This one's not a very long psalm, and it's kind of fitting just to walk through it a few verses at a time.
So, if I walk through the first couple verses and it seems a little slow, it'll pick up.
But I think it's just more helpful as we go through this psalm.
This is the beginning of this psalm, and some of your Bibles might have a couple little titles to it.
One is, to the choir master, according to do not destroy.
Some might say a mitum of David.
So, what we pick up from these phrases is that this psalm is used in the larger assembly of praising and singing in worship service.
So, it's kind of cool.
They don't really know what the mitum is, other than it's probably a liturgical or a musical term.
And the fact that there's a directive to the choir master, it's like, hey, when we sing this, this is how we're going to sing it.
Or, you know, this is the tune we're going to use, or something to that effect.
Which is pretty cool, because we know that it was used to encourage and unify a larger group of people way back then.
And we get to do the same thing.
This is one where it's, again, like a personal lament that David wrote during his persecution of Saul.
And this one in particular is when he was trapped in a cave.
You guys will remember, you know, he's running for Saul for his life.
Saul wants to kill him.
And he ends up finding refuge in a cave.
But before we read the verse, it's helpful to remember that David here is being obedient to what God has called him to do.
So, it's not like he's sinned and somebody is chasing him down for punishment.
But he's obeying God, and yet he still finds himself being chased by Saul and 3,000 men.
And although David has an army, he's still outnumbered like five to one.
So, you know, he's doing this for God's sake.
Which is good to keep in mind as we read through this psalm.
Because it's helpful to keep that obedience sign up in front of us.
As we walk through this, we see that he's working through this suffering, knowing he's following God.
So, the first section of this psalm is like a prayer.
And so, we're just going to go through it that way.
Verse 1, we see David's real, his desperate plea for help.
He's crying out, be merciful to me, oh God, be merciful.
So, we kind of get right from that the urgency of David's plea.
Because it's as if he's repeating it twice, hoping for like a faster delivery.
Or he's repeating it twice because he doesn't have any other way to rephrase it.
And that's all he's got, so he says it again.
Like, be merciful to me, oh God, be merciful to me.
So, we really get the feeling of David's desperation in this.
And he's crying out for God's protection.
Which leads us to the next thought.
And that is David's humility.
His being humble towards his God.
And you guys all know that humility isn't always an easy thing to do.
Right?
Because we want to fix things ourselves.
We want to do things ourselves.
We want to be strong enough to do that.
And David could be that way.
You know, David was a strong man.
A man, you know, that wasn't foreign to battles.
He took Goliath out.
And yet we see right from the beginning that David is very humble.
Be merciful to me, oh God.
Be merciful.
For in you my soul takes refuge.
Not in myself or in my strength, but in God.
So, right from the beginning we see that David's humble before God.
And then after the humility, we have David's confidence that we get to get a glimpse of as well.
So, he's confidently crying out to God for mercy.
Knowing that God is our rock and our salvation.
Right?
He says that God will send from heaven and save me.
So, he knows God is there and it's his refuge.
Let me back up just a little bit.
The end of verse 1, in the shadow of your wings.
He's speaking of God that David will take refuge.
Until the storms of destruction pass by.
We also see in verse 2 that he cries out to God.
But he knows God is there to fulfill David's purpose.
Or God's purpose for David.
So, it's pretty cool in that even though he's in this trial.
He knows God has a purpose for David.
And God is going to make it come about.
Which really is the fuel behind David's confidence.
Going into that.
Humble knowing that God isn't forced to do this.
But confident knowing that God has a purpose.
And he's pulling him through it.
And that confidence knowing that God will save him.
Leads on into verse 3.
He will send from heaven and save me.
He will put to shame him who tramples on me.
Selah.
God will send out his steadfast love.
And his faithfulness.
And then as it leads into verse 4.
Verse 4 really gives us a glimpse of David's trial.
His suffering that he's going through.
What he's feeling.
His soul is in the midst of lions.
He lies down amid fiery beasts.
The children of men whose teeth are spears and arrows.
Whose tongues are sharp swords.
So a lot of imagery there.
But we all know that David is literally and physically running for his life.
With people who he's known and loved.
Who were just seeking to kill him.
You know people who say one thing.
And really want the worst for him.
And not the best of him.
So we get a picture of that in verse 4.
And then verse 5.
Verse 5 is kind of like the chorus to this first verse.
And it's really.
It's really.
David kind of given a refocus of the bigger picture.
He says be exalted oh God above the heavens.
Let your glory be over all the earth.
So it's a call that the whole earth would see God who he is.
And would give God the glory that he deserves.
So it's kind of strange that he walks through this.
He's confident in who God is.
He's confident that God's going to save him.
And then he's.
He wants the world to take glory in.
And exalt God for who he is.
So it's.
To me it's kind of cool.
Because it just kind of ends that.
That verse with.
Just kind of readjusting his focus.
And realizing.
Like.
I'm.
I'm here.
And I'm here because God wants me here.
And God is over all of this.
And then verse 6.
Really starts kind of like the second verse of the song.
At least that's.
It kind of laid out that way.
As I was studying it.
And we see in verse 6.
As things start to change.
David's hope in God.
Kind of takes a switch from.
From trusting.
To actually seeing.
Verse 6 says.
They set a net for my steps.
My soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my way.
But they had fallen into it themselves.
Selah.
And then from here.
We see that.
He is.
God has rescued him.
From this trial.
And now.
The rest of the.
The rest of this song.
Is him praising.
He is praising.
He is praising for the triumph.
Of his God.
He is praising for what.
The salvation that he has been given.
So verse 7.
My heart is steadfast.
O God.
My heart is steadfast.
I will sing and make melody.
Awake my glory.
Awake.
O harp and lyre.
I will awake the dawn.
I will give thanks to the Lord.
I will give thanks to you.
O Lord.
Among the peoples.
I will sing praises to you.
Among the nations.
For your steadfast love.
Is great to the heavens.
And your faithfulness to the clouds.
And then he repeats.
The chorus that we had from before.
Be exalted.
O God.
Above the heavens.
Let your glory be over all the earth.
So we see.
This.
The second verse.
In chorus.
Really is David's praise.
He's.
He's seeking to praise God.
Among the people.
In verse 9.
I will give thanks to you.
O Lord.
Among the people.
I will sing praises to you.
Among the nations.
So there's this public profession.
Of glory.
Of praise.
That David's looking.
To.
To make happen.
He's looking to do that.
Because.
It's his duty.
He's looking to do that.
Because it's a necessity.
He's also looking to do that.
Because it's his privilege.
God has just saved him.
Literally saved him from death.
And he knows how God is.
Has blessed him.
And has.
Protected him.
And now he wants to.
Not hold any of that back.
And continue to give praise.
To God publicly.
To.
Whoever is all around him.
So.
We get to see.
Kind of the level.
Of David's praise.
And worship.
Really.
It's.
Proportionate to.
The level of.
Of.
Plea and desperation.
That he was at.
In the beginning.
Right.
If you're not really saved from very much.
You're not really thankful very much.
Um.
And this kind of leads us into.
A thought that I picked up from.
Um.
John Piper.
You know.
Our worship.
Can.
Can be kind of thin and hollow.
If we really don't do much for God.
Right.
If we stay in our.
In our.
Comfortable.
Avoid hard things area.
Then.
Really.
Our.
Our praise.
Our worship.
Is not going to be that great.
Because we really don't feel.
And see that God is really.
That great.
And does that much.
Um.
But it's when we step out.
Or God calls us to do something.
That.
We really.
Don't feel comfortable doing.
Which I think a lot of.
A lot of things that God calls us to do.
Are probably things we're not comfortable doing.
Um.
It's when we do that.
That actually has an effect.
On our.
Our praise.
And our worship to God.
Because we see how God works.
We see how.
Uh.
The spirit actually.
Comes in.
And lightens our hearts.
More than what was before.
Because of what we're doing for God.
Um.
And.
Another.
Um.
Saying that.
John Piper liked.
But I just tweaked it a little bit.
Because it fit the psalm.
And.
It is.
We're most satisfied.
And.
God is most glorified.
When we put our hope and trust in him.
When we put our hope and trust in ourselves.
Uh.
Our worship to God is going to be.
Really meaningless.
And.
And not very.
It's not going to.
It's just not going to go far.
It's not going to hold us.
But.
When we're satisfied in God.
Because that's where our hope.
And that's where our trust is.
Um.
That's where God gets the glory.
And that's where we can actually.
Uh.
Wholeheartedly.
Praise.
And worship him.
In a way that.
That we can't see anywhere else.
Um.
So this.
This is a really encouraging psalm to go through.
Just because.
Um.
In the area of going through a trial.
In the area of.
Of prayer.
And worship.
This one is.
This one is one that's.
Is just good to go back to.
Reflect on.
And just put yourself where David is.
You know.
We go through trials.
And sometimes we don't see an end to it.
And sometimes they may seem like.
Um.
You know.
Outside of something supernatural.
I don't know how this is going to be fixed.
Or I don't know how.
You know.
Something is to be saved from this.
But.
We see from this that.
That God is a supernatural God.
And.
Um.
And so we.
We pray to him.
We plead to him.
We cry out to him.
And.
And all the while.
We praise him.
We praise him while we're going through it.
We praise him when we're done.
So.
I hope that's encouraging to.
To you guys.
And.
Um.