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Weds 19 May - Psalm 108

Psalm 108

My heart, O God, is steadfast;
    I will sing and make music with all my soul.
Awake, harp and lyre!
    I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
    let your glory be over all the earth.

Save us and help us with your right hand,
    that those you love may be delivered.
God has spoken from his sanctuary:
    ‘In triumph I will parcel out Shechem
    and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.
Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
    Ephraim is my helmet,
    Judah is my sceptre.
Moab is my washbasin,
    on Edom I toss my sandal;
    over Philistia I shout in triumph.’

10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
    Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us
    and no longer go out with our armies?
12 Give us aid against the enemy,
    for human help is worthless.
13 With God we shall gain the victory,
    and he will trample down our enemies.

- - -

Meditation on Psalm 108

As you read this Psalm, you might have one of those light-bulb moments, saying to your self, ‘I am sure I have read this Psalm somewhere else.’

You’re right. You will have read these words in two other Psalms.

Psalm 108:1-5 was found in Psalm 57: 7-11. 

Psalm 108:6-13 was found in Psalm 60:3-12. 

So why the repetition? Why not?

Spurgeon says, The Holy Spirit is not so short of expressions that he needs to repeat himself, and the repetition cannot be meant merely to fill the book: there must be some intention in the arrangement of two former divine utterances in a new connection.’

In Psalm 108 we have…

  1. the song of a warrior (verse 1-5
  2. the prayer of a warrior (verse 6-12)

 

  • We might not be able to sing when we are together at the moment but we can sing ‘with all my soul.’

 

David’s heart is set to make music to the LORD (Jehovah). When all around him might have seemed like chaos his heart was fixed on his God.

He was a brilliant musician – he played the lyre (a stringed instrument like a U-shaped harp) in Saul’s presence on many occasions when Saul’s temper flared up.
He would be up at crack of dawn and his first thought was to make music to the LORD.

His song was not a private devotion. It was a public demonstration of his unwavering faith in the Sovereign God.
He sang ‘among the nations.’ He sang ‘among the peoples.’

What were the themes of David’s song?

  • the love of God
  • the faithfulness of God
  • the glory of God

I am sure we can call to mind hymns / songs which take up these themes – e.g. The love of God is greater far, than tongue or pen can ever tell…’’; ‘Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father…’; ‘To God be the glory, great things He has done…’.

These are the themes of many of the Psalms. These are the themes of those who are redeemed. These will be the themes of the songs in heaven. And when, in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song; 'twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long. I love to tell the story, ‘twill be my theme in glory, to tell the old, old story, of Jesus and His love.’

We ‘exalt God’ when we give him the highest place in our lives – in our thoughts, in our words, in our actions. 

  1. David turns from praise to prayer. With battles raging around him, he cries out to God for help, for deliverance, ‘for those you love’.  As he prays, God speaks His assurances.

He is God over all the nations. Everyone is under His control. Shechem and Succoth represent the nations to the east and west of the Jordan.

Gilead and Manasseh were to the east and west of the Jordan. 

Ephraim and Judah represent the tribes of Israel – one of the tribes of Rachel and the other the tribes of Leah.

Moab, Edom and Philistia were constant enemies of the people of God but they were each under the authority of the God of heaven.

And who do the people of God turn to when in such distress? ‘Is it not you, God?’ If God doesn’t help, then there is no help because ‘human help is worthless.’

Verse 13 is the confidence of victory because God is on our side. He will have the ultimate and final victory.

Thanks be to God.

(Roger Purdom)

 

Daily Readings

Thursday 20 May - Psalm 109

Friday 21 May - Psalm 110

Saturday 22 May - Psalm 111

Sunday 23 May - Psalm 112

Monday 24 May - Psalm 113

Tuesday 25 May - Psalm 114

 

New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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