Psalm 52

Psalm 52 is one of those passages that feels painfully current. David wrote it in response to a real betrayal: Doeg the Edomite reported David’s visit to Ahimelech, which led to the murder of the priests (1 Samuel 21–22). Psalm 52 is David processing that evil out loud before God—honest, direct, and anchored in the conviction that God sees everything.

David thought of the evil report Doeg brought to King Saul. He thought not only of the report itself, but also in the boast and joy Doeg took in delivering the message. Sometimes boasting is a cover for deep insecurity. That wasn’t the case with Doeg. He really thought quite highly of himself.

1) The danger of a destructive tongue

David aims the psalm at the kind of person who uses words like a sword—deception, slander, manipulation. We often this dynamic in business and leadership. A leader (or employee) can do massive damage without ever throwing a punch—just by shaping a narrative, twisting truth, or using half-truths to protect themselves. Psalm 52 is a warning: God takes our words seriously.

Since this psalm concerns the evil report of Doeg, David mentions the destruction that came from what Doeg said. There was an evil heart, mind, and life directing that tongue to work like a sharp razor, working deceitfully but it was all evident by what Doeg said.

The destruction of these razor-sharp words were not an accident or out of character. Some people love evil, and some people love to lie. Doeg fulfilled both aspects. He loved the destruction his devouring words brought.

2) False security: “I’m fine because I’m winning”

David describes the arrogant confidence of someone who trusts in wealth and power—who thinks results justify methods. That’s a trap for any of us, especially when things are going well. Money, influence, and momentum can create the illusion of permanence. David reminds us that God can uproot what looks untouchable.

David earnestly believed that Doeg’s way would fail. God’s goodness would outlast his evil. It’s true that Doeg was a mighty man, but that was nothing compared to God and His never-ending goodness.

David prophesied the judgment of God against Doeg. Not only would he be cast out of his house (your dwelling place) but also from the land of the living. Doeg was destined for death.

3) God’s people are built different: rooted, not flashy

My favorite contrast in the psalm is David’s: “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.” Doeg is loud and momentarily powerful; David wants to be rooted and lasting. An olive tree doesn’t grow overnight. It’s steady, resilient, and fruitful over time. That’s what spiritual maturity looks like: depth, not hype.

Blessedness came to David because he could honestly say, I trust in the mercy of God and he would continue to do so forever and ever.

4) The right response: trust, gratitude, and waiting

David doesn’t take revenge; he trusts God’s justice. He gives God credit for God’s goodness and commits to praise—publicly and continually. And he says he will wait on God’s name. That’s hard because we like action. But Psalm 52 teaches that waiting isn’t passivity—it’s confidence.

Doeg’s evil had not yet gone away but David could praise God in the confidence of faith that can say, You have done it. The evil of man had not made him lose confidence in God and in the truth that God’s name is good – His character and entire being.

How to pray Psalm 52

• Lord, be my stronghold; I’m not trusting money, reputation, or control.
• Root me like an olive tree in Your presence—steady and fruitful.
• Guard my mouth; keep me from weaponizing words.
• Help me remember what You’ve done—and praise You for it.
• Teach me to wait on You with faith.

Portions of this blog post are based on the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) is from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

AI tools assisted in the creation of this blog post.

Psalm 51

Psalm 51 has remained one of the most clarifying passages in Scripture about God and sin. It’s David’s prayer after his sin with Bathsheba, and it refuses to let sin stay theoretical. David doesn’t blame, spin, or negotiate.

He had sinned in murder, in adultery, in covering his sin, and in hardness against repentance. It took the bold confrontation of Nathan the Prophet to shake him from this (2 Samuel 12); yet once shaken, David came in great honesty and brokenness before God.

He comes straight to the point: “Have mercy on me…according to your steadfast love,” and he asks God to “blot out” what he cannot undo. That tone matters. Real repentance starts when I stop defending myself and start agreeing with God about my sin.

David asked for mercy, and that according to the measure of God’s lovingkindness. This is God’s hesed, His loyal love, His covenant mercy. It was a well-phrased request with the eloquence of true brokenness.

David anchors everything in God’s character, not his own performance. David knows he needs mercy and abundant mercy. That has been a recurring lesson for me: my relationship with God stands on His grace, not my résumé. When I drift into self-reliance, Psalm 51 pulls me back.

In slightly different words, David repeated the thought of the previous appeal. He had before experienced the multitude of God’s tender mercies; he asks for this outpouring again. David felt a register of his many sins condemned him, and he wanted the account of them to be erased. The blotting out may refer to David’s own conscience, or to God’s accounting of sin – or perhaps to both.

David used several words to speak of his offense against God.

• Transgressions has the idea of crossing a boundary.
• Iniquity has the idea of twistedness or perversion.
• Sin has the idea of falling short or missing the mark.

David knew that God’s cleansing was effective. His sin was a deep stain but purity could be restored. We sense that David spoke with the voice of faith; it can be difficult for the convicted sinner to believe in such complete cleansing. It takes faith to believe God despite the doubt and difficulty.

David also asks for transformation, not just relief: “Create in me a clean heart…renew a right spirit within me.” He’s not asking merely to escape consequences – he’s asking to be remade. And he understands what God truly wants: not religious activity as a cover-up, but “a broken spirit” and “a contrite heart.”

David felt that it wasn’t enough if God simply cleaned up the heart he had. The plea create indicated he needed a new heart from God, a clean heart. In this David anticipated one of the great promises to all who believe under the New Covenant: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh

In his many months of unconfessed sin, David felt the misery of spiritual defeat. He wanted once again the joy appropriate to salvation, to those whom the LORD rescues.

David realized that in his sin he did not only fail as a man, a husband, and a father. He also failed as a king over God’s people. He humbly asked God to restore His favor to the kingdom.

Finally, repentance is meant to overflow. David promises that forgiven people become helpful people: “Then I will teach transgressors your ways.” That’s the pattern I want – confession, cleansing, restored joy, and a life that points others toward the same mercy.

Portions of this blog post are based on the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) is from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

AI tools assisted in the creation of this blog post.

Psalm 50

Psalm 50 is a courtroom psalm attributed to Asaph, one of David’s worship leaders, and it presents God as both judge and witness. Asaph the psalmist began by referring to God in terms of utmost majesty, using several of the words or names in Scripture to refer to the God who is really there.

• The Mighty One: “El stands for the might of God simply and absolutely.” (Morgan)
• God: “Elohim, the plural form, intensifies that idea; and in use always connotes the wisdom of God as well as His might.” (Morgan)
• The LORD: “Jehovah [Yahweh] is the title by which He is ever revealed in His grace.” (Morgan)

God speaks directly in this psalm, which immediately sets it apart. The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from east to west. He shines out from Zion in perfect beauty. He comes as a judge and the heavens declare His righteousness.

As God assembled heavens and earth for His judgment, He did not begin among the nations. God began His judgment among His people – His saints, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice. God gathers His saints for judgment before the witnessing world.

He often does it before a watching world. We would prefer that He deal with the sins of His people privately, but if they will not listen to His correction, the day will come when He deals with their sin with the earth as an audience.

God calls His people to account, and what He says is surprising. He does not rebuke them for failing to bring sacrifices. God has come to Jerusalem to judge the world, and the entire earth – from the rising of the sun to its going down– is gathered for that purpose.

Their burnt offerings have been before Him continually. He does not need their animals. Every beast of the forest is already His. The cattle on a thousand hills belong to Him. The world is His and everything in it. He does not need to be fed by human offerings as if He were a pagan god dependent on his worshippers.

God did not rebuke His people for offering sacrifices. He commanded them to do that. Yet, He was not interested in receiving more animal offerings apart from their trusting obedience. This was a rebuke of ritualism, of empty repetition of religious ceremonies.

What God actually wants is something far more personal and genuine. He calls His people to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving and to pay their vows to the Most High. He wants them to call on Him in the day of trouble, to genuinely need Him and cry out to Him, and then to give Him the glory when He delivers them.

God described what He wanted more than rituals of sacrifice. He wanted a thankful heart, a life of obedience, and a living trust in Him. This God rewards; to this He says, I will deliver you and you shall glorify Me. The relationship God is after is real, honest, and dependent, not mechanical and performance-based.

The second half of the psalm turns to the wicked, those who recite God’s statutes but hate discipline and cast His words behind them. We might think that now God has turned away from judging His people for their ritualism and has turned toward the nations, to judge them for their wickedness. This isn’t the case, as the following references to declaring God’s statutes and taking His covenant show. He speaks to the wicked among the people of God.

God confronts their hypocrisy directly. He has been silent but will not remain so. In some ways this their greatest sin was thinking that God was like them and losing sight of the holiness of God. The main idea behind the concept of the holy is separation. In thinking that God was altogether like you, they considered Him more like a super-man instead of who He actually is: a holy God, enthroned in the heavens. They had become too casual and easy in their relationship with God.

The psalm closes with a call to order one’s ways rightly and a promise that those who offer genuine thanksgiving glorify God and those who walk uprightly will see His salvation. Graciously, God offered those who forget Him an opportunity to consider and change their thinking and their ways before He comes to them in the judgment described in the first few verses of this psalm.

Performing these two things – forsaking ritualism and shunning wicked hypocrisy – even those do not earn the saint salvation. It simply puts them in a place to receive what God reveals and gives: the salvation of God.

Examine whether your spiritual life has become a routine performance of religious activity rather than a genuine, dependent relationship with God, and ask Him to replace empty religion with honest, grateful worship.

Portions of this blog post are based on the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) is from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

AI tools assisted in the creation of this blog post.

Psalm 49

Psalm 49 is a wisdom psalm that addresses one of the most universal human temptations: placing ultimate trust in wealth and earthly success. The writer opens by calling all people everywhere to listen, rich and poor alike, because this message applies to everyone regardless of their financial standing. He is offering wisdom that he has thought through carefully and is ready to share. He hoped to guide those who were troubled about the wealth of the wicked.

There are four kinds of riches. There are riches in what you have, riches in what you do, riches in what you know, and riches in what you are – riches of character. The psalmist spoke of those who are only rich in the first way – the least important kind of wealth.

Other psalms praise and pray to God; this psalm teaches wisdom and imparts understanding. The psalm will focus on the folly of trusting in wealth or envying others just for their wealth. It sets the present prosperity of those who don’t know God in an eternal perspective.

The central question is why should he fear in times of trouble when the iniquity of his enemies surrounds him, those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? The psalmist made a contrast between himself and those he will mention in the following lines. He, in contrast to them, has no reason to fear in the days of evil.

The answer comes quickly: no one can ransom the life of another or give God a sufficient price to make them live forever. The cost of a soul is far too high. Even the wise die and leave their wealth to others.

The Bible presents several godly rich men to us (such as Abraham and King David, who by modern measures would probably be billionaires), they were men who still trusted in the LORD and made their boast in Him. They did not trust in their wealth or boast in their riches.

The writer observes that wealthy people name their lands after themselves and expect to be remembered. But like animals, they will not last. This is their foolish confidence. They are appointed for Sheol, the realm of death. Death shepherds them. Yet God will ransom his soul from the power of Sheol and receive him. That quiet statement in the middle of the psalm contains enormous hope.

Those who have the redemption of their souls will live eternally and not see the Pit. Here we see the concept of sheol (the Pit) as more than just the grave, but the ultimate and empty destiny of those who reject God. The psalmist noted that the way that values the material over the spiritual and that does not prepare for the world to come is foolish and will be revealed as so.

Do not be afraid when one becomes rich: This might seem like a strange way to phrase the matter. Most of us are not consciously afraid at the prosperity of another or when the glory of his house is increased. Yet the fears may come in subtle ways:

• Afraid because I think they prosper at my expense.
• Afraid because perhaps material things matter more than spiritual things do.
• Afraid because maybe God does not govern the universe as I believe He does.
• Afraid because maybe there is no reward for the righteous or punishment for the wicked in the world beyond; there is no moral government to the universe.
• Afraid because the jerks of the world won’t get what is coming to them.

The closing verses repeat the warning. When someone grows rich and the glory of their house increases, they carry nothing away when they die. They will go to the generation of their fathers who will never see light again. The person who is wealthy but has no understanding is like a beast that perishes.

Resist the seductive pull of placing your security or identity in wealth, because the only thing that will matter at the end of your life is whether God has ransomed your soul.

Portions of this blog post are based on the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) is from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

AI tools assisted in the creation of this blog post.

Psalm 48

Psalm 48 is a song celebrating the city of Jerusalem and, more specifically, the God who makes it great. David opens by declaring that the Lord is great and greatly to be praised in the city of our God.

Great is the LORD: He is great indeed.

• He is greater: For God is greater than man (Job 33:12).
• He is greatest of all: For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods (Psalm 95:3).
• He is greatness itself: His greatness is unsearchable (Psalm 145:3).

Mount Zion is called the joy of all the earth. It is the city of the great King. God within its citadels has shown Himself a fortress. Jerusalem is idealized as elevated and the cause of joy for all peoples. Certainly, the redemption there won rescues people from every tribe and tongue.

The psalm then describes a remarkable scene. Kings assembled and came together against this city. When they saw it, they were astounded and fled in terror. Trembling seized them there and they were in anguish. The power that defended the city was not its walls or its army but the God who dwelled within it. The enemies expected to conquer something but instead encountered a God they could not fight.

With God the refuge of Jerusalem (Psalm 48:3), the kings of the earth came to it – yet they could not attack. Instead they marveled and they were troubled. When they saw and understood the great King guarding His holy city, they were afraid to either attack the city or offend the King. They hurt like a woman in labor and they were scattered like ships in a storm.

As we have heard, so we have seen: This is a simple yet beautiful statement of God fulfilling His promises and working in the present day, not only in the past. We should be aware of the great things He has done in the past ages (we have heard) and pray with faith for great works to be done in our own time (so we have seen).

The worshippers then reflect on what they have seen. They have thought on God’s steadfast love in the midst of His temple. The thought turns from a focus on the strength and majesty of God to a consideration of His covenant love (hesed, lovingkindness).

Being at the temple led the psalmist to consider the lovingkindness of God. In many ways the temple itself testified to the covenant love of God to His people.

• God’s covenant love was shown in providing a place to meet with Him.
• God’s covenant love was shown in providing even the nations a place to meet with Him.
• God’s covenant love was shown in providing an atoning sacrifice of a substitute.
• God’s covenant love was shown in providing a sacrifice to give thanks.
• God’s covenant love was shown in providing a place to receive prayer as sweet-smelling incense unto Him.
• God’s covenant love was shown in providing a place for Him to be enthroned among His people.

His praise reaches to the ends of the earth. His right hand is filled with righteousness. Mount Zion rejoices and the daughters of Judah are glad because of God’s judgments.

The people are invited to walk around Zion, to count its towers, to consider its walls and go through its citadels, so that they can tell the next generation that this God is their God forever and ever. The physical city becomes a visible, tangible testimony to the faithfulness of God. Future generations need to know the story. The psalm ends with the declaration that God will guide His people forever.

We can say “forever and ever” about God in a way that we cannot say it about anything else. “The landlord cannot say of his fields, these are mine, forever and ever. The king cannot say of his crown, this is mine forever and ever. These possessions shall soon change masters; these possessors shall soon mingle with the dust, and even the graves they shall occupy may not long be theirs.” (Burder, cited in Spurgeon)

Take time to look back at what God has done in your life and community, and make sure you are telling the next generation the specific stories of His faithfulness so they have a foundation to stand on.

Portions of this blog post are based on the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) is from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

AI tools assisted in the creation of this blog post.

Psalm 47

Psalm 47 is a short but explosive psalm of praise celebrating God as the King of all the earth. It opens with a universal call: “Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy!”  The clapping of hands draws attention to something, usually as an outward expression of inward joy. The Bible uses it both in a negative and positive sense.

This is not a private, reserved, or quiet psalm. It is a public, loud, full-bodied celebration of the God who rules over everything, not just over Israel but over every nation and every people on earth. This is a command to more than Israel or followers of God; it is a command to all…peoples. It is ultimately the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham to bless all the peoples of the earth through his Descendant, the Messiah.

God is described as the Most High and as awesome, the great King over all the earth. He subdues peoples under the feet of Israel and chooses Israel’s heritage. He went up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. The imagery is of a triumphant king returning from battle and ascending to His throne to the roar of celebration from His people.

It is a glorious fact that our great King Jesus has chosen the inheritance of His people.

• He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.
• He chose us to be holy and blameless before Him in love.
• He chose us to be adopted as sons into His family.

David calls on the people to sing praises to God, to sing praises to the King. The repetition is intentional and emphatic. Four times in two verses the writer calls for singing praises. This is not a halfhearted suggestion; it is an urgent, passionate summons to worship.

In this context, this is almost a command. It is a fitting command in light of the glory of the King of all the earth. God might have given speech to humanity without the gift of song; there are some tone-deaf people in the world. What is the case of some might have been the case of all; but God gave the gift of song and music to men, and the highest use of this gift is to praise the God who gave it.

All in all, this psalm shows us how we are to praise God:

• Praise Him cheerfully when you clap your hands as an expression of your inward joy.
• Praise Him universally together with all you peoples who should praise the Lord.
• Praise Him vocally as you shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
• Praise Him frequently, as the idea of sing praises is repeated often. You cannot praise Him too much.
• Praise Him intelligently, as you are to sing praises with understanding and to know and proclaim the reasons for our praise.

The psalm closes by returning to the universal scope that opened it. The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. God belongs to all the nations. The shields of the earth belong to God. He is highly exalted. What began as a call to clap hands ends with a picture of all peoples gathered around the one King of all the earth, which points forward to the ultimate gathering described in Revelation.

Let your worship of God be loud, full-hearted, and free, because the King of all the earth deserves more than quiet obligation — He deserves your most joyful and wholehearted praise.

Portions of this blog post are based on the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) is from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

AI tools assisted in the creation of this blog post.

Psalm 46

Psalm 46 is one of the most beloved and well-known psalms in the entire Bible. Martin Luther drew from it when he wrote the great Reformation hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” Its opening declaration is both simple and staggering: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Many of the other psalms begin with a description of the psalmist’s crisis. In Psalm 46, the poet begins with God’s provision. He looked to God for help in difficult times and found it. He could say these things by experience:

• That God Himself was a place of refuge, as the cities of refuge protected the fugitive in Israel.
• That God Himself was strength for His people, being strong for them and in them.
• That God alone was his refuge and strength, not God and something or someone else.
• That God Himself was their help – not from a distance, but a very present help.

The psalm then describes a world falling completely apart. The earth gives way. Mountains fall into the heart of the sea. Waters roar and foam. Mountains tremble at the swelling of the waters. The natural world is depicted in a state of total chaos. Yet the writer declares that we will not fear. The contrast between the chaos around and the calm within is the whole point.

If the dominant idea in the first section of the psalm was God as a refuge and help, here the emphasis shifts to a consideration of the glory of God. The reason for that calm is the river of God whose streams make glad the city of God. God is in the midst of His city and she will not be moved.

God will help her when morning dawns. Nations rage and kingdoms totter and the earth melts, but God utters His voice and the earth melts. The chaos that seemed so overwhelming is immediately silenced by the voice of God.

Then comes the command that anchors the whole psalm: “Be still, and know that I am God.” The word translated “be still” means to let go, to release your grip, to stop striving. The idea is not that the faithful reader should stop activity and stand in one place. The sense is more that argument and opposition should stop and be still. This is done in recognition of God’s glory and greatness, as mentioned in the previous verse.

In the middle of the greatest imaginable chaos, the proper response is to stop fighting to control the uncontrollable and simply know that God is God. He will be exalted among the nations and in the earth. As you know the glory and greatness of God, stop your mouth from arguing with Him or opposing Him. Simply surrender.

In the middle of whatever is crumbling around you right now, stop striving to control what you cannot control and let the truth that God is God be enough to steady your heart. We can have the confidence that the same God exalted in all the earth is with us. We need no more.

Portions of this blog post are based on the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) is from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

AI tools assisted in the creation of this blog post.

Psalm 45

Psalm 45 stands out as one of the most unique psalms in the entire book. It is written as a wedding song for a king, celebrating his marriage to a beautiful bride. It celebrates a royal wedding, but there is no firm place to connect it to a specific king in the royal House of David. Many older commentators regard the wedding as Solomon’s to the Princess of Egypt, but this is not certain.

The writer’s heart overflows with a good theme and his tongue is described as the pen of a ready scribe. This is joyful, celebratory poetry at its finest. This begins a poetic and powerful description of the King, praising and exalting Him both for who He is and what He does.

The king is described with extravagant praise. He is the most handsome of the sons of men and grace is poured upon his lips. God has blessed him forever. He is told to ride out victoriously on behalf of truth, humility, and righteousness. His arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies. His throne is described as a throne of God that will endure forever and ever. The scepter of his kingdom is a scepter of uprightness. He loves righteousness and hates wickedness.

This King’s reign is not founded on mere aggression and conquest; it isn’t merely a matter of might making right. His kingdom is founded with righteousness, so much so that the symbol of His authority (a scepter) is righteousness itself. The righteousness of His kingdom comes from the character of the King. It is the natural result of His love of righteousness and His hate toward wickedness. He doesn’t have to work hard to make His kingdom righteous; it is in His nature and character.

The bride is then addressed. She is told to forget her people and her father’s house because the king desires her beauty. She is to honor him. The daughters of kings are among his honored ladies and the queen stands at his right hand in gold of Ophir. Her clothing is interwoven with gold and she is brought to the king in a robe of many colors.

This has the sense of something greater than the normal respect due unto a husband, even a royal husband. This bride, this royal daughter, sees that her husband is also her Lord and worthy of worship.

Being joined to the anointed King in marriage means many benefits for this royal daughter. She receives gifts from the nations, and is set in such a high place that even the rich seek her favor. Normally others seek the favor of the rich; the anointed King has set her in an even higher place.

Jewish and Christian readers have long read this psalm as pointing beyond any human king to the Messiah. The description of the king’s eternal throne and the call for the bride to honor him completely fits what the New Testament says about Christ and the church. Hebrews 1 quotes this psalm directly in reference to Jesus.

The result of it all is that the anointed King is exalted and praised forever and ever. His choosing of a bride, granting great privileges to her, and giving a blessing that endures through generations all bring praise to Him.

Let the picture of the king in Psalm 45 point your heart toward Christ, the one whose throne is eternal and whose love for His people is deeper than any earthly relationship.

Portions of this blog post are based on the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) is from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

AI tools assisted in the creation of this blog post.

Psalm 44

Psalm 44 is one of the most theologically uncomfortable psalms in the entire collection. The psalmist received a special legacy from his fathers, from their elder generation. Those fathers were careful to tell them what God did in generations past. Those of the elder generation told the psalmist of the great work God did when He drove out the Canaanites and planted Israel in the land promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

It is a communal lament, a psalm sung by the whole people rather than just one individual. They open by recounting what God did in the days of their ancestors. God drove out the nations and planted Israel. He did it by His own arm, not by Israel’s sword. They give God full credit for past victories.

But then comes the tension. Something has gone terribly wrong. God has rejected and disgraced them. He has not gone out with their armies. He has made them turn back from the enemy. They have been scattered among the nations and sold for nothing. They have become a taunt and a byword to those around them. The shame is public and constant.

The psalmist received a gift from his fathers – telling of God’s great work in the past. There was a price for that gift; it made the psalmist dissatisfied with any sense that God wasn’t doing the same works in his own day. Therefore he prayed that God command victories for Jacob in the present day, as well as in the stories of the past. The prayer was prayed with faith. With confidence, the psalmist anticipated the answers to his prayers as if already done.

What makes this psalm particularly striking is the community’s claim of innocence. They have not forgotten God or been false to His covenant. Their heart has not turned back and their steps have not departed from His way. This is not a psalm of confession like Psalm 51. This is a community crying out in what feels like unjust suffering, suffering they cannot explain by pointing to their own sin.

The psalmist understood that for Israel, as a covenant nation, victory or defeat was in the hand of the LORD. Therefore if they were defeated, scattered, sold into slavery, made a reproach or derision, it was because God’s hand was behind it in some way. Notice the repetition of the word You.

The psalmist felt duty bound to tell God that despite the feeling they had been forsaken, they had not departed from God. They remembered Him and remained faithful to His covenant. The psalmist implied that God must now be faithful to His part of the covenant because Israel had been faithful to their part.

The psalm closes with one of the most urgent and raw cries in all of Scripture: “Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!” They appeal to God’s steadfast love to redeem them. This is honest, desperate communal prayer that refuses to give up on God even when the evidence seems to suggest He has walked away.

The psalmist had the depth of relationship with God to speak this freely, and God had the love and grace to not only hear it, but also to record such a prayer in His word. The psalmist openly spoke his feeling that God had forsaken and forgotten a faithful Israel.

In body and soul Israel was at the crisis point and in the dust of shame and defeat. The psalmist has stated Israel’s problem as clearly and strongly as possible. We might expect him to be angry with God or to lose hope. Instead the psalm leaves him with trusting God even in his pain and disappointment. He made his final appeal not on the basis of what Israel deserved, but for the sake of God’s mercy (lovingkindness).

When suffering comes that you cannot explain and God seems silent, keep bringing your honest, desperate questions directly to Him rather than pulling away, because persistent prayer is itself an act of faith.

Portions of this blog post are based on the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) is from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

AI tools assisted in the creation of this blog post.

Psalm 43

Psalm 43 reads almost like a continuation of Psalm 42 and shares the same refrain. Many scholars believe these two psalms were originally one. The writer is still in exile and still dealing with the pain of separation from worship and from God’s felt presence. But Psalm 43 moves toward a more specific and active prayer.

The psalmist repeated a familiar theme in psalms – a cry for vindication. He felt unjustly accused and took his sense of injustice to the right place – to the throne of God, and he left his vindication up to God.

The psalm opens with a direct appeal for God to vindicate him against an ungodly people and to deliver him from the deceitful and unjust man. He is surrounded by dishonesty and injustice and needs God to act on his behalf. He asks why God has rejected him and why he goes about mourning because of oppression by the enemy.

If the psalmist didn’t have a relationship with God, he wouldn’t have this problem. Yet he did love the Lord, and his trust was in the strength of God and not his own strength – so he wondered where God was at his critical moment of need.

Then comes the central prayer of the psalm, one of the most beautiful requests in all of Scripture: “Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.”  The psalmist knew that his light and his truth were not enough – he needed the light and truth of God. It wasn’t within him, so if God didn’t send it, he would not have it.

This was a prayer of submission. “Lord, I don’t want You to send out Your light and truth just so I may admire them. I want to submit myself to Your light and Your truth and have them lead me. I need a leader, so lead me.”

The writer is asking God’s light and truth to function as guides that lead him back to the place of worship and into God’s presence. He is not trying to find his own way back; he is asking God to light the path.

The psalmist wanted to go to the tent of meeting. He wanted to because:

• He knew the Lord was there in a special way.
• He knew that God’s people were there.
• He knew that it was a place where he could focus on God.

The anticipated arrival at God’s altar fills him with joy. He will praise God with the lyre, the God of his exceeding joy. Then the familiar refrain returns one final time: why are you cast down, O my soul? Hope in God. The progression from longing to prayer to anticipated praise shows a soul working its way back toward trust.

Full of faith, the psalmist anticipated God’s answer to his prayer and declared that he would sacrifice (go to the altar) when the answer came. This wouldn’t be a sacrifice of atonement for sin, but for gratitude and celebration of fellowship with God.

The psalmist had hope of God’s redemption, but it had not come yet. In the meantime, he would not surrender to his feelings of depression and discouragement. Instead, he challenged those feelings and brought them to God. He said to those cast down and disquieted feelings, “Hope in God. He will faithfully answer again, because He has before.”

When you feel disoriented and far from God, ask Him to send His light and truth to lead you back, because He is faithful to guide those who sincerely seek His presence.

Portions of this blog post are based on the Enduring Word commentary, (c) 2023 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – ewm@enduringword.com“

“Scripture (bold and italicized) is from the English Standard Version, © ESV.org – www.esv.org”

AI tools assisted in the creation of this blog post.