The Vines Expository Bible, NKJV by Thomas Nelson Bibles

FIRST PROOFS

Introducing Psalms

The Book of Psalms, which is made up of 150 psalms, was the hymnbook of the Hebrew people. Someone has said that the psalms play on every keyboard of the human emotion, capable of touching us at every moment of our lives. In the preface to his commentary on the Book of Psalms, John Calvin offers this summary: “The Holy Spirit has here drawn . . . all the griefs, sorrows, fears, doubts, hopes, cares, perplexities, in short, all the distracting emotions with which the minds of men are wont to be agitated.” The psalms are a veritable storehouse of material for our spiritual understanding and growth. For every need we have, we can indeed find it met somewhere in this book among these psalms.

Authorship As we look at the different psalms, we quickly realize no single individual wrote all of these. Seventy-three, or almost half of them, are ascribed to David and reflect different experiences in his life. Moses, Asaph (the choir leader of the temple), the sons of Korah, Solomon, and a few other individuals are also credited with writing different psalms.

Date The psalms were gathered over a period of time and put together just as we may compile a hymnbook today. This process may have taken up to a thousand years. The compilation was complete in the time of Ezra, after the exile to Babylon, and was well known by the time of Jesus Christ.

Outline and Themes The Book of Psalms was first referred to as “the Psalms” in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. Its title was taken from the Greek word psalmos, which means “a poem to be sung to a stringed instrument.” The two Hebrew names used for the psalms were tehhillaw, which means “praise,” and tefillaw, which means “prayer.” Praise and prayer are definitely the central messages of the psalms. These were written for recitation and singing in corporate worship in the temple, and they were designed as responses of the people to God. The Book of Psalms is grouped into five sections or books: Book I (Ps. 1–41), Book II (Ps. 42–72), Book III (Ps. 73–89), Book IV (Ps. 90–106), and Book V (Ps. 107–150). Each book ends with a doxology of praise to God in the last verse or two of the final psalm, signifying the end to that section. Books I and II were mainly composed by David, Book III was written by Asaph and the sons of Korah, and books IV and V are a mix of David and anonymous authors. Psalms are first of all poetry. As such, they should be read with an eye to the poetic devices of image, metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, parallelism, and apostrophe (addressing an object such as sun or moon as if it were capable of responding). We should not read the psalms as stories or essays—to do so is to miss the beauty of the psalms and the intent of the poet. The truthfulness in each psalm is encapsulated in the vehicle of poetry, and we need to approach it as we would any other poem. But that is not to say that the psalms have no organization, no form or theology to be found and studied. Indeed, part of the beauty and craftsmanship of each psalm is found in its organization. Each one is unified around a central idea or feeling, and identifying this overarching theme is very

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helpful. Most psalms can be categorized as either a feeling or a reflection—emotion or thought. Also helpful is to look for the three-part structure contained in most psalms: usually introduction, development (often using repetition, a list, or contrasts), and conclusion. The two most common types of psalms are lament psalms and praise psalms. Lament psalms include a cry to God, a statement of a crisis or problem, a petition, a statement of faith in God, and a vow to praise God in the midst of the difficulty. These often correlate with a specific event and attempt to place the trials of life in the context of God’s character. Praise psalms usually include a call to praise, a list of God’s mighty acts or attributes, and a concluding prayer. Other types of psalms include worship psalms, nature psalms, royal psalms, meditations, thanksgiving, and penitential psalms. These subgenres can sometimes also fit more generally into the lament or praise categories. The Book of Psalms offers us an invitation and method through which we can approach God daily. They express our emotions, help us pray better, and enable us to praise God for the full range of His character and attributes. We would do well to use this tool that Scripture gives us each day, even multiple times a day, to help us worship God rightly.

BOOK ONE

Psalm 2

Psalms 1—41

The Messiah’s Triumph and Kingdom

Psalm 1 The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly 1 Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so,

But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knows the way

of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

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1 Why do the nations rage,

And the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves,

And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;

The Lord shall hold them in derision. 5 Then He shall speak to

them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: 6 “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.” 7 “I will declare the decree:

The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall breaka them with a rod of iron; 2:9 a Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read rule (compare Revelation 2:27).

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The Road to Prosperity | Ps. 1 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

Psalm 1 takes us to the very crossroads of life and shows us that in life we can choose to follow one of two roads: the way of the godly and the way of the godless. God describes these roads and tells their benefits or consequences.

I. The Godly Person: The Life That Prospers (1:1–3) The psalmist began by introducing our best choice: the godly way. In the Hebrew language, the word blessed is known as an “intensive plural.” We could translate it, “O the blessedness! O the happiness! O the joys!” It is a plural blessing. In fact, God is always giving us blessing after blessing. Not only does He bless us with food, but He also blesses us with teeth to chew the food. He blesses us with gorgeous scenery and then blesses us with eyes to see it. We learn about the godly person’s life from the negative, seeing what he or she does not do. This is the exact opposite of modern psychology, which puts the emphasis on the positive. But God begins with what we might call “the power of negative thinking.” Notice how many of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:1–17) are negative, saying “You shall not.” First, the godly person is “blessed” because he or she doesn’t live according to the advice of this lost world (Ps. 1:1). The root meaning of the word ungodly is “loose.” It means someone who has broken loose from God. More and more people are shaping their ideas and values from the lifestyles and opinions of sports and entertainment celebrities. As believers, we must be careful where we get our counsel. If it comes from anywhere other than from or by the Word of God, we should be concerned. Second, the godly person is careful about the people with whom he or she associates (1:1; 1 Cor. 15:33). This old saying is right: “Birds of a feather flock together.” It doesn’t mean we should never be friends with unbelievers because, if that were the case, we would never win anybody to the Lord Jesus. But being friends is different than participating with them in all of their activities. Third, the godly person refrains from sitting with those who mock the holy things of God. Notice the progression: walking, standing, and sitting. When we get our advice from the wrong sources and run with the wrong crowd, we will end up in the company of those who make fun of the things of the Lord. What does the godly person do instead? “But his delight is in the law of the Lord” (Ps. 1:2). When we open up the Scriptures, we are listening to the very thoughts, teachings, and directions of God. Because God’s Word is the godly person’s delight, he or she meditates on it continually (1:2). Meditation is to the soul what digestion is to the body. When we digest food, it becomes a part of our body. When we assimilate God’s Word into our thinking and living, it infiltrates our spirit and our soul. It becomes a part of our lives. After describing the godly person negatively and positively, the psalmist described this person ultimately (1:3). The writer is actually giving us a picture of a saved person. When we receive Jesus as our Sav-

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The Road to Prosperity (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

ior, life has roots because we are rooted in Him (Col. 2:7). In the Bible, water for drinking is a picture of the Spirit of God (John 7:37, 38). The Holy Spirit, like water, provides nourishment, life, and strength. A saved person is a fruitful person (Ps. 1:3), because of what God does in those who are His (John 15:4). The leaves that don’t wither point to eternal life, and prosper means to advance. When God’s Word is our delight and we are faithful to follow God’s instructions, our lives prosper.

II. The Godless Person: The Life That Perishes (1:4–6) The psalmist also described the “ungodly” or godless person for us (1:4). A person who leaves God out of his or her life or has no time for God is “God-less.” Verse 4 means that the opposite of everything said in the previous verses is true for the ungodly person: “The ungodly are not so.” The ungodly live as aimlessly as husks on the wind. They are easily blown by the world, the flesh, and the devil. Ultimately everybody will appear before God in judgment when He judges the world (1:5; Rev. 20:11–15). But the ungodly will not be able to stand; that is, God will find them guilty (Rev. 6:17). The good news for every born-again believer is that we can stand before God in judgment on the basis of the merits of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:2). The psalm concludes with a final contrast between the godly and godless (Ps. 1:6). The word knows refers to intimacy. The Lord is personally and intentionally involved in every area of our lives (Eph. 2:10). When the ungodly person decided he didn’t need or want the Lord in his life, he never considered where his “way” would end (Prov. 14:12). Just as Joshua challenged the children of Israel to choose to serve the Lord or the false gods of their time (Josh. 24:15), each of us chooses which path we will follow in life. For those of us who have chosen the way of the godly, let’s thank the Lord not only for His blessings here in this life but also for our ultimate prosperity in heaven with Him. May we also delight in sharing the good news of His Word with the godless of the world! Remember, God is not willing that any should perish (2 Pet. 3:9). He wants His Word to be their delight, too!

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 2:10 | 760 APPLYING THE MESSAGE | Ps. 2:3

Don’t Hurt Yourself Since the garden of Eden, rebellious humans have wanted to be free from God. That’s why Adam and Eve fell to the temptation of the devil when he said, “You will be like God” (Gen. 3:4). Human beings want to be like God. They resist authority and resent God’s moral bonds or moral guidelines. The “bonds” and “cords” in (Ps. 2:3) refer to God’s moral guidelines. God called these bonds, “gentle cords” and “bands of love” (Hos. 11:4). When you want to live your way, moral absolutes are inconvenient. So, people just say, “I don’t want those anymore. I don’t care whether God says, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; I want to live any way I want to live. I don’t care if God says, ‘You shall not murder’; I want to be free to do what I want to do with my own body.” So men and women rebel because they do not want God’s authority over them. The Ten Commandments are just ten ways that God says, “I love you; don’t hurt yourself.” When God says, “You shall not commit adultery,” He is simply saying this: “I love you. Don’t be unfaithful to your spouse and your children. You will hurt yourself, your family, your church, and your society. And you’ll hurt yourself. I have better plans for you than that.”

You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ” 10 Now therefore, be wise, O kings;

Be instructed, you judges of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear,

And rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son,a lest Heb be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

Psalm 3 The Lord Helps His Troubled People A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.

2 Many are they who say of me,

“There is no help for him in God.” Selah 3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,

My glory and the One who lifts up my head. 4 I cried to the Lord with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah 5 I lay down and slept;

I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of ten

thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around. 7 Arise, O Lord;

Save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. 8 Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah

Psalm 4 The Safety of the Faithful To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

1 Hear me when I call, O God

of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. 2 How long, O you sons of men,

Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness And seek falsehood? Selah 3 But know that the Lord has set aparta for Himself him who is godly; The Lord will hear when I call to Him. 4 Be angry, and do not sin.

Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the Lord.

1 Lord, how they have increased

who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.

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:12 a Septuagint and Vulgate read Embrace 2 discipline; Targum reads Receive instruction. b Septuagint reads the Lord.

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FIRST PROOFS 761 | Psalms 5:6 6 There are many who say,

“Who will show us any good?” Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. 7 You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased. 8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 5 A Prayer for Guidance To the Chief Musician. With flutes.a A Psalm of David.

1 Give ear to my words, O Lord,

Consider my meditation. 2 Give heed to the voice of my cry,

My King and my God, For to You I will pray. 3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up. 4 For You are not a God who takes

pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You. 5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. 6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. 4:3 a Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate read made wonderful. 5:title a Hebrew nehiloth

LIVING THE MESSAGE | Ps. 2:4

BELIEF WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING I believe some things in the Bible that I do not understand. In college I heard a professor say, “Young men and women, don’t ever believe anything you can’t understand.” I thought that was one of the most stupid statements I had ever heard anybody make. I believe a lot of things I don’t understand. I don’t understand electricity. I don’t know why lights turn on when I hit a switch because I don’t know how electricity runs through a wire. But I believe in electricity. I keep my thumb out of sockets. I don’t understand how a brown cow can eat green grass and give white milk and yellow butter. But I like milk and butter. I believe a lot of things I don’t understand. The Bible teaches us that only one God exists, He reveals Himself in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I don’t understand that. I just believe it. The Bible teaches it. I don’t understand why evil happens. I don’t understand how God remains in control, but when reading Psalm 2, I get a bit of an answer. Look at the reply of the

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Father to the nations raging and the kings and rulers setting themselves up against Him: “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak unto them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: ‘Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.” That’s the voice of God talking. Get the picture? Here’s a person in rebellion on the earth, thumbing his nose and sticking his tongue out at God. Here’s a puny human being saying, “I’m smarter than God; I’m going to run my life.” Yet, God “sits” in heaven. He’s not pacing the floor, back and forth as though He just missed an airplane connection. God is sitting. He is calm. He knows what is going on. He knows what He is doing. God sits enthroned in the heavens. Let that comfort you. You may not understand what God is doing on this earth, but you can believe that He knows. He is still on His throne, working all things together for our good and His glory.

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PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

A Good Night ’s Sleep | Ps. 4 Sleep experts tells us that the average person gets 220,000 hours of sleep in a lifetime. But they also say more than one in four people do not get enough sleep. Sleep disorders can develop from stress, worry, or the pressures of life. Suggestions for getting a good night’s sleep include avoiding strenuous exercise and caffeine, taking a warm bath, and drinking a warm glass of milk before bedtime. But we can also find some spiritual solutions from God’s Word, especially when we are not sleeping because of the cares of life. David wrote this psalm when he was going through a very difficult time, but he was able to sleep (Ps. 4:8). How could he be so relaxed? This psalm has answers that just might help us get a good night’s sleep, too.

I. B elievers Are Saved (4:1, 2) David called the Lord, “God of my righteousness” (4:1). That’s an Old Testament way of saying David was saved. He understood that his own righteousness had not made him right before God; instead, it was God’s righteousness that made him acceptable. Regarding our personal righteousness, Isaiah 64:6 tells us it is like “filthy rags,” and Romans 3:10 points out that no one is righteous. We can never be good enough to be saved. The good news is that God has made a way whereby we who are unrighteous can be declared righteous (Rom. 3:23–26). When Jesus died on Calvary’s cross, He paid the price for all of our sins. “[God] made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). David called on the Lord because he was having problems: he was being attacked (Ps. 4:2). The word distress (4:1) really means “a narrow place or a tight corner.” It’s a picture of a trapped army that suddenly finds a narrow passageway of escape. The Lord answered by providing David with a way out of his distress (see also 18:6, 19). Often we are wide awake because we are worrying about the distresses of life instead of remembering that because the Lord is the God of our righteousness, we are saved. Because He is rich in mercy (Eph. 2:4), we can rest in Him. David understood these truths and expected to get a good night’s sleep.

II. B elievers Are Special (4:3–6) As believers we are “set apart” (Ps. 4:3). This carries the idea of “made distinct.” It means we are very special to the Lord. We are valued, not because of what we have done, but because of what God has done for us. He redeemed us with the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:18, 19). We belong to Him. Many believers, however, forget that we have to lay aside some things (Ps. 4:4). David tells us to get sin out of our lives. Some people can’t sleep at night because they are living with unconfessed sin. Instead of fearing the Lord and obeying His Word, they stubbornly refuse to repent. David knew the consequences of harboring sin in his life (Ps. 32:3, 4; 51:10, 11; 66:18). When we are willing to fear God

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A Good Night’s Sleep (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

and not sin, we can then offer sacrifices of righteousness and put our trust in the Lord (Ps. 4:5; 1 John 1:9). David still had enemies taunting him, but he refused to focus on them (Ps. 4:6). He knew that if he had the Lord’s blessings on his life, nothing else mattered.

III. B elievers Are Satisfied (4:7, 8) David told God that knowing Him was better than harvest time (4:7) when the barns were full and vats were overflowing. It was a time of joy and satisfaction. David understood that the secret of true joy was not based on earthly things but on understanding and appreciating his relationship with the Lord. What gives you joy? We can enjoy many nice things and experiences, but if they are the basis of our satisfaction, what happens when we lose them? Life is more than just material things. One day we will leave it all behind. David was possibly fleeing from his son Absalom when he wrote this psalm, but he could express his confidence in the Lord. The more we understand our riches in Christ, the more we will be satisfied. We will also understand that if we have the Lord, we have the Source of satisfaction. Paul also rejoiced in the Lord (Phil. 4:4). He wrote these words while he was in a Roman prison. If Jesus is our satisfaction, we can be joyful even if we lose our earthly possessions and confronted with earthly woes and cares. As David concluded his psalm, he was ready for a good night’s sleep because he was at peace with God (Ps. 4:8; Is. 26:3). When our minds are on the Lord, we will take our cares and concerns to Him in prayer (Phil. 4:6, 7). His peace will then keep our hearts and minds. This pictures a sentinel standing guard at our heart’s door. David knew the Lord would keep him safe (Ps. 3:5). We are living in a dangerous world, but safety is dependent upon our relationship to God (1 Pet. 1:5). Jesus protects us (John 10:28, 29). If we are finding it difficult to get a good night’s sleep, let’s follow David’s lead. Instead of counting sheep, let’s talk to our Shepherd. Let’s thank Him for our salvation. If we have unconfessed sin, let’s confess and receive His forgiveness. And if we truly are not satisfied with Jesus, let’s ask Him to put His gladness in our hearts so we can say, “Jesus is enough!”

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 5:7 | 764 7 But as for me, I will come

6 I am weary with my groaning;

into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple. 8 Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face.

All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. 7 My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies.

9 For there is no faithfulness

in their mouth; Their inward part is destruction; Their throat is an open tomb; They flatter with their tongue. 10 Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, For they have rebelled against You. 11 But let all those rejoice who

put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. 12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

8 Depart from me, all you

workers of iniquity; For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. 9 The Lord has heard my supplication; The Lord will receive my prayer. 10 Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled; Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly. DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 6:6 Weary — Literally “to gasp,” this word describes exhaustion from effort and toil. Occasionally it is translated “labor” (Josh. 24:13). The psalmist offers a vivid picture of being weary, both here in Psalm 6:6 and in 69:3, which reads “I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God.” How comforting it is for the weary to read that “the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary” (Is. 40:28). He helps weary youths run with strength (Is. 40:30, 31). Nevertheless, God is capable of becoming weary of our sin (Is. 43:24; Mal. 2:17).

Psalm 6 A Prayer of Faith in Time of Distress

Psalm 7

To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. On an eight-stringed harp.a A Psalm of David.

Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies

1 O Lord, do not rebuke

me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure. 2 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. 3 My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O Lord—how long? 4 Return, O Lord, deliver me!

Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!

A Meditationa of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.

1 O Lord my God, in You I put my trust;

Save me from all those who persecute me; And deliver me, 2 Lest they tear me like a lion, Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver. 3 O Lord my God, if I have done this:

If there is iniquity in my hands,

5 For in death there is no

remembrance of You; In the grave who will give You thanks?

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6:title a Hebrew sheminith 7:title a Hebrew Shiggaion

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FIRST PROOFS 765 | Psalms 8:9 4 If I have repaid evil to him who

was at peace with me, Or have plundered my enemy without cause, 5 Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me; Yes, let him trample my life to the earth, And lay my honor in the dust. Selah 6 Arise, O Lord, in Your anger;

17 I will praise the Lord according

to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

Psalm 8 The Glory of the Lord in Creation To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of Gath.a A Psalm of David.

Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies; Rise up for mea to the judgment You have commanded! 7 So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You; For their sakes, therefore, return on high. 8 The Lord shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, And according to my integrity within me.

1 O Lord, our Lord,

9 Oh, let the wickedness of the

the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,a And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. 10 My defense is of God, Who saves the upright in heart. 11 God is a just judge,

And God is angry with the wicked every day. 12 If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready. 13 He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts. 14 Behold, the wicked brings

forth iniquity; Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit and dug it out, And has fallen into the ditch which he made. 16 His trouble shall return upon his own head, And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.

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How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens! 2 Out of the mouth of babes

and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I consider Your heavens,

6 You have made him to have dominion

over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen— Even the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord,

How excellent is Your name in all the earth! 7:6 a Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; Septuagint reads O Lord my God. 8:title a Hebrew Al Gittith 8:5 a Hebrew Elohim, God; Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Jewish tradition translate as angels.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 9:1 | 766

Psalm 9 Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Righteous Judgments To the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Death of the Son.” a A Psalm of David.

1 I will praise You, O Lord,

with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. 3 When my enemies turn back,

They shall fall and perish at Your presence. 4 For You have maintained my right and my cause; You sat on the throne judging in righteousness. 5 You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever. 6 O enemy, destructions are

finished forever! And you have destroyed cities; Even their memory has perished. 7 But the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. 8 He shall judge the world in righteousness, And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness. 9 The Lord also will be a refuge

for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. 10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. 11 Sing praises to the Lord,

who dwells in Zion! Declare His deeds among the people. 12 When He avenges blood, He remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the humble.

You who lift me up from the gates of death, 14 That I may tell of all Your praise In the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation. 15 The nations have sunk down in

the pit which they made; In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught. 16 The Lord is known by the judgment He executes; The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Meditation.a

Selah

17 The wicked shall be turned into hell,

And all the nations that forget God. 18 For the needy shall not

always be forgotten; The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. 19 Arise, O Lord,

Do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged in Your sight. 20 Put them in fear, O Lord, That the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah

Psalm 10 A Song of Confidence in God’s Triumph over Evil 1 Why do You stand afar off, O Lord?

Why do You hide in times of trouble? 2 The wicked in his pride

persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised. 3 For the wicked boasts of

his heart’s desire; He blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord. 4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. 5 His ways are always prospering;

Your judgments are far above, out of his sight; As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.

13 Have mercy on me, O Lord!

Consider my trouble from those who hate me,

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9:title a Hebrew Muth Labben 9:16 a Hebrew Higgaion

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FIRST PROOFS 767 | Psalms 11:7 6 He has said in his heart, “I

shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity.” 7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity. 8 He sits in the lurking places

of the villages; In the secret places he murders the innocent; His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless. 9 He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; He lies in wait to catch the poor; He catches the poor when he draws him into his net. 10 So he crouches, he lies low, That the helpless may fall by his strength. 11 He has said in his heart, “God has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see.” 12 Arise, O Lord!

O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble. 13 Why do the wicked renounce God? He has said in his heart, “You will not require an account.” 14 But You have seen, for You

observe trouble and grief, To repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. 15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man; Seek out his wickedness until You find none. 16 The Lord is King forever and ever;

The nations have perished out of His land. 17 Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, 18 To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, That the man of the earth may oppress no more.

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Psalm 11 Faith in the Lord’s Righteousness To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 In the Lord I put my trust;

How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain”? 2 For look! The wicked bend their bow, They make ready their arrow on the string, That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart. 3 If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do? 4 The Lord is in His holy temple,

The Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. 5 The Lord tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. 6 Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup. 7 For the Lord is righteous,

He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.a 11:7 a Or The upright beholds His countenance

APPLYING THE MESSAGE | Ps. 11:7

Getting It Right “For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness” (Ps. 11:7). When Ezra stated, “O Lord God of Israel, You are righteous” (Ezra 9:15), he was saying, “Lord, You are good.” The Bible also says God does righteousness: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Gen. 18:25). When people see the injustices in life, they often ask, “Why does a good God permit such evil?” But we rest in the fact that our God is good, that the judge of all the earth will do what is right. As a child, your parents took actions you did not understand; they seemed wrong. But as you grew, matured, and came to understand your parents’ character, you discovered that what you had thought was bad was really for your good. God is good, and He does only what is good. Believe it! Trust it! Celebrate it!

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Psalm 12 Man’s Treachery and God’s Constancy To the Chief Musician. On an eight- stringed harp.a A Psalm of David.

1 Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases!

For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. 2 They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak. 3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,

And the tongue that speaks proud things, 4 Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; Who is lord over us?” 5 “For the oppression of the poor,

for the sighing of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.” 6 The words of the Lord are pure words,

Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times. 7 You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever.

4 Lest my enemy say,

“I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. 5 But I have trusted in Your mercy;

My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord,

Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 14 Folly of the Godless, and God’s Final Triumph To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 The fool has said in his heart,

“There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. 2 The Lord looks down from heaven

upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. 3 They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one. 4 Have all the workers of

Psalm 13

iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call on the Lord? 5 There they are in great fear, For God is with the generation of the righteous. 6 You shame the counsel of the poor, But the Lord is his refuge.

Trust in the Salvation of the Lord

7 Oh, that the salvation of Israel

8 The wicked prowl on every side,

When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 How long, O Lord? Will You

forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God;

Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death;

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would come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

Psalm 15 The Character of Those Who May Dwell with the Lord A Psalm of David.

1 Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?

Who may dwell in Your holy hill? 12:title a Hebrew sheminith

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FIRST PROOFS

PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

Where Is God When You Need Him? | Ps. 13 Many are familiar with Isaiah 55:8, 9 and can even quote the verses from memory: “ ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’ ” But somehow, when we are going through difficulties, we forget this promise. We wonder why the Lord doesn’t work the way we think He should work. And when He doesn’t work within our time frame, we are often tempted to say, “Where is God when I need Him?” David had the same consternation. Like many of David’s psalms, Psalm 13 was probably written when David was fleeing from Saul. Being a fugitive challenged David’s faith more than once. In this psalm, David was again filled with despair and depression. Out of this desperation, he called out to God and basically asked, “God, where are You when I need you?”

I. The Problem (13:1, 2) Psalm 13 begins with David asking God four times, “How long?” (13:1, 2), emphasizing his dire distress. Whatever David was going through, he felt as though God had forgotten him. By asking if it was “forever” (13:1), he was saying his problem had been going on for a long time. We also have those times when we feel that the Lord has forgotten us. Remember the woman who was healed when she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment (Matt. 9:20–22)? She had suffered for eighteen years. If we have lived with an illness for years, we can easily pray, “Lord, how long?” But God has never forgotten us (Is. 49:14, 15). We’re even told, “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands” (Is. 49:16). This precious promise to Israel, along with the nail scars that are inscribed in Jesus’ hands, likewise reassure us that He will never forget us. David also felt forsaken. His second “How long?” (Ps. 13:1) refers to the idea that the face of God indicates His pleasure and presence (see Deut. 31:17; Is. 59:2). David certainly had a long history of God’s favor. To not see the Lord’s deliverance left him feeling abandoned. Again, many of us have been there. One moment God seems to be smiling on every area of our lives; the next, nothing is going right. We feel as though God has turned His face away from us. What should we do in those times? We need to again remember the truth of His Word (Heb. 13:5). God is never at a distance; He is there with us whether we feel Him or not. Notice that David also felt very frustrated. In his third “How long?” he wonders how long he shall “take counsel” in his soul (Ps. 13:2), indicating that his thoughts were filled with turmoil. David let God know that he was totally consumed with the problem. He had no way to escape it. David’s final “How long?” expressed his defeat (13:2). His enemy had the upper hand with no relief in sight. When we encounter problems that seem endless, we need to realize

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Where Is God When You Need Him? (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

that sometimes problems are God’s way of allowing us to grow in our faith, as He did in Job’s life. Problems also prepare us for future service, as they did in Joseph’s life (Gen. 37:18–36; 39:1–20; 50:20). And God’s ways are beyond our understanding. In an assembly line, every car moves slowly down the line; but all along the way, people are gradually completing the car. That is how God works with us. Whenever we go through an extended trial or problem, we can be sure God is at work.

II. The Prayer (13:3, 4) David prayed a very short, urgent prayer. Prayers don’t have to be long to be effective. David first asked the Lord to “consider and hear” him (13:3), to look intently on his situation. He then asked Him to “enlighten” his eyes (13:3), or he would die. David was asking God to refresh his perspective. David used two different names for God: “Lord,” which is the covenant promise name for God, and “God” (El), which emphasizes God’s power to perform what He has promised (1 Thess. 5:24). We can hold onto every promise He has given us, knowing that God, in His time, will answer our prayers.

III. The Praise (13:5, 6) The last part of David’s psalm begins with the word But (Ps. 13:5). With that little word, David went from despair to victory. He was trusting in God’s unfailing love. David decided that he would sing a song of praise to the Lord while he waited (13:6). How was singing even possible? David was rejoicing in God’s salvation to him. Embedded in the Hebrew word for “salvation” is the idea of ultimate deliverance (34:17). Every child of God has the implicit understanding that, one of these days, total deliverance will come. Paul declared that God has delivered us in the past, is delivering us in the present, and will deliver us in the future (2 Cor. 1:10). David also praised God because he was abundantly supplied (Ps. 13:6), using the past tense, “has dealt,” as if the problem had already been solved. We know David’s problem wasn’t solved, but because he was dealing with God and His promises, it was just as good as gone. God always acts in superlatives. He doesn’t just give life; He gives everlasting life (John 3:16). God doesn’t just give peace; He gives perfect peace (Is. 26:3). More than grace, He gives abounding grace (2 Cor. 9:8). And David didn’t just say God had dealt with him; David writes that God had dealt “bountifully” with him (Ps. 13:6). Did God answer David’s prayer and change the situation? No, He changed David. He will change us too. Like David, instead of focusing on our problems, we can trust again in God’s mercy and rejoice in His salvation.

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FIRST PROOFS 771 | Psalms 17:2 2 He who walks uprightly,

And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; 3 He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; 4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the Lord; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; 5 He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.

Psalm 16 The Hope of the Faithful, and the Messiah’s Victory A Michtam of David.

1 Preserve me, O God, for in

You I put my trust. 2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord,

“You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.” 3 As for the saints who are on the earth, “They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”

8 I have set the Lord always before me;

Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad,

and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. 10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 16:11 Joy — This Hebrew word is one of several frequently occurring Hebrew words that express exceeding gladness or rejoicing. The psalmist here says that in God’s presence is “fullness of joy” (Ps. 16:11). Like its synonyms, this word can apply to a disposition of the heart (Prov. 14:10; Jer. 15:16). It is frequently set in a context of feasting (Neh. 8:12) and singing (1 Sam. 18:6; Ps. 137:3), as it is in a prophecy concerning God’s singing over Jerusalem (Zeph. 3:17). The word is also used for the senseless happiness of the enemies of God’s people (Judg. 16:23; Ezek. 35:15; 36:5), of the foolish (Prov. 15:21), of the lazy (Prov. 21:17), and of the hypocrites (Job 20:5). However, joy in the Bible is usually associated with the people of God, who celebrate God’s blessing at a number of occasions — feasts, coronations of kings, victories in battle, and the dedication of the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem (Num. 10:10; 1 Kin. 1:40; 2 Chr. 20:27; Neh. 12:27). In fact, Moses exhorts the Israelites to serve God with joy, so that they would not lose their blessing (see Deut. 28:47).

4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied

who hasten after another god; Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, Nor take up their names on my lips. 5 O Lord, You are the portion of

my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. 6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance. 7 I will bless the Lord who has

given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

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Psalm 17 Prayer with Confidence in Final Salvation A Prayer of David.

1 Hear a just cause, O Lord,

Attend to my cry; Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips. 2 Let my vindication come from Your presence; Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.

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Psalm 18

3 You have tested my heart;

You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. 4 Concerning the works of men, By the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. 5 Uphold my steps in Your paths, That my footsteps may not slip. 6 I have called upon You, for

You will hear me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech. Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, From the wicked who oppress me, From my deadly enemies who surround me.

10 They have closed up their fat hearts;

With their mouths they speak proudly. 11 They have now surrounded

us in our steps; They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth, 12 As a lion is eager to tear his prey, And like a young lion lurking in secret places.

God the Sovereign Savior To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said:

1 I will love You, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock and my

fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. 4 The pangs of death surrounded me,

And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. 5 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears. 7 Then the earth shook and trembled;

13 Arise, O Lord,

Confront him, cast him down; Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword, 14 With Your hand from men, O Lord, From men of the world who have their portion in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children, And leave the rest of their possession for their babes. 15 As for me, I will see Your

face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

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10 11

The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry. Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down With darkness under His feet. And He rode upon a cherub, and flew; He flew upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters And thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.

13 The Lord thundered from heaven,

And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.a 18:13 a Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; a few Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint omit Hailstones and coals of fire.

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FIRST PROOFS 773 | Psalms 18:44 14 He sent out His arrows and

scattered the foe, Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them. 15 Then the channels of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered At Your rebuke, O Lord, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. 16 He sent from above, He took me;

He drew me out of many waters. 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the Lord was my support. 19 He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. 20 The Lord rewarded me according

to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. 21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, And have not wickedly departed from my God. 22 For all His judgments were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from me. 23 I was also blameless before Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity. 24 Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight. 25 With the merciful You will

show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; 26 With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd. 27 For You will save the humble people, But will bring down haughty looks. 28 For You will light my lamp;

The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

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29 For by You I can run against a troop,

By my God I can leap over a wall. 30 As for God, His way is perfect;

The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. 31 For who is God, except the Lord?

And who is a rock, except our God? 32 It is God who arms me with strength,

And makes my way perfect. 33 He makes my feet like the feet of deer,

And sets me on my high places. 34 He teaches my hands to make war,

So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35 You have also given me the

shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great. 36 You enlarged my path under me, So my feet did not slip. 37 I have pursued my enemies

and overtaken them; Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed. 38 I have wounded them, So that they could not rise; They have fallen under my feet. 39 For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. 40 You have also given me the necks of my enemies, So that I destroyed those who hated me. 41 They cried out, but there was none to save; Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them. 42 Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind; I cast them out like dirt in the streets. 43 You have delivered me from the

strivings of the people; You have made me the head of the nations; A people I have not known shall serve me. 44 As soon as they hear of me they obey me; The foreigners submit to me.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 18:45 | 774 45 The foreigners fade away,

And come frightened from their hideouts. 46 The Lord lives!

Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted. 47 It is God who avenges me, And subdues the peoples under me; 48 He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man. 49 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name. 50 Great deliverance He gives to His king,

And shows mercy to His anointed, To David and his descendants forevermore.

Psalm 19 The Perfect Revelation of the Lord To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their linea has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. 7 The law of the Lord is perfect,

converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

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8 The statutes of the Lord are

right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can understand his errors?

Cleanse me from secret faults. 13 Keep back Your servant also

from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and

the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Psalm 20 The Assurance of God’s Saving Work To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 May the Lord answer you

in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you; 2 May He send you help from the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion; 3 May He remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah 4 May He grant you according

to your heart’s desire, And fulfill all your purpose. 5 We will rejoice in your salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. 19:4 a Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read sound; Targum reads business.

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Written on the Stars | Ps. 19 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

Almost everyone is familiar with the Bible, God’s handwritten Book. But many do not realize that God has written a second book: His “book” of nature. While the Bible shows us God’s Word, His book of nature shows us God’s work. Since God is the author of both, these two volumes will never contradict each other. In fact, contradictions between the Bible and science always boil down to bad science or poor interpretation. In Psalm 19, David talked about God’s two books. Throughout the psalm, we can easily see that David loved the written Word of God as well as God’s word “written” in the heavens.

I. G od’s Book of Nature (19:1–6) The psalm begins with the theme God’s book of nature (Ps. 19:1). In this verse, David uses the name El for God. His name emphasizes His power. David said that every time a person looks up into the sky, he is receiving a message from the Lord “spoken” by the sun, moon, and stars (19:2–4). Because everyone throughout the world can look up, God speaks to all people through His book of nature. Verse 2 declares that God’s communication goes on 24/7. God’s revelation of Himself in nature is in a language that every person can understand (19:3). God’s book of nature is written in the language of the heart. Everywhere we look in the universe we are told, “A Maker did this.” Verse 4 states that in all tongues, at all times, and to all people, God communicates the reality of His existence. Those who deny God’s existence and authority in their lives try their best to wipe out God’s existence. But they cannot cover up or wipe out the truths we find written in God’s book of nature. Every sunrise and sunset, as well as the shining stars at night, proclaim a Creator. The Bible tells us His name—“ the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth” (Is. 40:28). After stating his case for God’s book of nature, David illustrates his case (Ps. 19:4–6), comparing the sun to a bridegroom or a champion racer. David’s point is that every day the sun preaches a sermon on God’s existence. When we read statements like those in verses 4 through 6, we need to keep in mind that the Bible uses the language of appearance. We know that the sun does not literally revolve around the earth. David was saying that the very observation that people make about the sun reveals God’s existence. God wants lost people to understand that He loves them and has plans for their lives.

II. G od’s Book of Scripture (19:7–14) Although God preaches every day through His book of nature, a person can never be saved by just “reading” that book. Because of this, God has given us another Book—Scripture. Verse 7, begins to talk about this Book but uses “Lord” instead of El for God, emphasizing His personal relationship to humanity. God has never wanted men and women to just know that He is their all-powerful Creator. As we read His Book of Scripture, the Bible, we learn how to have a personal relationship with Him through the Lord Jesus Christ.

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FIRST PROOFS

Written on the Stars (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

Three verses (19:7–9) give six different descriptions for God’s Word. Each one uses a different highlight: perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, and true and righteous altogether. Briefly, perfect literally means “all sided.” The Word of God covers every area of our lives. Not only that, but people are converted by the truths in the Word of God. As a testimony, Scripture is the witness of God about Himself and about what we should be. It is sure, meaning it is a firm foundation. We can build our lives on the truths and principles of the Word of God. Its effect is to make people wise who are otherwise ordinary (see 2 Tim. 3:15). The term statutes (Ps. 19:8) refers to the precise directions of God. They are right; literally, they are straight. When we follow God’s directions for us, we will have a blessed life. God’s direct commands give us clear insight into how we are to live. The fear or awe of the Lord (19:9) is probably one of the most unusual names for God’s Word, but David is letting us know that we learn to respect and obey God through His Word (see Deut. 4:10; 6:1, 2). The judgments of the Lord are His decisions and values. They are true and righteous, which means they are firm and faithful. This psalm also speaks about the wonderful worth of the Scriptures. They ennoble and enrich lives (Ps. 19:10, 11). When we are willing to heed the warnings God gives us, we are then rewarded. As David meditated on the power and magnitude of God’s Word, he cried out a confession over sin (19:12, 13). He understood that things down deep in the depths of the human personality defy the ability of a human being to fully know and understand (Jer. 17:9). David’s final request is that his words and thoughts would please the Lord (Ps. 19:14). Scripture will always lead us to the Lord Jesus Christ— our strength, our Rock, and our Redeemer. The next time we look up at the stars or admire a beautiful sunset, we should do more than just be amazed. Let’s praise and thank God for giving us His book of nature and for giving us His written Word so we can know how to have a personal relationship with Him through the Lord Jesus Christ (see John 20:31).

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FIRST PROOFS 777 | Psalms 22:8 6 Now I know that the Lord

saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots, and

some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. 8 They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright.

Psalm 21

Psalm 22

Joy in the Salvation of the Lord

The Suffering, Praise, and Posterity of the Messiah

1 The king shall have joy in

Your strength, O Lord; And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! 2 You have given him his heart’s desire, And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah 3 For You meet him with the

13 Be exalted, O Lord, in

May the King answer us when we call.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

destroy from the earth, And their descendants from among the sons of men. 11 For they intended evil against You; They devised a plot which they are not able to perform. 12 Therefore You will make them turn their back; You will make ready Your arrows on Your string toward their faces. Your own strength! We will sing and praise Your power.

9 Save, Lord!

10 Their offspring You shall

blessings of goodness; You set a crown of pure gold upon his head. He asked life from You, and You gave it to him— Length of days forever and ever. His glory is great in Your salvation; Honor and majesty You have placed upon him. For You have made him most blessed forever; You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord, And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.

8 Your hand will find all Your enemies;

Your right hand will find those who hate You. 9 You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger; The Lord shall swallow them up in His wrath, And the fire shall devour them.

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To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn.” a A Psalm of David.

1 My God, My God, why have

You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? 2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent. 3 But You are holy,

Enthroned in the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in You;

They trusted, and You delivered them. 5 They cried to You,

and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed. 6 But I am a worm, and no man;

A reproach of men, and despised by the people. 7 All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 “He trusteda in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!” 2:title a Hebrew Aijeleth Hashahar 2 22:8 a Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read hoped; Targum reads praised.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 22:9 | 778 9 But You are He who took

Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. 10 I was cast upon You from birth. From My m other’s womb You have been My God. 11 Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have surrounded Me;

Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. 13 They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water,

And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded Me;

The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierceda My hands and My feet; 17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. 18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots. 19 But You, O Lord, do not

be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me! 20 Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog. 21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth And from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me. 22 I will declare Your name

to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. 23 You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! 24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;

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Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard. 25 My praise shall be of You in

the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. 26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever! 27 All the ends of the world

Shall remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You.a 28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s, And He rules over the nations. 29 All the prosperous of the earth

Shall eat and worship; All those who go down to the dust Shall bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep himself alive. 30 A posterity shall serve Him.

It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, 31 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this.

Psalm 23 The Lord the Shepherd of His People A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd;

I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down

in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the

valley of the shadow of death, 2:16 a Following some Hebrew manuscripts, 2 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Masoretic Text reads Like a lion. 22:27 a Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Targum; Arabic, Syriac, and Vulgate read Him.

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FIRST PROOFS

Confessions of a Happy Sheep | Ps. 23 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

Psalm 23 is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible. Charles Spurgeon called it “the pearl of the Psalms.” David, the great king of Israel, was its writer. When Samuel was sent to anoint David as Israel’s next king, David was not at home with his father and brothers but in the fields keeping the sheep (1 Sam. 16:11, 12). David, the king, never forgot David, the shepherd. Out of his experiences with sheep and his personal relationship with God, David gave us a beautiful picture of the Lord’s care for His children. This psalm is actually the confessions of a happy sheep.

I. O ur Shepherd’s Provision (23:1–3) The psalm begins with, “The Lord is my shepherd” (Ps. 23:1). This figure of speech points to the fact that we are like sheep (100:3). This was not a compliment. Sheep are dumb. They have no sense of direction and easily get lost (Is. 53:6). Sheep need their shepherd to provide for their needs. David understood this and gladly acknowledged the Lord as his Shepherd. Because of that, he could claim he didn’t lack for anything (Ps. 23:1). Verse 2 says that the Lord provides rest. Shepherds had the responsibility to provide their sheep with plenty of food. Some have observed that sheep will never lie down unless their fears and irritations have been removed. David is letting us know that when the Lord is our Shepherd, He will provide us the quietness and peace we need in our lives. God also provides refreshment, “still waters” (23:2). Sheep will never enter rushing and turbulent waters. God leads His children to drink from His Word to bring refreshment to our lives. A good shepherd will always lead his sheep, a principle Jesus applied to Himself (John 10:1–16). David also testified that the Lord restored his soul (Ps. 23:3). To “restore” means to “turn back.” No Christian really means to get away from the Lord, but we do. The old grass of this world with its amusements and distractions entices us. Before we know it, we’ve wandered away. And though sheep tend to wander, they will not return on their own. That’s why our Shepherd has to go out and find us (Matt. 19:10–14; 1 Pet. 2:25). Psalm 23:3 concludes with an acknowledgment that the Lord, as David’s Shepherd, provides his righteousness. As we study God’s Word and walk close to Him, He leads us in the paths of life.

II. O ur Shepherd’s Presence (23:4, 5) Starting in verse 4, we see a change in the pronouns David used. The first three verses refer to the Lord as “He,” but here he begins talking to the Lord as “You.” A time should come in our lives as Christians when we develop such intimacy with our Shepherd. First, we read about the Shepherd’s presence under threat of death (23:4). Of all the fears that grip the heart of humanity, the greatest is the fear of death. The statistics of death are very impressive. One out of one of us will die (Heb. 9:27). When we walk with Jesus through life, however, we can walk calmly with Him in the time of death. To walk

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FIRST PROOFS

Confessions of a Happy Sheep (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

“through” something means we are not there to stay. The shadow of death cannot hurt the child of God. A shadow also means light is shining. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). Also, comfort comes with the Shepherd’s “rod” (to guard us) and “staff” (to guide us) (Ps. 23:4). The old enemies of sin and death would like to take away our joy and peace in the Lord, but the good news is that Jesus has clubbed them both into submission (1 Cor. 15:55–57). Whenever we are fearful, God’s rod and staff will be there to guard and guide us. Even when David was surrounded by enemies who were looking for an opportunity to attack him, his Shepherd was protecting him. David also knew he had the Lord’s presence in times of difficulty (Ps. 23:5). Oil was used by shepherds to soothe and heal the irritations and wounds a sheep experienced. We know that oil in the Bible is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. When we are saved, we receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, so we have the Oil from heaven in our lives. The Holy Spirit is with us to help us with any irritations, difficulties, and conflicts. When we are under His control, His fruit will be produced in and through us (Gal. 5:22, 23). David definitely had his share of difficulties in life, but he knew his Shepherd was there to help him with every irritation and difficulty. The Lord doesn’t just bless us; He blesses us in an overflowing, abundant way. The Lord doesn’t just do good things for us; good things overflow in our lives.

III. O ur Shepherd’s Power (23:6) This psalm ends with praise to the Lord for His power (Ps. 23:6). Surely means truly or with certainty. David knew his Shepherd gave him goodness for his needs and mercy for his failures. The same is true for us today. God gives us goodness for our steps and mercy for our stumbles, following us like faithful sheepdogs. David knew his Shepherd also had power to secure him. He would not be in the house of the Lord as a visitor but as a permanent guest (see John 14:1, 2). Isn’t that an astounding thought? The great God of this universe has made it possible for us, wandering sheep, to live forever with Him in His house. How can it be? It’s because our Shepherd became a sheep. Jesus is the Lamb of God.

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FIRST PROOFS 781 | Psalms 25:2 I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in

the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy

shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwella in the house of the Lord Forever.

Psalm 24 The King of Glory and His Kingdom

LIVING THE MESSAGE | Ps. 23

WHO DO YOU KNOW? A story is told about a well-k nown actor and an elderly gray-headed preacher who were attending the same meeting. They were both called upon to read Psalm 23. The actor, who was trained in drama and delivery, quoted the psalm with great eloquence and skill. When he finished, the people erupted into applause for his performance. Then the old grayheaded preacher, who had spent his life shepherding and comforting God’s children, stood for his turn and calmly quoted the psalm. When he finished, no one stood. No one applauded. But many wept. The actor then stood and said, “Now, friends, let me tell you the difference between my reading of Psalm 23 and this man’s reading. I know the psalm of the Shepherd. He knows the Shepherd of the psalm.” You may have wondered why this psalm has become the most well- k nown and beloved of the psalms, why it has brought so much comfort to so many. No doubt, one of the reasons is because David was not just using his shepherding experience to write about the Lord. Like the above-mentioned preacher, David knew the Shepherd. Because of David’s intimate relationship with the Lord, people have been drawn to his psalm to find comfort in their time of need. A question each person needs to ask is this: Do we just know this psalm or do we know the Shepherd? When we truly know Him, this psalm will likewise become our personal confession of a happy sheep. And we will then be a testimony of His love and care to others.

A Psalm of David.

1 The earth is the Lord’s,

and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. 2 For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters. 3 Who may ascend into the

hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah 7 Lift up your heads, O you gates!

And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah

Psalm 25 A Plea for Deliverance and Forgiveness A Psalm of David.

1 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, I trust in You; 23:6 a Following Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate; Masoretic Text reads return.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 25:3 | 782 Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me. 3 Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. 4 Show me Your ways, O Lord;

Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.

19 Consider my enemies, for

they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred. 20 Keep my soul, and deliver me; Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You. 21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You. 22 Redeem Israel, O God,

Out of all their troubles!

Psalm 26

6 Remember, O Lord, Your tender

mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they are from of old. 7 Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.

A Prayer for Divine Scrutiny and Redemption A Psalm of David.

1 Vindicate me, O Lord,

8 Good and upright is the Lord;

9 10

Therefore He teaches sinners in the way. The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O Lord, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

12 Who is the man that fears the Lord?

Him shall Hea teach in the way Heb chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, And his descendants shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.

2 3

4 5

For I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord; I shall not slip. Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart. For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth. I have not sat with idolatrous mortals, Nor will I go in with hypocrites. I have hated the assembly of evildoers, And will not sit with the wicked.

6 I will wash my hands in innocence;

So I will go about Your altar, O Lord, 7 That I may proclaim with the

voice of thanksgiving, And tell of all Your wondrous works. 8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, And the place where Your glory dwells. 9 Do not gather my soul with sinners,

Nor my life with bloodthirsty men, 10 In whose hands is a sinister scheme,

And whose right hand is full of bribes.

16 Turn Yourself to me, and

11 But as for me, I will walk

have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses! 18 Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins.

b Or he 25:12 a Or he

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in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful to me. 12 My foot stands in an even place; In the congregations I will bless the Lord.

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FIRST PROOFS 783 | Psalms 28:1

Psalm 27

5 For in the time of trouble

He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.

An Exuberant Declaration of Faith A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up

4 One thing I have desired of the Lord,

That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.

APPLYING THE MESSAGE | Ps. 27

Strengthened by Trouble Psalm 27 is a psalm written by David clearly at a very difficult time in his life. He describes the wicked coming against him and an army encamping around him and a war rising up against him, yet his heart was not afraid. He had learned through the years that the God who cared for him in the past would continue to care for him in the present moment. And the troubles of today would strengthen him for the troubles of tomorrow. The same is true for us. I read the story of a child watching a moth coming out of its cocoon. He saw the moth struggling against the strands of thread. The child just reached over with his clippers and clipped those threads. Immediately, the moth tumbled out. But the moth was very, very weak. That’s because a moth’s wings only become strong enough for flight through the struggle of getting out of the cocoon. That’s true for us as well. Sometimes we struggle. At times, we endure hardships. Sometimes we experience reversals and difficulties. But God knows that struggles strengthen us.

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above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!

Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me.

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord,

And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. 12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. 13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14 Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Psalm 28 Rejoicing in Answered Prayer A Psalm of David.

1 To You I will cry, O Lord my Rock:

Do not be silent to me, Lest, if You are silent to me,

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 28:2 | 784 I become like those who go down to the pit. 2 Hear the voice of my supplications When I cry to You, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary. 3 Do not take me away with the wicked

And with the workers of iniquity, Who speak peace to their neighbors, But evil is in their hearts. 4 Give them according to their deeds, And according to the wickedness of their endeavors; Give them according to the work of their hands; Render to them what they deserve. 5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, Nor the operation of His hands, He shall destroy them And not build them up. 6 Blessed be the Lord,

Because He has heard the voice of my supplications! 7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. 8 The Lord is their strength,a

And He is the saving refuge of His anointed. 9 Save Your people, And bless Your inheritance; Shepherd them also, And bear them up forever.

Psalm 29 Praise to God in His Holiness and Majesty A Psalm of David.

1 Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones,

Give unto the Lord glory and strength. 2 Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 3 The voice of the Lord is

over the waters;

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The God of glory thunders; The Lord is over many waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; The voice of the Lord is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the Lord

breaks the cedars, Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes them also skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire. 8 The voice of the Lord shakes

the wilderness; The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth, And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everyone says, “Glory!” 10 The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,

And the Lord sits as King forever. 11 The Lord will give strength

to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Psalm 30 The Blessedness of Answered Prayer A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the house of David.

1 I will extol You, O Lord, for

You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me. 3 O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.a 4 Sing praise to the Lord,

you saints of His, 8:8 a Following Masoretic Text and Targum; 2 Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read the strength of His people. 30:3 a Following Qere and Targum; Kethib, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read from those who descend to the pit.

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FIRST PROOFS 785 | Psalms 31:16 And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.a 5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 30:5 Evening — Referring to the time around sunset or the early part of the night, this word signified the time at which Hebrews thought of the old day ending and the new day beginning. A day did not begin at sunrise, but rather at sunset. This was also the time of day when evening sacrifices were made (Ex. 29:39; Ps. 141:2). A famous verse containing this word is Psalm 30:5: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

6 Now in my prosperity I said,

“I shall never be moved.” 7 Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled. 8 I cried out to You, O Lord;

Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me. 3 For You are my rock and my fortress;

Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me. 4 Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength. 5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth. 6 I have hated those who

regard useless idols; But I trust in the Lord. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, For You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities, 8 And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; You have set my feet in a wide place. 9 Have mercy on me, O Lord,

And to the Lord I made supplication: 9 “What profit is there in my blood,

When I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth? 10 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me; Lord, be my helper!” 11 You have turned for me my

mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

Psalm 31 The Lord a Fortress in Adversity To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 In You, O Lord, I put my trust;

Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. 2 Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily;

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for I am in trouble; My eye wastes away with grief, Yes, my soul and my body! For my life is spent with grief, And my years with sighing; My strength fails because of my iniquity, And my bones waste away. I am a reproach among all my enemies, But especially among my neighbors, And am repulsive to my acquaintances; Those who see me outside flee from me. I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. For I hear the slander of many; Fear is on every side; While they take counsel together against me, They scheme to take away my life.

14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord;

I say, “You are my God.” 15 My times are in Your hand;

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from those who persecute me. 16 Make Your face shine upon Your servant; Save me for Your mercies’ sake. 30:4 a Or His holiness

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 31:17 | 786 17 Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord,

for I have called upon You; Let the wicked be ashamed; Let them be silent in the grave. 18 Let the lying lips be put to silence, Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous. 19 Oh, how great is Your goodness,

Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which You have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men! 20 You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence From the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues. 21 Blessed be the Lord,

For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city! 22 For I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before Your eyes”; Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications When I cried out to You. 23 Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!

For the Lord preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person. 24 Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.

Psalm 32 The Joy of Forgiveness A Psalm of David. A Contemplation.a

1 Blessed is he whose

transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old

Through my groaning all the day long. 4 For day and night Your hand

was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah

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5 I acknowledged my sin to You,

And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 6 For this cause everyone who is

godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him. 7 You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you

in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you. 10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;

But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him. 11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalm 33 The Sovereignty of the Lord in Creation and History 1 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!

For praise from the upright is beautiful. 2 Praise the Lord with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. 3 Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. 4 For the word of the Lord is right,

And all His work is done in truth. 5 He loves righteousness and justice;

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. 32:title a Hebrew Maschil

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FIRST PROOFS 787 | Psalms 34:16 6 By the word of the Lord the

heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;a He lays up the deep in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;

Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. 10 The Lord brings the counsel of

the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. 11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. 13 The Lord looks from heaven;

He sees all the sons of men. 14 From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; 15 He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. 16 No king is saved by the

multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. 18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is

on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, 19 To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the Lord;

He is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him,

Because we have trusted in His holy name. 22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.

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Psalm 34 The Happiness of Those Who Trust in God A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.

1 I will bless the Lord at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. 4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked to Him and were radiant,

And their faces were not ashamed. 6 This poor man cried out, and

the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angela of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;

Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!

There is no want to those who fear Him. 10 The young lions lack and

suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. 11 Come, you children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12 Who is the man who desires life,

And loves many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the Lord are

on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 33:7 a Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate read in a vessel. 34:7 a Or Angel

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 34:17 | 788 17 The righteous cry out, and

the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions

of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. 20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken. 21 Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. 22 The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

Psalm 35 The Lord the Avenger of His People A Psalm of David.

1 Plead my cause, O Lord, with

those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me. 2 Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for my help. 3 Also draw out the spear, And stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.” 4 Let those be put to shame and

brought to dishonor Who seek after my life; Let those be turned back and brought to confusion Who plot my hurt. Let them be like chaff before the wind, And let the angela of the Lord chase them. Let their way be dark and slippery, And let the angel of the Lord pursue them. For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit, Which they have dug without cause for my life.

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8 Let destruction come upon

him unexpectedly, And let his net that he has hidden catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall. 9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord;

It shall rejoice in His salvation. 10 All my bones shall say,

“Lord, who is like You, Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?” 11 Fierce witnesses rise up;

They ask me things that I do not know. 12 They reward me evil for good,

To the sorrow of my soul. 13 But as for me, when they were sick,

My clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart. 14 I paced about as though he were my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother. 15 But in my adversity they rejoiced

And gathered together; Attackers gathered against me, And I did not know it; They tore at me and did not cease; 16 With ungodly mockers at feasts They gnashed at me with their teeth. 17 Lord, how long will You look on?

Rescue me from their destructions, My precious life from the lions. 18 I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people. 19 Let them not rejoice over me who

are wrongfully my enemies; Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause. 20 For they do not speak peace, But they devise deceitful matters Against the quiet ones in the land. 21 They also opened their mouth wide against me, And said, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it.” 35:5 a Or Angel

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FIRST PROOFS 789 | Psalms 37:1 22 This You have seen, O Lord;

Do not keep silence. O Lord, do not be far from me. 23 Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, To my cause, my God and my Lord. 24 Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness; And let them not rejoice over me. 25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so we would have it!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.” 26 Let them be ashamed and brought

to mutual confusion Who rejoice at my hurt; Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor Who exalt themselves against me.

6 Your righteousness is like

the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O Lord, You preserve man and beast. 7 How precious is Your

lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. 8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. 9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 36:9 Fountain — From the root meaning “dig,” this word refers to a source of flowing water. “Living water” was a natural spring that flowed with fresh water, as opposed to a manmade cistern that captured rainwater and was not as fresh. This particular word for fountain is only used in a metaphorical sense, and it refers to life that flows from encouraging words (Prov. 10:11), wisdom (Prov. 13:14; 16:22), tears (Jer. 9:1), and God Himself (Jer. 2:13). A typical use of this word is Proverbs 14:27: “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death,” and here, “For with You is the fountain of life” (Ps. 36:9).

27 Let them shout for joy and be glad,

Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” 28 And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness And of Your praise all the day long.

Psalm 36 Man’s Wickedness and God’s Perfections

10 Oh, continue Your lovingkindness

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord.

1 An oracle within my heart concerning

the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes, When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates. The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good. He devises wickedness on his bed; He sets himself in a way that is not good; He does not abhor evil.

5 Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens;

Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

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to those who know You, And Your righteousness to the upright in heart. Let not the foot of pride come against me, And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away. There the workers of iniquity have fallen; They have been cast down and are not able to rise.

Psalm 37 The Heritage of the Righteous and the Calamity of the Wicked A Psalm of David.

1 Do not fret because of evildoers,

Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 37:2 | 790 2 For they shall soon be cut

down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;

Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait

patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off;

But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12 The wicked plots against the just,

And gnashes at him with his teeth. 13 The Lord laughs at him,

For He sees that his day is coming. 14 The wicked have drawn the sword

And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. 15 Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken. 16 A little that a righteous man has

Is better than the riches of many wicked. 17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, But the Lord upholds the righteous.

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18 The Lord knows the days of the upright,

And their inheritance shall be forever. 19 They shall not be ashamed

in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. 20 But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the Lord, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. 21 The wicked borrows and

does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives. 22 For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off. 23 The steps of a good man are

ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old;

Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. 26 He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed. 27 Depart from evil, and do good;

And dwell forevermore. 28 For the Lord loves justice,

And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous

speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide. 32 The wicked watches the righteous,

And seeks to slay him. 33 The Lord will not leave

him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged.

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FIRST PROOFS 791 | Psalms 38:22 34 Wait on the Lord,

I go mourning all the day long.

And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. 35 I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree. 36 Yet he passed away,a and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found.

7 For my loins are full of inflammation,

37 Mark the blameless man, and

11 My loved ones and my friends

observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace. 38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off. 39 But the salvation of the righteous

is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. 40 And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.

Psalm 38 Prayer in Time of Chastening A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.

1 O Lord, do not rebuke

me in Your wrath, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure! 2 For Your arrows pierce me deeply, And Your hand presses me down. 3 There is no soundness in my flesh

Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds are foul and festering Because of my foolishness.

6 I am troubled, I am bowed

down greatly;

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And there is no soundness in my flesh. 8 I am feeble and severely broken;

I groan because of the turmoil of my heart. 9 Lord, all my desire is before You;

And my sighing is not hidden from You. 10 My heart pants, my strength fails me; As for the light of my eyes, it also has gone from me. stand aloof from my plague, And my relatives stand afar off. 12 Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, And plan deception all the day long. 13 But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;

And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth. 14 Thus I am like a man who does not hear, And in whose mouth is no response. 15 For in You, O Lord, I hope;

You will hear, O Lord my God. 16 For I said, “Hear me, lest

they rejoice over me, Lest, when my foot slips, they exalt themselves against me.” 17 For I am ready to fall,

And my sorrow is continually before me. 18 For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin. 19 But my enemies are vigorous, and they are strong; And those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied. 20 Those also who render evil for good, They are my adversaries, because I follow what is good. 21 Do not forsake me, O Lord;

O my God, be not far from me! 22 Make haste to help me,

O Lord, my salvation! 37:36 a Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Targum; Syriac and Vulgate read I passed by.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 39:1 | 792

Psalm 39

Psalm 40

Prayer for Wisdom and Forgiveness

Faith Persevering in Trial

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

1 I said, “I will guard my ways,

Lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, While the wicked are before me.” 2 I was mute with silence, I held my peace even from good; And my sorrow was stirred up. 3 My heart was hot within me; While I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue: 4 “Lord, make me to know my end,

And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. 5 Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah 6 Surely every man walks about like a shadow; Surely they busy themselves in vain; He heaps up riches, And does not know who will gather them. 7 “And now, Lord, what do I wait for?

My hope is in You. 8 Deliver me from all my transgressions;

Do not make me the reproach of the foolish. 9 I was mute, I did not open my mouth, Because it was You who did it. 10 Remove Your plague from me; I am consumed by the blow of Your hand. 11 When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity, You make his beauty melt away like a moth; Surely every man is vapor. Selah 12 “Hear my prayer, O Lord,

And give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with You, A sojourner, as all my fathers were. 13 Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength, Before I go away and am no more.”

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To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 I waited patiently for the Lord;

And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. 2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. 3 He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord. 4 Blessed is that man who makes

the Lord his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 5 Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered. 6 Sacrifice and offering You

did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. 7 Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. 8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.” 9 I have proclaimed the good

news of righteousness In the great assembly; Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O Lord, You Yourself know. 10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great assembly. 11 Do not withhold Your tender

mercies from me, O Lord;

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FIRST PROOFS

In a Horrible Pit | Ps. 40 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

The Books of 1 and 2 Samuel give us David’s story from the outside (history and chronology), but his psalms give us his story from the inside (emotional and spiritual life). Sometimes, David wrote amidst the tumult of war, despair, or desolation. At other times, he wrote while jubilantly worshiping the Lord. Psalm 40 was written after the Lord rescued David from a horrible pit (40:2). The word pit means a “cistern or dungeon.” The word horrible literally means a “noise, tumult, or uproar.” David’s pit was probably a time of great distress. It may have been during the years when he was fleeing for his life from King Saul. After David came up out of his horrible pit, he sang this beautiful song of praise to the Lord. The truths in this song are not only reminders of our salvation but can be praises we sing to the Lord every time He delivers us from the horrible pits we encounter.

I. We Are Saved (40:1–5) David began by saying, literally, “Waiting I waited” (40:1). Sometimes we, like David, find ourselves in a pit and pray, “Lord, help,” but He doesn’t seem to help. When this happens, we need to remember that the Lord is never behind schedule. He doesn’t operate on our calendar, and His delays are not necessarily denials. David said he waited “patiently.” He did not give up; he knew God would answer at the right time. David reported that the Lord bent down and listened to his cry. That God reaches down to the depths where we are is wonderful! We can’t be too low or too far away for God. The devil would have us believe that when we are sinking down in the muck of some horrible situation, we have no hope. But David vividly pictured the way God rescued him (40:2). He also “established” David as he walked along to make sure he didn’t fall back into the pit. The immediate result for David was another opportunity to praise God (40:3). He was confident this “new song” would draw others to the Lord. When God rescues us, He makes our lives a testimony, showing others what He can do for them because of what He’s done for us. David concluded that trusting God led to blessings (40:4). In verse 5, David tried to summarize in prayer the overwhelming size of God’s care. Like David, we are humbled by the limitless expressions of God’s love for us.

II. We Are Separated (40:6–8) David recognized that God didn’t take delight in sacrifices and offerings (40:6). But we wonder why God commanded all the Old Testament sacrifices. In Hebrews 10:5–7, we see an almost identical rendering of Psalm 40:6–8, but it is applied to Jesus Christ. Both passages tell us why Jesus had to come into the world. The sacrifices and offerings were not sufficient to take away sin. All the animal offerings could ever do was point toward what Jesus would do. The writer of Hebrews also says that God prepared Jesus’ body for the specific purpose of it being offered on the Cross. Ever since Adam and Eve, human beings have gotten their bodies through the union of a

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In a Horrible Pit (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

man and a woman. But Jesus’ body came through a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit. When His sinless body was nailed on the Cross, He took on Himself and paid in full all the sins of the whole world of all time. David wrote, “My ears You have opened” (40:6). The word opened literally means “pierced,” a reference to Exodus 21:6. David was saying that he was separated and devoted to the Lord only. That’s exactly what happens when we come to Christ for salvation. We begin a life separated and devoted to Him alone. David reported it was a joy for him to do God’s will, in part because he was hiding God’s Word in his heart (Ps. 40:8). The parallel Hebrews passage, speaking of Jesus, points to His joy in doing God’s will (Heb. 10:7; 12:2; see Luke 22:42).

III. We Are Sustained (40:9–15) After praising the Lord for deliverance, David began praying again for deliverance (Ps. 40:11–13). He was just expressing life as we experience it on a daily basis, with fast trips from mountaintops to valleys. David was basically saying to the Lord, “I’m back again.” Fortunately, God never gets tired of our coming to Him (James 1:5). Knowing that his heart’s desire was to do God’s will, David could honestly ask the Lord to make his enemies be ashamed and confounded (Ps. 40:14, 15).

IV. We Are Surrendered (40:16, 17) When David was willing to get out of the spotlight and say to God, “Lord be magnified” (40:16), he was surrendered. Like John the Baptist (John 3:30) and Paul (Phil. 1:20), we can do the same. We can magnify the Lord in two ways. When God seems far off to others, we can magnify the Lord in our lives like a telescope and bring Him near to us. We can also enlarge the Lord like a microscope when He seems so small and insignificant to others by making Him large in our lives. David concluded his psalm humbly expressing his own need before God (Ps. 40:17). He never got over the truth and wonder that the Lord was mindful of him. He would turn to no other helper or deliverer. Going about our daily lives, let’s share with others what God has done for us. As we do, we will not only grow in our love for Him, but, like David, will be saying continually, “The Lord be magnified!”

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FIRST PROOFS 795 | Psalms 42:3 Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me. 12 For innumerable evils have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; They are more than the hairs of my head; Therefore my heart fails me. 13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;

O Lord, make haste to help me! 14 Let them be ashamed and brought

to mutual confusion Who seek to destroy my life; Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor Who wish me evil. 15 Let them be confounded because of their shame, Who say to me, “Aha, aha!” 16 Let all those who seek You

rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified!” 17 But I am poor and needy; Yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.

Psalm 41 The Blessing and Suffering of the Godly To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 Blessed is he who considers the poor;

The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. 2 The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, And he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. 3 The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed. 4 I said, “Lord, be merciful to me;

Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.” 5 My enemies speak evil of me: “When will he die, and his name perish?”

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6 And if he comes to see

me, he speaks lies; His heart gathers iniquity to itself; When he goes out, he tells it. 7 All who hate me whisper

together against me; Against me they devise my hurt. 8 “An evil disease,” they say, “clings to him. And now that he lies down, he will rise up no more.” 9 Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me. 10 But You, O Lord, be merciful

to me, and raise me up, That I may repay them. 11 By this I know that You are well pleased with me, Because my enemy does not triumph over me. 12 As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, And set me before Your face forever. 13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel

From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.

BOOK TWO Psalms 42—72 Psalm 42 Yearning for God in the Midst of Distresses To the Chief Musician. A Contemplationa of the sons of Korah.

1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,

So pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God,

for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?a 3 My tears have been my food day and night, 2:title a Hebrew Maschil 42:2 a Following 4 Masoretic Text and Vulgate; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac, and Targum read I see the face of God.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 42:4 | 796 While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?” 4 When I remember these things,

I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.a 6 O my God,a my soul is cast

down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar. 7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. 8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me— A prayer to the God of my life. 9 I will say to God my Rock,

“Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

Psalm 43 Prayer to God in Time of Trouble 1 Vindicate me, O God,

And plead my cause against an ungodly nation; Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!

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2 For You are the God of my strength;

Why do You cast me off? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 3 Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!

Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle. 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

Psalm 44 Redemption Remembered in Present Dishonor To the Chief Musician. A Contemplationa of the sons of Korah.

1 We have heard with our ears, O God,

Our fathers have told us, The deeds You did in their days, In days of old: 2 You drove out the nations with Your hand, But them You planted; You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out. 3 For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them. 4 You are my King, O God;a

Commandb victories for Jacob.

2:5 a Following Masoretic Text and Targum; a 4 few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read The help of my countenance, my God. 42:6 a Following Masoretic Text and Targum; a few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate put my God at the end of verse 5. 44:title a Hebrew Maschil 44:4 a Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint and b Following Masoretic Vulgate read and my God. Text and Targum; Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read Who commands.

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FIRST PROOFS 797 | Psalms 45:6 5 Through You we will push

20 If we had forgotten the

down our enemies; Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us. 6 For I will not trust in my bow, Nor shall my sword save me. 7 But You have saved us from our enemies, And have put to shame those who hated us. 8 In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever. Selah

name of our God, Or stretched out our hands to a foreign god, 21 Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. 22 Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

9 But You have cast us off and

24 Why do You hide Your face,

put us to shame, And You do not go out with our armies. You make us turn back from the enemy, And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves. You have given us up like sheep intended for food, And have scattered us among the nations. You sell Your people for next to nothing, And are not enriched by selling them.

13 You make us a reproach

to our neighbors, A scorn and a derision to those all around us. You make us a byword among the nations, A shaking of the head among the peoples. My dishonor is continually before me, And the shame of my face has covered me, Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles, Because of the enemy and the avenger.

23 Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord?

Arise! Do not cast us off forever. And forget our affliction and our oppression? 25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust; Our body clings to the ground. 26 Arise for our help, And redeem us for Your mercies’ sake.

Psalm 45 The Glories of the Messiah and His Bride To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” a A Contemplationb of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.

1 My heart is overflowing

with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. 2 You are fairer than the sons of men;

17 All this has come upon us;

But we have not forgotten You, Nor have we dealt falsely with Your covenant. 18 Our heart has not turned back, Nor have our steps departed from Your way; 19 But You have severely broken us in the place of jackals, And covered us with the shadow of death.

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Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed You forever. Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, With Your glory and Your majesty. And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things. Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; The peoples fall under You.

6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;

A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. b Hebrew Maschil 45:title a Hebrew Shoshannim

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 45:7 | 798 7 You love righteousness and

hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions. All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia, Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad. Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women; At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.

10 Listen, O daughter,

Consider and incline your ear; Forget your own people also, and your father’s house; 11 So the King will greatly desire your beauty; Because He is your Lord, worship Him. 12 And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; The rich among the people will seek your favor. 13 The royal daughter is all glorious

within the palace; Her clothing is woven with gold. 14 She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors; The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You. 15 With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought; They shall enter the King’s palace. 16 Instead of Your fathers

shall be Your sons, Whom You shall make princes in all the earth. 17 I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations; Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.

2 Therefore we will not fear,

Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams shall

make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. 6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,

Who has made desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the

end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! 11 The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Psalm 47 Praise to God, the Ruler of the Earth To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!

Shout to God with the voice of triumph! 2 For the Lord Most High is awesome;

He is a great King over all the earth. 3 He will subdue the peoples under us,

Psalm 46 God the Refuge of His People and Conqueror of the Nations To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song for Alamoth.

1 God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble.

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And the nations under our feet. 4 He will choose our inheritance for us,

The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah 5 God has gone up with a shout,

The Lord with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

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FIRST PROOFS

When the Lights Go Out | Ps. 46 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

Many Bible scholars believe that Isaiah 36 and 37 give the historical context for this psalm. During Hezekiah’s reign, Jerusalem was in a desperate situation. We could easily say the lights of Jerusalem were ready to go out. But Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. In return, God sent His prophet Isaiah to assure the king that God had heard his prayer, and Isaiah prophesied the doom of Sennacherib and his army. The historical record tells us that God then sent an angel who annihilated 185,000 soldiers of Assyria in one night. In this psalm, we see the children of Israel praising the Lord for His care and protection. They included the word Selah three times (vv. 3, 7, 11). This term is a pause in a song to allow listeners time to reflect upon what has been said. It could be translated, “There—what do you think of that!” This psalm helps us know what to do when the lights are about to go out in our lives.

I. G o to Your Shelter (46:1–3) The psalm opens with familiar words about God. A refuge is a shelter or fortress, a place of protection. Often we try to handle the trials of life by ourselves, in our own strength. When we do, we are forgetting that whatever we face, we can go to God for protection and strength. At one point, Martin Luther was going through a period of great difficulty and became very depressed. After watching her husband in his despondency, Luther’s wife dressed in a mourning garment. When he asked her, “Who died?” she said, “God.” He immediately replied, “That’s absurd, God didn’t die. God is eternal and immortal.” She then said, “Then, why are you acting like God is dead?” Too often we handle trials just like Luther. We act as though God is dead and cannot help us. Luther’s renewed understanding was immortalized in his hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” In it, he declares that our God is “a bulwark never failing.” “A very present help” (46:1) means that God is aware and ready. God has given His word that He is our immediate help in times of distress. No matter how dire our circumstances, He wants to be there to protect, strengthen, and help us. The sons of Korah (writers of this psalm) next declared four “though” situations (40:2, 3). They were saying, “No matter what happens, we will not fear.” Verse 3 concludes with the first Selah or “There, what do you think of that!” When the lights are getting ready to go out, Jesus our Savior wants to be our shelter and give us the strength and help we need.

II. G o to Your River (46:4–7) Verse 4 talks about a river. Ancient cities depended on a good water source. If an enemy could cut off the water supply, they could paralyze that city. The city of Jerusalem did not have a river flowing through it, but Hezekiah had diverted a nearby spring called Gihon through an

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FIRST PROOFS

When the Lights Go Out (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

underground rock conduit over 1,700 feet long so the waters flowed into the city. Jerusalem had hidden resources. God says that when the lights threaten to go out in our lives, we have a river. It is a hidden resource flowing on the inside of every believer. God Himself is the fountain of living waters (Jer. 2:13; John 4:14; 7:38, 39). Many people, even believers, depend on outside resources, such as money, prestige, or pleasures to satisfy them. But what happens when those resources are lost? The people lose their joy. When we allow God to be our source, however, it doesn’t matter if we lose everything else. Christians go through many of the same difficulties as non-believers, but we have a source of joy, strength, and refreshment that unbelievers do not have. The Bible also tells us that one of these days the river flowing in the city of God will literally be fulfilled in Jerusalem (Ezek. 47:1–12; Rev. 22:1). God was “in the midst of” Jerusalem (Ps. 46:5). This phrase is echoed in various places in God’s Word (Luke 2:46; John 20:19; Rev. 1:13; 2:1). We never walk through a difficulty alone; the Lord is always “in our midst.” God is also always there “at the break of dawn” (Ps. 46:5), whether we realize it or not. He knows the perfect time to make Himself known. How much our enemies rage against us doesn’t matter because God is with us, and He is our refuge (46:6, 7). Sometimes, when we are going through a trial, things may seem very dark; but dawn is coming (30:5). Until then, we have God’s presence, and we need to turn to Him to be our source of refreshment and satisfaction. The psalmists again paused with Selah (46:7).

III. G o to Your Master (46:8–11) When Jerusalem was under siege by the Assyrians, Hezekiah turned to the Lord in prayer. When God had His angel decimate the Assyrian army, they all knew who had intervened on their behalf (46:8, 9). Until the final battle of history (Rev. 19:11–21), we need to realize that Satan’s armies are lined up against us. As long as we rely on the Lord as our Master for shelter and strength, we have nothing to fear. In fact, God tells us to stop fretting or worrying and realize who He is: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10; see Mark 4:39, 40). God also tells us with certainty that the whole world will recognize Him (Ps. 46:10). One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil. 2:9–11). The psalmists concluded with a reminder of God as refuge and the encouragement of another Selah. “There, what do you think of that!”

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FIRST PROOFS 801 | Psalms 49:11 7 For God is the King of all the earth;

Sing praises with understanding. 8 God reigns over the nations;

God sits on His holy throne. 9 The princes of the people

have gathered together, The people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.

Psalm 48 The Glory of God in Zion A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 Great is the Lord, and

greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain. 2 Beautiful in elevation, The joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the great King. 3 God is in her palaces; He is known as her refuge. 4 For behold, the kings assembled,

They passed by together. 5 They saw it, and so they marveled; They were troubled, they hastened away. 6 Fear took hold of them there, And pain, as of a woman in birth pangs, 7 As when You break the ships of Tarshish With an east wind. 8 As we have heard,

So we have seen In the city of the Lord of hosts, In the city of our God: God will establish it forever. Selah 9 We have thought, O God, on

Your lovingkindness, In the midst of Your temple. 10 According to Your name, O God, So is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness. 11 Let Mount Zion rejoice, Let the daughters of Judah be glad, Because of Your judgments.

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12 Walk about Zion,

And go all around her. Count her towers; 13 Mark well her bulwarks; Consider her palaces; That you may tell it to the generation following. 14 For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide Even to death.a

Psalm 49 The Confidence of the Foolish To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 Hear this, all peoples;

Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, 2 Both low and high,

Rich and poor together. 3 My mouth shall speak wisdom,

And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding. 4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will disclose my dark saying on the harp. 5 Why should I fear in the days of evil,

When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me? 6 Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches, 7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him— 8 For the redemption of their souls is costly, And it shall cease forever— 9 That he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit. 10 For he sees wise men die;

Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, And leave their wealth to others. 11 Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,a 48:14 a Following Masoretic Text and Syriac; Septuagint and Vulgate read Forever. 49:11 a Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read Their graves shall be their houses forever.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 49:12 | 802 17 For when he dies he shall APPLYING THE MESSAGE | Ps. 49:6

No Compromise More than one preacher has lost his ability to be a prophet of God because he has become disposed to receive the favors of the mighty. All people, but I think especially pastors, must be very careful not to take favors from well- to- do people because the time may come when they have to confront those people with their sin. In Psalm 49, the psalmists make it clear that they are speaking to both “low and high, rich and poor together” (49:2, 3). They write that “those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother” (49:6, 7). Spiritual leaders must be careful not to compromise their ability to stand for what is right by taking little favors on the side. That can cause them to owe someone and may make them ineffective if they have to confront sin. If somebody wants to be kind to you and give you something, then thank them for it; but don’t compromise your convictions. God give men and women of God today courage to stand for what is true regardless of the cost.

Their dwelling places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names. 12 Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain;a He is like the beasts that perish. 13 This is the way of those who are foolish,

And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah 14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; Death shall feed on them; The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling. 15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah

carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him. 18 Though while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself), 19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see light. 20 A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 50 God the Righteous Judge A Psalm of Asaph.

1 The Mighty One, God the Lord,

Has spoken and called the earth From the rising of the sun to its going down. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God will shine forth. 3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him. 4 He shall call to the heavens

from above, And to the earth, that He may judge His people: 5 “Gather My saints together to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” 6 Let the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is Judge. Selah 7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak,

O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God! 8 I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices Or your burnt offerings, Which are continually before Me. 9 I will not take a bull from your house, Nor goats out of your folds.

16 Do not be afraid when one

becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased;

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49:12 a Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read understand (compare verse 20).

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FIRST PROOFS 803 | Psalms 51:15 10 For every beast of the forest is Mine,

And the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you;

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,

13 14 15

For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

16 But to the wicked God says:

“What right have you to declare My statutes, Or take My covenant in your mouth, 17 Seeing you hate instruction And cast My words behind you? 18 When you saw a thief, you consenteda with him, And have been a partaker with adulterers. 19 You give your mouth to evil, And your tongue frames deceit. 20 You sit and speak against your brother; You slander your own m other’s son. 21 These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you, And set them in order before your eyes. 22 “Now consider this, you who forget God,

Lest I tear you in pieces, And there be none to deliver: 23 Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.”

Psalm 51 A Prayer of Repentance To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy upon me, O God,

According to Your lovingkindness;

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And my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,

And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak,a And blameless when You judge. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

And in sin my m other conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in

the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and

I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from

Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of

bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. 50:18 a Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read ran. 51:4 a Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate read in Your words.

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FIRST PROOFS

The High Cost of Sin | Ps. 51 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of confession. He had spent an entire year in misery trying to hide his compounded sins of adultery, betrayal, and murder, not realizing that secret sin on earth is open scandal in heaven (2 Sam. 11, 12). The Lord exposed David’s sin by sending His prophet Nathan to confront him (2 Sam. 12:7). Through Nathan’s story, God shattered David’s defenses and initiated repentance. Just as the Lord recorded David’s sin publicly, He shared David’s repentant prayer of confession.

I. The High Cost of Committing Sin (51:1–10) Through the aftermath of David’s sin with Bathsheba, we discover that sin is a very serious matter. Notice the synonyms David used as he confessed his sin. Transgression (Ps. 51:1) literally means “to step over a line.” God had drawn a “You shall not” line in front of adultery (Ex. 20:14), lying (20:16), and murder (20:13); David stepped over each line. Sin is rebellion against the law and love of God. David also used the word iniquity (Ps. 51:2), which means “to twist or pervert” something. God gave humankind the beautiful gifts of sex within marriage, truth, and loyalty, but David distorted those gifts. Then David used the word sin (51:2) and asked the Lord to cleanse him. Sin literally means “to miss the mark.” It pictures an arrow missing the target. Sin is failing to be what God has created us to be. The New Testament tells us we’ve all have sinned (Rom. 3:23). These different terms for sin show us the high cost of committing sin. The Bible makes very clear that sin stains everything it touches. Sin affects our perspective (Ps. 51:3). Everywhere David looked, he was reminded of his sin. Many people want to deny the fact of sin and the guilt that comes as its result. They are blind (2 Cor. 4:4). Sin affects our thinking (Ps. 51:6). David had tried replacing God’s truth for a lie. Our sinfulness makes us prone to rationalize our sins. The devil wants us to believe we are going to get by with our sin. We will not (Num. 32:23). We might even say sin is a form of spiritual insanity. David wasn’t thinking correctly. Sin affects our ears (Ps. 51:8). When David allowed unconfessed sin in his heart, his joy and gladness were gone. The same thing happens to us as believers when we live with unconfessed sins in our lives. Sin affects our body (51:8). We see evidence that David became a sick man during the months he lived with unconfessed sin in his life (32:3, 4). This does not mean that all disease is a result of personal sin, but often it is. And it definitely was in David’s case. Sin affects the heart and spirit (51:10). Sin is to the heart what dirt is to the body. The tragedy is that people live so long with a dirty heart and sullied spirit that they get used to it. Sin makes our spirit critical and judgmental. Fault-fi nding and critical attitudes can often be traced back to unconfessed sin. And sin affects our testimony, actually silencing it. If we even think about telling someone about Jesus, the devil will gladly remind us of our sin.

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FIRST PROOFS

The High Cost of Sin (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

The Bible reveals that sin will take us further than we want to go, teaches us more than we want to know, keeps us longer than we want to stay, and costs us more than we want to pay. David learned the hard way the high cost of committing sin.

II. The High Cost of Confessing Sin (51:1–4) David’s acknowledgment of sin (51:3) was the Old Testament equivalent of 1 John 1:9. But confessing sin has a high cost. First, confessing sin is very personal (Ps. 51:1–3). We will never get past our sins until we take personal responsibility for them. Confession of sin is unavoidable. The Greek word for confess means to “say the same thing.” When we confess our sin, we are willing to agree with God about what we have done. Human beings like to say sin is an accident, but God says it’s an abomination. We say, defect; God says, disease. We call it weakness; God calls it wickedness. Until we are willing to agree with God about our sin, we will never really confess it. Confession of sin is also a theological matter (51:4). Yes, David’s sin affected and destroyed others, but he understood that sin is even uglier. It is a slap in the face of a holy, loving God. Confession is not just saying a little prayer or shedding a few tears. When we confess our sins, we abhor and abandon them. Confession costs.

III. The High Cost of Cleansing Sin (51:1, 2, 7) David painted three pictures of sin: debt (51:1), dirt (51:2), and disease (51:2, 7). He asked the Lord to wipe his record clean. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ canceled our debt on the Cross (Col. 2:14). David also wanted God to wash the dirt out of his life and cleanse the sickness of sin. Purge is a word connected with sin (Ps. 51:7) that could be translated, “De-sin” or “decontaminate.” David concluded his prayer of repentance by asking God to restore to him the joy of God’s salvation (51:12–17). David wanted the Lord to use him again. He did not want his sins to impact his country (51:18, 19). The next time we are tempted to sin, let’s allow David’s prayer of repentance to remind us that the cost of sin is too high and the cost of our forgiveness even higher (see 1 Pet. 1:18, 19). If we will, David’s request will be answered in our lives (Ps. 51:13).

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 51:16 | 806 16 For You do not desire sacrifice,

or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise. 18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;

Build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You shall be pleased with the

sacrifices of righteousness, With burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

Psalm 52 The End of the Wicked and the Peace of the Godly To the Chief Musician. A Contemplationa of David when Doeg the Edomite went and told Saul, and said to him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.”

1 Why do you boast in evil,

2 3

O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually. Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah You love all devouring words, You deceitful tongue.

5 God shall likewise destroy you forever;

He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place, And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah 6 The righteous also shall see and fear, And shall laugh at him, saying, 7 “Here is the man who did not make God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, And strengthened himself in his wickedness.” 8 But I am like a green olive tree

in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.

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9 I will praise You forever,

Because You have done it; And in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.

Psalm 53 Folly of the Godless, and the Restoration of Israel To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath.” A Contemplationa of David.

1 The fool has said in his heart,

“There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good. 2 God looks down from heaven

upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. 3 Every one of them has turned aside; They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one. 4 Have the workers of iniquity

no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call upon God? 5 There they are in great fear Where no fear was, For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you; You have put them to shame, Because God has despised them. 6 Oh, that the salvation of Israel

would come out of Zion! When God brings back the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

Psalm 54 Answered Prayer for Deliverance from Adversaries To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments.a A Contemplationb of David when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding with us?”

1 Save me, O God, by Your name,

And vindicate me by Your strength. 52:title a Hebrew Maschil 53:title a Hebrew Maschil b Hebrew Maschil 54:title a Hebrew neginoth

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FIRST PROOFS 807 | Psalms 55:22 2 Hear my prayer, O God;

9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide

Give ear to the words of my mouth. 3 For strangers have risen up against me, And oppressors have sought after my life; They have not set God before them.

their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city. 10 Day and night they go around it on its walls; Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it. 11 Destruction is in its midst; Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.

Selah 4 Behold, God is my helper;

The Lord is with those who uphold my life. 5 He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in Your truth. 6 I will freely sacrifice to You;

I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good. 7 For He has delivered me out of all trouble; And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.

Psalm 55 Trust in God Concerning the Treachery of Friends To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments.a A Contemplationb of David.

12 For it is not an enemy who

reproaches me; Then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him. 13 But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance. 14 We took sweet counsel together, And walked to the house of God in the throng. 15 Let death seize them;

Let them go down alive into hell, For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them. 16 As for me, I will call upon God,

And the Lord shall save me.

1 Give ear to my prayer, O God,

17 Evening and morning and at noon

And do not hide Yourself from my supplication. 2 Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily, 3 Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked; For they bring down trouble upon me, And in wrath they hate me.

I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice. 18 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, For there were many against me. 19 God will hear, and afflict them, Even He who abides from of old. Selah Because they do not change, Therefore they do not fear God.

4 My heart is severely pained within me,

those who were at peace with him; He has broken his covenant. 21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, But war was in his heart; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords.

7 8

And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me. So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off, And remain in the wilderness. Selah I would hasten my escape From the windy storm and tempest.”

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20 He has put forth his hands against

22 Cast your burden on the Lord,

And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. b Hebrew Maschil 55:title a Hebrew neginoth

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 55:23 | 808 23 But You, O God, shall bring them

down to the pit of destruction; Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; But I will trust in You.

8 You number my wanderings;

Psalm 56

Prayer for Relief from Tormentors

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” a A Michtam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gath.

1 Be merciful to me, O God, for

man would swallow me up; Fighting all day he oppresses me. 2 My enemies would hound me all day, For there are many who fight against me, O Most High. 3 Whenever I am afraid,

I will trust in You. 4 In God (I will praise His word),

In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?

APPLYING THE MESSAGE | Ps. 56

Not Afraid I remember a story in the life of the Evangelist D. L. Moody. A lady said to him, “Mr. Moody, I found a wonderful promise in the Bible in Psalm 56:3. It says, ‘Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.’ ” Mr. Moody said, “That is a wonderful promise, but let me give you a better promise. Isaiah 12:2 says, ‘I will trust and not be afraid.’ ” To trust in the Lord when you are afraid is wonderful; even better is to trust in the Lord and not be afraid.

Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me. In God (I will praise His word), In the Lord (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

12 Vows made to You are binding

upon me, O God; I will render praises to You, 13 For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God In the light of the living?

Psalm 57 Prayer for Safety from Enemies To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” a A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave.

1 Be merciful to me, O God,

be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. 2 I will cry out to God Most High,

To God who performs all things for me. 3 He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. Selah God shall send forth His mercy and His truth. 4 My soul is among lions;

5 All day they twist my words;

All their thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They gather together, They hide, they mark my steps, When they lie in wait for my life. 7 Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, O God!

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I lie among the sons of men Who are set on fire, Whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword. 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth. 56:title a Hebrew Jonath Elem Rechokim 57:title a Hebrew Al Tashcheth

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FIRST PROOFS

In a Cave | Ps. 57 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

This psalm may not have been written in a cave, but it reflects David’s experiences in caves (1 Sam. 22–24). Why did God allow him to go through trying times? Because he gained understanding about the Lord that he would never have learned any other way. This is the same reason the Lord allows us to go through trials. A wonderful thing happened to David in a cave. God gave him a song saturated with God’s presence and power. In the eleven verses of Psalm 57, David referred to God twenty-one times. He also exclaimed twice, “Be exalted, O God” (57:5, 11). Within this repeated refrain, we find the two-fold division of this psalm. David reveals that we can learn lessons in the cave experiences of life.

I. Th e Calamities That Trouble Us (57:1–6) David began his psalm pleading with the Lord for mercy (Ps. 57:1). He needed God to come to his aid. David called his problems “calamities.” Saul’s pursuit of him was comparable to a violent storm. David recognized the source of his safety was not the cave. A believer’s true refuge is not a place; it is a person—our Lord God. David also described God as hovering over him in protection (57:1). Did David think God had wings? No. This is a beautiful, biblical figure of speech. David was not teaching that God has literal wings but was giving us a picture of God’s protective care for His children. We actually see this picture used throughout the psalms (17:8; 36:7; 91:4). When the calamities of life come, we can run and hide under the wings of our eternal God. That is what He wants us to do. Jesus longed for the people of Jerusalem to turn to Him, but they rejected Him (Matt. 23:37). David next said he would cry to the Lord, whom he called “God Most High” (Ps. 57:2). This is Elohim, Elion and means “Creator God” (see Gen. 14:19, 20). Regardless of how high our troubles are stacked, God is higher. David was praying to the God who acts. Perform (Ps. 57:2) means “to accomplish or finish.” The same Hebrew word is translated “perfect” in Psalm 138:8. David was claiming that God would fulfill His purposes not only for him but for every one of His children (see Phil. 1:6). The Lord didn’t say He gives His children temporary life. He gives us eternal life (see John 3:16). David showed his confidence in the Lord’s help in the face of the consuming cruelty of others (Ps. 57:3). Sadly, even many believers swallow up the souls and reputations of others. David was depending on God’s mercy and truth in dealing with Saul. And that is exactly what the Lord gave him (1 Sam. 24). Though David had a perfect opportunity to kill Saul, he refused because Saul was the Lord’s anointed. Whenever we find ourselves in a cave surrounded by calamity, we can ask God for His mercy and truth. David also lamented being surrounded by lions (Ps. 57:4). He was describing the danger he would face if Saul and his men were to find him. Because of that, he asked for the Lord to be exalted above the heavens and for His glory to shine over all the earth (57:5). David pictured

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FIRST PROOFS

In a Cave (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

his enemies as hunters trying to trap a lion or wild animal (57:6). He knew Saul was using every means possible to find him, but he also realized God would foil Saul’s plans. Instead, His judgment would fall on them, and their traps would trap them. Too often we take matters into our own hands rather than remembering that our most high God can take care of our enemies for us.

II. Th e Realities That Thrill Us (57:7–11) Next, David moved from prayer to praise. Twice he said his heart was “steadfast” (57:7). He was stressing the fact that his outlook was settled and confident. He had called out to God for mercy, and God was faithful to give him what he needed. In turn, David wanted to be faithful to the Lord. Do we have a steadfast heart? Sadly, some Christians are like butterflies. They flit from flower to flower—f rom church to church. We never know where they are going to be. God wants us to be like carrier pigeons and have our eyes on the destination of heaven. Meanwhile, David turned his cave into a concert hall, complete with instruments to accompany his singing. He promised to “awaken the dawn” with his praise (57:8). Nothing is wrong with beginning our prayers with asking for God’s help, like David did; but the key to victory is to have our lives resting in God. As we do that and realize His great power, we will also end up with a song of praise to Him. And, like David, each new day will be a brand-new opportunity to praise God for all His blessings. Not only was he going to praise the Lord, but David wanted to be a witness to others (57:9). Do we? When we get around our Christian friends as well as lost people, do they know the Lord is important to us? Notice the progression. David asked God for mercy (57:1), and God sent His mercy and truth (57:3). Now, in 57:10, David declared that more mercy and truth are available for future needs. No wonder David had to praise the Lord! He again called out for God’s exaltation (57:11). The word exalted means “to be high and lifted up.” He was saying, “Lord, even in the cave experiences of life, I want You to get the glory. I want people to see You.”

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FIRST PROOFS 811 | Psalms 59:1 6 They have prepared a net for my steps;

My soul is bowed down; They have dug a pit before me; Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah 7 My heart is steadfast, O God,

my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise. 8 Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. 9 I will praise You, O Lord,

among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. 10 For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds. 11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;

Let Your glory be above all the earth.

Psalm 58 The Just Judgment of the Wicked

APPLYING THE MESSAGE | Ps. 57

Deep in the Valley Some Christians talk as though life should be lived on the mountaintop. In reality, sometimes we find ourselves in dangerous and frightful places with circumstances damp and cold. We don’t choose to be there but are chased or fall into them. David shows us that these cave experiences of life do not have to keep us from being a witness. In fact, they are great opportunities for us to demonstrate that our Christianity is real. Think about it—if Jesus isn’t real in the hard times of life, when is He real to us? How can we get to that place where we can praise the Lord no matter what? When we realize that the ultimate result of every experience is for God to be glorified. Then, whether we are in a cave, a pit, or a mountaintop, we will want our most high God to be exalted and to get the glory. Then we will be able to say with David, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth” (Ps. 57:11).

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” a A Michtam of David.

1 Do you indeed speak righteousness,

you silent ones? Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men? 2 No, in heart you work wickedness; You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth. 3 The wicked are estranged

from the womb; They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear, Which will not heed the voice of charmers, Charming ever so skillfully.

6 Break their teeth in their mouth, O God!

Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! 7 Let them flow away as waters which run continually; When he bends his bow, Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces. 8 Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,

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Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun. 9 Before your pots can feel

the burning thorns, He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, As in His living and burning wrath. 10 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, 11 So that men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely He is God who judges in the earth.”

Psalm 59 The Assured Judgment of the Wicked To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” a A Michtam of David when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.

1 Deliver me from my

enemies, O my God; 58:title a Hebrew Al Tashcheth 59:title a Hebrew Al Tashcheth

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 59:2 | 812 Defend me from those who rise up against me. 2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, And save me from bloodthirsty men. 3 For look, they lie in wait for my life;

The mighty gather against me, Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord. 4 They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine. Awake to help me, and behold! 5 You therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, Awake to punish all the nations; Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah 6 At evening they return,

They growl like a dog, And go all around the city. 7 Indeed, they belch with their mouth; Swords are in their lips; For they say, “Who hears?” 8 But You, O Lord, shall laugh at them;

You shall have all the nations in derision. 9 I will wait for You, O You his Strength;a For God is my defense. 10 My God of mercy a shall come to meet me; God shall let me see my desire on my enemies. 11 Do not slay them, lest my people forget;

Scatter them by Your power, And bring them down, O Lord our shield. 12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, Let them even be taken in their pride, And for the cursing and lying which they speak. 13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, That they may not be; And let them know that God rules in Jacob To the ends of the earth. Selah 14 And at evening they return,

They growl like a dog, And go all around the city. 15 They wander up and down for food, And howla if they are not satisfied.

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16 But I will sing of Your power;

Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble. 17 To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; For God is my defense, My God of mercy.

Psalm 60 Urgent Prayer for the Restored Favor of God To the Chief Musician. Set to “Lily of the Testimony.” a A Michtam of David. For teaching. When he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah, and Joab returned and killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

1 O God, You have cast us off;

You have broken us down; You have been displeased; Oh, restore us again! 2 You have made the earth tremble; You have broken it; Heal its breaches, for it is shaking. 3 You have shown Your people hard things; You have made us drink the wine of confusion. 4 You have given a banner to

those who fear You, That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah 5 That Your beloved may be delivered, Save with Your right hand, and hear me. 6 God has spoken in His holiness:

“I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem And measure out the Valley of Succoth. 7 Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the helmet for My head; Judah is My lawgiver. 59:9 a Following Masoretic Text and Syriac; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate read my Strength. 59:10 a Following Qere; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, and Vulgate read My God, His mercy; Kethib, some Hebrew manuscripts and Targum read O God, my mercy; Syriac reads O God, Your mercy. 59:15 a Following Septuagint and Vulgate; Masoretic Text, Syriac, and Targum read spend the night. 60:title a Hebrew Shushan Eduth

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FIRST PROOFS 813 | Psalms 63:1 8 Moab is My washpot;

Over Edom I will cast My shoe; Philistia, shout in triumph because of Me.” 9 Who will bring me to the strong city? 10

11 12

Who will lead me to Edom? Is it not You, O God, who cast us off? And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies? Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.a

Psalm 61 Assurance of God’s Eternal Protection To the Chief Musician. On a stringed instrument.a A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my cry, O God;

Attend to my prayer. 2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For You have been a shelter for me,

A strong tower from the enemy. 4 I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;

I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah 5 For You, O God, have heard my vows;

You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. 6 You will prolong the king’s life, His years as many generations. 7 He shall abide before God forever. Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him! 8 So I will sing praise to

Your name forever, That I may daily perform my vows.

Psalm 62 A Calm Resolve to Wait for the Salvation of God To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

1 Truly my soul silently waits for God;

From Him comes my salvation.

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2 He only is my rock and my salvation;

He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. 3 How long will you attack a man?

You shall be slain, all of you, Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence. 4 They only consult to cast him down from his high position; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, But they curse inwardly. Selah 5 My soul, wait silently for God alone,

For my expectation is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation;

He is my defense; I shall not be moved. 7 In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. 8 Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah 9 Surely men of low degree are a vapor,

Men of high degree are a lie; If they are weighed on the scales, They are altogether lighter than vapor. 10 Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them. 11 God has spoken once,

Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. 12 Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work.

Psalm 63 Joy in the Fellowship of God A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

1 O God, You are my God;

Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You 0:12 a Compare verses 5–12 with 108:6–13 6 61:title a Hebrew neginah

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 63:2 | 814

Psalm 64

In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. 2 So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. 3 Because Your lovingkindness

is better than life, My lips shall praise You. 4 Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 63:3 Praise — Just as David promised to praise the Lord with his mouth, “My lips shall praise You” (Ps. 63:3), so, too, does he envision a time when even the Gentiles will “laud” God for His love (Ps. 117:1). The Israelites were to “praise [God’s] works to the next generation” (Ps. 145:4), a command that presumably involved worship, prayer, and instruction. In a similar way, Ecclesiastes speaks of “commending” enjoyment, meaning encouraging, recommending (Eccl. 8:15). When David brought the ark into Jerusalem, the people prayed for deliverance from the Gentiles, so that they might “triumph” in God’s praise (1 Chr. 16:35; Ps. 106:47).

6 When I remember You on my bed,

I meditate on You in the night watches. 7 Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. 8 My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me. 9 But those who seek my

life, to destroy it, Shall go into the lower parts of the earth. 10 They shall fall by the sword; They shall be a portion for jackals. 11 But the king shall rejoice in God;

Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

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Oppressed by the Wicked but Rejoicing in the Lord To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my voice, O God, in

my meditation; Preserve my life from fear of the enemy. Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity, Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words, That they may shoot in secret at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.

5 They encourage themselves

in an evil matter; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, “Who will see them?” 6 They devise iniquities: “We have perfected a shrewd scheme.” Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep. 7 But God shall shoot at them

with an arrow; Suddenly they shall be wounded. 8 So He will make them stumble over their own tongue; All who see them shall flee away. 9 All men shall fear, And shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing. 10 The righteous shall be glad in

the Lord, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.

Psalm 65 Praise to God for His Salvation and Providence To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.

1 Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;

And to You the vow shall be performed. 2 O You who hear prayer,

To You all flesh will come.

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FIRST PROOFS 815 | Psalms 66:17 3 Iniquities prevail against me;

As for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them. 4 Blessed is the man You choose,

And cause to approach You, That he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Of Your holy temple. 5 By awesome deeds in righteousness

You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, And of the far-off seas; 6 Who established the mountains by His strength, Being clothed with power; 7 You who still the noise of the seas, The noise of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples. 8 They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs; You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.

2 Sing out the honor of His name;

Make His praise glorious. 3 Say to God,

“How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You. 4 All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name.” Selah 5 Come and see the works of God;

He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men. 6 He turned the sea into dry land; They went through the river on foot. There we will rejoice in Him. 7 He rules by His power forever; His eyes observe the nations; Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah 8 Oh, bless our God, you peoples!

9 You visit the earth and water it,

You greatly enrich it; The river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, For so You have prepared it. 10 You water its ridges abundantly, You settle its furrows; You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth. 11 You crown the year with

Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance. 12 They drop on the pastures of the wilderness, And the little hills rejoice on every side. 13 The pastures are clothed with flocks; The valleys also are covered with grain; They shout for joy, they also sing.

10 11 12

And make the voice of His praise to be heard, Who keeps our soul among the living, And does not allow our feet to be moved. For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs. You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.

13 I will go into Your house

Psalm 66

with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows, 14 Which my lips have uttered And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble. 15 I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals, With the sweet aroma of rams; I will offer bulls with goats. Selah

Praise to God for His Awesome Works

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,

To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm.

1 Make a joyful shout to

God, all the earth!

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And I will declare what He has done for my soul. 17 I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 66:18 | 816 18 If I regard iniquity in my heart,

4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name;

The Lord will not hear. 19 But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.

Extol Him who rides on the clouds,a By His name Yah, And rejoice before Him.

20 Blessed be God,

Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!

Psalm 67 An Invocation and a Doxology To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments.a A Psalm. A Song.

5 A father of the fatherless, a

defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. 6 God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land. 7 O God, when You went out

1 God be merciful to us and bless us,

And cause His face to shine upon us,

Selah 2 That Your way may be known on earth,

Your salvation among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise You, O God;

Let all the peoples praise You. 4 Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall judge the people righteously, And govern the nations on earth. Selah 5 Let the peoples praise You, O God;

Let all the peoples praise You. 6 Then the earth shall yield her increase;

God, our own God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us, And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.

Psalm 68 The Glory of God in His Goodness to Israel To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.

1 Let God arise,

Let His enemies be scattered; Let those also who hate Him flee before Him. 2 As smoke is driven away, So drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked perish at the presence of God. 3 But let the righteous be glad; Let them rejoice before God; Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.

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before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness, Selah The earth shook; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. You, O God, sent a plentiful rain, Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance, When it was weary. Your congregation dwelt in it; You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.

11 The Lord gave the word;

Great was the company of those who proclaimed it: 12 “Kings of armies flee, they flee, And she who remains at home divides the spoil. 13 Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver, And her feathers with yellow gold.” 14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it, It was white as snow in Zalmon. 15 A mountain of God is the

mountain of Bashan; A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan. 16 Why do you fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks? 67:title a Hebrew neginoth 68:4 a Masoretic Text reads deserts; Targum reads heavens (compare verse 34 and Isaiah 19:1).

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FIRST PROOFS 817 | Psalms 69:5 This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in; Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever. 17 The chariots of God are

twenty thousand, Even thousands of thousands; The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place. 18 You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, Even from the rebellious, That the Lord God might dwell there. 19 Blessed be the Lord,

Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation! Selah 20 Our God is the God of salvation; And to God the Lord belong escapes from death. 21 But God will wound the

head of His enemies, The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses. 22 The Lord said, “I will bring back from Bashan, I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, 23 That your foot may crush thema in blood, And the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.” 24 They have seen Your procession, O God,

The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. 25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; Among them were the maidens playing timbrels. 26 Bless God in the congregations, The Lord, from the fountain of Israel. 27 There is little Benjamin, their leader, The princes of Judah and their company, The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali. 28 Your God has commandeda

your strength; Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us. 29 Because of Your temple at Jerusalem, Kings will bring presents to You.

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30 Rebuke the beasts of the reeds,

The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples, Till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver. Scatter the peoples who delight in war. 31 Envoys will come out of Egypt; Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God. 32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah 33 To Him who rides on the heaven

of heavens, which were of old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice. 34 Ascribe strength to God; His excellence is over Israel, And His strength is in the clouds. 35 O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!

Psalm 69 An Urgent Plea for Help in Trouble To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” a A Psalm of David.

1 Save me, O God!

For the waters have come up to my neck. 2 I sink in deep mire,

Where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, Where the floods overflow me. 3 I am weary with my crying; My throat is dry; My eyes fail while I wait for my God. 4 Those who hate me without a cause

Are more than the hairs of my head; They are mighty who would destroy me, Being my enemies wrongfully; Though I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it. 5 O God, You know my foolishness;

And my sins are not hidden from You. 68:23 a Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read you may dip your foot. 68:28 a Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read Command, O God. 69:title a Hebrew Shoshannim

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 69:6 | 818 6 Let not those who wait for

11 12

You, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed because of me; Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel. Because for Your sake I have borne reproach; Shame has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my brothers, other’s children; And an alien to my m Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me. When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, That became my reproach. I also made sackcloth my garment; I became a byword to them. Those who sit in the gate speak against me, And I am the song of the drunkards.

13 But as for me, my prayer is to You,

O Lord, in the acceptable time; O God, in the multitude of Your mercy, Hear me in the truth of Your salvation. 14 Deliver me out of the mire, And let me not sink; Let me be delivered from those who hate me, And out of the deep waters. 15 Let not the floodwater overflow me, Nor let the deep swallow me up; And let not the pit shut its mouth on me. 16 Hear me, O Lord, for Your

lovingkindness is good; Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. 17 And do not hide Your face from Your servant, For I am in trouble; Hear me speedily. 18 Draw near to my soul, and redeem it; Deliver me because of my enemies. 19 You know my reproach, my

shame, and my dishonor; My adversaries are all before You. 20 Reproach has broken my heart, And I am full of heaviness;

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I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; And for comforters, but I found none. 21 They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. 22 Let their table become a

snare before them, And their well-being a trap. 23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see; And make their loins shake continually. 24 Pour out Your indignation upon them, And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them. 25 Let their dwelling place be desolate; Let no one live in their tents. 26 For they persecute the ones You have struck, And talk of the grief of those You have wounded. 27 Add iniquity to their iniquity, And let them not come into Your righteousness. 28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, And not be written with the righteous. 29 But I am poor and sorrowful;

Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high. 30 I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 69:30 Song — There is much singing in the Bible. Moses sang a song to the Lord after pharaoh was defeated (Ex. 15:1), the people sang a song when the Lord provided water in the desert (Num. 21:17), and Moses finished his ministry with a song that all the people were to learn and remember (Deut. 32:44). David praised “the name of God with a song” (Ps. 69:30). Solomon is said to have written “one thousand and five” songs (1 Kin. 4:32), and David set men to minister to the Lord through song in the temple (1 Chr. 6:31, 32). Many of the psalms are explicitly referred to as songs (see titles for Ps. 18; 30; 45; 65, etc.). Others are implied (Ps. 33:3; 40:3; 42:8).

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FIRST PROOFS 819 | Psalms 71:16 31 This also shall please the Lord

better than an ox or bull, Which has horns and hooves. 32 The humble shall see this and be glad; And you who seek God, your hearts shall live. 33 For the Lord hears the poor, And does not despise His prisoners. 34 Let heaven and earth praise Him,

The seas and everything that moves in them. 35 For God will save Zion And build the cities of Judah, That they may dwell there and possess it. 36 Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it, And those who love His name shall dwell in it.

3 Be my strong refuge,

To which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress. 4 Deliver me, O my God, out of

the hand of the wicked, Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. 5 For You are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth. 6 By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my m other’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You. 7 I have become as a wonder to many,

But You are my strong refuge. 8 Let my mouth be filled with Your praise

And with Your glory all the day.

Psalm 70

9 Do not cast me off in the

Prayer for Relief from Adversaries

time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails. 10 For my enemies speak against me; And those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together, 11 Saying, “God has forsaken him; Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.”

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. To bring to remembrance.

1 Make haste, O God, to deliver me!

Make haste to help me, O Lord! 2 Let them be ashamed and confounded

Who seek my life; Let them be turned backa and confused Who desire my hurt. 3 Let them be turned back because of their shame, Who say, “Aha, aha!” 4 Let all those who seek You

rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, “Let God be magnified!” 5 But I am poor and needy;

Make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay.

Psalm 71 God the Rock of Salvation 1 In You, O Lord, I put my trust;

12 O God, do not be far from me;

O my God, make haste to help me! 13 Let them be confounded

and consumed Who are adversaries of my life; Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor Who seek my hurt. 14 But I will hope continually,

And will praise You yet more and more. 15 My mouth shall tell of Your

righteousness And Your salvation all the day, For I do not know their limits. 16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.

Let me never be put to shame. 2 Deliver me in Your righteousness,

and cause me to escape; Incline Your ear to me, and save me.

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70:2 a Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate; some Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac read be appalled (compare 40:15).

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 71:17 | 820 17 O God, You have taught me

24 My tongue also shall talk of Your

from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works. 18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come. DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 71:17 Wondrous works — The core meaning of this Hebrew word is “to do something extraordinary.” In reference to people, the word is used to describe an action or understanding beyond the normal capacity of humans (Deut. 17:8; 30:11; 2 Sam. 13:2; Prov. 30:18) or beyond normal obligations (Lev. 22:21; 27:2; Num. 6:2; 15:3, 8). However, the highest sense of the word is reserved for God alone, especially in Psalms in which it occurs most frequently and always in reference to God (Ps. 71:17; 72:18; 136:4). God is wonderful in counsel; nothing is too marvelous for Him (Gen. 18:14; Is. 28:29). His wondrous works are cosmic (Job 37:14; Ps. 107:24), national (Ex. 3:20; Is. 29:14), and personal (Job 10:16; Ps. 31:21). Not everyone understands them (Ps. 78:32; 106:7), but the Bible exhorts believers to remember these wonderful works of God and publicly praise Him for them (1 Chr. 16:9, 12, 24; Ps. 96:3; 105:2, 5).

19 Also Your righteousness,

O God, is very high, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? 20 You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, Shall revive me again, And bring me up again from the depths of the earth. 21 You shall increase my greatness, And comfort me on every side. 22 Also with the lute I will praise You—

And Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. 23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, And my soul, which You have redeemed.

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righteousness all the day long; For they are confounded, For they are brought to shame Who seek my hurt.

Psalm 72 Glory and Universality of the Messiah’s Reign A Psalm of Solomon.

1 Give the king Your judgments, O God,

And Your righteousness to the king’s Son. He will judge Your people with righteousness, And Your poor with justice. The mountains will bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness. He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor.

5 They shall fear Youa

As long as the sun and moon endure, Throughout all generations. 6 He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, Like showers that water the earth. 7 In His days the righteous shall flourish, And abundance of peace, Until the moon is no more. 8 He shall have dominion

also from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth. Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him, And His enemies will lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles Will bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba Will offer gifts. Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him.

12 For He will deliver the needy

when he cries, 72:5 a Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint and Vulgate read They shall continue.

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FIRST PROOFS 821 | Psalms 73:20 The poor also, and him who has no helper. 13 He will spare the poor and needy, And will save the souls of the needy. 14 He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; And precious shall be their blood in His sight.

3 For I was envious of the boastful,

When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For there are no pangs in their death,

But their strength is firm. 5 They are not in trouble as other men,

Nor are they plagued like other men. 6 Therefore pride serves as

15 And He shall live;

And the gold of Sheba will be given to Him; Prayer also will be made for Him continually, And daily He shall be praised. 16 There will be an abundance

of grain in the earth, On the top of the mountains; Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon; And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

7 8

10 Therefore his people return here,

17 His name shall endure forever;

His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; All nations shall call Him blessed. 18 Blessed be the Lord God,

the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things! 19 And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen. 20 The prayers of David the son

of Jesse are ended.

BOOK THREE Psalms 73—89 Psalm 73 The Tragedy of the Wicked, and the Blessedness of Trust in God A Psalm of Asaph.

1 Truly God is good to Israel,

To such as are pure in heart.

their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment. Their eyes bulgea with abundance; They have more than heart could wish. They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walks through the earth.

13 14

And waters of a full cup are drained by them. And they say, “How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?” Behold, these are the ungodly, Who are always at ease; They increase in riches. Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my hands in innocence. For all day long I have been plagued, And chastened every morning.

15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”

Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children. 16 When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me— 17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end. 18 Surely You set them in slippery places;

You cast them down to destruction. 19 Oh, how they are brought to

desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. 20 As a dream when one awakes, So, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image.

2 But as for me, my feet had

almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped.

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73:7 a Targum reads face bulges; Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read iniquity bulges.

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FIRST PROOFS

PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

When Good Things Happen to Bad People | Ps. 73 The question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” has been around for a long time. Asaph, the author of Psalm 73, pondered the opposite question: “Why do good things happen to bad people?” We know that Asaph was a Levite and one of three music directors David appointed for the temple (1 Chr. 15:19; 25:1, 2). He was also a man who left a godly heritage (2 Chr. 5:12; 29:30; Ezra 2:41; Neh. 7:44). Asaph was a believer, yet he became perplexed with the seeming contradictions of life. His struggle wasn’t unusual. How many of us have also noticed inconsistencies in the way we think life should be? He had to come to terms with this difficult question, “Why do good things happen to bad people?” It’s a question we ask as well.

I. The Prosperity of the Ungodly (73:1–12) Asaph began his psalm with two affirmations: the existence of God and His good character (Ps. 73:1). Those two great truths can carry believers through every trial and tribulation of life. When we acknowledge God’s existence, we know He is in complete, sovereign control in the affairs of life. When we learn that He is good, we can also accept that no matter what happens, He is working it for our good (see Rom. 8:28). Starting in 73:2, Asaph described his struggle. He knew the truths of verse 1, but he also saw how the ungodly were living (73:3–12). Their lifestyles caused him to just about lose his faith. Asaph admitted he was envious of the prosperity of the ungodly (73:3). The age-old belief that blessings are for the good and curses are for the wicked was being shattered right before Asaph’s eyes. The ungodly seemed to experience pain-f ree, trouble-f ree, healthy lives, and death seemed to come without the terrors or agony (73:4, 5). Have you noticed that the ungodly seem to have it made? Yet, like Asaph, you know that violence or corrupt practices are the reason for their prosperity (73:6, 7). In Asaph’s eyes, these proud people were corrupt in their actions and words, not only toward other people but even toward the Lord (73:8, 9). Others were even wondering how God could allow the wicked to prosper (73:10–12).

II. The Perplexity of the Godly (73:13–16) After observing the prosperity of the ungodly, Asaph could only come to one conclusion (73:13). He was certainly perplexed. In return for his efforts to live a godly life he felt “plagued” and “chastened” (73:14). His conclusion at this point was that living for the Lord was not really worth the trouble. Asaph also had a dilemma to go with his perplexity (73:15). He told God that he knew he could not share with anyone else what he was feeling or it could cause them to also struggle in their faith. Why? He was one of the temple’s religious leaders. Even in his despair, he had the wisdom and concern not to jeopardize anyone else’s faith.

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PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

When Good Things Happen to Bad People (continued) Overwhelmed by everything, Asaph admitted his thoughts were causing him pain (73:16).

III. The Peril of the Ungodly (73:17–22) Fortunately for Asaph, his duties took him into the temple. Once he was in God’s house and his mind was turned to the things of God, Asaph began to look at the perplexing questions of life from the viewpoint of eternity and heaven (73:17). And he suddenly understood the peril the ungodly were actually facing. First, their prosperity was only temporal. From God’s perspective, they were really on a slippery path headed toward destruction (73:18). If they did not repent and turn from their ways, they were facing an eternity of doom (73:19). Asaph’s observation in 73:20 didn’t mean that the Lord was asleep and that when He awoke, He would act. Rather, when the Lord decided the timing was right, He would arise and take action against the ungodly. As Asaph considered the peril of the ungodly and his earlier conclusion (73:13), he lamented his rash thoughts (73:21, 22). He was convicted in his heart about how wrong he had been and grieved to think he had considered walking away from his faith. The ultimate fate of the ungodly was not a new revelation to him, but he had to be reminded of it.

IV. The Portion of the Godly (73:23–28) Asaph concluded with thoughts about his present and future position with the Lord (73:23, 24). Even during his time of confusion and consternation, he realized that God was with him. Every believer can declare this same truth. As we study God’s Word, we receive His counsel. We also have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit who guides and leads us. The ungodly have an “end” (73:17), but the godly have a “glory” without end (73:24). In verse 25, Asaph testified that all that really matters in life is God. When Asaph’s health or life ended, God would still be his strength and his God (73:26). The ungodly could not share the same testimony or portion (73:27). Verse 28 is Asaph’s final declaration. After struggling with the seeming contradictions in life, he realized it would be far better to draw nearer to his God and trust Him. We find the answer to Asaph’s question in the New Testament (for example, Rom. 2:4). Good things happen to bad people because God wants His blessings to lead them to repentance. So, the next time we look at the ungodly and start to feel a twinge of envy, let’s be reminded of two things: their blessings are only temporal, but their fate without the Lord is eternal. We need to pray that God’s blessings will lead them to turn in repentance for salvation.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 73:21 | 824 21 Thus my heart was grieved,

And I was vexed in my mind. 22 I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. 24 You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory.

8 They said in their hearts,

“Let us destroy them altogether.” They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land. 9 We do not see our signs;

25 Whom have I in heaven but You?

And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. 26 My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

27 For indeed, those who are far

from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. 28 But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works.

Psalm 74 A Plea for Relief from Oppressors A Contemplationa of Asaph.

1 O God, why have You cast

5 6

us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture? Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed— This Mount Zion where You have dwelt. Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations. The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary. Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place; They set up their banners for signs. They seem like men who lift up Axes among the thick trees. And now they break down its carved work, all at once, With axes and hammers. They have set fire to Your sanctuary; They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground.

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16 17

There is no longer any prophet; Nor is there any among us who knows how long. O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever? Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them. For God is my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth. You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters. You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness. You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up mighty rivers. The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun. You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter.

18 Remember this, that the enemy

has reproached, O Lord, And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name. 19 Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever. 20 Have respect to the covenant; For the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty. 21 Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your name. 22 Arise, O God, plead Your own cause;

Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily. 74:title a Hebrew Maschil

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FIRST PROOFS 825 | Psalms 77:2 23 Do not forget the voice of Your enemies;

The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.

Psalm 75 Thanksgiving for God’s Righteous Judgment To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” a A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

1 We give thanks to You, O God,

we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near. 2 “When I choose the proper time,

I will judge uprightly. 3 The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved; I set up its pillars firmly. Selah 4 “I said to the boastful, ‘Do

not deal boastfully,’ And to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn. 5 Do not lift up your horn on high; Do not speak with a stiff neck.’ ” 6 For exaltation comes neither

from the east Nor from the west nor from the south. 7 But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another. 8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, And the wine is red; It is fully mixed, and He pours it out; Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth Drain and drink down. 9 But I will declare forever,

I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10 “All the horns of the wicked

I will also cut off, But the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.”

2 In

Salema

also is His tabernacle, And His dwelling place in Zion. 3 There He broke the arrows of the bow, The shield and sword of battle. Selah 4 You are more glorious and excellent

Than the mountains of prey. 5 The stouthearted were plundered;

They have sunk into their sleep; And none of the mighty men have found the use of their hands. 6 At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep. 7 You, Yourself, are to be feared;

And who may stand in Your presence When once You are angry? 8 You caused judgment to be heard from heaven; The earth feared and was still, 9 When God arose to judgment, To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah 10 Surely the wrath of man

shall praise You; With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself. 11 Make vows to the Lord your

God, and pay them; Let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared. 12 He shall cut off the spirit of princes; He is awesome to the kings of the earth.

Psalm 77 The Consoling Memory of God’s Redemptive Works To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

1 I cried out to God with my voice—

Psalm 76 The Majesty of God in Judgment To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments.a A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

1 In Judah God is known;

His name is great in Israel.

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To God with my voice; And He gave ear to me. 2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; 75:title a Hebrew Al Tashcheth 76:title a Hebrew neginoth 76:2 a That is, Jerusalem

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 77:3 | 826 My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; My soul refused to be comforted. 3 I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah 4 You hold my eyelids open;

I am so troubled that I cannot speak. 5 I have considered the days of old,

The years of ancient times. 6 I call to remembrance my

song in the night; I meditate within my heart, And my spirit makes diligent search. 7 Will the Lord cast off forever?

And will He be favorable no more? 8 Has His mercy ceased forever?

Has His promise failed forevermore? 9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?

Psalm 78 God’s Kindness to Rebellious Israel A Contemplationa 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 dark sayings of old, 3 Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. 5 For He established a

Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah 10 And I said, “This is my anguish;

But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.” 11 I will remember the works of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. 12 I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds. 13 Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God? 14 You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples. 15 You have with Your arm redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah 16 The waters saw You, O God;

The waters saw You, they were afraid; The depths also trembled. 17 The clouds poured out water; The skies sent out a sound; Your arrows also flashed about. 18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook. 19 Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, And Your footsteps were not known. 20 You led Your people like a flock By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

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testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children, That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

9 The children of Ephraim, being

armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle. 10 They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law, 11 And forgot His works And His wonders that He had shown them. 12 Marvelous things He did in the

sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. 78:title a Hebrew Maschil

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FIRST PROOFS 827 | Psalms 78:34 13 He divided the sea and caused

them to pass through; And He made the waters stand up like a heap. In the daytime also He led them with the cloud, And all the night with a light of fire. He split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths. He also brought streams out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers.

17 But they sinned even

more against Him By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness. 18 And they tested God in their heart By asking for the food of their fancy. 19 Yes, they spoke against God: They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? 20 Behold, He struck the rock, So that the waters gushed out, And the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can He provide meat for His people?” 21 Therefore the Lord heard

this and was furious; So a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also came up against Israel, 22 Because they did not believe in God, And did not trust in His salvation. 23 Yet He had commanded the clouds above, And opened the doors of heaven, 24 Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven. 25 Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full. 26 He caused an east wind to

blow in the heavens; And by His power He brought in the south wind. 27 He also rained meat on them like the dust, Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas; 28 And He let them fall in the midst of their camp, All around their dwellings.

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APPLYING THE MESSAGE | Ps. 78:25

Despising Manna As the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, God sent them manna daily and sustained them. It was delicious and nutritious. Psalm 78:25 calls manna “angels’ food.” But the people became so used to it that they started despising the good things of God, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? . . . There is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” (Num. 11:4, 5). For those with rebellion in the heart and sin in their lives, even God’s greatest gifts lose their sweetness. That’s the problem of sin—despising the good things of God. Manna was a beautiful picture of the Lord Jesus and of the Word of God (Matt. 4:4). And just as the Israelites became so used to the manna that they no longer appreciated it, we too can become so used to our ability to read God’s Word that we don’t appreciate it. In church where the Bible has been preached consistently for many years, the people may begin to take the Word of God for granted and not study it the way they should. Be careful not to despise the Word of God. Just as the wrath of God came against the complaining Israelites (Ps. 78:21–31), so we may become fair game for the devil if we forget the miracle and sustenance in God’s Word.

29 So they ate and were well filled,

For He gave them their own desire. 30 They were not deprived

of their craving; But while their food was still in their mouths, 31 The wrath of God came against them, And slew the stoutest of them, And struck down the choice men of Israel. 32 In spite of this they still sinned,

And did not believe in His wondrous works. 33 Therefore their days He consumed in futility, And their years in fear. 34 When He slew them, then

they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for God.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 78:35 | 828 35 Then they remembered that

God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer. 36 Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, And they lied to Him with their tongue; 37 For their heart was not steadfast with Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant. 38 But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath; 39 For He remembered that they were but flesh, A breath that passes away and does not come again. 40 How often they provoked

Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert! 41 Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. 42 They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy, 43 When He worked His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan; 44 Turned their rivers into blood, And their streams, that they could not drink. 45 He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them, And frogs, which destroyed them. 46 He also gave their crops to the caterpillar, And their labor to the locust. 47 He destroyed their vines with hail, And their sycamore trees with frost. 48 He also gave up their cattle to the hail, And their flocks to fiery lightning. 49 He cast on them the fierceness of His anger, Wrath, indignation, and trouble, By sending angels of destruction among them. 50 He made a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But gave their life over to the plague, 51 And destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt,

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The first of their strength in the tents of Ham. 52 But He made His own people go forth like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock; 53 And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear; But the sea overwhelmed their enemies. 54 And He brought them to His holy border, This mountain which His right hand had acquired. 55 He also drove out the nations before them, Allotted them an inheritance by survey, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents. 56 Yet they tested and provoked

the Most High God, And did not keep His testimonies, 57 But turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers; They were turned aside like a deceitful bow. 58 For they provoked Him to anger with their high places, And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images. 59 When God heard this, He was furious, And greatly abhorred Israel, 60 So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men, 61 And delivered His strength into captivity, And His glory into the enemy’s hand. 62 He also gave His people over to the sword, And was furious with His inheritance. 63 The fire consumed their young men, And their maidens were not given in marriage. 64 Their priests fell by the sword, And their widows made no lamentation. 65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,

Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine. 66 And He beat back His enemies; He put them to a perpetual reproach.

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FIRST PROOFS 829 | Psalms 80:4 67 Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph,

And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, 68 But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved. 69 And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has established forever. 70 He also chose David His servant, And took him from the sheepfolds; 71 From following the ewes that had young He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. 72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

Psalm 79 A Dirge and a Prayer for Israel, Destroyed by Enemies A Psalm of Asaph.

1 O God, the nations have come

into Your inheritance; Your holy temple they have defiled; They have laid Jerusalem in heaps. 2 The dead bodies of Your servants They have given as food for the birds of the heavens, The flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth. 3 Their blood they have shed like water all around Jerusalem, And there was no one to bury them. 4 We have become a reproach to our neighbors, A scorn and derision to those who are around us. 5 How long, Lord?

Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire? 6 Pour out Your wrath on the nations that do not know You, And on the kingdoms that do not call on Your name. 7 For they have devoured Jacob, And laid waste his dwelling place.

Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, For we have been brought very low. 9 Help us, O God of our salvation, For the glory of Your name; And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, For Your name’s sake! 10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let there be known among the nations in our sight The avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed. 11 Let the groaning of the prisoner

come before You; According to the greatness of Your power Preserve those who are appointed to die; 12 And return to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom Their reproach with which they have reproached You, O Lord. 13 So we, Your people and sheep

of Your pasture, Will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations.

Psalm 80 Prayer for Israel’s Restoration To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” a A Testimony b of Asaph. A Psalm.

1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,

You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth! 2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, Stir up Your strength, And come and save us! 3 Restore us, O God;

Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved! 4 O Lord God of hosts,

How long will You be angry Against the prayer of Your people?

8 Oh, do not remember former

iniquities against us!

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b Hebrew Eduth 80:title a Hebrew Shoshannim

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 80:5 | 830 5 You have fed them with

the bread of tears, And given them tears to drink in great measure. 6 You have made us a strife to our neighbors, And our enemies laugh among themselves. 7 Restore us, O God of hosts;

Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved! 8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt;

You have cast out the nations, and planted it. You prepared room for it, And caused it to take deep root, And it filled the land. The hills were covered with its shadow, And the mighty cedars with its boughs. She sent out her boughs to the Sea,a And her branches to the River.b

12 Why have You broken

down her hedges, So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit? 13 The boar out of the woods uproots it, And the wild beast of the field devours it. 14 Return, we beseech You,

O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, And the branch that You made strong for Yourself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. Then we will not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.

Psalm 81 An Appeal for Israel’s Repentance To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath.a A Psalm of Asaph.

1 Sing aloud to God our strength;

Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob. 2 Raise a song and strike the timbrel, The pleasant harp with the lute. 3 Blow the trumpet at the time

of the New Moon, At the full moon, on our solemn feast day. 4 For this is a statute for Israel, A law of the God of Jacob. 5 This He established in Joseph as a testimony, When He went throughout the land of Egypt, Where I heard a language I did not understand. 6 “I removed his shoulder

from the burden; His hands were freed from the baskets. 7 You called in trouble, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah 8 “Hear, O My people, and I

will admonish you! O Israel, if you will listen to Me! 9 There shall be no foreign god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god. 10 I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. 11 “But My people would not

heed My voice, And Israel would have none of Me. 12 So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels.

19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;

Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!

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80:11 a That is, the Mediterranean b That is, the Euphrates 81:title a Hebrew Al Gittith

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FIRST PROOFS 831 | Psalms 83:18 13 “Oh, that My people would listen to Me, 14

That Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn My hand against their adversaries. The haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him, But their fate would endure forever. He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.”

Psalm 82 A Plea for Justice A Psalm of Asaph.

1 God stands in the congregation

of the mighty; He judges among the gods.a 2 How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Selah 3 Defend the poor and fatherless;

Do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4 Deliver the poor and needy;

Free them from the hand of the wicked. 5 They do not know, nor do

they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are unstable.

And those who hate You have lifted up their head. 3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. 4 They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” 5 For they have consulted together

with one consent; They form a confederacy against You: 6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; 7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8 Assyria also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot. Selah 9 Deal with them as with Midian,

As with Sisera, As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon, 10 Who perished at En Dor, Who became as refuse on the earth. 11 Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, 12 Who said, “Let us take for ourselves The pastures of God for a possession.” 13 O my God, make them like

6 I said, “You are gods,a

And all of you are children of the Most High. 7 But you shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes.” 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth;

For You shall inherit all nations.

Psalm 83

15 16 17

Prayer to Frustrate Conspiracy Against Israel A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.

1 Do not keep silent, O God!

Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still, O God! 2 For behold, Your enemies make a tumult;

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the whirling dust, Like the chaff before the wind! As the fire burns the woods, And as the flame sets the mountains on fire, So pursue them with Your tempest, And frighten them with Your storm. Fill their faces with shame, That they may seek Your name, O Lord. Let them be confounded and dismayed forever; Yes, let them be put to shame and perish, That they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord, Are the Most High over all the earth.

82:1 a Hebrew elohim, mighty ones; that is, the judges 82:6 a Hebrew elohim, mighty ones; that is, the judges

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 84:1 | 832

Psalm 84 The Blessedness of Dwelling in the House of God To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath.a A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 How lovely is Your tabernacle,

O Lord of hosts! 2 My soul longs, yes, even faints

For the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

10 For a day in Your courts is

better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts,

Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Psalm 85

3 Even the sparrow has found a home,

And the swallow a nest for herself, Where she may lay her young— Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, My King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You. Selah 5 Blessed is the man whose

strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion.a 8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;

Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah 9 O God, behold our shield, And look upon the face of Your anointed.

Prayer that the Lord Will Restore Favor to the Land To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

1 Lord, You have been

favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. 2 You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah 3 You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger. 4 Restore us, O God of our salvation,

6 7

DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 84:11

And cause Your anger toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, And grant us Your salvation.

8 I will hear what God the Sun — The Hebrew word for sun most often refers to the celestial body that illuminates the earth (Ps. 136:7, 8). The idiom “before the sun” may describe an action done openly or in public (2 Sam 12:12). The sun is also a biblical symbol for righteousness (Mal. 4:2) and even a title for God in the Psalms (Ps. 84:11). Many of the ancients worshiped the sun, moon, and stars (2 Kin. 21:3; Ezek. 8:16), but the psalmist understood that the sun, moon, and stars worshiped God because He created them (Ps. 148:3). In the new creation, there will be no need of the sun because God Himself will be an everlasting light to the people (Is. 60:19).

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Lord will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly. 9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land. 10 Mercy and truth have met together;

Righteousness and peace have kissed. 4:title a Hebrew Al Gittith 84:7 a Septuagint, 8 Syriac, and Vulgate read The God of gods shall be seen.

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Revival for Survival | Ps. 85 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

This is a psalm about revival, a need just as real in the church today as it was in the psalmist’s time. We are living in days of moral crisis unprecedented in the history of our land, and no nation can survive a loss of its core values. As we look at the Word of God and current affairs, three possibilities emerge: The judgment of God may fall or is falling on our land; perhaps our Lord’s return is near (see Matt. 6:10; 24:36; 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 22:20); maybe revival is upon us. Using this psalm, let’s see if revival is possible for our nation today.

I. A Cause for Reflection (85:1–4) The first four verses of Psalm 85 give us a cause for reflecting on God’s blessings. Six times this passage says of God, “You have . . .” The psalmist was praising God for all He had done for His people, beginning with the amazing blessings God had poured out on the land of Israel (85:1). We live in a land where we are free to hear and share about Jesus. God also blessed the children of Israel by bringing them home after years in Babylonian captivity, the story told in Ezra and Nehemiah. The psalm reflects on God’s forgiveness (85:2). Iniquity means a “twisting” and refers to moral perversity. God had sent Israel to Babylon, the very heart of idolatry, which cured them forever of idolatry. Annually, on the Day of Atonement, both God’s forgiveness and covering would be acted out with a pair of goats (Lev. 16:6–28). This pictured the ultimate sacrifice of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ when He died on the Cross (Heb. 13:11, 12). Christ made it possible for us to be forgiven and for our sins to be covered so that God will remember them no more. The psalmist rejoiced in the removal of God’s fury and anger (Ps. 85:3). These days, we hear much more about God’s love than His wrath. The Bible presents a balanced picture, however. God forgives, but He also punishes sin (Rom. 1:18). God does love people. That’s why He hates sin. That’s what His wrath is all about. Acknowledging that God had rightly judged Israel, the psalmist prayed for God to restore them (Ps. 85:4). He knew that if God did not help them, they could not return to Him.

II. A Cry for Revival (85:5–7) Even as he wondered about God’s anger, the psalmist made a bold request to the Lord concerning revival (85:6). Revival is not something people can create; it is a work of God. We need to ask God for it. Revival always begins among God’s people (85:6, 7; Ezra 9:9). Many people insist that organized crime, gangs, and drugs is the source of our problems. Others point to unbelievers. But lethargic and comatose believers are the real source of the problems today. Revival has to come from God, but are we willing for Him to send it? God has given us the formula for revival in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My

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FIRST PROOFS

Revival for Survival (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Revival begins when God’s people humble themselves. That’s not easy to do, but that’s the way it starts. Next, we must pray earnestly. When was the last time we truly sought to be in the presence of the Lord? We must also be willing to turn from our wicked ways. A revival has never happened that first God’s people didn’t turn away from things that were wrong in their lives. The good news is that when God sends revival, He brings joy (Ps. 85:6).

III. A Call for Response (85:8–13) The implication of listening is that once we call on the Lord and are willing to wait, God will answer. And when God’s children mean business with Him, He will not speak in judgment but in peace. Alongside what is genuine, we always find the counterfeit. How can we know when revival is real? First, Christians will get right with the Lord. Second, people will get saved. Revival is God’s work in a church. Evangelism is His work through the church. Third, Jesus will receive the glory (see John 16:13, 14). Fourth, people’s lives will change. They will start living Christ-honoring lives for the long haul. Looking forward to Israel’s future, the psalmist anticipated glory (Ps. 85:9) by way of the outward manifestation of the presence of God (Ex. 40:34; 2 Chr. 7:1). Today, the glory of God is revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:14). Psalm 85:10 mentions four attributes of God: mercy, truth, righteousness, and peace. These attributes were brought into conflict with one another when sin entered into the world. Mercy wants to forgive the sinner, but truth insists that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). God is righteous, but He also brings peace. God resolved this dilemma outside the walls of Jerusalem on a hill called Golgotha. The Lord Jesus, who never sinned and was God’s perfect righteousness, was nailed to the Cross and shed His blood for our sins. By bearing our sins, Jesus met the demands of God’s truth. Through His death, we could be forgiven and to receive grace. At the Cross, mercy and truth “met together” in the person of Jesus. When He died, righteousness and peace “kissed” and were reconciled. That’s what salvation is all about. That’s why we need a revival in our land. The psalmist concluded by looking forward to the Lord’s future blessings (85:11, 12). He knew the Lord’s righteousness would go before Him (85:13).

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FIRST PROOFS 835 | Psalms 87:7 11 Truth shall spring out of the earth,

And righteousness shall look down from heaven. 12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good; And our land will yield its increase. 13 Righteousness will go before Him, And shall make His footsteps our pathway.

Psalm 86 Prayer for Mercy, with Meditation on the Excellencies of the Lord A Prayer of David.

1 Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me;

For I am poor and needy. 2 Preserve my life, for I am holy;

You are my God; Save Your servant who trusts in You! 3 Be merciful to me, O Lord, For I cry to You all day long. 4 Rejoice the soul of Your servant, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. 6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;

And attend to the voice of my supplications. 7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, For You will answer me. 8 Among the gods there is

none like You, O Lord; Nor are there any works like Your works. 9 All nations whom You have made Shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name. 10 For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God. 11 Teach me Your way, O Lord;

I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. 12 I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore.

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13 For great is Your mercy toward me,

And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 14 O God, the proud have

risen against me, And a mob of violent men have sought my life, And have not set You before them. 15 But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth. 16 Oh, turn to me, and have

mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your maidservant. 17 Show me a sign for good, That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, Because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Psalm 87 The Glories of the City of God A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.

1 His foundation is in the

holy mountains. 2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion

More than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! Selah 4 “I will make mention of Rahab and

Babylon to those who know Me; Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.’ ” 5 And of Zion it will be said,

“This one and that one were born in her; And the Most High Himself shall establish her.” 6 The Lord will record, When He registers the peoples: “This one was born there.” Selah 7 Both the singers and the players

on instruments say, “All my springs are in you.”

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 88:1 | 836

Psalm 88 A Prayer for Help in Despondency A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath Leannoth.” A Contemplationa of Heman the Ezrahite.

1 O Lord, God of my salvation,

I have cried out day and night before You. 2 Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry. 3 For my soul is full of troubles,

And my life draws near to the grave. 4 I am counted with those who go down to the pit; I am like a man who has no strength, 5 Adrift among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember no more, And who are cut off from Your hand. 6 You have laid me in the lowest pit,

In darkness, in the depths. 7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me,

And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah 8 You have put away my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an abomination to them; I am shut up, and I cannot get out; 9 My eye wastes away because of affliction. Lord, I have called daily upon You; I have stretched out my hands to You. 10 Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah 11 Shall Your lovingkindness be

declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction? 12 Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? 13 But to You I have cried out, O Lord,

And in the morning my prayer comes before You. 14 Lord, why do You cast off my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me? 15 I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth;

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16 17

I suffer Your terrors; I am distraught. Your fierce wrath has gone over me; Your terrors have cut me off. They came around me all day long like water; They engulfed me altogether. Loved one and friend You have put far from me, And my acquaintances into darkness.

Psalm 89 Remembering the Covenant with David, and Sorrow for Lost Blessings A Contemplationa of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1 I will sing of the mercies of

the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. 2 For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.” 3 “I have made a covenant

with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David: 4 ‘Your seed I will establish forever, And build up your throne to all generations.’ ” Selah 5 And the heavens will praise

Your wonders, O Lord; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints. 6 For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord? 7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him. 8 O Lord God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. 9 You rule the raging of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them. 10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain; 88:title a Hebrew Maschil 89:title a Hebrew Maschil

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FIRST PROOFS 837 | Psalms 89:39 You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm. 11 The heavens are Yours, the

earth also is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have founded them. 12 The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name. 13 You have a mighty arm; Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand. 14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face. 15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance. 16 In Your name they rejoice all day long, And in Your righteousness they are exalted. 17 For You are the glory of their strength, And in Your favor our horn is exalted. 18 For our shield belongs to the Lord, And our king to the Holy One of Israel.

21 With whom My hand shall

be established; Also My arm shall strengthen him. 22 The enemy shall not outwit him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him. 23 I will beat down his foes before his face, And plague those who hate him. 24 “But My faithfulness and My

mercy shall be with him, And in My name his horn shall be exalted. 25 Also I will set his hand over the sea, And his right hand over the rivers. 26 He shall cry to Me, ‘You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.’ 27 Also I will make him My firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth. 28 My mercy I will keep for him forever, And My covenant shall stand firm with him. 29 His seed also I will make to endure forever, And his throne as the days of heaven. 30 “If his sons forsake My law

And do not walk in My judgments, 31 If they break My statutes

And do not keep My commandments, 32 Then I will punish their

DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 89:7 Fear — The Hebrew word ‘arats is translated various ways in the Old Testament. When spying out the Promised Land, Moses warned the people, “Do not be terrified [’arats], or afraid of them” (Deut. 1:29), a command the Lord repeated to Joshua after Moses died (Josh. 1:9). The Psalms declare, “God is greatly to be feared,” which is paralleled with the idea of holding Him “in reverence” (Ps. 89:7). God’s awesome presence sends people into hiding “when He arises to shake [’arats] the earth mightily” (Is. 2:19, 21). Isaiah declares, “The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread” (Is. 8:13).

transgression with the rod, And their iniquity with stripes. 33 Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, Nor allow My faithfulness to fail. 34 My covenant I will not break, Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips. 35 Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David: 36 His seed shall endure forever, And his throne as the sun before Me; 37 It shall be established forever like the moon, Even like the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah 38 But You have cast off and abhorred,

19 Then You spoke in a vision

to Your holy one,a And said: “I have given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. 20 I have found My servant David; With My holy oil I have anointed him,

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You have been furious with Your anointed. 39 You have renounced the covenant of Your servant; 89:19 a Following many Hebrew manuscripts; Masoretic Text, Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate read holy ones.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 89:40 | 838 You have profaned his crown by casting it to the ground. 40 You have broken down all his hedges; You have brought his strongholds to ruin. 41 All who pass by the way plunder him; He is a reproach to his neighbors. 42 You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries; You have made all his enemies rejoice. 43 You have also turned back the edge of his sword, And have not sustained him in the battle. 44 You have made his glory cease, And cast his throne down to the ground. 45 The days of his youth You have shortened; You have covered him with shame. Selah 46 How long, Lord?

Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath burn like fire? 47 Remember how short my time is; For what futility have You created all the children of men? 48 What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave? Selah 49 Lord, where are Your former

lovingkindnesses, Which You swore to David in Your truth? 50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants— How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples, 51 With which Your enemies have reproached, O Lord, With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.

2 Before the mountains were

brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. 3 You turn man to destruction,

And say, “Return, O children of men.” 4 For a thousand years in Your sight

Are like yesterday when it is past, And like a watch in the night. 5 You carry them away like a flood; They are like a sleep. In the morning they are like grass which grows up: 6 In the morning it flourishes and grows up; In the evening it is cut down and withers. 7 For we have been consumed

11 12

13 Return, O Lord!

52 Blessed be the Lord forevermore!

Amen and Amen. 14

BOOK FOUR Psalms 90—106 Psalm 90 The Eternity of God, and Man’s Frailty A Prayer of Moses the man of God.

1 Lord, You have been our dwelling

placea in all generations.

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by Your anger, And by Your wrath we are terrified. You have set our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance. For all our days have passed away in Your wrath; We finish our years like a sigh. The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath. So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

How long? And have compassion on Your servants. Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, The years in which we have seen evil. Let Your work appear to Your servants, And Your glory to their children.

90:1 a Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate read refuge.

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FIRST PROOFS 839 | Psalms 92:4 17 And let the beauty of the Lord

our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.

Psalm 91 Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God 1 He who dwells in the secret

place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 91:2 Fortress — A fortress was any kind of fortified city, with walls and defenses that could protect against an enemy. David spent time in and out of various strongholds as he fled from Saul (1 Sam. 22:4, 24:22), before eventually capturing “the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David)” (2 Sam. 5:7). In poetry the stronghold represents a place of safety and assurance. “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer” (Ps. 18:2); “Be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me” (31:2); “You are my rock and my fortress” (31:3; 71:3); “[The Lord] is my refuge and my fortress” (91:2). God is both “my lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer” (144:2).

3 Surely He shall deliver you from

the snare of the fowler a And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

8 Only with your eyes shall you look,

And see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because you have made the

Lord, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; 11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. 12 In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. 13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. 14 “Because he has set his love upon

Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.”

Psalm 92 Praise to the Lord for His Love and Faithfulness A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.

1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; 2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night, 3 On an instrument of ten strings, On the lute, And on the harp, With harmonious sound. 4 For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,

And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.

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91:3 a That is, one who catches birds in a trap or snare

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 92:5 | 840 5 O Lord, how great are Your works!

Your thoughts are very deep. 6 A senseless man does not know, Nor does a fool understand this. 7 When the wicked spring up like grass, And when all the workers of iniquity flourish, It is that they may be destroyed forever. 8 But You, Lord, are on

high forevermore. 9 For behold, Your enemies, O Lord,

For behold, Your enemies shall perish; All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. 10 But my horn You have

exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil. 11 My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies; My ears hear my desire on the wicked Who rise up against me.

Psalm 93 The Eternal Reign of the Lord 1 The Lord reigns, He is

clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. 2 Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. 3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord,

The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves. 4 The Lord on high is mightier Than the noise of many waters, Than the mighty waves of the sea. 5 Your testimonies are very sure;

Holiness adorns Your house, O Lord, forever.

Psalm 94 God the Refuge of the Righteous

DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 92:10 Oil — Oil was often poured out as part of religious rituals, as when Jacob “poured oil” on the stone he had used as a pillow when dreaming of a ladder to heaven (Gen. 28:18), or the pillar Jacob poured oil on in Bethel (Gen. 35:14). The lamps in the tabernacle were filled with “pure oil of pressed olives” (Ex. 27:20), and oil was mixed with other offerings as part of the sacrificial system (Ex. 29:2). Oil was used for anointing kings, such as Saul (1 Sam. 10:1), David (1 Sam. 16:13), and Solomon (1 Kin. 1:39). Being anointed with “fresh oil” gives a sense of belonging to the Lord (Ps. 92:10). Oil was also used for anointing priests, as when Moses anointed Aaron and his sons (Lev. 8:30).

12 The righteous shall flourish

14 15

like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

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1 O Lord God, to whom

vengeance belongs— O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth! 2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth; Render punishment to the proud. 3 Lord, how long will the wicked, How long will the wicked triumph? 4 They utter speech, and speak

insolent things; All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves. 5 They break in pieces Your people, O Lord, And afflict Your heritage. 6 They slay the widow and the stranger, And murder the fatherless. 7 Yet they say, “The Lord does not see, Nor does the God of Jacob understand.” 8 Understand, you senseless

among the people; And you fools, when will you be wise? 9 He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see?

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FIRST PROOFS 841 | Psalms 96:1 10 He who instructs the nations,

shall He not correct, He who teaches man knowledge? 11 The Lord knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile. 12 Blessed is the man whom

14 15

You instruct, O Lord, And teach out of Your law, That You may give him rest from the days of adversity, Until the pit is dug for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance. But judgment will return to righteousness, And all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who will rise up for me

against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? 17 Unless the Lord had been my help, My soul would soon have settled in silence. 18 If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. 19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul. 20 Shall the throne of iniquity,

which devises evil by law, Have fellowship with You? 21 They gather together against the life of the righteous, And condemn innocent blood. 22 But the Lord has been my defense, And my God the rock of my refuge. 23 He has brought on them their own iniquity, And shall cut them off in their own wickedness; The Lord our God shall cut them off.

Psalm 95 A Call to Worship and Obedience 1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!

Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

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3 For the Lord is the great God,

And the great King above all gods. 4 In His hand are the deep

places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also. 5 The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land. DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 95:2 Thanksgiving — “Thanksgiving” is equivalent to praise and worship offered to the Lord in response to His provision for us. The Law stipulated certain sacrifices of thanksgiving (Lev. 7:12; 22:29). Hezekiah offered such sacrifices himself and encouraged others to do so as well (2 Chr. 29:31). At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the people offered verbal praise and thanksgiving (Neh. 12:27) with “two large thanksgiving choirs” (12:31). There is an entire psalm devoted to thanksgiving (Ps. 100), and many others that encourage an attitude of thankfulness toward God (Ps. 95:2; 107:22; 116:17; 147:7).

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. 7 For He is our God,

And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: 8 “Do not harden your hearts,

as in the rebellion,a As in the day of trialb in the wilderness, 9 When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work. 10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, And they do not know My ways.’ 11 So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”

Psalm 96 A Song of Praise to God Coming in Judgment 1 Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

Sing to the Lord, all the earth. b Or Massah 95:8 a Or Meribah

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 96:2 | 842 2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. 3 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. 4 For the Lord is great and

greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens. 6 Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. 7 Give to the Lord, O families

of the peoples, Give to the Lord glory and strength. 8 Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. 9 Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations,

“The Lord reigns; The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously.” 11 Let the heavens rejoice, and

let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; 12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice 13 before the Lord. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth.

Psalm 97 A Song of Praise to the Sovereign Lord 1 The Lord reigns;

Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad!

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2 Clouds and darkness surround Him;

4 5

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. A fire goes before Him, And burns up His enemies round about. His lightnings light the world; The earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples see His glory.

7 Let all be put to shame who

serve carved images, Who boast of idols. Worship Him, all you gods. 8 Zion hears and is glad, And the daughters of Judah rejoice Because of Your judgments, O Lord. 9 For You, Lord, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods. 10 You who love the Lord, hate evil!

He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. 11 Light is sown for the righteous, And gladness for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.a 97:12 a Or His holiness

DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 97:10 Love — Love describes a variety of intensely close emotional bonds. So Abraham loved his son Isaac (Gen. 22:2), Isaac loved his son Esau (Gen. 25:28), and “Israel loved Joseph more than all his children” (Gen. 37:3). In a more romantic manner, Isaac loved his wife Rebekah (Gen. 24:67), and Jacob loved Rachel (Gen. 29:18), but Delilah manipulated Samson by challenging his love for her (Judg. 14:16). We are all called to “love” the Lord, by expressing obedience to His commandments (Deut. 6:5), hating evil (Ps. 97:10), and learning to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18). Moreover, “he who gets wisdom loves his own soul” (Prov. 19:8).

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FIRST PROOFS 843 | Psalms 100:5

Psalm 98 A Song of Praise to the Lord for His Salvation and Judgment A Psalm.

1 Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. 2 The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations. 3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4 Shout joyfully to the Lord,

all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. 5 Sing to the Lord with the harp, With the harp and the sound of a psalm, 6 With trumpets and the sound of a horn; Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King. 7 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,

The world and those who dwell in it; 8 Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the hills be joyful together 9 before the Lord, For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity.

Psalm 99 Praise to the Lord for His Holiness 1 The Lord reigns;

Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved! 2 The Lord is great in Zion, And He is high above all the peoples. 3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name— He is holy. 4 The King’s strength also loves justice;

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You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Exalt the Lord our God, And worship at His footstool— He is holy. 6 Moses and Aaron were

among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called upon His name; They called upon the Lord, and He answered them. 7 He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar; They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them. 8 You answered them, O Lord our God;

You were to them God-Who-Forgives, Though You took vengeance on their deeds. 9 Exalt the Lord our God, And worship at His holy hill; For the Lord our God is holy.

Psalm 100 A Song of Praise for the Lord’s Faithfulness to His People A Psalm of Thanksgiving.

1 Make a joyful shout to the

Lord, all you lands! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;a We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates

with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. 1 00:3 a Following Kethib, Septuagint, and Vulgate; Qere, many Hebrew manuscripts, and Targum read we are His.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 101:1 | 844 DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 100:4 Praise — A common word in the psalms, tehillah describes worship expressed directly to the Lord that is often corporate in nature. So, “in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God” (Neh. 12:46). Indeed, God is described as being “enthroned in the praises of Israel” (Ps. 22:3), and His people are to “ener His courts with praise” (100:4). The people are told to “sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth” (Is. 42:10). Prophetically, Isaiah looks forward to a day when the Lord will “console those who mourn” and will give them “the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Is. 61:3), a role Jesus would apply to His own ministry (Luke 4:18).

8 Early I will destroy all the

wicked of the land, That I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord.

Psalm 102 The Lord’s Eternal Love A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord.

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord,

And let my cry come to You. 2 Do not hide Your face from me

in the day of my trouble; Incline Your ear to me; In the day that I call, answer me speedily.

Psalm 101

3 For my days are consumed like smoke,

Promised Faithfulness to the Lord

4 My heart is stricken and

And my bones are burned like a hearth.

A Psalm of David.

1 I will sing of mercy and justice;

To You, O Lord, I will sing praises. 2 I will behave wisely in a perfect way.

Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. 3 I will set nothing wicked

before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me. 4 A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness.

6 7

8 My enemies reproach me all day long;

9 10

5 Whoever secretly slanders

his neighbor, Him I will destroy; The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, Him I will not endure.

withered like grass, So that I forget to eat my bread. Because of the sound of my groaning My bones cling to my skin. I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert. I lie awake, And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.

Those who deride me swear an oath against me. For I have eaten ashes like bread, And mingled my drink with weeping, Because of Your indignation and Your wrath; For You have lifted me up and cast me away. My days are like a shadow that lengthens, And I wither away like grass.

6 My eyes shall be on the

12 But You, O Lord, shall endure forever,

faithful of the land, That they may dwell with me; He who walks in a perfect way, He shall serve me. 7 He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.

And the remembrance of Your name to all generations. 13 You will arise and have mercy on Zion; For the time to favor her, Yes, the set time, has come. 14 For Your servants take pleasure in her stones, And show favor to her dust.

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FIRST PROOFS 845 | Psalms 103:13 15 So the nations shall fear the

name of the Lord, And all the kings of the earth Your glory. 16 For the Lord shall build up Zion; He shall appear in His glory. 17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, And shall not despise their prayer. 18 This will be written for the

generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord. 19 For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary; From heaven the Lord viewed the earth, 20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner, To release those appointed to death, 21 To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, And His praise in Jerusalem, 22 When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord. 23 He weakened my strength in the way;

He shortened my days. 24 I said, “O my God,

Do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all generations. 25 Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. 26 They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed. 27 But You are the same, And Your years will have no end. 28 The children of Your servants will continue, And their descendants will be established before You.”

DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 103:1 Soul — This Hebrew word occurs more than 750 times in the Bible. It has quite a number of meanings, but most of them can be reduced to the following three categories: (1) life or the life force, especially in connection with blood (Gen. 9:4, 5; Lev. 17:11, 14); (2) one’s soul or the immaterial being, the seat of intellect and emotion (1 Sam. 1:10; 2 Sam. 5:8; Ps. 42:1, 2; 86:4; 103:1; Prov. 23:7; Song 1:7); and (3) an individual or person (Gen. 2:7; Judg. 12:3; Ps. 84:2; Ezek. 18:4). Originally the word probably referred to the breath (Job 41:21). The Bible typically considers a person as an interconnected whole. This is why the Bible tells us to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength — in other words, with our entire being (Deut. 6:4, 5; Josh. 22:5).

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life

from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6 The Lord executes righteousness

And justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses,

His acts to the children of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us,

Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us

according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high

Psalm 103 Praise for the Lord’s Mercies A Psalm of David.

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

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above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 103:14 | 846 14 For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more.a 17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, 18 To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them. 19 The Lord has established

His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless the Lord, you His angels,

Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. 21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure. 22 Bless the Lord, all His works, In all places of His dominion.

6 You covered it with the deep

as with a garment; The waters stood above the mountains. 7 At Your rebuke they fled; At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away. 8 They went up over the mountains; They went down into the valleys, To the place which You founded for them. 9 You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, That they may not return to cover the earth. 10 He sends the springs into the valleys;

They flow among the hills. 11 They give drink to every

beast of the field; The wild donkeys quench their thirst. 12 By them the birds of the heavens have their home; They sing among the branches. 13 He waters the hills from His upper chambers; The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works. 14 He causes the grass to

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Psalm 104 Praise to the Sovereign Lord for His Creation and Providence

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, 2 Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. 3 He lays the beams of His upper

chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, 4 Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.

17 18

grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the service of man, That he may bring forth food from the earth, And wine that makes glad the heart of man, Oil to make his face shine, And bread which strengthens man’s heart. The trees of the Lord are full of sap, The cedars of Lebanon which He planted, Where the birds make their nests; The stork has her home in the fir trees. The high hills are for the wild goats; The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.a

19 He appointed the moon for seasons;

The sun knows its going down. 20 You make darkness, and it is night,

In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.

5 You who laid the foundations

of the earth, So that it should not be moved forever,

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103:16 a Compare Job 7:10 104:18 a Or rock hyrax (compare Leviticus 11:5)

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FIRST PROOFS 847 | Psalms 105:22 21 The young lions roar after their prey,

And seek their food from God. 22 When the sun rises, they gather together And lie down in their dens. 23 Man goes out to his work And to his labor until the evening. 24 O Lord, how manifold are Your works!

In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions— 25 This great and wide sea, In which are innumerable teeming things, Living things both small and great. 26 There the ships sail about; There is that Leviathan Which You have made to play there. 27 These all wait for You,

That You may give them their food in due season. 28 What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good. 29 You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. 30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth. 31 May the glory of the Lord

endure forever; May the Lord rejoice in His works. 32 He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the hills, and they smoke. 33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 34 May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord. 35 May sinners be consumed from the earth, And the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise the Lord!

Psalm 105 The Eternal Faithfulness of the Lord 1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord!

Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!

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2 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;

Talk of all His wondrous works! 3 Glory in His holy name;

Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! 4 Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! 5 Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, 6 O seed of Abraham His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones! 7 He is the Lord our God;

His judgments are in all the earth. 8 He remembers His covenant forever,

10 11

The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac, And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant, Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan As the allotment of your inheritance,” When they were few in number, Indeed very few, and strangers in it.

13 When they went from one

nation to another, From one kingdom to another people, 14 He permitted no one to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes, 15 Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.” 16 Moreover He called for a

famine in the land; He destroyed all the provision of bread. 17 He sent a man before them— Joseph—who was sold as a slave. 18 They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons. 19 Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the Lord tested him. 20 The king sent and released him, The ruler of the people let him go free. 21 He made him lord of his house, And ruler of all his possessions, 22 To bind his princes at his pleasure, And teach his elders wisdom.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 105:23 | 848 23 Israel also came into Egypt,

And Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham. 24 He increased His people greatly, And made them stronger than their enemies. 25 He turned their heart to hate His people, To deal craftily with His servants. 26 He sent Moses His servant,

And Aaron whom He had chosen. 27 They performed His signs

among them, And wonders in the land of Ham. 28 He sent darkness, and made it dark; And they did not rebel against His word. 29 He turned their waters into blood, And killed their fish. 30 Their land abounded with frogs, Even in the chambers of their kings. 31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, And lice in all their territory. 32 He gave them hail for rain, And flaming fire in their land. 33 He struck their vines also, and their fig trees, And splintered the trees of their territory. 34 He spoke, and locusts came, Young locusts without number, 35 And ate up all the vegetation in their land, And devoured the fruit of their ground. 36 He also destroyed all the firstborn in their land, The first of all their strength. 37 He also brought them out

with silver and gold, And there was none feeble among His tribes. 38 Egypt was glad when they departed, For the fear of them had fallen upon them. 39 He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light in the night. 40 The people asked, and He brought quail, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven. 41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; It ran in the dry places like a river.

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42 For He remembered His holy promise,

And Abraham His servant. 43 He brought out His people with joy,

His chosen ones with gladness. 44 He gave them the lands of the Gentiles,

And they inherited the labor of the nations, 45 That they might observe His statutes And keep His laws. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 106 Joy in Forgiveness of Israel’s Sins 1 Praise the Lord!

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2 Who can utter the mighty

acts of the Lord? Who can declare all His praise? 3 Blessed are those who keep justice, And he who doesa righteousness at all times! 4 Remember me, O Lord, with the favor

You have toward Your people. Oh, visit me with Your salvation, 5 That I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones, That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, That I may glory with Your inheritance. 6 We have sinned with our fathers,

We have committed iniquity, We have done wickedly. 7 Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, But rebelled by the sea—the Red Sea. 8 Nevertheless He saved them

for His name’s sake, That He might make His mighty power known. 9 He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up; So He led them through the depths, As through the wilderness. 106:3 a Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read those who do.

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FIRST PROOFS 849 | Psalms 106:44 10 He saved them from the hand

And the plague broke out among them.

of him who hated them, And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. 11 The waters covered their enemies; There was not one of them left. 12 Then they believed His words; They sang His praise.

30 Then Phinehas stood up

13 They soon forgot His works;

the waters of strife,a So that it went ill with Moses on account of them; 33 Because they rebelled against His Spirit, So that he spoke rashly with his lips.

They did not wait for His counsel, 14 But lusted exceedingly in

the wilderness, And tested God in the desert. 15 And He gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul. 16 When they envied Moses in the camp,

And Aaron the saint of the Lord, 17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan, And covered the faction of Abiram. 18 A fire was kindled in their company; The flame burned up the wicked. 19 They made a calf in Horeb,

And worshiped the molded image. 20 Thus they changed their glory

Into the image of an ox that eats grass. 21 They forgot God their Savior,

Who had done great things in Egypt, 22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham,

Awesome things by the Red Sea. 23 Therefore He said that He

would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.

and intervened, And the plague was stopped. 31 And that was accounted to him for righteousness To all generations forevermore. 32 They angered Him also at

34 They did not destroy the peoples,

Concerning whom the Lord had commanded them, 35 But they mingled with the Gentiles And learned their works; 36 They served their idols, Which became a snare to them. 37 They even sacrificed their sons And their daughters to demons, 38 And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with blood. 39 Thus they were defiled by their own works, And played the harlot by their own deeds. 40 Therefore the wrath of the Lord

in an oath against them, To overthrow them in the wilderness, 27 To overthrow their descendants among the nations, And to scatter them in the lands.

was kindled against His people, So that He abhorred His own inheritance. 41 And He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles, And those who hated them ruled over them. 42 Their enemies also oppressed them, And they were brought into subjection under their hand. 43 Many times He delivered them; But they rebelled in their counsel, And were brought low for their iniquity.

28 They joined themselves

44 Nevertheless He regarded

also to Baal of Peor, And ate sacrifices made to the dead. 29 Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds,

106:32 a Or Meribah

24 Then they despised the pleasant land;

They did not believe His word, 25 But complained in their tents,

And did not heed the voice of the Lord. 26 Therefore He raised His hand

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their affliction, When He heard their cry;

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 106:45 | 850 45 And for their sake He

remembered His covenant, And relented according to the multitude of His mercies. 46 He also made them to be pitied By all those who carried them away captive.

9 For He satisfies the longing soul,

And fills the hungry soul with goodness. 10 Those who sat in darkness and

47 Save us, O Lord our God,

And gather us from among the Gentiles, To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise. 48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel

From everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!”

Praise the Lord! 14

BOOK FIVE Psalms 107—150

Psalm 107 Thanksgiving to the Lord for His Great Works of Deliverance

in the shadow of death, Bound in affliction and irons— Because they rebelled against the words of God, And despised the counsel of the Most High, Therefore He brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze, And cut the bars of iron in two.

1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord,

for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, 3 And gathered out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south. 4 They wandered in the wilderness

5 6

in a desolate way; They found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, That they might go to a city for a dwelling place. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

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DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 107:9 Longing — Isaiah captures the meaning of this word the best, describing a hungry man who dreams about food but wakes up to find nothing, and a thirsty man who dreams about water but finds he has none (Is. 29:8). That’s the kind of longing the psalmist has in mind here in Psalm 107:9. It’s an intense craving. Elsewhere Isaiah uses the word to describe the voracious appetite of locusts (Is. 33:4), and Joel uses it to describe the dreadful, unstoppable force of a massive and terrifying army swarming through the land, destroying everything in its path (Joel 2:9).

17 Fools, because of their transgression,

And because of their iniquities, were afflicted. 18 Their soul abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near to the gates of death. 19 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses.

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FIRST PROOFS 851 | Psalms 108:7 20 He sent His word and healed them,

And delivered them from their destructions. 21 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 22 Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare His works with rejoicing. 23 Those who go down to the sea in ships,

Who do business on great waters, 24 They see the works of the Lord,

And His wonders in the deep. 25 For He commands and raises

the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. 26 They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. 29 He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. 30 Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. 31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 32 Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the company of the elders. 33 He turns rivers into a wilderness,

And the watersprings into dry ground; 34 A fruitful land into barrenness, For the wickedness of those who dwell in it. 35 He turns a wilderness into pools of water, And dry land into watersprings. 36 There He makes the hungry dwell, That they may establish a city for a dwelling place,

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37 And sow fields and plant vineyards,

That they may yield a fruitful harvest. 38 He also blesses them, and

they multiply greatly; And He does not let their cattle decrease. 39 When they are diminished

and brought low Through oppression, affliction, and sorrow, 40 He pours contempt on princes, And causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way; 41 Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction, And makes their families like a flock. 42 The righteous see it and rejoice, And all iniquity stops its mouth. 43 Whoever is wise will observe

these things, And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.

Psalm 108 Assurance of God’s Victory over Enemies A Song. A Psalm of David.

1 O God, my heart is steadfast;

I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. 2 Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. 3 I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples, And I will sing praises to You among the nations. 4 For Your mercy is great above the heavens, And Your truth reaches to the clouds. 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,

And Your glory above all the earth; 6 That Your beloved may be delivered,

Save with Your right hand, and hear me. 7 God has spoken in His holiness:

“I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem And measure out the Valley of Succoth.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 108:8 | 852 DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 108:7 Rejoice — This particular Hebrew word for rejoice means “to jump for joy, exult, be joyful.” Other words for rejoice focus on crying out with joy, spinning with joy, or the joy’s cause. This one is more action-oriented and playful. Occasionally this word refers to triumph over one’s enemies (2 Sam. 1:20; Ps. 94:3). Psalm 149:5 illustrates the sense of this word well: “Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud on their beds.” Here, God is speaking and says that He will rejoice over his people (Ps. 108:7)

6 Set a wicked man over him,

8 9 10

11 8 Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine;

Ephraim also is the helmet for My head; Judah is My lawgiver. 9 Moab is My washpot; Over Edom I will cast My shoe; Over Philistia I will triumph.”

10 Who will bring me into the strong city?

Who will lead me to Edom? 11 Is it not You, O God, who cast us off?

And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies? 12 Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless. 13 Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.a

14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be

Psalm 109 Plea for Judgment of False Accusers To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 Do not keep silent,

O God of my praise! 2 For the mouth of the wicked and

the mouth of the deceitful Have opened against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, And fought against me without a cause. In return for my love they are my accusers, But I give myself to prayer. Thus they have rewarded me evil for good, And hatred for my love.

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And let an accuser a stand at his right hand. When he is judged, let him be found guilty, And let his prayer become sin. Let his days be few, And let another take his office. Let his children be fatherless, And his wife a widow. Let his children continually be vagabonds, and beg; Let them seek their breada also from their desolate places. Let the creditor seize all that he has, And let strangers plunder his labor. Let there be none to extend mercy to him, Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children. Let his posterity be cut off, And in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

remembered before the Lord, And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. Let them be continually before the Lord, That He may cut off the memory of them from the earth; Because he did not remember to show mercy, But persecuted the poor and needy man, That he might even slay the broken in heart. As he loved cursing, so let it come to him; As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him. As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, So let it enter his body like water, And like oil into his bones. Let it be to him like the garment which covers him, And for a belt with which he girds himself continually.

108:13 a Compare verses 6–13 with 60:5– 12 109:6 a Hebrew satan 109:10 a Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint and Vulgate read be cast out.

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FIRST PROOFS 853 | Psalms 111:8 20 Let this be the Lord’s reward

to my accusers, And to those who speak evil against my person. 21 But You, O God the Lord,

Deal with me for Your name’s sake; Because Your mercy is good, deliver me. 22 For I am poor and needy, And my heart is wounded within me. 23 I am gone like a shadow when it lengthens; I am shaken off like a locust. 24 My knees are weak through fasting, And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness. 25 I also have become a reproach to them; When they look at me, they shake their heads.

3 Your people shall be volunteers

In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. 4 The Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” 5 The Lord is at Your right hand;

He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. 6 He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries. 7 He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; Therefore He shall lift up the head.

26 Help me, O Lord my God!

Psalm 111

Oh, save me according to Your mercy, 27 That they may know that

this is Your hand— That You, Lord, have done it! 28 Let them curse, but You bless; When they arise, let them be ashamed, But let Your servant rejoice. 29 Let my accusers be clothed with shame, And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle. 30 I will greatly praise the Lord

with my mouth; Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude. 31 For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, To save him from those who condemn him.

Psalm 110 Announcement of the Messiah’s Reign A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” 2 The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!

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Praise to God for His Faithfulness and Justice 1 Praise the Lord!

I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. 2 The works of the Lord are great,

3 4

Studied by all who have pleasure in them. His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant. He has declared to His people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations.

7 The works of His hands are

verity and justice; All His precepts are sure. 8 They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 111:9 | 854 9 He has sent redemption to His people;

He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name. 10 The fear of the Lord is the

beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.

Psalm 112 The Blessed State of the Righteous 1 Praise the Lord!

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments.

DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 112:1 Delight — The Hebrew word chaphets can be used to speak of a romantic love, as Shechem “delighted” in Dinah (Gen. 34:19), or King Ahasuerus chose women depending on whom he “delighted” in (Esth. 2:14). Here, the righteous person is blessed because he fears the Lord and “delights greatly in His commandments” (Ps. 112:1). The word can also represent a man’s respect for a friend, as Jonathan “delighted” in David (1 Sam. 19:1) or some men “favored” Joab (2 Sam. 20:11). The Lord is described as delighting in mercy (Mic. 7:18) but taking “no pleasure in the death of the wicked” (Ezek. 33:11). In Proverbs 21:1 we read that “the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord . . . He turns it wherever He wishes [chaphets].”

7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings;

His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. 8 His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his desire upon his enemies. 9 He has dispersed abroad,

He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor. 10 The wicked will see it and be grieved; He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked shall perish.

Psalm 113 The Majesty and Condescension of God 1 Praise the Lord!

Praise, O servants of the Lord, Praise the name of the Lord! 2 Blessed be the name of the Lord From this time forth and forevermore! 3 From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord’s name is to be praised. 4 The Lord is high above all nations,

His glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like the Lord our God,

Who dwells on high, 6 Who humbles Himself to behold

The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? 7 He raises the poor out of the dust,

And lifts the needy out of the ash heap, 2 His descendants will be

3 4

5 6

mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever. Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.

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8 That He may seat him with princes—

With the princes of His people. 9 He grants the barren woman a home,

Like a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 114 The Power of God in His Deliverance of Israel 1 When Israel went out of Egypt,

The house of Jacob from a people of strange language, 2 Judah became His sanctuary, And Israel His dominion.

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FIRST PROOFS 855 | Psalms 116:10 3 The sea saw it and fled; 4 5 6

Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, The little hills like lambs. What ails you, O sea, that you fled? O Jordan, that you turned back? O mountains, that you skipped like rams? O little hills, like lambs?

7 Tremble, O earth, at the

presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob, 8 Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of waters.

Psalm 115 The Futility of Idols and the Trustworthiness of God

He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron. 13 He will bless those who fear the Lord, Both small and great. 14 May the Lord give you increase

more and more, You and your children. 15 May you be blessed by the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. 16 The heaven, even the heavens,

are the Lord’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men. 17 The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor any who go down into silence. 18 But we will bless the Lord From this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!

1 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,

Psalm 116

But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth. 2 Why should the Gentiles say, “So where is their God?”

Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death

3 But our God is in heaven; 4 5

6 7

He does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.

9 O Israel, trust in the Lord;

He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;

He is their help and their shield. 11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. 12 The Lord has been mindful of us;

He will bless us;

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1 I love the Lord, because He has heard

My voice and my supplications. 2 Because He has inclined His ear to me,

Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. 3 The pains of death surrounded me,

And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called upon the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!” 5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;

Yes, our God is merciful. 6 The Lord preserves the simple;

I was brought low, and He saved me. 7 Return to your rest, O my soul,

For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. 8 For You have delivered my

soul from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from falling. 9 I will walk before the Lord In the land of the living. 10 I believed, therefore I spoke, “I am greatly afflicted.”

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 116:11 | 856 11 I said in my haste,

“All men are liars.” 12 What shall I render to the Lord

For all His benefits toward me? 13 I will take up the cup of salvation,

And call upon the name of the Lord. 14 I will pay my vows to the Lord

Now in the presence of all His people. 15 Precious in the sight of the Lord

Is the death of His saints. 16 O Lord, truly I am Your servant;

I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds. 17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the Lord. 18 I will pay my vows to the Lord

Now in the presence of all His people, 19 In the courts of the Lord’s house,

In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 117 Let All Peoples Praise the Lord 1 Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles!

Laud Him, all you peoples! 2 For His merciful kindness

is great toward us, And the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 118 Praise to God for His Everlasting Mercy 1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord,

for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2 Let Israel now say,

“His mercy endures forever.”

6 The Lord is on my side;

I will not fear. What can man do to me? 7 The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. 8 It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes. 10 All nations surrounded me,

But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. 11 They surrounded me, Yes, they surrounded me; But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. 12 They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns; For in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. 13 You pushed me violently, that I might fall, But the Lord helped me. 14 The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.a 15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation

Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. 16 The right hand of the Lord is exalted; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. 17 I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord. 18 The Lord has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness;

I will go through them, And I will praise the Lord. 20 This is the gate of the Lord, Through which the righteous shall enter.

3 Let the house of Aaron now say,

21 I will praise You,

“His mercy endures forever.” 4 Let those who fear the Lord now say, “His mercy endures forever.”

22 The stone which the builders rejected

5 I called on the Lord in distress;

The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.

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For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. Has become the chief cornerstone. 118:14 a Compare Exodus 15:2

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FIRST PROOFS 857 | Psalms 119:19 23 This was the Lord’s doing;

It is marvelous in our eyes.

APPLYING THE MESSAGE | Ps. 119

24 This is the day the Lord has made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Power in the Word

25 Save now, I pray, O Lord;

O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed is he who comes in

the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord. 27 God is the Lord, And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. 28 You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You. 29 Oh, give thanks to the Lord,

for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 119 Meditations on the Excellencies of the Word of God

‫ א‬ALEPH 1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way,

Who walk in the law of the Lord! 2 Blessed are those who keep

3 4 5 6

His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart! They also do no iniquity; They walk in His ways. You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently. Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes! Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments. I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments. I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!

‫ ב‬BETH 9 How can a young man cleanse his way?

By taking heed according to Your word. 10 With my whole heart I

have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

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John Broadus, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary from 1888–1895, used to share how one time he led a mentally challenged boy to the Lord. From that point on, every time the young boy saw him, the boy would say, “Howdy, John. Thank you, John, I never forget you, John!” Broadus said he thinks that in heaven the first person to greet him will be this person but with a clear mind, saying, “Howdy, John. Thank you, John. I never forget you, John.” Will you have anyone in heaven who can say, “Thank you for telling me about Jesus”? If you say “no,” it’s not too late. You can ask God to give you a burden for the lost. You can do this if you remember the power of God’s Word. Almost every verse in the lengthy Psalm 119 describes God’s Word and its power to save and transform. It can cleanse one’s way (119:9), bring delight and counsel (119:24), give strength (119:28), offer hope (119:49), and guide one’s way (119:105), among hundreds of other things noted in this chapter. When you understand what God’s Word does, you’re thrilled to tell others about it—those who feel hopeless or need guidance or want purpose in life. You know what God’s Word has done for you, now share it with a hungry, thirsty, needy world!

11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You. 12 Blessed are You, O Lord!

Teach me Your statutes. 13 With my lips I have declared

All the judgments of Your mouth. 14 I have rejoiced in the way

of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. 16 I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.

‫ ג‬GIMEL 17 Deal bountifully with Your servant,

That I may live and keep Your word. 18 Open my eyes, that I may see

Wondrous things from Your law. 19 I am a stranger in the earth;

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 119:20 | 858 Do not hide Your commandments from me. 20 My soul breaks with longing For Your judgments at all times. 21 You rebuke the proud—the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments. 22 Remove from me reproach and contempt, For I have kept Your testimonies. 23 Princes also sit and speak against me, But Your servant meditates on Your statutes. 24 Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors.

‫ ד‬DALETH 25 My soul clings to the dust;

DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 119:35 Commandment — Throughout Psalm 119, several terms are used to describe the Word of the Lord. One is commandments, as here, “Make me walk in the path of Your commandments” (119:35). The commandments of the Lord are His unchangeable statutes or laws that govern all human activity. Literally written in stone (Ex. 24:12), they are to be obeyed completely and unwaveringly. Breaking any of them results in guilt that has to be atoned for through sacrifices (Lev. 4:2, 13, 22, 27; 5:17). The people were told, “Keep His statutes and His commandments . . . that it may go well with you . . . in the land” (Deut. 4:40), but they often failed (Judg. 2:17). Solomon describes the Lord’s commandments as “a lamp” that leads to life (Prov. 6:23).

Revive me according to Your word. 26 I have declared my ways, and

You answered me; Teach me Your statutes. 27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works. 28 My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word. 29 Remove from me the way of lying, And grant me Your law graciously. 30 I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me. 31 I cling to Your testimonies; O Lord, do not put me to shame! 32 I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart.

‫ה‬ HE 33 Teach me, O Lord, the way

of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. 35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it. 36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness. 37 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.a

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38 Establish Your word to Your servant,

Who is devoted to fearing You. 39 Turn away my reproach which I dread,

For Your judgments are good. 40 Behold, I long for Your precepts;

Revive me in Your righteousness.

‫ ו‬WAW 41 Let Your mercies come also

to me, O Lord— Your salvation according to Your word. 42 So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word. 43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances. 44 So shall I keep Your law continually, Forever and ever. 45 And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts. 46 I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, And will not be ashamed. 47 And I will delight myself in Your commandments, Which I love. 48 My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, Which I love, And I will meditate on Your statutes. 119:37 a Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Vulgate; Targum reads Your words.

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FIRST PROOFS 859 | Psalms 119:78

‫ ז‬ZAYIN 49 Remember the word to Your servant,

Upon which You have caused me to hope. 50 This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life. 51 The proud have me in great derision, Yet I do not turn aside from Your law. 52 I remembered Your judgments of old, O Lord, And have comforted myself. 53 Indignation has taken hold of me Because of the wicked, who forsake Your law. 54 Your statutes have been my songs In the house of my pilgrimage. 55 I remember Your name in the night, O Lord, And I keep Your law. 56 This has become mine, Because I kept Your precepts.

‫ ח‬HETH 57 You are my portion, O Lord;

I have said that I would keep Your words. 58 I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; Be merciful to me according to Your word. 59 I thought about my ways, And turned my feet to Your testimonies. 60 I made haste, and did not delay To keep Your commandments. 61 The cords of the wicked have bound me, But I have not forgotten Your law. 62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, Because of Your righteous judgments. 63 I am a companion of all who fear You, And of those who keep Your precepts. 64 The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy; Teach me Your statutes.

‫ ט‬TETH 65 You have dealt well with Your servant,

O Lord, according to Your word. 66 Teach me good judgment

and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments.

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67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,

But now I keep Your word. 68 You are good, and do good;

Teach me Your statutes. 69 The proud have forged a lie against me,

But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart. 70 Their heart is as fat as grease, But I delight in Your law. 71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes. 72 The law of Your mouth is better to me Than thousands of coins of gold and silver. DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 119:69 Precept — Another word used to describe God’s Word is precept. A precept is a rule or commandment that guides behavior and leads people to do the right thing. In other words, the guidelines God gives us are not just good, but also lead to true human flourishing. Indeed, “all His precepts are sure” (Ps. 111:7), and we have been commanded to keep them “diligently” (119:4) and with our whole heart (119:69). The psalmist says, “By them You have given me life” (119:93) and “through Your precepts I get understanding” (119:104).

‫ י‬YOD 73 Your hands have made me

and fashioned me; Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments. 74 Those who fear You will be glad when they see me, Because I have hoped in Your word. 75 I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. 76 Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, According to Your word to Your servant. 77 Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; For Your law is my delight. 78 Let the proud be ashamed, For they treated me wrongfully with falsehood; But I will meditate on Your precepts.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 119:79 | 860 79 Let those who fear You turn to me,

Those who know Your testimonies. 80 Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes, That I may not be ashamed.

‫ כ‬KAPH 81 My soul faints for Your salvation,

But I hope in Your word. 82 My eyes fail from searching Your word,

Saying, “When will You comfort me?” 83 For I have become like a

wineskin in smoke, Yet I do not forget Your statutes. 84 How many are the days of Your servant? When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me? 85 The proud have dug pits for me, Which is not according to Your law. 86 All Your commandments are faithful; They persecute me wrongfully; Help me! 87 They almost made an end of me on earth, But I did not forsake Your precepts. 88 Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

‫ ל‬LAMED 89 Forever, O Lord,

Your word is settled in heaven. 90 Your faithfulness endures

to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides. 91 They continue this day according to Your ordinances, For all are Your servants. 92 Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction. 93 I will never forget Your precepts, For by them You have given me life. 94 I am Yours, save me; For I have sought Your precepts. 95 The wicked wait for me to destroy me, But I will consider Your testimonies. 96 I have seen the consummation of all perfection, But Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

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‫ מ‬MEM 97 Oh, how I love Your law!

It is my meditation all the day. 98 You, through Your commandments,

make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Your precepts. 101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word. 102 I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me. 103 How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 119:97 — Yet another word used to describe Law God’s Word in this psalm is law. Although usually translated law, the noun torah is derived from the verb yarah, meaning “to teach,” and should be understood as carrying the idea of “instruction.” The term can refer to any set of regulations, such as the instructions of parents (Prov. 1:8) or of a psalmist (Ps. 78:1). But usually the word refers to God’s law. The writer of Psalm 119 expressed great love for God’s law, because it led him to wisdom and righteousness (Ps. 119:97–176). In the New Testament, Paul also praised God’s law because it pointed out his sin and made him realize his desperate need for a Savior (Rom. 7:7).

‫ נ‬NUN 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet

And a light to my path. 106 I have sworn and confirmed

That I will keep Your righteous judgments. 107 I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word. 108 Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, And teach me Your judgments.

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FIRST PROOFS 861 | Psalms 119:144 109 My life is continually in my hand,

Yet I do not forget Your law. 110 The wicked have laid a snare for me, Yet I have not strayed from Your precepts. 111 Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, For they are the rejoicing of my heart. 112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes Forever, to the very end.

‫ ס‬SAMEK 113 I hate the double-minded,

But I love Your law. 114 You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word. 115 Depart from me, you evildoers, For I will keep the commandments of my God! 116 Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope. 117 Hold me up, and I shall be safe, And I shall observe Your statutes continually. 118 You reject all those who stray from Your statutes, For their deceit is falsehood. 119 You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross; Therefore I love Your testimonies. 120 My flesh trembles for fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments.

‫ ע‬AYIN 121 I have done justice and righteousness;

Do not leave me to my oppressors. 122 Be surety for Your servant for good;

Do not let the proud oppress me. 123 My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation

And Your righteous word. 124 Deal with Your servant

according to Your mercy, And teach me Your statutes. 125 I am Your servant; Give me understanding, That I may know Your testimonies. 126 It is time for You to act, O Lord, For they have regarded Your law as void. 127 Therefore I love Your commandments More than gold, yes, than fine gold!

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128 Therefore all Your precepts

concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way.

‫פ‬ PE 129 Your testimonies are wonderful;

Therefore my soul keeps them. 130 The entrance of Your words gives light;

It gives understanding to the simple. 131 I opened my mouth and panted,

For I longed for Your commandments. 132 Look upon me and be merciful to me,

As Your custom is toward those who love Your name. 133 Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me. 134 Redeem me from the oppression of man, That I may keep Your precepts. 135 Make Your face shine upon Your servant, And teach me Your statutes. 136 Rivers of water run down from my eyes, Because men do not keep Your law.

‫ צ‬TSADDE 137 Righteous are You, O Lord,

And upright are Your judgments. 138 Your testimonies, which You

have commanded, Are righteous and very faithful. 139 My zeal has consumed me, Because my enemies have forgotten Your words. 140 Your word is very pure; Therefore Your servant loves it. 141 I am small and despised, Yet I do not forget Your precepts. 142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth. 143 Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, Yet Your commandments are my delights. 144 The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; Give me understanding, and I shall live.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 119:145 | 862

‫ ק‬QOPH 145 I cry out with my whole heart;

Hear me, O Lord! I will keep Your statutes. 146 I cry out to You; Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies. 147 I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word. 148 My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word. 149 Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; O Lord, revive me according to Your justice. 150 They draw near who follow after wickedness; They are far from Your law. 151 You are near, O Lord, And all Your commandments are truth. 152 Concerning Your testimonies, I have known of old that You have founded them forever.

‫ ר‬RESH 153 Consider my affliction and deliver me,

For I do not forget Your law. 154 Plead my cause and redeem me;

Revive me according to Your word. 155 Salvation is far from the wicked,

For they do not seek Your statutes. 156 Great are Your tender mercies, O Lord;

Revive me according to Your judgments. 157 Many are my persecutors

and my enemies, Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies. 158 I see the treacherous, and am disgusted, Because they do not keep Your word. 159 Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness. 160 The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

‫ ש‬SHIN 161 Princes persecute me without a cause,

But my heart stands in awe of Your word.

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162 I rejoice at Your word

As one who finds great treasure. 163 I hate and abhor lying,

But I love Your law. 164 Seven times a day I praise You,

Because of Your righteous judgments. 165 Great peace have those

who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble. 166 Lord, I hope for Your salvation, And I do Your commandments. 167 My soul keeps Your testimonies, And I love them exceedingly. 168 I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies, For all my ways are before You.

‫ ת‬TAU 169 Let my cry come before You, O Lord;

Give me understanding according to Your word. 170 Let my supplication come before You; Deliver me according to Your word. 171 My lips shall utter praise, For You teach me Your statutes. 172 My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness. 173 Let Your hand become my help, For I have chosen Your precepts. 174 I long for Your salvation, O Lord, And Your law is my delight. 175 Let my soul live, and it shall praise You; And let Your judgments help me. 176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments.

Psalm 120 Plea for Relief from Bitter Foes A Song of Ascents.

1 In my distress I cried to the Lord,

And He heard me. 2 Deliver my soul, O Lord,

from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue. 3 What shall be given to you,

Or what shall be done to you, You false tongue?

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FIRST PROOFS 863 | Psalms 123:4 4 Sharp arrows of the warrior,

With coals of the broom tree! 5 Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech,

That I dwell among the tents of Kedar! 6 My soul has dwelt too long With one who hates peace. 7 I am for peace; But when I speak, they are for war.

Psalm 121 God the Help of Those Who Seek Him

5 For thrones are set there for judgment,

The thrones of the house of David. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

“May they prosper who love you. 7 Peace be within your walls,

Prosperity within your palaces.” 8 For the sake of my brethren

and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” 9 Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good.

A Song of Ascents.

1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—

Psalm 123

From whence comes my help? 2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

Prayer for Relief from Contempt

3 He will not allow your

foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord shall preserve

you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Psalm 122 The Joy of Going to the House of the Lord A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 I was glad when they said to me,

“Let us go into the house of the Lord.” 2 Our feet have been standing

Within your gates, O Jerusalem! 3 Jerusalem is built

As a city that is compact together, 4 Where the tribes go up,

The tribes of the Lord, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the Lord.

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A Song of Ascents.

1 Unto You I lift up my eyes,

O You who dwell in the heavens. 2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look

to the hand of their masters, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the Lord our God, Until He has mercy on us. 3 Have mercy on us, O Lord,

have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt. 4 Our soul is exceedingly filled With the scorn of those who are at ease, With the contempt of the proud. DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 123:2 Mercy — This term signifies an act of graciousness to someone in need, from a person of superior rank or circumstance. The writers of wisdom literature frequently commend showing mercy to the needy (Ps. 112:5; Prov. 14:21, 31; 28:8). But most of the references to mercy in the Bible have to God as the direct agent of mercy (Ps. 123:2). The Scripture records God’s mercy being sought on numerous occasions, often using the phrase familiar from the psalms of lament, “Have mercy on me” (Ps. 4:1; 6:2; 25:16; 51:1; 86:16). God shows His graciousness in many ways, including the prevention of harm, the bestowal of family and possessions, and the communication of divine law (Gen. 33:5, 11; 2 Kin. 13:23; Ps. 119:29, 124).

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 124:1 | 864

Psalm 124

6 Blessed be the Lord,

The Lord the Defense of His People A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 “If it had not been the Lord

who was on our side,” Let Israel now say— 2 “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, When men rose up against us, 3 Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us; 4 Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, The stream would have gone over our soul; 5 Then the swollen waters Would have gone over our soul.”

Who has not given us as prey to their teeth. 7 Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers;a The snare is broken, and we have escaped. 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 125 The Lord the Strength of His People A Song of Ascents.

1 Those who trust in the Lord

Are like Mount Zion, 124:7 a That is, persons who catch birds in a trap or snare

LIVING THE MESSAGE | Ps. 126:6

BEARING SEED A seed illustrates God’s Word so well because just as a seed can look insignif icant, the Bible may appear insignificant. If a copy of a Bible is placed in a library filled with books, it can easily get lost in the multitude and size of the other vol umes. But just as a seed has great poten tial, God’s Word contains tremendous power. A tiny seed can drop between two pieces of concrete on a sidewalk and begin to grow. Eventually, it can crack the concrete. The seed of God’s Word can be planted into the most hardened heart and break through and crush it so it becomes a warm heart of love. A seed can also multiply itself. Inside one apple are seeds that if planted can produce many trees. An apple may be in the orchard, but an orchard is in that apple. The same is true with God’s Word. We never know how many lives can be changed for eternity, all because we “planted” the seed of the precious Word of God into just one person’s life. The Bible is the only book that can truly change a person’s life. Think about it.

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Have you ever heard a thief say, “I used to be a thief, but one day I picked up a math book and discovered 2 plus 2 equals 4. It changed my life and I became an honest person”? Have you ever heard anybody testify, “I was impure, but one day I picked up a chemistry book and learned that H2O stands for water; and it made me pure”? Has a liar ever said, “I was a liar and couldn’t tell the truth, but one day I picked up a grammar book and learned about sentence structure. It made me a truthful man, and I’ve been telling the truth ever since”? No, we have never heard stories like those. But consider all the lives that have been changed since the seed of the Word of God was planted in their hearts. Paul told young Timothy, “From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15). Bear the seed of God’s Word and sow it into the world. It will result in a harvest!

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FIRST PROOFS 865 | Psalms 129:2 Which cannot be moved, but abides forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds His people From this time forth and forever. 3 For the scepter of wickedness

shall not rest On the land allotted to the righteous, Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity. 4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,

And to those who are upright in their hearts. 5 As for such as turn aside to

their crooked ways, The Lord shall lead them away With the workers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel!

Psalm 126 A Joyful Return to Zion A Song of Ascents.

Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep. 3 Behold, children are a heritage

from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

Psalm 128 Blessings of Those Who Fear the Lord A Song of Ascents.

1 Blessed is every one who

fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways.

1 When the Lord brought back

2 When you eat the labor of your hands,

the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us, And we are glad.

You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. 3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table. 4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the Lord.

4 Bring back our captivity, O Lord,

And may you see the good of Jerusalem All the days of your life. 6 Yes, may you see your children’s children.

As the streams in the South. 5 Those who sow in tears

Shall reap in joy. 6 He who continually goes forth weeping,

Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.

Psalm 127 Laboring and Prospering with the Lord A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;

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5 The Lord bless you out of Zion,

Peace be upon Israel!

Psalm 129 Song of Victory over Zion’s Enemies A Song of Ascents.

1 “Many a time they have afflicted

me from my youth,” Let Israel now say— 2 “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth; Yet they have not prevailed against me.

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FIRST PROOFS

The Song of a Soul Winner | Ps. 126 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

Tucked away in the Book of Psalms is a series of psalms called, “Songs of Ascent” (Ps. 120–134). These psalms would be sung by Jewish worshipers making pilgrimage up to Jerusalem to attend one of their festival days. Jerusalem, because of its elevation, geographically speaking was always “up” from any point in Israel. So, as the pilgrims ascended to Jerusalem, they would sing these wonderful songs of praise to the Lord. What was true of Jerusalem geographically should be true of believers spiritually. A definite characteristic of Christians who are making upward progress in their spiritual lives will be their desire to be soul winners for the Lord. Psalm 126, one of the “Songs of Ascent,” beautifully illustrates a soul winner.

I. S piritual Returning (126:1–3) In the opening verses, the Israelites on pilgrimage were rejoicing in the fact that God had restored them from the land of captivity. Because of the nation’s continual stubbornness and sinfulness, God had allowed Nebuchadnezzar to take them into captivity (see Jer. 25:11; 29:10). Those seventy years also represented all the Sabbaths they had failed to keep (see Lev. 25:2–7; 2 Chr. 36:14–21). But God was faithful to keep His word, and the children of Israel returned to their homeland. In describing the experience of going from captivity to liberty, the psalmist admitted that it was still like a dream. Were they really free and back home? Yes—a nd the reality filled the people with laughter and joyful songs (Ps. 126:2). Amazingly, other nations had to admit that the Jews’ return to their homeland was God’s work. What about us? Are the lost people around us able to tell that God has done and is doing great things in our lives? The Israelites were quick to agree with the other nations’ assessment of God’s work (126:3). Every day of our lives we should be filled with gratitude and thanksgiving for all that God has done for us. A life filled with gratitude will certainly be a testimony for our Lord to a lost world.

II. S piritual Reviving (126:4) The psalmist was thankful to be back in Israel, but he realized that the people still needed spiritual reviving (126:4). Southern Israel was mostly a desert land with many dry gullies that sudden rains would turn into streams of life-g iving water. The psalmist used that picture in asking God to awaken His people spiritually. When we go through “dry” periods in our lives, do we ask the Lord for spiritual reviving? Jesus said that He came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). If we have received His “living water,” we need to realize that because the Holy Spirit lives in us, we have “a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” in us (John 4:14).

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FIRST PROOFS

The Song of a Soul Winner (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

III. S piritual Reaping (126:5, 6) Next, the psalmist visualized a promise of spiritual reaping. Here we see the song of the soul-w inner. Today, in the Bible lands we can still see farmers with leather seed baskets strapped across their shoulders, spreading seeds by hand in their fields. They sow in hopes of a harvest. This pictures our responsibility to sow the good seed of the Word of God in the hearts of people so that a golden harvest will be reaped for heaven’s granaries. A sower must go (Ps. 126:6). The Bible teaches that every believer should be going. In the Great Commission, Jesus instructed all believers to go (Matt. 28:19). This command to “go” can be translated, “as you are going.” A lot of Christians have the idea that somehow people on their own are going to want to come to church, hear the gospel, and then be saved. Usually, however, people who come to church and are saved were first invited to come. Philip (Acts 8:6), Peter (Acts 10), Barnabas and Saul (Paul, Acts 13), and Paul with others (Act 16) are examples of believers who were “going” Christians. These men were only following Jesus’ example (Luke 19:10). Are we “going”? Are we seeking the lost, those who need to be saved? A sower must “continually go” (Ps. 126:6), scattering the seed everywhere in the field. Acts 1:8 makes the world our field to sow. People who need the Lord are everywhere we go. A gospel sower will weep (126:5, 6). People who shed genuine tears in their work know the importance of what they are doing. Who weeps today for those who need Jesus as their Savior? Charles Spurgeon said, “We will never be winners of souls until first we are weepers for souls. Tears of earnestness beget tears of repentance.” A gospel sower knows the value of the seed. Jesus said that the seed is the priceless Word of God (Luke 8:11). And just like a seed has to be planted before it can do any good, we have to plant the Word of God in the hearts of people. A gospel sower will reap and rejoice. Note the word doubtless (126:6). If we will be faithful to share His Word, God will use us to lead others to Christ. Does this mean everyone we witness to will be saved? No. Paul reminded us that not everyone will be saved (1 Cor. 9:22). But that did not keep him from sharing, and it should not keep us from sharing either (Gal. 6:9). The word sheaves (126:6) pictures bundles of harvested grain brought to the threshing floor as the people thanked the Lord for the wonderful harvest. Witnessing believers are going to be a thankful and joy-fi lled group. Our “sheaves” are people who have been wrapped by the grace of God and are being carried to the great threshing floor of glory. What a joyful time that will be, especially for every believer who has been faithful to sow the good seed of the gospel!

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Bring Daddy Home | Ps. 128 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

An interesting story from World War II tells about a campaign to accelerate the return of the fathers who were serving. The pattern was established when the draft took single men first, childless married men second, and fathers last. With the war ending, mothers sent congressmen baby shoes with tags reading, “Bring Daddy Home.” A congressman responded, “A generation of fatherless children would make our country a second-rate power, and everything should be done to prevent such a tragedy.” As was true in the 1940s, fathers are still essential to the well-being of children. Yet, since World War II, we have increasingly become a society of fatherless families. Not because the fathers have been away fighting a war but because many have walked away from home. Psalm 128 is specifically addressed to fathers, but its lessons affect us all.

I. The Basics of a Good Father (128:1, 2) What are the basic requirements of a good father? The psalm opens with the promise that the fear of the Lord will bring blessings. Fear means “reverence for and trust in the Lord.” Proverbs tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10). That means if a man wants to be a good father, he must make a decision. By fearing the Lord, he gains a connection with the center of the universe, God Himself (Rom. 11:36). When a person’s life has no center or the wrong center, everything else is out of balance. When a man gives his life to Christ and makes Jesus the center of everything, he becomes a positive influence to everyone who comes within his sphere of influence. This is also true for all people. We also see a father’s wisdom in his walk (Ps. 128:1). The phrase “His ways” refers to God’s instructions. This is a father who has both the inward experience of salvation and the outward expression of living consistently for his Savior. He is learning to live wisely within the boundaries God has established in His Word. All believers should take care where they draw their boundaries, but it is especially important for fathers to do so. His choices have the potential to affect his family physically, financially, socially, emotionally, and spiritually (Josh. 24:15). Many think that work is a result of the Fall, but that is not true (Ps. 128:2). God gave Adam work to do in the garden of Eden before sin ever entered (Gen. 2:15). God created man to work, and He established the father as the provider in the family. Many wives work today and have balanced their careers with their home lives. Many single mothers, out of necessity, are also working. They are to be commended for their efforts. But God’s ideal is for fathers to have the primary responsibility for providing for their families (1 Tim. 5:8). Such a father will have a life of blessings, though it won’t necessarily be easy. Many godly fathers can testify of their trials and tribulations; through each one, however, they have had the blessings of the Lord’s strength and peace.

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Bring Daddy Home (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

II. The Beneficiaries of a Good Father (128:3, 4) When a man knows the Lord and is walking in His ways, others become his beneficiaries. The one who benefits the most is the man’s wife (128:3), who in the psalmist’s mind was like a vine. A fruitful vine will cling to a frame or other object. This is a reminder of a wife’s need for security. That’s why God intends for a man to be in the family. Again, we acknowledge that, due to death or divorce, many homes have single mothers. This is not to discredit the wonderful jobs they are doing on their own. But single moms would agree that a family benefits when it has a godly father. Vines also climb. They grow and mature. This pictures the wife benefitting when someone provides partnership so she can become everything that God intends (see Eph. 5:25–29). A wise husband will discover his wife’s strengths and encourage her in them. Vines also are known to cluster and blossom. A wife who has a good husband to lead and teach her in the things of the Lord has a beautiful fruitfulness. A good father always benefits his children (128:3), who are like olive trees. Olive trees grow very slowly. It takes an investment of time and a lot of patience, prayer, and hard work for children to grow up like olive shoots around their family’s table. Fathers can’t just participate occasionally and think their children are getting the benefit of a father. Olive trees also grow continually, living a very long time. Fathers are not just training children for adulthood but influencing lives for eternity. One of the greatest joys a father can know is to have a part in his children’s salvation. Olive trees also grow precariously—many are wild trees. The wild ones will overcome the good ones if we aren’t very careful. A father has the responsibility to know what’s going on in his children’s lives.

III. The Blessings of a Good Father (128:5, 6) Good fathers generate wider blessings (128:5). Godly fathers make an impact on the political, social, and spiritual life of a nation. If the fathers of our country become the fathers God wants them to be, the nation will benefit. Verse 6 describes the great blessing a father receives when he sees his grandchildren following the Lord. We “bring our daddies home” home when we understand God’s design for the family. When every family member understands his or her role and walks in the ways of the Lord, the results will be the Lord’s blessings.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 129:3 | 870 3 The plowers plowed on my back;

They made their furrows long.” 4 The Lord is righteous; He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked. 5 Let all those who hate Zion

Be put to shame and turned back. 6 Let them be as the grass

on the housetops, Which withers before it grows up, 7 With which the reaper does not fill his hand, Nor he who binds sheaves, his arms. 8 Neither let those who pass by them say, “The blessing of the Lord be upon you; We bless you in the name of the Lord!”

Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me. 2 Surely I have calmed and

quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his m other; Like a weaned child is my soul within me. 3 O Israel, hope in the Lord

From this time forth and forever.

Psalm 132 The Eternal Dwelling of God in Zion A Song of Ascents.

1 Lord, remember David

Psalm 130 Waiting for the Redemption of the Lord A Song of Ascents.

1 Out of the depths I have

cried to You, O Lord; 2 Lord, hear my voice!

Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. 3 If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

And in His word I do hope. 6 My soul waits for the Lord

More than those who watch for the morning— Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord;

For with the Lord there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption. 8 And He shall redeem Israel From all his iniquities.

Psalm 131 Simple Trust in the Lord A Song of Ascents. Of David.

And all his afflictions; 2 How he swore to the Lord,

And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: 3 “Surely I will not go into the

chamber of my house, Or go up to the comfort of my bed; 4 I will not give sleep to my eyes Or slumber to my eyelids, 5 Until I find a place for the Lord, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” 6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;

We found it in the fields of the woods.a 7 Let us go into His tabernacle;

Let us worship at His footstool. 8 Arise, O Lord, to Your resting place,

You and the ark of Your strength. 9 Let Your priests be clothed

with righteousness, And let Your saints shout for joy. 10 For Your servant David’s sake,

Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed. 11 The Lord has sworn in truth to David;

He will not turn from it: “I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body. 12 If your sons will keep My covenant And My testimony which I shall teach them, Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore.”

1 Lord, my heart is not haughty,

Nor my eyes lofty.

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132:6 a Hebrew Jaar

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FIRST PROOFS 871 | Psalms 135:9 DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 132:9 Shout for joy — The Hebrew word for this phrase means “to utter loudly,” with the vast majority of references being to shouts of joy or hearty, joyful singing (Ps. 35:27; 59:16; 71:23; 132:9). Twice the term is used of the summons of wisdom and once for the boisterous clamoring of a drunk (Ps. 78:65; Prov. 1:20; 8:3). About half of its occurrences are in Psalms and about one-fourth are in Isaiah. This word is associated with many terms for joy in the Old Testament (Ps. 32:11; Is. 49:13; Zech. 2:10). It is used to summon the heavens, the Gentiles, and most frequently the people of God — collectively and individually — to rejoice in God’s blessings (Deut. 32:43; Ps. 33:11; Is. 44:23; Zech. 2:10). Our loud rejoicing in the Lord is based on His greatness and His goodness to us (Lev. 9:24; Ps. 5:11; 145:7; Is. 12:6).

For there the Lord commanded the blessing— Life forevermore.

Psalm 134 Praising the Lord in His House at Night A Song of Ascents.

1 Behold, bless the Lord,

All you servants of the Lord, Who by night stand in the house of the Lord! 2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the Lord. 3 The Lord who made heaven and earth

Bless you from Zion!

Psalm 135 13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;

He has desired it for His dwelling place: 14 “This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. 15 I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. 16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation, And her saints shall shout aloud for joy. 17 There I will make the horn of David grow; I will prepare a lamp for My Anointed. 18 His enemies I will clothe with shame, But upon Himself His crown shall flourish.”

Psalm 133 Blessed Unity of the People of God A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 Behold, how good and

how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,

Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion;

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Praise to God in Creation and Redemption 1 Praise the Lord!

Praise the name of the Lord; Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord! 2 You who stand in the house of the Lord, In the courts of the house of our God, 3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant. 4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure. 5 For I know that the Lord is great,

And our Lord is above all gods. 6 Whatever the Lord pleases He does,

In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places. 7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries. 8 He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt,

Both of man and beast. 9 He sent signs and wonders into

the midst of you, O Egypt, Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 135:10 | 872 10 He defeated many nations

And slew mighty kings— 11 Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, And all the kingdoms of Canaan— 12 And gave their land as a heritage, A heritage to Israel His people. 13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,

Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations. 14 For the Lord will judge His people, And He will have compassion on His servants. 15 The idols of the nations

17 18

are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.

19 Bless the Lord, O house of Israel!

Bless the Lord, O house of Aaron! 20 Bless the Lord, O house of Levi!

You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord! 21 Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,

Who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the Lord!

Psalm 136 Thanksgiving to God for His Enduring Mercy 1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord,

for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. 3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever: 4 To Him who alone does great wonders,

For His mercy endures forever; 5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever; 6 To Him who laid out the earth above the waters, For His mercy endures forever; 7 To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever—

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8 The sun to rule by day,

For His mercy endures forever; 9 The moon and stars to rule by night,

For His mercy endures forever. 10 To Him who struck Egypt

in their firstborn, For His mercy endures forever; 11 And brought out Israel from among them, For His mercy endures forever; 12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, For His mercy endures forever; 13 To Him who divided the Red Sea in two, For His mercy endures forever; 14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His mercy endures forever; 15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, For His mercy endures forever; 16 To Him who led His people through the wilderness, For His mercy endures forever; 17 To Him who struck down great kings, For His mercy endures forever; 18 And slew famous kings, For His mercy endures forever— 19 Sihon king of the Amorites, For His mercy endures forever; 20 And Og king of Bashan, For His mercy endures forever— 21 And gave their land as a heritage, For His mercy endures forever; 22 A heritage to Israel His servant, For His mercy endures forever. 23 Who remembered us in our lowly state,

For His mercy endures forever; 24 And rescued us from our enemies,

For His mercy endures forever; 25 Who gives food to all flesh,

For His mercy endures forever. 26 Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!

For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 137 Longing for Zion in a Foreign Land 1 By the rivers of Babylon,

There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion.

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FIRST PROOFS 873 | Psalms 139:11 2 We hung our harps

Upon the willows in the midst of it. 3 For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” 4 How shall we sing the Lord’s song

In a foreign land? 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

Let my right hand forget its skill! 6 If I do not remember you,

Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth— If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy.

6 Though the Lord is on high,

Yet He regards the lowly; But the proud He knows from afar. 7 Though I walk in the midst of

trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand Against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. 8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Psalm 139 God’s Perfect Knowledge of Man

7 Remember, O Lord, against

the sons of Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who said, “Raze it, raze it, To its very foundation!” 8 O daughter of Babylon, who

are to be destroyed, Happy the one who repays you as you have served us! 9 Happy the one who takes and dashes Your little ones against the rock!

Psalm 138 The Lord’s Goodness to the Faithful A Psalm of David.

1 I will praise You with my whole heart;

Before the gods I will sing praises to You. 2 I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name. 3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul. 4 All the kings of the earth shall

praise You, O Lord, When they hear the words of Your mouth. 5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, For great is the glory of the Lord.

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For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, You have searched

me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down

and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. 5 You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?

10 11

Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall falla on me,” Even the night shall be light about me;

139:11 a Vulgate and Symmachus read cover.

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FIRST PROOFS

How Great Thou Art | Ps. 139 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

One of the great hymns of the faith is “How Great Thou Art.” It began as a poem, written in 1885 by Swedish preacher Carl Boberg. He called it “O Store Gud” or “O Great God.” Much to his surprise, years later, he attended a meeting and heard his poem being sung with an old Swedish melody. The song’s popularity grew until Stuart K. Hine, an English missionary in Poland, heard the Russian version entitled “Mighty God.” Mr. Hine then paraphrased English lyrics and made his own arrangement of the Swedish melody, entitling the hymn, “How Great Thou Art,” one of the most beloved songs of the faith. We love this hymn because it helps us express what a great God we have. Psalm 139 also proclaims God’s greatness in a memorable way, and studying it can help us better understand our great God and praise Him more perfectly.

I. G od’s Omniscience (139:1–6) The writer, David, began with the affirmation that God knew everything about him (Ps. 139:1). The term for this characteristic is “omniscience,” which simply means having all knowledge. Nothing ever occurs to God. He already knows everything there is to know. David personalized God’s omniscience by saying the Lord had “searched” and “known” him. The Hebrew word used for search means “to examine or explore carefully.” The word was used to talk about looking for a treasure. David was saying that God valued knowing him. God definitely knows everything about us. He knows what we are thinking and what we are doing. He knows where we have been and where we are going. God has discerning insight into our actions, and He knows our motives (139:2, 3). God knows what we will say before we open our mouths (139:4). This helps us understand David’s prayer in Psalm 19:14. David continued describing God’s omniscience by saying God had “hedged [him] behind and before” (139:5), which means that God was hemming him in or surrounding him. We are literally surrounded by the knowledge of God. He is completely in control of our lives. David was simply overwhelmed by God’s omniscience (139:6). Paul reported a similar experience (Rom. 11:33). If we take the time to contemplate the greatness of God, we too will be awestruck and humbled.

II. G od’s Omnipresence (139:7–12) God’s omnipresence means that He is everywhere (139:7). A skeptic may say, “Tell me where God is”; but a believer can respond confidently, “Tell me where God is not!” David illustrated the truth of God’s omnipresence (139:8–10). He realized it was impossible to run away from God. Heaven is His throne (Is. 66:1), but He is also in hell as judge (Matt. 25:41). David also pondered the impossibility of hiding from God (Ps. 139:12). Adam and Eve discovered that hiding from God was impossible (Gen. 3). God’s omnipresence turns the world into a prison for some people. But for believ-

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How Great Thou Art (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

ers, this truth means that God is an ever-present help no matter where we are or what we are going through.

III. G od’s Omnipotence (139:13–24) One of the titles for God is “Lord God Almighty” (Rev. 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22). It means God is omnipotent—He can do everything and anything. David could have easily used the creation of the universe to illustrate God’s power, but he chose the miracle of a baby (Ps. 139:13). He said the Lord had formed his inner organs. Interestingly, when David used the idea of “covered me” (also translated “knit me together”) in the womb, he was describing exactly what scientists tell us today takes place at conception and in the development of a baby in its mother’s womb. Each of us began as a single cell that divided and divided again until we became a fully developed human body made up of millions of cells. God Himself superintends the conception of a human life. That is why no one has a right to take a human life by abortion, suicide, or euthanasia (mercy killings). God is the essential Person in the birth of a baby; thus, every time we look at a newborn baby, we should be reminded of His power. Considering the miracle and mystery of his own birth, David used the words “fearfully and wonderfully made” (139:14). David’s continued description means he believed he was divinely designed. Our DNA simply confirms what God has said about humankind all along. David added that God saw him before he was even born and knew everything about him from beginning to end (139:16). He knew we needed Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. That’s why in the councils of eternity our great God determined to send His Son to die on the Cross for our sins (see Rev. 13:8). As David continued to meditate on God’s greatness and power, he realized that God had not only created him but had also claimed him (Ps. 139:17, 18). After meditating on God’s greatness, David could only have disdain for those who were not humbled and awed by it. He asked the Lord to execute His righteous judgment on the wicked and affirmed his loyalty to Him (139:19–22). The psalm concludes with David asking his great God to search him and try him (139:23, 24). David understood the value and his need to have God guide and direct his life. Whether we ponder the truth that God knows everything (His omniscience), that He is everywhere (His omnipresence), or that He is all- powerful (His omnipotence), our only response can be, “O Lord, my God, how great You are!” Take time each day to meditate on God’s greatness and praise Him not only for His greatness but for His great love for you. He truly is worthy!

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 139:12 | 876 12 Indeed, the darkness shall

not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. 13 For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my m other’s womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;a Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

22 I hate them with perfect hatred;

I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any

wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 140 Prayer for Deliverance from Evil Men To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 139:14 Wonderfully made — In rapturous delight the psalmist praises God for His marvelous creation of each person (Ps. 139:14). This Hebrew word for this phrase means “to distinguish, separate, set apart,” and therefore expresses the uniqueness of each individual. Psalm 4:3 gets at the sense of this word: “But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the Lord will hear when I call to Him.” This is also the word used for the way God set apart and preserved the Israelites’ livestock from the Egyptians’ during the fifth plague (Ex. 9:4).

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

1 Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;

Preserve me from violent men, 2 Who plan evil things in their hearts;

They continually gather together for war. 3 They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; The poison of asps is under their lips. Selah 4 Keep me, O Lord, from the

hands of the wicked; Preserve me from violent men, Who have purposed to make my steps stumble. 5 The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords; They have spread a net by the wayside; They have set traps for me. Selah 6 I said to the Lord: “You are my God;

thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.

Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord. 7 O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle. 8 Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked; Do not further his wicked scheme, Lest they be exalted. Selah

19 Oh, that You would slay

9 “As for the head of those

the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. 20 For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain.a 21 Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?

who surround me, Let the evil of their lips cover them; 10 Let burning coals fall upon them; Let them be cast into the fire,

17 How precious also are Your

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139:14 a Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read You are fearfully wonderful. 139:20 a Septuagint and Vulgate read They take Your cities in vain.

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FIRST PROOFS 877 | Psalms 143:1 Into deep pits, that they rise not up again. 11 Let not a slanderer be established in the earth; Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.” 12 I know that the Lord will maintain

The cause of the afflicted, And justice for the poor. 13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; The upright shall dwell in Your presence.

Psalm 141 Prayer for Safekeeping from Wickedness A Psalm of David.

1 Lord, I cry out to You;

Make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You. 2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. 3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

Keep watch over the door of my lips. 4 Do not incline my heart

to any evil thing, To practice wicked works With men who work iniquity; And do not let me eat of their delicacies. 5 Let the righteous strike me;

It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked. 6 Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the cliff, And they hear my words, for they are sweet. 7 Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave, As when one plows and breaks up the earth. 8 But my eyes are upon You,

O God the Lord;

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In You I take refuge; Do not leave my soul destitute. 9 Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, And from the traps of the workers of iniquity. 10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, While I escape safely.

Psalm 142 A Plea for Relief from Persecutors A Contemplationa of David. A Prayer when he was in the cave.

1 I cry out to the Lord with my voice;

With my voice to the Lord I make my supplication. 2 I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble. 3 When my spirit was

overwhelmed within me, Then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk They have secretly set a snare for me. 4 Look on my right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul. 5 I cried out to You, O Lord:

I said, “You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living. 6 Attend to my cry, For I am brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are stronger than I. 7 Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise Your name; The righteous shall surround me, For You shall deal bountifully with me.”

Psalm 143 An Earnest Appeal for Guidance and Deliverance A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord,

Give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness. 142:title a Hebrew Maschil

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 143:2 | 878 2 Do not enter into judgment

with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous.

And my fingers for battle— 2 My lovingkindness and my fortress,

My high tower and my deliverer, My shield and the One in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my peoplea under me.

3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;

He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead. 4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is distressed. 5 I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. 6 I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah

3 Lord, what is man, that You

take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him? 4 Man is like a breath; His days are like a passing shadow. 5 Bow down Your heavens,

7 Answer me speedily, O Lord;

My spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, Lest I be like those who go down into the pit. 8 Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. 9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;

In You I take shelter.a 10 Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. 11 Revive me, O Lord, for

Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble. 12 In Your mercy cut off my enemies, And destroy all those who afflict my soul; For I am Your servant.

Psalm 144 A Song to the Lord Who Preserves and Prospers His People A Psalm of David.

1 Blessed be the Lord my Rock,

Who trains my hands for war,

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O Lord, and come down; Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Flash forth lightning and scatter them; Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them. Stretch out Your hand from above; Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters, From the hand of foreigners, Whose mouth speaks lying words, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

9 I will sing a new song to You, O God;

On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You, 10 The One who gives salvation to kings, Who delivers David His servant From the deadly sword. 11 Rescue me and deliver me from

the hand of foreigners, Whose mouth speaks lying words, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood— 12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; That our daughters may be as pillars, Sculptured in palace style; 13 That our barns may be full, Supplying all kinds of produce; That our sheep may bring forth thousands And ten thousands in our fields; 143:9 a Septuagint and Vulgate read To You I flee. 144:2 a Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Vulgate; Syriac and Targum read the peoples (compare 18:47).

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FIRST PROOFS 879 | Psalms 145:21 14 That our oxen may be well laden;

That there be no breaking in or going out; That there be no outcry in our streets. 15 Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

Psalm 145 A Song of God’s Majesty and Love A Praise of David.

1 I will extol You, my God, O King;

And I will bless Your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 145:2 Bless — When directed toward God, blessing is a form of worship and adoration, as when the psalmist says, “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our maker” (Ps. 95:6); or when David says, “Every day I will bless You” (Ps. 145:2); or when Solomon “knelt down on his knees” to worship God (2 Chr. 6:13). When directed toward man, blessing implies honor and prestige, as when Saul blessed David: “You shall both do great things and also still prevail” (1 Sam. 26:25). When coming from God, it suggests special favor, as when “God blessed” Adam and Eve (Gen. 1:28). As Moses noted, if the Israelites “obey the voice of the Lord,” they will be blessed “in the city and . . . in the country” (Deut. 28:2, 3). Indeed, “blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out” (Deut. 28:6).

4 One generation shall praise

Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. 5 Ia will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works.b 6 Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness.

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7 They shall utter the memory

of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness. 8 The Lord is gracious and

full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. 9 The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. 10 All Your works shall praise

You, O Lord, And Your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your power, To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glorious majesty of His kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.a

14 The Lord upholds all who fall,

And raises up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look expectantly to You,

And You give them their food in due season. 16 You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing. 17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways,

Gracious in all His works. 18 The Lord is near to all who

call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. 19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. 20 The Lord preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. 21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, 1 45:5 a Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read b Literally on the words of Your wondrous They. works 145:13 a Following Masoretic Text and Targum; Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate add The Lord is faithful in all His words, And holy in all His works.

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Psalm 146 The Happiness of Those Whose Help Is the Lord 1 Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, O my soul! 2 While I live I will praise the Lord;

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 3 Do not put your trust in princes,

Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; In that very day his plans perish. 5 Happy is he who has the God

of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, 6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever, 7 Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. 8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;

The Lord raises those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down. 10 The Lord shall reign forever—

Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 147 Praise to God for His Word and Providence 1 Praise the Lord!

For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.

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2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;

He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. 4 He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. 5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. 6 The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground. 7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

Sing praises on the harp to our God, 8 Who covers the heavens with clouds,

Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains. 9 He gives to the beast its food, And to the young ravens that cry. 10 He does not delight in the

strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. 11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy. 12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion! 13 For He has strengthened the

bars of your gates; He has blessed your children within you. 14 He makes peace in your borders, And fills you with the finest wheat. 15 He sends out His command

16 17 18

to the earth; His word runs very swiftly. He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; He casts out His hail like morsels; Who can stand before His cold? He sends out His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow.

19 He declares His word to Jacob,

His statutes and His judgments to Israel. 20 He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His judgments, they have not known them. Praise the Lord!

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Psalm 148

DISCERNING THE MEANING | Ps. 149:1

Praise to the Lord from Creation

Sing — This Hebrew word signifies singing, often with various musical instruments accompanying (1 Kin. 10:12; 1 Chr. 15:16; 2 Chr. 9:11; Ps. 149:1). It is used most frequently as a participle meaning “singers” (especially in Nehemiah) and as a summons — of oneself or of the entire world — to sing praises to the Lord (2 Chr. 35:25; Ezra 7:7; Ps. 13:6; 21:13; 96:1). Singing is often associated with giving praise to God (Judg. 5:3; Ps. 106:12). Songs are sung to the Lord to extol His great power and His mercy to His people (Ex. 15:1; 1 Chr. 16:23, 24; Ps. 59:16; 89:1; Jer. 20:13).

1 Praise the Lord!

2 3 4

Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens!

5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

For He commanded and they were created. 6 He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth,

8 9 10 11 12

You great sea creatures and all the depths; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars; Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl; Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; Both young men and maidens; Old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven. 14 And He has exalted the horn of His people, The praise of all His saints— Of the children of Israel, A people near to Him.

2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;

Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. 3 Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp. 4 For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation. 5 Let the saints be joyful in glory;

Let them sing aloud on their beds. 6 Let the high praises of God

7 8 9

be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishments on the peoples; To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute on them the written judgment— This honor have all His saints. Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 150

Psalm 149

Let All Things Praise the Lord

Praise to God for His Salvation and Judgment 1 Praise the Lord!

Sing to the Lord a new song, And His praise in the assembly of saints.

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1 Praise the Lord!

Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! 2 Praise Him for His mighty acts;

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

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Hallelujah! Amen! | Ps. 150 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

The two words, Amen and Hallelujah are universal. They are translated and pronounced the same throughout the world. Amen means “Let it be” or “This is true.” That is why we often hear people saying “Amen,” affirming the preacher’s words from God’s Word. Hallelujah is a word of celebration meaning “Praise the Lord.” We say or sing hallelujah when we realize all that God has done for us. “Praise the Lord,” is found throughout the Book of Psalms, but each of the last five psalms (Ps. 146–150) begins and ends with “Praise the Lord!” This is a fitting close to the Book of Psalms because Psalm 1 begins with God blessing us (1:1), and Psalm 150 closes with us blessing God (150:6). When we come to the conclusion of all of God’s wonderful blessings to us, the words to truly express our gratitude are “Praise the Lord” or “Hallelujah.” Psalm 150 is a prediction of what every child of God will be doing throughout eternity. It is also a prescription, setting before us directions for praising the Lord.

I. The Hallelujah Setting (150:1) The psalm begins by telling us of two spheres where praise is to be conducted: earth and heaven. “His sanctuary” refers to the Old Testament places of worship: the tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple in Jerusalem. Whenever God’s people gathered together to worship the Lord, massive choirs and loud instruments led and all the people lifted their voices. But only the high priest was allowed into the Most Holy Place, and that was only one time a year, on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:2). Priests were allowed in the holy place, but everyone else was kept in the outer courts. Hebrews 10:19 tells us we are no longer restricted to the outer courts; instead, through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have access to the Lord God of this universe. If Old Testament believers were exuberant in praising the Lord, how much more should New Testament believers eagerly gather together to praise our Lord and Savior! Psalm 150:1 also notes the heavenly setting for praising the Lord. We know that the angels praise God (Is. 6:1–3). They erupted in praise to God at creation (Job 38:7). No wonder, when John heard the angels praising the Lord, they were praising Him because He created all things, and for His pleasure they were created (Rev. 4:11). Angels also praised the Lord at the birth of Jesus Christ (Luke 2:13, 14).

II. The Hallelujah Song (150:2–5) Psalm 150:2 gives us the message and the motive for our song of praise. Throughout the Bible we read about God’s mighty acts. We have already mentioned creation. All God had to say was, “Let,” and whatever He wanted to exist came into being (Gen. 1). Joshua asked the Lord to make the sun and moon stand still, and God made it happen (Josh. 10:12–14). The apostle John said that a written record of all of Jesus’ powerful acts would fill the world with books (John 21:25). Talk about praising Him for His mighty deeds! But if we really want to see God’s mighty power,

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Hallelujah! Amen! (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

we need to go to Calvary. When Jesus died for the sins of the world on the Cross, it was the greatest work God ever did. Every believer should regularly say “Hallelujah” for the Cross. When we compare all the religions of the world to Christianity, we see one basic difference. All those religions can be summarized in the word “Do,” insisting people must earn their way to heaven. That’s why other religions have no “Hallelujah.” But the one word that describes the Christian faith is not “Do” but “Done.” Jesus said on the Cross, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), letting us know He had completed the work of our salvation. Psalm 150:2 also tells us to praise the Lord “according to His excellent greatness.” We not only praise God for what He has done, but also for who He is. In verses 3–5, the psalmist directed the praise orchestra. Interestingly, the instruments mentioned include all the major categories. The brass section (trumpet) reminds us that music needs to have a tune. The strings (lute, harp, and timbrel) and the strings and woodwinds (stringed instruments and flutes) remind us that music must be harmonic to please the ear and touch the heart. The percussion instruments (cymbals) highlight the rhythmic aspects of music. For believers, Jesus brings a melody to life, replaces the discord with harmony, and keeps us in step with His will. That’s why Jesus is Lord in the “Hallelujah” song.

III. The Hallelujah Singers (150:6) The psalmist concluded by indicating who should praise the Lord (150:6). First, the saints praise the Lord (see Eph. 1:6, 12, 14). Although all the angels praise the Lord, they cannot praise Him for one thing— salvation. Only those the Lord has saved can sing that song. Our lives ought to include perpetual praise every day. The more we understand all that God has done for us (Col. 1:13), the more we should want to praise Him. The last verse of the Book of Psalms also tells us that even sinners will praise the Lord. Eventually, everyone will praise the Lord (Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:10, 11). So we need to let people know that they should praise the Lord here on earth so they can continue praising Him in eternity, rather than to regretfully praise Him on the way to eternal judgment. The two words Amen and Hallelujah (also translated Alleluia) finally catch up with each other in Revelation 19:4. For eternity we are going to be saying “Amen” and “Hallelujah” for what our great Savior has done for us. Now is the best time to prepare to praise our Lord for eternity! Every day remember to praise the Lord!

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FIRST PROOFS Psalms 150:3â&#x20AC;&#x201A; | â&#x20AC;&#x201A;884 3 Praise Him with the sound

of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! 4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!

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5 Praise Him with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that has breath

praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

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Introducing Proverbs

The theme of Proverbs can be summed up this way: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (1:7). This book is a compilation of wise sayings that will help us become people of discernment and avoid foolishness. These are nuggets of truth, communicated in brief and memorable sayings, passed down by elders of the faith who feared God and knew how life works best. Reading Proverbs is like sitting at the feet of a wise rabbi.

Authorship Much of the Book of Proverbs (10:1—22:16) was written by wise King Solomon. This is supported by 1 Kings 4:32, which states that he wrote three thousand proverbs and more than a thousand songs. Solomon asked God for wisdom, and God gave it to him (1 Kings 3:12). Through the writings he left behind, we can benefit from that gift as well. Some proverbs were written by Agur (chap. 30) and Lemuel (31:1–9). The writer of chapters 1 through 9 may have been Solomon, a group of assistants to King Hezekiah, or perhaps an unknown person.

Date We cannot be certain when the Book of Proverbs reached its final form. It may have been during Hezekiah’s time (729–699 b.c.).

Outline and Themes The Book of Proverbs is unique in that it is not organized in any discernible manner. These memorable, concise sayings about how life works fall into some recurring themes: wisdom, family relationships, money, words, work, pride, and blessing. But the book has no outline other than the groupings by author. That is part of the beauty of Proverbs. These aphorisms beg to be read and mulled over in small chunks, like the words of wisdom our grandmother might have offered now and then in little sayings. We can think of Proverbs as words of wisdom for living the good life. In life we see conflicts between good and evil, wisdom and folly, and in facing choices and problems. This book will help us discern the right path. The book is loosely set up as words from a good and wise father to his son—and we, the readers, are the son. The author is communicating what he has learned through life about how to live the good life by focusing on what really matters. If we heed his words, we will reach the end of life having no regrets. A few helpful hints as you embark on reading Proverbs: • Ask these main questions about each proverb: What virtue does this proverb encourage? What vice does it warn against? What value is affirmed? • Look for and list the themes you see. What is this book communicating about a single thought or idea? • Remember that these are not stories or promises; instead, they are sayings about what happens in life, about how things generally work. Read each proverb as poetry and enjoy the abstract images, then find the deeper meaning and apply it to your daily life.

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• Notice how little choices lead to bigger consequences. How can you choose wisdom in the small daily decisions you face, and how will those small actions lead to bigger changes? • Appreciate the down-to-earthness of Proverbs. Spiritual life is not just lived in times of silent meditation or deep thought about our eternal destiny—it is lived out in daily tasks here on earth. Physical life and the tasks involved therein matter. • Read a few verses a day and ponder them rather than reading longer sections (because of the way Proverbs is put together). A battle is raging in our lives for our focus and our hearts. Will we live for God or for ourselves? The Book of Proverbs can help us learn how to live in a way that pleases God; in the process, we will discover that living according to God’s wisdom will lead to a happier life in the here and now.

The Beginning of Knowledge

‌ he proverbs of Solomon the son of DaT vid, king of Israel:

2 To know wisdom and instruction,

3 4

To perceive the words of understanding, To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity; To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion— A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles.

7 The fear of the Lord is the

beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Shun Evil Counsel 8 My son, hear the instruction

of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; 9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck. 10 My son, if sinners entice you,

Do not consent. 11 If they say, “Come with us,

Let us lie in wait to shed blood;

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Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; 12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,a And whole, like those who go down to the Pit; 13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil; 14 Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse”— 15 My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path; 16 For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird; 18 But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives. 19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.

The Call of Wisdom 20 Wisdom calls aloud outside;

She raises her voice in the open squares. 21 She cries out in the chief concourses,a At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words: 22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? 1:12 a Or the grave 1:21 a Septuagint, Syriac, and Targum read top of the walls; Vulgate reads the head of multitudes.

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PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

How Not to Raise a Rebel | Prov. 1:20–22 Imagine someone gave you a diamond and said, “I would like for you to make an engraving on this diamond. Be very careful what you write because it will last for the rest of the life of that diamond.” If you are a parent, God entrusted you with a beautiful little diamond—a boy or a girl. He basically said to you, “Be very careful what you write upon the life of that child because it will last for a lifetime.” Someone said that parenting is the art of building an adult out of a child. So, it is a wonderful opportunity to be a parent. But too many times, along the way, parental dreams turn into horrible nightmares. That little soft, cuddly loving bundle has turned into an unimaginable, terrible monster. Many concerned parents ask, “Where can we find help? What book we can read?” The Bible is the best book on parenting that has ever been written because the writers were inspired by God Himself. The Book of Proverbs, especially, was written by a parent to collect God’s rules for living. The author of this book, Solomon, was a parent, and he addressed this book to his child (1:8, 10, 15). We don’t want our children to turn out to live unhappy and unproductive lives. Solomon addressed this concern in his opening chapter with an interesting combination of terms. Proverbs 1:22 says, “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge.” There you have three stages (simple, scorner, fool) in the development of a child into a rebel—a progression that parents want to avoid at all costs.

I. The Delightful Simple (1:22) The word, simple, means at its root, “open.” It is a picture of an easily led person. A little child is open. In fact, you could almost use the term naïve. They begin simple. But the Bible also says that every child has a tendency toward foolishness (22:15). They can’t raise themselves. Among the words Solomon used about right living are two I want to highlight: wisdom (1:2) and knowledge (1:7). Parents are charged to teach their children knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is not merely information. We are living in the information age. Our accumulation of information is rapidly multiplying every day. But information and knowledge are different. Here, knowledge means the acquisition of Bible truth for daily life. In your home life, you need a plan to teach Bible characters and lessons to your children. The word wisdom literally means to be skillful with the hands. It was used, as recorded in Exodus 31, when God gave special gifts to the workmen for building the tabernacle and its furnishings. Knowledge is the acquisition of Bible truth; wisdom is the application of Bible truth. We parents have the responsibility to teach the basic skills of living. God does not intend for children to remain simple. If

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How Not to Raise a Rebel (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

you don’t help them grow beyond that point, they are in the danger of never really engaging with life. If children reach adulthood but remain simple, all they know about are inconsequential facts: the TV schedule, celebrity news, the latest gadget, the nearest bar, and the next party. They never come to grips with the great, deep-rooted questions of human existence and what life is all about. Children, first of all, need to be taught (14:15). Children are teachable but also gullible. If they don’t get the right kind of Bible teaching in the home and in church, they are vulnerable to outside influences: internet, television, music, school, and friends.

II. The Difficult Scorner (1:22) How long will the scorners “delight in their scorning”? That’s the second stage. If your children don’t get the right training of God’s knowledge and wisdom and are unduly influenced by outside sources, they move to that second stage: scorner. The word means a mocker or scoffer. You have seen a scorner. This person wears a perpetual frown or scowl and acts the smart aleck. On the job, she’s the know-it-a ll. At church, he’s the mocker and the scoffer. This people have all of the answers but no interest in morality, ethics, or spiritual things. Instead, they gravitate to opportunities for mocking what is right. Proverbs 9:7 and 22:10 warn parents of the hopelessness of reaching scorners. God has to break them. You need to know who your children’s friends are. You don’t want to bring up a scorner in your house.

III. The Dangerous Fool (1:22) “Fools hate knowledge.” In fact, the Bible doesn’t give a lot of hope for the fool (14:9). The fool’s issue is not a problem of the head; it’s a problem of the heart (1:10–15). Fools destroy themselves and those around them. Children need to understand that friendship offered in exchange for foolishness is no friendship. The fool falls not only for the enticement of sin but also for the entrapment of sin. Proverbs 26:11 presents a vivid, nauseating picture of a fool’s repeated return to his errors. You don’t want to raise a fool. But how? Proverbs 1:7 is basically saying, in our terminology today, “Win your children to Jesus.” Ecclesiastes 12:1 reminds us that the best time to win someone to Christ is when he or she is young.

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FIRST PROOFS 889 | Proverbs 3:2 For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge. 23 Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. 24 Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, 25 Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, 27 When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom;

28 “Then they will call on me,

From the man who speaks perverse things, 13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness; 14 Who rejoice in doing evil, And delight in the perversity of the wicked; 15 Whose ways are crooked, And who are devious in their paths; 16 To deliver you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words, 17 Who forsakes the companion of her youth, And forgets the covenant of her God. 18 For her house leads down to death, And her paths to the dead; 19 None who go to her return, Nor do they regain the paths of life— 20 So you may walk in the way of goodness, And keep to the paths of righteousness. 21 For the upright will dwell in the land, And the blameless will remain in it; 22 But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.

but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord, 30 They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke. 31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies. 32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.”

The Value of Wisdom

2 2 3

‌ y son, if you receive my words, M And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.

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8 9

From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path.

10 When wisdom enters your heart,

And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, 11 Discretion will preserve you;

Understanding will keep you, 12 To deliver you from the way of evil,

Guidance for the Young

‌ y son, do not forget my law, M But let your heart keep my commands; 2 For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 3:3 | 890 12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, APPLYING THE MESSAGE | Prov. 3

In Their Hearts

Just as a father the son in whom he delights. 13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,

And the man who gains understanding; As a young preacher, I thought I knew exactly how to do everything. I was going to be quite a devotional leader in my family. We had four little ones. In fact, all four seemed to have been born the same year because they came in such rapid succession. There Janet was, trying to get the children fed and trying to keep them in their high chairs. Old pious preacher, me, would open the Bible and read Revelation 20 or Psalm 119. Between getting grits thrown in my eyes and stern looks from my wife, I learned that I had to just give a verse or two, not a lecture. Teach your boys and girls to honor God’s Word. Help them think about it—get it in their heads, even at the breakfast table. We are also to teach them to hide God’s Word in their hearts. Proverbs 3:1 says, “Let your heart keep my commands.” And verse 3 says, “Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” It means memorizing key verses of Scripture. Help your children memorize God’s Word by memorizing it yourself.

3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you;

Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, 4 And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall directa your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the Lord and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh,a

And strengthb to your bones. 9 Honor the Lord with your possessions,

And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. 11 My son, do not despise the

chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction;

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14 For her proceeds are better

than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. 16 Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. 17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her. 19 The Lord by wisdom

founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens; 20 By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew. 21 My son, let them not depart

from your eyes— Keep sound wisdom and discretion; 22 So they will be life to your soul And grace to your neck. 23 Then you will walk safely in your way, And your foot will not stumble. 24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. 25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; 26 For the Lord will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught. 27 Do not withhold good from

those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so. 28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, 3:6 a Or make smooth or straight 3:8 a Literally navel, figurative of the body b Literally drink or refreshment

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FIRST PROOFS

Now I Lay Me Down | Prov. 3:1–10 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

You probably remember the little bedtime prayer: “Now I lay me down to sleep . . .” You may have been taught that prayer as a little child. President John Adams prayed it every night of his life. This prayer teaches children to put their trust in the Lord. Of course, for parents to teach the lesson of trust to their children is very important. Some parents say, “I’m not going to influence my children in those areas. I’m going to wait until they are old enough to choose for themselves whether or not to have faith in God.” That makes about as much sense as saying, “I am not going to give my children baths because I want them to get old enough to choose for themselves whether they want to be dirty or clean. I am not going to influence them.” I believe it is crucial to teach children to put their faith in God.

I. The Basis of Trust (3:1–3) The basis of trust is truth (v. 3). Truth is that which corresponds to reality. God is the God of truth. The Bible is God’s truth. Jesus affirmed this (John 17:17). We need to teach children the truth of the Bible. When pilots are training for their instrument rating, they are taught to distinguish between their own feelings and the instruments. In a storm or thick clouds, a pilot will have the distinct feeling that he or she is flying upside down. But pilots are trained to ignore their feelings and trust the instrument panel. The Bible is the instrument panel for life and the basis of trust (see Rom. 10:17). First, you have to honor God’s truth in your head (Prov. 3:1, 3). Solomon is talking about committing God’s Word to memory (see Ps. 119:11). Teaching children to memorize Scripture is very important. When you honor God’s Word in your head, long life and peace will result (Prov. 3:2). That statement does not guarantee that such a person will live to be a hundred years old. A proverb states a principle that will be generally true in life. Those who are taught Scripture, hide it in their hearts, and live by the principles of God’s Word have a tendency to live a better quality of life. They avoid self-destructive habits and enjoy longer, richer, and more peaceful lives.

II. The Building of Trust (3:5–7) “Trust in the Lord” is an Old Testament way of saying to receive Jesus as your personal Savior. What a wonderful thing to win children to Jesus (see Ps. 118:8). “Trust” is a matter of decision. Trust means to depend on. Rest your life fully and totally upon the Lord. “In the Lord.” The object of your trust is very important. If you don’t have any confidence in the person you are putting your trust in, then you are in trouble. We have a Savior who is worthy of our trust. No other is like Him. “With all your heart.” That is total commitment. Teach your children to put total trust in the Lord. He will never let them down. “Lean not on your own understanding.” This is a picture of someone

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FIRST PROOFS

Now I Lay Me Down (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

resting on a sword for support and safety. It is saying, “Don’t rest on your own thinking, ideas, or opinions.” Solomon is not saying that you surrender your brain to believe in the Lord. The most intelligent decision you will ever make is not to lean on your own understanding but to trust fully and totally upon the Lord (Prov. 14:12). Our knowledge is limited and restricted. We need to learn to put our trust in God. Trust continues with devotion (3:6). “In all your ways acknowledge Him”—see Him, look for Him. We need to teach our children to live their lives looking for God in every situation. The word acknowledge means recognize God. The root of the word means to see. Then notice direction: “And He shall direct your paths.” The word direct means God will make the way plain. How wonderful to know that God has a plan and when we yield ourselves totally and completely to Him and surrender to Him, He directs our lives. How does God direct our lives? Obviously, God directs by the Bible. If you are getting ready to do something that’s contrary to the Bible, you can know point blank that it’s wrong. He will lead you by His Holy Spirit. As a saved person, God’s Spirit is down inside your heart. He will give you inner promptings as you listen. God’s Spirit and God’s Word always work in harmony. Prayer keeps us open for God’s guidance. Teach your children that prayer is talking to their heavenly Father.

III. The Blessing of Trust (3:8–10) These proverbs are not saying that if you put your trust in the Lord, you will always be healthy and will never get sick. It is teaching that the tendency is toward health. Now what about that wealth part? Teach your children to honor the Lord in their giving. This is not just a sweeping promise that if you live for the Lord you will get wealthy. Here Solomon is saying that giving and wealth are a matter of the heart, not a matter of how much money a person has. But what I am driving for is your spiritual welfare (see 3 John 2). When you learn to put your trust in the Lord, then God says your soul will be prosperous. How are you prospering in your soul?

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FIRST PROOFS 893 | Proverbs 4:18 And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you. 29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor, For he dwells by you for safety’s sake. 30 Do not strive with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. 31 Do not envy the oppressor,

And choose none of his ways; 32 For the perverse person is an

34 35

abomination to the Lord, But His secret counsel is with the upright. The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the just. Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble. The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of fools.

Security in Wisdom

‌Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding; 2 For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law. 3 When I was my father’s son, Tender and the only one in the sight of my m other, 4 He also taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live. 5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. 9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you.” 10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,

11 I have taught you in the

way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths. 12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, And when you run, you will not stumble. 13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life. 14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,

And do not walk in the way of evil. 15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;

Turn away from it and pass on. 16 For they do not sleep unless

they have done evil; And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall. 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence. 18 But the path of the just is

like the shining sun,a 4:18 a Literally light

APPLYING THE MESSAGE | Prov. 4

Break the Cycle Once I was talking to a young man who was preparing to leave his children. Nothing is more serious and more disgraceful to me than a parent abandoning his or her children. In the course of our conversation, I learned that this man’s father had left him when he was a boy. I said, “Now you are getting ready to do exactly to your children what your father did to you. You know the negative impact. You know the damage it will do to your children.” I did everything I knew to do to try to talk him out of leaving his family, but he walked out anyway. You may know the pain of a parent’s desertion— the feelings of devastation, despair, anxiety, and heart-turmoil. If you have been brought up with a bad family heritage, break the cycle. Determine that it won’t happen in your family. You don’t have to have a home like the one in which you grew up. You can learn new patterns of behavior. You can go in a different direction. You can teach your children the importance of finding God’s path.

And the years of your life will be many.

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 4:19 | 894 That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. 19 The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble. 20 My son, give attention to my words;

Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;

Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those

who find them, And health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. 24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. 26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

The Peril of Adultery

5 2 3

5 6

‌ y son, pay attention to my wisdom; M Lend your ear to my understanding, That you may preserve discretion, And your lips may keep knowledge. For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil; But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of hell.a Lest you ponder her path of life— Her ways are unstable; You do not know them.

7 Therefore hear me now, my children,

9 10

And do not depart from the words of my mouth. Remove your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her house, Lest you give your honor to others, And your years to the cruel one; Lest aliens be filled with your wealth, And your labors go to the house of a foreigner; And you mourn at last, When your flesh and your body are consumed,

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12 And say:

“How I have hated instruction, And my heart despised correction! 13 I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me! 14 I was on the verge of total ruin, In the midst of the assembly and congregation.” 15 Drink water from your own cistern,

And running water from your own well. 16 Should your fountains be

dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets? 17 Let them be only your own, And not for strangers with you. 18 Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth. 19 As a loving deer and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love. 20 For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, And be embraced in the arms of a seductress? 21 For the ways of man are before

the eyes of the Lord, And He ponders all his paths. 22 His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, And he is caught in the cords of his sin. 23 He shall die for lack of instruction, And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

Dangerous Promises

‌My son, if you become surety for your friend, If you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, 2 You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth. 3 So do this, my son, and deliver yourself; For you have come into the hand of your friend: 5:5 a Or Sheol

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FIRST PROOFS 895 | Proverbs 6:27 Go and humble yourself; Plead with your friend. 4 Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids. 5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.a

The Folly of Indolence 6 Go to the ant, you sluggard!

Consider her ways and be wise, 7 Which, having no captain,

Overseer or ruler, 8 Provides her supplies in the summer,

And gathers her food in the harvest. 9 How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— 11 So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

APPLYING THE MESSAGE | Prov. 6:18

Teach Your Children to Hate Parents need to pass on godly attributes, counsel, and advice to their children. This includes teaching them to hate. That may startle you, but remember that God “hates.” Proverbs 6:16 says, “These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him.” That sounds confusing because we know that “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and that He loved the world so much that He sent Jesus to die for us (John 3:16). So how can God hate? We know that God condemns sin and that He judges and chastises. His love is profound, but He hates sin. So what about us? Check out these passages: “You who love the Lord, hate evil!” (Ps. 97:10); “A time to love, and a time to hate” (Eccl. 3:8); “Hate evil, love good” (Amos 5:15). So godly parents need to teach their children to love what God loves and to hate what He hates.

The Wicked Man 12 A worthless person, a wicked man,

Walks with a perverse mouth; 13 He winks with his eyes,

He shuffles his feet, He points with his fingers; 14 Perversity is in his heart, He devises evil continually, He sows discord. 15 Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy. 16 These six things the Lord hates,

Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look,

A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.

Beware of Adultery 20 My son, keep your father’s command,

And do not forsake the law of your mother.

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21 Bind them continually upon your heart;

Tie them around your neck. 22 When you roam, they a will lead you;

When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you. 23 For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life, 24 To keep you from the evil woman, From the flattering tongue of a seductress. 25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids. 26 For by means of a harlot A man is reduced to a crust of bread; And an adulteressa will prey upon his precious life. 27 Can a man take fire to his bosom, And his clothes not be burned? :5 a That is, one who catches birds in a trap or 6 snare 6:22 a Literally it 6:26 a Literally a man’s wife, that is, of another

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 6:28 | 896 28 Can one walk on hot coals,

And his feet not be seared? 29 So is he who goes in to his

neighbor’s wife; Whoever touches her shall not be innocent. 30 People do not despise a thief

If he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. 31 Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house. 32 Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; He who does so destroys his own soul. 33 Wounds and dishonor he will get, And his reproach will not be wiped away. 34 For jealousy is a husband’s fury; Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35 He will accept no recompense, Nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.

7 2 3 4

‌ y son, keep my words, M And treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your nearest kin, That they may keep you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words.

The Crafty Harlot 6 For at the window of my house

I looked through my lattice, 7 And saw among the simple,

I perceived among the youths, A young man devoid of understanding, 8 Passing along the street near her corner; And he took the path to her house 9 In the twilight, in the evening, In the black and dark night.

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DISCERNING THE MEANING | Prov. 7:7 Simple — This word denotes someone who is simple, naive, gullible, imprudent, or inexperienced; sometimes these qualities stem from youth. It is the mildest of Old Testament words signifying a fool and, unlike others, does not suggest the idea of godlessness — the simpleton sins through ignorance (Ezek. 45:20). He has an open — often too open — mind with the capacity to learn (Prov. 9:4–6, 16; 14:15; 21:11). God’s Word can give him wisdom, understanding, and prudence (Ps. 19:7; 119:130; Prov. 1:4). The simple love simplicity, are easily misled, and inherit folly (Prov. 1:22; 7:7; 14:18). They are unable to foresee avoidable problems, but are preserved by the Lord (Ps. 116:6; Prov. 22:3).

10 And there a woman met him,

With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart. 11 She was loud and rebellious, Her feet would not stay at home. 12 At times she was outside, at times in the open square, Lurking at every corner. 13 So she caught him and kissed him; With an impudent face she said to him: 14 “I have peace offerings with me; Today I have paid my vows. 15 So I came out to meet you, Diligently to seek your face, And I have found you. 16 I have spread my bed with tapestry, Colored coverings of Egyptian linen. 17 I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with love. 19 For my husband is not at home; He has gone on a long journey; 20 He has taken a bag of money with him, And will come home on the appointed day.” 21 With her enticing speech she

caused him to yield, With her flattering lips she seduced him. 22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,

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FIRST PROOFS 897 | Proverbs 8:28 Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,a 23 Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life. 24 Now therefore, listen to

me, my children; Pay attention to the words of my mouth: 25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths; 26 For she has cast down many wounded, And all who were slain by her were strong men. 27 Her house is the way to hell,a Descending to the chambers of death.

The Excellence of Wisdom

‌ oes not wisdom cry out, D And understanding lift up her voice? 2 She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet. 3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors: 4 “To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men. 5 O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart. 6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things; 7 For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them. 9 They are all plain to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge. 10 Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold; 11 For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

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12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,

And find out knowledge and discretion. 13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;

Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. 14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength. 15 By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice. 16 By me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth.a 17 I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me. 18 Riches and honor are with me, Enduring riches and righteousness. 19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, And my revenue than choice silver. 20 I traverse the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice, 21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, That I may fill their treasuries. 22 “The Lord possessed me at the

beginning of His way, Before His works of old. 23 I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth. 24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth; 26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primal dust of the world. 27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep, 7:22 a Septuagint, Syriac, and Targum read as a dog to bonds; Vulgate reads as a lamb . . . to bonds. 7:27 a Or Sheol 8:16 a Masoretic Text, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate read righteousness; Septuagint, Bomberg, and some manuscripts and editions read earth.

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 8:29 | 898 29 When He assigned to the sea its limit,

So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman;a And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, 31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men. 32 “Now therefore, listen to

For blessed are those who keep my ways. 33 Hear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it. 34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors. 35 For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord; 36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.” 8:30 a A Jewish tradition reads one brought up.

me, my children,

LIVING THE MESSAGE | Prov. 8:32–38

VALUES Children are simple— uneducated and naïve. But if they never get beyond that stage of simplicity and receive the wrong kind of input, they will be unaware of the dangers that may come along the way. If they never hear about heaven, hell, the Cross, Jesus, or salvation, they will be unprepared for eternity. Christian parents are responsible to prepare children for eternity. Demosthenes was the Greek orator who taught himself to speak well by putting pebbles in his mouth. One day Demosthenes was speaking to a huge gathering of people. He became aware of the fact that they were rather inattentive. So he told them this story. “Once upon a time, a man was carrying a big burden of sticks. He came to the foot of a mountain and knew that he had to go over that mountain. A man standing there had a donkey and said, ‘Why burden yourself with those sticks? Let me rent you my donkey, and let the donkey take you over the mountain.’ They haggled about the price for a few moments, and the man rented the donkey. He put his sticks on the donkey, then he and the owner began to make their way over the mountain. “Along about midday, the sun was very hot. So the man who had rented the donkey decided he would sit and rest a while. He tied the donkey and sat in the shade of

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the animal. The owner also was tired, and he also wanted to sit in the shade of the donkey. But there was not room for both of them to sit in the shade. So, the owner said, ‘I own this donkey and the shade of this donkey, so you’ll have to find somewhere else to sit.’ “The renter said, ‘No, I rented this donkey from you, which means that I have not only rented this donkey, I have also rented its shade. You’ll have to find somewhere else to sit.’ “The owner replied, ‘Oh, no, I rented you the donkey, but I did not rent you the shade of the donkey.’ They had a furious argument.” About that time in the story, Demosthenes started walking off the stage. The people cried out, “Wait! Tell us what happened. How did the argument come out?” Demosthenes returned and said to the audience, “I have tried to talk to you about the great issues of life and death and you were unconcerned. Now, you are all concerned about the outcome of the shade of a donkey.” That is exactly the way a lot of parents are today. They are concerned about the shade of a donkey instead of the great issues of life and death. And their children pick up their values.

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FIRST PROOFS 899 | Proverbs 10:12 The Way of Wisdom

‌ isdom has built her house, W She has hewn out her seven pillars; 2 She has slaughtered her meat, She has mixed her wine, She has also furnished her table. 3 She has sent out her maidens, She cries out from the highest places of the city, 4 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, 5 “Come, eat of my bread And drink of the wine I have mixed. 6 Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding. 7 “He who corrects a scoffer gets

shame for himself, And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself. 8 Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. 10 “The fear of the Lord is the

beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 11 For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you. 12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.”

The Way of Folly 13 A foolish woman is clamorous;

She is simple, and knows nothing. 14 For she sits at the door of her house,

On a seat by the highest places of the city, 15 To call to those who pass by, Who go straight on their way: 16 “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here”; And as for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, 17 “Stolen water is sweet, And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”

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18 But he does not know that

the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of hell.a

Wise Sayings of Solomon

‌The proverbs of Solomon:

A wise son makes a glad father, But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.

2 Treasures of wickedness

profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death. 3 The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, But He casts away the desire of the wicked. 4 He who has a slack hand becomes poor,

But the hand of the diligent makes rich. 5 He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame. 6 Blessings are on the head

of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. 7 The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot. 8 The wise in heart will

receive commands, But a prating fool will fall. 9 He who walks with integrity

walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known. 10 He who winks with the eye

causes trouble, But a prating fool will fall. 11 The mouth of the righteous

is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked. 12 Hatred stirs up strife,

But love covers all sins. 9:18 a Or Sheol

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 10:13 | 900 13 Wisdom is found on the lips of

him who has understanding, But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding. 14 Wise people store up knowledge,

But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction. 15 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city;

The destruction of the poor is their poverty. 16 The labor of the righteous leads to life,

The wages of the wicked to sin. 17 He who keeps instruction

is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray. 18 Whoever hides hatred has lying lips,

But the expectation of the wicked will perish. 29 The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. 30 The righteous will never be removed,

But the wicked will not inhabit the earth. 31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, But the perverse tongue will be cut out. 32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.

‌Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight.

And whoever spreads slander is a fool. 19 In the multitude of words

sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise. 20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little. 21 The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of wisdom.a 22 The blessing of the Lord

makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.

2 When pride comes, then comes shame;

But with the humble is wisdom. 3 The integrity of the upright

23 To do evil is like sport to a fool,

But a man of understanding has wisdom. 24 The fear of the wicked will come upon him, And the desire of the righteous will be granted. 25 When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation. 26 As vinegar to the teeth and

smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him. 27 The fear of the Lord prolongs days,

But the years of the wicked will be shortened. 28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness,

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will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death. The righteousness of the blameless will directa his way aright, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness. The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.

7 When a wicked man dies, his

expectation will perish, And the hope of the unjust perishes. 8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, And it comes to the wicked instead. 9 The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered. 10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; 10:21 a Literally heart 11:5 a Or make smooth or straight

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FIRST PROOFS

Work! | Prov. 10, 11 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

Contrary to what a lot of people think, work is not a dirty four-letter word. The Bible teaches the value and virtue of work, and I think it is important for us to teach our children the importance of work. We are living in a day where parents desire to do a great deal for their children. But as we provide for our children, we must never get to the point that we do all of the work for them and they don’t learn the importance and value of work. The Bible teaches the value of work. The first work recorded in the Bible was done by none other than God Himself. In Genesis 2, the Bible says that the Lord completed the work that He had done and He rested on the seventh day. In the garden of Eden, Adam worked. Work was not a penalty of the fall. Before sin invaded the creation, Adam was placed in that marvelous garden to tend and care for it. There is something noble, good, and proper about work. The Bible teaches the value and importance of work (Eph. 4:28). Proverbs 10 opens with a general encouragement toward wisdom (Prov. 10:1). “A wise son makes a father glad; a stupid son makes a mother sad” would be a good way to paraphrase it. Solomon continues in this chapter and the next one to discuss the importance of hard work and working for your money. You have to have money to live. Somebody said, “Money isn’t everything, but it is one way to keep in touch with your children.” You teach your kids to be hard workers when you talk to them about being . . .

I. I ndustrious (10:1–5) One word for industrious is diligent (10:4). The diligent person moves toward hard work and thoroughness in his or her activities. Those who are lazy tend to poverty. Those who work tend to profitability. If you want to work, folks will want to hire you. You may not start off as president of the company. The lazy want to start off at the top, with things handed to them on a platter. But if you will work hard and stay on the job and finish the job and be faithful and dependable, you will advance. Parents, be sure and teach your children that they are to give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. Verse 5 basically says, “Make hay while the sun shines.” That’s smart and better than napping life away. Harvest time represents limited opportunity that must be grasped. Thomas Edison, the great inventor, said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Teach your children that opportunity comes to those who work. If you learn to work hard, then your sleep becomes special (Eccl. 5:12). Sleep, to the hardworking person, is very sweet. Solomon is not talking about people who would work but can’t; he’s talking about people who can work but won’t. Let’s talk also to our children about the matter of being . . .

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FIRST PROOFS

Work! (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

II. P rosperous (10:22–24) Solomon talks about the matter of prosperity (10:22). The Bible never condemns prosperity in and of itself. But notice carefully what the Bible says about how a person is prosperous. Someone can become prosperous in two ways: People can be prosperous out of selfishness, stinginess, and self–pride, or out of a desire to please the Lord and be what God wants them to be. Paul talked about those who become prosperous in the wrong ways and with the wrong motives (1 Tim. 6:9). If the goal of someone’s life is to be prosperous without regard for the Lord, many temptations await. That’s why we have to teach our children the proper understanding of being prosperous. It cannot be their goal in life. Paul didn’t say money was the problem; it’s the love of money that will lead people astray (1 Tim. 6:10). If you set prosperity as your goal, then the problems and the difficulties come. Teach your children to put Jesus first in their lives, and God will give them the desires of their heart. What is your desire (Prov. 10:24; Ps. 37:3, 4)? If you want to serve Jesus and use whatever He gives to you as a witnessing testimony and a help to the work of Jesus, He says He will give you the desires of your heart. When your desires are right, God will prosper you. Not that you will become rich, but God will bless you so that you will have material things to enjoy and to employ—to use and to be a blessing to others. All of us have to learn the level of life where God intends for us to live (Prov. 30:8; 1 Tim. 6:6). When you teach your children about work, talk to them about being . . .

III. G enerous (11:24–30) Nothing is wrong with being prosperous if you get money honestly, use it wisely, and share it generously (Prov. 11:24). The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. As we learn to share with others, God will also meet our needs (11:25). The most generous act believers can do is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with other people (11:30). When you have led people to Christ, you have done the greatest work you can ever do. Never look to your mate, money, career, or child for your ultimate joy. Only Jesus ultimately brings joy to your heart and life. Whatever level of life you may be on and whatever work you may do will only find fulfillment and peace when you trust and serve Jesus in everything you do.

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FIRST PROOFS 903 | Proverbs 12:5 And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation. 11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. 12 He who is devoid of wisdom

despises his neighbor, But a man of understanding holds his peace. 13 A talebearer reveals secrets,

But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter. 14 Where there is no counsel,

the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety. 15 He who is surety for a

stranger will suffer, But one who hates being surety is secure. 16 A gracious woman retains honor,

But ruthless men retain riches. 17 The merciful man does good

for his own soul, But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh. 18 The wicked man does deceptive work, But he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward. 19 As righteousness leads to life, So he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death. 20 Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord, But the blameless in their ways are His delight. 21 Though they join forces,a the wicked will not go unpunished; But the posterity of the righteous will be delivered. 22 As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout,

So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion. 23 The desire of the righteous

is only good, But the expectation of the wicked is wrath. 24 There is one who scatters,

yet increases more;

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And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty. 25 The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself. 26 The people will curse him who withholds grain, But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it. 27 He who earnestly seeks

good finds favor, But trouble will come to him who seeks evil. 28 He who trusts in his riches will fall,

But the righteous will flourish like foliage. 29 He who troubles his own house

will inherit the wind, And the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. 30 The fruit of the righteous

is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise. 31 If the righteous will be

recompensed on the earth, How much more the ungodly and the sinner.

‌ hoever loves instruction W loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid.

2 A good man obtains favor

from the Lord, But a man of wicked intentions He will condemn. 3 A man is not established

by wickedness, But the root of the righteous cannot be moved. 4 An excellenta wife is the

crown of her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones. 5 The thoughts of the righteous are right,

But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful. 1 1:21 a Literally hand to hand 12:4 a Literally A wife of valor

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 12:6 | 904 6 The words of the wicked are,

“Lie in wait for blood,” But the mouth of the upright will deliver them. 7 The wicked are overthrown

and are no more, But the house of the righteous will stand. 8 A man will be commended

according to his wisdom, But he who is of a perverse heart will be despised. 9 Better is the one who is slighted

but has a servant, Than he who honors himself but lacks bread. 10 A righteous man regards the

life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. 11 He who tills his land will be

satisfied with bread, But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding.a 12 The wicked covet the catch of evil men,

But the root of the righteous yields fruit. 13 The wicked is ensnared by the transgression of his lips, But the righteous will come through trouble. 14 A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.

20 Deceit is in the heart of those

who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy. 21 No grave trouble will overtake the righteous, But the wicked shall be filled with evil. 22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal truthfully are His delight. 23 A prudent man conceals knowledge,

But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness. 24 The hand of the diligent will rule,

But the lazy man will be put to forced labor. 25 Anxiety in the heart of man

causes depression, But a good word makes it glad. 26 The righteous should choose

his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray. 27 The lazy man does not roast

what he took in hunting, But diligence is man’s precious possession. 28 In the way of righteousness is life,

And in its pathway there is no death.

‌A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

2 A man shall eat well by the

in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise. 16 A fool’s wrath is known at once, But a prudent man covers shame.

fruit of his mouth, But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence. 3 He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

17 He who speaks truth declares

4 The soul of a lazy man desires,

15 The way of a fool is right

righteousness, But a false witness, deceit. 18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health. 19 The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment.

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and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. 5 A righteous man hates lying,

But a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame. 12:11 a Literally heart

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FIRST PROOFS 905 | Proverbs 13:20 6 Righteousness guards him LIVING THE MESSAGE | Prov. 12:28

LIFE’S JOURNEY As a parent bringing up boys and girls, I think some of the fondest memories were those days when we would take family trips. Do you know what I’m talking about? You get up at dawn and start off on a journey, perhaps a family vacation. I remember saying to the kids, “We are going six hundred miles and aren’t going to stop anywhere along the way. You better do everything you need to do right now. I’m not going to stop.” Then we get just about to the city limits, and they say: “Are we there yet? Billy has to go to the bathroom.” In the back seat, one of them draws a line and says, “This is my side of the car, don’t you come over to my side.” I’m going down the road about seventy miles an hour and they get in a fight in the back seat. I look in the rearview mirror and say, “Do you want me to come back there and settle that fight?” They are thinking, I’d like to see that at seventy miles an hour! Then one of them says, “Danny is looking bad at me.”

whose way is blameless, But wickedness overthrows the sinner. 7 There is one who makes himself

rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches. 8 The ransom of a man’s life is his riches,

But the poor does not hear rebuke. 9 The light of the righteous rejoices,

But the lamp of the wicked will be put out. 10 By pride comes nothing but strife,

But with the well-advised is wisdom. 11 Wealth gained by dishonesty

will be diminished, But he who gathers by labor will increase. 12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. 13 He who despises the word

will be destroyed, But he who fears the commandment will be rewarded. 14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.

I say, “Danny, look up here at me. Don’t you look at me that way!”

15 Good understanding gains favor,

It’s on and on. Those family trips—how wonderful they are.

16 Every prudent man acts

But how wonderful it is at the beginning when the family gathers before the sun comes up and the day starts cool and clear. As the trip progresses, the light gets brighter and brighter. Before it is over, you have come to the completion of perfect day. Interestingly, Proverbs 12:28 gives a beautiful description of what life is intended to be. When you serve the Lord, your life is to be like a well-lit highway that gets brighter and brighter, and then you wind up in the perfect day in the land where of no night, with perfection forever and forever.

But the way of the unfaithful is hard. with knowledge, But a fool lays open his folly. 17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble,

But a faithful ambassador brings health. 18 Poverty and shame will come to

him who disdains correction, But he who regards a rebuke will be honored. 19 A desire accomplished is

sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil. 20 He who walks with wise

men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 13:21 | 906 3 In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, APPLYING THE MESSAGE | Prov. 13:24

Childrearing You don’t have to spank every child. Children are different. We had four children. I am not an expert when it comes to rearing children, but I do know that children are different; so you don’t have to deal with each one the same way. Some of the children in my family only required a serious look in their direction, and they got right. One child I had to spank and then spank and then spank some more. Children do need to know that you will be consistent with them. In whatever manner you discipline, make it a practice to always follow through. Don’t warn if you’re not willing to carry out the warning. Children are adept at figuring out if your warnings are empty. An empty threat is an invitation to continue behavior, not stop it. If they know they can trust your word, even when it means they will be punished, they will actually take you more seriously. And you will be less likely to punish out of anger and frustration when they have tested your empty threats to your breaking point.

But the lips of the wise will preserve them. 4 Where no oxen are, the trough is clean;

But much increase comes by the strength of an ox. 5 A faithful witness does not lie,

But a false witness will utter lies. 6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and

does not find it, But knowledge is easy to him who understands. 7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge. 8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, But the folly of fools is deceit. 9 Fools mock at sin,

But among the upright there is favor. 10 The heart knows its own bitterness,

And a stranger does not share its joy. 11 The house of the wicked

will be overthrown, But the tent of the upright will flourish. 21 Evil pursues sinners,

But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.

12 There is a way that seems

right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

22 A good man leaves an inheritance

to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. 23 Much food is in the fallow

ground of the poor, And for lack of justice there is waste.a 24 He who spares his rod hates his son,

But he who loves him disciplines him promptly. 25 The righteous eats to the

satisfying of his soul, But the stomach of the wicked shall be in want.

‌ he wise woman builds her house, T But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.

2 He who walks in his uprightness

fears the Lord, But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.

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13:23 a Literally what is swept away

DISCERNING THE MEANING | Prov. 14:1 Foolish — This Hebrew word signifies an absence of wisdom. Except for two occurrences in the Psalms, this term occurs only in Proverbs, where the foolishness of fools is frequently contrasted with the wisdom of the wise and prudent (Prov. 13:16; 14:1, 8, 18, 24). Foolishness characterizes the speech of fools and the reactions of the impulsive person (12:23; 14:17, 29; 15:2, 14; 18:13). Foolishness affects the lifestyle of a person, causing his or her heart to fret against God (15:21; 19:3). Indeed, foolishness is often identified with iniquity and sin (Ps. 38:4, 5; Prov. 5:22, 23; 24:9). Although Proverbs does not hold out much hope for separating an adult fool from his foolishness, the rod of correction is identified as a remedy for children (Prov. 22:15; 26:11; 27:22).

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FIRST PROOFS 907 | Proverbs 15:9 13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow,

And the end of mirth may be grief. 14 The backslider in heart will be

filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.a 15 The simple believes every word,

16 17

But the prudent considers well his steps. A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident. A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of wicked intentions is hated. The simple inherit folly, But the prudent are crowned with knowledge. The evil will bow before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20 The poor man is hated even

by his own neighbor, But the rich has many friends. 21 He who despises his neighbor sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he. 22 Do they not go astray who devise evil?

But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good. 23 In all labor there is profit,

But idle chatter a leads only to poverty. 24 The crown of the wise is their riches,

But the foolishness of fools is folly. 25 A true witness delivers souls,

But a deceitful witness speaks lies. 26 In the fear of the Lord there

is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge. 27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death. 28 In a multitude of people

is a king’s honor, But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince. 29 He who is slow to wrath has

great understanding, But he who is impulsivea exalts folly.

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30 A sound heart is life to the body,

But envy is rottenness to the bones. 31 He who oppresses the poor

reproaches his Maker, But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy. 32 The wicked is banished in

his wickedness, But the righteous has a refuge in his death. 33 Wisdom rests in the heart of him

who has understanding, But what is in the heart of fools is made known. 34 Righteousness exalts a nation,

But sin is a reproach to any people. 35 The king’s favor is toward a wise servant,

But his wrath is against him who causes shame.

‌ soft answer turns away wrath, A But a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. 3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,

Keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4 A wholesome tongue is a tree of life,

But perverseness in it breaks the spirit. 5 A fool despises his father’s instruction,

But he who receives correction is prudent. 6 In the house of the righteous

there is much treasure, But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble. 7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge,

But the heart of the fool does not do so. 8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an

abomination to the Lord, But the prayer of the upright is His delight. 9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, 14:14 a Literally from above himself 14:23 a Literally talk of the lips 14:29 a Literally short of spirit

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 15:10 | 908 But He loves him who follows righteousness. 10 Harsh discipline is for him

who forsakes the way, And he who hates correction will die. 11 Hella and Destructionb are

before the Lord; So how much more the hearts of the sons of men. 12 A scoffer does not love one

who corrects him, Nor will he go to the wise. 13 A merry heart makes a

cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. 14 The heart of him who has

understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness. 15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,

But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast. 16 Better is a little with the

fear of the Lord, Than great treasure with trouble. 17 Better is a dinner of herbsa where love is, Than a fatted calf with hatred. 18 A wrathful man stirs up strife,

But he who is slow to anger allays contention. 19 The way of the lazy man is

like a hedge of thorns, But the way of the upright is a highway. 20 A wise son makes a father glad,

But a foolish man despises his m other. 21 Folly is joy to him who is

destitute of discernment, But a man of understanding walks uprightly. 22 Without counsel, plans go awry,

But in the multitude of counselors they are established. 23 A man has joy by the answer

of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!

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24 The way of life winds

upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hella below. 25 The Lord will destroy the

house of the proud, But He will establish the boundary of the widow. 26 The thoughts of the wicked are an

abomination to the Lord, But the words of the pure are pleasant. 27 He who is greedy for gain

troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live. 28 The heart of the righteous

studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil. 29 The Lord is far from the wicked,

But He hears the prayer of the righteous. 30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,

And a good report makes the bones healthy.a 31 The ear that hears the rebukes of life

Will abide among the wise. 32 He who disdains instruction

despises his own soul, But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding. 33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.

‌ he preparations of the T heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

2 All the ways of a man are

pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits. 3 Commit your works to the Lord,

And your thoughts will be established. 4 The Lord has made all for Himself,

Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom. b Hebrew Abaddon 15:11 a Or Sheol 15:17 a Or vegetables 15:24 a Or Sheol 15:30 a Literally fat

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FIRST PROOFS 909 | Proverbs 16:31 5 Everyone proud in heart is an

abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces,a none will go unpunished. 6 In mercy and truth

Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil. 7 When a man’s ways please the Lord,

He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. 8 Better is a little with righteousness,

Than vast revenues without justice. DISCERNING THE MEANING | Prov. 16:8 Destruction — A common noun especially in the prophetic books of the Old Testament, the word means ruin, collapse, crushing, breach, shattering (Is. 30:14) or terror. Most often it refers to a crippling downfall (most often physical) coming upon an individual (Prov. 16:8; 17:19; 18:12) or a nation (Jer. 50:22; Ezek. 32:9) because of prideful disobedience to God.

9 A man’s heart plans his way,

But the Lord directs his steps. 10 Divination is on the lips of the king;

His mouth must not transgress in judgment. Honest weights and scales are the Lord’s; All the weights in the bag are His work. It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, For a throne is established by righteousness. Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And they love him who speaks what is right. As messengers of death is the king’s wrath, But a wise man will appease it. In the light of the king’s face is life, And his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain.

16 How much better to get

wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

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17 The highway of the upright

is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul. 18 Pride goes before destruction,

And a haughty spirit before a fall. 19 Better to be of a humble

spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud. 20 He who heeds the word

wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he. 21 The wise in heart will be

called prudent, And sweetness of the lips increases learning. 22 Understanding is a wellspring

of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly. 23 The heart of the wise

teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips. 24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,

Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. 25 There is a way that seems

right to a man, But its end is the way of death. 26 The person who labors,

labors for himself, For his hungry mouth drives him on. 27 An ungodly man digs up evil,

And it is on his lips like a burning fire. 28 A perverse man sows strife,

And a whisperer separates the best of friends. 29 A violent man entices his neighbor, And leads him in a way that is not good. 30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things; He purses his lips and brings about evil. 31 The silver-haired head is

a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness. 16:5 a Literally hand to hand

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 16:32 | 910 32 He who is slow to anger is

better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

14 The beginning of strife is

like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts.

33 The lot is cast into the lap,

15 He who justifies the wicked, and

But its every decision is from the Lord.

he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

‌Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feastinga with strife.

2 A wise servant will rule over a

son who causes shame, And will share an inheritance among the brothers. 3 The refining pot is for silver

and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts. 4 An evildoer gives heed to false lips;

A liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue. 5 He who mocks the poor

reproaches his Maker; He who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished. 6 Children’s children are the

crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father. 7 Excellent speech is not

becoming to a fool, Much less lying lips to a prince. 8 A present is a precious stone in

the eyes of its possessor; Wherever he turns, he prospers. 9 He who covers a transgression

seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends. 10 Rebuke is more effective for a wise man

Than a hundred blows on a fool. 11 An evil man seeks only rebellion;

Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him. 12 Let a man meet a bear

robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly. 13 Whoever rewards evil for good,

Evil will not depart from his house.

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16 Why is there in the hand of a fool

the purchase price of wisdom, Since he has no heart for it? 17 A friend loves at all times,

And a brother is born for adversity. 18 A man devoid of understanding

shakes hands in a pledge, And becomes surety for his friend. 19 He who loves transgression loves strife,

And he who exalts his gate seeks destruction. 20 He who has a deceitful

heart finds no good, And he who has a perverse tongue falls into evil. 21 He who begets a scoffer does

so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. 22 A merry heart does good,

like medicine,a But a broken spirit dries the bones. 23 A wicked man accepts a bribe

behind the backa To pervert the ways of justice. 24 Wisdom is in the sight of him

who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. 25 A foolish son is a grief to his father,

And bitterness to her who bore him. 26 Also, to punish the righteous

is not good, Nor to strike princes for their uprightness. 27 He who has knowledge

spares his words, 1 7:1 a Or sacrificial meals 17:22 a Or makes medicine even better 17:23 a Literally from the bosom

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FIRST PROOFS 911 | Proverbs 19:4 And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. 28 Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.

‌ man who isolates himself A seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.

2 A fool has no delight in understanding,

But in expressing his own heart. 3 When the wicked comes,

contempt comes also; And with dishonor comes reproach. 4 The words of a man’s mouth

are deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook. 5 It is not good to show

partiality to the wicked, Or to overthrow the righteous in judgment. 6 A fool’s lips enter into contention,

And his mouth calls for blows. 7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction,

And his lips are the snare of his soul. 8 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles,a And they go down into the inmost body. 9 He who is slothful in his work

Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer. 10 The name of the Lord is

a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. 11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own esteem. 12 Before destruction the heart

of a man is haughty, And before honor is humility. 13 He who answers a matter

before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him. 14 The spirit of a man will sustain

him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit? 15 The heart of the prudent

acquires knowledge,

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And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. 16 A man’s gift makes room for him,

And brings him before great men. 17 The first one to plead his

cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him. 18 Casting lots causes

contentions to cease, And keeps the mighty apart. 19 A brother offended is harder to

win than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a castle. 20 A man’s stomach shall be satisfied

from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. 21 Death and life are in the

power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. 22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing,

And obtains favor from the Lord. 23 The poor man uses entreaties,

But the rich answers roughly. 24 A man who has friends must

himself be friendly,a But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

‌Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

2 Also it is not good for a soul to

be without knowledge, And he sins who hastens with his feet. 3 The foolishness of a man

twists his way, And his heart frets against the Lord. 4 Wealth makes many friends,

But the poor is separated from his friend. 18:8 a A Jewish tradition reads wounds. 18:24 a Following Greek manuscripts, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate; Masoretic Text reads may come to ruin.

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 19:5 | 912 5 A false witness will not go unpunished,

And he who speaks lies will not escape. 6 Many entreat the favor of the nobility,

And every man is a friend to one who gives gifts. 7 All the brothers of the poor hate him; How much more do his friends go far from him! He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him. 8 He who gets wisdom loves

his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good. 9 A false witness will not go unpunished,

And he who speaks lies shall perish. 10 Luxury is not fitting for a fool,

Much less for a servant to rule over princes. 11 The discretion of a man makes

him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression. 12 The king’s wrath is like the

roaring of a lion, But his favor is like dew on the grass. 13 A foolish son is the ruin of his father,

And the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping. 14 Houses and riches are an

inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the Lord. 15 Laziness casts one into a deep sleep,

And an idle person will suffer hunger. 16 He who keeps the commandment

keeps his soul, But he who is carelessa of his ways will die. 17 He who has pity on the poor

lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given. 18 Chasten your son while there is hope,

And do not set your heart on his destruction.a 19 A man of great wrath will

suffer punishment;

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APPLYING THE MESSAGE | Prov. 19:15

Doing Everything for Your Kids A couple of teenagers were talking one day, and one said, “I’m worried to death about my parents. My dad just slaves at his job, pays all the bills, and sees to it that I never need anything. He is putting away money for my college education. My mom works day and night washing my clothes and preparing my meals and picking up after me and taking care of me when I’m sick.” The friend said, “What are you so worried about?” He answered, “I’m afraid they might try to escape.” If you are not very careful, you will get so concerned about the welfare of your children that you do everything for them. Having a solid work ethic will have a great deal to do with their well-being and future enjoyment of life.

For if you rescue him, you will have to do it again. 20 Listen to counsel and

receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days. 21 There are many plans in a man’s heart,

Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand. 22 What is desired in a man is kindness,

And a poor man is better than a liar. 23 The fear of the Lord leads to life,

And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. 24 A lazy man buries his

hand in the bowl,a And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. 25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple

will become wary; 1 9:16 a Literally despises, figurative of recklessness or carelessness 19:18 a Literally to put him to death; a Jewish tradition reads on his crying. 19:24 a Septuagint and Syriac read bosom; Targum and Vulgate read armpit.

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FIRST PROOFS 913 | Proverbs 20:24 Rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge. 26 He who mistreats his father and

chases away his mother Is a son who causes shame and brings reproach. 27 Cease listening to instruction, my son,

And you will stray from the words of knowledge. 28 A disreputable witness scorns justice,

And the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. 29 Judgments are prepared for scoffers,

And beatings for the backs of fools.

‌Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

2 The wratha of a king is like

the roaring of a lion; Whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life. 3 It is honorable for a man

to stop striving, Since any fool can start a quarrel. 4 The lazy man will not plow

because of winter; He will beg during harvest and have nothing. 5 Counsel in the heart of man

is like deep water, But a man of understanding will draw it out. 6 Most men will proclaim each

his own goodness, But who can find a faithful man? 7 The righteous man walks

in his integrity; His children are blessed after him. 8 A king who sits on the

throne of judgment Scatters all evil with his eyes. 9 Who can say, “I have made

my heart clean, I am pure from my sin”?

11 Even a child is known by his deeds,

Whether what he does is pure and right. 12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye,

The Lord has made them both. 13 Do not love sleep, lest you

come to poverty; Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread. 14 “It is good for nothing,” a cries the buyer;

But when he has gone his way, then he boasts. 15 There is gold and a multitude of rubies,

But the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. 16 Take the garment of one who

is surety for a stranger, And hold it as a pledge when it is for a seductress. 17 Bread gained by deceit is

sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel. 18 Plans are established by counsel;

By wise counsel wage war. 19 He who goes about as a

talebearer reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips. 20 Whoever curses his father

or his m other, His lamp will be put out in deep darkness. 21 An inheritance gained hastily

at the beginning Will not be blessed at the end. 22 Do not say, “I will recompense evil”;

Wait for the Lord, and He will save you. 23 Diverse weights are an

abomination to the Lord, And dishonest scales are not good. 24 A man’s steps are of the Lord;

How then can a man understand his own way?

10 Diverse weights and diverse measures,

They are both alike, an abomination to the Lord.

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20:2 a Literally fear or terror which is produced by the king’s wrath 20:14 a Literally evil, evil

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 20:25 | 914 25 It is a snare for a man to devote

rashly something as holy, And afterward to reconsider his vows. 26 A wise king sifts out the wicked,

And brings the threshing wheel over them. 27 The spirit of a man is the

lamp of the Lord, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.a 28 Mercy and truth preserve the king,

And by lovingkindness he upholds his throne. 29 The glory of young men

is their strength, And the splendor of old men is their gray head. 30 Blows that hurt cleanse away evil,

As do stripes the inner depths of the heart.a

‌ he king’s heart is in the T hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.

2 Every way of a man is right

in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts. 3 To do righteousness and justice

Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. 4 A haughty look, a proud heart,

And the plowinga of the wicked are sin. 5 The plans of the diligent

lead surely to plenty, But those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty. 6 Getting treasures by a lying tongue

Is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.a 7 The violence of the wicked

will destroy them,a Because they refuse to do justice. 8 The way of a guilty man is perverse;a

But as for the pure, his work is right. 9 Better to dwell in a corner

of a housetop,

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Than in a house shared with a contentious woman. 10 The soul of the wicked desires evil;

His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes. 11 When the scoffer is punished,

the simple is made wise; But when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge. 12 The righteous God wisely considers

the house of the wicked, Overthrowing the wicked for their wickedness. 13 Whoever shuts his ears to

the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be heard. 14 A gift in secret pacifies anger,

And a bribe behind the back,a strong wrath. 15 It is a joy for the just to do justice,

But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. 16 A man who wanders from the

way of understanding Will rest in the assembly of the dead. 17 He who loves pleasure will

be a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not be rich. 18 The wicked shall be a ransom

for the righteous, And the unfaithful for the upright. 19 Better to dwell in the wilderness,

Than with a contentious and angry woman. 20 There is desirable treasure,

And oil in the dwelling of the wise, But a foolish man squanders it. 20:27 a Literally the rooms of the belly 20:30 a Literally the rooms of the belly 21:4 a Or lamp 21:6 a Septuagint reads Pursue vanity on the snares of death; Vulgate reads Is vain and foolish, and shall stumble on the snares of death; Targum reads They shall be destroyed, and they shall fall who seek death. 21:7 a Literally drag them away 21:8 a Or The way of a man is perverse and strange 21:14 a Literally in the bosom

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FIRST PROOFS 915 | Proverbs 22:18 21 He who follows righteousness

and mercy Finds life, righteousness, and honor. 22 A wise man scales the city

of the mighty, And brings down the trusted stronghold. 23 Whoever guards his mouth and tongue

Keeps his soul from troubles. 24 A proud and haughty man—

“Scoffer” is his name; He acts with arrogant pride. 25 The desire of the lazy man kills him,

For his hands refuse to labor. 26 He covets greedily all day long,

But the righteous gives and does not spare. 27 The sacrifice of the wicked

is an abomination; How much more when he brings it with wicked intent! 28 A false witness shall perish,

But the man who hears him will speak endlessly. 29 A wicked man hardens his face,

But as for the upright, he establishesa his way. 30 There is no wisdom or understanding

Or counsel against the Lord. 31 The horse is prepared for

the day of battle, But deliverance is of the Lord.

‌A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold.

2 The rich and the poor have

this in common, The Lord is the maker of them all. 3 A prudent man foresees evil

and hides himself, But the simple pass on and are punished. 4 By humility and the fear of the Lord

Are riches and honor and life.

He who guards his soul will be far from them. 6 Train up a child in the

way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. 7 The rich rules over the poor,

And the borrower is servant to the lender. 8 He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow,

And the rod of his anger will fail. 9 He who has a generous eye

will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor. 10 Cast out the scoffer, and

contention will leave; Yes, strife and reproach will cease. 11 He who loves purity of heart

And has grace on his lips, The king will be his friend. 12 The eyes of the Lord

preserve knowledge, But He overthrows the words of the faithless. 13 The lazy man says, “There

is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!” 14 The mouth of an immoral

woman is a deep pit; He who is abhorred by the Lord will fall there. 15 Foolishness is bound up in

the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him. 16 He who oppresses the poor

to increase his riches, And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.

Sayings of the Wise 17 Incline your ear and hear the

words of the wise, And apply your heart to my knowledge; 18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; Let them all be fixed upon your lips,

5 Thorns and snares are in the

way of the perverse;

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21:29 a Qere and Septuagint read understands.

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FIRST PROOFS

Train a Child | Prov. 22:6 PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

I’m speaking on child brutality and the Bible by addressing what Scripture has to say about the matter of spanking children. This is a controversial subject in our society, exacerbated by extremes on both sides. Yes, we know of obvious, terrible cases of child brutality. But we also know horror stories of children taken away from their loving families. An added complication is the rampant permissiveness and lack of discipline in our society, with an almost total breakdown of respect for authority. When Edward, Duke of Windsor, visited, he said, “The thing that impresses me about America is how obedient parents are to their children.” The primary responsibility for training of children is placed squarely upon the shoulders of their parents. We need to see what the Bible says about the rearing and discipline of children and in particular about the spanking of children. Proverbs 22:6 will be our anchor verse in this study. It places an emphasis on your child’s direction.

I. Direction Direction should begin when a child is young (Prov. 19:18). If you wait to train your children until they are sixteen years old, you have a job on your hands. When they are small children, not only are their hearts tender, but their wills are easier to mold. Bending a twig on a tree is easier than bending a tree trunk. Begin while their little wills are soft and pliable. The verse also tells us what direction involves. “In the way he should go” includes understanding the particular personality and temperament of your child. That word way is found in 30:18, 19 in a list of wonderful mysteries. Each of those four examples has a particular way—a unique pattern. God created the universe with amazing complexity and individuality. The fact that every child is unique can present challenges. A quiet and withdrawn dad may struggle to relate to his son who is outgoing, loud, and noisy. A mom who is an energetic talker and a doer may be baffled by her daughter who is calm and quiet. We must understand their uniquenesses and train them in keeping with that understanding. This means we shouldn’t try to force our children into molds we have designed for them. Instead, we should focus on how God has made them. This carries a sense of obligation. We can go one of two ways in life. Jesus talked about this in the Sermon on the Mount describing the narrow way and the broad way (Matt. 7:13, 14). Let’s get our children going on the narrow path as soon as we can. Now we come to the matter of discipline.

II. Discipline Train is a word from horticulture. It summarizes the care and pruning of a plant to get it to grow in the right way. Parents can use two different forms of discipline. Spanking should not be the first form of discipline of a child. Begin with verbal correction. Depending on circumstances, this can range from a gentle rebuke to a stinging reprimand that even-

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FIRST PROOFS

Train a Child (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

tually includes a warning. Remember, God uses this form of discipline (Rev. 3:19). One of the best discipline tools is to let children suffer the consequences of their own behavior. If they repeatedly leave their lunch behind, instead of delivering it to them, let them suffer the consequences of hunger pangs. They’ll begin to take responsibility if they don’t want to again spend an afternoon with a growling stomach. You come down to the matter of spanking as the last resort. Depending on the research, spanking does more harm than good, or if practiced in the right way has very positive results. If you think that the Bible is endorsing child brutality, then you don’t know enough about the God who has given us the Bible. Proverbs 13:24 explains loving correction with spanking: “He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.” It is an expression of your love when you gently and kindly correct your children. Children who are not disciplined do not feel loved. All children need boundaries. Fences around playgrounds help children feel safer. Proverbs 22:15 reminds us of the rebellious streak in every person. Something in every one of us wants to rebel. So, early on, we must gently break the will of the child—but not his or her spirit (see Col. 3:21). Proverbs 23:13, 14 includes two words often misunderstood in discipline: rod and beat. Rod means branch, not a baseball bat. And beat actually means “strike,” either lightly or severely. Children need to feel it. By the way, the Bible talks about beating the back of a child. The word for back really means the midway point on your backside. Our loving God put a little extra padding at our midway point. Proverbs 29:15, 17 explains that administering your correction properly will have a calming effect on the child. An open hand is probably the best way, in the proper place; then, after the discipline, pray with your child, explaining why the punishment was given and confirming your love before and after and always. Never do anything while you are angry.

III. Destination “When he is old he will not depart from it” is not an ironclad promise that your children won’t go astray. But if you give children the right training, though they may stray, they will always know what to come back to. The prodigal son who rebelled remembered his father’s house when it was time to stop running and come home (Luke 15). Commit your children to the Lord. Pray for the day that they will come back to Him, and don’t let the situation rob you of your joy. Your joy is really not in your children but in Jesus. Keep living for and serving Him.

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 22:19 | 918 19 So that your trust may be in the Lord;

I have instructed you today, even you. 20 Have I not written to you excellent things Of counsels and knowledge, 21 That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth, That you may answer words of truth To those who send to you? 22 Do not rob the poor because he is poor,

Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate; 23 For the Lord will plead their cause, And plunder the soul of those who plunder them. 24 Make no friendship with an angry man,

And with a furious man do not go, 25 Lest you learn his ways And set a snare for your soul. 26 Do not be one of those who

shakes hands in a pledge, One of those who is surety for debts; 27 If you have nothing with which to pay, Why should he take away your bed from under you? 28 Do not remove the ancient landmark

Which your fathers have set. 29 Do you see a man who

excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.

‌ hen you sit down to W eat with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you; 2 And put a knife to your throat If you are a man given to appetite. 3 Do not desire his delicacies, For they are deceptive food. 4 Do not overwork to be rich;

Because of your own understanding, cease! 5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

“Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you. 8 The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up, And waste your pleasant words. 9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,

For he will despise the wisdom of your words. 10 Do not remove the ancient landmark,

Nor enter the fields of the fatherless; 11 For their Redeemer is mighty;

He will plead their cause against you. 12 Apply your heart to instruction,

And your ears to words of knowledge. 13 Do not withhold correction from a child,

For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. 14 You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell.a 15 My son, if your heart is wise,

My heart will rejoice—indeed, I myself; 16 Yes, my inmost being will rejoice

When your lips speak right things. 17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,

But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; 18 For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off. 19 Hear, my son, and be wise;

And guide your heart in the way. 20 Do not mix with winebibbers,

Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; 21 For the drunkard and the glutton

will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags. 22 Listen to your father who begot you,

And do not despise your mother when she is old. 23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it,

Also wisdom and instruction and understanding. 24 The father of the righteous

will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.

6 Do not eat the bread of a miser,a

Nor desire his delicacies; 7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

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23:6 a Literally one who has an evil eye 23:14 a Or Sheol

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FIRST PROOFS 919 | Proverbs 24:16 DISCERNING THE MEANING | Prov. 23:23 Understanding — Usually paired with “wisdom,” understanding means “insight” or “understanding the meaning of something.” This is deep knowledge that leads to right judgment and action. As with wisdom, understanding comes from God alone. Job asks, “Where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:20) and answers, “The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). We are reminded not to rely on our own understanding (Prov. 3:5) but to seek God’s (4:5; 23:23). We should try to be like the men of Issachar, who had “understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (2 Chr. 12:32).

‌ o not be envious of evil men, D Nor desire to be with them; 2 For their heart devises violence, And their lips talk of troublemaking. 3 Through wisdom a house is built,

And by understanding it is established; 4 By knowledge the rooms are filled

With all precious and pleasant riches. 5 A wise man is strong,

Yes, a man of knowledge increases strength; 6 For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety. 7 Wisdom is too lofty for a fool;

25 Let your father and your

mother be glad, And let her who bore you rejoice. 26 My son, give me your heart,

And let your eyes observe my ways. 27 For a harlot is a deep pit, And a seductress is a narrow well. 28 She also lies in wait as for a victim, And increases the unfaithful among men. 29 Who has woe?

Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine. 31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly; 32 At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things. 34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying: 35 “They have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”

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He does not open his mouth in the gate. 8 He who plots to do evil

Will be called a schemer. 9 The devising of foolishness is sin,

And the scoffer is an abomination to men. 10 If you faint in the day of adversity,

Your strength is small. 11 Deliver those who are drawn

toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. 12 If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds? 13 My son, eat honey because it is good,

And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste; 14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect, And your hope will not be cut off. 15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked

man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not plunder his resting place; 16 For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 24:17 | 920 17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,

And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; 18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, And He turn away His wrath from him. 19 Do not fret because of evildoers,

Nor be envious of the wicked; 20 For there will be no prospect

for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out. 21 My son, fear the Lord and the king;

Do not associate with those given to change; 22 For their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin those two can bring?

Further Sayings of the Wise

DISCERNING THE MEANING | Prov. 24:32 Instruction — The Hebrew word translated instruction means “discipline” that is instructive and corrective in nature. The word emphasizes the “nourishing” and “chastising” elements of bringing up a child. Instruction has to do with both the reception of knowledge through hearing and the application of that knowledge in daily life. In Proverbs, discipline comes primarily through one’s father but also through one’s mother (Prov. 1:8; 3:11, 12, 13:1; 31:1). Usually the word refers to verbal instruction, but it can also refer to the rod of correction (13:24; 22:15; 23:13). The content of the instruction is frequently linked to wisdom, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord (1:2, 3; 12:1; 15:33; 23:12, 13; 24:32). Outside of Proverbs, discipline and instruction is frequently connected to God. The Exile was identified by the prophets as God’s corrective punishment on the Israelites (Jer. 2:30; 5:3; 30:14).

23 These things also belong to the wise:

It is not good to show partiality in judgment. 24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” Him the people will curse; Nations will abhor him. 25 But those who rebuke the wicked will have delight, And a good blessing will come upon them. 26 He who gives a right answer

kisses the lips. 27 Prepare your outside work,

Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house. 28 Do not be a witness against your

neighbor without cause, For would you deceivea with your lips? 29 Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.” 30 I went by the field of the lazy man,

And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; 31 And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down. 32 When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction:

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33 A little sleep, a little slumber,

A little folding of the hands to rest; 34 So shall your poverty come

like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

Further Wise Sayings of Solomon

‌These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied:

2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,

But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. 3 As the heavens for height and

the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable. 4 Take away the dross from silver,

And it will go to the silversmith for jewelry. 5 Take away the wicked from before the king, And his throne will be established in righteousness. 6 Do not exalt yourself in the

presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of the great; 24:28 a Septuagint and Vulgate read Do not deceive.

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FIRST PROOFS 921 | Proverbs 26:7 7 For it is better that he say to you,

“Come up here,” Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen. 8 Do not go hastily to court;

For what will you do in the end, When your neighbor has put you to shame? 9 Debate your case with your neighbor, And do not disclose the secret to another; 10 Lest he who hears it expose your shame, And your reputation be ruined.

Is one who sings songs to a heavy heart. 21 If your enemy is hungry, give

him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; 22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the Lord will reward you. 23 The north wind brings forth rain,

And a backbiting tongue an angry countenance. 24 It is better to dwell in a

corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

11 A word fitly spoken is like

apples of gold In settings of silver. 12 Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold Is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear.

25 As cold water to a weary soul,

So is good news from a far country. 26 A righteous man who falters

before the wicked Is like a murky spring and a polluted well.

13 Like the cold of snow in time of harvest

Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters. 14 Whoever falsely boasts of giving

27 It is not good to eat much honey;

So to seek one’s own glory is not glory. 28 Whoever has no rule over

his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls.

Is like clouds and wind without rain. 15 By long forbearance a

ruler is persuaded, And a gentle tongue breaks a bone. 16 Have you found honey?

Eat only as much as you need, Lest you be filled with it and vomit.

‌ s snow in summer and A rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool.

2 Like a flitting sparrow, like

a flying swallow, So a curse without cause shall not alight.

17 Seldom set foot in your

neighbor’s house, Lest he become weary of you and hate you. 18 A man who bears false witness

against his neighbor Is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow. 19 Confidence in an unfaithful

man in time of trouble Is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint.

3 A whip for the horse,

5 6

20 Like one who takes away a

garment in cold weather, And like vinegar on soda,

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A bridle for the donkey, And a rod for the fool’s back. Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes. He who sends a message by the hand of a fool Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. Like the legs of the lame that hang limp Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 26:8 | 922 8 Like one who binds a stone in a sling 9

11 12

Is he who gives honor to a fool. Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard Is a proverb in the mouth of fools. The great God who formed everything Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.a As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly. Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. DISCERNING THE MEANING | Prov. 26:7, 9 Proverb — This Hebrew word means an “insightful saying.” The word is commonly associated with Solomon, who spoke some three thousand proverbs (1 Kin. 4:32; Eccl. 12:9). In Proverbs, the section headings indicate that both the two-line witty adage and the longer instructions of wisdom can be called by this name (Prov. 1:1; 10:1; 25:1). In Job, even an extended philosophical discourse can be called a proverb (Job 27:1; 29:1). In Ezekiel, the insightful saying can take on the form of a parable (Ezek. 17:2; 24:3). The Book of Proverbs makes it clear that all of these sayings are exclusively the domain of the wise (Prov. 1:6; 26:7, 9). They are intended to instruct us in the realities of life, the truth, and most importantly the fear of God (Prov. 1:6, 7).

13 The lazy man says, “There

is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!” 14 As a door turns on its hinges, So does the lazy man on his bed. 15 The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl;a It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth. 16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can answer sensibly. 17 He who passes by and meddles

in a quarrel not his own Is like one who takes a dog by the ears. 18 Like a madman who throws

firebrands, arrows, and death, 19 Is the man who deceives his neighbor,

And says, “I was only joking!”

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20 Where there is no wood,

the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. 21 As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to kindle strife. 22 The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body. 23 Fervent lips with a wicked heart

Are like earthenware covered with silver dross. 24 He who hates, disguises it with his lips,

And lays up deceit within himself; 25 When he speaks kindly, do

not believe him, For there are seven abominations in his heart; 26 Though his hatred is covered by deceit, His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly. 27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,

And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him. 28 A lying tongue hates those

who are crushed by it, And a flattering mouth works ruin.

‌ o not boast about tomorrow, D For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

2 Let another man praise you,

and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips. 3 A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,

But a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them. 4 Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent,

But who is able to stand before jealousy? 5 Open rebuke is better

Than love carefully concealed. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 26:10 a The Hebrew is difficult; ancient and modern translators differ greatly. 26:15 a Compare 19:24

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FIRST PROOFS 923 | Proverbs 28:7 7 A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb,

But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. 8 Like a bird that wanders from its nest

Is a man who wanders from his place. 9 Ointment and perfume

delight the heart, And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel. 10 Do not forsake your own friend

or your father’s friend, Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away. 11 My son, be wise, and make

my heart glad, That I may answer him who reproaches me. 12 A prudent man foresees evil

and hides himself; The simple pass on and are punished. 13 Take the garment of him who

is surety for a stranger, And hold it in pledge when he is surety for a seductress. 14 He who blesses his friend with a loud

voice, rising early in the morning, It will be counted a curse to him. 15 A continual dripping on

a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike; 16 Whoever restrains her restrains the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand. 17 As iron sharpens iron,

So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. 18 Whoever keeps the fig tree

will eat its fruit; So he who waits on his master will be honored. 19 As in water face reflects face,

So a man’s heart reveals the man. 20 Hella and Destructionb are never full;

So the eyes of man are never satisfied.

And a man is valued by what others say of him. 22 Though you grind a fool in a

mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his foolishness will not depart from him. 23 Be diligent to know the

state of your flocks, And attend to your herds; 24 For riches are not forever, Nor does a crown endure to all generations. 25 When the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in, 26 The lambs will provide your clothing, And the goats the price of a field; 27 You shall have enough goats’ milk for your food, For the food of your household, And the nourishment of your maidservants.

‌ he wicked flee when T no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.

2 Because of the transgression of a

land, many are its princes; But by a man of understanding and knowledge Right will be prolonged. 3 A poor man who oppresses the poor

Is like a driving rain which leaves no food. 4 Those who forsake the law

praise the wicked, But such as keep the law contend with them. 5 Evil men do not understand justice,

But those who seek the Lord understand all. 6 Better is the poor who walks

in his integrity Than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich. 7 Whoever keeps the law is

a discerning son,

21 The refining pot is for silver

and the furnace for gold,

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b Hebrew Abaddon 27:20 a Or Sheol

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 28:8 | 924 But a companion of gluttons shames his father. 8 One who increases his possessions

by usury and extortion Gathers it for him who will pity the poor. 9 One who turns away his ear

from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. 10 Whoever causes the upright to

go astray in an evil way, He himself will fall into his own pit; But the blameless will inherit good.

DISCERNING THE MEANING | Prov. 28:20 Faithful — ’Emunah refers to something that is permanent and stable. It means “firmness, faithfulness, fidelity, steadiness, certainty, that which is steadfast.” The word amen is drawn from this word and means “it is firmly, truly so!” This word is used of Moses’ steady hands (Ex. 17:12), faithful workers (2 Chr. 34:12; Prov. 28:20), truth (Ps. 100:5), and God’s faithful love and mercy (Ps. 89:1). An illustration of the permanence associated with this word is Psalm 100:5: “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth [’emunah] endures to all generations.”

11 The rich man is wise in his own eyes,

But the poor who has understanding searches him out. 12 When the righteous rejoice,

there is great glory; But when the wicked arise, men hide themselves. 13 He who covers his sins will not prosper,

But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. 14 Happy is the man who is

always reverent, But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. 15 Like a roaring lion and a charging bear

Is a wicked ruler over poor people. 16 A ruler who lacks understanding

is a great oppressor, But he who hates covetousness will prolong his days. 17 A man burdened with bloodshed

will flee into a pit; Let no one help him. 18 Whoever walks blamelessly

will be saved, But he who is perverse in his ways will suddenly fall. 19 He who tills his land will

have plenty of bread, But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough! 20 A faithful man will abound

with blessings, But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

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21 To show partiality is not good,

Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress. 22 A man with an evil eye

hastens after riches, And does not consider that poverty will come upon him. 23 He who rebukes a man will find

more favor afterward Than he who flatters with the tongue. 24 Whoever robs his father or his m other,

And says, “It is no transgression,” The same is companion to a destroyer. 25 He who is of a proud heart

stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered. 26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,

But whoever walks wisely will be delivered. 27 He who gives to the poor will not lack,

But he who hides his eyes will have many curses. 28 When the wicked arise, men

hide themselves; But when they perish, the righteous increase.

‌ e who is often rebuked, H and hardens his neck, Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

2 When the righteous are in

authority, the people rejoice;

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FIRST PROOFS 925 | Proverbs 29:23 But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. 3 Whoever loves wisdom makes

his father rejoice, But a companion of harlots wastes his wealth. 4 The king establishes the

land by justice, But he who receives bribes overthrows it. 5 A man who flatters his neighbor

Spreads a net for his feet. 6 By transgression an evil man is snared,

But the righteous sings and rejoices. 7 The righteous considers the

cause of the poor, But the wicked does not understand such knowledge. 8 Scoffers set a city aflame,

But wise men turn away wrath. 9 If a wise man contends

with a foolish man, Whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace. 10 The bloodthirsty hate the blameless,

But the upright seek his well-being.a 11 A fool vents all his feelings,a

But a wise man holds them back. 12 If a ruler pays attention to lies,

All his servants become wicked. 13 The poor man and the oppressor

have this in common: The Lord gives light to the eyes of both. 14 The king who judges the

poor with truth, His throne will be established forever. 15 The rod and rebuke give wisdom,

But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. 16 When the wicked are multiplied,

transgression increases; But the righteous will see their fall.

APPLYING THE MESSAGE | Prov. 29:15, 17

Do It; Don’t Overdo It Proverbs regularly urges corporal punishment as one of the tools parents must be willing to use in certain cases. Failure to use it appropriately often leads to its hidden, inappropriate use, resulting in abuse because of verbal attacks or physical blows. Unfortunately, many parents struggle today under the assumption that all physical punishment fits in the category of abuse when it does not. Notice the following comparisons between physical abuse and healthy corporal punishment. This is difference between brutal spanking and Bible spanking: the first is something parents do to a child; the second is something parents do for a child. The first is a reaction by parental frustration; the other is a response to confront rebellion. The first is intended to change outward behavior; the second is to change inward attitudes. The first is performed throughout a child’s life; the other is nearly completed by the age five. Once a child begins to assert his or her will, the option of corporal punishment used wisely will mean less severity to accomplish the purpose.

18 Where there is no revelation,a the

people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law. 19 A servant will not be corrected

by mere words; For though he understands, he will not respond. 20 Do you see a man hasty in his words?

There is more hope for a fool than for him. 21 He who pampers his servant

from childhood Will have him as a son in the end. 22 An angry man stirs up strife,

And a furious man abounds in transgression. 23 A man’s pride will bring him low,

But the humble in spirit will retain honor.

17 Correct your son, and he

will give you rest; Yes, he will give delight to your soul.

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29:10 a Literally soul 29:11 a Literally spirit 29:18 a Or prophetic vision

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 29:24 | 926 24 Whoever is a partner with a

thief hates his own life; He swears to tell the truth,a but reveals nothing. 25 The fear of man brings a snare,

But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.

10 Do not malign a servant to his master,

Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty. 11 There is a generation that

26 Many seek the ruler’s favor,

But justice for man comes from the Lord.

27 An unjust man is an abomination

to the righteous, And he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.

The Wisdom of Agur

‌ he words of Agur the son of Jakeh, T his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal: 2 Surely I am more stupid than any man,

And do not have the understanding of a man. 3 I neither learned wisdom Nor have knowledge of the Holy One. 4 Who has ascended into

heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, If you know? 5 Every word of God is pure;

He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. 6 Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. 7 Two things I request of You

(Deprive me not before I die): 8 Remove falsehood and

lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to me; 9 Lest I be full and deny You, And say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.

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curses its father, And does not bless its m other. There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, Yet is not washed from its filthiness. There is a generation—oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, And whose fangs are like knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, And the needy from among men.

15 The leech has two daughters—

Give and Give! There are three things that are never satisfied, Four never say, “Enough!”: 16 The grave,a The barren womb, The earth that is not satisfied with water— And the fire never says, “Enough!” 17 The eye that mocks his father,

And scorns obedience to his mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it. 18 There are three things which

are too wonderful for me, Yes, four which I do not understand: 19 The way of an eagle in the air, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the midst of the sea, And the way of a man with a virgin. 20 This is the way of an

adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, “I have done no wickedness.” 21 For three things the earth is perturbed,

Yes, for four it cannot bear up: 22 For a servant when he reigns,

A fool when he is filled with food, 29:24 a Literally hears the adjuration 30:16 a Or Sheol

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FIRST PROOFS

PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

Big Lessons from Little Creatures | Prov. 30:24–28 We know that Solomon was a great king of Israel. The Bible also teaches us that Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. We are told in I Kings 4:32 that Solomon spoke 3000 proverbs and composed 1005 songs. He was also an expert in botany, zoology, ornithology, entomology, and ichthyology. I want to share with you some of the lessons that Solomon gives that are big lessons from little creatures for your little children. The first is taken from the world of ants.

I. The Ants: Preparation (30:25) We learn from the ants the lesson of preparation. Compared to us, ants have a size and strength disadvantage. Living in a world where people are stomping around with clodhoppers, the ant is totally defenseless. The Bible tells us how very weak and vulnerable little children are. Rightly so, you are very protective of your children because in this old world the little ones can easily get crushed under the heels of our godless and secular society. What a terrible thing our society is doing to our little ones! What is the lesson from the ants? During the summer they prepare for the winter. When the food is plenteous, they gather it. Somebody says, “I don’t believe in preparing for the future. I’m just going to live for the now.” How unwise can you be? Parents need to learn a big lesson from a little creature, the ant: the importance of preparation. You need to prepare your children physically. Teach them the importance of their bodies and that their body is the temple of God. Prepare your children socially. Help then know how to get along with people. The family is a laboratory where you learn the importance of relationships. Teach them how to get along financially. Show them how to handle money. Get them prepared educationally. Preparing them for the present life is important, but we must also prepare our boys and girls for the future. Are you getting your children ready for eternity? Next, Solomon brings up another little creature.

II. The Badgers: Foundation (30:26) From the rock badgers, we are going to learn the lesson of the importance of a foundation. The feebleness of the rock badger reminds us of children. Parents, help your children find a hiding place. To hide from its predators, the rock badger climbs up into the rocks and finds a good foundation and place to hide itself in the rocks. The hymn “Rock of Ages” pictures the Lord as that rock of safety (Ps. 61:2, 3). Jesus talked about this in His Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 7:24–27). Jesus made it clear that people who build on His words have a firm foundation; those who don’t are building on sand. You will not be able to protect your boys and girls from the vicissitudes and storms

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FIRST PROOFS

Big Lessons from Little Creatures (continued) PRESENTING THE MESSAGE

and streams of life. Sooner or later, they will have to get out in the real world. You can’t protect them, but you can get your kids on a rock-solid foundation. Get them to Jesus and His Word. When the storm blows, they will be safe and secure.

III. The Locusts: Co-operation (30:27) Almost always in Scripture, locusts are presented in a negative way. But in this proverb, they teach the lesson of co-operation. Locusts don’t have any kings, yet they swarm together. Parents need to teach their boys and girls the importance of being involved in a local congregation of believers. Paul made the point that the body of Christ is one but made up of many (1 Cor. 12:12). Here is a word of encouragement. We understand that every child comes to the point when he or she makes more and more conscious, personal decisions for his or her own life—a nd may turn away from the church. But after over many decades of being a pastor, I have noticed a very definite process. Keep praying for your boys and girls. All of a sudden you look up in church, and there they are. One of these days, when they become parents, they may wake up! Young couples are always coming back to the faith of their moms and dads because their own children have spoken to their hearts. The fourth little creature has a big lesson.

IV. The Spider: Aspiration (30:28) The lesson of the spider is the lesson of aspiration. Some translators translate the word used here as spider; others say lizard. We don’t know really which one it is. The lesson is the same. Both spiders and lizards show up anywhere they aspire to visit, even the king’s palace. Encourage your children’s aspirations. Affirm their abilities. But most of all, help them aspire to one day live forever with Jesus in the King’s palace. Remind then it’s the greatest aspiration we can never earn. Matthew 12:42 tells that when Jesus was talking about the queen of Sheba coming to King Solomon to hear his wisdom, He said, “Indeed a greater than Solomon is here,” talking about Himself. Solomon is not here, but Jesus is here. Solomon was a great king, but Jesus is the King of kings. Solomon was a wise man, but Jesus is the One in whom all the treasures of wisdom reside. Solomon could give you proverbs to live by. Jesus can give you power to live by those proverbs.

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FIRST PROOFS 929 | Proverbs 31:9 23 A hateful woman when

she is married, And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress. 24 There are four things which

are little on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise: 25 The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare their food in the summer; 26 The rock badgersa are a feeble folk, Yet they make their homes in the crags; 27 The locusts have no king, Yet they all advance in ranks; 28 The spider a skillfully grasps with its hands, And it is in kings’ palaces. APPLYING THE MESSAGE | Prov. 30:24–28

Child Decisions

29 There are three things which

are majestic in pace, Yes, four which are stately in walk: 30 A lion, which is mighty among beasts And does not turn away from any; 31 A greyhound,a A male goat also, And a king whose troops are with him.b 32 If you have been foolish in

exalting yourself, Or if you have devised evil, put your hand on your mouth. 33 For as the churning of milk produces butter, And wringing the nose produces blood, So the forcing of wrath produces strife.

The Words of King Lemuel’s Mother

‌ he words of King Lemuel, the utterT other taught him: ance which his m

2 What, my son? You may say, “I don’t believe that these boys and girls who are making a profession of faith in Christ know what they are doing.” I accepted Jesus when I was nine. I didn’t know all I was doing either. I still don’t, and I still don’t know all God was doing. But I knew this: as a nine- year-old boy, I was a lost sinner. I knew Jesus Christ died on the Cross for my sins. I knew that if I would repent of my sins and by faith receive Jesus into my heart and my life, He would save me. I did, and He did; and I’ve been saved ever since! Don’t tell me boys and girls don’t know what they are doing. Some children know more about the Bible than you do. I’m talking about the importance of preparing for the future, preparing for eternity. Hadrian, the wicked emperor of Rome, on his deathbed lamented, “No more crown for this head; no more beauty for these eyes; no more music for these ears; no more food for this stomach. But my soul, oh, my soul. What is to become of you?” Little boys and girls not only have a physical nature and a psychological nature, they also have a spiritual nature. They will spend somewhere in eternity forever. A person is a fool who doesn’t teach children the importance of trusting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Like the ant, prepare—your children for eternity.

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And what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows? 3 Do not give your strength to women, Nor your ways to that which destroys kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel,

It is not for kings to drink wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink; Lest they drink and forget the law, And pervert the justice of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to those who are bitter of heart. Let him drink and forget his poverty, And remember his misery no more.

8 Open your mouth for the speechless,

In the cause of all who are appointed to die.a 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy. 0:26 a Or hyraxes 30:28 a Or lizard 3 30:31 a Exact identity unknown b A Jewish tradition reads a king against whom there is no uprising. 31:8 a Literally sons of passing away

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FIRST PROOFS Proverbs 31:10 | 930 The Virtuous Wife

26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,

10 Whoa can find a virtuousb wife?

And on her tongue is the law of kindness. 27 She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:

For her worth is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. 13 She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, She brings her food from afar. 15 She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants. 16 She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard. 17 She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms. 18 She perceives that her merchandise is good, And her lamp does not go out by night. 19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle. 20 She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet. 22 She makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants. 25 Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come.

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DISCERNING THE MEANING | Prov. 31:28 Blessed — This word originally meant “be straight or upright” but expanded in meaning to encompass the ideas of “happy, prosperous, successful, right, and contented.” The combination of “straight” and “happy” in this word demonstrate the biblical worldview that true happiness is only found in living according to God’s plan (Prov. 31:28). The messianic prophecy in Psalm 72:17 calls Christ both blessed and a blessing: “His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; all nations shall call Him blessed.” The nation of Israel will also be called “blessed” by the whole world (Mal. 3:12).

29 “Many daughters have done well,

But you excel them all.” 30 Charm is deceitful and

beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates. 31:10 a Verses 10 through 31 are an alphabetic acrostic in Hebrew (compare Psalm 119). b Literally a wife of valor, in the sense of all forms of excellence

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