ESTHER 1: THE STORY BEGINS

Esther is a hero story. The main hero of the story is a woman, Esther. Through her, God saved her people, the Jews, from distortion at the hands of a high official in the Persian government.

Esther could be subtitled “A Reversal of Fortunes”, as it shows a queen losing her crown, an unknown, minority woman becoming queen, and a powerful advisor executed for treason on a platform he built for the execution of his Hebrew rival.

Esther is also one of two books in the Bible that do not mention God. And, the people portrayed in the book seem to be only nominal Jews. They are ethnically Jewish, but do not seem to be very religious. The characters in the story never give credit or glory to God for their deliverance.

This has raised questions among some people as to why the book is in the Bible. However, although we do not see the name of God in the book, we see his providential care of his people. He may be hidden in the story, but he is there.

1:1-4

The Six Month Feast of Nobles

The book first tells us that the story happens during the reign of Ahasuerus. It was the Ahasuerus that reigned from India to Ethiopia, a vast kingdom of 127 provinces. He is better known by his Greek name, Xerxes 1. He was the son of Darius the Great (who was the son-in-law of Cyrus the Great) and ruled from 486-465 B.C. He ruled from his capital city of Susa. 

A little historical review will help us place the story of Esther in context with Biblical history. Remember that, 2nd Chronicles 36 tells us that the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and took the surviving Jews to Babylon. This is what we call the Exile. 

Daniel 5 tells us that Nebuchadnezzar’s son, Belshazzar, succeeded him on the throne. He is the one for whom there was the writing on the wall, where God revealed through Daniel that Belshazzar’s kingdom had come to an end. He was defeated by Darius I, King of the Medes and Persians, who made Daniel one of the top three men in the kingdom. Although he also allowed Daniel to be placed in the lion’s den.

After Darius I died, Cyrus the Great became king. Isaiah prophesied this many years before, quoting the Lord as saying that Cyrus was his shepherd to fulfill the Lord’s purpose to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. (Isaiah 44:28) We see here that, even as Isaiah prophesied in advance that Israel would go into captivity in Babylon, he revealed that God planned to redeem them from that captivity as he had redeemed them from captivity in Egypt. He had already chosen the man and the nation that would accomplish his purpose. 

Cyrus issued the decree that allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city and the temple. The decree of Cyrus recorded in Ezra 1 and 2 Chronicles 36. But, many Jews stayed in the Persia.

Cyrus’s son was Darius II, or Darius the Great. When he died, Darius’s son-in-law, Xerxes, became king. He is known for invading and conquering a large part of Greece, and is the Persian king known in the story of the 300, where the Spartans tried to hold the pass against against the Persian army of thousands. His religion was evidently Zoroastrianism, although he did not seem to live according to its standards. 

It is during the reign of this Xerxes that the story of Esther unfolds. It was around 482 B.C. It begins with a feast of six months where Xerxes showed off his wealth and power. Some think it was given to win over the nobles and the army to support Xerxes in his bid to conquer Greece. He showed them all his riches, the splendor of his palace, and his royal glory. (4)

Esther 1:5-8

The Second Feast

At the end of the six month feast for the nobles and governors, Xerxes\Ahasuerus gave a seven day feast for all of the male residents of Susa, the capital city. It was held in the court of the garden of the palace, maybe because he did not want commoners in the palace itself.  He again displayed his wealth in the decorations, food and drink. Evidently, there was lots of drinking. 

Esther 1:9

The Third Feast

The third feast was hosted for the women and also took place at the palace. 

Esther 1:10-22

The Crisis

After 7 days of drinking, the king was “merry”. (10) He decided to show off his wife, the queen, so that the men could admire her beauty. He ordered her to appear before all of these men with her crown on. (11) The Jewish commentators take this to mean she could only wear her crown. 

However, the queen refused to come. We are not told why, but she defied the king by refusing his summons. The king was enraged at her defiance and the embarrassment it caused him. (12) Here he was, king over the greatest empire on earth, and he could not get his own wife to obey him. Vashti created a crisis. 

Xerxes called on his wise men, the seven princes of the kingdom who had personal access to the king (“who saw the king’s face) and asked what he could do to Queen Vashti for refusing to obey his command. (17) 

At this point, the wise men get a little hysterical. One called Memucan said that Vashti had not only wronged the king, but all of the people in the whole empire. (16) He reasoned that all of the women in the kingdom, upon learning of Vashti’s defiance, would have contempt for their husbands and refuse to obey their husbands(18) So, they got the king to issue a royal order that could not be repealed, banning Vashti from the king’s presence and stripping her of her title. (19) This would make all women honor their husbands. 

So, Xerxes issued the order and included that every man be master in his own household. 

Certainly the Bible tells us that a woman should submit to her husband. (Ephesians 5:22) But we also know that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. (Ephesians 5:25) There was no discussion about that among these men. 

Vashti was not wise in her defiance. She lost her title and place in the kingdom. The decree that was made banned her from the king’s presence and set in motion the process to find her substitute. She may have been justified in refusing since the order was demeaning, but she is fortunate she was not executed. Herodotus, the Greek historian, wrote that Xerxes was cruel and petty. 

This result of all of this is a huge upheaval in the royal family and the stage set for major change.

This is the first place we see God at work. He used the pettiness of the king and the pride of the queen to set in motion a plan to protect and redeem his people. No one knew, at this point, that God was working toward this end, or even that he needed to. But he was. 

It is the same in our lives. We may not see what God is doing, or even think he needs to do something, but he is working. Later, however, as we think back, we see that God was indeed working and brought about good things for us As Romans 8:28 says, “…for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” 

Unlike the Jews in this book, we want to give God credit for what he has done and thank him for his work in our lives and in salvation history. 

GIVE THE KING JUSTICE - PSALM 72

PSALM 72

This psalm is a prayer for the king and his descendants, the Davidic kings. Some of the things prayed for were accomplished by some of the kings, but some are only accomplished by the Messiah. 

72:1-7

Prayer for Justice

The title of the Psalm is “Of Solomon”. Normally, in Psalms, that would mean Solomon wrote it. We assume the psalms that say “of David” were written by him. However, it may be that the psalm was written by David for Solomon, asking God to bless Solomon specifically, and the following kings generally. The last verse of the psalm says it ends the psalms of David, which also seems to indicate that the psalm was written by David. 

The first prayer is that God will give the king God’s justice and righteousness. If so, the king can judge the people of Israel with righteousness and treat the poor with justice. (2)

Justice, or justness, is an attribute of God. It is not so much about judging, as in a court, but with how people are treated. God is just because he cares about all people, and especially those who are powerless. The orphan, the widow, and the foreigner are often mentioned. Deuteronomy 10:18 says God executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner giving him food and clothing. 

While we may favor the rich and successful or the beautiful, God cares equally for those who are none of these things. 

The old covenant law reflected God’s character, requiring his people to act justly. God said, in the next verse in the passage we just looked at, that the Israelites were to love the sojourner, for they were sojourners in Egypt. The Egyptians did not treat the Israelites justly and God intervened to deliver them. He then expected that they act justly toward those who were as powerless in Israel and the Israelites had been in Egypt. 

Israel’s king ruled as God’s representative and, therefore, had to be just and righteous. When the king was just and righteous, he led the people to act justly. When the nation acted justly, God blessed them. So, in verse 3, David prayed that prosperity would come to Israel because of their righteousness, living according to God’s law. 

Jesus, the last and eternal king, mirrored the Father’s concern for the weak and powerless. When John’s disciples asked him if he was the Messiah, Jesus said to tell John “the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news preached to them. (Luke 7:22-23) All those types of people have no way to help themselves. The Jewish culture regarded them mostly as inferior and sinful and to be avoided. But Jesus, the Messiah and King, care about them, and his care of them was a sign that he was indeed the Messiah. 

David prayed that his kingly descendants would fear God forever, as long as the moon and sun endured. (5) They would obey God and prosper in peace to the benefit of the people. 

72:8-14

Prayer for the King’s Dominion

David’s prayer was that the king’s dominion would not only extend in time, but also in territory. The king would have dominion from sea to sea. When God promised the land of Canaan to the Israelites, he promised them their borders would stretch from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, the Mediterranean Sea. 

It also could be that David is actually praying for the king’s territory to cover the entire earth when he says from sea to sea. None of the Israelite kings experienced this expansion of territory.  Eventually, King Jesus will do so. That is why the Great Commission is to take the gospel all over the world, to all nations. It is to spread Christ’s kingdom over all the earth. 

Philippians 2:10-11 also tells us that on the Last Day every knee in heaven and earth and under the earth will bow to Jesus and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Jesus will fulfill David’s prayer that the Davidic descendants will have total dominion, will cause the desert tribes to bow down to him, and will receive tribute from powerful nations All kings will fall down before him and all nations will serve him. (11)

This is symbolized for us in the gospels when the Magi come from far away lands to see Jesus. They fall down and worshipped him, recognizing him as God. They give expensive gifts, recognizing the new born Jesus as king. (Mathew 2:11)  They represent the kings from far away coming tp pay tribute to the Davidic King, in partial fulfillment of Psalm 72:10. 

Then, it all comes to an amazing climax in Revelation 21:26, when the kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into the New Jerusalem and walk in the light of the glory of God. 

Isaac Watts capture the thought of this psalm with his hymn “Jesus Shall Reign”. Here are the words:

Jesus shall reign where'er the sun

does its successive journeys run,

his kingdom stretch from shore to shore,

till moons shall wax and wane no more.

2 To him shall endless prayer be made,

and praises throng to crown his head.

His name like sweet perfume shall rise

with every morning sacrifice.

3 People and realms of every tongue

dwell on his love with sweetest song,

and infant voices shall proclaim

their early blessings on his name.

4 Blessings abound where'er he reigns:

the prisoners leap to lose their chains,

the weary find eternal rest,

and all who suffer want are blest.

5 Let every creature rise and bring

the highest honors to our King,

angels descend with songs again,

and earth repeat the loud amen.

In verses 12-14, we again see that all of this comes because of the justice of the king, delivering the needy, the poor, and those without a helper, the powerless. He redeems those who are oppressed and subject to violence. 

72:15-17

Prayer for Longevity and Prosperity

In these verses, David again prays that the king have a long life and great wealth. He prays that the king’s people will pray for him continually and invoke blessings for him. The king will lead the people in justice and righteousness and the people will respond with prayer and blessing.

David then echoes the promised blessings of the covenant, that grain would grow in abundance and the people would grow in number. In Leviticus 26, the blessing promised for obedience to the law included the land yielding it increase, or the abundance of grain. It also included the fruitfulness of the people to be multiplied in number. David is praying that the king would lead the people into obedience to the covenant, which is righteousness, so that they would experience the blessings promised by God. If so, his name would endure, or be known for ever, and the nations he ruled would call him blessed.  

As new covenant believers, we know that our king, Jesus Christ, is just and righteous. By following and obeying him, we receive many blessings. Most of our blessings in this life are spiritual rather than physical. But, when God makes all things new, Jesus will reign over the perfect new creation, the new heavens and earth, and we will reign with him over all of it. There will be peace, sinlessness, love, fellowship, and the lack of any need. 

72:18-20

Doxology: Praise of God’s Kingship

The psalmist closed his prayer with praise for God, blessing him because he had done wondrous things. He prayed that the whole earth would be filled with his glory. The people then say “amen and amen”, meaning that they confess these words are true. With them, we say “amend, come Lord Jesus”. 

And that ends the psalms of David. 

PSALM 71 - FAITH OF THE OLD MAN DAVID

PSALM 71

This Psalm was written by an old man. It is thought to have been written by David, since the thought of the psalm is similar to Psalm 70, which is attributed to David. He is old and he has faith in God to help him. But, from the perspective of an old man, he wants to finish strong and knows he can only do this with God’s help.

Prayer of Confidence
71:1-4

These verses, like all of the lament psalms, show David calling for help. He uses many different words and phrases for this: deliver, rescue, hear, save, be a rock of refuge.

In particular, David desired that he never be put to shame. He wanted to finish his life and his rule as king in a Godly way, with a reputation as a Godly man. Even in old age, after a successful tenure as king, he had enemies that would destroy him and his reputation if they could.

But David placed his confidence in the Lord. In verse 1, he said “in you” he found refuge, in the Lord. Old people that have lived a life of faith come to this point of view. They have trusted in God all of their lives and he has delivered them many times. Therefore, they have confidence in him and have given up confidence in themselves. Like David, they seek protection in the Lord.

David also asked God to deliver him as a matter of God’s righteousness. So, what is righteousness as it pertains to God? Righteousness is to act rightly, to act in according to the right standards. For God, his righteousness is a natural expression of his holiness. His treatment of us will always be in perfect agreement with his holy nature.

God’s righteousness is part of who he is. Because he is God, he is the standard of righteousness. There is nothing outside of God that is great than God and binds him. Human morals and ethics change constantly, but they do not change God and he is not bound by them.

Because God is holy and righteous and unchanging (immutable), he always and consistently acts in accord with his perfect character. The psalms tell us that over and over. They say God is righteous (119:37), his righteousness is everlasting (119:42), and he is righteous in all his ways. (145:17)

One way God reveals his righteousness is by fulfilling his promises, in doing what he said he would do. Nehemiah said “You have kept your promise, for you are righteous.” (9:7-8) In this context, Nehemiah referred to promising Abraham that his descendants would have the land of Canaan.

David knew all of this about God. God had made promises to Israel that he had kept in David’s lifetime. But God had also made promises to David. He made a covenant with him. And so David had faith that God would keep his promises and, in doing so, save David from being shamed by his enemies. That is why he prayed “in your righteousness, deliver me”.

An Affirmation of Confidence
71:5-8

Here David recites his history with the Lord. The Lord had been his hope and trust since his youth. Even from birth, God had guided David on his way. We see this in the Scripture. While a shepherd, David had killed lions and bears that threatened his sheep. ( 1 Samuel 17: 36) He gave credit to the Lord for that, saying that the Lord delivered him.

And in that same Faith, David went and fought and killed Goliath saying “I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts”. (1 Samuel 17:45)

Because of his many mighty deeds, David had been a “portent” or miraculous sign to many. But David saw God as the one with real strength and gave him the glory for it. He said “My mouth is filed with your praise, and with your glory all the day”. (8)

Prayer in Old Age
71:9-13

Despite his many successes, some saw David as old and weak. They thought God had forsaken him, leaving him vulnerable to attack from younger men. So, David asked God not to abandon him, or cast him off, in his old age when his physical strength had gone. (9) His enemies believed God had abandoned him and that he had no one to deliver him. There is the implication here that David’s enemies knew God had delivered him in the past. But they evidently believed God would not do it again because David was old.

Hope In Old Age
71:14-18

 Even though David called for help, he did it in confidence and hope in the Lord. He said he would hope continually. In fact, even as he got old, he would increase his praise. He would tell others of God’s righteous acts. He believed in God’s righteousness and believed God would act accordingly. He would fulfill his promises. David would continue to tell others of all the times God had saved David and Israel.

Never in this process does David proclaim is own strength or power. He continued to fall back on his trust in God’s righteousness. This shows us how important it is that we study and know God’s word so that we know God’s nature. We need to know the one we have placed our trust in, so that our faith, confidence, and peace will grow as we get older.

God had taught these things to David from his youth. David wanted God to stay with him so he could continue to teach another generation about him.


Affirmation of Confidence
71:19-21

These verses are a combination of praise to God and an expression of confidence in God. The two go together. When you praise God for his wonderful attributes, your confidence in him will grow. As your confidence in God grows, your praise will increase.

So David proclaims that God’s righteousness reaches the high heavens. It is a way of saying God’s righteousness is so great, it cannot be contained. From praising God’s character, David went on to praise God’s deeds, saying he had done such great deeds, there was no one like him.  Those are the two sides of praise: praising God for who he is and what he had done.

The thought that no one is like God, as expressed in very 19, runs throughout the Bible. It is behind God’s command that we shall have no other gods before him. (Exodus 20:3) Moses sang a song after God brought the Israelites through the Red Sea. He sang “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you , majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders.” (Exodus 15:11) Those are rhetorical questions the answer to which is “no one”. God’s wonderful deeds flow from his wonderful character.

David also acknowledged God’s sovereignty over his life. He said that God made him see many troubles and calamities. But he believed God would still act to revive David, give him comfort, and even increase his greatness. It reminds me of the words of Job: “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord”. (Job 2:21)

Thanksgiving with Confidence
71:22-24

The psalm ends with a stanza devoted to praise. David was ready to praise God with musical instruments, the harp and the lyre. He praised God’s faithfulness. That is a trait similar to God’s righteousness. He is faithful to those who believe in him and love him. He does not abandon them.

David also said he would shout and sing his praises because God had redeemed him. He had been saved from is enemies and his enemies had been shamed, so David was vindicated by the Lord. The Lord was righteous, so David would talk about that all day long.


Takeaways

God showed his righteousness in the Bible by keeping his promises to Israel. He kept his promises to bless them when they kept the covenant and he kept his promises to curse them when they disobeyed.

God has made us promises as new covenant believers. He promised us the Holy Spirit. He promises us eternal life. Because we know he is righteous, we know he will keep those promises. Certainly, as we get older, the promise of eternal life means more and more to us.

Daniel Whittle wrote a hymn back in 1883 that reflects our faith in God’s righteousness. The refrain of that hymn says:

But I know whom I have believed
And am persuaded that he is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto him against that day.

God is righteous and he will keep his promise to each and every one of us. He will never leave us or forsake us. 

PSALM 70 - JOY IN THE LORD

This is a very short Psalm consisting of two stanzas (1-3; 4-5). It is very close to the wording of Psalm 40:14-16. The title directs it to the choirmaster, so it was meant to be sung. And it is for the “memorial offering”.

The memorial offering was a portion of the grain offering. It was to be of fine flour with oil poured on it and with frankincense sprinkled on it. Most of the grain offering was given to the priests to eat, but the memorial portion was burned on the altar and produced an aroma pleasing to the Lord. The thought seems to that it was to remind the Lord to act with favor toward the one who brought the offering.

So, it is possible that the words to those three verses of Psalm 40 were used to write a short song to sing to the Lord while the memorial offering was presented and burned on the altar.

70:1-3 

The Cry for Deliverance

The psalm starts with the please of the Psalmist to hurry and come to deliver him from his enemies, to help him. 

The Psalmist goes on to describe how he wants the Lord to help him by dealing with those who want to hurt him. He wants God to put them to shame and confusion. He asks God to turn them back and into dishonor. This is the Psalmist asking God to do to his enemies what they seek to do to him: to hurt him and shame him into dishonor.

The Psalmist describes these people as those who say “aha. Aha!”. We have all had these people in our lives. They live to say “aha” when they catch us slipping us or some other Christian making a mistake or falling into sin.  They point they finger and say “aha”, you are no better than me or anyone else, whether you have ever claimed that or not. 

Certainly, we are to live so that we do not bring shame on the gospel or the Lord. Ephesians 4:1 says “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called…”. It goes on to say we do this by having humility and gentleness, bearing with each other in love and maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 

Colossians 1:10 says “…walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him…”. Paul said we do this by bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 

But we all make mistakes and some want to use them against us. And when someone who claims to be a Christian does something terrible, or renounces the faith, they broadcast it loudly. Those are the kind of people to which the Psalmist refers.

70:4-5

Rejoicing

The Psalmist calls all who seek God to rejoice and be glad in him. You know, we study God’s attributes and we praise him for them. But, we are also to have joy and gladness in him. 

I have to say that many of the Christians I have known in my life were not joyful. Many were dutiful. Others were angry or mean. Only a few were joyful. 

But we can have joy because of who God is and that we have a relationship with him. We take joy in who God is. He is perfect, holy, forgiving and loving. We want to be in his presence and to know him intimately. David wrote “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the home of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple”. (Psalm 27:4) 

He also write “in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”. (Psalm 16:11) 

Our relationship with God should bring us joy. The Bible tells us to delight ourselves in the Lord. (Psalm 37:4) In fact, one of the fruits produced in us by the Holy Spirit is joy. (Galatians 5:22) And we are commanded to be joyful. Philippians 4:4 says “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice”. 

Paul preached this and he lived it. Despite his beatings and betrayals, even in prison, he experienced joy. In Philippi, Paul and Silas were attacked by a crowd, stripped by the magistrates and beaten with rods. Finally, they were put in prison, bound by stocks on their feet. The next thing we see is Paul and Silas praying and singing hymns to God. (Acts 16:25) They could only do that because they had a deep joy in their relationship with the Lord. 

Many of you today could use some joy. It has been a difficult week of tragedy, rebellion and sin on full display. Many of you have been confined to your homes for months because of the pandemic. You may find yourself depressed, anxious, and unhappy. 

In these times and with these feelings, it is tempting to fall into apathy, or anger, or indulgence. But none of these things will provide lasting relief or satisfaction. The only one who will is the Lord. He is there and he is waiting to fellowship with you. Revelation 3:20 is a verse often misused. It was written to believers who were apathetic.  Jesus said “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me”. It is the picture of you and the Lord sitting together in communion with each other, enjoying each other’s company, experiencing joy. 

John Piper put it this way: “God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in him”. When you find your satisfaction in God, you find joy. You have no problem saying with this psalmist “God is great”. 

The last verse is a cry of humility. The Psalmist asks God to help him because he is poor and needy. He is helpless to help himself. We are the same. We cannot satisfy ourselves or deliver ourselves. But God can and will for those who believe in him and seek him.

PSALM 69 - SAVE ME

PSALM 69 - Save Me!

Psalms 69 through 72 are the last psalms in the second book, or division, of the psalms. They are an abrupt change from Psalm 68, which was a praise of God’s mighty acts in creation and redemption. They are a return to the lament. Psalm 69 is a personal lament of David, with one section that is imprecatory, calling for the punishments of the wicked who oppose him. 

The psalm is also known as a messianic psalm, because several of its verses are applied to Jesus in the New Testament. 

Drowning in Despair

69:1-3

David’s plea is that God will save him from his circumstances. He describes his feelings: he is overwhelmed. He feels like water is rising to drown him and that he is stuck in slippery mud where he cannot get his footing. This is a person who feels like his troubles are about to defeat him and he can find nothing solid on which to take a stand. He is going to drown or be swept away. 

To make it worse, David has been crying out to God so long that he is wearing and has a sore throat. He has cried so much he cannot see well. 

Most of us can understand this, because we have been overwhelmed at times. Either we had more to do that we could get done, or everything in our lives seems to have gone bad. We have asked God for relief, but relief has not come yet. 

69:4

The Problem

The problem causing David despair is spelled out in verse 4. Many people hate him for no without cause. It is like they want him to restore something he did not steal. His enemies are many and they are mighty. 

David’s enemies did have reasons, but they did not have just reasons, so he could say they hated him without cause. He had done nothing wrong But, they may have hated him just because he was devoted to God, as the next section indicates. 

Jesus experienced the same thing. In fact, he applied this very verse to himself in John 15:25. That verse comes at the end of a passage where Jesus tells his disciples that they would experience the hate and persecution he experienced. And, he said, they hated him that the word might be fulfilled that “they hated me without a cause”. So, David, who was a man after God’s heart and God’s anointed king,  was hated without cause, and his descendant, the Greater David and ultimate Anointed One, was hated even more and killed. 

69:5

David’s Confession

Although David maintained he was hated without cause, he did not claim to be without sin. He knew that God saw his sins and his follies, or foolishness. It is a good reminder to us that God sees all. All that we do and say are before him. We cannot hide from him, so we should live in acknowledgment of that fact. 

The Reformers said we live “coram Deo”, which means before the face of God. It is good to remind ourselves of that when we are tempted to sin. To live coram Deo is to live one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God.

69:6-8

A Prayer for Others

David asked that other who hoped in the Lord would not be put to shame or dishonor because of him. He was asking God to protect others even as he asked God to deliver him. 

You may have heard the term “guilt by association”. You can be judged guilty of something because of the way your friends act. That happens both with good and bad friends. The Pharisees impugned Jesus by saying he ate with sinners and tax collectors. They implication was he was a sinner, too. (Matthew 9:10-17)

Remember Peter  John becoming known to the Sanhedrin as those who had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)

While David prayed that others would not suffer because of him, he pointed out to God that he suffered because of God. He said it was for God’s sake that he suffered reproach and dishonor. (7) He had even suffered alienation from his own brothers. 

Of course, Jesus suffered this also. His brothers did not believe in him until the resurrection, and even accused him of being crazy. (John 7:5; Mark 3:21) Following the Lord can mean you lose popularity even with your own family. 

David suffered reproach because of his zeal for the Lord’s house, the tabernacle at that time. He brought the ark back to Jerusalem and prepared a place for it. He organized extravagant worship there, paying singers and musicians to create worship music. David also desired to build the temple. Even though the Lord would not allow it, David gave lavish gifts of materials and money for its building. 

Jesus also had zeal for the Lord’s house, the temple. John 2:13-17 tells us the story of Jesus going to Jerusalem at Passover, going into the temple and driving out those who sold animals for sacrifice and changed money for payment of the temple tax. The Holy Spirit then cause the disciples to remember this psalm and the words “zeal for your house will consume me”.  

In David’s zeal, he fasted. He repented of sin wearing sackcloth and weeping. This brought him further reproach. Moving from good church attender to devoted disciple can alienate people you attend church with. You have moved from fan to fanatic and now make people uncomfortable. If you do not believe me, tell all of your friends and relatives you are preaching on a busy street corner every weekend night. Poor David, even drunks made up songs to sing about him with derision.

69:13-18

The Patient Prayer

Remarkably, though he suffered reproach and hate, David was willing to wait patiently for the Lord, even as he cried for relief. He asked the Lord to act in “an acceptable time”. (13) In other words, David asked the Lord to act in the Lord’s timing. Even though he suffered greatly, he was willing to submit to the Lord’s timing in his deliverance.

David also acknowledged God’s steadfast love. This refers to his covenant keeping love. God had made a covenant with Israel, but also with David, and David asked God to act knowing he was the beneficiary of God’s love and God’s commitments to him. 

In verses, 14-15, David returned to the theme of the first two verses. He asked for deliverance from sinking in the mire and from the water sweeping over him. But he also added deliverance from the pit. The pit refers to death or the grave. David is asking God to preserve his life. 

Again in verse 16, David appealed to God’s steadfast love, as well as his abundant mercy. He acknowledges these traits of God and asks God to act according to his perfect traits in coming to David’s rescue. He says this in multiple ways for emphasis: turn to me, do not hide your face, make haste to answer, draw near, redeem and ransom me. (18) 

69:19-21

God Knows the Situation

David acknowledged the God knew the situation. He knew David’s reproach, his shame and his dishonor. He knew who David’s enemies were. (19) David had no one to give him comfort. He said, metaphorically, that he was given poison for food and sour wine for his thirst. 

For Jesus, on the cross, this verse became reality. When Jesus said he was thirsty, someone put a sponge in a jar of sour wine and offered it to him. (John 19:29) He then said “it is finished” and gave up his spirit. 

Jesus identified himself with these verses in the psalm, showing that he got no pity from men, but God knew his reproach and dishonor, because that was part of his atoning death for our sins. He who had no sin was made to be sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”.

69:22- 29

Imprecation

This passage gives the psalm it imprecatory nature, as David responds by asking God to punish his enemies. He is asking God for vindication by inflicting punishment on them, both physical and spiritual. He wants them to suffer in their bodies, their dwellings destroyed, and finally, that they they are blotted out of the book of life. He is saying, in effect, make them hurt, kill them, and sent them to hell. It is pretty graphic.

In contrast, Jesus, the Greater David, prays that God will forgive those who killed him. He prayed “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”. (Luke 23:34) He showed us in the Lord’s prayer to forgive those who trespass against us. He told us even to love our enemies and pray for them. (Matthew 5:44) In the New Covenant, we do not look for vindication until Jesus returns and judges the world. In the interim, we are to model the love of God and the forgiveness with which we have been forgiven our sins. 

David wanted his enemies put down, but in verse 29, he says he is down and asks God to set him on high, to lift him up. That would show that God is in control and that David is God’s man. It would vindicate him. 

69:30-36

Praise To God

David ended the psalm with a doxology, a praise. In verse 30, he offers both thanksgiving and praise. He reiterates a major theme of the Bible, that God is more pleased with an attitude of thankfulness than he is with animal sacrifices. 

David also encouraged the humble to be revived when they see David worship, knowing the Lord hears the prayers of the needy and the prisoners.

David’s confidence in God’s deliverance is set forth in the last two verses as he affirmed that God would save Zion and preserve it for those who love his name. 

God will do that, but in a greater way than David could have imagined or hoped, for God will give those who love him a new earth, a New Jerusalem, where there there is nothing detestable or false, where God’s people live by his light in a beautiful city, where the river of the water of life runs through it, and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be.  

And that is the hope we live for.

GOD'S TRIUMPH - PSALM 68

PSALM 68

This psalm is a magnificent song of triumph. Although the psalm does not state an event for which it was written, it fits well with being written to commemorate the removal of the ark of the covenant from the house of Obed-edom. 

1 Samuel 4 tells us the Israelites took the ark into battle with the Philistines. They lost the battle and the ark was captured. The Philistines took to Ashdod and put it in the temple of their god, Dagon. But, the next day, the statue of Dagon was found to be knocked down and broken. So, the Philistines removed the ark from their temple and took it to various places, but the Lord struck the people of each place with tumors.

So, the Philistines took the ark to Israel and it was kept in one of their towns, but not taken to Israel. This happened in the last days of Samuel the prophet. 

But, when David became king, he wanted to bring the ark to Jerusalem and he prepared a place fo it. Then he went to get it with a huge crowd of people, singers and musicians, priests and levites. And he brought it to Jerusalem with great celebration. You can read that story in 2 Samuel 6. This psalm reflects that triumph.

As the story is told of the procession of the ark, there are also references and allusions to the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness, the Exodus, with the ark in their midst and being led by the pillar of fire and the cloud. 

Verses 1-18 are a reflection of the procession of the ark to Jerusalem

68:1-3

The Beginning

The first words of the psalm are “God shall arise”. These words reflect the words Moses said every morning when the ark set out in the wilderness. He said “Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” (Numbers 10:35) 

The Lord answered that prayer repeatedly, causing his enemies, and enemies of Israel to be defeated and to flee. 

The Psalmist acknowledges God’s answer to that prayer, saying “God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; and those who hate him shall flee from him!”. This shows us that the psalmist was knowledgeable of the passage in Numbers and its fulfillment at that time. Plus, it shows him apply this truth to the delivery of the ark from the Philistines to Jerusalem.

While the wicked are driven away and perish, the righteous shall be glad. They shall exult before the Load, and be jubilant with joy. (3) 2 Samuel 6 tells us all of Israel celebrated before the Lord with songs, lyres, harps,, tambourines, castanets and cymbals. David offered sacrifices every 6 steps along the way and danced before the Lord. 

So, we see that those who love the Lord and are committed to him rejoice in his victories. Worship must be reverent, but it should also be joyful. It is a great privilege to have a relationship with the Living God. 

68:4-10

The Procession Begins

As the procession begins, the Psalmist sings praise to God and tells others to do it along with him. His praise emphasizes God’s character. He tells others to sing to God. 

He calls God “the one who rides through the deserts”. (English Standard Version) There is a split in interpretations here among various Bible versions. The New American Standard says “wilderness”, in basic agreement with the ESV’s “deserts”. It is the picture of God leading his people from Egypt to Canaan through the desert, or wilderness. 

The New International Version and the New King James Version say “clouds” instead of “deserts”. Some connect this with later verses about rain and the heavens. Also, God also appeared in the clouds at Sinai and when he appeared to Ezekiel. Either way, it is picture of God leading his people in victory and power. 

The Psalmist extols God as the protector of the weak, helping the fatherless, the widows, those who are alone, and the prisoners. These may be those in prison because they are too poor to pay their debts, because God delivers them from prison to prosperity.

God created the family and he cares about it. He cares about those who do not have a family. That has not changed from the old covenant to the new. James 1:27 tells us: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction…”. 

Jesus condemned those who took advantage of the weak. 

Verses 7-10 contain further references to the Exodus, when God led his people through the wilderness in power that made the earth quake and the heavens rain. With that rain, he restored Canaan, his inheritance, and made a dwelling for his people, Israel. (9-10) The Psalmist interpreted this as further evidence of God’s care for the weak and helpless, saying “in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy”. (10)

68:11-18

Approaching the City

This stanza captures the words of the great crowd that accompanied the ark to Jerusalem. There are many women in the crowd and they announce the news of the arrival of the ark. They think back to when the Israelites captured Jerusalem, a city on a mountain. 

They praised God for winning victory without the help of the men of the army, allowing the women to collect the spoils from the fallen enemy because God scattered them like snow on the mountain. (14) They give God the credit for the victory and do not take it for themselves.

Verses 15-18 refer to God’s choosing of Mt. Zion in Jerusalem as the place for the tabernacle, and later the temple, to reside. His presence was there. The Psalmists paints a picture of a majestic mountain, or range of mountains, named Bashan, which are more majestic and beautiful than Zion. Mt. Hermon, in that range, is tall and imposing. Zion, in comparison, is more like a hill.

But, God chose Zion. It is now beautiful because God chose it and God’s presence is there, not because of its physical beauty.  We are like that, too.

God ascended to the mountain in the sense that the ark was taken there. His sanctuary is now there and he dwells there in power, as if he had a 100,000 chariots in attendance. And when he ascended, he received gifts from men. Sacrifices were made and gifts given to construct the place for the ark and to celebrate its return.

68:19-27

The Procession Ends

As the procession ends in Jerusalem, the people recognize that the ark is the symbol for God’s presence. (19) Therefore, they bless the Lord as the one who is their salvation. He saved the faithful Israelites from death as he protected them from defeat in war. 

Those enemies included Bashan, whose King Og, tried to prevent Israel from reaching Canaan. (22) It included the Egyptian army, which rested at the bottom of the Red Sea after God collapsed it onto them as they pursued the people of Israel. (21)

Verses 24-27 picture the ark taken into the sanctuary with the singers in front of the ark and the musicians behind it, with virgins playing tambourines. 

With the ark resting now in its rightful place, the sanctuary, it is restored to Israel. So the Psalmists blesses God as the fountain of Israel’s blessings. (26) All of the nation are blessed, from the smallest tribe of Benjamin to the royal tribe of Judah. Benjamin basically resided in Judah at this point, and the two tribes were closest to the king. But also blessed were the tribes of Zebulun and Napthali, the northernmost tribes. This represents all of Israel, from South to North. 

68:28-35

Israel’s Prayer

These verses are a prayer which calls upon God to exert his power. In essence, it says “now the your presence is back in Jerusalem, use your power to conquer the nations for Israel”. Especially, the psalmist wants God to dominate Egypt, the beast that dwells among the reeds (v. 30), as well as Egypt’s ally, Cush, which is Ethiopia.  

In verses 32-35, the Psalmist broadens the scope of his prayer. He wanted all the nations of the earth to worship God, acknowledging his power and majesty. God is the one who rides in the heavens. That is a picture of God’s majesty and deity. It is the same as saying he rides on or comes with the clouds.

This is our prayer, too. Although Christ reigns in heaven, we long for him to return in glory and power, defeating all of his enemies, and ruling the nations. And while we wait, we obey his command to bring the gospel to the nations so that they will submit to him now in gladness rather than later in sorrow.