Meditations on the Psalms

A request: He will not allow your foot to be moved (verse 3a). "He will not allow" is in the imperative in the original Hebrew. It is as though the pilgrim were saying, I invoke God not to let your foot be moved, but to make you firm as you go up to the Lord's temple. I call upon Him to keep anxiety from controlling you, repel the danger away from you and us both, and give you peace and reassurance.

How beautiful it is to pray for one another, and join our voices to those that call out to God, for the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10). For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him (2 Chronicles 16:9). For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him (Proverbs 15:3). And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:13). So let us encourage one another, being sure and confident that Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance. The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth (Psalm 33:12-14).

An encouragement: He who keeps you will not slumber (verse 3b). The traveller encouraged his companion by the fact that God is not overcome by sleep, for He does not slumber. His motto is: I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day (2 Timothy 1:12). Perhaps the psalmist had Elijah's mockery of the idol-worshipers in mind, as they prayed to their idols: Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened (1 Kings 18:27).

The Lord does not sleep: Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep (verse 4). This is a confirmation of what the companion said. Sometimes we call for the help of people who are asleep, and, of course, they do not help us. But the heavenly Father neither slumbers nor sleeps. If, in one particular night, you find it difficult to fall asleep, do not hesitate to call on your God who neither slumbers nor sleep. He will not be upset with you because you disturbed Him, for He is delighting in mankind (Proverbs 8:31 NIV).

The members of the choir must have remembered the history of their people as they suffered the worst sort of humiliation in Egypt under Pharaoh, and how the Lord heard their cry of anguish and saved them with His mighty hand. He even sustained them for forty years with water from the rock and manna and quail. By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night (Exodus 13:21).

This great God, who worked such a wonderful miracle with the children of Israel desires to work miracles with you. All the hairs of your head are numbered by Him (Matthew 10:30), and He knows you by your name (Isaiah 43:1). He has inscribed you on the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16), and even if you lose the way, He knows where you have gone, and goes after you until he finds you (Luke 15:4).

The Lord shades: The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand (verse 5). He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty ... He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler (Psalm 91:1,4). The Lord is like a hiding place from the wind, and a cover from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land (Isaiah 32:2). When Ruth the Moabite followed her mother-in-law Naomi, Boaz said to her, The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge (Ruth 2:12). And the Lord did repay Ruth, as she believed, and made her the grandmother of King David, the ancestor of Christ.

The singers say that the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The Lord is nearer to every pilgrim than the city of Jerusalem to which he is making the pilgrimage. We need not go to a particular place to meet the Lord, because He is at your right hand. The psalmist said, I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved (Psalm 16:8). For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, To save him from those who condemn him (Psalm 109:31).

The Lord protects: The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night (verse 6). Owing to the hot weather, a pilgrim would travel partly by day and partly by night, and rest at noon. He needed to be looked after night and day, and his companions remind him of this in these two verses. The Lord provided Jonah with this protection when he grew weary in Nineveh: And the LORD God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant (Jonah 4:6). The ancients used to say that to sleep in a full moon was apt to cause a mental disturbance ("lunatic" means moon-struck).

Here the singers assure those who love God that He does not allow them to be struck by the sun by day nor the moon at night!

The Lord preserves: The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul (verse 7). The Lord preserves the bodies of the believers, as well as their souls, from all evil. He answered the prayer of Jabez in which he said, Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain! (1 Chronicles 4:10). Jabez asked both spiritual and physical blessings from the Lord. But knowing that he could enjoy the possession of so many things of this world, he also recognized that one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses (Luke 12:15). The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it (Proverbs 10:22). Therefore Jabez asked the Lord to keep him from evil. Truly, Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred ... Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife (Proverbs 15:17; 17:1).

The Lord protects: The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore (verse 8). Going out and coming in symbolize the starting and completion of a thing, both privately and publicly. The singers emphasize how much they need the Lord's protection at the beginning of the journey up to the Lord's temple, as well as on their journey back. In doing so the promise is fulfilled: Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out (Deuteronomy 28:6). He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him (Psalm 126:6). Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand (Psalm 37:23,24). Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen (Jude 24,25).

What did John Bunyan mean by "The New Birth" and the "Swamp of Despond"?

What is meant by The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night in verse 6 of this psalm?

Gladness when hearing the call: I was glad when they said to me (verse 1a). Every believer feels glad when he hears the call to draw near to the Lord in obedience to the apostolic command: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). The Lord often sends us calls; first the call to repentance: Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:19). When we fall into sin we hear Him call, Remember the height from which you have fallen! (Revelation 2:5). When we grow weary and groan we hear Him call, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

The Lord may call us through a verse from His holy Word, a loving touch of generosity, a correction that puts us on our guard against error, or a word from a friend who calls us to go into the house of the LORD. How fortunate is the person who is glad to receive the call, knowing that the one who comes to God will by no means be cast out (John 6:37). He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).

In the parable of the prodigal son, the son was not sure his father would receive him after he had disobeyed him and squandered his money. But on the contrary, his father welcomed him and was glad to have him back. Heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents, and the penitent sinner himself is filled with joy over his own repentance. Whoever loves God will love His house and will rejoice to pray there, starting with The LORD is my shepherd and ending with Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever (Psalm 23:1,6). The recurring theme of prayer of such a man would be: But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple (Psalm 5:7). When we embark on our journey with God we discover that Many people shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths' (Isaiah 2:3). For Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).

Gladness from the fellowship of the believers: Let us go into the house of the LORD (verse 1b). The psalmist rejoiced over the invitation and over the fact that he would join a wonderful group of people who love the Lord, adore Him, and, in consequence, their hearts are filled with assurance. He was like a starving man who found someone inviting him to a piece of bread, or a thirsty man who heard someone inviting him to a spring of refreshing water together with joyful friends. The fellowship of the believers gladdens the heart, for they encourage one another. In the "Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan, the pilgrim set off alone toward the Heavenly City, but when his wife did the same, she took her children along. How happy she was to enjoy the company of all her family as they travelled together to the Heavenly City, while she seemed to say, Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! (Isaiah 8:18).

In the house of the Lord the weary finds rest for his soul, as David said, One thing I have desired of the LORD...: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple (Psalm 27:4). Confronted with the question of the wicked's prosperity and the distress of the righteous, Asaph found the solution in the house of the Lord. He said, Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end (Psalm 73:17). When the messages of the King of Babylon reached Hezekiah, mocking both him and his God, Hezekiah found his rest in the house of the Lord. Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD and the Lord delivered him (Isaiah 37:14).

Gladness of worship: Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem (verse 2). The world gives temporary gladness, which does not last long, but the joy of the Lord is our strength, For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness (Psalm 84:10). How lovely it is to come near the Lord's house, even if we were "standing", for standing shows that we are alert and ready to obey.

The return to the earlier glory: Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together (verse 3). Capturing the Jebusite stronghold, David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore they called it the City of David. And he built the city around it, from the Millo to the surrounding area. Joab repaired the rest of the city (1 Chronicles 11:7,8). However, the Babylonians came and tore down the walls of Jerusalem, ransacked its houses, destroyed its temple and exiled those of its inhabitants who were competent and learned. After seventy years the Lord restored his people to their land. Many of them returned home with the scribe Ezra and began to restore the temple. Another group returned with Nehemiah the governor, and they began to build the walls compact together, filling the gaps and repairing the breaches (Nehemiah 2:17; 7:4). Then the ruined houses were rebuilt, and the city once again had a wall, a temple and houses all completed and made new. Its inhabitants were in one accord, worshipping together and building together, in one heart and in one spirit.

The expression "compact together" can also apply to spiritual life, for although we belong to different backgrounds, cultures and various economical and social circumstances, we are still equal before God our Creator, Care-taker and Redeemer. In the church, we forget our titles and where we come from, and accept that it is enough to be known as children of the same Father. This joint belonging unites us all as one family and as brothers and sisters to each other, or as precious living stones in one building. As branches in Christ's vineyard we hold hands together to give one message to the world, taking hold of the hope that Christ is preparing a heavenly home for us (John 14:1-4). For as pilgrims we are travelling from the City of Destruction to the Heavenly City: There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all (Ephesians 4:4-6).

Recalling the former tender mercies: Where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, to the Testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD (verse 4). The psalmist gladly recalls that he has a rich historical heritage of adoration and celebration for God. The tribes used to set off on this journey of worship to the Lord's temple three times a year, as God commanded them; twice in spring, for the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Weeks, and once in autumn for the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles. Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the LORD empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you (Deuteronomy 16:16,17).

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is the same as the Passover. It celebrates the passing of the destroying angel over the houses of the children Israel without harming them, while killing the first-born in the houses of the Egyptians. It was named the Feast of Unleavened Bread because they ate bread without yeast on that feast. The second feast, the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, which was also called the Feast of Ingathering (of the firstfruits), was a thanksgiving celebration for the harvest. Pentecost is a Greek word that means "fifty". The Jewish tradition holds that the law was given to Moses on the fiftieth day after the Exodus. As to the Feast of Tabernacles, it serves as a reminder of the time when the children of Israel used to live in tents (tabernacles) during their journey in the desert. To celebrate this feast the Jews used to set up booths or huts on house-tops and in the open and live in them for seven days.

In every pilgrimage the children of Israel testify to God's favour toward them when He made the destroying angel pass over them, gave them the law and took care of them for forty years of wandering in the desert.

Gratitude for justice: For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David (verse 5). The Lord delegated the king to judge the people with justice. The king would then delegate judges from the royal family and the nobles of the people to sit on the seat of judgment, in order to defend the poor and render justice to the orphan and widow. Because he expects God to administer justice through the king and his men, the believer says to Him, You have maintained my right and my cause; You sat on the throne judging in righteousness (Psalm 9:4). God blesses them in that He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday (Psalm 37:6).

Since the thrones are set there for judgment we are not to take the law into our own hands: Do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord (Romans 12:19).

No doubt God's justice now, which He administers through just kings and honest judges, is a symbol of the final justice on the day when all of us will stand before the throne of Christ to give account of all that we did. There is a reference here to the happy reign of the Lord: The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad (Psalm 97:1).

He prayed for peace for the city: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces' (verses 6,7). Jerusalem means "City of Peace". The psalmist prayed that the city's name will be justified by its condition, so that it would be said, The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the LORD does valiantly (Psalm 118:15). When this prayer is answered, the worshippers who have come to keep the feast for the Lord in Jerusalem will have prosperity, the towers on its walls will be safe from the onslaught of the enemies, and the palaces will enjoy peace owing to the prosperity and success of those within its gates. Walk about Zion, and go all around her. Count her towers; Mark well her bulwarks; consider her palaces; that you may tell it to the generation following. For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death (Psalm 48:12-14).

Such peace within its walls and prosperity within its palaces will happen when there are no attacks from without or divisions from within, as was the case with the early church: Then the churches... had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied (Acts 9:31).

He prayed for peace for the believers: For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, 'Peace be within you.' (verse 8). The psalmist considers the rest of the believers his brothers and companions, just as David said to the people, Hear me, my brethren and my people (1 Chronicles 28:2). Likewise, Christ said, whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother (Matthew 12:50). All the believers are brothers and sisters: For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29). When we pray for the brethren, we pray for the revival of both the church and the minister, whom Christ calls in the Book of Revelation the angel of the church. When the believer is in revival, the whole church will be in revival. For this reason the psalmist says that for the sake of his brethren and companions who pray in the church he will say, "Peace" to the congregation of the believers. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

He asked peace for the house of the Lord: Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good (verse 9). The house of the Lord was built in the holy city. So for the sake of the peace of the house of the Lord he prays peace for the city, because the temple is the centre of both worship and political leadership to the whole city. Nehemiah was described as a man come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel (Nehemiah 2:10). Let us, therefore, seek the peace of the church, of every city that has a church and of the capital of our country, so that the Pentecost experience may be repeated with us, when three thousand souls were added to them ... And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:41,47).

The psalmist mentions three reasons for his joy. Write them down.

Approaching the holy city the psalmist remembers three great incidents. Write down these three.

A look to the possessor of majesty: Unto You I lift up my eyes, o You who dwell in the heavens (verse 1). In Psalm 121 the psalmist spoke about God, but in this psalm he spoke to God. He looked earlier to the mountains, but now he lifted up his eyes to Him who dwells in the heavens, and in doing so he drew nearer to Him. His relationship with God rose to a higher level and took on greater depth as he began to see the Lord as King and Judge of the whole world: The LORD is in His holy temple, the LORD’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men (Psalm 11:4). The psalmist seems to be saying, My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net (Psalm 25:15). But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases (Psalm 115:3). Seeing the Lord's glory in His temple and hearing the seraphs shout, Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory! (Isaiah 6:3), the prophet Isaiah realized that the Holy One who dwelt in the heavens filled the whole earth with His glory. He alone deserves that we lift up our eyes to Him, because He dwells in the heavens and is at work on earth. All His ways are true. He rushes to our aid in His mysterious ways that surpass understanding, as if to say to us, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).

A look to the possessor of authority: Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress (verse 2a,b). Because he saw God as dwelling in the heavens, possessed of all authority in heaven and on earth, the psalmist perceived himself as the Lord's servant. All the believers are the Lord's servants because He has created them, sustains them and has purchased them by redemption. They are honoured to be His servants because in this servanthood is perfect freedom. It is a belonging to the Lord of all the earth. One saint said, I need your Lordship, but You do not need my servanthood.

The title of a servant or a maidservant is cherished by the believers. It was used often of Moses (Deuteronomy 34:5; 1 Chronicles 6:49), Joshua (Joshua 29:24; Judges 2:8), Elijah (1 Kings 18:36), Daniel (Daniel 6:20), Paul (Roman 1:1), Peter (2 Peter 1:1), James (James 1:1) and of all those who were set free by Christ (1 Peter 2:16). David used it to describe his own mother: O LORD, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds (Psalm 116:16). The Virgin Mary applied it to herself when she said to the angel, I am the Lord's servant (Luke 1:38 NIV).

The Old Testament distinguishes between the servant who was born in the house and the one bought with money. The servant born in the house is dearer because he belongs to the house (Genesis 14:14). How lovely is Timothy's house of which Paul said, When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also (2 Timothy 1:5).

The true believer is the one who says to the Lord, I love my master... and do not want to go free (Exodus 21:5 NIV). He speaks well of his master and the song of his heart says, For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God... (as though he were a doorkeeper) ...than dwell in the tents of wickedness (Psalm 84:10). The psalmist looked around and saw God dwelling in the heavens, and then focused his eyes and saw His hand bestowing blessings because it is loving and generous, guiding to righteousness because it is righteous and faithful not to lead anyone astray. He realized then that it was the hand of the one in authority, who ought to be obeyed, as well the hand of the one who graciously gives us all good. Let us, therefore, obey the owner of that generous hand, so that we may receive His blessings, have our eyes and ears opened to His instructions, and say to Him, Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will (Mark 14:36). Then we will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture (John 10:9), saying with gratitude, What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD (Psalm 116:12,13).

A look to the possessor of mercy: So our eyes look to the LORD our God, until He has mercy on us. (verse 2c). The eyes of the servants will continue to rest upon the hand of the master until he bestows mercy upon them. The two thieves blasphemed and mocked Christ, but the eyes of the one thief, hanging there on the cross, were set upon Christ. This made him see in Him what the other thief could not: his Lord and Saviour. He found in him what the majority could not: the awaited King. Therefore he said, 'Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.' And Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.' (Luke 23:42,43). What great mercy God shows to the penitent sinner! It is this mercy that spares us our well-earned punishment. Have compassion on Your servants. Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:13,14).

War rages on between the serpent and the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15). Satan will continue fighting the believers relentlessly and ceaselessly. Let us, therefore, fix our eyes upon the Lord's hand that we may receive mercy, because He promised us victory. Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him (Isaiah 30:18).

Pleading to be spared from his sins: Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt (verse 3). The primary cause for contempt and disgrace is sin and being alienated from God. The psalmist, in this stance of pleading for mercy, was like the tax collector who stood afar off and would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner! (Luke 18:13). And If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). He will again have compassion on us, nd will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).

Pleading to be spared from scorn and contempt: Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorn of those who are at ease, with the contempt of the proud (verse 4). The psalmist pleads to be spared from those who offend him, whom he calls "the proud" and "the arrogant". Those who are at ease are those who live in luxury and who do not care about God, but are self-centred. They are not concerned about the troubles of God's people as long as they are at ease.

All their expectations are confined to their personal resources and social or political influence, their wealth, connections or family. They ignore righteous people. They make light of living holy. They mock those who fear God. Amos, the prophet of social justice, says of them, Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, and trust in Mount Samaria... (Amos 6:1).

The proud are great people - only in their own eyes. Concerning the proud the psalmist said, The proud have me in great derision, yet I do not turn aside from Your law. I remembered Your judgments of old, O LORD, and have comforted myself (Psalm 119:51,52).

Those who are at ease and the proud have made a habit of scorning and deriding God's people. This is what happened on the occasion when Nehemiah planned to rebuild the walls of the city of God: But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, 'What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?'... Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, 'Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.' Hear, O our God, for we are despised (Nehemiah 2:19; 4:3,4). This reminds us of what happened to Christ, for He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; he was despised, and we did not esteem Him (Isaiah 53:3). And on the cross And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads ... Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 'He saved others; Himself He cannot save'... Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing (Matthew 27:39-44). When we turn to Christ, who was tempted in all things yet without sin, we find Him able to help those who are tempted.

Why does this psalm start off in the singular and then turn to the plural?

Mention five things the Lord's hand does.

Deliverance from being swallowed: Then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us (verse 3). The wrath of the wicked was kindled against God's people. The wicked wanted to swallow them alive, at once, like the pit that swallowed the Korahites. Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly (Numbers 16:31-33). In every generation the wicked tried to swallow the believers alive to destroy them and blot out their memory from the earth. These attempts were carried out all through history, so much so that the Church was rightly called the Church of the Martyrs. Yet, the blood of martyrs has always been the seed of the Church!

Nebuchadnezzar made such an attempt on the people, causing them to cry out, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon has devoured me, he has crushed me; he has made me an empty vessel, he has swallowed me up like a monster; he has filled his stomach with my delicacies, he has spit me out (Jeremiah 51:34). The Lord, however, delivered His people and encouraged them, saying, When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place (Isaiah 43:2,3). For this reason the wise man gave this piece of advice to his son to stay clear of the wicked: My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, 'Come with us, let us lie in wait to shed blood; let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down to the Pit ... My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path (Proverbs 1:10-12,15).

Deliverance from drowning: Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul; then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul (verses 4,5). When the enmity of the world finds a gap, it breaks through violently to overwhelm God's people. And in the face of such floods of persecution there is no rescuer, refuge or shelter - but God. Sensing the swollen mighty waters rushing down in a torrential stream that sweeps away everything that stands in its way, the psalmist cried out, Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day ... The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea (Psalm 96:1,2; 93:3,4).

The swollen waters stand for the enemies who come like fierce, torrential waves of the sea to fall down on God's people. But God shall never leave them or forsake them, for whoever hears His sayings and does them will be likened to a wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24). Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37).

Deliverance from being a prey: Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth (verse 6). The psalmist likens the enemies to ferocious animals that fall upon their prey and tear them apart with their teeth before devouring them. No one can rescue the prey but the Good Shepherd, about whom the psalmist calls, Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; you have broken the teeth of the ungodly (Psalm 3:7). O LORD my God, in You I put my trust; save me from all those who persecute me; and deliver me, Lest they tear me like a lion, rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver (Psalm 7:1,2). The enemies attempted to do the same thing with Christ, a fact which the psalmist, through the Spirit of prophecy, predicted a thousand years before He was crucified: For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots. But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me! Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog. Save Me from the lion’s mouth and from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me (Psalm 22:16-21). Christ's prayer was heard, and He rose from the dead triumphing and victorious.

Deliverance from the snare: Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped (verse 7). The psalmist compares himself to a bird threatened by a fowler's snare. Experts in the nature of birds, fowlers, know that the birds cannot see the net or evade it, and once they fall into it they cannot free themselves. How happy is the bird that has a mighty deliverer who intervenes in the nick of time, breaks open the snare and releases the bird, thus delivering many other birds who would have otherwise been caught by this snare! Blessed be the soul that the Lord watches over, as it says, My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net (Psalm 25:15). Let it remember the promise: Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence (Psalm 91:3).

Satan's snares are diverse. A snare could be a strange doctrine, pride in the believer, overwhelming lust or falling into depression. All these the Lord destroys. As He releases us from them we shall be hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8,9).

Give three Bible verses proving that the LORD is on our side.

What are some of Satan's snares?

The believer's steadfastness: Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever (verse 1). Mountains are symbols of steadfastness and unchangeability. In the same way Mount Zion is mentioned here because God established His temple on it. The Scripture says, that the LORD has founded Zion, and the poor of His people shall take refuge in it (Isaiah 14:32). The one who trusts the Lord is the one who places implicit confidence in Him practically, not just theoretically, and acts on this confidence. Such a man walks in accordance with this teaching, so that it might be said about him, A good man deals graciously and lends; he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established; he will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies (Psalm 112:5-8). A person who trusts the Lord is like a child whose father lifts him up on a high place and then tells him to jump down. The child jumps fearlessly into his father's arms, a calculated jump of faith, even in the dark. He ventures to jump because he trusts that his father will not let him fall, as though saying with Paul while on the verge of being shipwrecked, We let here drive (Acts 27:15). It was not the waves that drove them along, but the Lord of the waves. There is no one like the God of Jeshurun ... The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. (Deuteronomy 33:26-27). Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7 NIV).

The believer knows that The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved (Psalm 93:1). He trusts in the promise: 'For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,' says the LORD, who has mercy on you (Isaiah 54:10). Therefore he sings, I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved (Psalm 16:8).

Martin Luther loved Psalm 46. It was the psalm that inspired him to stand in the face of fierce opposition and threats of violence. He even set it to music, and the tune he used still inspires the believers today, as they sing, God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn (Psalm 46:5), that is, in the darkest hours right before dawn. They are sure that the light of day will defeat the darkness, no matter how deep the darkness is!

The believer's bosom: As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people from this time forth and forever (verse 2). It is an undeniable fact that mountains surround Jerusalem, and just as well a fact that God embraces the believer in His own bosom. This is an abiding spiritual fact that will endure from this time forth and forever, assuring the believer of security since he lives in a strong fortress. The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe (Proverbs 18:10). The Lord surrounds the person who trusts in Him like an immovable, well-established mountain, fulfilling His true promise: 'For I,' says the LORD, 'will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.' (Zechariah 2:5). Experiencing this very same thing, David said, When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take care of me (Psalm 27:10).

Every time we take part in a baptismal service to join a newly saved person to the Lord we read the text from the gospels about the command to baptize. This text is preceded by and followed by a promise from Christ. The preceding promise says, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). Christ has all authority in heaven to forgive the sins of those who confess them and resolve to leave them behind. He answers prayer, intercedes on behalf of those who take shelter in Him, and dispatches His angels to serve them. His authority on earth is also evident from the fact that He still lives, works miracles and delivers everyone that takes refuge in Him. The promise that succeeds the baptism, however, is: I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). These two promises teach us that the Lord lovingly embraces everyone that unites himself to the Lord in baptism, even to the end of the age.

The believers triumph: For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity (verse 3). The sceptre is a symbol of authority and control. But because of God's promises to those who fear Him the wicked will not continue to control the land allotted to the righteous. And the righteous will say, The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers (Isaiah 14:5). The sceptre may rest on the righteous for a while, and the wicked may sometimes take control over the believers, but this must come to an end, lest the righteous use their hands to do evil. The believers are the people of God, and as long as they are in the world they will have tribulation; they are not immune to trials and temptations. But the time will come when the Lord will break the staff of the wicked, and it will be said to the believers, It shall come to pass in the day the LORD gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve, that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: 'How the oppressor has ceased, The golden city ceased!' (Isaiah 14:3,4).

The Emperor Trajan summoned a bishop in order to make fun of him and his Christ. He asked him, What is your Nazarene carpenter doing now? The bishop answered him, He is preparing a coffin for the Roman Empire. And this is exactly what happened! Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, the first Christian Emperor, came to believe in Christ. Then Constantine convened the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in AD 325. Three hundred and eighteen bishops attended the Council, one of whom had had one eye plucked out under torture. The Emperor kissed the scar of his plucked eye, ordered fifty copies of the Bible to be transcribed at the Roman government's expense, and made Christianity the state religion. This is how the Nazarene made the coffin. There will come a day when every knee shall bow to Christ, of those in heaven, and of those on earth (Philippians 2:10). The sceptre of the wicked shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous.

The psalmist was not concerned about the sceptre of the wicked robbing him of his possessions or ending his life. Rather, he feared that the righteous would sin, because Christ says to them, Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28). The authority of the wicked will not rest on the believers' portion, for they shout, O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good inheritance... For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock (Psalm 16:5,6; 27:5).

Requesting goodness to those who are good: Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts (verse 4). God is good by His very nature; He does good even to those who do not deserve it. He gives generously to all without reproach (James 1:5). There is none among mankind who is perfectly good or completely upright. There is none that deserves such goodness from God, because there is none who does good; all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Psalm 14:1-3; Romans 3:23). Those who are good and righteous here are not possessed of absolute goodness and righteousness. They are those who have a good and righteous intention that seeks only to obey the Lord. They are those who are faithful and loyal to the Lord wholeheartedly, such as the apostle Paul who said, Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me (Philippians 3:12). The Lord does good to us out of His abundant love, not because we deserve it, but because He is merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation (Exodus 34:6,7). Asaph, one of the authors of the psalm, said of God, Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart (Psalm 73:1). Those who are good are the seed that stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop (Luke 8:15 NIV). It was also this attribute that Nehemiah claimed for himself in his prayer: Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people ... Remember me, O my God, for good (Nehemiah 5:19; 13:31). God does good to the righteous by granting them four things:

Requesting punishment for workers of iniquity: As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them away with the workers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel! (verse 5). In the history of Israel there are examples of those who turn aside to their crooked ways. The Israelites had turned aside when Moses said to them, And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the LORD your God—had made for yourselves a molded calf! You had turned aside quickly from the way which the LORD had commanded you (Deuteronomy 9:16). The two sons of Samuel also did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice (1 Samuel 8:3). Shemaiah, who sought to deter Nehemiah from building the walls of Jerusalem, did the same thing for the love of money (Nehemiah 6:10,12,13). The foolishness of a man twists his way, and his heart frets against the LORD (Proverbs 19:3), so he joins those who turn aside and depart from God, saying to Him, Depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways (Job 21:14). The Lord leaves them alone in their crookedness and delusion, to meet their dreadful destiny together with the workers of iniquity. They choose crookedness, and they have to endure the punishment for their crooked choice. For it will be said to them, Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).

What should be the believer's response to God's embracing?

Give an example proving that the sceptre of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous.

A miracle that surpassed imagination: When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream (verse 1). The psalmist remembers the deliverance from the distress and troubles of captivity, as well as the removal from the place of worship. Yet, he stops to meditate on the heavenly miracle that brought them back home and made them feel like dreamers. Could it possibly be a dream from which they would wake up only to face the bitter reality that they are still captive, or face a new kind of captivity? They were like Christ's disciples when Christ appeared to them after His resurrection; they still did not believe for joy, and marvelled (Luke 24:41). They were like Peter in prison as he awaited his execution on the next day, being in deep sleep. Then an angel of the Lord came to rescue him, and a light shone in the prison. The angel woke him up, telling him to gird himself, tie on his sandals and put on his clothes. Because it was cold outside, he added that he should put on his cloak on top of his clothes and follow him. So he went out and followed him, not knowing that what was done by the angel was real. He thought he was dreaming. They went past four guard posts before they came to the main gate. The angel opened it while Peter still thought he was dreaming! Once they were out, the angel went down one street with him and immediately departed from him. At this point Peter came to himself and said, Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me (Acts 12:6-11).

The Lord will also deliver us from diverse captivities, and bring us out laughing:

The joy of those who returned: Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing (verse 2a). When the returned exiles woke up from the nightmare of the Babylonian captivity to the wonderful reality of being back home again, they truly realized that the Lord restored them back from their captivity. Because of this, their hearts filled with great joy, for God's mercy was far greater than their expectations. They could not help laughing till their mouths were filled with laughter and their tongues expressed their joy through singing. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the LORD does valiantly (Psalm 118:15). They could have been truly described by the Scripture: Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you (1 Peter 1:8-10). Yes, A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken (Proverbs 15:13).

The astonishment of the nations: Then they said among the nations, 'The LORD has done great things for them' (verse 2b). The sound of laughter, singing, and joy was loud and sincere, which made the heathens around them ask about the cause of such merriment. When they knew, they were astonished. They realized that what took place with the Israelites could not be anything but a miraculous work of the LORD. The LORD has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations (Psalm 98:2) The LORD has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God (Isaiah 52:10).

The gratitude of the returned exiles: The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad (verse 3). With all thankfulness the returned exiles acknowledged the Lord's great work and proclaimed it far and wide. They did not refer this return to Ezra's righteousness or Nehemiah's high position as governor, but to the great God, while they seemed to say, Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, you mountains, o forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and glorified Himself in Israel ... So the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; sorrow and sighing shall flee away (Isaiah 44:23; 51:11).

When the angel Gabriel imparted the good news to Mary that she found favour in the eyes of God, and that she would conceive and give birth to Christ, the Saviour of the world, Mary hurried to her relative Elizabeth. Once she saw her, Elizabeth blessed her because she believed that the Lord would carry out what He had promised her. In response, Mary sang, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior ... For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name ... He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly (Luke 1:46-52). Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4).

He asked to be filled like the streams: Bring back our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the South (verse 4). The southern part of Palestine, known as the Negev Desert, is a very dry place. In summer the little streams dry up, to be filled again in autumn with rain water. When Caleb the son of Jephunneh gave his daughter Achsah the arid land of the South, she begged him, Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs (Judges 1:15). Just like Achsah, Caleb's daughter, the psalmist asks for springs for the dry land, as though he were calling God: How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light (Psalm 36:7-9). The condition of the psalmist and his people was like the seasonal streams of the South that went dry, so he asked for an overflow of blessing to quench his thirst and bring forth vegetation, like the dry rivulets when they fill with the refreshing autumn rains. As Israel sinned and turned away from worshipping the One God, God said about them, My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:13). The springs of their spiritual lives dried up, and their punishment was to be taken into exile. We, too, are like them in that we need our spiritual streams to be filled with the living water that imparts life, for He called us, Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters ... Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near (Isaiah 55:1,6). Christ said, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water (John 7:37,38). This change from thirst to satisfaction takes place when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, as was said by the prophet Joel, Be glad ... and rejoice in the LORD your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you— the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month ... So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten -- ... And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh (Joel 2:23,25,28). This prophecy was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost, and it can repeat itself with us today.

He asked for a harvest, just as a sower would: Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him (verses 5,6). Before the rains fall the land is black, dry and cracked, waiting for sowing and the rain. The sower then goes out with a seed bag and, with tears of labour, begins to sow the seeds, water them and wait for fruit. Once the rains fall down and the land receives its supply of water, the cracks disappear and the seeds begin to sprout. Soon the time comes for harvest, when the farmer reaps with joy and brings in his harvest with singing so as to express his thanks to God: You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance (Psalm 65:11).

The psalmist begged the Lord to turn his painful experience of tears into joy, gladness - and singing - which the Lord did. After the return from captivity, the walls were broken down and the temple was devastated, so the people's souls were filled with sadness. Then they set about building the temple: But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy (Ezra 3:12). But after the completion of building their hearts just overflowed with joy. Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy ... And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the LORD made them joyful (Ezra 6:16,22).

Seeing the broken walls, the people were struck with grief, but Nehemiah said to them, You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach (Nehemiah 2:17). And again joy filled their hearts at the completion of building. At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps... Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off (Nehemiah 12:27,43).

In our spiritual lives, too, we have sorrows followed by joys, because the Lord restores us from those sad times. So we feel like dry streams filling with rain, or like a sower enraptured with joy over the harvest after the laborious work of planting.

Mention some types of captivity.

What did the psalmist mean in verse 4 when he prayed, Bring back our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the South?

Building the house: Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it (verse 1a). The Lord is the true builder of each and every house. Man may build a house, but he may not dwell in it (Deuteronomy 28:30). Obedience to the word of the Lord, therefore, is the foundation on which a happy house stands, as Christ said, Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock (Matthew 7:24,25). A man may inherit or earn money, then build a house. But this material building does not build a warm home or a family that fears and loves God because Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD (Proverbs 19:14). Many people build themselves grand houses of stone but they do not enjoy a happy home life within their cold walls. In Genesis 11 you read that the people wanted to build the Tower of Babel out of defiance to God, but it soon came to nothing. Then in Genesis 12 you read how God built a house and a family to Terah, the father of Abraham, the friend of God, and that he lived a long life and that from his descendants came Christ the Saviour of the world.

Guarding the house: Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain (verse 1b). The Lord is the true Guard and without His keeping watch over the house it does not last long. The Old Testament tells us that King Ahab of Israel made a treaty with King Jehoshaphat of Judah to wage war against the Syrians to retrieve the city Ramoth in Gilead, which the Syrians had occupied. When the news of the war reached the king of Syria he charged the captains of his soldiers to shoot only King Ahab. To protect Ahab, however, King Jehoshaphat went into battle in his own royal attire, whereas Ahab went in a disguise. As a result, the Syrians attacked Jehoshaphat, who cried out to the Lord and the Lord helped him. Immediately the soldiers backed off because they knew that he was not Ahab. Meanwhile, a Syrian soldier shot an arrow at random and struck the king of Israel in a weak spot in his armour. Ahab tried to protect himself, but failed (see 2 Chronicles 18).

The Lord builds the house of married couples and gives them children, turning the house into a city. If the Lord does not guard this city there is no point in the parents trying do so. As human beings parents try many ways to keep the city, that is their house, thriving and lively. They give their children the highest education possible and the best material provisions in terms of housing, food and clothing. The members of the family celebrate their happy events, exchange gifts and spend vacations together. Afterwards they discover that all these things did not give them a happy home. Praying together as a family, however, and going to the Lord's house together is the best means of keeping the peace of the family, because the Scripture says, (You) ... are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:5).

The welfare of the house: It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep (verse 2). Rising up and sitting up mean work and rest respectively. The intended meaning is that curtailing the hours of rest and extending the hours of labour are useless unless the Lord gives His blessing. He provides without limit for those who love Him without limit, even as they sleep. Solomon, the author of this psalm, was the richest, wisest and most intelligent man of his time. He was wise enough to know that The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it (Proverbs 10:22).

A rich farmer was asked, Why do you rise up early in the morning and stay up late at night? If you want to own the world, he answered, You rise up early to seek it and search for it, and once you own it, you must stay up late to keep that which you own of it! This is the wisdom of the world that makes a man serve the idol of mammon all day long and worry about it all night long. He presumes that through his diligence and vigilance he can make money to keep his peace of mind and secure his home and family. But 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts (Zechariah 4:6). The Lord takes care of you during your sleep, because you can not take care of yourself, either in your sleep nor in your wakefulness! The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how (Mark 4:26,27). It is only the Lord who gives the increase and bestows the blessing, granting peace and security to those who love Him.

This does not mean that we should be idle, but we should see the difference between ambition and greed. Exert yourself, but do not overdo it. Tend to your affairs, but do not worry about them, obeying Christ's admonition: Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air ... your heavenly Father feeds them ... Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin ... Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (Matthew 6:25-34). One’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses (Luke 12:15). There is no reason to worry. On the contrary, let us believe and be obedient to the apostle's commandment: Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7 NIV). In this way we will enjoy the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, which will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

Children are a heritage: Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD (verse 3a). The psalmist sees that his children are the Lord's. It was the Lord who gave them to him, committed them to his care so that he may enjoy them as a gift from Him. Of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, and without Him nothing was made that was made. When Esau met his brother Jacob after the latter's return from the house of their uncle Laban, he saw the women and the children and asked Jacob, Who are these with you? he asked. Jacob answered, The children whom God has graciously given your servant (Genesis 33:5).

The Lord gave the psalmist children so that he might enjoy them and raise them up for the Lord, that one day it will be their turn to raise up their own children: For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one ... I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You. And again: 'I will put My trust in Him.' And again: 'Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.' (Hebrews 2:11-13).

Children are a reward: The fruit of the womb is a reward (verse 3b). The Lord gives the children as a reward or payment to their godly parents. The psalmist did not see his children as a biological product or a mistake, but as a heavenly reward and a blessing from the Lord. Now the LORD had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing ... So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him ... The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward'... 'One who will come from your own body shall be your heir' (Genesis 12:1,2,4; 15:1-4). Abraham obeyed God and believed, so his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness, and God gave him children in his old age.

Children are arrows: Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth (verse 4). Arrows are used to defend oneself, one's honour and one's land. God gives the children of one's youth to parents as a heritage and reward to defend home and repel the attacks of the enemy. Parents are spoken of as mighty warriors just as God called Gideon a mighty man of valor (Judges 6:12), not because he was mighty, but because God was going to make him so. The credit of might goes to God, not to Gideon. Like Gideon, we fear the things that we have not attempted before, and are terrified of the unknown. Have you heard the cry of a child going to school the first time? Have you noticed the fear of an official assuming the responsibilities of his position for the first time? Have you observed a mother and a father welcoming their first child with a mixed feeling of joy and fear? They wonder if they could be the good parents they should be and if they could succeed in raising up such a child. The Lord, however, encourages us that the children of one's youth are like arrows in the hands of a warrior! In this verse we see the responsibility of both parents and children:

Children are a line of defence: Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate (verse 5). The psalmist blesses the father of a family who has raised up his children like arrows, for they shall not be ashamed, but shall defend their parents and family in front of the elders and leaders who are on the enemies' side. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of such sharp arrows. Naturally quivers are not all the same size; there are big families and small families. Do not compare your family with another, or your children with each other. Happy is the man whom God gave arrows that will make his heart glad as they leave his mighty warrior's hand accompanied by the grace of God. Let parents look at their children with pride. If you hurried to rebuke your child to change his course, you will be just as happy to hurry to give him the praise due him when he hits the mark.

The house of Reverend Samuel Wesley (the father of John and Charles Wesley) caught fire while his eight children were within it. As they handed him his eighth child out of the window he said to his neighbours, Thank you ... Now let us come and kneel down and thank God, for he has returned my eight children back to me. Let the house burn! I am still a rich man! Here is a father who knew the value of his children. These children shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate Ancient cities had walls around them. They had huge gates and in front of the main gate was a public square where the elders of the city used to sit to judge disputes. If an enemy makes a complaint against a father, his good children would come to this square to defend their father verbally, or, if need be, by force of arms. Verbal battles are so frequent. Goliath attacked Israel verbally eighty times within forty days, and cursed David by his gods (1 Samuel 17:10, 43). Again, good children will not be ashamed of their parents, but defend them as David defended his people. This is the happy family through which the Lord made the father of the family a happy man. Let us remember our families with gratitude to God, and pray that these characteristics may apply to our families today.

How can we build a warm home?

Verse 4 of this psalm says, Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth What is meant by this?

The bliss of fearing God: Blessed is every one who fears the LORD (verse 1a). Fearing the Lord is the cornerstone of godliness and wisdom, as Job said, The fear of the Lord -- that is wisdom (Job 28:28). Similarly, the psalmist says, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10) and the wise man adds, The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline (Proverbs 1:7). Fearing God is not the same as dreading God or being terrified of Him, nor is it a hypocritical fear, because perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). It is a feeling of a lover who fears he may hurt the feelings of his loved one, and says, I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:8). We love, revere and respect our earthly fathers, as well as praise and honour them in obedience to the divine commandment. We do not allow anyone to hurt them and try hard to make them happy. It is the same way with God: we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). We obey Him because He blesses us. We honour Him because He deserves our tribute of honour. We glorify and praise Him, and offer Him the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name (Hebrews 13:15). We seek His face and have life because His favour is for life (Psalm 30:5).

The bliss of obedience: Blessed is every one... who walks in His ways (verse 1b). Bliss begins with repentance and the new birth, then grows bigger and continues growing as you walk in obedience to God and move forward in His ways. Moving forward implies perseverance in the face of obstacles and suffering. If anyone desires to come after Me Jesus said, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:24-26). Scripture says, Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways (Proverbs 8:32). The ancients called Christianity the Way (Acts 9:2) because it is a way of life and thought that differs from any other. It is the way of life and thought that Christ had, for He said, I am the way (John 14:6). Christ is the main way from which branch out and in which converge all ways of goodness, mercy and love, so that we may have His mind of benevolence and self-sacrifice (Philippians 2:5) toward God, ourselves, our families, our neighbours, our church and our society. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

Before receiving true happiness man had his own way, because: He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, but he who is perverse in his ways despises Him (Proverbs 14:12). After repenting and following the way of godliness, however, man begins to walk in the way of the Lord who restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3).

The bliss of work: When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you (verse 2). A happy person is one who enjoys the labour of his hands, which satisfies his heart and soul. Besides, everyone who fears the Lord must work to meet his needs and those of his family because If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks (Ecclesiastes 10:18 NIV) and Wise people store up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction (Proverbs 10:14). Paul said also, You yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me (Acts 20:34). It was Paul again who said, If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

The man who fears the Lord respects the work that he does because whatever he does in the fear of the Lord is holy. Let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need (Ephesians 4:28). No work is shameful or unholy except sin. The work of the wife and the mother for her husband and children is just as holy as the work of a clergyman who discharges his religious duties. Fearing God turns hard work into a blessing, so that the Scripture is fulfilled, The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it (Proverbs 10:22).

Sadly, some people toil and labour but do not enjoy the labour of their hands because they are sick. They do not eat what they work hard to possess! Sometimes a man labours but does not reap because an enemy robs him of what he worked for. But happy is the man who walks in the way of the Lord because he plants and reaps the produce of his labour. The Scripture will be fulfilled to him, They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; tor as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, and My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble; for they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them (Isaiah 65:21-23).

The Preacher said, Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God (Ecclesiastes 5:18,19).

The wife is a fruitful vine: Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the very heart of your house (verse 3a). Houses used to have a large courtyard in the middle, and the rooms were around it. In this unroofed courtyard they used to plant a vine. It would rise to cover the walls with a beautiful and fresh green colour.

The vine shaded the house from the hot sun and provided it with fresh grapes and dried raisins. A righteous wife is like a vine; she is a virtuous wife. For her worth is far above rubies (Proverbs 31:10).

The children are olive trees: Your children like olive plants all around your table (verse 3b). Olive trees are always green. They are useful in many ways. The Lord said to his people, The LORD called your name, Green Olive Tree, Lovely and of Good Fruit (Jeremiah 11:16). Therefore every member of His people says, But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever (Psalm 52:8).

The husband fears the Lord:

Why does the psalmist say that a good wife is like a vine?

In verse 3 the psalmist describes the children of the pious man. Explain.

Many troubles (verses 1,2):

Severe troubles (verses 3,4):

The wicked will be put to shame and turned back: Let all those who hate Zion be put to shame and turned back (verse 5). They fight an unequal fight. They, the idol-worshippers, have pitted themselves against the stronghold on which the temple of the Lord was built. This is the stronghold of which the psalmist said, Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in His holy mountain ... God is in her palaces; He is known as her refuge. For behold, the kings assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they marveled; they were troubled, they hastened away. Fear took hold of them there (Psalm 48:1-6). They will be turned back, willingly or not, because they fight against the One who is far stronger than they. Christ said to Saul of Tarsus, Why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads (Acts 26:14). Goads are made of iron and are used on the back of the ox to prod it to pull the plow quickly. Can an ox kick against the teeth of the plow or the goads on his back because it is enraged against the farmer without hurting itself? By kicking against the goads it wounds itself and still does not do any damage either to the plow or to its owner.

The enemy may win the battle, but he must lose the war. Final victory belongs to Him who went out conquering and to conquer. He is the One we call on, Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O LORD! Let them be ashamed and confounded who seek my life; let them be turned back[a] and confused who desire my hurt (Psalm 70:1,2).

The wicked will perish: Let them be as the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up, with which the reaper does not fill his hand, nor he who binds sheaves, his arms (verses 6,7). A kind of grass sprouts on top of mud houses after it rains. Because this grass does not have any depth of soil, it neither grows nor lasts long. It soon withers before it produces seed or yields fruit. Again because its stalks are short the reaper cannot fill his hands with it; the one who binds sheaves cannot fill his arms with it because of its sparseness. So it is with the wicked. They are like the grass on housetops that neither gladdens the hearts of the reaper nor fills the arms of him who binds it into sheaves, for evil shall slay the wicked: In the morning it flourishes and grows up; in the evening it is cut down and withers (Psalm 90:6). God said of the enemies of His people that they, had little power; they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field and the green herb, as the grass on the housetops and grain blighted before it is grown (Isaiah 37:27).

The wicked will not receive a blessing: Neither let those who pass by them say, 'The blessing of the LORD be upon you; we bless you in the name of the LORD!' (verse 8). Passers-by used to greet the reapers in this way, The blessing of the LORD be upon you; we bless you in the name of the LORD! But wicked passers-by do not greet wicked reapers because they do not like each other, because their harvest is meagre or because their enemies rob them of their harvest. 'There is no peace,' says the LORD, 'for the wicked' (Isaiah 48:22).

The believers, on the other hand, enjoy the blessing of peace, as the Scripture says, Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, 'The LORD be with you!' And they answered him, 'The LORD bless you!' (Ruth 2:4). They shall again use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I bring back their captivity: 'The LORD bless you, O home of justice, and mountain of holiness!'... For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul (Jeremiah 31:23-25).

In this psalm, why does the psalmist recall his past?

Explain what the psalmist meant by saying The plowers plowed on my back. How did God save him?

Feeling guilty makes us cry out: Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD; Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications (verses 1,2). The psalmist cries out out of the depths to express his urgent need and sense of impending danger. He sank under the weight of his sin. As the psalmist compares himself with God's holiness he cannot but say, Lord, I have inspected the depths of my heart in the light of Your holy word. Your grace helped me to understand it. And being enlightened by Your Holy Spirit, I found myself to be a sinner. If weighed on the scales, I am lighter than air. I am unworthy to stand in Your holy presence. Therefore I cry out to You from this miserable pit because my sins have separated me from You. But I ran to You for shelter. I seek refuge in You from all my fears. Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God (Psalm 69:1-3).

Then he moves on from crying out to speaking with God and pleading with Him. Feeling guilty, he shouts aloud like a scared child so that his father would hear him and rescue him. At another time he pleads in a quiet voice, knowing that the Lord's mercies will visit him and seek him out as the good shepherd seeks out a lost sheep until he finds it. And just as His divine mercy stretched out its hand to Joseph to deliver him from the cistern, and to Daniel to deliver him from the lions' den, so it would be done for the psalmist.

He was aware of God's promise to Solomon on the day he inaugurated the temple: If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place (2 Chronicles 7:14,15).

Feeling guilty leads to repentance: If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? (verse 3). The psalmist recognizes that if God counts his sins against him and does not blot them out because of His mercy, there is no way for him to stand in the divine court of law! Here we are before You, in our guilt, Ezra said, though no one can stand before You because of this! (Ezra 9:15). The psalmist does not plead innocent, but confesses his helplessness and unworthiness in God's presence, as Job said to God, If I sin, then You mark me, and will not acquit me of my iniquity (Job 10:14).

This is despair that leads to hope! It is the despair of someone who knows that They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one (Romans 3:12), that the wages of sin is death. None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him— For the redemption of their souls is costly, and it shall cease forever... But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me (Psalm 49:7,8,15). Consequently, he casts himself wholly on the divine grace, like the tax collector who, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. and went down to his house justified (Luke 18:9-14). Martin Luther said, I will remain, till the last minute of my life, a beggar for God's mercy because Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12 NIV).

Feeling guilty leads to a godly life: But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared (verse 4). This is neither the fear of punishment, nor the despair of forgiveness, but the godly fear of the forgiven repentant sinner. It is a respectful, honouring fear of the holy God, who alone has the power to forgive sins and trespasses. I, even I, says God, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins (Isaiah 43:25). God's forgiveness makes us love, obey and serve Him, as well as call our brethren and neighbours to repent and return to the One who blotted out our transgressions like a thick cloud, and our sins like a cloud. Let our prayer be, Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You (Psalm 51:10-13). And thus we conduct ourselves throughout our life here in fear (1 Peter 1:17).

He waits for redemption because God promised it: I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning— Yes, more than those who watch for the morning (verses 5,6). I wait in the Hebrew comes from a root that signifies stretching a rope from this side to the other, with the human soul standing on one side and the divine promise on the other. This rope of waiting binds the human soul to the divine promises. It is a confident awaiting of revealed mercy: Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield (Psalm 33:18-20). And in His word I do hope for God's words and promises always come true. Because God is faithful and just, the psalmist confidently waited for Him, knowing that what he waited for will surely come to pass. Yes, more than those who watch for the morning in the assurance that it will surely break forth no matter how dark or long the night was. Light must shine forth and daybreak must come, and the Sun of righteousness will rise.

The psalmist was also thinking of many who were waiting for the morning:

We find ourselves in all those who watch for the morning. We wait for the Lord as His priests who draw near to Him and bring people near to Him, as well. We are like guards who have a responsibility, waiting for Christ's return so that our guard duty may end and we find rest in Him. We are like travellers bound for the Heavenly City, awaiting our arrival to it or the coming of Christ who will take us there. We are like weary patients, overtaxed by life, as they watch for the break of morning and hope to be refreshed by the believers' fellowship. We are like sailors who have set sail, awaiting the arrival at a safe shore, in order to see the great city, whose builder and maker is God. We are also sinners waiting for God's mercy and forgiveness more eagerly than those who watch for the morning. The approach of the blessing makes us all the more eager to receive it because now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light (Romans 13:11,12).

He waits for redemption because God is merciful: O Israel, hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption (verse 7). All the sins of mankind could not diminish God's mercies and redemption, not even as little as a mustard seed! Thereupon we have no escape from our sins unless He encompasses us with His grace and redeems us with His atonement. Is Ephraim My dear son? the Lord said, Is he a pleasant child? The answer ought to be "no" because he had sinned. But the Lord goes on to say, For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still; therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him (Jeremiah 31:20). The tribe of Ephraim was not pleasant; he deserved punishment. God, however, did not forget him or leave him in his sins. On the contrary, He frequently remembered him and yearned for him with intense feelings, desiring to show mercy to him. This is exactly what the apostle meant when he said, And you... were dead in trespasses and sins ... But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ ... and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:1-6).

Yes, with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption because He is our great Redeemer. Christ offered Himself as atonement for all mankind once and for all, having obtained eternal redemption. This is more precious than all the Mosaic sacrifices, which were offered on a daily and a weekly basis, as well as on feast days. They were all symbols of the One and Only sacrifice, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, who is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25).

He waits for redemption because God's redemption is complete: And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities (verse 8). By "Israel" the psalmist intends the spiritual offspring of Abraham from all races and backgrounds, who have an Abraham-like faith. The redemption offered by God is complete, not partial; permanent, not temporary. God's atonement can expand to include and cover all the sins of mankind in all ages and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin... and... from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7,9). There is no sin, regardless how great it is, that the blood of Jesus cannot atone for if we come to Him in repentance. Redemption is a divine act that issues forth from divine love. It is available to us because of the divine intervention on behalf of fallen sinners. There is hope for every sinful soul, no matter how far away it is, when it returns submissively and says, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin... Against You, You only, have I sinned... that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge (Psalm 51:1-4). Therefore, ask for His redemption with confidence.

Why does feeling guilty lead us to repentance?

Mention five kinds of souls who wait for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning.