Psalm Twenty Two, Verses 16-31

A Psalm of David

For the Music Director. Set to the Tune of "The Doe of the Morning."

David wrote this as a prayer. It is meant to lift us from our depths of great suffering to the highest levels of joys. David believed that God would deliver him from his despair, even though all of his friends had deserted him and it appeared that God had also. No, David continued to look to that future day when God would rule over all the earth.

• 16. A pack of evil men - thugs, if you will - has surrounded me like a pack of wild and vicious dogs. They have trapped me, piercing my hands and feet.
• 17. All of my bones are visible beneath my skin. And the people stand around, gawking at me and gloating.
• 18. They divide my clothes among them, but they shoot dice to gamble for my robe.
• 19. Oh Lord, do not go far away. God, You are my strength, so come quickly to save me.
• 20. Father, please rescue me from this implement of death. Save Your Begotten One from the destruction of these wild dogs.
• 21. Deliver me from the lion's mouth, rescue me from this herd of wild oxen, for my death is imminent without You.
• 22. Regardless, I will shout Your name among my brothers and sisters. Ever will I sing Your praises among the congregation of believers.
• 23.This is the message I will shout; If you fear the Lord God, praise Him! All of God's Israel, give Him the honor and respect He deserves.
• 24. For He has never let you down or looked the other way when you call on Him ... when your enemies kicked you to the ground. Nor has He left you to go off on a tangent ... to do His own thing. NO, He has been right at your side, listening ... waiting to hear your every need.
• 25. Here in the midst of the congregation of believers, I will praise You, for You fill me with songs of great joy. My songs of praise fulfill of all the vows I made before you in the darkness.
  
• 26. If you are poor, humble, meek and/or lowly ... whatever your need, if you diligently seek the Lord, you will be satisfied. And in that satisfaction, you will find your voice raised in joyful praise.
• 27. From the four corners of the earth, people will remember the Lord and turn to Him. The whole world will bow before the Lord, even those who had walked away from Him in years past,
• 28. for the earth belongs to Him ... He rules it all.
• 29. The rich, powerful and famous will bow before Him - worshiping! The poor and worthless - those who seem insignificant - will also kneel before Him in worship, too. No one can save their own soul. 
• 30. Our children - and all posterity - will serve the Lord.
• They will declare His righteousness so that all who ever will live will know His story ... His salvation message. And that He ALWAYS keeps His promises.

The Psalms of Christ

*There are many prophetic passages throughout the Psalms that tell us of Jesus. This Psalm is a compilation of those passages. I have given the references for the Psalms and their New Testament fulfillments.

1. God made a proclamation, do you know what He said? Let me tell you. God said, "You are My Son. Today is Your Birthday, today I declare Your Sonship. 
   
2. What gift would You like? Truly, ask for anything You like, it is Yours! Do You want continents as Your inheritance? The whole world as Your possession? They are Yours!
3. Make them do as You will. Bend them, break them in pieces, or simply throw them away as You wish. *[The Messiah is God's Son. Psalm 2:7-9 / Hebrews 1:5-6.]
4. I will do all that I can to make the Lord happy. For He always gives wise counsel, even through the darkest night.
5. My focus, my whole being is trained on Him, for when I keep the Lord at the center of my life, I can not be moved.
6. It is because of You, Lord, that I am happy from the inside out and from the outside in I am being perfected in Your image ... secure in Your restful hope.
7. For You will not abandon me in death, neither will You allow Your Holy One, Your Anointed, to face destruction, corruption, or decay. *[Messiah will rise from the dead. Psalm 16:7-10 / Luke 24:5-7, Acts 13:35.]
   
8. Lord ... oh my Lord! Why have You left me so alone and desolate? Why are You so far from helping me, removed from hearing the deepest distress filled cries of my heart?
9. Oh Lord, I cry out in deep anguish all day long, but I hear no reply. All through the darkness of night I toss and turn in my despair, but still, I get no response from You.
10. But You who dwell in the praises of Your people, Israel, are Holy, my Lord.
11. It was You our forefathers trusted implicitly. They trusted You because You delivered them when they were in need.
12. They cried out to You over and over; they trusted You and You never disappointed them.
13. But I am not worthy to call on Your name; for I am lower than the dust on a worm's belly. I am less than a man. for I am full of disgrace, despised by my companions ... my peers.
14. They all make fun of me; throwing their insults, and shaking their heads, they make faces and laugh me to scorn.
15. You know, he trusted in God, he believes that God will deliver him. So, let God save him since he puts all of his trust, his delight, in Him.
16. But I do trust You, Lord, because it was You who brought me out of my mother's womb. You put this faith within me while I was suckling at my mother's breast. 
17. From my very first breath, I had to put my trust in You. You made me know that You alone were worthy of that trust, and since that day You have been my God.
18. Then trouble moved in next door. Now You seem so far away, and I need help!
19. My enemies, like a herd of raging bulls, surround me. 
20. Their heads are lowered and bobbing, their horns pointed menacingly in my direction. They paw at the ground and flair their nostrils as if ready to stampede.
21. Like roaring lions, they prepare to tear apart their prey with their mouths open wide for the kill.
22. I am done in. My life is poured out; like a water bucket that has been kicked over and the has o water flowed out onto the ground. My body is spent; I feel as if all of my joints are dislocated. My heart is destroyed; it is as if it has melted within my chest, like wax in the cauldron is melted before being made into candles for light.
23. My strength is gone, it is as dried up as an old bone. I can barely call for help, for my tongue is glued to the roof of my mouth. You may as well throw me out on the dust pile with the trash, for I am all but dead.
24. A pack of evil men - thugs, if you will - has surrounded me like a pack of wild and vicious dogs. They have trapped me, piercing my hands and feet.
25. All of my bones are visible beneath my skin. And the people stand around, gawking at me and gloating.
26. They divide my clothes among them, but they shoot dice to gamble for my robe.
27. Oh Lord, do not go far away. God, You are my strength, so come quickly to save me.
28. Father, please rescue me from this implement of death. Save Your Begotten One from the destruction of these wild dogs.
29. Deliver me from the lion's mouth, rescue me from this herd of wild oxen, for my death is imminent without You.
30. Regardless, I will shout Your name among my brothers and sisters. Ever will I sing Your praises among the congregation of believers. *[The Christ will experience agony on the cross,  Psalm 22:1-22 / Matthew ch 26 and 27. Evil men will gamble for his clothing, Psalm 22:18 / Matthew 27:35, John 19:23-24. He is exceedingly thirsty on the cross. Psalm 22:15 / John 19:28. He will declare God's name. Psalm 22:22 / Hebrews 2:12.]
31. Even in death You protect Him, You keep His bones from being broken. *[His bones will not be broken. Psalm 34:20 / John 19:36-37.]
32. You have opened my hearing, You have enabled my understanding. Sacrifices and offerings - of animals or money, of body and soul - bring you no joy; You have not required nor requested them, for You have no need of them. It is obedience that You require.
33. It was when I came to this realization that I came to You, just as it is written in Your book about me.
34. Therefore, it pleases me to do Your will, my Lord. Yes Your orders, Your very law, is written deep within my being ... directly on my heart of hearts! *[He came to do God's will. Psalm 40:6-8 / Hebrews 10:5-7.]
35. Even my close friend, a trusted brother ... one who shared my food and lodgings has betrayed me. He has lifted his hand against me and is now among my enemies. *[Christ will be betrayed by a close friend. Psalm 41:9 / Luke 22:48]
36. Your throne is God's throne forever and always. The power by which You rule is just; it weighs the intents of the people. [The sceptre (or orb, in some kingdoms) is the symbol of a king's power (or right) to rule.]
    
37. He knows that You love righteousness and hate evil. Therefore God, yes Your God, has anointed You with the oil of His great gladness; He has named You King ... The Leader of Your brothers, Your companions. *[His Kingdom will never end. Psalm 45:6-7 / Hebrews 1:8-9]
38. When You ascended (from the grave) you released the captives from their captivity. You received gifts from the people; yes even wicked people blessed You; that You, our God, might dwell among them ... within them. *[He rose from the dead. Psalms 68:18 / Ephesians 4:8-10. Words in parenthesis added for clarity.]
39. Zeal, enthusiastic diligence, for You and Your household consumes me from within. The insults of those that hate You break my heart. Yes, and they even blame me for all that they hate about You. *[Christ is zealous, enthusiastically diligent, for God and His people. Psalm 69:9 / John 2:17.]
40. Your enemies placed poison in my food, and when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink. *[He was offered vinegar while on the cross. Psalm 69:21 / Matthew 27:48.]
41. You have said that You made a covenant with David, Your chosen one. You swore to him, 'I have established your dynasty, your historic line, forever. I have made your throne secure throughout all generations.
42. Once, and for all time, I have sworn by My Holiness - I will not lie to David - his line will continue forever, and his throne will stand before My presence just as the sun and the moon have from the beginning of creation. *[Messiah is a descendant of King David. Psalm 89:3, 4, 35, 36 / Luke 1:31-33.]
43. Announce to the whole world - Our God Rules! It was Him who set the earth securely on its foundation. And He will fairly judge all of its people.
44. Let's hear the heavenly choir joyously proclaim it, as the earth resounds His praises and the oceans join in with their applause.
45. Let the fields be lush with their excitement and the animals dance. Yes, the trees of the forest will sing and shout with pure joy before their God.
46. Indeed, all creation will rejoice; for He comes. The Lord returns to bring His judgment upon the earth. Judgment, tempered with righteousness and love. Love for His whole creation, the earth, and His children. He will set all things right ... make all things new, in His faithfulness. *[Christ will return to judge the earth. Psalm 96:10-13 / 1 Thessalonians1:10.]
    
47. The Lord God said to my lord (king David), 'Sit here beside Me on My throne until I place all of your enemies beneath your feet. 
48. The Lord God will hold the scepter, the symbol of your rulership and strength, over Zion and say, 'Now rule with My power and might even though you are surrounded by your enemies.' 
49. Don't worry, the people will eagerly join you, clad in their holy armor, on the day of your mighty victory. At the dawning of the day, they will join you. You and all of the people will have vitality and vigor of youth. You will be indestructible ... '10 feet tall and bulletproof.' 
50. The Lord God has sworn - He will never change His mind - 'You are a priest forever, just like Melchizedek of old,  *[He is David's son and David's Lord. He is the eternal priest-king. Psalm 110:1-4 / Matthew 22:44, Hebrews 6:20.]
    
51. The Stone which the builders rejected as flawed has been chosen by God as The Capstone of His house.
52. God has chosen, and we marvel at it. We rub our eyes in disbelief.
53. Yet, this is the very day God acted. Let all of His children celebrate with great joy and feasting! *[He is rejected by many, but accepted by God. Psalm 118:22-24 / 1 Peter 2:7-8.]
    

Psalm Thirteen and some thoughts on David's version

Intro:

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

Lord, how long will You forget all about me? How long will You turn Your face away from me? How long will You leave me alone with my own thoughts as my guide? How long will I be fulled with grief deep in my soul? How long will You allow my enemies to rule over me? How long, Lord? How Long?

Listen to me, oh Lord, and consider what I have to say. Then fill my soul with the wisdom I need to give me insight that will keep me safe from death at the hands of my enemies. This will keep them from spewing his lies ... from saying, "See, I beat her at her own game." This will keep them from rejoicing over my perils .... gloating over my calamities.

I trust You, Lord. I trust in Your mercy. I rejoice in Your Salvation. And I will ever sing to You the praises You have filled my heart and soul with, for You and blessed me exceedingly. You have given me that "abundant life" You spoke of to the first disciples You trained.

Thoughts:

As I read through this Psalm, I saw David as throwing a great pity party, so let's see how that goes:

Boo who! God is sooo far away. Why has He placed me in such isolation while my enemies are on the loose? How long will I have only my dark thoughts of fear and dread to guide me? Forever?

Listen to me, God! Now ... Before I Die!*

(*This kind and of reminds me of when my kids would argue, then come crying to me for help. I always told them they would have to work it out for themselves.)

"Hear me before my enemies laugh as they are conquering me."

(Here I see David getting a glimpse of Truth once again. So he starts to refocus his thoughts on the Lord rightly.)

"I have always trusted You, for You alone are worthy of my trust. I know that Your mercy prevails and that I will rejoice in Your Salvation evermore. Then I will sing allowed once more. I will lift my voice in songs of praise to You; for You have always dealt with exceeding grace and bountiful mercy toward me.

Thank You, Lord for all of Your wondrous Love and Mercy!

Amen

Psalm Seven - Again

Intro (same):

This Psalm is a meditation of David which he sang to the Lord. It was written when David was troubled by a man of the line of Cush from the tribe of Benjamin ... King Saul was a descendant of  Cush the Benjaminite. Tradition says that it probably had a wildly irregular and unpredictable beat among its strains.
By this intro we know that David was greatly offended and upset with the speech of a certain Benjaminite named Cush. He was so angry with what this man had been saying that he lifted up this frustration in this song unto the Lord, His God. And seeing that some scholars have attributed this Psalm to the time of Saul's ongoing search and destroy operation against David, I could see this here.

God Almighty, I put all of my hope and trust in You. Protect me from all who speak and do evil to persecute me. Deliver me from those that hunt me down , planning to do me harm, just as you have done before ... and save my life.

But Lord, if I have done this to myself, if I have done any harm to those at peace with me, then let my life be forfeit. Let my enemies trample me down in the dust, extinguishing my life, squelching out my voice and squeezing out my very breath ... I think I will ponder that thought very deeply for a while.

Lord, I know that the actions of wicked men riles Your anger. So rise up in Your anger, stand firm in Your wrath against my enemies and stir up the justice You have planned for my foes.

Gather together the congregation of Your people, Lord. Sit on Your Throne, on the Dias that seats You above them, and judge the peoples. And while You're at it, judge me too, Lord. Give me the justice that I deserve by my righteous - my right standing in You - by Your very integrity within me.

And let all the evil words, thoughts and deeds of the wicked ones abruptly come to and end. Establish Your righteousness, Your harmony, in all who walk uprightly in Your presence. For I know that You see and hear the thoughts, words and emotions of all; You alone understand our very hearts' desires.

Lord, You are my Defenses; the Shield and Fortress of ALL who are upright in heart; our Very Protection! Yes Lord, for You are a righteous judge; the Mighty God, Who becomes indignant with the wicked on a daily basis.

If a person, man or woman, refuses to repent of their wicked ways, I know that You will sharpen Your double-edged sword and cut them off from Your own. I see that You are already prepared for the battles that lay ahead. Stepping on the end of Your bow, You have strung it in readiness for your arrows. The arrows have been dipped in an oily substance and laid on the coals so that they will flame through the air and ignite their targets. All of Your weapons are waiting in preparation.

But the wicked are filled to the bursting point with their evil thoughts and plans. They are about to explode with their mischievous ways. See the huge pit they have dug? they will all fall into it before their plans are complete.  All of their wicked and vile ways will return to haunt them; their violence will fall as rain on their own heads.

And I will sing songs of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord because of His righteousness and justice. I will sing songs of praise to the Lord God Most High.

Amen!

Psalm Seven

Intro:

This Psalm is a meditation of David which he sang to the Lord. It was written when David was troubled by a man of the line of Cush from the tribe of Benjamin ... King Saul was a descendant of  Cush the Benjaminite. Tradition says that it probably had a wildly irregular and unpredictable beat among its strains.
By this intro we know that David was greatly offended and upset with the speech of a certain Benjaminite named Cush. He was so angry with what this man had been saying that he lifted up this frustration in this song unto the Lord, His God. And seeing that some scholars have attributed this Psalm to the time of Saul's ongoing search and destroy operation against David, I could see this here.

Oh Lord, my God, in You do I put my trust; save me from all those who persecute me; and deliver me. Lest they tear me apart like a lion, rending me in pieces while there is no deliverance.

Oh Go, if I have done this; if there is any iniquity in my hands, if I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me ... or have plundered mt enemy without a cause, let him whom I have wronged pursue and overtake me. Yes, let him trample my life into the earth, laying my honor in the dust forevermore. Selah (.... I will sit and ponder this deeply).

Rise up, My Lord, rise up in Your fierce anger; lift Yourself up because of my enemy's rage and bring Your judgement against them for my sake ... the judgment that You have ordered!

Then let the people assemble all around You as You return oh high over them.

The is the Righteous Judge, He alone shall judge all the people. Judge me, Oh Lord! According to my righteousness ... according to the integrity within me.

Yes, and let the wickedness of the evil ones come to an end and establish the just! This is totally within Your character, Lord, for You are THE righteous God. You test the hearts and minds of all. You are my defense, for You alone can save those who are upright of heart.

You, Lord, are the Just Judge. You are angry at those who choose to do evil everyday. If the wicked ones do not repent and change his ways, the Lord will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow, making it ready. God has all of His weapons of warfare, His implements of death, prepared for battle. His arrows have been dipped in accelerant  so that when He shoots they are fiery shafts of Light. 

Behold, the wicked travails ... he labors in excruciating pain as he conceives trouble and produces lies and deceit. For all of the trouble he produces shall fall on his own head. He digs a pit for those he chooses to destroy, but he alone will fall into it. And he shall be crowned by all of the violence that he has called forth upon others.

But I, along with the other believers, shall praise the Lord, because He alone is totally righteous. Yes, I will sing praise to my God, for He IS God Most High!

Psalm Six - Another View

I see David here as being full of grief. David is begging God not to discipline him while He is angry. As I read through David's prayer, I see that he is in great despair. Thoughts of his flight from Jerusalem with his family and his army. Running in fear of his life from his own son, Absalom. How horrendous it must have been for this warrior king, fleeing in abject fear from own to whom he gave birth.

Desperate for relief from God, David pours out his heart, heavy with a growing agony, with many tears. So many that he has turned his mattress into a deep, dark pool; deep enough that one could swim in it. His eyes are red-rimmed and swollen from all of his cries. So many tears that David is finding it difficult to see; his sight dimmed by the tears to the point that his sight is as dark as his heart feels.

In his grief, David screams at those who have haunted his heart; all of his enemies who are seeking to harm him. As he confronts them there on his bed, David remembers that it is God is listening, He has heard the cries of David's heart. And David also remembers that God rebukes his fears, demanding that all of his enemies turn aside and become ashamed at their exploits against him; and that very quickly.

I see so much of humanity, of myself, in David's prayer. We all have the same doubts and fears. Conversely, we also have the same Lord. So I say with Job and a popular hymn, 'I know that my redeemer lives' ... and He is able to keep that which I - and you - have committed unto Him ... until the day that He comes again on that day; 'The Day of His Glorious Appearing,' when He returns to claim His own and dwell with us for eternity.

Amen!

Psalm Five - Another Viewpoint

David has come before the Lord, as was his usual custom, for his time of morning prayer. I believe this was his custom as this is a very intimate conversation between the king of Israel and the King and Creator of all. But much more than a simple chat between close friends.

David started by asking the Lord to listen to his cries, yet he also states to Him that he will stand watch, patiently waiting on the Lord to give His answers. David actually expects God to hear and answer, for He has done just that many times in the past.

David also knows that evil men and women have no place in the Lord. They can't even stay in His presence, for He will destroy them in the end. Yet, David also knows that he has a position in the Lord's Kingdom, His plan, His presence. And he is at home in that knowledge and in God's presence. In His presence David offers his sacrifices of praise and times of worship.

While in God's presence he seeks His face - His guidance and direction - His protection from all his enemies and punishment for those who would harm him.

At the close of David's talk with the Lord, he proclaims joy, refuge, and protection for all who trust in the Lord; because He is the Lord of all and worthy of our trust. God has blessed, is blessing and will continue to bless ALL who are His.

I stand with David. I know that my redeemer lives. And that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him throughout all eternity.

I know that He is faithful to hear and answer all of my prayers ... all of the cries of my heart.

I know that He will reward ALL for their thoughts and actions - whether they are for Him or against Him. Those who choose to live outside His will, WILL perish into eternal damnation ... eternal separation from Him.

And those who choose to follow Him will be rewarded for their acts of faithfulness with life eternally in His presence.

SO ... I CHOOSE to serve HIM. To live as He would have me to. To worship Him daily, without ceasing. To Share my heart and my mind in my prayers and with my actions!

Amen!

Psalm Five

Intro:

To the Chief Musician; 
To be played on wind instruments. 
A Psalm of David.

Lord, please listen to what I have to say. Think about the things that dwell in my mind. Listen to the very cries of my heart oh King! For I will always lift my prayers to You. Early in the morning, as I lay waking up, I will focus my thoughts and share them with You.Yes Lord, I will speak them out so that we can both hear them, all while I am looking up to view Your face.

For I know You Lord. You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil. Nor will You allow evil to dwell in Your sight. I know there are boastful people who would brag of their exploits. But You do not allow them a speck of ground within Your presence on which to stand. I know that You hate all that practice evil in their hearts and minds. You destroy those who speak lies and abhor all who seek to shed blood and those who are filled with deceit.

But I choose to come into Your mercy filled house. In truth of heart, reverent fear, respect and honor I will worship You in Your holy Temple .... deep within my heart. Lead me in Your righteousness - Standing a right in Your presence - because of my enemies, those who would seek to harm me in word or deed. Make Your path plain before me, that I may walk see You clearly. 

You know that there is no faithfulness in their mouths; their innermost beings are pure destruction. Their throats spew forth meaningless compliments and their lips with vile flattery, as an open grave wafts the fumes of rotting, decaying flesh.

So pronounce them guilty already, Lord. Allow them to know the failure of their plans and fall by their own evil counsel. Then cast them of Your presence for the great pile of their sin, their very rebellion against You.

But oh the joy of those who have trusted in You completely. They will shout in the streets of how they love You, for You have defended and protected them. And in their joy You will bless them with Your favor and continuously surround them with the Shield of Your righteousness and peace.

Psalm Four

Intro:

To the Chief Musician; 
To be played on stringed instruments. 
A Psalm of David

Standing before the Lord I cry with David; God, can I have some relief here? I know that You are able, for there have been many times that I was trapped and You freed me.

Oh you sons of men, how long will you seek to dishonor me. How long will you search for lies when the truth is right in front of you? You know that the Lord has separated those who walk uprightly from all of the rest. He has placed them in a class by themselves. He listens when I call and He answers me.

So, sons of men, it is OK to be angry, but do not sin in the process. Speak to yourselves within, silently dwell on your inner most thoughts and your own intentions.

Offer to God the proper and correct sacrifices AND for the right reasons. And confidently lean on the Lord, trusting completely in Him.

Lord, I know that there have been many that have asked You to smile on them so that they can see Your goodness all around them. But I love how You treat me. For You have placed Your pure joy and true merriment in my heart than they will ever know. More even than their wheat fields and vineyards have yielded - even in bumper crop years.

Yes my Lord, You fill me with Your great peace, so that I can lay down to rest confident that I am completely safe, and assured that I can trust You wholeheartedly. For You are my King and My God.