Seedplots

The first Psalm in Book IV of the Psalms (Psalm 90) begins with a heading that labels it the “Prayer of Moses, the Man of God.” In his notes on the Psalm, Professor Collins makes this intriguing comment,

Those who sing this should see themselves as the heirs of [Moses'] generation, seeking like them the blessing of God so that they can carry out their mission (ESV Study Bible Notes).

That generation had seen the awful results of sin and disobedience firsthand (“For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed” vs.. 7) Now they faced a challenge and test of obedience. They stood before the Jordan River, ready to enter the Promised Land. Would they fare any better than their parents?

To enter the land, and enjoy the fulfillment of God’s promise would require trust in God (faith). Read from this perspective, the Psalm seems to come alive. While you, God, are eternal, we are not (vss 1-11). Our lives are like the grass of the field that sprouts up, glistens, and then withers away (vss 5-10).

Will anything last from our years here on earth? Will we finish the mission God has given us to accomplish? Will we pass on anything to the next generation? That’s what the second half (vv 12-17) of the Psalm is about.

Moses’ prayer in this section asks God for three things: Wisdom (vs. 12), Joy in God (vs. 13-15), and God’s blessing on our Work (vs. 16-17).

So what about us? Are we singing this song, and praying this prayer as “heirs of Moses” generation?

• Are we asking God to give us a heart of wisdom that comes from numbering our days? (cf. Col 1:9, “asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding”)
• Are we praying for God go make us so satisfied in his steadfast love that we are filled with rejoicing and gladness of heart? (cf. Col 1:10,12, “growing in the knowledge of God… joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light”)
• Are we asking God for his favor – that he would “establish the work of our hands” that that our children would see evidence of his “work” and “glorious power”? (cf. Col 1:11, ” [living] a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work”)

David, in Psalm 30, speaks of desperate days in his life and their transformation by God into days of delight.

His experience resonates with that of many believers, who have also “experienced the almost ineffable release of being transported from despair or illness or catastrophic defeat or a sense of alienated distance from God, to a height of safety or health or victory or spiritual intimacy with our Maker and Redeemer” (D.A. Carson)

The writer “captures the heart and the imagination” with vivid contrasts. Take a look at some of these contrasts in the following table:

The story behind the Psalm is not complicated.  It falls into five parts:

1.  Life is good, the future looks bright
David was spiritually complacent, “I said, in my prosperity, I shall not be moved” (vs.. 6).

2.  Suddenly, the bottom falls out of life
David faced a life-threatening illness, probably in response to his sin (vs.. 5 – “your anger”) and was terrified he would die (vs.. 7 – “dismayed”).

3.  David cried out to God, pleading for mercy
He prays, “to you, O Lord, I cry and… plead for mercy” (vs.. 8-9).

4.  God wonderfully answered David’s plea and healed him
David describes it like this:  “you have healed me… you restored me to life” (vs.. 2-3).

5.  David extols God
He “sings for joy” (vs.. 1) at what he has done (vs.. 12), and calls others to do the same (vv. 4-5).

It’s not hard to draw out lessons for our walk with God from this Psalm.  I’ll highlight two.

Lesson 1
We can learn from David’s attitude when things were going well for him.  He felt almost invincible (”I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved” vs.. 6).

“It is easy… for God’s people to trust in themselves for continued well-being,”  forgetting that our “prosperity” comes from God’s and his favor, not from our skill, hard work and cleverness (”By your favor, O LORD you made my mountain stand strong” vs. 7).  One commentator noted, “Instead of confiding in the Giver, he trusted in the gift, as though it had been his own work.”

Lesson 2
Another lesson, one more central to the emphasis of the Psalm, lies in the ground of David’s plea for mercy.

David’s prayer was not just for “the mere prolonging of earthly days, precious as that is” but that he might live and publically praise God for his faithfulness.  He wants his experience with God to motivate others to put their trust God as their “helper” and have a similar experience of his faithfulness.

The emphasis here is God centered (God did this, and this, and this…praised be God!) rather than David centered (I did this, I did that, … I trusted, I prayed, etc).

I tend to think of Psalm 23 as the “Shepherd” Psalm but actuality it has two parts: The Lord as Shepherd (vv 1-4) who cares for each of his sheep and The Lord as Host (vv 5-6) of a lavish banquet. Both metaphors express the comfort a believer finds in God during times of great difficulty.

The Psalm opens and closes with reference to the LORD (vs.. 1, 6). He is the one who cares for me during crisis times. Enjoyment of his presence (“in the house of Lord”) is life’s richest experience.

The second metaphor, the Lord as Host, pictures the Psalmist (i.e. Psalm 23, we found ourselves in his place) invited to be the honored guest at a great banquet. When he arrives, his “head is anointed” with expensive, perfumed oil. Anointing of one’s and face in that day and age triggered memories of other festive, joyful occasions. Similar associations are present in Psalm 104:15,

“wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart”

The metaphor locates this banquet “in the presence of my enemies” – a “sign that all those who have threatened the psalmist have now been proved to be wrong”. The believer can enjoy the banquet in peace, knowing he has nothing to fear from those enemies.

In spite of all that might have marred his life, the psalmist is declaring that in the presence of God he experiences a richly satisfying and joy-filled life (Davidson, The Vitality of Worship.)

At this point (vs.. 6), the psalmist points us to the future. Now and again, as believers, we experience an overflowing joy in God’s presence. Fear and worry are taken away and worship comes alive. God is present and we are filled with joy. This, the Psalm tells us, is what we have to look forward to.

Yes, difficulties lie ahead. God will lead us through the dark valleys of life as a caring shepherd. Surely good and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

But God is more than just a Good Shepherd.  Up ahead, beyond all the “days of my life” lies something even greater. I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever!

That joy we experience, from time to time, in God presence, will be unbroken. We will see him “face to face.” How can we help but echo John’s words in Revelation 22:20, Amen, Come, Lord Jesus!

It happened a long time ago.  A long, long time ago.  Something like 2,860 years ago. But it’s not all that different today.

He had tried to serve God. Yes, he had made some foolish mistakes, but he had tried to serve God. And God had rewarded his efforts. He’d lived long enough to see that – almost 60 years.

A cry for help
But now, things had suddenly taken a turn for the worse and he was scared. This was the greatest test of all.

The challenge he faced was overwhelming. And he didn’t know what to do. He was afraid. So he gathered his people together, proclaimed a fast and prayed. We have a record of what Jehoshaphat actually said when he prayed …

“O Lord God of our ancestors,” he prayed, “you are the God who lives in heaven and rules over all the kingdoms of the nations. You possess strength and power; no one can stand against you… Our God… we are powerless against this huge army that attacks us! We don’t know what we should do; we look to you for help!” (2 Chronicles 20, NET Bible).

Another cry for help
Psalm 20 was written before Jehoshaphat’s prayer.  Nearly 200 years earlier.  The situation, however, is similar. David is leader over God’s people, their King. The nation is in trouble – facing a much stronger enemy. Before the battle the people were gathered. Their King stands before them, he offers a sacrifice and prays silently. Psalm 90 records, not of the prayer of their King, but the people’s prayer for the King standing in front of them.

“May God answer our King’s prayer,” they prayed. “May he send help.” May his plans succeed” (vs. 1, 2, 5).

Someone, perhaps a Levite in the ceremony, speaks up in verse 6. He announces a word of assurance:

Yes, God will help his anointed King (i.e. his Messiah). He will act, because our trust is in him, not in our mighty army… Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright (vs. 7-8)

Our cry for help
We live in a very different world. Two things, however, remains the same:

1) We also face overwhelming problems – problems much bigger than our strength, skills and resources can handle.

2) We also follow an anointed King – one much greater than David.

This prayer is for us. God is calling us to turn to him in our need, to put our trust in him. “He will answer us when we call to him for help” (vs. 8).

C.S. Lewis called Psalm 19 “the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.”

It divides naturally into three sections:

1.  God’s glory revealed through creation (vv. 1-6)
2.  God’s revelation through his Torah (his Word)
.  . (vv. 7-11)
3.  A prayer for cleansing (vv. 12-14).

The Psalm serves as,

an indirect witness to the need for a greater “servant” (vv. 11, 13) than David, who could keep the law (cf. vv. 12-14), who would be “blameless” (v. 13) and “pleasing” in God’s sight (v. 14)  (VanGemeren, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, on Psalm 19).

While God’s revelation of himself in creation and in his Torah is glorious, his revelation of himself through his son, Jesus, is even more glorious (Hebrews 1:1-3).

God’s Word (Torah) is described by six synonyms. These synonyms are described then paired with four corresponding benefits (vv. 6-9):

This section of Psalm 19 reaches its climax in vv 10-11, where the emphasis is on delighting in the treasure God has given us in his Torah. David finds God’s Word to be precious (vs. 10a), sweet (vs. 10b), and extremely beneficial (vs. 11).

Soul-searching, isn’t it? Do I delight like this in God’s Word? or in his even greater revelation, Jesus the Son?

Four lessons about times when our “work for God doesn’t go according to plan”

In Parts 1-3 of David’s story from 1 Samuel 27-30 we considered the first three lessons his example illustrates about times when our “work for God doesn’t go according to plan.”

We noted that in such times discouragement is normal.  We also saw how discouragement makes us vulnerable to Satan’s temptation and yet, God’s work goes forward even when we are paralyzed by discouragement and unbelief. 

God is not taken by surprise. His work goes forward, not because of us, but in spite of us.

Lesson 4 – God knows how to restore a discouraged Christian worker and make him or her useful again!

Finally, David’s experience illustrates what is probably the most important of these four lessons – God knows how to restore a discouraged Christian worker and make him or her useful again.

In David’s case, this involved three specific interventions on God’s part.

a) God kept David from an even greater evil
David’s story continues in 1 Samuel 28. David’s deception has led him into a trap. He is asked to fight against God’s people. A lot more is at stake here than is immediately apparent.  David is stuck.

If he refuses to fight against his own people, he is exposed as a traitor.  If he enters the battle on the side of the Philistines, he has disqualified himself as future King of Israel. His whole future ministry as king is at stake. And there is no easy way out of the trap.

God, mercifully, rescues David from this situation. From start to finish, this rescue is God’s doing. The story is recorded in 1 Samuel 29:1-10.

God can do the same with his servants today.  At this point, the story begins to encourage us. The God of hope can still rescue his servants from difficult situations caused by their unbelief and sin.

b) God woke David up from his spiritual paralysis
Just like an unexpected splash of cold water in the face wakes up a drowsy person, God wakes up David from his spiritual paralysis.  He does this by sending an unexpected crisis into his life.  This crisis is recorded in 1 Samuel 30:1-6.

The 90 km walk back to Ziklag, after being unexpectedly rescued by God from fighting the Israelites, takes David and his men three days (vs.. 1). When they arrive home, they find their city looted and burned and their wives, children and livestock gone.

The shock is devastating. They cry till “they had no strength left to weep” (vs.. 4). Then the men in their “great distress” and “bitterness’ turn on David and “talk of stoning him” (vs. 6).

This ends up being a gift from God, for the shock wakes David up from his spiritual stupor. He turns back to God. “David found strength in the Lord his God” (vs. 6).

Suddenly God re-enters the story. David once again starts prays and seeking help from God (vs. 7-8).

c) God turned things around and put David on the throne
Amazingly, God puts the pieces together and in the space of weeks, David not only rescues the captured women and children, but ends up on the throne in Hebron! The training period is over – God’s time for David had finally come.

Conclusion

May David’s example turn our focus to the God who gives endurance and encouragement (Romans 15:5). May the God of hope, fill us “with all joy and peace as we trust in him” (Romans 15:13). May we too “overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Four lessons about times when our “work for God doesn’t go according to plan”

In Parts 1-2 of David’s story from 1 Samuel 27-30 we considered the first two lessons his example illustrates about times when our “work for God doesn’t go according to plan.”   We noted that in such times discouragement is normal.  We also saw how discouragement makes us vulnerable to Satan’s temptation.  David gave in to temptation, forgot God’s promises, lost hope that God would work, and ended up living like an unbeliever.   Yesterday’s posting ended on a negative note.  At this point we take up the story again.

Lesson 3 – God’s work goes forward even when we are paralyzed by discouragement and unbelief

It might be good to pause here, take a step backward and look at the third lesson illustrated by this story.  When we do, we begin to see things from God’s perspective.   God’s work was not “put on hold” because of David’s fall into sin.  God’s work went forward even though David’s was paralyzed by discouragement and unbelief.

In our discouragement, it is easy to begin thinking God’s work depends on us.  Remember Elijah?  To paraphrase his words, he told God in his discouragement,

“I have been very zealous for God’s work, but now even I have not succeeded. No one’s left. Your project has failed, God.” (1 Kings 19:14-18)

God told him, in effect,

Not so. My work goes forward. What you started will be continued by Elisha, Jehu and Hazael. I know what I’m doing. And you’re not the only one. I have 7000 others you know nothing about that are serving me.

When David fled to Philistine territory God’s work went forward.   God used the 16 months David was in Ziklag to continue preparing David to be king.

• David learned lessons about the enemy he would later fight
• David learned new lessons about how to organize a kingdom (from the more advanced civilization and government structures present among the Philistines)
• David, when he lived in enemy territory fought against the Amalekites, enemies of God’s people.

The same thing happens when we are paralyzed by discouragement, doubt and unbelief. God is not taken by surprise. His work goes forward, not because of us, but in spite of us.

Four lessons about times when our “work for God doesn’t go according to plan”

David’s experience, recorded in 1 Samuel 27-30 can give us hope when “work for God doesn’t go according to plan.”

Paul tells us in Romans 15 that these Old Testament stories are written,

“To teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4)

They give us hope because they point us to the “God of hope” and encourage us to keep on trusting God even when things don’t go “according to plan.”

In Part 1 (yesterday’s posting) of David’s story from 1 Samuel 27-30 we considered the first lesson his example illustrates about times when our “work for God doesn’t go according to plan.”  We noted that in such times discouragement is normal. 

Today’s posting draws a second lesson from David’s experience.  If things haven’t gone “according to plan” in your work for God, don’t be too hard on yourself. But pay attention to the second lesson.

Lesson 2 – Discouragement makes us vulnerable to temptation

The second lesson David’s experience illustrates is that discouragement makes us vulnerable to temptation.

I think this happened to David. In his discouragement, Satan tempted him to give up and David did.

Leaders of God’s people, in their discouragement, are tempted to forget God’s promises, to lose hope that God will work, and to neglect their calling.

a) Temptation to forget God’s promises
David had been promised by God that he would be king (chapter 16).  This promise was confirmed multiple times – by Jonathan (23:16-17), by Abigail (25:28,30) and even by Saul himself (24:21, 26:25). But David lost sight of God’s promises. He stopped believing them.  This is unbelief and unbelief is sin.

b) Temptation to lose hope in God
Do you still expect God to work through you as you lead his people?  or have you lost that hope?  When we are discouraged, Satan tempts us to lose hope in God.  David gave in to this temptation.  He had given up hope that God would protect him.  That much is pretty clear from 1 Samuel 27:1.  When we lose hold in God, we take things into our own hands – and end up with even greater problems.

This sense of hopelessness is common in the accounts of Biblical characters. Another example that comes to mind is Sarah, Abraham’s wife. She tells her husband,

The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her (Genesis 16:2)

Her language is amazingly similar to David’s isn’t it? El Shadai, God Almighty, had promised Sarah and Abraham a son. But Sarah had lost hope that God would keep his promise and work on her behalf. She took things into her own hands, like David, and the result was a disaster.

c) Temptation to neglect our calling
When we give in to Satan’s temptation, lose hope in God, and take things into our own hands, almost inevitably we end up neglecting our calling.

David, as God’s anointed one, was supposed to be protecting God’s people from the Philistines (cf. 1 Sam. 9:15 “anoint him leader over my people Israel; he will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines”).  David had done this. In Chapter 22 David and his men saved the city of Keilah from the Philistines.

But now, instead of fighting the Philistines, David is living with them. He calls himself the “servant” of the King of Gath (see 1 Sam 27:5, 12, 28:2). Amazing when we remember that Gath was Goliath’s home town!

How different David is in this chapter. No prayers, no zeal for God’s glory, no more Psalms. David is acts like an unbeliever. He depends on lies and deception, even the murder of women and children to protect himself (1 Sam 27:8-12). Satan has used discouragement to lead David away from God and away from his calling.

Part 3 of this posting will appear tomorrow . . .

Four lessons about times when our “work for God doesn’t go according to plan”

The story of David is found in 1st and 2nd Samuel.  God selects David to be king over his people in 1 Samuel 16.  He doesn’t actually become king till 2 Samuel, some 15 years later.  In between, God puts David in his leadership training school.

By the time we get to 1 Samuel 27, David’s training is almost finished. He has passed two of his exams with flying colors (chapters 24, 26). Something unexpected happens, however near the end of his schooling.

David’s experience is the subject of today’s (Part 1) and tomorrow’s posting (Part 2). 

David’s experience, recorded in 1 Samuel 27-30 can give us hope when “work for God doesn’t go according to plan.” Paul tells us in Romans 15 that these Old Testament stories are written,

“To teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4)

They give us hope because they point us to the “God of hope” and encourage us to keep on trusting God even when things don’t go “according to plan.”

David’s discouragement
Take a look with me at the context of 1 Samuel 27.  When the chapter opens, David is on the run. Saul is “hot on his heels.” He’d been running from King Saul for a long time (probably more than 10 years).

Saul is getting closer and closer.  There aren’t many places left to hid. For many years, God has protected David, though often God waited till the last moment to step in and rescue him.  David, at this point, is tired of running and tired of hiding.

And David is not alone. His wives and children are with him. He’s leading a small army of 600 men.  Many of them have their families with them. It’s not easy to hid with a crowd like that, let alone find food and water for everyone in the wilderness.

David is ready to get away from this pressure.  Things haven’t “gone according to plan.”  Well, not according to David’s plan. How much easier life would be living in a town.  Imagine going down to the local well for water and the local market to buy food. Imagine living in a house, with a yard and a garden, David tells himself.  At this point, we break into the story.

David’s actions
In Old Testament literature, we are often left to ourselves to judge whether a person’s actions are good or bad, right or wrong.  This is the case in 1 Samuel 27:1-2,

“But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.” So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maoch king of Gath.”

Were David’s actions right or wrong?

They worked — the next verse tells us “When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.” But were they right?

The text gives us subtle hints that David’s actions were not pleasing to God.  Notice David’s reasoning,

• · “David thought to himself“
• · “I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul”
• · “The best thing I can do is escape”
• · “I will slip out of his hand”

Not a word here about prayer.  Even though David had in his group the priest with a means of determining God’s will.  In fact, there’s no reference to God at all during this 16  month period of David’s life.

This is David’s plan, not God’s. David has grown discouraged and he’s tired of constantly having to trust God to deliver him from Saul.

Lesson 1 – Discouragement is normal

While the primary intent of this passage is not to teach us about discouragement, it does illustrate lessons we would do well to heed.  The first one is staring us right in the face.  It can be expressed this way:  Work for God that “doesn’t go according to plan” causes discouragement.

That’s normal.

Those who lead God’s people usually begin serving God with plans and hopes. Over time, if things don’t go “according to plan” our hope begins to slip away. Eventually we lose hope altogether, and discouragement sets in.

It appears that happened to David. It happens to us too. That’s normal.  Discouragement is not sin.

Proverbs 13:12 tells us, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” The word deferred used in the original means to ” extend, protract, delay, drag out” (NIDOTTE).

Realizing “deferred hope” (= work that doesn’t go according to plan) makes the heart sick (= discouraged) is a normal human emotion can help us not be too hard on ourselves when we are discouraged.   Look at some of the “heroes” of Scripture:

• Abraham was discouraged.  In Genesis 15:1-2, he told God, “What good are your gifts… you’ve not given me a child!”
• Moses was discouraged.  In Exodus 5:22-23, he said, “Why did you send me? You’ve done nothing at all to save your people.”
• Elijah was discouraged, so discouraged he wanted to commit suicide. In 1 Kings 19:3-4, he told God, “I have had enough, Lord, take my life. I am no better than my ancestors.”

If things haven’t gone “according to plan” in your work for God, don’t be too hard on yourself. But pay attention to the second lesson.

Part 2 of this posting will appear tomorrow . . .

Then Moses said to God,
“If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”

God said to Moses,
“I am who I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
(Exodus 3:13-14)

Imagine what it sounded like when Jesus claimed . . . I AM the bread of life! It would be similar to a person in Saudi Arabia declaring, “Allah and me, we’re one in the same!” Jesus’ declaration so angered the Jews that they tried to stone him for blasphemy:

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, ?I am.” So ?they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple (John 8:58)

Free food!
A day before this declaration (I AM the bread of life), Jesus had taught a great number of people in the wilderness.  At the end of the day, Jesus, as a good host, fed them with bread and fish he had miraculously multiplied.  The people, being poor, immediately remembered how Moses had fed the nation in the wilderness.   Surely he is the prophet whom Moses said would come! they thought.  The text says:

“This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” (John 6:14)

We’re not much different.  We too try to use God to help us achieve our own goals and plans, don’t we?

The bread of life
The people then tried to blackmail Jesus.  Moses gave us a sign  – he gave the people food, they said.  If you give us the same sign, then we will follow you. (John 6:30-31).  That’s not true, Jesus said.

Moses didn’t give the people bread (manna), God did!  And that was just physical food, not bread from heaven as you called it.  God wants to give you true bread, the bread of life.

Jesus as the bread of life and my life
Jesus is the bread of life.  His words are life.  When Jesus asked the Twelve… “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Peter answered,  “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life! (John 6: 14).

Without daily fellowship with Jesus, through prayer and reading of his word, we have no other source of spiritual food.  Spiritually we will starve.

Unfortunately, we are prone to seek God for the wrong reasons, looking for what we can get from him – his blessing and his help. God made us for fellowship with him.  He offers gives us spiritual food.  It is up to us to feed on this provision daily, through fellowship with Jesus, through prayer and through reading, through meditating on his word.

Mid-life gives us an opportunity to look back, draw conclusions and think about the remaining years that lie ahead of us. Such reflection should have at least two results – growth in wisdom and the praise of God.

David in mid-life did just that. His reflections are recorded in 2 Samuel 22. One writer observes, “Its setting in 2 Samuel indicates that it is intended as a crowning celebration of David’s exploits” that looks back across his life.

David’s ” personal expression of gratitude to the Lord” is adapted almost word for word in Psalm 18 for the people of God to use, perhaps

Because their well-being is now tied to the offspring of David (2 Sam. 7:4–17). When God’s people sang this, then, they were to give thanks for the Davidic line and to pray that its heirs would be faithful to the Lord and would be valiant military leaders, so that Israel might carry out its God-given purpose of bringing light to the Gentiles (ESV Study Bible)

The Psalm is quoted once in the New Testament, giving it a,

Latent messianic meaning, and the deliverance of God’s anointed from ‘the cords of death’ (vv. 5–6) finds deeper significance in the deliverance of Jesus from death itself (Psalms 1-50, Craigie).

The Psalm is amazingly God-centered. David realized that whatever success he’d had in life had been due to God. God was the one who had delivered him time and again from death, God was the one who gave him the gifts and abilities he had, God was the one who trained him for his life work, God was the one who gave him success, God’s favor (”right hand”) supported him and his “gentleness” made David great (vs 35).

1) Reflection on all of this made David humble.
He came to realize that God “saves the humble and brings low those who are haughty” (vs 27).

2) Reflection on all of this led David to praise God
He did this through his Psalm.  Notice his desire for the “hallowing” of God’s name among the nations of the world, The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation (vs 45)….For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing to your name (vs 49)

Having “Yahweh” as our God and belonging to his people is the heart of the covenant God makes with humans.  Some have called this the “master metaphor” of the Bible.

God has proved his people with a “path” along which they walk. We “walk with God” or “walk in his ways.”  This path leads to an eventual goal – “rest in the presence of God” himself.  Life in God’s presence (where we see his “face”)  is the final goal of the covenant.

Psalm 16 characterizes the “path of life” as “delightful” (vs. 2) and “pleasant” (vs. 6). Its goal, being in the presence of God, is even better:  “fullness of joy” and “pleasures forevermore” (vs. 11).

David, as he writes this, is facing a time of crisis (perhaps sickness?). He cries out to God, “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge” (vs. 1). People around him are whispering.. Yahweh hasn’t done much to help you. Look around for other options. Try other gods. Maybe they can help.

David’s answer is a model expression of confidence to Yahweh. Listen to what he says,

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”
As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.
The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply…
I will… take their names on my lips.
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup…
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

David made his choice – Yahweh. He will walk in his “way.” He will find his identity with God’s people. He has placed his hope in the promise of one day being in God’s presence, where there is fullness of joy.

He’s content that he’s made a good choice.  This has brought him stability and pleasure during the here and now, and hope for what’s ahead.

The apostle Peter informs us that David in Psalm 16 “foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ” (Acts 2:25-33). As his disciples, we follow him, i.e. walk in his “path.” We find our identity with his followers. We place our hope in his return in glory. One day we will see him. In his presence is fullness of joy!

How long, O Lord! This is a cry of anguish to God.   David is on the verge of despair.  He feels like he can’t hold on any longer.

Have you been there?  Crushed. Struggling to find words for prayer.

Psalm 13 teaches us how prayer in the middle of the those times. This is why some call the Psalms a “Prayerbook.”

Learning these prayers helps us pray when we’re in similar situations.  In this and other Psalms we find words for those times of pain and despair.
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Psalm 13, a Psalm of individual lament, divides into three parts:

David is hurting (1-2)
How long, O Lord, How long is this going to last? He asks this four times in verses 1 and 2.  He’s pretty blunt.  We could almost say he’s mad at God.  He charges God with forgetting about him:  God, you’re not doing anything about my problem! He goes a step further and charges God with deliberately hiding from him.  God, you’ve deliberately abandoned me!

“The questions move from God’s apparent indifference (v. 1) to the singer’s circumstances of anguish” (ESV Study Bible).  David is honest with God about what he is feeling.

David asks God to act (3-4)
After expressing his frustration of God’s seeming inactivity, David makes his request.  He asks God to act (verses 3-4).  Do something, Lord.  Do something before I end up in the grave!

This is the heart of the Psalm.  It is highlighted by its central position right in the middle of the Psalm.

David declares his faith and trust in God (5-6)
But the prayer doesn’t end with his plea for help.  David goes one step further.  He declares his faith and trust in God (verses 5-6).  This expression of trust begins with the little hinge word “But”.

I’m hurting, you’re not doing anything, “But…”  In spite of all that, I still trust in your faithfulness.

The word here translated faithfulness is hesed – loyal, faithful steadfast lovingkindness based on a previous covenant promise.

Because of God’s faithful, steadfast love toward David, David’s “heart rejoices” in the midst of his troubles.  He sings out to God, in faith, “You have dealt bountifully with me!”

God’s faithfulness to us is seen most vividly in his provision of Jesus. David’s pattern of prayer is paralleled in song of praise that ends Romans 8.  Even in the worst circumstances, writes Paul,

We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God has dealt bountifully with us in Jesus!

We look around us, see corruption and injustice, lies and evil, and think – these are surely the last days – look how bad things are.

What we tend to forget is that this cycle of 1) downwardly spiraling evil, 2) God’s judgment and 3) the emergence of new leaders and new countries has been happening since before the days of Noah. It is not unusual for the people of God, living in a society near the end of this cycle, to think “it’s never been this bad before.”

Psalm 12 reflects such a period in David’s day: “Save, O Lord!… the faithful have vanished… everyone utters lies to his neighbor, with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.”

God sees what is happening around us.  He will act, though not as quickly as we would like. “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord.

We wait.  We cry out, like saints have prayed through Scripture, “How long, O Lord?” We yearn and pray for Jesus’ return. ^“20He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.  ²¹The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.  Amen. (Revelation 22:20-21).

In his outstanding reference book on Old Testament Theology, Bruce Waltke draws attention to the striking parallels and contrasts between Samson and Samuel.

Both men are raised up by God to deliver his people.

Samson’s mother, Manaoh, is barren as is Samuel’s mother, Hannah.  Their sons come only after divine intervention.

In Samson’s case, his mother is cynical and God sends an angel to convince her.  In Samuel’s case, his mother is godly and receives her son through prayer.

After their birth, Hannah expresses her joy through a wonderful hymn of praise to God.  No words of praise are recorded for Manaoh.

Both sons are dedicated to God at birth.  Samson resents this and rebels against his Nazirite consecration to God.  Samuel embraces his consecration to God and serves God faithfully.

Samson delivers the nation from the Philistines through acts of violence.  Samuel delivers the nation from the Philistines through prayer (1 Sam 7, cf. 12:23).

Samson’s efforts at uniting and delivering the nation succeed only in postponing defeat. Samuel’s ministry ultimately transforms the nation from victims to victors, and he anoints David as God’s chosen king.  Ultimately his ministry laid the foundation for the promise of great King, the “Son of David” in 2 Samuel 7.

I’m struck by the mother’s role in both cases.  Hannah, Samuel’s mother, was a woman of God who prayed.  Samuel, the one “asked of God” became a man who led the nation by prayer.  Manaoh doesn’t appear to have been a godly woman and her son, Samson, “served God” in a godless way.  God’s work goes forward God’s way – by prayer.

Lots of lessons here!  I don’t think the parallels are in the text by accident – they’re meant to teach us something.

David’s experience with God, shared in this Psalm, serves as a powerful message even today, 3000 years later.  The center of these two verses is the phrase, “those who know your name put their trust in you.” The crucial factor is “knowing God’s name.”  Either a person knows God’s name or he doesn’t.  Those who do trust him, those who don’t do not trust him.  “Knowing” in the context means “knowing through experience.”  God’s “name” refers to his character.

Coming to know God’s name in Egypt
Exodus 5-15 vividly displays the difference.  Several groups appear – Moses, Pharaoh, the people of Israel, the people of Egypt and by extension, the surrounding “nations.” Moses had come to “know God’s name” through personal experience.  This culminated in his experience with God described in Exodus 33, when God showed him his glory (¹⁹And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name).

Pharaoh didn’t “know” God’s name.  He mockingly asked Moses, ²“Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.”).  God arranged for Pharaoh to come to “know” by experience just who the Lord was.  One by one the ten plagues were sent so that Pharaoh might “know that there is none like me [i.e. the Lord] in all the earth” (Exodus 9:14).  In the end he confessed, “Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods” (Exodus 18:11).

The people of Egypt also came to know about Israel’s God through the plagues and the Exodus (Exodus 7:5).  The ten plagues exposed the powerlessness of the gods the Egyptians trusted in.   Israel, God’s people, came to know the Lord as their Deliverer, through the same events (Exodus 6:7).

David’s experience with God
David initially came to know “God’s name” while serving as a shepherd.  This gave him the confidence to trust in God when Goliath mocked the people of God.  When they met on the field of battle, David told Goliath,  “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand… that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” Further experiences with God brought David into a deeper knowledge of God’s name.  From this background, David, writing under the inspiration of God, declares to us, “those who know your name put their trust in you.”

A challenge to trust God ourselves
We, who have experienced God’s help in times of trouble and have come to know his name, are encouraged to trust him as new troubles surround us.   He is a “stronghold” in times of trouble, verse 9 tells us.  The word “stronghold” literally means an inaccessible, secure place high up in the rim-rock of the mountains, a place of safety and security one can go to in times of danger.

We are encouraged to trust God in new times of difficulty because we have experienced his help in the past and have come to know him as a “stronghold,” a place of security and safety in difficult times.