#695 Not To Men

Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry!

Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!

2 From your presence let my vindication come!

Let your eyes behold the right!

3 You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,

you have tested me, and you will find nothing;

I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.

4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips

I have avoided the ways of the violent.

5 My steps have held fast to your paths;

my feet have not slipped.

6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;

incline your ear to me; hear my words.

7 Wondrously show your steadfast love,

O Savior of those who seek refuge

from their adversaries at your right hand.

8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;

hide me in the shadow of your wings,

9 from the wicked who do me violence,

my deadly enemies who surround me.

10 They close their hearts to pity;

with their mouths they speak arrogantly.

11 They have now surrounded our steps;

they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.

12 He is like a lion eager to tear,

as a young lion lurking in ambush.

13 Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him!

Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,

14 from men by your hand, O Lord,

from men of the world whose portion is in this life.

You fill their womb with treasure;

they are satisfied with children,

and they leave their abundance to their infants.

15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;

when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness. Psalm 17 ESV

Lips free of deceit - David takes his troubles to God, and there is no use in hidden agendas or vain repetitions, God already knows. He is asking God to vindicate him because he feels the cause is just, that he is in the right this time. 

By the word of Your lips - He has set about to do what pleases God, and these things He knows from the Word of God. This is the light that keeps him on the path. He has not slipped in this or acted as the violent.

Those Who seek refuge - It would not be unusual of God to extend help to those who cry out for justice. The Psalmist knows he will be heard for his seeking, not with a memorized spell from a dusty old scroll, but for the pouring out of a heart that has set itself to do the will of God. 

Shadow of Your wings - Hold me in a place of importance to You, not for the glory of my ego, but to the wonders of your grace. Like a child that you are willing to die for, cover me from my enemy. 

36Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! 38Look, your house is left to you desolate.…Matthew 23: 36-38

They close their hearts to pity - I have tried to come to peace with my enemy, but he still pines over my blood. I have fed him when he was hungry, brought him safe water when he was thirsty, and Lord he still seeks my harm. God, I have put myself in his shoes, seen him as made in Your image, yet he still looks down upon my life. 

Whose portion is in this life - I come to You oh God, for no matter who my enemy is, he can do nothing outside Your hand. Teach me to depend on You in this, to sorrow over my own lost soul, for You found me, and You teach me, You have given me faith, and surely You will sanctify me. All the wicked care about is what they can obtain in this life, how much dust they can hold in their hands. 

When I awake - Though they have their reward here, and their kingdoms sometimes pass to generations, yet we all will sleep, but some shall awaken to eternal glory, and I would prefer eternity to that which is fleeting. The Psalmist satisfaction rests in one day being face to face with the Lord, living in the light of His countenance.

1Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2So when you give to the needy, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be praised by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their reward. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,… Matthew 6: 1-3

#694 Preservatives

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

I have no good apart from you.”

3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,

in whom is all my delight.

4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;

their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out

or take their names on my lips.

5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;

you hold my lot.

6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;

in the night also my heart instructs me.

8 I have set the Lord always before me;

because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure.

10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,

or let your holy one see corruption.

11 You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16 ESV

Preserve me - This sounds like something one would say heading into battle, probably in view of one or some of the many trials that David's life saw. How am I going to deal with this? How am I going to carry myself in this? I am going to trust God, declare Him as Lord over my life, this situation, and I want to respond out of love to all those around me. I don't want speak from a heart full of anxious notions, from superiority, show or a need to be liked, but apart from You there is nothing but that. 

In whom is all my delight - David loved God's people. This is the hardest island for me to come off of, and I can give a thousand excuses, but if I love God, then I love His people, as broken as we are. The Bible has to give it as a command, "forsake not the assembly", or else I would rest ignorantly and content in the high places. I would call my church the water, but if iron sharpens iron then all I would do is rust. 

The sorrows - David is loyal to the One true God and Creator of all things. He recognizes the folly of chasing that which isn't God, and as one who deals with many different rulers, he does not consider compromise as wise politics. David refuses to follow any customs concerning other gods or to even say their names. He has no back up plan, it is only God, there is none else.

Chosen portion - However the trial may look, my faith is in the Lord. He has assigned to me what is mine, there is no good in chasing stature by means contrary to His way. He looks forward to a beautiful inheritance, and remember there are candles just now being lit, that let us see further into the dark of the future. There is this hope by faith in some unseen country, a place beyond this time. 

9By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By faith Sarah, even though she was barren and beyond the proper age, was enabled to conceive a child, because she considered Him faithful who had promised.… Hebrews 11: 9-11

My heart instructs me - "Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against Thee." There are so many that consider themselves Sages in this world, "the answer is inside you." Well, guess what, if

God's Word is inside you then His counsel is with you. Meditate on it for the stirring up of your faith, for the piety that comes from within, that if the eyes of all others are fixed upon you, it doesn't matter, all you care to know is what God says, and what His eyes see. "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."

Let Your holy one see corruption - David looks forward to the preservation of his soul, a glimmer of hope at a life after death, yet his body will see decay. There is a type here that will grow stronger, and by Psalm 22 become quite unmistakable. I use to think that Jesus and his followers pointed to passages in the old testament in order to promote their religion, but the sacrificial nature of God humbling Himself to take on humanity, is the law, the sacrifices and the consistent story of old. The more candles that are lit, the more difficult the task of diminishing their prophetic significance becomes. 

34In fact, God raised Him from the dead never to see decay. As He has said: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings I promised to David.’ 35So also, He says in another Psalm: ‘You will not let your Holy One see decay.’ 36For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. His body was buried with his fathers and saw decay.… Acts 13: 34-36

At Your right hand - This is the place of honor, for all who are in Christ. Eternal joy, there is nothing about this life that compares to it, but there is a joy unmistakable here, that the Psalmist finds not in earthly alliances, but in the presence of God. We do not find the path of life, but God makes it known to us.  

1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands— this is the Word of life. 2And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us.… 1 John 1: 1-2

#693 Coming To Your House

O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?

Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right

and speaks truth in his heart;

3 who does not slander with his tongue

and does no evil to his neighbor,

nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised,

but who honors those who fear the Lord;

who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

5 who does not put out his money at interest

and does not take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved. Psalm 15 ESV

Sojourn in Your tent - The tabernacle came before the temple. It was this king who desired to build a more permanent structure for the Lord, but this duty was designated for his son. Anyway, the tabernacle was more like a tent, which was carried about with Israel during the 40 years in the wilderness and onward. It is a nomadic sort of question, there is a kind of hospitality in the middle east and dry countries, where travelers would come to stay in the tents and confines of each other. It was considered an honor not only to be a guest, but more so a host. In Christ time we see the washing of feet and we have His words, "behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and sup with him." Who would God invite into His tent? 

Who shall dwell on Your holy hill - Another look at the same question and it reminds me of a song when I was a kid. 

"Nicodemus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he

he climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see"

 Nicodemus was one of those who was despised by the zealous and even not so zealous, for he was a tax collector. The answer to these two questions follows in verses 2 - 5, and this would easily discredit a man like Nicodemus, yet the Lord approaches him in the tree, and says, "Nicodemus, you come down, for I am going to your house today." 

Speaks truth in his heart - This is not only unfavorable to Nicodemus, but I also find myself unqualified. I have not walked blamelessly, and my heart has held darker things than my actions or words have even betrayed. "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." 

Who does not slander with his tongue - This is grievous, for we would not like to be spoken against even when the accusations are true, but we love to lift ourselves up so much upon the poor performance of others, that we will paint them in an unfair light. Gossip, slander, envy, pure poison, and if you could become a guest in the tent of God, He knows all aright, so those lying lips would not be welcome. This is not to be used as an abuse against the truth either, for we are still told to confront evil as well. If someone has wronged or is still wronging you, then go to an authority that can help and be honest of the situation. We do no good covering for wickedness anymore than slandering the righteous.

Who does not put out his money at interest - It is interesting how much we are respecters of person. If you are wealthy then you can often times more easily get a low interest rate. Some of this is based upon merit as well, but for those who are clean but without history, they still become an excuse to be treated as high risk, and at such rates that make one cry, "extortion!" I think this verse is not so much against a usury fee as it is against a predatory eye to the poor. If someone is already struggling, then why dig them the deeper hole. It is a matter of compassion, and the ungrateful servant will also not be on the guest list. 

and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 43You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’…Matthew 5: 41-43

#692 Crawling Towards The Cross

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;

there is none who does good.

2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,

to see if there are any who understand,

who seek after God.

3 They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;

there is none who does good,

not even one.

4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers

who eat up my people as they eat bread

and do not call upon the Lord?

5 There they are in great terror,

for God is with the generation of the righteous.

6 You would shame the plans of the poor,

but the Lord is his refuge.

7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,

let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. Psalm 14 ESV

In his heart - Listen, it is not just out loud, for some say, "there is a God" out loud, but in their heart  they say, "He is not aware of man, He is far off, and not concerned with our affairs." Some say there is a god, but not The God, to them their may be many gods, or the means by which they come to understand the world, their science or some man of science, is their demigod. For some it is the culmination of the intellect, as technology increases they think man to also evolve. Whether the polytheist, the Sunday Christian, monotheist, agnostic etc.., they are yet all atheist to the God that makes Himself known in Scripture, for He is the God that looks at the heart. If He reveals Himself one way, and men say, "not You then, not that God, not this way", then whatever they set about to have as god is yet an idol, even the declaration that there is no God. 

For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.…Romans 1: 21-23

None who does good - It is easy to see that if there is no God, there is no absolute high moral standard, the bar is not made from gold, but rather the substance of whims. It is not only those that deny God though; the Psalmist realizes that no one is of themselves righteous, even those who profess God still fall short. 

And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 3: 22-24

Down from Heaven - Some prefer that God not interfere, as if because we can think and make words, they are to some great effect. It is His creation, so what is the clay to say to the potter? We beat our chest anyways, and rant on as fools, because the state of our heart is fixed upon affection towards things and an unrealistic view of ourselves. We think far too highly of ourselves, and so we are easily offended and yet think nothing of offending. As the world came together to build the tower of Babel, the triune Being, visits the world of men, and finding them in one place, He sees that none seek God, that they are together corrupt. Just as they were before the flood, violent and set upon worldliness. They don't call upon the Lord, they make idols, they build towers as a security, they defy God or try to define Him rather than taking Him at His own word. 

Babel

Who eat up My people - God's people seem to be at a disadvantage. Those whose hearts have been changed, come to say not only that "there is a God", but also show this in their deeds. The liar is not bound by truth or good reason. The thief does not respect that someone else owns what he wants. Where is justice for those, who yet struggle with temptation, but desire to do good? Shall they always be the brunt of it?  Check out these paragraphs from the late C.H. Spurgeon:

Spurgeon used this verse to consider the ways that Christians should stand strong though they are shamed and mocked by the workers of iniquity. “You young men in the great firms of London, you working men that work in the factories — you are sneered at. Let them sneer. If they can sneer you out of your religion, you have not got any worth having. Remember you can be laughed into hell, but you can never be laughed out of it.” (Spurgeon)

iii. “‘Oh! but they will point at you.’ Cannot you bear to be pointed at? ‘But they will chaff you.’ Chaff — let them chaff you. Can that hurt a man that is a man? If you are a molluscous creature that has no backbone, you may be afraid of jokes, and jeers, and jests; but if God has made you upright, stand upright and be a man.” (Spurgeon)

#691 Egg Tooth

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

2 How long must I take counsel in my soul

and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;

light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,

4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”

lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;

my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the Lord,

because he has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13 ESV

How long - It is always long enough or too long to us, our trials, but faith stands that the Lord knows better. When you're hungry the oven is forever, thirsty, the well is so far away. God, haven't I learned enough? There is not much on this earth worthy of sweating blood, but once the soul knows of the Father, has heard the promise, the worst is to turn and not see the Father, to call and not hear Him respond. It is the sense of having His back turned to our sin, that was the dread of Calvary, the anxiety of Christ. 

Counsel in my soul - I search the promises that I put away in the store house of my memory. Did God say this? yes, I think, I remember the places I should have been and those I went to instead. I comfort myself that He forgave before, that it was never my own strength that brought me out before, yet I wander the library of my mind hoping against hope that there is an answer. Why won't You answer me? My enemy is laughing as though he is in the right, that he is victorious, and now Your servant looks the fool. What have I done that I may correct it, that the devil's servants will be shut up? 

Light up my eyes - Restore my countenance, make me presentable once again, for Your sake oh God, Your glory, let me catch a glimpse of hope, lest my heart fail inside of me. Don't let this turn into the happiness of my enemies, that I be the jester like poor Samson, remember me Oh Lord, let this cup please pass from me. Give me strength one last time to serve You. 

But I have trusted - Once we leave off those things for which we despair, that our burdens are brought to God in prayer and our conscience has been thoroughly emptied by confession, there is nothing left but to rejoice. Whether in this life, that relief where we are justified before men, or better than that will ever taste, to be justified before God, it is to Christ we must throw all crowns. 

Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10And after you have suffered for a little while,the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory inChrist, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you. 11To Him be the power forever and ever. Amen.…1 Peter 5:9-11

#690 Plotting To Kill God

Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone;

for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.

2 Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;

with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,

the tongue that makes great boasts,

4 those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail,

our lips are with us; who is master over us?”

5 “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,

I will now arise,” says the Lord;

“I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”

6 The words of the Lord are pure words,

like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,

purified seven times.

7 You, O Lord, will keep them;

you will guard us from this generation forever.

8 On every side the wicked prowl,

as vileness is exalted among the children of man. Psalm 12 ESV

To be played upon the 8 string harp, a psalm of David. 

The faithful have vanished - Surely you are not so young in reading this, that you cannot recount the words of parent or grandparent, when they speak of simpler times. Many like to reminisce about the times when a man's hand shake was his seal, that his good name was too valuable to him to risk. I  have lived in places where we did not bother to lock the doors, where the garage could be left open. Don't get me wrong, there was never perfection, it is not that no one ever lied, but it was never that the truth was so lowly esteemed that it became "their truth vs. my truth." There was the truth, what actually happened, and the one not telling this was a liar. The Psalmist probably mourns the lonely hills, misses the companionship of his fellow heroes, warriors that he has learned to trust because they have proven themselves in the worst of times. In the halls of the kings it is now only politicians, and the shepherd is far away from his solitude. The men here speak of people's perception as being their reality, they do not "lie" in their minds, for it is just business. They say what people want to hear to get elected, they stand for little and rise up on words, unsupported by the truth of deeds. Where are the faithful, those who are not only Christians on Sunday morning, those who know the truth may sting but it will not rot the teeth like so many flattering words? What a lonely place, of whispering, of closed doors, plotting, butt kissing, and David would like to see this cut off. 

Silver refined - The Lord's words do not just bare the shine of silver, but compared to the words of men they have been refined seven times. These are the hills upon which we may rise, the mountains to where we may retreat, the word of God sharper is than any two edged sword, it pierces the very soul. There is no comparison with men, all their words fall off, and a thousand times it is better to say what God has said. It may cut me but I will hug it back, I will rest here because it is fixed. It was not what I first wanted to hear, but it is the truth and so it is what I needed and infinitely more valuable than your flattering lips. You have said one thing to my face and a very different thing to my back, but God has heard it all. 

Vileness is exalted - Men hold high trash talkers, praise and envy the violent, admire power no matter how it was got. We esteem the rich who have become so at the price of the needy, who have pretended to care for the poor, who have looked down their nose at the weak. It is all lies here, protect us from this generation, let this wickedness be removed from us, let me only have but one heart, oh Lord. Even in light of the truth they continue with the lie or trade for the next lie. Oh God, deliver me from the lie. 

Instead, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our hearts. 5As you know, we never used words of flattery or any pretext for greed. God is our witness! 6Nor did we seek praise from you or from anyone else, although as apostles of Christ we had authority to demand it.…1 Thessalonians 2: 4-6

#689 Enemy of the State

In the Lord I take refuge;

how can you say to my soul,

“Flee like a bird to your mountain,

2 for behold, the wicked bend the bow;

they have fitted their arrow to the string

to shoot in the dark 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 see, his eyelids test the children of man.

5 The Lord tests the righteous,

but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

6 Let him rain coals on the wicked;

fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

7 For the Lord is righteous;

he loves righteous deeds;

the upright shall behold his face. Psalm 11 ESV


Some think this to be written by David after his name had become great in Saul's kingdom, for Saul knew that God would raise another to take his place, that his kingdom would not stand. This did not lead him unto repentance, but rather a vise like grip upon that which God was taking away. In this song, David ask, "how can you say to my soul, flee like a bird"? God is his mountain, and David's trust is in Him, so it would appear that their advice is seen as a knee jerk. David does not want to live a life in fear, his decisions can not fall to the board of speculation, as much as it touches his soul and is probably the advice of his friends, he does not want to run. 

Bend their bow - You can't go their, you must take flight, don't go to Jerusalem, Son of David, they are waiting for You. David was a lesser type, Christ was also tested in such a manner by those close to Him. Remember when Peter was called Satan, and the rebuke must have stung given the good intention, and so David's friends probably see no other way. You have to run far from here, and maybe he should leave, but not if it is God's will for him to stay close by.

What can the righteous do - The answer to that is simple, "the Lord's throne is in heaven." He sees all this that is going on here, but if I am His servant, if He has called me and the prophet's have spoken truthfully, then I should like to wait for Him to answer. I will keep my trust in God, Who is above all of this.

The Lord tests the righteous - It is not unlike Him to allow adversity, to harden Pharaoh's heart against Israel, to not immediately remove Saul from his throne, but if God has said it, then He will surely do it. It is in trial that we start to learn the truth of our dependence, that we cannot live by bread alone. David was a shepherd boy, who God taught in the midst of adversity, how to be a king. It is this great poise, his seeming unshakeable nature, though cut deep, it yet stands and is a lesson to would be pretenders. God has chosen him and he can rest contentedly in the knowledge of God's rule from heaven. He will not even have to kill Saul when afforded the opportunity, and though the time of the promise be uncertain, God's unchanging nature is steadfast. Wickedness will see it's day.


22Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. “Far be it from You, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to You!” 23But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me. For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” 24Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.…Matthew 16: 22-24

#687 A Magnifying Glass

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;

I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

2 I will be glad and exult in you;

I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

3 When my enemies turn back,

they stumble and perish before your presence.

4 For you have maintained my just cause;

you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.

5 You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;

you have blotted out their name forever and ever.

6 The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;

their cities you rooted out;

the very memory of them has perished.

7 But the Lord sits enthroned forever;

he has established his throne for justice,

8 and he judges the world with righteousness;

he judges the peoples with uprightness.

9 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,

a stronghold in times of trouble.

10 And those who know your name put their trust in you,

for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

11 Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion!

Tell among the peoples his deeds!

12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;

he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

13 Be gracious to me, O Lord!

See my affliction from those who hate me,

O you who lift me up from the gates of death,

14 that I may recount all your praises,

that in the gates of the daughter of Zion

I may rejoice in your salvation.

15 The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;

in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.

16 The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment;

the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah

17 The wicked shall return to Sheol,

all the nations that forget God.

18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten,

and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

19 Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail;

let the nations be judged before you!

20 Put them in fear, O Lord!

Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah Psalm 9 ESV

It is sad for the fellow who cannot look back upon the course of his life and find the deeds of God. Those things that are outside of ourselves, beyond the capacity of our own doing, that you were made, that what you stand on was made. Men so often have, in their minds, a better explanation, like they are just here. There is no Creator to praise, because they have for themselves ruled this out. If there is a God then He is unjust, for men have enemies in other men, in suffering, in sickness and while they may reminisce about victories, they spare no credit to the Lord. The Psalmist sees these trials, and finds God's hand, that He has turned back His enemies, that He does bring to ruin the wicked, like the ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah, or the washing away of the earth's inhabitants by the flood. 

The memory of them has perished - There is a perspective that is hard to ascertain, and men have long craved the idea of immortality through deeds, that we live on in the thoughts and memories of family or the pages of our history. I try to remember that there is an eternal perspective, and this changes the course of prayer, that so much will seem like nothing in comparison, that the memory will perish, the enemy will be a vapor. It changes also the determination, making an allowance to forgive, softening the will to avenge. Many have stood against God, but what is this little pot, and what shall it be when it is grinded back down?

But the Lord - You are not like us, not dust, more marvelous than I can comprehend. You are just and righteous, your throne is established forever. What I may think grand or good in men, You are above that, and surely You will one day deliver the poor, all who trust in You. 
Tell among the people His deeds - When we forget Who God is and what He has done, we find our present sufferings all the more precarious. We should remind each other, give testimony of the greatness of our God. This chapter is a good outline of a prayer, of a Sunday worship. He gives thanks, he recounts, he sings praises. 

Be gracious to me - Lord, You don't owe me, but be gracious to me that I may tell of it, that I may rejoice in Your goodness. 

Work of their own hands - What the world means for evil, God can turn to good. Remember the gallows that were made for Mordecai never saw his neck, but broke and strangled that same Haman who asked to have them built. Liars can attest to much stress over where they are in the stories they have spun. Gossipers often become the least favored when it is seen that those they talk about are often of greater character. Often the wicked prosper and it is puzzling to us, but remember that greater perspective, and cry out for the saving of their souls. Higgaion was interesting word, translated, "a pause for reflection" probably a break in the song. It is followed by Selah which is hard to find an explanation of, some suggest a musical instruction as it is found at the end of many lines of poetry in the Psalms and also 3 times in Habakkuk. Some think that it means to stop, measure, lift or hang upon. Put here with Higgaion that may be a reasonable inference, a direction in music to pause, reflect or change in tempo, a call to note something significant. My dad heard a definition of the word as "thus shall it be" in seminary, but he says that is only one and no one knows for certain now. 

Let the nations know - Oddly, men after all this time, do not recognize God in their existence, but the Psalmist cries out for God to vindicate Himself. Let them know that You alone are Lord, and all else is perishing. 

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth.

2 O Lord, I have heard the report of you,

and your work, O Lord, do I fear.

In the midst of the years revive it;

in the midst of the years make it known;

in wrath remember mercy.

3 God came from Teman,

and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah

His splendor covered the heavens,

and the earth was full of his praise.

4 His brightness was like the light;

rays flashed from his hand;

and there he veiled his power. Habbakuk 

#688 How Long Lord

Why, O Lord, do you stand far away?

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

2 In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;

let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.

3 For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,

and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.

4 In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;

all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

5 His ways prosper at all times;

your judgments are on high, out of his sight;

as for all his foes, he puffs at them.

6 He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;

throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”

7 His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;

under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.

8 He sits in ambush in the villages;

in hiding places he murders the innocent.

His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;

9 he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;

he lurks that he may seize the poor;

he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.

10 The helpless are crushed, sink down,

and fall by his might.

11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,

he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”

12 Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;

forget not the afflicted.

13 Why does the wicked renounce God

and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?

14 But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,

that you may take it into your hands;

to you the helpless commits himself;

you have been the helper of the fatherless.

15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;

call his wickedness to account till you find none.

16 The Lord is king forever and ever;

the nations perish from his land.

17 O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;

you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

18 to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,

so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. Psalm 10 ESV


Far away - This is a part of the process for us, the stumbling about through the obvious, "look here, there is trouble." I have never said a prayer that God did not already know and know better the situation. Marvelous things happen there though, for what God does not need my counsel upon, has yet become a burden that I would like to leave here.

In arrogance - Now comes the reason for the Psalmist burden, the wicked, and how they do oppress the poor. Christ spoke against the religious rulers of His day, those that took widow's houses, and Jesus  called out the fatherless and the widow as object examples of true religion. The song writer here is upset at those who prey on the weak and the poor. They, the wicked, feel justified though in their pursuit because God has not yet resisted them, so there must either be no God, or He is not interested in the affairs of men, or they reason that they are right with Him, much like the friends of Job. We find that there are those that are religious, and those that claim not to be, and yet among them both are those that prey upon the poor. There are those that promise the poor riches, that gather the strength of numbers that are held by the poor and direct it against their enemies, so that they may have more wealth. The Psalmist works through all of this and it is troublesome to him, like when David heard the story of the rich man who had taken the only sheep of the poor, he was moved to action, but he was that rich man. Oh how slow does the hand of God seem to move, yet He is not running out of time. How gracious is the love of God in that He has not moved so quickly against me. I was so arrogant, and still struggle daily.

But You do see - They do not get away, there is no darkness that covers men from the eyes of God, only the blanket over our own souls, the pride and vanity that conceals the truth from our hearts. We would like for God to move on our clock, to destroy the wicked that mock the Creator and hurt His creation, yet He is the One most offended, but He is the slowest to move. 

You hear - He hears the desire of the afflicted, and the writer ends with God as king, no matter how we feel, and even in the quiet of our brokenness, a thought may pray what we cannot yet form into words. Who is Sovereign still? I go to You, God, not because I am making You aware, but because I am Your child and need to be reassured.

#686 What is Man

O Lord, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants,

you have established strength because of your foes,

to still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,

and the son of man that you care for him?

5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings

and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;

you have put all things under his feet,

7 all sheep and oxen,

and also the beasts of the field,

8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,

whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8 ESV

How majestic - I remember parts of this Psalm as it was sung in my childhood, and I try to think of this as a king here writing about something much grander than any position upon this earth. You are not just God of those who believe in You, not just the God of Israel, but even of all who do not acknowledge You. This is a king writing in submissive manner praise to the One Who is not only above the earth, but also the heavens, no creature, no matter, nothing comes into being without Him. He was before all things and through His Son all things were made. God's glory cannot be exhausted, words will not suffice.

Out of the mouth of babies and infants - God does often use the weak things to confound the wise. David's own life as a young man was a rebuke to two armies, those that said they were of the Lord, and those that mocked the God of Israel, Who is the God of all. David killed Goliath, making the Philistines tremble and many in Israel jealous. He was a whelp with a sling and some stones, not a trained warrior, but he desired the honor of God. 

The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them. 15 But the chief priests and scribes were indignant when they saw the wonders He did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” 16“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked. “Yes,” Jesus answered, “have you never read: ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise’?”…Matthew 21: 14-16

The lame have often silenced my whining, for how can I be so cross when the cripple is smiling at me? Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for such is the kingdom of heaven. David is becoming that child here, recognizing the greater in God, and also seeing that strength which comes from the strangest of places, our weakness. 

Your heavens - The universe itself is unfathomable, and we may assign more numbers, attest to greater distances, in every age discover more, but we cannot be in all those places, nor make them. I shall never know all the intricate details of my own body, much less the billions of stars in the universe. Stop and consider the creation, pull your eyes away from your smart phone and turn over some rocks. How majestic, how marvelous is the Creator of all these things. 

Mindful of him - You, Who by Your word has made the universe and man, who is such a small thing in it, what is this speck to You? I know that You see me, but why do You care to? My very nature is fallen and unholy, so why do You persist to know me, to save me, when surely You could simply erase the memory of me? Does anyone notice the grain of sand that is missing from the beach they walk upon?   

Lower than the angels - Angels are more magnificent in power than humans, and they have greater access now than humans. 

For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere,

“What is man, that you are mindful of him,

or the son of man, that you care for him?

7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels;

you have crowned him with glory and honor,

8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.”

Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2: 5-9

Under his feet - Man has been given dominion over the earth and it's resources. We should manage these things to God's honor and glory, respecting first those made in His image and also the animals, plants, and other materials that He has placed under our care and usage. We should rule with neither greed nor laziness, but as stewards entrusted with this planet. Remember the Sabbath, that the earth belongs to the Creator, let the land and the people rest. Do not terrorize the animals, do not poison your water or the place where others drink. It is easy to destroy, but it takes a long time to rebuild, so use in sustainable fashion. There is much here that gives credit to the majesty of God.