intercession by reminding the Lord that this situation is affecting God’s “slaves” (plural) and that Ethan himself is under the reproach (or condemnation) of many peoples (including tribes and clans among the Israelites). God’s enemies have dishonored the footsteps of God’s anointed (the anointed included prophets and priests and Levites along with King David), and Ethan pleads with God to take notice and act as he has in the past.
52 Blessed be the LORD for ever. Amen and Amen.
Ethan rests his case in the hands of the Lord. His petition was answered, and David was restored to the throne and to his communion with God in the tabernacle of David before the ark; here he continued to receive psalms filled with revelation from God, along with the plans for Solomon’s temple. He also received messianic prophecies, some of which were fulfilled with the first coming, and others that will soon be fulfilled at the second coming of Jesus Christ, who will soon return with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment (Jude 14–15).
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we are so thankful that Jesus now lives to make intercession for us before your throne of mercy and that even if we should fall into a trap of the enemy, Jesus never fails. May your covenant with the house of David continue forever. May the throne of your Anointed be established here on earth as the Sun of Righteousness, and may the body of Christ reflect that righteousness. Please fulfill your wonderful promises of healing and salvation for your people (for Israel and the church) without any more unnecessary delay. Free us from having to bear the undeserved scorn of many enemies Blessed be the LORD for ever. Amen and Amen.
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427 “Ethan” means “ancient” or “elder.” This is not the Ethan who was the eldest of the five sons of Zerah mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2:6.
428 Isaiah 55:3; Acts 13:34
429 Exodus 7:3, 13–14, 23; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 12, 34–35; 10:1, 7, 20, 27; 11:10; 12:29–33; 13:15; 14:3–9, 17–28.
430 “Tabor” means “height.”
431 “Hermon” means “White Mountain.” It is also called Mount Sion and is symbolic of the heavenly Jerusalem.
432 The right hand is a symbol of strength.
433 The horn is a symbol of strength. To exalt their horn means to give them power and eventual triumph. (See also Psalm 75:4–5; 92:10; 132:17.)
434 Note that “holy one” here is not capitalized, in comparison with verse 18, which talks of the Lord God.
436 The dawn of the new day introduced by the worship and praise and new revelation taking place before the ark.
437 Why, therefore, hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah, the Hittite, with the sword and hast taken his wife to be thy wife and hast slain him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from thy house because thou hast despised me and hast taken the wife of Uriah, the Hittite, to be thy wife. Thus hath the LORD said, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thy own house, and I will take thy wives before thy eyes and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou hast done it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun (2 Samuel 12:9–12).
