Psalms 3, 4, 5, 13, 7, 8, 9

Psalms — Steve Gregg

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Psalms 3, 4, 5, 13, 7, 8, 9

PsalmsSteve Gregg

In this commentary, Steve Gregg provides insights into several Psalms including Psalm 3, 4, 5, 13, 7, 8, and 9. He explains the context in which these Psalms were written and highlights key themes such as trust in God, asking for guidance, and seeking vindication. Gregg also notes how certain verses in the Psalms have been referenced in the New Testament and provides interpretations of their meanings. Overall, this commentary offers a deeper understanding of the Psalms and their relevance to Christian life.

Transcript

Alright, let's turn to Psalm 3. We've been talking until now about groups of Psalms. We've talked about the Psalms that speak highly of God's Word. We've talked about several of the Messianic Psalms, though we will encounter many more Messianic passages in some of the Psalms that we have not yet covered.

Yet the Psalms which seem to be the essential Messianic Psalms we covered as a group. We were introduced to that first group of Psalms from chapter 1, and it was chapter 2 of Psalms that got us into the Messianic Psalms. We now come to Psalm chapter 3, and we also spent some time studying the Penitential Psalms, the first of which we encounter in chapter 6. And the reason I took that group before covering 3, 4, and 5 was that I knew that I would probably go beyond 3, 4, and 5 in one teaching.

And so I thought that would bring me to chapter 6 anyway, so I thought I'd get that one out of the way so that today we'll take chapters 3, 4, 5, 7, and so forth. And we'll skip over 6 since we've already covered it. Chapter 3 is a cry of David at a time of distress, and it's interesting that it would come at this point because we've already just been talking about the Penitential Psalms.

One of the last things we were talking about was Absalom's rebellion against his father and how Absalom drove his father out of Jerusalem and caused most of the armies of Jerusalem and all to turn against David. And we read some of the Psalms which are almost certainly written by David at that time. Here we have a psalm which there is no question about whether it is written at that time because the psalm title itself tells us a psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.

So this is that event which is described in 2 Samuel chapter 15 where David fled from his son Absalom. And at that time it seemed like all of the people had turned against David. Absalom, by the way, had very gradually gotten the favor of the people.

The Bible tells us that he had first started coming to the gate of the city where people would usually bring their complaints and their legal matters to be judged. And being the king's son he was respected there. And he would sit at the gate of the city and when people came to him he would say, Oh, if only I were king, I'd make sure that you got justice in this situation.

And he'd sort of plant the seed that way of people saying, Well, maybe Absalom would be a better king than David because they felt they were maybe not getting justice under David. And if Absalom were king he vowed that they would. So the people began to turn toward Absalom until right before David even realized it was happening.

Most of the people seemed to favor Absalom over David. And finally when Absalom declared himself to be king, the minority that still trusted David and still approved of David and were loyal to him had to flee because the majority of the army and many of the other nobles of the city as well as the common citizens were in favor of Absalom at that time. So David felt pretty much like he was deprived of all of his friends.

Although he did have some, the number is not given, but it might have been a fairly large number who left Jerusalem with him. They were clearly in the minority. And so he says, Lord, how are they increased that trouble me? Many are they that rise up against me.

Many there be which say of my soul, there is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory and the lifter up of mine head.

I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. I laid me down and slept.

I awaked, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God.

For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheekbone. Thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord.

Thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah. Now, this psalm of eight verses breaks into fairly equal parts of two verses each, four parts of two verses each.

In the first two verses, he states the situation. The situation is that he feels abandoned, that the number of people who are against him have increased so much that it's a cause for despair. And he says that many of them are quite sure that the case is so thoroughly gone against David that even God can't help him at this time.

Many of them are saying there's no help for him in God. Either they're saying God can't help him in this case because his popularity is too far gone down the tubes, or else they're saying that God wouldn't want to help him because they believe that God is on Absalom's side. So, even though David knows that he's right with God in this situation, it hurts him, of course, to know that many people are suggesting that God won't help him now, even though he's trusting that he will.

In fact, the next two verses, three and four, basically express his faith that God is going to take care of him, that there is, contrary to popular opinion, there is help for him in God. He says, Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of my head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill.

The holy hill would be Zion, as we know from the previous chapter, Psalm 2, and verse 6, where God says, Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. So, the holy hill is Zion, or where Jerusalem is. He's saying that God heard him out of Zion when he called unto the Lord.

Now, that verse three, which says, Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, a marginal reference in my Bible says, or about me. That is like a shield that completely surrounds me, all about me. So, I'm protected before and behind, on every side by God, who encamps around me and provides a shield against all the dangers that my enemies would bring against me.

He says that the Lord is my glory. This must mean his reputation, and that the only glory he seeks. You know, he had much glory as king in Israel.

He had much royal splendor and glory, and he had a very glorious reign. But now, he seemed to have lost all of that. Yet, he says, I still have one thing that is my glory, and that is my relationship with God.

God, you are my glory. I have a reputation with you, and that's based on my relationship with you. If I have nothing else.

He says, the lifter up of mine head. He uses an expression that is found in many places in Scripture, the lifting of the head. And it can mean many different things.

One thing it meant, for instance, when Joseph was in prison, and the butler and the baker were in prison with him, they both had dreams. And when he interpreted their dreams, he said to the butler, that the king is going to lift up your head and restore you to your former office. So, the lifting up of the head had to do with bringing the man up to a place of authority again.

Bringing him back up to his proper place of rule or responsibility. And that may be what David has in mind here, because he says, you are the lifter up of my head. In other words, you will bring me back up to my proper position of authority in the kingdom.

Another way that the term is used is when Joseph spoke his interpretation to the baker. When the baker had his dream, part of the interpretation was that in three days, the king will take you out of prison and lift up your head and hang you on a tree. So, the lifting up of the baker's head had to do with him being hung.

So, the lifter of the head, or the lifting up of the head, had both associations in the interpretations that Joseph gave to those two dreams. On the other hand, we would think, perhaps, of the lifting up of the head as an instance where a person, his head is bowed down in grief and in despair, and God takes you by the chins and says, come on, keep a stiff upper lip, kind of a thing, and encourages me by lifting my head up again. Probably, of the three possibilities, the first and the third are the most likely that David means here.

Either he means, God, you are my encouragement, or possibly more likely, he's actually saying, you're the one who set me up originally in authority, and you'll restore me to my proper office again. Then, he expresses, after stating those things that the Lord will do for him, that there is help for him in God, he talks about his personal sense of security that is derived from his knowledge that he is in God's favor. I laid me down and slept, I awaked, for the Lord sustained me.

I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about. In other words, he has a personal sense of security. Even though he's in great danger, or would appear to be in great danger, as far as natural circumstances are concerned, yet he is secure.

He goes to sleep at night. He doesn't lose sleep over it. He trusts that God is going to sustain him.

So, he says, I went to sleep, and I woke up again. I didn't get killed during the night. I was able to sleep soundly, and my faith in God was not unfounded in this.

And I'm not afraid, even though maybe the people who are against me are ten thousands of people. In verse one, he said, those who trouble him are greatly increased, and many. But, here he says, even if there's ten thousand of them, if they set themselves against me, I won't be afraid.

Because, of course, God is on his side. Then, the last two verses are a cry to God to bring about vindication. Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God, for Thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheekbone, and Thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

Salvation, or salvation can be translated deliverance, or safety, belongs unto the Lord. Thy blessing is upon Thy people. So, we have this confidence, and this calling upon God to arise and take matters into His hands.

The reference to smiting the enemies on the cheekbone and breaking their teeth probably draws from the image of, again, a shepherd coming to the aid of his sheep, where a lion or a bear has leapt upon a sheep, a helpless sheep, and the shepherd comes to his aid with his club and knocks the teeth out of the lion by knocking them on the cheekbone, or the jawbone. And, you know, it's delivering the lamb out of the mouth of the predator. David has already mentioned himself being the Lord's sheep, the Lord being his shepherd, and we find that here he would be thinking in those same terms.

He's like a helpless lamb. His son Absalom and others who have turned against him are like ravening lions or wolves or bears or whatever would come after the sheep, but God is his shepherd and comes and knocks the teeth out of his enemies so that they can't kill him and they can't have their way over him. So that's what that psalm seems to be saying.

Now we go into Psalm 4. This is an evening psalm. That is a psalm to be sung in the evening. The reason we know that is because of verse 8, which talks about, I'm going to lay down and sleep now.

And so it's a psalm that David wrote one evening as he was reflecting. He talks about, first of all, how astounded he is that wicked men can pursue their wicked ways, but God has helped him when there are wicked men around. We don't know the occasion of the writing of this psalm or what particular instance he might be alluding to, but he then goes on and makes certain exhortations and prayers.

We'll read it now. Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness. Thou hast enlarged me.

The word enlarged can be translated relieved, and the new American standard has changed that to relieve me. You have relieved me when I was in distress. Have mercy upon me and hear my prayer.

Then he stops talking to God and starts talking to the wicked. He says, O ye sons of men, how long will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love vanity and seek after leasing? Leasing is an expression found in the King James Version from time to time, which means deception or lies. So, he's saying that you people turn glory, my glory, into shame.

Well, his glory, he already said in Psalm 3, in verse 3, God is his glory. And for them to turn God into shame or in other words, to turn the Lord into something shameful in their own behavior, they shame the Lord, is what they're doing. And he says, how long will you do that? How long will you love emptiness? Vanity means emptiness, and pursue after lies.

That is to say, the things that the heathen are pursuing are empty lies. I mean, they make certain promises, the love of this world, you know, the riches and pleasures of this world make certain empty promises. But as long as men are seeking after them, they're seeking after that which is really empty.

It is an empty promise, an empty lie that the devil puts before them. He says, how long will you continue in this deception, following after these stupid things? Then he says, but know that the Lord has set apart him that is godly for himself. The Lord will hear when I call unto him.

So, he has been set apart, he says. That's basically what the word sanctified means, is to be set apart, to be set aside for holy purposes. God knows who his people are, and he has set them apart for himself.

And therefore, he hears them. It's nice to know that we've been set apart from the fools of the world who seek after empty, vain pursuits. And he's caused us to seek after that which is not an empty pursuit.

It's the pursuit of God. The Lord will hear when I call him. Now we have an exhortation.

Stand in awe and sin not. Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still. Here we have another indication that this is an evening psalm.

It has to do with, upon your bed, commune with your own heart. And stand in awe and sin not. Now this statement, stand in awe and sin not, sounds very similar to a statement found in Ephesians chapter 4, in verse 26, which says, be angry and sin not.

Now what Paul means when he says, in Ephesians 4, 26, be angry and sin not, is not at all clear. Some people believe that it means that you should have a godly anger towards sin, but that you shouldn't let your anger go so far as to be sinful anger. Others feel that it's by being angry with sin that we avoid sin, so that you can sin not by being angry at sin.

Be angry and sin not. Others have felt like the not, N-O-T, in that sentence applies to both verbs, that it's put at the end of the sentence and it negates the whole sentence, so that the statement would be, ordinarily, be angry and sin. But by putting not at the end, it means don't be angry and don't sin.

But, you know, the negative would negate both parts of the sentence. Just sort of making the statement and then negating it. So it would be saying, don't be angry and don't sin.

Now, which of those is intended by Paul is not at all clear to me. He does say right afterwards, let not the sun go down on your wrath, neither give place to the devil. So he must be saying that, maybe he's saying, even if you are angry, make sure that you don't stay angry, because it becomes sin.

It becomes defester in you. But later on in that same chapter in Ephesians 4, he says, put away all wrath and all anger and all malice and so forth. So it doesn't seem like he'd be encouraging anger when he says, be angry and sin not.

And so it's not real clear what he is saying. But it seems like he's borrowing his wording from this psalm, where it says, stand in awe and sin not. And here we see that our attitude toward God is to be very reverential and awestruck.

That if we were wise, unlike the fools who seek after vanity and love vanity and seek after lies, if we see ourselves as set apart for the Lord, as verse 3 says, then it should be something that's very awe-inspiring to realize that God has taken us and set us aside from the rest of humanity for himself. Jesus said in John chapter 15, if you are of the world, the world will love his own, but because you are not of the world, because I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. But Jesus said he had chosen us out of the world.

He set us apart for himself. That should be something that causes us to really be astounded and to be in awe. And if we let that awe totally dominate us, that's what the fear of God is in a sense.

It's that awe, that reverential awe of God, the fear of God. That will keep us from sin. If we don't have a proper awe about God, then we are likely to take sin lightly.

But when we realize what a mighty thing it is, that the creator of the universe has set us aside particularly for his own use, for his own purposes, then sin becomes such a major thing that we would want to avoid it the more. And it is a very major thing. So he says, commune with your own heart on your bed and be still.

A lot of the old writers advocate a habit of every night upon your bed reflecting over the past day to see if there's any sins that you've committed that need to be forgiven. Again, that may picture from Ephesians, let not the sun go down on your wrath. Be angry and sin not.

Let not the sun go down on your wrath, meaning that if you are angry, don't hold your anger, but get rid of it before bedtime. Don't let the sun go down on it. And here also we have sort of a similar context.

Standing on, sin not, and commune with your heart upon your bed. That is, when you're going to bed at night, make sure you don't have any unfinished business with God. Just reflect on how holy he is, how great he is.

Let your awe be unbounded. And then, in light of those reflections upon God's greatness and his power and his holiness, you will be inclined to see your own actions in the better light. And you will begin to see where you, during that day, have fallen short, where you need to make confession of sin and all, and that you need to do this before going to sleep at night.

Commune with your heart upon your bed, meaning, I believe, reflect back on the things that are in your heart that you've gathered there that day and caused them to be dealt with in the appropriate manner. Then it says in verse 5, Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and put your trust in the Lord. So, you put your trust in the Lord and offer a different kind of sacrifice than if you don't.

The sacrifices of righteousness make it very clear that he's making a distinction between what he's talking about and the ordinary sacrifices that might be offered by Jews who don't put their trust in the Lord. Many Jews who didn't trust God and didn't love God would offer sacrifices as a part of their ritual. But here he's pointing out the need for them to put their trust in the Lord and then their sacrifices can be called sacrifices of righteousness.

That is, they will be righteous people, therefore their offerings to the Lord will be righteous offerings. And this is a mighty verse, in my opinion, verse 6, Verses, There be many that say, Who will show us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. The statement is, there are many people who are very cynical and believe that there's nothing good in the world anymore.

This is a comfort, you know, to some sinners. If they believe that no one's doing any better than they are, then they can feel somewhat justified in their sinful behavior. They just figure, well, I'm no worse than anyone else.

I'm doing the same thing everyone else is. Nobody's perfect, so no one can be expected to do any better than I'm doing. And more or less, they might not think directly along these lines, but what it translates to subconsciously is, God can't hold much against me because I'm doing as well as everyone else.

No one's perfect. And so they come to the point where they're saying, no one really can show us any good. There's no good in the world.

No one can be trusted. No one is loyal. No one is honest.

And that's the position that many have come to. He says, many say, who shall show us any good? In other words, challenging, not really looking for good, not saying, who could please show me some? He's basically saying, there's many who are saying, no one can show us any good. And sort of the who can is sort of a rhetorical challenge.

Who can show us any good? See if there's any. Show me some if there is some. And then the response to that cynical attitude is a prayer from David.

He says, Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance or your face upon us. In other words, allow your goodness to arise upon us. Even as other places in the scripture talk about the glory of the Lord arising upon us.

The light of his countenance arising upon us. Meaning, when people say, who shall show us any good? We should be able to say, look at me, I'll show you some good. I can show you the goodness of God in my own character.

You can look at the way we Christians relate to each other in the community of Christians. And you can see some good there. So that we actually rob the wicked of their excuse.

Because if they never see anyone who lives more righteous than they, then they can feel excused that they don't live righteously. Especially if they see religious people who claim to have the truth living just as wickedly and hypocritically as they do. Well then, of course, they feel particularly justified and feel like they're more righteous and more worthy to go to heaven and so forth than even the religious people.

But what David is saying is, let's shut their mouths. God, let me shut their mouth by, let us shut their mouth by you allowing the light of your countenance to arise upon us. So they can see it upon us.

They can see the goodness in us. That belongs to your character. Then he rejoices.

He says in verse 7, Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. Now, he's again contrasting him from them. He says, I have joy and gladness in my heart more than they have when they've got good crops.

When they're prospering. In those days, you know, success in business was measured in how many crops and grapes you harvested and so forth. And so he's saying that when they are prospering financially, they rejoice.

But I rejoice in God more than they rejoice at times like that. My joy as a Christian is greater than the greatest joy that the earth bestows upon its citizens. And he says finally, again, restating the security that he had in verse 5 of the previous chapter.

I will both lay me down in peace and sleep for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety. So he's pointing out that there is a difference between the godly man and the ungodly man. The ungodly man, in verse 2, is seeking after empty pursuits and after lies.

But the godly man has been set apart by God for himself, it says in verse 3. Therefore, he's likely to be different than the ungodly man because he's been set apart. One thing is God listens to him. God will hear me when I call.

Another thing is he keeps short accounts with God. He's in awe of God. He has the fear of God.

Therefore, he doesn't live in sin. And if he does sin, he makes short accounts of it by at night, considering his day, considering his actions and repenting if necessary so that his conscience is clear. That way, when he offers sacrifices, unlike the others, he offers righteous sacrifices and trusts in the Lord.

He also is able to show the cynic the righteousness of God by his own character and his own life. And he has more joy than the men in the world have, he says in verse 7. And in verse 8, he has security, which they don't have. I both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety.

So we might see this as a psalm showing the various benefits and contrasts of being godly over, by contrast, being a wicked person. God has set aside the godly for himself, it says in verse 3. And then it goes on to show some of the differences between the godly man and the ungodly. Now, Psalm 5 is familiar to us because of the song that we sing in the first three verses.

Actually, this psalm breaks up into five parts. The first part is three verses. The second part is three verses.

And then there are three sections of two verses each. So that thoughts are coupled together in this way. The first three verses go together, and the second three verses go together up through verse 6. And then after that it's couplets of two verses each until the end of the chapter.

We said that the previous psalm was an evening psalm. We know that because it says, Commune with your own heart upon your bed. And it also says, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep.

So it's talking about going to bed at night. And it's a psalm for the evening in Psalm 4. But Psalm 5, on the other hand, is a morning psalm. And so, where the scripture says, especially in Deuteronomy 6, that you should speak the word of God to your children when you rise up, and when you go to bed, and when you walk, and when you sit down to eat.

No matter what you're doing, you should be speaking the word of God. There are specific scriptures which are useful for different periods of the day. To speak to your children or to speak just to your own soul.

And this is a morning psalm. It says, Give ear to my words, O Lord. Consider my meditation.

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for unto Thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord. In the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.

For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness. Neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight.

Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing against lies. The Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy. And in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies.

Make thy way straight before my face. For there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Their inward part is very wickedness.

Their throat is an open sepulcher. They flatter with the tongue. Destroy thou them, O God.

Let them fall by their own counsels. Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions. For they have rebelled against thee.

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice. Let them ever shout for joy because thou defendest them. Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous. With favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield. We see many of the same thoughts from previous psalms expressed in this psalm.

In the first three verses, he is basically asking God to hear him. And he is asking him again and again. He says, give ear to my words.

That is one request. Consider my meditation, meaning that is look at my thoughts, read my mind. Hearken to the voice of my cry.

Again, asking him to pay attention to what he is saying and what he is thinking. And he says, for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord, in the morning.

Will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up. Elsewhere in the psalms it says that we should seek the Lord early. And no doubt this refers to early in the morning.

He says, God, you will not have to wait all day to hear from me. I am going to start my day in prayer. I am going to let my prayer ascend to you first thing in the morning.

And so, because I am making it my priority of my day to pray, I trust that you will make it a priority to listen to what I say. And then he says, in the next three verses, he describes the kind of people that God doesn't listen to and doesn't have any respect to at all. Those who are in wickedness.

God has no pleasure in them and he won't let any evil dwell with him. God abhors those things. The foolish shall not stand in his sight.

You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy them that speak lies. And the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

So, the contrast is no doubt intended. He is saying, I am asking you to hear my cry, but I know that you wouldn't hear me if I were of this category. The category of wicked and bloody and deceitful men.

But what is he like? Verses 7 and 8. He says, but as for me, in contrast to those he has just described, as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy. And in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. So, he is saying, because of the multitude of God's mercy upon him, he can approach God.

He realizes that he is not really all that much better than these wicked men by his own nature, but because of the mercy of God, he is unlike them. He has been forgiven for his sins and therefore he can come before God and worship him and he has the fear of God, which is the appropriate attitude to come before God into the holy temple with. And he says, lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness.

Because of mine enemies, make thy way straight before my face. So, because of my enemies, there is always a temptation to go the wrong way or to not go the right way because of fear of man. Men will oppose me if I go the right way.

However, he says, I want to go the right way despite that, but because they are there, I tend to be intimidated. So, please guide me clearly. Give me a straight path and give me your guidance, really.

Keep me going in the right direction. For there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Going back again to describe the wicked men.

In their mouth there is no faithfulness. Their inward part is very wickedness. Their throat is an open sepulcher, an open grave for people to fall in.

And they flatter with their tongue. Destroy thou them, O God. This is the first imprecation in the Psalter.

We saw already there is one in chapter 6 and verse 10. Here is the first one precedes that. Chapter 5, verse 10.

He calls upon God to destroy his enemies. And we will find that there are several psalms for which the major theme is calling for the destruction of enemies. Though this is not one of them, it is something that occurs in this psalm.

For the first time, but we will find it in many psalms. Again, asking God to vindicate him rather than taking matters into his own hands. But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice.

Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them. Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous with favor, wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

The reference to the defense is the same as that in chapter 3. He said, Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me. Here he states the same truth. The reference to the righteous people rejoicing is not much different than verse 7 of the previous psalm.

Psalm 4, 7. Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than when their oil and their wine increased. So gladness and safety and security, again, are the points of celebration at the end of this psalm. Notice now, by the way, so far, almost all of the psalms, 3, 4, and 5 that we've just looked at, start out with a real note of concern or even despair.

Look at Psalm 3. Lord, how are they increased that trouble me? Many are they that rise up against me. In Psalm 4, hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness, as thou hast relieved me when I was in distress. Have mercy upon me and hear my prayer.

In Psalm 5, give ear to my words, hearken to the voice of my cry. Here we see in each case the psalmist has a burden on his heart and he comes to pray. Each of these is a prayer, although some of them go on into exhortation and other statements, but they begin as a prayer.

And before they're finished praying, there's a positive note that's been reached. There's an assurance, there's a confidence. So that Psalm 3 ends with, Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, thy blessing is upon thy people.

A confident statement. Psalm 4 ends with, I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. In Psalm 5, verse 12, for thou, Lord, will bless the righteous with favor, wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

As I mentioned in the previous class, you'll find that this is the case with the majority of the psalms. They are issued forth from a time of stress when the psalmist starts praying. But before he's finished praying, he's rejoicing, he's confident, he's gotten the victory and he's heard from God.

So this is the case with all, in every case, when the psalms start out in despair, they end in victory with the exception of three psalms. I mentioned there are three that do not turn about. There are some that are negative all the way through.

And those are Psalm 38, 39 and 88. 38, which we studied last class. 39 and Psalm 88.

Those three do not turn around. But the rest of them do. And a remarkable instance of one of them turning around, which we'll study before long, is Psalm 13.

In fact, I think we'll even just skip to that because of the notable way in which this psalm illustrates this truth, this tendency in the psalms. Psalm 13 is six verses long. Two verses express dejection and calling out to God out of dejection.

The next two verses are the prayer. And the final verses are his victorious optimism. So you can see in six short verses, he's at a total turnaround of his attitude.

Look at the first two. How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord, forever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Totally dejection. Totally despair.

Is this forever going to be the case? Are you going to forget me? Are you going to let my enemy exalt over me all the time, forever? Is this never going to change? Well, that's how he's praying. Now, look, it doesn't take him more than 30 seconds to say the whole prayer, but his attitude totally changes by the end. But in the middle, verses three and four, say, Consider and hear me, O Lord my God.

Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. Lest mine enemies say, I have prevailed against him, and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. In other words, this is his prayer.

Consider and hear me. Lighten mine eyes. And then at the end, with his eyes lightened, he sees things from a different point of view.

Very optimistic. He says, But I have trusted in thy mercy. My heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

I will sing unto the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me. What a strange turnabout there, where in the first verse he's saying, Are you going to forget me forever? Where are you anyway? And at the end he says, Oh, the Lord's dealt so bountifully with me, I feel so great. You know? A short prayer, but what a turnaround.

You know, I believe that this is just a testimony for the power of prayer to relieve burdens. To unload burdens on the Lord. Because even in the Lord's prayer, so-called, as Jesus taught us to pray, starts out with, Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Then it goes, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Okay, so far, basically just focusing on God's interest. But then when it gets down to our own specific case, Give us this day our daily bread, suggesting that we don't even have the food yet for today.

So we really are calling out for survival. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts. Which sounds like one of the penitential Psalms.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And then he says, Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Again, some of the Psalms sound that way.

Deliver me from my enemies, and so forth. You see, the prayer that we pray, that Jesus taught us to pray, has all these elements of crying out for aid. For very necessary aid, in time of danger, and in time of need.

And in time of lack. But how does it end? With victory, with a note of triumphant declaration. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.

So, even though we may be driven to prayer by a sense of urgent need, and a sense of nervousness and stress, and all. Yet, when we finish our prayer, though it may be a very short prayer, if it's an effective prayer, we will come away with a release. And a confidence.

Well God, you're the one who's got the kingdom. You're the one who has the power. You're the one who has the glory forever.

I guess there's nothing for me to worry about. Because you've got it all. And so, prayer should be that way.

Now, some of these psalms are very short. But we see this turnaround in them. And I believe that illustrates the principle of really finding a release from our burdens in prayer.

As these psalms do. Now we'll skip Psalm 6 because we covered it as one of the penitential psalms already. And we'll go on to Chapter 7, which is basically a cry for justice.

Now, we've sometimes been told, we don't want justice, we want mercy. And that's true. That's true in a sense.

We don't want God to give us what we directly deserve because we deserve to go to hell. We really need His mercy rather than His justice in that sense. On the other hand, in particular situations, there are times where we are just, where we've done nothing wrong.

And we're being oppressed or afflicted. Being abused by someone in spite of the fact that we've done nothing wrong. And at times like that, it is our desire for justice to be done.

Not that absolute justice be done to us and that every sin of ours be paid back for whatever it's worth. Because, as I said, we'd be destroyed if God would reckon sins. You know, who would stand, the Bible says.

But the point is that there are times and situations where our particular circumstances are caused by injustice. And we are not the ones who've been unjust. When a person takes a case to court, it's because he believes he's in the right.

And he wants the judge to vindicate him against the person who he believes is in the wrong. And he wants justice to be done because justice will be in his favor. And that's what this psalm is.

This psalm, and many others like it, is a cry for justice from one who feels like he has done nothing wrong in this case. Yet, he's suffered a great deal and he's asking God to judge the matter. To vindicate him and to execute justice in the case against those who are afflicting him.

Here's how it goes. O Lord, my God, in Thee do I put my trust. Save me from all them that persecute me and deliver me.

Lest He tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces while there is none to deliver. O Lord, my God, if I have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands, if I have rewarded evil unto him that is at peace with me, yea, I have delivered him that is without cause mine enemy. Let the enemy persecute my soul and take it.

Yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay mine honor in the dust. Arise, O Lord, in Thine anger, lift up Thyself because of the rage of mine enemies. And awake for me to judgment, to the judgment that Thou hast commanded.

So shall the congregation of the people come past Thee about. For their sakes, therefore, return Thou on high. The Lord shall judge the people.

Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to my integrity that is in me. O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just. For the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins.

The reins meaning the kidneys which was thought to be the motives and the deepest thought process. My defense is of God which saveth the upright in heart. God judgeth the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every day.

If he turn not, he will wet his sword. He hath bent his bow, he hath made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death.

He ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors. Behold, he travaileth with iniquity and hath conceived mischief and brought forth falsehood. He made a pit and digged it and is fallen into the ditch which he made.

His mischief shall return upon his own head and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. Which means skullcap. I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness.

I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. Now, you can see all throughout there's a discussion of judgment, judging and vindicating. And at the beginning, the first five verses, he basically states his own case that he has done nothing wrong.

And he also stresses that a little later. He puts a kind of statement in verse three similar to what Job had said. When Job said, if I've robbed anyone, then let them rob me.

If I've committed adultery, then let me be committed adultery against and so forth. Here, he's saying essentially the same thing. He says, if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me.

Or earlier, he says, if I have done this, if there had been iniquity in my hands. Then the second part of verse five, let the enemy persecute my soul and take it. Let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay mine honor in the dust.

Now, what he's saying is essentially the enemy is doing that. Though he doesn't seem like he deserves it. He hasn't done these things.

In fact, he says in parenthesis, not only has he not rewarded evil for evil. He has even rewarded good to those who have done evil. And he must have been thinking, of course, of Saul there.

Where Saul was persecuting him and David had the opportunity to destroy him twice, but spared his life. So, I'm sure that's what was in his mind in that parenthesis there. Yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy.

Saul without cause was David's enemy. And by the way, I didn't mention this, but in the title it says, this is a Shagion of David. Which he sang unto the Lord concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.

I don't know who Cush the Benjamite was and I don't think anyone does. But the point is that it might have been another name for Saul, conceivably. Because Saul was a Benjamite.

Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin. And then again, Cush might have been some relative of Saul's or something who was trying to persecute David also. But David is definitely thinking of Saul here when he says that I've delivered him who without cause was my enemy.

But he's saying essentially, these things should happen to me if I've done iniquity. And if I've maybe rewarded evil to those who have done good to me. But I haven't done that.

Therefore, I have every cause to hope that when God shows his justice, I will come out smelling like a rose. And so he actually calls God to show his anger against sin in verse 6. And to judge at the end of verse 6. Awake for me to the judgment that thou has commanded. And it's true that a lot of people are not attracted to God because they don't see him doing what they consider to be just.

To say if God is really there, why does he let people go to hell and burn for eternity? They don't see that as being just. To say if God's really a God of love, why does he let babies be born deformed? Why does he allow child abuse? Why does he allow starvation in Ethiopia? Why does he allow this or that or the other thing? Why did he let this person die in this accident when they didn't do anything wrong? You know, people see God as unjust. Now, they don't see it clearly because God is just.

But because they don't understand his justice, some are repelled by God. They don't see why God is just, and therefore, they're not attracted to him. But David is saying, show your justice.

Do the thing that is clearly just, and people will come to you. They'll compass you around. They'll be attracted to you.

Now, God, of course, is not obligated to let us see how just he is. We are to take that by faith. A lot of times, if something happens and we don't understand why that's fair or why that's just, we're just supposed to believe that God's justice is somewhere behind it and that his ways are higher than our ways, and someday we'll understand.

In the meantime, maybe we won't. But the fact remains that when God is shown to be just and does the just thing, it's a lot easier for the average person to be attracted to him and to trust him. And so he's saying in verse 8, the Lord shall judge the people.

Judge me. Now, very seldom would we want to ask God to judge us in the absolute sense because we usually want him to show mercy to us instead of justice. But here, again, the psalmist is saying, I am being persecuted for no reason whatsoever.

I'd like to take my case to court. I'd like for God to judge this matter. And he's quite sure that he'll come out okay on it.

He says in verse 10, My defense is of God, which saitheth, Be upright in heart. In verse 9, he'd said, The righteous God tries the hearts and the reins, that is, he tests and proves men's motives and their inward thoughts. And he's quite sure that if God does so, that Saul or whoever was bugging him, Cush the Benjamite, whoever was causing him problems at this particular time would be condemned by God and that David would be justified.

Because he says that God is angry with the wicked every day. Now, it says in verses 11 and following, God judges the righteous and God is angry with the wicked every day. If he turn not, he will whet his sword.

He hath bent his bow and he has made it ready. He hath prepared also prepared for him the instruments of death. He ordained the arrows against the persecutors.

So, it's saying that God is prepared to judge the wicked, the persecutors. When we think about the Christians suffering in Russia today, we think, well, how long, oh Lord, before you bring justice in that situation? Why is it that the Christians are suffering there? When are you going to judge the persecutors? Well, God hasn't given us an answer to when he's going to do it. But one thing that the scripture says is his bow is bent.

He has his arrow aimed already. Everyone who's walking in rebellion against God and persecuting God's people is a target for God to shoot at. And someone said, he that, I forget exactly what it is, he that defies God, I forget, oh, I think it was something like he that dishonors his father and mother walks where all God's arrows fly or something like that.

It's like the picture of a person who's violating the commandments of God. It's like he's walking through a battlefield right in the middle where God's arrows are flying and he's bound to get hit. God does shoot arrows, not literal arrows, of course, but he brings judgment upon the wicked.

And he's saying that even though the persecutors are still active at the time of the writing of this psalm, David is quite convinced, he can see in the spirit, that God has taken aim and his bow is bent, ready to shoot the arrows at the persecutors. God has a lot of restraint, however. If we were holding a bow, I don't know how many pounds of pressure there is on a good bow, but our arm might start to shake if we held it too long because we wouldn't have that much restraint.

We'd be inclined just to let it fly. But God is very restrained, very strong, and he can hold his bow bent for a long time, but if the man doesn't turn, he says, if the wicked man does not turn, in verse 12, then God will whet his sword and shoot his arrows at the man. So, God is giving sinners a chance to turn.

That's the whole story there. The reason he hasn't sent judgment upon the communist leaders, at least not all of them, is because he's giving them a chance to turn. If they don't turn, they will fall at his shot because he's angry at the wicked every day.

It's nice to know that God is as angry as we are at the wicked. Sometimes it seems like he's ignoring the fact that wicked men are running loose and that they don't seem to be challenged, and they seem to get away with everything. But at least we know God's angry at them.

He, however, is much more controlled in his anger than we are. And while he has all the weapons necessary to wipe them out, and his anger is burning toward them, yet he has such restraint as to give them opportunity to turn. But if they don't, then it will be the end of them.

Now, when it says, Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, this is turning to speak of the wicked man, the persecutor, not God. Travaileth with iniquity means that the wicked man gives birth to evil things. Like a woman travails, that's talking about labor pains.

As a woman travails and brings forth a baby, so a wicked man travails and brings forth wicked things, or iniquity. Lawlessness is what iniquity really means. The man has conceived mischief and brought forth falsehood.

So the image is of a person bearing a child, but the child that the wicked man bears is of wickedness, falsehood, and lawlessness, mischief. Now, in verses 15 and 16, it tells that the very trap that the man has laid, it will get him. And this principle is found elsewhere in the Proverbs, for example, and also in Psalms and other places.

And it's even illustrated in some of the stories in the Scripture. Men who have set traps for others and have personally fallen into them. The most notable case that comes to my mind is of Haman in the story of Esther.

How that he sought to destroy Mordecai, and even built a gallows to hang him on. But through the progress of events in the story, Haman got hung on his own gallows. He set him up for Mordecai, but Mordecai was a righteous man.

Haman was a wicked man. In the very gallows he had prepared to hang Mordecai, he was hanged on, and he fell into his own pit, so to speak. Probably the most important example of this happening was Satan trying to destroy Jesus.

Through the cross, Satan trying to put an end to Jesus by crucifying him, ended up hanging himself, really. He crushed his own head, he pierced his own head when he pierced Jesus' heel. He bruised Jesus' heel, but his head was bruised in the process.

So, the wicked man sets traps, but eventually falls into them himself. And probably the trap that Satan set, and the attempt he made on Jesus, on destroying the kingdom of God, was the most disastrous thing for Satan that could be imagined. And is the most notable example of this principle.

It says, he made a pit and digged it, and he's fallen into the ditch which he made. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealings shall come down on his own pate, or his own skull. The picture here, of course, is that a man... God doesn't even always have to judge.

God doesn't have to specifically send judgment, because mischievous and violent lives bring upon themselves. Destruction is a natural consequence. A man who lives in violence, like Jesus said, he that lives by the sword will die by the sword.

And it's not always because of a direct intervention of God in the situation to send judgment. Although, either directly or indirectly, we could always see it that way, I suppose. But what's being said here, I think, is that the mischievous ways themselves are living dangerously.

You take your risks. If you live in sin, there are certain things that may come to you just because of your sins. Whether or not God sends them, if you're homosexual and breaking the laws of God in that area, you may get AIDS.

And it's something that you just reap what you've sown. It's not... I mean, it may be a judgment from God in general, but it could also be seen as just the natural consequence of breaking God's wise laws. It comes back down on his own head.

He says, I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high. Going on now to Psalm 8, which is a very important psalm. It only has a few thoughts expressed, but they are important thoughts.

In fact, two of the distinct thoughts in this psalm are repeated and quoted in the New Testament. Psalm 8 goes like this, O Lord, our Lord. Now, notice the two kinds of Lord.

Lord, capital letters, is Jehovah. Lord, small o-r-d, is Adonai. So, O Jehovah, our Master, would be the best way to interpret this.

Because Adonai means Master, or Lord in that sense of the word. Whereas all capitals, L-o-r-d, stands for Jehovah. So it's, O Jehovah, our Master, how excellent is thy name in all the earth.

Who has set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies. That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him. For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels.

And hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things under his feet.

All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field. The fowl of the air and the fish of the sea and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea. O Jehovah, our Master, how excellent is thy name in all the earth.

So the psalm begins and ends with the same declaration. How excellent is the name of Jehovah in all the earth. Meaning either that the things that take place in the earth declare his great name.

Or else it's simply saying that your name is greater than any other name known in earth. In all the earth there's no name more excellent. And he reflects on the excellency of God and particularly on God's humbling himself.

To even pay attention to men. And even to use as it were babes and sucklings. Now notice the main thought that seems to have driven David on this particular occasion to write.

Is probably expressed in verse 4. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him. In other words, the smallness of man. He reflected on this when he considered the heavens and the moon and the stars.

And this is almost always what happens when we go out in starry night. And just take a few moments to look up and see the stars. And you know, when we don't take it for granted but we just look up and take a minute just for a second.

What I'm looking at is billions they say. Billions of miles. In fact billions of light years away.

Some of those stars. Now I have reason to doubt some of their figures. But let's face it.

I think it's clear enough that those things are millions and millions of miles away. Some of those stars. And maybe as they say 15 billion light years across the heavens.

And you see all those stars. And we're told that many of them are the size of our sun. And that our sun is thousands of times larger than the earth.

And you just think of how big those things are. But yet how far away they are is because they just twinkle like little dots in the sky. And you just think of all the vast space out there.

And all the things flying around out there. And you just think, man, it's a big universe. And you think that God made that with a word.

And you just begin to reflect on the majesty of God. And suddenly you think, what am I? I mean the earth itself is nothing but a speck of dust. And I'm not even the size of an atom on a speck of dust really when it comes to it.

Why in the world would God pay attention to me? When he fills the heavens and the heaven of heavens can't contain him, Solomon said. Then why would he pay any attention to me? And that's what David's wondering. And that's why he comes out with these words.

He says, how excellent is the name of the Lord. God humbles himself to deal with puny man. In fact, he has exalted man.

Given him a position of authority. That's something that David can't fathom. And when he says in verse 2, out of the mouths of babes and sucklings.

Babes and sucklings probably doesn't refer to actual children, though it might. Essentially seeing man as very small again. Like compared to God, we're like a baby.

Or like a little suckling infant. Totally helpless. Totally small.

Totally without anything to offer really. That's how small he sees himself and sees man when he considers the great works of God. Now that statement, by the way, in verse 2, out of the mouths of babes and sucklings.

Thou hast ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. It's not real clear just from this verse what he's saying. If he had said that God was using babes and sucklings to conquer the enemy, that'd be perhaps understandable enough.

But why does it say out of the mouths of babes and sucklings? Because when David spoke about enemies, he usually was speaking about physical enemies. He hardly ever spoke about spiritual enemies. Because his enemies were the Philistines and Saul's armies and Absalom's armies and all the armies of the heathen.

So when he talks about the enemies, almost always he speaks of physical enemies. But how could it be said that physical enemies have been beaten by something that comes out of the mouths of babes and sucklings? It would be more proper to say, well maybe he was saying by the commands that he, David, the king, gave. The commands that came out of his mouth, him a babe, him a suckling, that God has ordained strength.

But it's nonetheless that he has been given great authority over armies. Because even though he is a little, little person in his own sight, yet he's been given a word of authority so that when he speaks, armies move and God has ordained military strength out of his mouth. And that would also agree with what's said later about the dominion that's been given to puny man over the animals and all.

Just speaking of how God has bestowed such tremendous authority upon people who are so really insignificant, he would think. Now they're not really insignificant in God's eyes, but just when David's reflecting on the size of the universe and the marvels of the space, he just figures, well man is so puny and insignificant, amazing that God would ordain military strength out of the mouth of such a babe and such an infant as myself. And that man would even be given charge over all the other creatures.

Which of course doesn't prove that man is great, it only proves that the creatures are even less than he is. Man is small, but he's been given power over the creatures, he's bigger than they are as far as God is concerned. They're even more minuscule in God's sight.

But the statement about out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, Jesus took it more literally. And quoting it from the Septuagint, he quoted it when he was making his triumphal entry on Palm Sunday. And this is quoted in Matthew 21-16.

When the Pharisees heard the children saying, Hosanna, King of the Jews. And Jesus was coming in and they were spreading their palm leaves on the ground before him. The Pharisees said, Lord rebuke your disciples, don't you hear what they're saying? In other words, they thought it was blasphemy because they were saying, Hosanna, save now King of the Jews.

Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. They were basically hailing him as Messiah and the Pharisees thought that was somewhat blasphemous for Jesus to allow that to happen. So he said, rebuke them, tell them to be quiet.

And it was particularly the children in the temple that it says that got them excited about this. And Jesus said, have you never read what David said? He said, out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise. And they said, however, if these would keep silence, then the rocks themselves would cry out.

But notice how he quoted it. Psalm 8-2 says, out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength. Speaking of military strength against God's enemies.

And probably in David's mind he was thinking of natural, physical, brute military strength against physical enemies. But Jesus, I believe borrowing from the Septuagint in his quotation, gives it an interesting twist. He says, out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise.

In other words, children who have a purer heart than adults often are therefore able to give more pure and perfect praise than sometimes adults are. Children are much less inhibited and much less insincere than adults. Therefore their praise can be seen as more perfect often than that of adults.

But Jesus substitutes the term perfected praise for ordained strength. And if we would read into this passage in Psalm 8-2, the statement Jesus made, we could read it like this. Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

So that praise is seen as a weapon to still the enemy and the avenger. If Jesus equated God ordaining strength with the process of perfecting praise, then it means that praise is a military tactic or a military weapon of the people of God against spiritual enemies. And this is confirmed, of course, elsewhere and particularly in some of the stories of the Old Testament where the Jews, when they marched around the walls of Jericho, just began to shout and play music and blow the trumpets.

And the walls came down. The enemy was defeated. That was a physical enemy that was defeated by praise.

And how much more of spiritual enemies? The other case that comes to mind almost always is Jehoshaphat's battle in 2 Chronicles chapter 20. 2 Chronicles chapter 20 where Jehoshaphat was going out against an army greater than himself and greater than his armies. But God had told them through a prophet that they should just go out and send their singers and their players and their praisers out there ahead of the army.

And so they did. They went out professing that the Lord is good and gracious and His mercy endureth forever. And as they said those words and sang and made music, the enemy started killing each other.

And the war was won by the power of praise, by the power of the people of God praising God. So there is a meaning in this that Jesus added that David perhaps had never considered. David was perhaps simply thinking of how that a worm like himself, and he described himself as a worm in Psalm 22, that such a worm, such an infant as himself, such an insecure, not insecure, but insignificant person as a little babe, nonetheless certain authority was invested in him that when he would give an order, armies would march and the enemies would be defeated because of this baby who spoke.

Well, Jesus saw more in it than that. He said that actually these little children who were praising him were in a sense ordaining strength. They were establishing the kingdom of God.

They were driving away the enemy powers in the spiritual realm. That's what I believe his application means. Then he goes on to the statement of what is man.

Now, in verse 4, after saying, when I consider the heavens and the work of your fingers and so forth and the moon and stars that you've made, I figure what's man? That you are mindful of him, that is, that you pay any attention to him. Man seems so small compared to these things. Why would God pay attention? Now, this focuses on the fact that size has nothing to do with significance.

A lot of people think that it's very arrogant for Christians to say that ours is the only planet where God has really centered his activity. You know, we speak about how the sun and the moon and the stars were made to give light to the earth. It says in Genesis, which seems to mean the earth is sort of the focal point of God's attention and that the redemptive activity of Christ dying on the cross took place here is evident and that he's now in heaven and that doesn't indicate that he's gone to any other planets to do it.

Some people think, well, Christians are so arrogant to think of the earth in that way, this geocentric view, that God thinks the earth is something special because, after all, earth is so small compared to the great galaxies and everything that are out there. Now, whether or not there's life on other planets, I can't say, but it is true that the Bible inclines us to believe that the earth is a place, a sphere of special activity for God and special concern for God, that he made it to be inhabited and for the glory of the Lord to cover the earth, he said. So, we do believe that the earth is special, but the fact that it's small compared to the rest of the universe doesn't mean anything as far as its significance is concerned.

An elephant is much larger than a man. In fact, a whale is much larger than even that. But no one would argue that a whale or an elephant is more important than a man.

It's not the man's size that makes him significant or insignificant. Even a little virus. I'd rather have a mouse in my house than a certain kind of virus going through my house that could kill everyone in it.

A mouse might be unpleasant, and though it's much larger than a virus, it could not do anywhere near as much damage. And so, the size of the thing doesn't have anything to do with its importance or its significance. And man, also being small in the universe, nonetheless is important, more important than all the planets and all the galaxies that God ever made.

Because those were not made in his image, but man was. Man is the only created thing that is made in God's image, and that gives him infinite significance above all other created things, the moon and the stars included, and the sun. So, David, I'm sure, in his moments realized that, but at this moment he was just kind of awestruck about the size of the universe and thinking, man is so small, why would God pay any attention at all? The answer is because God created man in his own image in order to bear his glory and to have one of the loftiest destinies, or probably the loftiest destiny that any created being has.

Loftier than the angels, because we're going to judge angels. And so, that's why. But, when he says in the second part of verse four, in the Son of Man that thou visitest him, many people have felt this is a reference to Jesus, because Jesus called himself the Son of Man.

But, realize that the term Son of Man, in the Old Testament, generally just means a mere human. Ezekiel, in the book of Ezekiel, was called Son of Man by God 70 times. Just in that one book, God called Ezekiel, thou Son of Man, 70 times, emphasizing to him that he was merely man, nothing more.

He was not superhuman, he's just an ordinary man. And, throughout the Psalms and the Proverbs, you'll find the expression, the Son of Man. But, it's usually used, as in this case, in poetic parallelism.

Now, notice, remember we said that in poetry of the Hebrew language, many times the same thought will be expressed twice, only in different words. And, it's one of the most common phenomena in the Psalms and the book of Job and the Proverbs, that the same thought will be expressed twice in different words. Well, that is the case in this case, when he says, What is man that thou art mindful of him, or the Son of Man that thou visitest him? He's simply saying the same thing twice.

What is man? What is mere man? That you either are mindful of him or visit him at all. And, there's not a particular reference to Jesus here, though it's interesting that with reference to Jesus, this is quoted, but it's not quoted to say that in the New Testament that it is about Jesus. We'll talk about that in a moment.

But, it says that thou hast made him a little lower than the angels. That is, we humans were made lower than the angels. That doesn't mean we're going to eternally be lower than the angels, because in Hebrews it tells us in what sense we're lower than the angels.

And, we'll talk about that in a moment. But, you've crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion.

And, it goes through the various parts of the creation, especially the animal life, that God has given us dominion over. So, he's saying this is a marvelous thing, that God has given such dominion, such authority, such charge to man. Out of the mouth of a babe, he has ordained strength and military power against his enemies.

And, he's even given man authority over all the created realm. Well, let's see how this is quoted in the second chapter of Hebrews. Now, I don't want to develop it too much, because we're going to go through the book of Hebrews in this school, and I don't want to have to just say the same things twice, but we will at least look at it.

Now, in Hebrews chapters 1 and 2, the particular emphasis is that God has made... Well, Jesus is greater than any of the angels, alright? And, both the first and second chapter are comparing the angels with Jesus. And, it says in verse 5, Therefore, unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, of which we speak. But one in a certain place testified, saying... Now, the quote is from Psalm 8. What is man, that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels.

Thou crownest him with glory and honor. Thou didst set him over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet.

Unquote. Okay, the quote doesn't proceed any further than that. Now, in the remainder of this verse, he starts giving some commentary on the Psalm.

For in that he hath put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him, but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Now, you can see that he's drawing illustrations from this passage to describe some things about Jesus.

Now, he doesn't say that the passage is specifically talking about Jesus. He starts out by saying God has not given the charge of the world to come to angels. Who has he given it to? He's given it to men.

And he points this out by quoting the Psalm, Psalm 8, about the authority that God has given to men, to human beings. And he points out, you know, what is man? The son of man, that you visit him, that you're mindful of him. You made him a little lower than the angels, but you crowned him with glory and honor and gave him dominion and so forth.

He's quoting this Psalm to show that it is not to angels, but to human beings that God has bestowed the privilege of ruling over the new world. And then he points out that Jesus became a human being. And which automatically, and the perfect human being, actually the greatest human being, which puts him automatically in a position of authority above that of the angels.

Because it says, for in that he has put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not under him. But presently we don't see yet everything put under him. That is, there's really nothing that God hasn't put under man's dominion.

But why is it at this time we don't see all things controlled by man? For instance, why doesn't man control the animal world today? Why is it that there are wild animals that will eat man? And man can't stop them unless they have a gun. Or why is it that man can't command the weather? Why is it that not all things are seen under him? Well, we know the reason is because of the fall. Man lost a great deal of his dominion at that time.

It says we do not yet see all things under him. Apparently he's saying that God has destined that man will once again gain that authority. But even though we don't yet see all things put under man's feet, we do see one thing.

We see Jesus, an example of a particular man, who was made, like other men, lower than the other angels. Lower than the angels, I should say. For the suffering of death.

That he should taste death for every man. Now he's saying that Jesus became lower than the angels for the suffering of death. Which suggests that when the psalm says that man is made a little lower than the angels, it means particularly that the angels don't die and man does.

It would follow then that man is only lower than the angels in that sense. That man is mortal. Man has death to look forward to where angels don't.

Now Jesus was made to be like men in that respect. He was made lower than the angels. That is, he was made human so that he could suffer death for us.

Now it would follow then that when we cease to be mortal, then we cease to be lower than the angels. And in a sense, we are not lower than the angels anymore because we have died with Christ and we've passed from death into life, into eternal life. And Jesus said, Whosoever believeth on me shall never die.

So until we were born again, we were certainly lower in status than the angels. But I believe now the Bible indicates we are above angels because we are now sons of God. And the angels desire to look into the things God has even revealed to us.

And they can't look into it. They can't understand it. God has revealed things to us that he has not revealed to his angels.

They are described in Hebrews 1.14 as servant spirits. Ministering spirits means servants. They are mere servants in God's household.

We are sons and heirs in his household. So whereas when David wrote, man was lower than the angels in that he was mortal, we who are now immortal, we to whom God has given eternal life, are in a position higher than they because we are sons and heirs with Christ. Whereas the angels are not.

To which of the angels did he ever say, Sit at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Yet Jesus has said, If we are overcomers, that we can sit at his right hand. In fact, it says in Ephesians, We already are raised up and seated with Christ in heavenly places.

The angels aren't, but we are. So there is a sense, a very real sense, in which we are above the angels now. They are servants in God's household.

We are sons, heirs, and we shall judge angels according to 1 Corinthians 6. We are going to judge the world and we are going to judge angels. So you can see that we are above the angels. And again, that even makes the words of David and Psalm 8 the more meaningful because what is man that God would bestow such a high honor as to elevate him above the angels of God.

To give him dominion over all the creation and over the world to come. It's a mind-boggling prospect, really. Let's quickly take Psalm 9. We have a few minutes to do it in.

And this is our first acrostic psalm. Now we are going to run into a lot of them. You can't tell in the English translation, of course.

But in the Hebrew, each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Now there are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet. And you can see that it doesn't really have 22 verses.

The fact of the matter is it only has 11 letters that are used in this, of the Hebrew alphabet, though the verses are divided up differently in the Hebrew than they are here. But the fact is that you can go through about half the Hebrew alphabet and work through this psalm. The first letter of the verses in the Hebrew are successive letters in the Hebrew alphabet.

That doesn't mean anything except that it just illustrates one of the poetic forms that's used in the psalm. This is a praise psalm. Giving God praise for specific things that are mentioned.

And so it says right at the very beginning, I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart. I will show forth all thy marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee.

I will sing praise to thy name, O Most High. When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. For thou hast maintained my right and my cause.

Thou saddest in the throne, judging right. Thou hast rebuked the heathen. Thou hast destroyed the wicked.

Thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end. And thou hast destroyed cities.

Their memorial is perished with them. But the Lord shall endure forever. He hath prepared his throne for judgment.

And he shall judge the world in righteousness. He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed.

A refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee. For thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion. Declare among the people his doings. When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them.

He forgetteth not the cry of the humble. Have mercy upon me, O Lord. Consider my trouble, which I suffer of them that hate me.

Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death, that I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in thy salvation. The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made.

In the net which they hid is their own foot taken. The Lord is known by the judgment which he executed. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.

Higeon, which means a meditation. And then Selah. The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God.

For the needy shall not always be forgotten. The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail.

Let the heathen be judged in thy sight. Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.

Now, the praise here to God is given to him because of deliverance and because of God smiting the enemy. He said in verse four, For thou hast maintained my right and my cause. Thou saddest in the throne judging right.

Now, whereas in Psalm 7, David, the same writer, was asking God to judge. Asking God to set things right. To sit in his throne of judgment and declare justice and bring about justice.

Now he's saying God has done it. Now he's giving the rightful praise. It's due God.

For you have maintained my right and my cause. So he's saying I went to court. I asked God to do the right thing and he did.

And I'm thanking him now for it. Then he speaks to the enemy and he says, Listen, all the destructions you've done, they've come to an end. But God, you may have destroyed cities, but you never destroyed God.

He's going to endure forever. Verse 7, He has prepared his throne for judgment. He's going to judge the world in righteousness and minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

So he's saying that in spite of the enemies trying to destroy the people of God, God has kept them around anyway. The destructions have come to an end, it says in verse 6. Now in verse 9, the Lord will also be a refuge to the oppressed. Something else to praise God for.

In time of trouble, God will be a refuge, a place of safety for them. They that know thy name will put their trust in thee. Reminds me of something Jesus said in John 17.

John 17 and 26, Jesus is praying, of course, for his disciples. And he says, And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. Jesus says, I have declared unto them thy name.

But what name did God ever receive at the lips of Jesus? Did Jesus ever declare what God's name is? The Jehovah's Witnesses say God's name is Jehovah, which of course the Old Testament substantiates. And they point out here that Jesus is basically saying, I have declared to the disciples the name Jehovah. And for that reason, they justify changing the word Lord throughout the New Testament to Jehovah in their Bible.

Because they say that Jesus called God Jehovah. Now, by the way, the word Jehovah does not appear in the New Testament because Jehovah is put together from four Hebrew consonants. And it's a Hebrew name.

In the New Testament, it's written in Greek, and there are no such Hebrew consonants found in it. The name Jehovah, or the tetragrammaton, as the four letters or something is called, is not found in the New Testament. What you do find instead is the word kurios, a Greek word which means Lord, kurios.

And in every place where, for instance, a New Testament writer is quoting the Old Testament, if they're quoting an Old Testament verse that has the word Jehovah in it, they exchange the word Jehovah for kurios, Lord. So, in fact, the New Testament writers not only do not use the name of Jehovah, but just substitute the name Jehovah when they quote Old Testament verses that have his name in it. They substitute the name for just the common word for Lord, which is the same thing as Adonai, Master.

A servant might call his master kurios. Caesar was called kurios. And so, in other words, the name Jehovah was treated relatively lightly in the translation of the Greek.

It was not considered something that had to be retained in translation. It was just reduced to the word Lord. Now, Jesus never uttered the name Jehovah.

The only time Jesus ever gave the disciples any term by which to address God, he said, Our Father. So, when you pray, say, Our Father, which art in heaven. And even throughout this thing, he speaks to the Father.

Verse 24, Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am. And so forth. And verse 25, O righteous Father.

You see, every time Jesus spoke to God and told us to speak to God, he said to use the term Father, and he used the term Father himself. So, when he says, I have declared unto them thy name, it would seem like the name of God that Jesus declared, though it doesn't seem like a proper name, really. But the name was Father.

You might have been told when you're in grammar school that if you're using the word Father, like in the term My Father, then the word Father is not capitalized because it's just a common noun. My father, my mother, my uncle, my aunt. But if you're using it as a personal name, Father, Mother, Uncle George, Aunt Sally, you capitalize the word Aunt, Uncle.

You know, it's a proper name. It chooses a proper name. And so is Daddy or any other term that is used in the place of a proper name.

It is a proper name. And so we could actually say, certainly Jesus uses a proper name in verse 24, Father, capital, and in verse 25, O Righteous Father, capital. It's a name.

And he said, when you pray, say, Our Father. And so I believe the name of the Lord, the name of God that was proclaimed to us by Jesus was Father. And now back in Psalm 10, or Psalm 9, I mean, in verse 10, it says, They that know thy name will put their trust in thee.

Jesus declared his name to us. He declared that God is our Father. And when people know that, and know that they can call God Father, then they can trust him as they can trust an earthly father.

And so I believe that that's referring to that. For thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Then he talks about singing praises some more.

Verse 12 says, When he makes inquisition for blood, then he remembers them. That is, he remembers the cause of the innocent. So when God is going out avenging murderers, he remembers those who have been so afflicted and so victimized.

And so it says, He forgets not the cry of the humble. Have mercy on me, O Lord. Consider my trouble, which I suffer, of them that hate me.

It seems like none of the psalms have the enemies very far removed. Even the psalms that are praising God for deliverance, for answering prayers, always the enemies are somewhere lurking around in the background. He's never, never totally free from enemies.

Even here, where he's praising God that God has delivered him and shown his cause, stood for his cause against his enemies, still he says, Lord, deliver me from my enemies. And then he talks again of the same principles we saw in chapter 7. The enemy falls into his pit. It would almost seem as though chapter 9 was written shortly after chapter 7. Because both of them have the expression that the enemy falls into his pit, into his own pit.

And they both have that thought, and they also both have the idea of God judging between him and his enemies. And then the last thing, verse 17, The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all nations that forget God. That should speak some fear into our nation, because our nation used to know something about God, and has quite forgotten him.

There was a bit of fear of God in some of the founders of our country, and it was written into some of our legal code at one time. But the fear of God has been almost totally removed from the legal code altogether. And the nations that forget God are returned into hell.

That's the destiny of nations, return from God. And ours is certainly qualified under those terms.