September Q & A Session

1. What does the Bible teach us about knowing God's will?
See: 1 Thess. 4:3, 7; 5:18; Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 4:2; 1 John 2:17; 4:9. See also 1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17.

2. Why is Judas of James listed as one of the twelve disciples in Luke 6:14-16 (and Acts 1:13) but not included in the list of the twelve disciples in Mark 3:16-19? 

3. Why does Matthew (Matt. 8:28-34) say that two men were possessed in the country of the Gergesenes when Mark 5:1-20 and Luke 8:26-39 only talk about one possessed man?

4. Was the golden calf of Exodus 32 flat or three dimensional?
See Exod. 32:4 and Exod. 32:24.

5. Did Jesus carry the entire cross or just the cross beam?

Psalm 32 – Forgiven

I want to begin with a quote that I think best embodies the spirit of this psalm.

It is told of Luther that one day being asked which of all the Psalms were the best, he made answer, “Psalmi Paulini,” and when his friends pressed to know which these might be, he said, “The 32nd, the 51st, 130th, and the 143rd. For they teach that the forgiveness of our sins comes, without the law and without works, to the man who believes, and therefore I came them Pauline Psalms; and David sings,  ‘There is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared,’ this is just what Paul says, ‘God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.’ Rom. 9:32. Thus no man may boast of his own righteousness. That word, ‘That thou mayest be feared,’ dusts away all merit, and teaches us to uncover our heads before God, and confess gratia est, non meritum: remissio, non satisfactio; it is mere forgiveness, not merit at all.”1

What Luther meant was that the Pauline doctrine that we are so familiar with is clearly displayed in these psalms. So much so that Paul even used the 32nd psalm a basis for part of his argument for justification by faith alone in Romans 4:6-8. What a blessing it is for us to see that it was not only Paul that believed in this justification by faith but that David also believed this full heartedly by putting it the doctrine to song. David even expands upon the thought by singing of the joy of the forgiven man, contrasts it with the man who keeps his sin, displays a true confession, shows the manner of life that follows and in an invitation for praise. 

The psalm also belongs to a group of seven psalms known as penitential psalms (i.e. Pss. 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130 and 143). They become known as such because they were sung by the early church on Ash Wednesday.2 The 32nd psalm bears a lot of resemblance with the 51st psalm. Both share the same author and both talk about confessing sin. This has caused a lot of individuals to think that they are somehow correlate with each other. The superscription in psalm 51 states, “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba,” and therefore causes us to think that David is confessing for the same sin in Ps. 32, or perhaps a sequel to Ps. 51. However, David’s affair with Bathsheba is not the only time that David had needed to repent of sin in his life. 

32:title. “Maschil” appears in the superscription of 13 psalms and once in Ps. 47:17 translated as “understanding.” The word is transliterated from מַשְׂכִּיל (maśkîl) and comes from the verb שָׂכַל (śāḵal) meaning understanding in the sense of complex reasoning.3 Therefore the best we can understand for “maschil” is a musical term referring to “a skillfully constructed poem.”4 However, the verb שָׂכַל does occur in v. 8 translated as “I will instruct thee.”

32:1-2. The first two verses start with the word “Blessed” which are the Hebrew אַשְׁרֵי (ʾās̆rê) very simply meaning happy or bliss.5 The Christian life is an enigma. We deal with a lot of turmoil but at the same time it is said that we live a blessed life. How can this be? The Christian still deals with sickness and hardship just as much or even more than the rest of the world. It is because the Christian does not find his joy in “good times” but in his position in Christ. We see for David that the cause of his joy is not from being in a good situation or being prosperous but from having his transgression forgiven, sin covered and acquitted of iniquity. 

David uses three words to describe his wrong doings, i.e. transgression, sin and iniquity. Together as a whole, these words represent the entire spectrum of wrong doings. “Transgression” is from פֶּשַׁע (pes̆aʿ) meaning “a rebellion, a breach in a relationship.”6 In this context it speaks of the breach of a relationship with God due to rebellion through disobedience. This shows that the wrong action was intentional. “Sin” comes from חְַטָאָה (ḥăṭāʾâ) meaning “to miss the mark.”7 This is best illustrated in Rom. 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It is a failure to meet a standard, and in this case a failure to achieve the glory of God. “Iniquity” is from עָוֹן (ʿāôn) having two possible understandings based upon its etymology. The first means “to go astray,” and the second means “to twist, bend.”8 Again, David is not trying to specify his kind of sin; he trying to leave nothing out of the picture to describe his wrongful actions. 

For each of the descriptions for wrongful actions, David shows what God had done with them. “Forgiven” is from נָשָׂא (nāśāʾ) which means usually means to “lift up” showing that the sin was taken away.9 “Covered” is כָּסָה (kāsâ) meaning to conceal, hide from sight.10 There is often debate concerning how dealt with the sins of the OT saints. The Old School opinion was that God merely “covered” their sin until the Son could make the ultimate sacrifice. Yet from the context of this psalm, God removed the sin contemporaneously with the saint. The next word conveys this well. “Impute” is from חָשַׁב (ḥās̆aḇ) meaning “to reckon, account or charge.”11 The word was used in the same sense when Abraham believed the LORD and He accounted it to him for righteousness (Gen. 15:6). Now understand that David is not saying that God does something specific for each type of wrong action. David is simply using words that have a similar range of meaning to help convey the idea of total forgiveness for all kinds of wrong actions. Yet studying each of the words in detail helps us to understand how God treats sin for the repentant believer.

The last line of v. 2 ends with an exception of sorts to what was stated above. A man receive joy by being forgiven of his sin if his confession is not deceitful. Beware of the man who only says vain words only to try to rescue his own reputation. Many men will try to create a facade of penitence so that people will forget about the action and move on. A man who makes a deceitful confession is no confession at all. The man was not sorrowful about being sinful. The man was only sorrowful that he got caught in his sin and has to deal with the consequences. An absence of deceit is required in order to forgiveness to happen. The deceitful man will be easy to spot. He will return to his sin just as the dog returns to its vomit (Prov. 26:11). 

32:3-4. These verse describe the personal agony a man endures when he does not bring his sin to God. The unrepentant man is signified by keeping silent. A invisible burden grows upon a man when he keeps his a secret to himself. The knowledge of his wrong stays at the forefront of his mind. Day and night the consciousness of hidden wrongs pester the man. The man has to watch over his shoulder to make sure that no one is watching. He has to watch his actions in public to make sure there is no hint of the wrong. He has to think over his words in conversation to be sure that no one will get the wrong idea. The man has to create a separate persona to make sure that he is never identified as a man with a dark secret. 

David expresses the agony of keeping unconfessed sin by relating it to physical troubles. David compared bearing the burden of sin to the frame of the body growing old and weak. The bones, the strongest part of the body, were able to withstand the trauma. The unrepentant man anguishes in the pain of sin and cries out to complain of the situation. He may acknowledge that he is in a horrible place or that he is in bad circumstances but he will not acknowledge that his life situation was caused by his wrong actions. The sin of man caused God’s hand to become heavy upon him. We call this conviction. God leans in upon a man and causes the man to crumple under the load. God does this to teach the man that his sin is not getting him pleasure in life. Instead the man only feels guilt and remorse for his actions. Perhaps he has even hurt some people that he knew very well along the way. All of this leads to a man who is at the end of his rope. 

This comparison with the summer heat (simile) is vivid; it drains the energy and immobilizes the will to live life to the full David’s zest is not there; he was not motivated. He felt drained all the time. Basically, he was depressed, and it affected his physical energy and health. God was not allowing the psalmist to live life to the full when he was in rebellion again him, for it was God who gave him the full life to begin with.12

The man is only a mere shell of what he is supposed to be. He is only a figure that is haunted by the pain of remorse caused by his own actions.

32:5. David states that he ceased from the pain by coming unto the LORD with his sin. David shows this single action in three ways: acknowledge, not hide iniquity, and confess. This shows a progression. The man first acknowledges that his actions are sinful. He does not make excuses but instead see them as God sees them. Then the man decides to bring his wrong actions into the public. Before, he was trying to hide (כָּסַה, “covered” in v. 1) his sin; this is something that only God can truly do. Finally the man decides to confess his sin unto the LORD. The word “confession” is יָדָה (yāḏâ) meaning “to make an admission, i.e., to publicly admit to something usually a wrong of some kind.”13 

The result of the repentance was that David was able to be forgiven of his sin. The KJV states that he was forgiven the iniquity of his sin causing us to think that David was only delivered from current consequences of his sin. However, the Hebrew shows something unique.

God forgave the “iniquity of my sin” (עְַוֹן חַטָּאתִי). This could be interpreted in one of two ways. One would be to be take the two words as expressing a superlative genitive (like “king of kings or “Song of Songs”); this would stress the sinfulness of the sin. The other way, and the way I would take it, is to to define the word “iniquity” in one of its derived senses, “guilt” or “punishment.” This would mean that God took away all the effects of the sin when he took away the sin.14

The point is that God’s forgiveness removes all of the sin. Whether this be the worst of sins or the effects of the sin. 

32:6-7. David speaks of God’s deliverance for the faithful. He states that the godly should pray unto God “in a time when thou mayest be found.” The Hebrew literally reads: “in a time of finding.” David is referring back to the point in time when he was refusing to confess his sin to the LORD. David was in a season of finding or looking for an answer to his sin problem. The answer to his problem was the forgiveness of sins from God. David is instructing others to follow suit. When you find that you have grown weary from sin; seek the LORD’s forgiveness. 

The floods of great waters is a metaphor for the trouble caused by sin. The imagery is strong. David would have been familiar with seasonal downpours causing flash floods and thus damage and danger. Yet we have the opportunity to confess our sin and be rescued from the floods of life before they overtake us. We need only ask. There have been too many prideful men that have never asked for deliverance even though the flood water rise and take their life. 

“Hiding place” is סֵתֶר (sēṯer) meaning “a place of shelter and refuge as a location where one can dwell, implying protection from a danger.”15 God also preserves from trouble as well. The word “songs” is also translated as “shouts” (ESV, HCSB) and is from רֹן (rōn) meaning to give a ringing cry; “it is often used for the jubilation of great victory.”16 

32:8-9. The psalm turns toward a didactic section. The first person singular picks up in these two verses and it becomes uncertain who is doing the speaking. The LORD may be speaking because He is usually ascribed as the one that leads us in paths of righteousness. However, seeing how this psalm is so similar to psalm 51, it may be David speaking to others in need of instruction. “Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; And sinners shall be converted unto thee” (Ps. 51:13). David desires others to follow suit. He wants to share the joy he found in being forgiven of his sin. 

“I will guide thee with mine eye,” is more commonly translated, “I will counsel you with my eye upon you” (NASB, ESV). The anthropomorphism is meant to show God’s continual watchful care for the faithful.

David uses two negative examples for a person not to follow: the horse and the mule. Both of these animals have to be forced by a harness that even goes into the mouth of the animal. The reason for the extent of the harness is because the animal will not listen to instruction. The animal has to be forcibly led to where it needs to go. A person must be humble and realize that God’s instruction is the best way to live life. God knows what He is doing. Do not provoke God so that He needs to grab the harness and pull you around to where you are supposed to be. “A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, And a rod for the fool’s back” (Prov. 26:3). 

32:10. The familiar tones of wisdom literature continues in this verse. David contrasts what comes to the wicked against what comes to the repentant man. The wicked man will only receive sorrows for his actions. There is much irony in this. A greedy man thinks money will bring him happiness and will find that he is really enslaved to his desire to have more money. The one who trusts in the LORD though, will be surrounded by mercy/lovingkindness (חֶסֶד). The one trusts in his actions to bring joy and finds only sorrow. The other trusts in the LORD’s forgiveness of sin and finds that he is blessed/happy (v. 1 and 2) and that he is surrounded by God’s lovingkindness. The difference is where they have placed their trust. The difference is one has brought his sin to God. The one has confessed his transgressions to the LORD. 

32:11. David closes the psalm with an invitation for those who have confessed of their iniquity and have even found righteousness. The proper response after having realized that you have committed sin, that you need to make it open, it cannot be hidden, that you have confessed to God and He in turn lifts away the sin, He truly conceals the transgression, He imputes righteousness unto us, we should praise Him. Praise Him for He has made us upright in heart.

___________________________________

1. Luther’s Table Talk; qtd. in Charles H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: Classic Reflections on the Wisdom of the Psalms ([1851?]; repr. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2011), 1:2:86.

2. Peter C. Craigie and Marvin E. Tate, Psalms 1-50, WBC, vol. 19, 2nd ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2004), 91. 

3. TWOT, 2236. 

4. Allen P. Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms, KEL (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2011-5), 1:703n1.

5. TWOT, 183a.

6. TWOT, 1846. 

7. TWOT, 638d.

8. Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms, 1:713n25.

9. DBLH, 5951.

10. TWOT, 1008. 

11. Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms, 1:710n20. 

12. Ibid, 713. 

13. DBLH, 3344 II. 

14. Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms, 1:715.

15. DBLH, 6260. 

16. Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms, 1:716; cf. TWOT, 2179a. 

Ps 30 – Dependence through Repentance

No notes are available for this sermon.

Ps 29 – The Voice of the LORD

We will see that ultimately this psalm is a call to worship the Lord. Again, upon closer inspection, we will see that David uses great talent in his poetry. David uses a strategy in his writing of this psalm that we saw also in psalm 8 and 19. David is going to use the beauty of God’s creation to demonstrate the glory of the Lord. In psalm 8, David used the beauty of the night sky to make us ask why God was mindful of man (Ps. 8:3-4). In Ps 19, talked about the beauty of a sunrise to demonstrate how everyman sees the glory of God (Ps. 19:1, 4-5). This time David is going to show the beauty of a thunderstorm (possibly something stronger) to demonstrate that God is deserving of praise from all creatures. 

The psalm easily breaks into three parts: vv. 1-2 is a call to worship for His holiness, vv. 3-9b describe the holiness of the Lord argued through the beauty of a thunderstorm, and vv. 9c-11 show the Lord established as Sovereign. 

David may have done something quite interesting. It appears that David borrowed from a Canaanite psalm for Baal and modified it for use with the Lord.

The Canaanite/Ugaritic aspects of the psalm formed the basis of an hypothesis presented by Ginsberg in 1935, in which he proposed that Ps 29 may originally have been a Phoenician hymn, which found its way into the Hebrew psalter after suitable modification. This basic hypothesis has been developed and modified by several scholars since 1935; many scholars now consider the evidence for the original Canaanite/Phoenician character of the psalm (it is proposed that it was originally a hymn to Baal) is “conclusive.”1

There are two main reasons for the hypothesis. The first is that the geography mentioned in the psalm is not found in Israel but north, in Lebanon—a place dominated by worship to Baal. The second reason is that, “Baal, the Canaanite weather-god, was associated with the storm, thunder and lightning. He is portrayed in Ugaritic iconography with lightning as a weapon in his hand; in the Ugaritic texts, his voice is explicitly identified with thunder.”2 The hypothesis should not worry us but rather help us to see some of David’s creativity and talent. We do something similar today when we borrow a tune and replace the original words with our own words; Weird Al Yankovic makes a living doing this. How far the hypothesis is correct is uncertain. If the hypothesis is correct, even to the fullest extent, then we should realize that David created a polemic against Baal with his own hymn. Think of it as mocking a nation in song while using the tune of the nation’s own national anthem. 

29:title. In the MT and the English translations, we only see that David’s name is listed as the author of this psalm. In the LXX, we find additional words (i.e. ἐξοδίου σκηνῆς)3 indicating that it was meant to be used at the Feast of Tabernacles. Perhaps this is due to v. 9, “And in his temple doth every one speak of his glory.” “But it is now a psalm for Pentecost, and may well have been so used in New Testament times. The Talmud prescribes it for this feast (Sopherim 18:3).”4 According to tradition, Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks, is when Moses received the Ten Commandments on mount Sinai. I think the Talmud assigned this psalm to the day because of the scene that was observed when God’s speaking was likened to thunder and lightnings and the mountain quaked in His presence (Exod. 19:16, 18; 20:118-19; cf. Heb. 12:18-21). Perhaps David witnessed a storm and recalled the scene of mount Sinai which inspired him to write this psalm. 

29:1-2. As already stated, the first three verses serve as a call to come and worship the Lord. The first line tells us to whom the call is addressed. The word “mighty” is the Hebrew בְּנֵי אֵלִים (b^enê ʾēlim) or “sons of the mighty.” “The expression is difficult but probably means ‘sons of God,’ even though elsewhere that is written differently (בְּנֵי אְֶלֹהִים). In the Old Testament these would be angels (Job 2:1). In the Canaanite texts the expression ‘the sons of El (God)’ refers to the pantheon of the gods.”5 Therefore, David is calling all of the creatures of heaven to join in giving praise to God. 

We see the word “give” or “ascribe” is repeated three times in vv. 1-2. Two of the three times we are told to give glory unto God. It is even noted that this is “due unto his name.” The very character of God demands that we worship Him. We see this especially when Isaiah sees the Lord high and lifted up (Isa. 6:1-5). The seraphs constantly give praise to God (Rev. 4:8). All who see Him always fall prostrate before Him. They only have to look upon Him and they fall in worship. Yet David is not seeing the Lord like Isaiah did. He needs to explain that God’s character demands worship. Spurgeon noted well, “Surely men should not need so much pressing to give what is due, especially when the payment is so pleasant.”6 The unsaved is not aware that man was made to give glory to God (1 Cor. 10:31) and the saved need to be reminded on a regular basis. 

The last line of v. 2 is a little tricky to understand. The word “beauty” is the Hebrew הְַדָרָה (hăḏārâ) which can also be translated as “worship garb.”7 Hence the NASB states, “Worship the Lord in holy array.” 

Holy array is a perfectly possible translation of an expression which is literally “the splendor of holiness.” It is found also in 96:9; 110:3; 1 Chron. 16:29; 2 Chron. 20:21; and while it could be translated either way in all places, the last of them tips the balance toward the “literal” sense, understood as speaking of God’s holiness rather than man’s. Here, then, we should probably understand the line to mean “Worship the Lord for the splendor of (his) holiness”.8

Perhaps we should even see it as the Lord is arrayed in holiness. The same is observed by the seraphs in Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8. 

29:3. David now turns in vv. 3-9b to explain why God deserves praise. David is going to use a metaphor equating the voice of the Lord to thunder. Remember, David may be borrowing from a previous source but David wanted to demonstrate God’s power and therefore needs to be worshipped. David creatively uses something that every man has seen in his life. Every man has been surprised a couple of times by the effects of thunder; if not as an adult then certainly as a child. David will show these effects of thunder and lightning as the storm moves across the land. 

The fact that the voice of the Lord is over the waters may just have a simple connotation. It may just be that the storm is starting over the Mediterranean Sea.9 The other possible connotation has to do with David borrowing from the Canaanite hymn. “In the Ugaritic texts, Yam (‘sea’) is the ‘god of the mighty waters;’ yet the chaotic god, Yam, was conquered by Baal. An allusion to this mythological incident is already contained in the Song of the Sea, where the Lord is described as using ‘sea’ as tool of conquest (Exod. 15:8).”10 David is simply showing that such wonders of nature are not gods but only tools of the Lord’s power. 

29:4. David simply ascribes power and majesty to thunder as it is equated to the voice of the Lord. This will be explained in the verses to come.

29:5. We know today that it is not thunder that breaks a tree as much as it lightning. However, David is using the language of appearances. Moreover, whenever there is lightning, thunder will follow. David demonstrates the power of the voice of the Lord by explaining that it is not a weak tree that is being destroyed. The voice of the Lord destroys even the mighty cedar trees of Lebanon fall prostrate before the Lord. 

29:6. The first line of v 6 describes an earthquake. The violent shaking is like a calf skipping due to fear. What is most impressive is the object that is being shaken—Lebanon and Sirion. Lebanon is a metonymy representing a mountain range. We know this because Sirion is a mountain located in that range. Mt. Sirion is probably Mt. Hermon from Deuteronomy 3:9. The voice of the Lord is shaking the most massive object on the face of the planet. We have all experienced this when lightning strikes near us. The ground shakes. I have heard of lightning striking near hour and the window pane shatter from the thunder. This is power. “Unicorn” is from the Hebrew רְאֵם (r^eēm) which is a wild ox or aurochs. The animal is now extinct.11

29:7. The commentators are in agreement that this line is referring to lightning, “The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning.”12 The NIV states the same. This, again, brings up the imagery associated with Baal but David is still insisting that this of the Lord.

29:8. The verse corresponds with v 6. The storm shakes the wilderness as well the mountains. The location of “Kadesh” is uncertain. “This is probably Kadesh on the Orontes River in the north. The word ‘Kadesh’ designates a shrine, a holy place, and so it would be a fairly popular name for cities with temples.”13 “Kadesh” means holy as well so it may simple mean holy wilderness. 

29:9a-b. The first line has been met with some confusion. There is a desire to make the line parallel to cedars of Lebanon. Surprisingly, one could vocalize the consonants (אַילה) to be “oaks” instead of a doe. However, there is no manuscript support for “oaks” over a dear. The verb, to calve, is usually translated “to be in labor” but it could mean “to writhe” perhaps due to fear.14 There is still the possibility that there was enough fear for the doe that it cause a premature birth for the fawn but this meaning is uncertain. 

The second line of v. 9 corresponds with the cedar trees of Lebanon. Most translations have, “And strips the forests bare.”

29:9c. The conclusion after witnessing the power and the effects of the voice of the Lord should be of praise. That should certainly be the case if you are in His temple. 

29:10. The flood corresponds with the “many waters” of v. 3. The word “flood” is מַבּוּל (mǎbbûl). The word is only used 13 times in the OT and only occurs this once in the psalms. All other occurrences of מַבּוּל are found in Genesis relating to the deluge. Therefore we see that God is executing judgment and authority as He sits on His throne even in the midst of a deluge.

29:11. When God displays His power, His people receive blessing. His people receive peace. He is able to shake the mountains and He is also able to bless His children. 

If we should give to God when we only see His storms, how much more glory will we give Him when we stand before Him?

Notes

1. Peter C. Craigie and Marvin E. Tate, Psalms 1-50, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 19, 2nd ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2004), 244. 

2. Ibid, 247.

3. Ibid, 242n1a.

4. Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72, Kidner Classic Commentary (1973; repr. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008), 142n87.

5. Allen P. Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms, Kregel Exegetical Library (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2011-5), 1:656.

6. Charles H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: Classic Reflections on the Wisdom of the Psalms ([1851?]; repr. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2011), 1:2:29. 

7. James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997), 2079. (DBLH)

8. Kidner, Psalms 1-72, 145. 

9. Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms, 1:659.

10. Craigie and Tate, Psalms 1-50, 247.

11. DBLH, 8028.

12. Craigie’s translation of v. 7 in Craigie and Tate, Psalms 1-50, 242.

13. Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms, 1:660. 

14. Ibid, 1:660n17. 

Ps 25 – Pardon Mine Iniquities

The psalm is ascribed to David as its author. However, there is no help given from the title of the psalm to inform us of any background information that may be helpful to the reader. Many have suggested that David wrote this psalm late in his life because he asks God to not remember the sins of his youth. I am of the opinion though that if there is no background information given, then there is none needed for our study of this psalm. It is best to understand the psalm as a prayer of David intermixed with penitent petitions and mediations on God.1

Psalm 25 does not seem to fall very neatly into an outline. David moves from one idea to the next without any hint as to the common thread between them. There seems to be four themes that are repeated throughout the psalm which are enemies, guidance, guilt and trust.2 However, there is another kind of organization that occurs that is a poetic device and is lost in our English translations. David uses an acrostic of the Hebrew alphabet in this psalm.

The acrostic is not perfectly followed. Verse 2 begins with an א and not a ב, and so many commentators suggest starting the second line “in you” (בְּךָ) as the Greek version does. There is no letter ו in the sequence, which prompted the addition of a conjunction at the beginning of verse 5c to provide it. The letter ר is repeated in verses 18 and 19, whereas verse 18 should start with ק; some would emend the text to obtain the sequence. The final verse of the psalm stands outside the arrangement with letter 3 פ.

The final letter should be ת but instead the psalm has a second פ. Craigie gives a few possible explanations for the deviations from the Hebrew alphabet acrostic. 

The occasion for the addition [of the second פ in v. 22] may have been provided by a change in the developing alphabetic system in post exilic times, when waw may have been suppressed and an additional (compensatory) pe added at the end of the alphabet.…The effect of the postscript is to transform the more individual prayer of the psalm into a prayer suitable for Israel as a nation; the “troubles” (v. 17) of the psalmist are analogous to the troubles of Israel.4

Yet perhaps a better explanation than the acrostic as to why the themes are repeated would be that the psalm seems to follow a chiastic structure on top of an acrostic. The acrostic would be as follows:5

A vv. 1-3. enemies (v2), shame (v. 2), soul (v1)

B vv. 4-7 sins (v7), Lord (v4)

C vv. 8-10 good (v8), show/way (v8), covenant (v10)

D v. 11

C’ vv. 12-14 good (v13), show/way (v12), covenant (v14)

B’ vv. 15-18 sins (v18), Lord (v15)

A’ vv. 19-21 enemies (v 19), shame (v20) soul (v20)

The main point of the psalm would then lie at the center of the structure of the psalm, “For thy name’s sake, O Lord, Pardon mine iniquity for it is great.” Both of these may lead to some confusion for those who are more familiar with poetic devices of the western world but this shows the amount of talent that was possessed by David. This has also caused for variations in preaching. Some have decided to preach the psalm thematically rather than sequentially through the verses. With this psalm, either method is fully defensible. I prefer to stick with the traditional style—sequentially; mainly because this is how the psalm is read. 

25:1-3. David starts the psalm by claiming that he trusts in the Lord. The emphasis in this is that David is not looking to another god for help. He is looking the only One who can truly help him. There are other gods that were popular during David’s day but David knew that those pagan gods would be of no help. They were not real. The reason that David emphasizes the fact that he depends on the Lord rather some other god is because of the characteristics of the Lord which will be delineated in the verses to come. 

After his claim of trust, David makes a request to God that he not be put to shame by his enemies. The enemy having victory over David would be putting David to shame. There is no clue as to who this enemy might be. The reason for David makes this request is because he knows that any man who waits on or trust in God will not be put to shame which is exactly what David is doing. Most translations do not have waiting on God in the optative. “Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed” (v. 3 NASB). David is actually certain that God will deliver him. David knows that the opposite will happen. Those who transgress without reason will be put to shame. In David’s day, battles were seen as the people who worship the Lord versus the people who worship a pagan god. The victor would claim that their god was greater than the god of the defeated foe. Those who depend on the Lord will not see defeat but those who depend on another god will be put to shame. 

25:4-5. These two verses turn to the theme of guidance. At first, these verses would seem disconnected from the previous verses. However, David pointed out that transgressors will be put to shame. David does not want to be found as a transgressor. Therefore he asks God to teach him His ways and truths. The truth of God and the ways of God are tied together. You cannot have one without the other. You cannot walk in the paths of righteousness if you do not learn His truth. 

David gives two reasons as to why He wants to lead and instructed. God is his salvation. God is the only one that is able to deliver David from all his troubles—both physical and spiritual. David has a physical enemy against him, perhaps some military, and a spiritual enemy which is his transgressions. They seem to be interrelated to each other in this psalm and perhaps caused the confusing arrangement. The second reason David requests to be taught the ways of God is because he is willing to wait on the Lord all the day. Like the waiting in v. 3, this would be better translated as an expectant hope. The NIV states, “And my hope is in you all day long.” 

25:6-7. The words may seem strange but David calls upon God to remember His tender mercies and lovingkindnesses. David states these things because he knows that the first step in walking the paths of God is to be delivered by God from his sin. The basis of this forgiveness though comes not from David’s good works. David knows that the only reason why he is delivered from his sin is because of God’s mercy and lovingkindness. David even points out that these are character traits of God that have been around for a long time. The KJV states, “For they have been ever of old,” but the Hebrew for old—עוֹלָם (ʿôlām)—could also be translated as everlasting or forever. 

After establishing the mercy of God, David requests that God not remember the sins of his youth. The youth is a person that knows better than to abandon wisdom but does not care. The sins that are committed and the consequences of those sins done in a man’s youth stay with the man for the rest of life. The guilt he bears plagues him. Many a man, including David, look back upon their younger years and regret what they have done knowing they should have made better decisions. Therefore David is asking God to forget those actions for a forensic purpose. He does not want those actions to be counted against him. David asks that he would be remembered and not his sin. And again, David knows that this is only accomplished through God’s mercy. God’s forgiveness also shows His glory. He is a God that does not care about us when we cry out. He is a God that delivers when we ask for forgiveness and to be taught in the paths of righteousness. 

25:8-11. David continues the theme from the previous verses. He again meditates on the character of God. The declaration of God’s character then becomes the reason for God teaching sinners in the way of righteousness. David is not saying that He instructs those who do not trust in God; David is calling himself a sinner and is in need of instruction. The logic is because God is good and upright, what He teaches to sinners will be good and upright. The fact that God is wiling to teach sinners should bring comfort. As Spurgeon commented, “Let those who desire to be delivered from sin take comfort from this. God himself will condescend to be the teacher of sinners. What a ragged school is this for God to teach in!”6 God does this for those who are meek or those who are humble. If we are going to learn to walk in His ways we first have to be sure that we are humble. We must put any ideas in our head of what a good way looks like. You must not begin to think that you have it all figured out. You need to understand that you need to set aside your personal desires. You must be humble, meek and lowly and submit to the righteousness of God for that is what He has called us to. When our ideas are gone then we can learn of His judgements/decisions (מִשְׁפָּט [mišpāṭ]). David brings up the metonymy of God’s paths again and says they mercy and truth. The Hebrew for mercy is חֶסֶד (ḥeseḏ) which is a word that was used earlier in v. 6 and was translated as lovingkindnesses. As usual, the word ḥeseḏ appears within the context of an agreement or “covenant”. In short, David was depending on the promises of God in his prayer—a good example for us to follow in our prayers. God is faithful to the promises that He has made in His covenants. There is no reason for us to worry or doubt. Our faith comes not from a personal confidence in ourselves; this is humanism. Our faith comes from the fact that we have a God that keeps to His word. 

This is the center verse. Knowing God has established a covenant with those who trust in Him, He expects us to follow through on our end of the covenant—that we trust Him and seek forgiveness of sins. 

But all covenants have two parties, and the lovingkindness of God, the senior partner in the covenant (v 10a), was related to the psalmist’s obedience to the covenant stipulations (v 10b). It is this reminder that launches the prayer for forgiveness in v 11; if God’s response depended upon sinlessness with regard to the covenant stipulations, then there could be no response.7

David’s words should be familiar for the Christian. Yes, the Christian understands that he has been forgiven of sin at the cross of Christ. He knows that Christ’s death on the cross was a one-time payment that was sufficient for all of my sin in my entire life including future sin. Yet, the Christian on a regular bring his sin before the Lord as David has done. We cannot allow for sin to get in the way of our relationship with God. When we start to follow in sin we soon realize that we need God’s guidance again. We need to be shown the paths of righteousness once more and once more if need be. These things are mutually exclusive. Yes God has forgiven us but He has called us to a life of holiness and to mortify the flesh (Rom. 8:13). He has called us to meekness.

25:12-14. David quickly returns to his references concerning the way of the Lord by asking a rhetorical question. David talked v.9 of how the Lord will teach the meek His way. A person that fears the Lord is a person that is also meek. This fear speaks of reverence toward a higher authority. The same kind of fear is also the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7). The antecedent of the pronoun for the last “he” in v 12 is debated. I am not sure if the verse conveys whether God teaches to make the right choices or He makes the choices for us to walk. Really, either one would be acceptable because both is true.

V 13 shows the result of following in the way of God. “Ease” is the Hebrew טוֹב (ṭôḇ) which is usually translated as good but can have a broad range of meaning. In this case טוֹב could refer to general prosperity or even the opposite of evil (cf. 1 Kings 8:36).8 The prosperity given will allow for the children of the discerning man to inherit the land. This is a promise that is familiar to us from the Mosaic Covenant (Lev. 26:3, 9; Deut. 4:1) but also in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:5). 

The subject of reverent fear is seen again in v 14. This time it shows that the “secret” of the Lord is with him. The Hebrew for secret is סוֹד (sôḏ) which is defined as “intimate fellowship, i.e., a very close, personal association with another or a group.”9 The ESV even uses the word “friendship”. The overall idea is a very close friendship where one would be comfortable enough to personal information that would be kept in confidence. A good example of this kind of relationship between God and a believer was between God and Abraham when God reveal to Abraham what he was about to do to Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18:17).

25:15. David picks up on familiar themes that were used earlier especially on seeing the Lord as a primary source for deliverance. This time David’s dependance is pictured as a fixed gaze upon the Lord. If one is to follow after God, it will be hard to do so if you are looking at something else. You need to be looking where you to go so that your steps fall where they should. The picture is parallel to the imagery used earlier of expectantly waiting on God. David is confident that he will be delivered from his trouble by using a metaphor. A net would be used for a trap of some kind usually used to catch game animals. David is using the metaphor to claim that God will deliver him from the present situation. 

25:16-21. The rest of the psalm, with the exception of v 22, is request from David for deliverance. The request for deliverance is both spiritual and physical. At first David deals with his spiritual enemy—consequences of his sin. “Turn thee unto me” is an anthropomorphism symbolizing God’s presence and mercy for deliverance from the situation. This would be the opposite if God were to hide His face. David finds himself in a place where he is alone. The Hebrew for desolate is יָחִיד (yāḥîḏ) which is defined as “lonely, alone, i.e., pertaining to being in a solitary place and so isolated and in a state of anxiety.”10 There is possibility that David is stating that he is spiritually alone. He desires to have a deep friendship with God and there my be none else who has the same desires. Thus the troubles of his heart have become heavy. 

The statement from v 15 becomes the petition in v 17. “Bring me out” comes from the same verb for “he shall pluck” (יָצָא). 

“The acuteness of the loneliness and the sense of distance from God are amplified by their dual source; they are partly a consequence of the psalmist being surrounded by enemies who create trouble and partly a consequence of the awareness of sin within (v 18b) which, if not removed, would bar him from the divine fellowship.”11 It very well could be that both are interrelated to each other in same manner. The situation with David’s enemy could be something that God is using to teach David about the consequences of sin. Sinful actions often bring about physical problems in our lives and others. David’s request continues concerning deliverance from his enemies which first seen in v 2. The enemies of David are now characterized as having cruel or violent hatred. David described earlier as men who transgress without reason. As the request for deliverance continues, we see the topic of shame come up again. However, the reason why David should not be put to shame is slightly different this time. This time David’s reason is because he trusts in God—the one who is merciful. The emphasis is on the compassion of God rather than God being the only credible source for strength. 

David requested earlier that he be taught the ways of uprightness. Now he is asking that God would use that to have him be preserved. David wants to be seen as individual that was faithful and obedient to the commandments and has no reason to be accounted with the wicked. 

25:22. The last verse, which is not part of the acrostic, takes David’s request for deliverance and applies to the entire nation of Israel. This verse may have been added at a later time. Perhaps the author of this verse saw parallels between David’s personal life and the history of the nation of Israel (e.g. Assyrians, Babylonians). 

Notes

1. Charles H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: Classic Reflections on the Wisdom of the Psalms ([1885?]; repr., Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2011), 1:1:391.

2. Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72, KCC (1973; repr., Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008), 133-4.

3. Allen P. Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms, Kregel Exegetical Library (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2011-5), 1:594-5.

4. Peter C. Craigie and Marvin E. Tate, Psalms 1-50, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 19, 2nd ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2004), 222.

5. Ibid, 217-8.

6. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, 1:1:394.

7. Craigie and Tate, Psalms 1-50, 220.

8. TWOT, 793a.

9. DBLH, 6051:7.

10. DBLH, 3495:2.

11. Craigie and Tate, Psalms 1-50, 221.

Ps 23 – My Shepherd

Much fear and trepidation is upon me as I come to this psalm. The 23rd psalm is the most quoted passage from the entire bible. There is good reason for this. The psalm has comforted many men through the most difficult of times and it has taught us to depend on God’s good mercy. I still remember when the former president, George W. Bush, addressed the nation on the afternoon of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He had the whole nation, even the world, looking to him to see how he would respond. In that moment of spotlight, while our eyes were still filled with tears and our eyes filled with the images of the fallen towers, on national television, with eyes peering at their television sets, the president gave the most comforting words he could think of: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.” I think that the man could no better words than those of Scripture and it was a wise choice. The psalm is commonly memorized by children. I remember the psalm being part of the curriculum for the A.W.A.N.A. program. It would be an understatement to say that the psalm has been used by millions of Christians to bring comfort to their soul. Despite the psalm using antiquated imagery, the psalm is still just as strong today as it was written by the hand of David. 

The psalm divides easily into two parts. The division is based upon where the metaphor of the shepherd ends and one of a hospitable host begins. In vv. 1-4, we see the LORD acting as a shepherd; being benevolent unto his flock. Some argue that the motif continues throughout the entire psalm. I would disagree and say that the motif of the shepherd ends in v. 4. Verses 5 and 6 begins a new metaphor of a host. Another interesting note is the change in person for the pronouns. Verses 1-3 use a third person pronoun (i.e. he). Verses 4 through 6 use a second person pronoun. The change of pronouns may suggest a meditation upon the character of the LORD in the first half of the psalm and a personal prayer directed to the LORD in the second half. This creates a good precedent of meditation and prayer for the Christian’s devotional life. 

23:1. The metaphor of calling the LORD a shepherd is scattered throughout the Bible. There is good reason for use of the metaphor. In the beginning we see that Abel was a “keeper of sheep” (Gen. 4:2). The patriarchs were also shepherds. The shepherd was an occupation that was seen on a daily basis. For the author of this psalm, David, taking care of sheep was something very familiar for him. It may be that David was the first to use this metaphor. When we first see David in Scripture, we see attending his father’s flock. Later on, David is confident that God would deliver Goliath the giant into his hand and assured king Saul by telling of his experience of delivering a sheep from the mouth of a lion and then killing the lion (1 Sam. 17:34). David knew what came with the job of being a shepherd. He was aware of how the sheep needed to be cared for. He was aware of the tools employed by the shepherd. He was aware of the risks that came with the job. He was even aware of the fact that the job was considered to be for the lowly esteemed. Therefore, whenever the Israelites read this motif being used in scripture, they were familiar with the imagery and the connotations. 

However, there is something that is unique about how David uses this motif in this psalm compared to when the shepherd metaphor is being used. With the exception of psalm 23, every occurrence of the motif is impersonal. David, on the other hand, is not afraid to make it this personal and cause it to be something shocking and soothing. David does not simply claim that God is a like a shepherd. David claims that the LORD is his shepherd. Spurgeon noted this well, “What condescension is this, that the Infinite LORD assumes towards his people the office and character of a shepherd!”1 David uses the most holy name of God to say that God takes on the role of one of the most lowly jobs of the day. Only the cross exceeds the condescension that Spurgeon spoke of. And what more, David claims that almighty God is his shepherd. The One who is timeless, without beginning, is the One who is taking care of David. 

David’s next statement makes sense if we are to keep God as the infinite creator and sustainer in mind. The conclusion is simple. If God, the almighty, the Alpha and Omega, is my shepherd and takes care of me then I shall not want. 

For some of us who are not familiar with usage of words in old English, the phrase, “I shall not want,” needs to be explained. In today’s usage, the word “want” usually conveys the ideas of desiring something. So this first line makes no sense in the modern-day usage of the word. Why would we not want the LORD as our shepherd? No one could ask for a better shepherd.  The old English usage of the word meant to be in lack of something. The Hebrew for “want” is חָסֵר (ḥāsēr) meaning “to not have enough of what is needed.”2 Therefore a more modern translation would be: “I shall not lack” or “I am not in need.” Hence David is talking about the LORD is ultimately his provider and sustainer. There will never be a time when he is lacking something that God cannot provide. 

23:2. David explains what he means by his confidence that he will never lack anything but he does this first by using the imagery provided. There are two parallel lines that in this verse that convey a fairly similar idea. Both of them mainly speak of gentle care for the flock. 

Something should be noted of the verbs in verses 1-3. The verbs are considered to be a habitual imperfect. These are actions that are done on a regular and continual basis. 

The first line of the verse speaks of the shepherd making sure his flock has food and rest. Sheep are picky when it comes to grazing. They prefer the shorter grass. Goats may eat everything that is handed to them but sheep prefer the best. The word “pastures” is דֶשֶׁא (ḏešeʾ) which is “new tender green grass and vegetation.”3 This would be difficult for a shepherd to provide on a regular basis. “In much of the land the grass all but disappears in the heat of the summer, but in the spring time even the normally barren hills have fresh green grass.”4 However, such things are not difficult for the LORD. He is able to provide the best grass at all times so that we will never be lacking.

The second line says much about a skilled shepherd. First of all a shepherd leads his sheep to where they need to be. A shepherd does not drive sheep from behind like a cowboy with a herd of cattle. The sheep trust the shepherd so much that they always depend on the shepherd to bring good care for them. 

The second line also tells us of how the shepherd would find still waters for the sheep. Sheep need still water in order to drink and bathe. Rushing waters would not do well for sheep. They would be too scared to try to drink from the water. Rushing water also would not provide a suitable place for the sheep to bathe. They would falter and be washed away by the current. 

23:3. Thankfully David takes the time to help explain the connotation behind the imagery that is being used. David explains this at first with a general statement: “He restoreth my soul.” The Hebrew for “restoreth” is שׁוּב (šûḇ) which generally means to return to one’s original state. The verb can be used to speak of repairing a broken wall. Therefore, David is speaking of restoration. The LORD makes things how they are supposed to be in the first place. This ultimately means a restored relationship with God, one that is free from the hindrance of sin. This restoration should be the longing of every Christian. The Christian understands that salvation is restoration of his soul to the state that it was before sin had entered into the human race—a return to the innocence, purity and holiness that was in the Garden of Eden. 

The first line spoke of returning to the proper place and then the second speaks to continuance of the proper path. These are paths that are dependable. The Hebrew for “paths” is מַעְגָּל (maʿgāl) which is a “rutted path, i.e. verbal teaching as a figurative extension of a well-worn path…or wheel tracks.”5 These are paths that are trustworthy. You know that other travelers have taken these roads and have arrived at the desired destination. It is the paths that stray away from the well-worn road that you be weary of for they have not been deemed as trustworthy. 

One should notice the short phrase, “for his name’s sake.” The phrase can be easily missed but the implications of the phrase are heavy. This explains why He leads us down paths of righteousness. God leads us down these paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. This is talking about God’s reputation. This is talking about the glory of God. God leads us in righteousness for God’s glory. Through the righteous deeds that He leads us, God is magnified. Our actions are supposed to be a reflection of His character and when true righteousness is shown, God is glorified. Yes, the paths of righteousness are good for us but they ultimately brings glory to the Shepherd. If it were not for the shepherd, we would not know which path to take; but He takes us down the righteous path so that God might be lifted up. 

One should also note that David only speaks of a physical provision while using the metaphor of the shepherd in verse 3. When David explains what these metaphors mean in verse 4, we see nothing concerning physical provision but everything to do with spiritual restoration. When David was spoke of green pastures, he was not concerned about food but about spiritual nourishment. When David spoke of the still water, he was not concerned about refreshment but spiritual restoration with God. David was more concerned about righteous living and a harmonious relationship with his LORD. And what it beautiful is that God provides the paths for righteous living for David. God leads David so that David need not guess about righteousness. 

23:4. God did never promised that we would live an easy life. We were never told that the Christian life was going to be a walk in the park. In matter of fact, Jesus guaranteed that we will be hated by unbelievers. So there will at times when will need to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. We will find ourselves in trouble, though David is not talking about trouble he has caused. First of all know that the earth we live is riddled with sin and is plagued by the consequence of sin. Natural disasters, disease and aging are due to the fact that this world suffers from the effects of sin. Also know that the world hates God and it will hate the believer therefore trouble, turmoil and persecution will find us when we are not looking for it. David knew this well. He was anointed to be king over Israel but Saul’s jealousy for David almost ended David’s life on a number of occasions. David did not do anything to provoke Saul. David was only trying to be a good soldier, yet he was persecuted for his righteous actions. 

However, David would not fear those times that he had to walk trough the valley. He knew that his LORD was with him. If God is for us, who can be against us? This is a promise that is given to us as well. “I am with alway, even to the end of the earth” (Matt. 28:20). 

The rod and the staff were common tools for the shepherd in David’s day. The rod was meant for beating off the beasts and the staff was to direct the flock. “The Palestinian shepherd normally carried two implements, a club (or rod) to fend off wild beasts and a crook (or staff) to guide and control the sheep.”6 Therefore is referring to God’s providential protection against our enemy/enemies and care to keep us on the correct path. We may be in the dark valley but we have the greatest Shepherd with us. He is able to protect us from all enemies and keep us in the paths of righteousness. 

23:5. From here the metaphor of the shepherd seems to disappear. Some will argue that it still continues, even to the point of translating some words to fit the metaphor. Others will argue that verses 5 and 6 pick up a new metaphor—a gracious and hospitable host. 

David is not taking literally making a table but preparing a spread for dinner. This gives the image of taking one’s time and thoughtfully laying out a meal for a guest. Yet this time consuming task is done while the enemies of guest demand his life. All of this is supposed to help us understand that there is a sense of safety and security. It was customary that a host would protect his guest from all dangers. Lot’s hospitality for the angels is a good example of this. 

The anointing with oil spoken of here is not talking about anointing a person for designating him as king. This anointing is talking a common gesture that was done for a guest of honor; as was the case when Mary anointed Jesus (John 12:3). The gesture was done so that putrid smells of the day would be overpowered by something more delightful to the nose. We still do the same thing with perfume. 

The cup was symbolic for one’s lot in life. Here, David is stating that God gives blessings over abundantly what he deserves or is in need of. His cup is not able to contain all that God gives to him. 

23:6. “The experience of the past and the rejoicing of the present gave rise to the magnificent expression of confidence in the future in v. 6.”7 David knows that the LORD will continue with His actions. The words “goodness and mercy” form a hendiadys and would be better translated as “good loyal love.”8 Mercy comes חֶסֶד speaking of God’s loyal or covenant love. David concludes his psalm with a desire to live in the temple forever. David wanted to remain in the presence of God. 

______________________ 

1. Charles H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: Classic Reflections on the Wisdom of the Psalms (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2011), 1:1:353.

2. James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997), 2893. (DBLH)

3. DBLH, 2013.

4. Allen P. Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms, Kregel Exegetical Library (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2011-5), 1:561n24.

5. DBLH, 5047.

6. Peter C. Craigie and Marvin E. Tate, Psalms 1-50, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 19, 2nd ed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2004), 207.

7. Craigie and Tate, Psalms 1-50, 208. 

8. Ross, A Commentary on the Psalms, 1:568.