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BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 14, Day 4: 1 Samuel 26

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promised Land Part 1

Image result for 1 samuel 26

Summary 1 Samuel 26:

David is ratted out again by the Ziphites (1 Samuel 23:19-23) to Saul who takes 3000 men to the Desert of Ziph to find David. David goes with Abishai to Saul’s camp and finds Saul asleep. Abishai offers to kill Saul with one spear thrust. David again says no — that he cannot lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and God will deal with him in His time. He takes the spear and the water jug near Saul’s head and departs.

David tells the man guarding Saul he deserves death along with the rest of the men because they failed to protect the king. Saul wakes, and David once again asks why he is pursuing him. Again, we see almost a verbatim repetition of 1 Samuel 24. Saul says he was wrong; David doesn’t trust him; they go their separate ways.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 14, Day 4: 1 Samuel 26:

9) This play out almost exactly like 1 Samuel 24. David spares Saul’s life, but he could have just as easily killed him. He probably recognized his harshness with Nabal. David could have gone the other way, but his faith was so strong he didn’t.

10) Same as in 1 Samuel 24. Abishai believes (like the mob in 1 Samuel 24) that God has handed Saul into David’s hands to end his life. David believes he is not to raise a hand against the Lord’s anointed, and thus refuses to do so. David has faith God will deal with Saul (the wicked) in His own time, and he doesn’t worry about it.

11) Part personal Question. My answer: God is faithful, and David’s faith in Saul is unshakeable. God is just as David knows God will deal with Saul. God protects as David knows he won’t be harmed by Saul. I need to remember all God’s truths better: He’s just, fair, merciful, and faithful.

Conclusions: BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 14, Day 4: 1 Samuel 26:

It’s interesting how Saul never gives up when he has to know the outcome. People are stubborn despite God knocking them on the head repeatedly. I love how David won’t kill Saul, but he makes sure to let Saul know he could have. Warnings can be good teaching points (except Saul never learns).

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 14, Day 4: 1 Samuel 26:

Image result for 1 samuel 26The people of the city of Ziph – had betrayed David’s whereabouts to Saul before (1 Samuel 23:19-23). Now they try to gain King Saul’s favor again, by helping Saul find David again.

Saul goes back on his previous repentance (1 Samuel 24:16-21). At that time David had the opportunity to kill Saul but did not. When David boldly demonstrated this to Saul, the king was greatly moved emotionally and publicly repented for his murderous intentions toward David. Saul’s repentance was deep, sincere, and emotional – but it didn’t last very long as the same thing happens in this chapter.

A a wise and capable commander David constantly monitored the movements of Saul. David knew where Saul was but Saul did not know where David was.

The King James Version says that Saul lay within the trench. That translation is accurate from the Hebrew but gives the wrong idea. The perimeter of the Israeli army camp was marked by the tracks of their wagons, and it was within the perimeter of the camp that Saul slept.

The last time David and Saul met David was simply hiding from Saul, and Saul happened upon the place where David hid. This time David actively sought Saul out.

Why David not kill Saul a second time?

  • Saul was still the anointed king over Israel (1 Samuel 10:1)
  • Vengeance is God’s as God could kill Saul any time and every breath he took was a gift from God (Romans 12:17-21)
  • David loved Saul and wanted him to repent
  • David shows God’s mercy (Hebrews 6:10;  Matthew 7:2)

Why partridges?Image result for partridges in mountains

“The Arabs, observing that partridges soon become weary as not to be able to fly hunt them in the mountains till at last they can knock them down with their clubs. Saul hunted David similarly, coming hastily upon him, and putting him up from time to time, in hopes that he should at length, by frequent repetitions of it, be able to destroy him.” (Clarke)

The last time Saul was in this situation (1 Samuel 24), he was overcome with emotion. His feelings seemed right but his life was not changed (1 Samuel 24:16-21). This time there is something cold and mechanical about Saul’s words.

FUN FACT: This will be the last time David sees Saul.

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 14, Day 3: 1 Samuel 25:14-44 with Psalm 37

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promised Land Part 1

Image result for 1 samuel 25

Summary 1 Samuel 25:14-44:

Abigail got wind of David’s request and how good he had been to them, guarding the sheep. Abigail decides to give David food without telling Nabal. She rides out to greet them as David is still seething over Nabal’s denial of his food request and is preparing to slaughter Nabal’s men.

Abigail prostrates herself before David, begging him to put the blame on her instead because her husband is a fool. She reasons with him to not kill them because then he’d have innocent bloodshed on his hands. David blesses her, saying she has saved him from killing all of Nabal’s men. Nabal dies. David marries Abigail. He had married Ahinoam of Jezreel as well but Michal had been given to another man.

Summary Psalm 37:

Don’t worry over evil people. Trust in God and He will give you the desires of your heart. Wait for the Lord. Refrain from evil. The Lord laughs at the wicked. The wicked will vanish and perish. Do good and the Lord will not forsake you. He will bless you.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 14, Day 3: 1 Samuel 25:14-44 with Psalm 37:

6) Part Personal Question. My answer: Abigail is intelligent and beautiful. She is selfless, willing to take on Nabal’s punishment. She cares for her employees to save them. She is humble, brave, and courageous. She is sacrificial. I’d like to be more caring, humble, and more sacrificial as well.

7) Part Personal Question. My answer: God sent Abigail to prevent David from doing something he’d regret and from sinning. Every day God extends mercy to me as I fail and am flippant with others, impatient, and mean sometimes.

8 ) Part personal question. My answer: God blesses the good and condemns the evil in His time. I need to be more patient with God and allow Him to give me the desires of my heart.

Conclusions: BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 14, Day 3: 1 Samuel 25:14-44 with Psalm 37:

Leave it to a woman to diffuse a male ego. Abigail, knowing something bad is going to happen, goes to David and makes peace. David realizes how wrong he was and then marries Abigail, probably recognizing her intelligence, courage, and selflessness.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 14, Day 3: 1 Samuel 25:14-44 with Psalm 37:

Nabal’s servants read the handwriting on the wall. They knew that David would not take such an insult (theft, actually) lying down. For their own sake and for the sake of the household. they asked Abigail to do something, knowing Nabal would not (Proverbs 17:12).

The fact that Abigail was able to gather so much food so quickly shows how wealthy Nabal was. If this much food was on hand, it makes Nabal’s ungenerous reply to David all the worse.

In his angry, agitated state, something unexpected made David and his whole company come to an immediate stop: a great procession of gifts, and at the head of that procession, a beautiful woman bowing down before David. This had to make a startling impression on David.

What did Abigail do that saved her men?

  • Abigail came as a humble servant, not as a superior (as the beautiful, rich, and privileged often do).Image result for 1 samuel 25
  • Abigail acted quickly
  • Abigail took the blame on herself, knowing as a woman, David would punish her differently than Nabal
  • Abigail asked David’s permission to speak
  • Abigail told David he was about to make a mistake
  • Abigail brought gifts
  • Abigail asked for forgiveness
  • Abigail compliments David
  • Abigail told David to look at the bigger picture of what God has for him
  • Abigail tells David to act like a man close to God

What did Abigail do wrong in her interaction with David?

  • Abigail went to David without her husband’s consent
  • Abigail called her husband names and criticized him to others
  • Abigail insinuated Nabal should be killed
  • Abigail asked David to remember her
  • Abigail was not outstandingly submissive or respectful to her husband, Nabal.

Though there is no explanation in the Bible, perhaps Abigail’s behavior was justified because this was a life-or-death situation. If Abigail didn’t do what she did, then Nabal and scores of innocent men would die. But the point of the passage is how submissive and respectful Abigail is towards David, not Nabal.

The beauty of Abigail’s speech

  • Abigail focused David’s attention from Nabal back to God who could easily kill all of David’s enemies with a sling, referencing Goliath here.
  • Abigail lifted David up instead of beating him down. David was clearly in the wrong, and Abigail wanted to guide him into the right. But she didn’t do it by being negative, by emphasizing to David how wrong and angry and stupid he was – though in fact he was. Instead, Abigail emphasized David’s glorious calling and destiny, and the general integrity of his life, and simply asked him to consider if what his present course of action was consistent with that destiny and integrity.
  • Abigail is a marvelous model of “sweetly speaking submission.” Many Christian wives have the idea of “silent submission.” They say, “I know my husband is wrong, but I won’t tell him. Submission means I should shut up.” That is wrong, and they should look to Abigail as an example. Other Christian wives have the idea of “sharply speaking submission.” They say, “I know my husband is wrong, and God has appointed me to tell him. And boy, will I!” That is wrong, and they should look to Abigail as an example. Abigail gives the right example – submission that speaks, but speaks sweetly instead of sharply.
  • Abigail’s submission to Nabal was not outstanding but her submission to David was. And David’s submission to the Lord was equally outstanding; by giving up the fight, he had to trust God to take care of Nabal.

What do we learn from Abigail?

  • Our hurt feelings never justify disobedience. When others sin against us, we may feel justified in sinning against them, but we are never justified by disobeying.
  • It is a great blessing when we are kept from sin.

David knew God sent Abigail and was speaking through her. How many Abigails do we have in our lives?

Abigail reminded David of his destiny – to reign over Israel in righteousness and integrity. If David had slaughtered Nabal and his household, it would forever be a black mark against David among Israelites. They would forever wonder if they could really trust him. It might also seal his doom before Saul, because for the first time David would have given Saul a legitimate reason to hunt him down as a criminal.

Note Abigail also paid David what he was owed.

What do we learn from Nabal?

  • Nabal is a picture of the sinner who goes on rejecting God without regard to God’s coming judgment. It is certain that God will judge the sinner who continues to reject Him in His timing.
  • David did not need to avenge himself with his own hand; God was more than able to do it.

Jesus may have had Nabal in mind when He taught the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:15-21). That parable describes a man who dies with everything – and nothing.

Wasn’t David already married when he marries Abigail?

No. David was not married to Michal because Saul had taken her away and given her to another man to spite David (David will get Michal back in 2 Samuel 3:13-16).

David never followed God’s will in his marriage life, causing him some of his greatest trials. Although God did not forbid multiple wives, it is not God’s ideal for men and women and His plan for oneness. David had many passions, one of them being women. He was never blessed by God because, in this respect, he was not a man after God’s own heart.

Commentary Psalm 37:

Verse 25 tells us that the author is David in his older years, giving wisdom in the pattern of a song. This Psalm is roughly acrostic in arrangement with the lines arranged with Hebrew sentences that begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In style this is a wisdom psalm, directed not to man but to God, teaching after the manner of the Book of Proverbs.

Why do the wicked prosper?

Many people “fret” or are jealous of the wicked who proper despite their evil. Asaph was bothered by this problem in Psalm 73. Here’s what Bible commentators have to say about the matter:

  • “The words ‘do not fret’ literally mean ‘do not get heated,’ which is also how we might express it. Or we might Image result for psalm 37say, ‘Don’t get all worked up.’ Or even, ‘Be cool.’” (Boice)
  • “To fret is to worry, to have the heart–burn, to fume, to become vexed. Nature is very apt to kindle a fire of jealousy when it sees law–breakers riding on horses, and obedient subjects walking in the mire.” (Spurgeon)
  • Morgan wrote of this worry, this fret: “It is wrong; it is harmful; it is needless. Let the trusting wait. Events will justify the action.”
  • “It is as foolish as it is wicked to repine or be envious at the prosperity of others. Whether they are godly or ungodly, it is God who is the dispenser of the bounty they enjoy; and, most assuredly, he has a right to do what he will with his own. To be envious in such a case, is to arraign the providence of God.” (Clarke)

David gives the same answer Asaph came to in Psalm 73: any prosperity experienced by the workers of iniquity was only temporary.

“In the Middle East the lush spring vegetation may lose its beauty in a few days after a hot, dry desert wind (hamsin) has parched the land.” (VanGemeren)

We think of a wicked man eating a magnificent dinner while a godly man goes hungry. The wicked man eats anything and everything he wants, and his table is loaded as he enjoys his meal. Then we see the bigger picture: he eats his last meal on death row and in a moment will face terrible judgment.

How do we not worry about what evildoers are doing?

  • Trust God and do good for His glory. We can get distracted by looking at the prosperity of the wicked.
  • Enjoy the blessings God has given you.
  • Delight in the Lord, and God will give you the desires of your heart
  • Wait on the Lord
  • Do not be angry
  • Our reward is eternal; the wicked’s reward is temporary

“The Hebrew for commit is literally ‘roll’, as though getting rid of a burden ( Joshua 5:9). But it comes to be used simply as a synonym for ‘entrust’ (Proverbs 16:3) or ‘trust’; cf. Psalm 22:8.” (Kidner)

All evildoers shall be cut off, and the blessed shall inherit the world.

Jesus quoted verse 11 in the Sermon on the Mount, in the third beatitude (Matthew 5:5). “It is right to say that Psalm 37 is an exposition of the third beatitude, even though it was written a thousand years before Jesus began his public ministry. It unfolds the character of the meek or trusting person in the face of the apparent prosperity of the wicked.” (Boice)

Why do the wicked plot against the just?

The wicked gnash their teeth, which shows the depth of their anger and hatred.

“If God can laugh at the wicked, shouldn’t we be able at least to refrain from being agitated by them?” (Boice)

The wicked will be broken; the righteous will be held by God.

Adam Clarke noted that some ancient manuscripts render verse 20 differently. “If we follow the Hebrew, it intimates that they shall consume as the fat of lambs. That is, as the fat is wholly consumed in sacrifices by the fire on the altar, so shall they consume away in the fire of God’s wrath.”

The wicked take; the righteous give.

The promise of earth-inheritance is repeated a three times.

How are the righteous rewarded?

  • God guides our steps
  • God delights in us (Romans 5:1-2).
  • God holds us up so we don’t fall

As we seek the Lord and delight in Him, we find our lives are the perfect will of God (Romans 12:1-2).

“Geber is the original word for good, and it properly signifies a strong man, a conqueror or hero; and it appears to be used here to show that even the most powerful must be supported by the Lord.

God provides for His people

This was David’s testimony after many years. He saw God’s faithfulness to His people and wanted a younger generation to also trust in Him, learning from David’s wisdom.

David knew that among his ancestors were some who left Israel, fearful in a time of famine (Ruth 1). When they returned after several disastrous years in Moab, they found the people of Bethlehem in Israel provided for. God knew how to take care of those who trusted in Him in times of famine, and has done so since then.

One way that God provides for the righteous and their descendants is through the ethic of hard work that belongs to the redeemed, who know that all things should be done heartily, as unto the LORD – including working for a living.

Image result for psalm 37Do Godly men and women have to beg?

This Psalm is a wisdom psalm very much like Proverbs. In the Bible’s wisdom literature often times general principles are presented in the absolute.

We also note that David simply wrote of his experience. That being said, God provides no matter what and one must ask if you are begging, are your exercising every option available to you.

God’s judgments descend to posterity, not just His mercies.

We see the repetition of the same promise in the same terms throughout verses 9, 11, 22, 29, 34. This is a reference to the new heavens and the new earth of Isaiah 66:17; 2 Peter 3:13.

What character traits do the righteous possess?

  • Wisdom and just words
  • Knowledge and love of God’s word  (Jeremiah 31:33)

FUN FACT: For the fifth time in this Psalm, David promised the people of God that they would inherit the land. For the sixth time in this Psalm, David promised that the wicked would be cut off or cut down in some sense. Their coming doom was just as certain as the coming blessing and security of the righteous.

David used a green tree as a picture of the wicked in their prosperity. Psalm 1 uses a flourishing tree as a picture of the righteous. “Here it is used in reverse, the wicked being compared to a green tree which flourishes for a time but soon passes away and is seen no more.” (Boice)

Final thought from David: Trust in God.

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 13, Day 4: 1 Samuel 23 and Psalm 54

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promised Land Part 1

Image result for psalm 54

Summary 1 Samuel 23:

Despite the men’s fears, David, after inquiring of the Lord and gaining God’s assurance that he would deliver the Philistines into his hands, goes to Keilah and saves it. Saul interprets this as God handing David over to him, so Saul goes to Keilah to besiege David. David asks God if he will be surrendered to Saul and God answers that he would be handed over by the people.

David and 600 men flee Keilah and are on the move in the Desert of Ziph. God protects David from Saul who is looking for David. David rendezvous with Jonathan at Horesh who encourages David in his plight. This will be the last time they see each other.

The Ziphites, a tribe near Horesh, offers to capture David for Saul. Saul tells them to track David and then he’ll go with them to find David. David continues to run and as Saul is closing in, God sends the Philistines to distract Saul who must abandon the search for David and go and fight instead.

Summary Psalm 54:

Simultaneously, David prays for God to save him, for God to vindicate him and destroy his enemies, and he sings God’s praises and expresses his faith in God to do all that he asks.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 13, Day 4: 1 Samuel 23 and Psalm 54:

9) Part Personal Question. My answer: David always consulted God first. I’m not very good at asking God first. I usually make the decision and then ask God to bless it. This is definitely my prayer this week!

10) Personal Question. My answer: God provides and protects. He sends Jonathan to encourage, probably when David needed it most. I loved how God keeps Saul at bay and the best part is how he sends the Philistines to attack Israel to protect David! God uses Israel’s enemies in ways to save Israel! How cool is that! God also warns and counsels. He is so good if we would only just listen! We also see an example of how people interpret God’s actions wrongly as Saul thinks God is giving David to him when God is really saving Keilah. This is a warning to us both to be wary of people who say “God told me to” and for ourselves when we tell ourselves “God told me to”. Did He REALLY???

11) Personal Question. My answer. Similar to #10 we just answered. I loved how God keeps Saul at bay and the best part is how he sends the Philistines to attack Israel to protect David! God uses Israel’s enemies in ways to save Israel! How cool is that! God encourages David through Jonathan, and, knowing Jonathan will die, allows David to see him one more time. This is a blessing to both men! David always stays one step ahead of Saul thanks to God.

God’s hand touches all we do, all we say, all that happens to us and around us. I need to have faith more in Him, and let Him handle things His way, not mine.

12) Part personal Question. My answer: God is faithful; God is his help; God sustains him; God destroys his enemies; God has delivered David from all his troubles. All of these are comforting. God is the giver of life and is responsible for all my blessings. He is faithful. He sustains me in all aspects: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. He delivers me from my troubles and takes care of my enemies. God is good!

Conclusions: BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 13, Day 4: 1 Samuel 23 and Psalm 54:

God is in control. Period. He works his magic behind the scenes to care for us, to protect us, to encourage us, to rid us of our troubles and our enemies, and to sustain us — all because He loves us. Undeserved love. If we would have faith like David, I think our lives would be much more content, calm, and peaceful as we trusted God in all that we do.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 13, Day 4: 1 Samuel 23 and Psalm 54:

Commentary 1 Samuel 23:

The Israelites brought this plea for help to David and not to King Saul because Saul was not fulfilling his role as king over Israel. It was Saul’s job to protect Keliah and it was Saul’s job to fight the Philistines, but Saul wasn’t doing his job, so the Lord called David to do it.

David consulted God first (did not pawn off the job on Saul, saying this isn’t my job).

Saving Keilah was not in David’s best interest:

  • David had 400 men who were not trained and bad credit reports (1 Samuel 22:2).
  • David had enough trouble with Saul and he didn’t need to add trouble from the Philistines – one enemy is usually enough.
  • Saving Keilah would expose David to Saul. This was a dangerous course of action.

Why did David save Keilah?

  1. God commanded him to do so
  2. The Israelites needed him

God confirms His word (He does this frequently for us and for those in the Bible) AND adds a promise — something He does for us as well.

The results of obedience

  • David obeyed; God blessed

Saul assumed because David was his enemy that David is God’s enemy. The opposite is true. God’s enemies are ours.

David seeks God again, this time through the priest using the Urim and Thummim. Notice how the questions are presented in a “Yes or No” format, because that is how the Urim and Thummim were used.

David could have stayed and fought, and maybe there was something in him that wanted to. But David knew it was not the Lord’s will, and maybe a lot of innocent people would get hurt. So, David, who was a great warrior, humbled himself and escaped. David was not the kind of man to sneak away from a battle, but he didn’t let his pride get the best of him in this matter.

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The Desert of Ziph

Ziph was a town below the southern tip of the Dead Sea with a dramatically varied landscape. It was not a comfortable or easy place to be — it was a desert. God guided and protected David, but it wasn’t comfortable or easy. This was an essential time for God’s work in David’s life. He became a man after God’s heart in the shepherd’s field, but he became a king in the wilderness.

Many of us walk through our own deserts, and God is there, at work in our lives, too.

Saul was a determined enemy, unrelenting in his pursuit of David. Saul was so obsessed with killing David that he didn’t give attention to the work God called him to do.

Man can intend, attempt, and work all kinds of evil but God is still in charge.

Led by God, Jonathan encouraged David. Jonathan’s encouragement was a mix of divine promises and an expression of hope, desire, and love.

Saul was so spiritually warped that he said the betrayers of an innocent man were blessed. He believed it was David who was crafty when it was God protecting David the entire time.

Commentary Psalm 54:

There were actually two times the Ziphites betrayed David to King Saul: 1) in 1 Samuel 23 and 2) in 1 Samuel 26. David escaped both times, but the circumstances of this Psalm seem to best fit the circumstances of 1 Samuel 23, when David learned of the Ziphite betrayal but before God delivered (1 Samuel 23:26-29).

This is one of the few Psalms with a specific musical direction: with stringed instruments. It is also called A Contemplation. The Hebrew word for Contemplation (maskil) might be better understood as instruction.

David’s Feelings

David relied on both the name and the strength of God. God’s name speaks of the nature and character of God; strength (or might) of His great power. David’s rescue would be his vindication. His enemies would have greater evidence that David was in the right and they were in the wrong when God saved him.

Shortly after both times the Ziphites betrayed David, David had the opportunity to kill King Saul. Both times he spared Saul’s life (1 Samuel 24 and 26), and both times Saul admitted he was wrong.

It was common for David and others in their prayers to merely ask for God to hear or give ear to their cry. It was assumed that if God heard, He would act.

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Who were the Ziphites?

  • The Ziphites were Israelis; they were even of the same tribe as David (Judah). Yet their betrayal of David was so contrary to both David and God’s cause that David could rightly refer to them as strangers who sought David’s life. Who do you know today who does this same thing?
  • The Ziphites rejected God as well as David.

David’s troubles did not lead him to question the goodness of God, but, instead, to appeal to it.

God’s truth (or faithfulness) was under attack as well.

Destroy does mean death–dealing blow.

Should you pray for your enemies to be destroyed?

  • Some are uncomfortable with prayers that ask for the doom of enemies. It’s true that Jesus told us to pray in a more generous way for our enemies (Matthew 5:43-44). Yet there is nothing wrong with the basic principle of wanting to see good triumph and for God to do His work against those who do evil — to render the judgment and consequences that comes with evil and disobeying God.

Should you destroy your enemies?

  • David refused to take vengeance in his own hands. Immediately after the second betrayal of the Ziphites (1 Samuel 26:1) David had the opportunity to kill King Saul in his sleep, and he refused. David waited on God to do it.

What’s a freewill offering?

  • A freewill offering is one that is given to God without a specific reference to a previously made vow. There was no requirement to do so.

Note David praised God during his troubles and before his prayer was answered. So should we. How often do you thank God ahead of time?

God’s past faithfulness became the ground for future faith. David knew what it was like to defeat his enemies (Goliath is an example); he trusted that he would know it again.

Is Psalm 54 a Messianic Psalm?

We definitely see David as Jesus here:

  • Jesus was the anointed King yet to come into the fullness of His kingdom.
  • Jesus came to rescue and lead God’s people, and when He did, some among God’s people betrayed Him.
  • Some of these lines from the Psalm could have been spoken by Jesus to His Father.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 12, Day 5: Psalm 23 & Psalm 36

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promised Land Part 1

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Summary Psalm 23:

David praises the Lord for his faithfulness. David wants nothing. God restores his soul; God guides him; God takes away his fear; God comforts him; God gives him an abundant life. Goodness and love will follow him, and he will dwell with God forever.

Summary Psalm 36:

The wicked do not fear God. They do not know they sin. The plot evil, do wrong, and follow a sinful course. God’s love, faithfulness, righteousness, and justice is unfailing. Men find refuge in God’s wings. In God’s light we see His love. God overcomes all evildoers.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 12, Day 5: Psalm 23 and 36:

13) “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me…surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.” All of these. Guiding my life. Restoring me when I’m empty inside. Granting me rest when I am weary. Leading me on the path of righteousness. Dwelling with him forever. Love is with me every day.

14) Personal Question. My answer: David about sums it up perfectly. Most unbelievers don’t know they sin and don’t care. They plot evil, have no moral compass, and don’t fear God. But God will overcome. Sin does breed sin and perpetuates and is ignored.

15) Personal Question. My answer: David knows God overcomes all and is in control. His love is bountiful, and He grants us abundance. We will have hardships, but He is our shepherd, guiding us to Him. It’s good to know God is in charge and to rely on Him completely when the hardships come.

Conclusions: BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 12, Day 5: Psalm 23 and Psalm 36:

With arguably the most famous Psalm in the Bible as out study, BSF doesn’t dive into it enough. So much comfort, goodness, and wonder woven in Psalm 23. Please see End Notes for complete discussion of David’s heart and beauty in this amazing Psalm.

See this great summary video of the book of 1 Samuel HERE

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 12, Day 5 : Psalm 23 & 36:

Commentary Psalm 23:

This beloved Psalm bears the simple title, A Psalm of David. Scholars believe this psalm is a remembrance of David’s youth when he was a shepherd. Spurgeon wrote, “I like to recall the fact that this Psalm was written by David, probably when he was a king. He had been a shepherd, and he was not ashamed of his former occupation.”

This famous psalm has been the last words of thousands before they left this side of heaven.

Where is the Lord a shepherd in the Bible?

  • A shepherd to Moses, the Stone of Israel (Genesis 49:24).
  • In Psalm 28:9 David invited the LORD to shepherd the people of Israel, and to bear them up forever.
  • Psalm 80:1 the LORD as the Shepherd of Israel, who would lead Joseph like a flock.
  • Ecclesiastes 12:11 speaks of the words of the wise, which are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd.
  • Isaiah 40:11 tells us that the LORD will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm.
  • Micah 7:14 invites the LORD to Shepherd Your people with Your staff… As in days of old.
  •  Zechariah 13:7 speaks of the Messiah as the Shepherd who will be struck, and the sheep scattered (quoted in Matthew 26:31).
  • John 10:11 and 10:14 Jesus clearly spoke of Himself as the good shepherd, who gives His life for the sheep and who can say, “I know My sheep, and am known by My own.”
  • Hebrews 13:20 speaks of Jesus as that great Shepherd of the sheep
  • 1 Peter 2:25 calls Jesus the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls
  • 1 Peter 5:4 calls Jesus the Chief Shepherd

Ancient Middle Eastern cultures thought of their kings as shepherds as well.

The idea of Jesus as the Good Shepherd was precious to early Christians. One of the more common motifs in catacomb paintings is Jesus as a shepherd with a lamb carried across His shoulders.

It’s remarkable that the LORD would call Himself our shepherd. “In Israel, as in other ancient societies, a shepherd’s work was considered the lowest of all works. If a family needed a shepherd, it was always the youngest son, like David, who got this unpleasant assignment.” (Boice)

“David uses the most comprehensive and intimate metaphor yet encountered in the Psalms, preferring usually the more distant ‘king’ or ‘deliverer’, or the impersonal ‘rock’, ‘shield’, etc.; whereas the shepherd lives with his flock and is everything to it: guide, physician and protector.” (Kidner)

“A sheep is an object of property, not a wild animal; its owner sets great store by it, and frequently it is bought with a great price. It is well to know, as certainly as David did, that we belong to the Lord. There is a noble tone of confidence about this sentence. There is no ‘if’ nor ‘but,‘ nor even ‘I hope so;’ but he says, ‘The Lord is my shepherd.’” (Spurgeon)

“The sweetest word of the whole is that monosyllable, ‘My.‘ He does not say, ‘The Lord is the shepherd of the world at large, and leadeth forth the multitude as his flock,’ but ‘The Lord is my shepherd;’ if he be a Shepherd to no one else, he is a Shepherd to me; he cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me.” (Spurgeon)

The idea behind God’s role as shepherd is a loving care and concern. David found comfort and security in the thought that God cared for him like a shepherd cares for his sheep.Image result for psalm 23

David felt that he needed a shepherd. The heart of this Psalm doesn’t connect with the self-sufficient. But those who acutely sense their need – the poor in spirit Jesus described in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3) – find great comfort in the idea that God can be a shepherd to them in a personal sense.

“A sheep, saith Aristotle, is a foolish and sluggish creature… aptest of anything to wander, though it feel no want, and unablest to return… a sheep can make no shift to save itself from tempests or inundation; there it stands and will perish, if not driven away by the shepherd.” (Trapp)

“I shall not want”

  • “All my needs are supplied by the LORD, my shepherd.”
  • “I decide to not desire more than what the LORD, my shepherd, gives.

Sheep don’t always know what it needs and what is best for itself, and so needs the help from the shepherd.

Sheep lie down (rest) only when it is without fear, friction, flies, and famine.

Restores may picture the rescue of a lost one. “It may picture the straying sheep brought back, as in Isaiah 49:5, or perhaps Psalm 60:1 (Hebrew 60:3), which use the same verb, whose intransitive sense is often ‘repent’ or ‘be converted’ (eg. Hosea 14:1f.; Joel 2:12).” (Kidner)

“In Hebrew the words ‘restores my soul’ can mean ‘brings me to repentance’ (or conversion).” (Boice)

The shepherd would guide the sheep to what he needed.

The valley of the shadow of death

  • A valley is a low point — not the exhilaration of a mountaintop
  • Death — the ultimate end
  • Shadow — not death itself but the lurking evil in his path

David walks through the shadow of death; it is not his destination or dwelling place. In fact, it is only the Lord’s presence that makes this bearable.

We face only the shadow of death because Jesus took death itself for us.

Those facing death have been comforted, strengthened, and warmed by the thought that the LORD will shepherd them through the valley of the shadow of death.

Light must exist in order to cast a shadow. God as light is casting the shadow; all we do is walk through it to Him

Evil still lurks, but we do not fear it for the shepherd is with us. It is at this moment that the “He” of Psalm 23:1-3 changes to “You.” The LORD as Shepherd is now in the first person.

The rod and staff

The rod and the staff were instruments used by a shepherd. The idea is a sturdy walking stick, which was used to gently guide the sheep and to protect them from potential predators.

There is some debate among commentators as to if David had the idea of two separate instruments (the rod and the staff), or one instrument used two ways. The Hebrew word for rod (shaybet) here seems to simply mean “a stick” with a variety of applications. The Hebrew word for staff (mishaynaw) seems to speak of “a support” in the sense of a walking stick.

Kidner notes: “The rod (a cudgel worn at the belt) and staff (to walk with, and to round up the flock) were the shepherd’s weapon and implement: the former for defence (cf. 1 Samuel 17:35), and the latter for control – since discipline is security.”

Maclaren writes: “The rod and the staff seem to be two names for one instrument, which was used both to beat off predatory animals and to direct the sheep.”

Either way you look at it, the rod and staff was a comfort to David, knowing God guided him and corrected him.

The significance of the table

  • Table is bounty
  • Prepare is foresight and care
  • Before me is personal attention
  • Presence of enemies is always overcoming obstacles

Image result for psalm 23“Here the second allegory begins. A magnificent banquet is provided by a most liberal and benevolent host; who has not only the bounty to feed me, but power to protect me; and, though surrounded by enemies, I sit down to this table with confidence, knowing that I shall feast in perfect security.” (Clarke)

In the Old Testament world, to eat and drink at someone’s table created a bond of mutual loyalty, and could be the culminated token of a covenant.

Mercy is the covenant-word rendered ‘steadfast love’ elsewhere. Together with goodness it suggests the steady kindness and support that one can count on in the family or between firm friends.” (Kidner)

Commentary Psalm 36:

This Psalm is titled, To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD. Psalm 18 is the only other Psalm that uses the phrase “the servant of the LORD” in the title. Bible scholar Trapp observed that Psalm 18 comes from David’s old age and Psalm 36 from a younger David. From youth to old age, David was the servant of the LORD and “He took more pleasure in the names of duty than of dignity.” (Trapp)

An oracle of transgression could mean David were divinely taught by the sins of others or it’s the voice within a sinner.

We see “oracle of the Lord” in Genesis 22:16 and “oracle of David” in 2 Samuel 23:11.

It is likely that Paul had this Psalm in mind as he composed the opening chapters of his great letter since he quotes verse 1 in Romans 3:18.

The wicked thinks of himself much more highly than he should both in regard to his sins (his iniquity) and his prejudices (hates). Flattery can be us thinking we are more than we actually are; it doesn’t have to come from others.

How does one flatter himself with regards to sin?

Matthew Poole elaborates:

  • Sins “are not sins, which a mind bribed by passion and interest can easily believe.”
  • Sins “are but small and venial sins.”
  • Sins “will be excused, if not justified by honest intentions, or by outward professions and exercise of religion, or by some good actions, wherewith he thinks to make some compensation for them or some other way.”

“The phrase ‘on his bed’ is parallel with ‘on the way’. The ungodly considers evil both in his lying down and in his walking.” (VanGemeren)

Sin is found in what we don’t do as well as in what we do.

The translation of mercy here is inconsistent for the same Hebrew word hesed is translated as loving kindness is both Psalm 36:7 and 36:10. This wonderful word speaks of God’s love and mercy, but especially to His covenant people.

David can only describe these attributes of God with the biggest things he can think of – the heavens, the clouds that fill the sky, the great mountains, and the great deep of the sea.

“The word precious establishes the change from the immense to the intimate and personal.” (Kidner)

Loving kindness in verse 5 1s too great to grasp and in verse 7 is too good to let slip. (Kidner)

What does shadow of Your wings mean?

Bible commentators see the shadow of Your wings 2 ways:

  1. The wings of the cherubim that are over the throne of God and represented in His tabernacle and temple, including the ark of the covenant, the very representation of His throne.
  2. Like a mother hen covering her young chicks under her wings to protect, hide, and shelter them.

We saw this in Ruth with Boaz (Ruth 2:12), and when Jesus was speaking of Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37).

I’m inclined to think both.

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The word fullness here is literally fatness. “The fattest is esteemed the fairest and the most excellent food; therefore the saint was enjoined to offer the fat in sacrifice under the law. As God expects the best from us, so he gives the best to us.” (Swinnock, cited in Spurgeon)

The fullness (abundance) of your house is will one of our great joys in heaven when we come to our Father’s house. With unmeasured satisfaction we will have the right to roam heaven and say, “Is this ours? And is this ours?” and say it unto eternity.

River of delight/pleasures: “Possibly a reference to Eden may be intended in the selection of the word for ‘pleasures,’ which is a cognate with that name.” (Maclaren)

What does “in your light we see light” mean?

We see light twice: light discovering and light being discovered and enjoyed.

Light is invisible by itself. Everything is invisible until light strikes it. So it is with God: we can’t see Him, but “in his light” (under his loving influence), we see and understand His love in all that surrounds us. God’s overwhelming generosity stands in complete contrast to the self-important plotting of wicked humans.

John wrote in the opening words of his Gospel: He was the true Light which gives light to every man (John 1:9). “It is hard to doubt that John was thinking of Psalm 36:9 as he composed the prelude.” (Boice)

“The Hebrew is, draw forth, or draw out thy lovingkindness: a metaphor either taken from vessels of wine, which being set abroach once, yield not only one cup, but many cups; so when God setteth abroach the wine of his mercy, he will not fill your cup once, but twice and seven times” (Greenhill, cited in Spurgeon).

Unlike the righteous who may fall seven times yet rise up again (Proverbs 24:16), the workers of iniquity remain in the dust as God protects His servants.

‘They are struck down,’ (thrown down) is the same word as in the picture of the pursuing angel of the Lord in Psalm 35.” (Maclaren)

THERE: Some scholars think it refers to the pride mentioned in the previous verse, others to the place where the workers of iniquity practiced their sin.

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 12, Day 2: 1 Samuel 18

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promised Land Part 1

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Summary of 1 Samuel 18:

After David killed Goliath, he was not allowed to return home. Jonathan, Saul’s son, became best friends with David and made a covenant with David. David rose quickly in the army ranks. After the Philistines were defeated, the army returned home. The women of the towns ran out to greet the army and sang how David killed more men than Saul. This angered Saul, and he became jealous.

An evil spirit from God came upon Saul, which caused him to hurl a spear twice at David, who eluded it. Saul feared David because the Lord was with David and not him. Saul sent David away to fight his battles, which he did successfully since God was with him, winning the hearts of the people. In everything David did, he had great success.

David turned down the marriage of Saul’s oldest daughter, Merab, but gathered 200 foreskins from the Philistines as a bride price for Saul’s second daughter, Michal, who loved David. Saul kept sending David out to battles, hoping the Philistines would kill him. Instead, David had success after success, making his name well-known with the Israelites.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 12, Day 2: 1 Samuel 18:

3) Saul is very human; he is jealous of David because of his success and popularity with the people. This would be most people’s reaction. He’s feeling insecure as it is, knowing God is not with him, and he’s not the chosen king of Israel. Jonathan and David are fast friends. They probably shared a lot in common, both being close to the King and having high expectations put upon themselves. They are the epitome of best friends. Michal loved David and presumably he loved her since he did as Saul asked him to do (fulfilled the bride price of 100 Philistine foreskins) for her hand in marriage.

All David’s relationships mirror ours: messy. It’s a ubiquitous human condition, and it’s comforting to know my personal life isn’t as bad as I thought!

4) Personal Question. My answer: Saul is jealous of David. This is a lesson we all need to be better at and improve in our lives since it is usually the first reaction we have to others who get something we want like a promotion or beautiful kids. Then Saul tries to trap David, which backfires miserably. We should not try to do this to others, although it can be tempting to do. No one said following Jesus and being like him was easy.

5) Part personal Question. My answer: All that David does (battles to marrying the King’s daughter) is blessed by God. Yet, that puts a target on his back as people are jealous of him, and when people are jealous, most will stop at nothing to bring that person down. As we’ll see, David has to go into hiding because Saul is out to kill him. I am thoroughly blessed in my life, living for something greater than myself and my own needs. That being said, doing what Jesus would do is a daily challenge in my interactions with my work colleagues, others, and my family. Overcoming my innate selfishness to put others first is challenging and fighting all the temptations the devil throws at me is exhausting. Still, all is for Him, and I’d want it no other way.

Conclusions: BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 12, Day 2: 1 Samuel 18:

Good lesson on the price of being a Christ-follower: blessings and costs involved. You will be enriched beyond imaging, but it won’t be easy with sacrifices along the way. Also, we see David as human with the same struggles we all have, which helps us to not try to be so perfect in all that we do.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 12, Day 2 : 1 Samuel 18:

We met Jonathan in 1 Samuel 14 where he attacked the Philistines single-handedly.

How are Jonathan and David alike?

  • Both Jonathan and David were around the same ageImage result for 1 samuel 18
  • Both Jonathan and David were bold
  • Both Jonathan and David trusted God
  • Both Jonathan and David were men of action
  • Both Jonathan and David had a real relationship with God, loved God, and had God as their center

How were Jonathan and David different?

  • Jonathan was the first-born son of a king (1 Chronicles 9:39), while David was the last-born son of a farmer. This made Jonathan more than a prince, he was the crown prince. By everyone’s expectation Jonathan would be the next king of Israel.

Jonathan understandably should have been the one jealous of David since David was the biggest threat to taking the throne. Instead, their friendship was stronger than jealousy, envy, and ambition. They loved each other more than the throne of Israel because they loved God more than the throne of Israel.

David would never again be a shepherd — but he’d always have the heart of a shepherd.

How were Jonathan and David submitted to the Lord?

  • Jonathan gave David the robe and his armor, the action in effect recognizing God’s choice of the next king.  Because Jonathan was surrendered to God he could see the hand of the LORD upon David. He knew David’s destiny and was perfectly willing to set aside his ambition to honor the LORD’s choice.
  • David, who had already been anointed as king by Samuel (1 Samuel 16:13), would wait 20 years before he’d be king. David was willing to let God put him on the throne, and to do it in God’s timing.

Why was David well-known and popular amongst the Israelites?

  • David became popular because he was a man after God’s own heart and people could see the love, wisdom, and peace of God in him.
  • David was now a general in the Israeli army and worked hard to please Saul.
  • David did not let his popularity go to his head.
  • As a shepherd, David put God first. He lived a simple life, which God had prepared for him. He was humble.

What fueled Saul’s jealousy of David?

  • Since Saul did not have God’s heart, all he had was man’s praise. When David was praised more, Saul became jealous.
  • It’s the sign of a bad leader when you’re threatened by a subordinate.
  • Saul has a guilty conscience. He knows he’s not God’s chosen leader of Israel any more, but he won’t step down.

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Saul’s attempt to kill David

This evil spirit was first mentioned in 1 Samuel 16:14. It came upon Saul, permitted by the LORD, when the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul (1 Samuel 16:14). David was brought into Saul’s royal court to play music, so that Saul would be ministered to and soothed when suffering from this spirit.

Prophesy is a poor translation here from the Hebrew. It more means idle ravings. Saul was babbling and not in his right mind.

Most men would think playing music was beneath them once they had garnered the kind of success David had. Not David.

Moved by the spirit, Saul chooses to throw a spear at David with the intent to kill.

David could have retaliated with no personal repercussions; but, he didn’t. Saul’s life is in God’s hands. Twice!

The throwing of the spear proved God was with David. Saul became afraid and wanted David dead. Saul promotes David in the army with the intent David will die in battle.

Saul sets a trap for David

Saul had promised to give… his daughter to the man who killed Goliath (1 Samuel 17:25). Now, Saul makes good on the promise, offering his older daughter, Merab, to David.

Saul concocts a plan to get rid of David, using his daughters. In ancient times, a dowry was required whenever a man married. The dowry was paid to the bride’s father, and the more important and prestigious the bride and her family, the higher the dowry price. Since David was from a humble family, there was no way he could pay the dowry for the daughter of a king. Saul knew this and will demand that David kill 100 Philistines as a dowry. Saul figured that the job was too big and too dangerous for David, and he would be killed gaining the dowry to marry a king’s daughter.

Saul is a clever manipulator. He takes advantage of David’s loyalty, patriotism, courage, and heart for the LORD. Yet David, whose name is being sung all over Israel, is humble and refuses the marriage proposition. Saul tried to make David jealous by giving his daughter to another man. Didn’t work.

Michal will be a snare to David as we shall see in (2 Samuel 6:16-23).

Why ask for 100 foreskins?

  • The dowry price was designed to goad David on (“Go get those uncircumcised Philistines”).
  • The dowry price was designed to be difficult because the Philistines would obviously have to be dead.
  • The dowry price was designed to make the Philistines completely outraged at David, because from their perspective, not only were their men killed, but also their dead bodies were desecrated.
  • The foreskins proved they were from unbelievers (the Philistines) since the Israelites were all circumcised.

David, who had already qualified for the marriage with the death of Goliath, humbly agrees. He suspects nothing. David brings back more just to solidify the bargain.

Did Saul’s plan against David work?

  • In Saul’s mind, yes. The Philistines went out to war against David in retaliation for what they felt was a terrible disgrace against the Philistine people. Saul wanted to make David a marked man, and he succeeded.
  • In reality, Saul’s plan backfired. David is not only alive, but he’s also more popular and closer to the LORD than ever.

Saul isn’t finished, and will use more manipulation, cunning, and outright violence to attack David.

However, David’s wise behavior and high esteem were both closely connected to his humble heart. Here, we see Jesus, the Son of David. Philippians 2:9 says of Jesus, Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 11, Day 5: Psalms 2 and 110

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promised Land Part 1

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Summary of Psalm 2:

David wonders why man even bothers to come against God and Jesus (the Anointed One). God laughs at them, saying Jesus is King, ruler of the Earth. David warns earthly kings to serve the Lord with fear for Jesus can destroy them in a moment. Blessed are those who take refuge in Jesus.

Summary of Psalm 110:

David speaks of Jesus again who is sitting at God’s right hand, awaiting his time to come and rule the earth (the Second Coming). The troops will be ready on that day, arrayed in holy majesty. Jesus is a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. He will crush king and judge nations.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 11, Day 5: Psalms 2 and 110:

12) The complaint is God is in charge, instead of themselves. Same complaint. We want to be in charge of our lives when our lives belong to Him, and He is our Lord and master.

13) God laughs at pitiful mankind. He has installed His own King, Jesus, to rule over all. David warns the kings to be wise and serve God with fear, so Jesus does not destroy them in anger. Jesus spares those who call out his name and take refuge in his name. Isaiah tells us Jesus was pierced for our transgressions, taking our sins upon himself, and his wounds heal us. Jesus took the punishment meant for us upon himself. Thus, he is our refuge from God’s wrath.

14) Jesus is in the order of Melchizedek, which from Genesis means he is above the priests in the order of Levi. Jesus rules over all, will conquer all, and will judge all. The writer of Hebrews interprets this passage as Jesus guaranteeing a better covenant since he has a permanent priesthood and is able to save completely as our interceder.

15) Personal Question. My answer: No matter what is happening here on Earth, God is in charge, and He will conquer evil when the time comes. God will prevail, and we don’t have to worry about anything.

Conclusions: BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 11, Day 5: Psalms 2 and 110:

It seems we should have read Hebrews as well with all the references here to it! I love how God laughs at us and our pitiful attempts to overcome Him. It’s like a giant to an ant. I love Jesus above all else and the picture of crushing because that is how we should think of God — we’re mere specks to Him and His greatness, and He can crush us with a mere touch.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 11, Day 5: Psalms 2 and 110:

Psalm 2 Commentary:

Like many Psalms, the theme of Psalm 2 is emphasized in the final verse. We can defy God and perish, or surrender to Him and be blessed. The Psalm itself does not identify its author, but Acts 4:25-26 clearly attributes it to David.

The Psalmist seems genuinely mystified. The nations have no reason to rage against God, and they have no benefit in raging against Him. All is in vain.

Since the time of Babel, men continue to band themselves together against God. Men feel two or more of them united against God have a better chance than one man against God.

People oppose both the Lord and His Anointed. Anointed speaks of the Christ, the Anointed One. Since Jesus is the perfect representation of the Father (John 10:30, 14:9), if you oppose God the Father, you oppose Jesus. If you oppose Jesus, you oppose God the Father.

Those who oppose the Lord and His Anointed think of God as a bondage-bringer. God is a bondage-breaker, not a bondage-bringer.

Why does God laugh at mankind?

  • God is in heaven; men are dust on earth.
  • God is all powerful; men are weak.
  • God is love and mercy; men are evil and unforgiving.

The writer of Hebrews quotes this passage in Hebrews 1:5 as evidence of the deity of Jesus and superiority to all angels. He mentions the more excellent name Jesus received, greater than all the angels. This is the “name” Son. While angels are sometimes called the sons of God in a generic sense (Job 1:6), the Father never said “My Son” to any angel in a specific sense. That is reserved for God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity.

Note the idea of begotten in contrast to created. Jesus was not created; rather He created everything that was created (Colossians 1:16-17). Begotten describes a relationship between two beings of the same essential nature and being, but we create things of a different essential being and nature than ourselves.

The Lord’s Anointed — Jesus Christ

The Lord‘s Anointed holds the nations as His inheritance. He will rule over all nations and all judgment is His (John 5:22).

Revelation 11:15 describes an exciting consummation of this inheritance: Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”

The Lord‘s Anointed has such power over the nations that they are like clay pots that he can shatter with a blow from a rod of iron. This shows us just how foolish the nations are to defy the Lord and His Anointed. There is no reason and no benefit to their defiant opposition.

Why kiss?

This is the kiss of submission where a dignitary receives the humble kiss of an inferior. It also shows the affection God wants in relationship to Him. God wants us to recognize our proper place before Him, but to also rejoice in Him and be affectionate in our relationship.

“Kissing was the token of subjugation and friendship.” (Clarke)

Take-away from Psalm 2:

  • Will you be broken or blessed? The choice is yours.

Commentary Psalm 110:

This Psalm carries the title, A Psalm of David. Strangely, some scholars and commentators deny David’s authorship. Yet as Derek Kinder noted: “Our Lord gave full weight to David’s authorship and David’s words, stressing the former twice by the expression ‘David himself’, and the latter by the comment that he was speaking ‘in the Holy Spirit’ (Mark 12:36f.).”

Fun Fact: This remarkable Psalm is one of the most quoted in the New Testament. There are 27 direct quotations or indirect allusions to Psalm 110 in the New Testament.

David prophetically revealed the words of Yahweh (the LORD) to the Messiah, David’s Lord. This is clear not only from the context, but especially in how this verse is quoted in Matthew 22:43-45 and Hebrews 1:13.

Psalm 110 in the New Testament

Psalm 110:1 is one of the Old Testament verses most quoted in the New Testament:

Image result for psalm 110The fact that Yahweh—the LORD, the covenant God of Israel—spoke to one that David himself called Lord (Adonai) demonstrates that both Yahweh and Adonai mentioned in this verse are God.

We would say that Yahweh is the Triune God with references to the persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each being Yahweh. Normally, when Yahweh is mentioned without specific connection to the person of the Son or the Holy Spirit, we assume it refers to God the Father. Therefore, here is God the Father speaking to the Messiah, God the Son.

His enthroned place (Ephesians 1:20, Hebrews 8:1).

Footstool here refers kings who used to tread upon the necks of their conquered enemies (1 Kings 5:3, Psalms 18:39; 91:13); Joshua 10:24; Jude 1:7.

Jesus rules over all

Jesus will have rule over all his enemies.  Adam Clarke is among those who think the rod of Your strength represents the Gospel: “The Gospel-the doctrine of Christ crucified; which is the powerful sceptre of the Lord that bought us; is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword; and is the power of God to salvation to all them that believe.”

When the people of God see and experience the victory of their Messiah, they gladly give themselves to His work. They are willing in the day of His power. Since the Hebrew word translated power is the word for a host or army, the sense is that the Messiah’s people are gathered together as a willing army.

In the Hebrew, volunteers is “willingnesses”, i.e. most willing, as such plural words are frequently used.

The people of God praise the victorious Messiah, and are noted for their beautiful holiness, their radiant being (the womb of the morning), and their ageless strength (dew of Your youth).

‘Youth’ here is a collective noun, equivalent to ‘young men.’ The host of his soldier-subjects is described as a band of young warriors, whom he leads, in their fresh strength and countless numbers and gleaming beauty like the dew of the morning. (Maclaren, cited in Spurgeon)

Who is Melchizedek?

This is the oath of Yahweh (specifically, God the Father) regarding the Messiah, God the Son. He vowed that the Messiah had an eternal priesthood after the order of Melchizedek, who is mentioned in a single account (Genesis 14:17-24).

The Genesis 14:1-24 account is brief, but densely packed with information about Melchizedek.

  • After Abraham defeated the confederation of kings who took his nephew Lot captive, he met with a mysterious priest named Melchizedek, whose name means king of righteousness and who was also king over the city of Salem (an ancient name for the city of Jerusalem), making him the king of peace.
  • Melchizedek was not merely a worshipper of the true God. He had the honored title priest of the Most High God. The greatness of God magnified the greatness of Melchizedek’s priesthood.
  • Melchizedek blessed Abraham, demonstrating his greatness over the patriarch.
  • Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe, which is a tenth part of all (all the spoils of battle, as mentioned in Genesis 14:20).
  • There is no mention of any father or mother of Melchizedek, and he appears without any genealogy.

With this oath, God revealed that there is another order of priesthood, apart from the priestly order of Aaron. The priests were all descended from Aaron and served in the tabernacle and temple, offering sacrifices and conducting ceremonies according to God’s law. Yet God established another priestly order, after the pattern of Melchizedek.

The Significance of the Priesthood of Melchizedek

  • This oath (You are a priest forever) was so important that the author of Hebrews refers to it five times (Hebrews 5:6, 5:10, 6:20, 7:17, and 7:21).
  • Hebrews 5:6 and 5:10 emphasize that this was Yahweh’s declaration, not something that the Messiah claimed for Himself.
  • Hebrews 6:20, the emphasis is on the idea that Jesus Messiah serves as a living, active High Priest for His people.
  • Hebrews 7:17 emphasizes that the priesthood of Jesus Messiah according to the order of Melchizedek is better than the priestly order of Aaron because it is eternal and will never end and was founded on a direct oath of Yahweh, unlike the priestly order of Aaron.

The conquest of the Messiah

“The second part of the psalm carries the King into the battlefield. He comes forth from the throne, where He sat at Jehovah’s right hand, and now Jehovah stands at His right hand.” (Maclaren)

“Now the Lord (i.e. Yahweh) and his King act as one, and the army of volunteers which was seen in verse 3 is no longer in the picture. The battle is the Lord’s, yet he and his King are so united.” (Kidner)

With the authority mentioned in Psalm 110:2, the strength of the Messiah extends out of Zion, and brings the righteous judgment of God against even the greatest kings.

The Messiah judges all nations

The Second Coming is referenced here with the slaughter at the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:11-18).

Messiah Himself is refreshed (drink of the brook) and exalted (lift up the head).

  1. Refreshed: Curiously, many commentators take this as a reference to the Messiah’s humiliation. It is better to see it as His refreshment on the day of battle. “Psalms 110:7 is usually taken as depicting the King as pausing in His victorious pursuit of the flying foe to drink, like Gideon’s men, from the brook, and then with renewed vigour pressing on.” (Maclaren)
  2. Exalted: The lifting of the head in the Bible means delivered from all sorrows and sufferings, and exalted to great glory, and joy, and felicity, as this phrase usually signifies (Psalms 3:3 27:6 Jeremiah 52:31) Hanging down the head in the Bible is great grief and shame (Lamentations 2:10).

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BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 11, Day 4: Psalm 19

by atozmom, posted in BSF People of the Promised Land Part 1

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Summary Psalm 19:

The heavens and skies proclaim God’s existence and His glory. God’s laws are perfect, his commands radiant, his statutes trustworthy. Keeping God’s laws is rewarding. May I follow God’s laws. May my words and heart be pleasing to you, God.

BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1: Lesson 11, Day 4: Psalm 19:

9) All attributes of God are revealed through Creation: his goodness, his perfectness, his omniscience, his omnipotence, his holiness, his justness, his everything.

10) Part personal Question. My answer: Perfect, radiant, right, giving joy to the heart, reviving the soul, trustworthy, making wise simple, giving light to the eyes, sure, altogether righteous, more precious than gold, sweeter than honey, great reward when kept. David said this much more eloquently than I ever could, but I love God’s rules. It gives life structure, meaning, and boundaries. God’s laws are good as He is good.

11) Part personal Question. My answer: Studying God’s Word according to David revives the soul, makes wise the simple, gives joy to the heart, gives light to the eyes, sweeter than honey, warns the servant (us), and rewards us. Studying God’s Word has kept me from totally being full of sin. My knowledge has deepened, my relationship with God is closer, and I grow more and more like Jesus with each passing day. I have hope I can someday be a good person.

Conclusions: BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 11, Day 4: Psalm 19:

Beautiful in its simplicity, God’s law gives us a reason to live and God’s Creation affirms his glory and power.

End Notes BSF Study Questions People of the Promised Land 1 Lesson 11, Day 4: Psalm 19:

The title tells us both the author and the audience of the Psalm: To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Some believe that the Chief Musician is the Lord God Himself, and others suppose him to be a leader of choirs or musicians in David’s time, such as Heman the Singer or Asaph (1 Chronicles 6:33, 16:17, and 25:6).

C.S. Lewis said of Psalm 19: “I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.”

Aristotle said, “Should a man live underground, and there converse with the works of art and mechanism, and should afterwards be brought up into the open day, and see the several glories of the heaven and earth, he would immediately pronounce them the works of such a Being as we define God to be.”

Astronomer and physicist Robert Jastrow, “For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”

Paul later clarifies David’s sentiments in Psalm 19 in Romans 1. Paul explaines God’s invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20). Because this testimony had gone out through all creation, all men are without excuse for rejecting the God who gave us such clear (and beautiful) evidence of His power and wisdom.

God’s Glory announced in Creation

  • Size
  • Engineering
  • Artistry
  • Goodness and kindness

“Pour forth speech” is stronger in the Hebrew text than it appears to be in English, for the image is literally of a gushing spring that copiously pours forth sweet, refreshing waters of revelation.

The heavens never cease declaring and proclaiming God’s majesty and glory.

Verse 7 has David shifting from praising the God who reveals Himself in creation to praising the same God for revealing Himself in His word.

Philosopher Kant’s famous quote: Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe… the starry heavens above and the moral law within.”

God’s word tells us much more tells us about God than Creation. It reveals Him as the covenant God of love, as reflected in the structure of this psalm. In Psalm 19:1-6, God is referred to as El – the most generic word for God in the Hebrew language (even more generic than the commonly used Elohim). Yet here at Psalm 119:7-9, God is referred to as Yahweh (the LORD), the God of covenant love and faithfulness to His people. This is the personal name God revealed to Moses from the burning bush (Exodus 3:15).

In Psalm 119, David used a variety of expressions to refer to the word of God (law, testimony, statutes, commandment, fear, judgements.)

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How is God’s Word perfect?

  • The word gives us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). While it does not give us all knowledge, all the knowledge it gives is true and perfect. Understood in its literary context, God’s word is never wrong in science or history or the understanding of either divine or human nature.
  • Part of the perfection of God’s word is that it is effective; it does the work of converting the soul. There is power in the reading, hearing, and studying the word of God that goes beyond intellectual benefit.

The Hebrew word translated here as converting is perhaps better understood as reviving; that is, bringing new life to the soul.

How is God’s Word simple?

  • The word of God is sure, being reliable and certain. As the Psalmist would write at Psalm 119:89, Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.
  • Because God’s Word is so sure and certain, it does the work of making wise the simple. Many people of simple education or upbringing have tremendous wisdom unto life and godliness because they study and trust the sure word of the LORD.

How is God’s Word right?

  • God’s word and the commands are right. They are morally right, practically right, and universally right. They are right because it is the revelation of a God who is holy, true, and always right.
  • Right means to make straight, smooth, right, upright.

How is God’s Word pure?

  • God’s word comes from a God who is Himself pure and holy. A pure God can communicate no other way. We never have to worry about the word of God leading people into sin or impurity; if it seems to have happened, it is evidence that the scriptures have been twisted (2 Peter 3:16).

How is God’s Word clean?

  • The word of God is clean, and therefore is enduring forever. It will never fade or corrode, diminishing because of impurity. It is clean and it makes us clean.

Here David called the word of God the “fear of the Lord.” One who reads, hears, and studies the word of God  will have an appropriate appreciation of God’s awe and majesty.

IMPORTANT FACTS TO REMEMBER ABOUT KING DAVID:

  1. Remember King David wrote this with only a fraction of what we have today as the word of God; and by most accounts his portion was not as glorious as the complete revelation of God. David would have had the first five books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy); Joshua, Judges, a few Psalms, and perhaps Job and Ruth. We can only imagine what King David would have written about Isaiah or Hosea or the entire Psalter; much less any of the books of the New Testament. We can say with confidence that God’s word is far more glorious than King David knew!
  2. King David was a massively wealthy man, yet he is rarely known for his riches. He is much more known for his great heart towards God. His son Solomon was even more wealthy than David, and was known for his riches – yet not nearly as much for his heart towards God and his love of God’s word.

Why is the Word of God greater than material wealth?

  • God’s Word gives instruction (warning) to use for sins and dangers we cannot see, but God does.
  • God’s word gives benefit (reward).

Obeying God’s Word brings peace of mind and an unburdened conscious.

We all make errors before God; a lot of which we cannot see ourselves.

What are willful sins?

  • Sins we commit when we know better.
  • Sins we commit when friends have warned us.
  • Sins we commit when God Himself has warned us.
  • Sins we commit when we have warned others against the same sins.
  • Sins we commit when we plan and relish our sin.

The Progression of Willful Sin:

  1. Temptation
  2. Chosen thought
  3. Object of meditation
  4. Wished-for fulfillment
  5. Planned action
  6. Opportunity to perform action
  7. Committing of the sin
  8. Repeated action of sin
  9. Delight in sin
  10. Becomes a habit
  11. Becomes an idol
  12. Demands sacrifices
  13. We become a slave to that sin.

During this whole time, the Holy Spirit – and hopefully our conscience – warns us to stop. We are given the way of escape by God (1 Corinthians 10:13), if we will only take it. Yet if we do not, and end up in slavery to sin, it legitimately questions the state of our soul (1 John 3:6-9).

Note the man after God’s own heart prayed this. Think of how much then we need to pray this. If we do, as Paul wrote, For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace (Romans 6:14).

Image result for psalm 19David closed this glorious Psalm with a humble surrender of his mouth and heart to God. He knew that real godliness was not only a matter of what a man did, but also of what he said and thought in his heart.

Redeemer is that great Hebrew word goel, the kinsman-redeemer. It was the goel who bought his relative out of slavery; who rescued him in bankruptcy and total loss. It was Boaz in the book of Ruth. King David looked to God Himself as his kinsman-redeemer.

Take away from Psalm 19:

Recognizing the glory of God in creation and the glory of His written revelation, David knew himself to be small and sinful. Yet this great God was also the glorious God of personal relationship and redemption for His people. King David knew this; so should we.