Psalm 41 - Blesses is the one who considers the poor

Psalm 41

1    "Blessed is the one who considers the poor!

       In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him" ESV

One thing about the Bible is that it is consistent.  From Genesis to Revelation, it is clear that the Lord is concerned for the poor and will bless those who bless the poor. I don't want to get political in this blog, just let it be said that the Lord is concerned with your heart, and will bless the person who invests his own time and money into helping the less fortunate.

4   As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;

    Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.” NASB

The psalmist then pleads with the Lord to be gracious and heal his soul. It seems to me fairly remarkable how many psalms are written when the psalmist was in trouble, but then it many not so remarkable.  When do you pray the most, when everything is going well, or when you have messed up and your enemies are taking advantage? That's one of the reasons I love the psalms so much, they show us how to praise the Lord in good times and in bad. They reflect life as it really is, and don't sugar coat the hard times.

9 Even my close friend whom I trusted,

   he who shared meals with me, has turned against me. NET

And speaking of hard times, this psalm has a little nugget that foreshadows the trials of our Lord. Verse 9 shows us that even Jesus was to face severe trials, and that one of his own close and trusted friend, Judas, would betray him, even as they were sharing a meal.  The Bible truly is an amazing and miraculous book!

I couldn't find many modern songs taken from psalm 41, so I went traditional and pulled up a version from the Genevan Psalter, played on pipe organ.  This psalter is a collection of hymns based on the psalms that goes back to the 16th century, and was compiled under the direction of John Calvin in Geneva to be used as the hymnal of the reformed church.  The wise man pulls our of his store both old and new...

Psalm 41- The Genevan Psalter

http://youtu.be/4c7IB40x-xg

Psalm 41

For the music director; a psalm of David.

1 How blessed is the one who treats the poor properly!

When trouble comes, the Lord delivers him.

2 May the Lord protect him and save his life!

May he be blessed in the land!

Do not turn him over to his enemies!

3 The Lord supports him on his sickbed;

you completely heal him from his illness.

4 As for me, I said:

“O Lord, have mercy on me!

Heal me, for I have sinned against you!

5 My enemies ask this cruel question about me,

ʻWhen will he finally die and be forgotten?ʼ

6 When someone comes to visit, he pretends to be friendly;

he thinks of ways to defame me,

and when he leaves he slanders me.

7 All who hate me whisper insults about me to one another;

they plan ways to harm me.

8 They say,

ʻAn awful disease overwhelms him,

and now that he is bed-ridden he will never recover.ʼ

9 Even my close friend whom I trusted,

he who shared meals with me, has turned against me.

10 As for you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up,

so I can pay them back!”

11 By this I know that you are pleased with me,

for my enemy does not triumph over me.

12 As for me, you uphold me because of my integrity;

you allow me permanent access to your presence.

13 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise

in the future and forevermore!

We agree! We agree!

The NET Bible

Psalm 40 - He but a new song in my mouth.

Psalm 40 - A New Song

I keep coming back to Psalm 40.  In many ways it is the story of my life.  I can identify with being pulled out of the mud and most of my life has been dedicated to worshipping the Lord through my music.  See verse 4:

   “He put a new song in my mouth, 

   a song of praise to our God;

   Many will see and fear

   And will trust in the Lord.” NASB

and again in verse 16:

   “Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;

   Let those who love Your salvation say continually,

   'The Lord be magnified!' ” NASB

Many songs have been written for those verses.  I think they are such popular verses because most people can identify with the psalmist, being rescued out of desperate circumstances and turning to praise the Lord.  When I was first saved, way back in the “70s, we were coming out of the turbulent “60s and the Vietnam war was wrapping up. We had the population bomb to worry about and the USSR was still threatening us with nuclear annihilation.  There was a great deal of fear and uncertainty in those times, and when we found the Lord and were filled with the Holy Spirit. We had much for which to rejoice!  

But come to think about it, the times are not that much different today.  The issues are different, but the anxiety and fear of the age are just as palpable.  Many fear that the earth is being destroyed by global climate change and others are afraid of Islamic terrorism.  Some are so afraid of what the future holds that they abort their own children so that they won’t have to face an unwanted and uncertain future.  All good reasons that we should follow the example of the writer of Psalm 40 and cry to the Lord to save us out of the pit into which we have fallen, and lift us out of the clay that is threatening to suck us in to destruction.

Rejoice and be glad!  Good advice in all times and at all seasons.  Jesus said that each day had enough worries of it’s own, so we should just turn them all over to the Lord and trust in Him to save and deliver us, and to make our footsteps firm.  There is really no other way to live a confident life.  Many try to rely on other philosophies and religions, but only Jesus give us all that we need to live free, confident and happy.  You can try to find those things other places, but it is those who love His salvation that can say “The Lord be magnified”!

The Sons of Korah are one of my favorite groups so I’ve included there edition of psalm 40 here, but I’ve also included another version from Toby Mac that is a bit more modern feeling.

Toby Mac Psalm 40 Kinetic Typography

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE_6TkwOK0o

Ps 40 Sons of Korah.mpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vORSaiLVQOc

Psalm 40 

For the music director; By David, a psalm.

1 I relied completely on the Lord,

and he turned toward me

and heard my cry for help.

2 He lifted me out of the watery pit, 

out of the slimy mud. 

He placed my feet on a rock

and gave me secure footing. 

3 He gave me reason to sing a new song, 

praising our God. 

May many see what God has done,

so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord! 

4 How blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord 

and does not seek help from the proud or from liars! 

5 O Lord, my God, you have accomplished many things;

you have done amazing things and carried out your purposes for us. 

No one can thwart you! 

I want to declare them and talk about them,

but they are too numerous to recount! 

6 Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern. 

You make that quite clear to me! 

You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings.

7 Then I say,

“Look! I come!

What is written in the scroll pertains to me. 

8 I want to do what pleases you, my God.

Your law dominates my thoughts.” 

9 I have told the great assembly about your justice. 

Look! I spare no words! 

O Lord, you know this is true.

10 I have not failed to tell about your justice; 

I spoke about your reliability and deliverance;

I have not neglected to tell the great assembly about your loyal love and faithfulness. 

11 O Lord, you do not withhold your compassion from me.

May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me!

12 For innumerable dangers surround me.

My sins overtake me

so I am unable to see;

they outnumber the hairs of my head

so my strength fails me. 

13 Please be willing, O Lord, to rescue me!

O Lord, hurry and help me! 

14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life

be totally embarrassed and ashamed! 

May those who want to harm me

be turned back and ashamed! 

15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”

be humiliated and disgraced! 

16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!

May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually, 

“May the Lord be praised!” 

17 I am oppressed and needy! 

May the Lord pay attention to me! 

You are my helper and my deliverer!

O my God, do not delay

The NET Bible

Psalm 39 - The Sounds of Silence

Psalm 39 - The Sounds of Silence

   1 I decided, “I will watch what I say

      and make sure I do not sin with my tongue.

      I will put a muzzle over my mouth

      while in the presence of an evil man.”

   2 I was stone silent;

      I held back the urge to speak.

When I was a young man, there was a popular song by Simon and Garfunkel, "The Sounds of Silence".  Now this was a folk song in the age of the 60's protests, so it's message is not as uplifting as the psalms, but the title captures an important truth;  Sometimes, the sounds of silence speaks much louder than any words that we might say. In this psalm, the writer is beset with difficulties and is surrounded by evil men.  His mind was crying out to respond in kind, but his spirit was instructing him to keep his tongue.  This was certainly an important truth that my parents taught me, "if you can't say anything good, don't say anything at all!" was heart often in our household.  This seems a foreign concept today when political leader, sports stars and other public figures seem to think it is appropriate to speak our whatever they are thinking.  The psalmist knew better, but keeping silent in the face of adversity was not easy.

   2 I was stone silent;

     I held back the urge to speak.

     My frustration grew;

   3 my anxiety intensified.

     As I thought about it, I became impatient.

You may share the psalmist's frustration when you hold back and refuse to speak, but in the end it much the wiser policy. As James said "See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, ..." (James 3:5-6) Responding in kind to the evil man will just inflame the fire and encourage more strife.  In the end it's just not that important.  In verse 5 the psalmist is reflecting on the shortness of life, and the insubstantial nature of this things of this time, including our troubles. 

Wisdom dictates that we take the long view and call upon the Lord.  A fierce argument and a pointed rebuttal may feel good for the moment, but in the end it won't solve the problem or win over the evil man.  Only the mercy of the Lord can help and deliver, and when He answers, then you can be truly happy.

   12 Hear my prayer, O Lord!

        Listen to my cry for help!

        Do not ignore my sobbing!

        For I am dependent on you, like one residing outside his native land;

        I am at your mercy, just as all my ancestors were.

   13 Turn your angry gaze away from me, so I can be happy

        before I pass away.

Now, as we meditate on silence and dependence on the Lord, let's listen to Karl Kohlhas sing his rendition of Psalm 39.

Psalm 39, Make Me Know my End, by Karl Kohlhase

http://youtu.be/CzLxR7t0xag

Psalm 39

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David.

1 I decided, “I will watch what I say

and make sure I do not sin with my tongue.

I will put a muzzle over my mouth

while in the presence of an evil man.”

2 I was stone silent;

I held back the urge to speak.

My frustration grew;

3 my anxiety intensified.

As I thought about it, I became impatient.

Finally I spoke these words:

4 “O Lord, help me understand my mortality

and the brevity of life!

Let me realize how quickly my life will pass!

5 Look, you make my days short-lived,

and my life span is nothing from your perspective.

Surely all people, even those who seem secure, are nothing but vapor.

6 Surely people go through life as mere ghosts.

Surely they accumulate worthless wealth

without knowing who will eventually haul it away.”

7 But now, O Lord, upon what am I relying?

You are my only hope!

8 Deliver me from all my sins of rebellion!

Do not make me the object of foolsʼ insults!

9 I am silent and cannot open my mouth

because of what you have done.

10 Please stop wounding me!

You have almost beaten me to death!

11 You severely discipline people for their sins;

like a moth you slowly devour their strength.

Surely all people are a mere vapor. (Selah)

12 Hear my prayer, O Lord!

Listen to my cry for help!

Do not ignore my sobbing!

For I am dependent on you, like one residing outside his native land;

I am at your mercy, just as all my ancestors were.

13 Turn your angry gaze away from me, so I can be happy

before I pass away.

The NET Bible

Psalm 38 - Do Not Forsake Me

Psalm 38 - Do Not Forsake Me

If Psalm 37 is a popular, feel good psalm, Psalm 38 is the opposite.  The psalmist is in great distress, and is suffering under the rebuke of God for his sins.  The psalmist is sick and in tremendous pain, and he attributes his distress to his own sins.  He is deeply repentant, and is pleading with the Lord to remember him.

  " 9 O Lord, you understand my heartʼs desire;

       my groaning is not hidden from you.

...

   18 Yes, I confess my wrongdoing,

        and I am concerned about my sins."

In all his distress, he does not abandoned his faith in God, but is asking the Lord to acknowledge his repentance in order to heal and forgive him.

   "21 Do not abandon me, O Lord!

         My God, do not remain far away from me!

   22  Hurry and help me, O Lord, my deliverer!"

In this last verse, the psalmist is actually prophesying the Lord's words on the Cross "Lord, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). The psalmist was hoping for forgiveness for his sins, but we are assured of forgiveness because Jesus took all of our suffering and sins to the cross and suffered that abandonment in our stead.  Where the Old Testament psalmist was hoping in his own suffering to convince the Lord to forgive him, in this New Testament age, we trust in the Lord Jesus who suffered and died for us, even though we richly deserve to suffer for our sins.  Now we may yet suffer the consequences of our sinful actions, but that is separate from the Lord's grace in forgiving our sins.  There are still those who embrace suffering in order to convince the Lord to have mercy on them, but it is not necessary to receive forgiveness when you believe in Jesus.

That being said, there is music that can encourage us to mourn for our sins and help bring us to repentance.  Listen to Karl Kohlhase as he sets this psalm to music in a beautiful lament. 

Psalm 38 - Do Not Forsake Me, by Karl Kohlhase

http://youtu.be/qxF29OJP8kk

If you are interested, there is an even more mournful version by Stravinsky that provides a unique expression of Psalm 38:14-14 

http://youtu.be/vwzfXxA9J-M

Psalm 38

A psalm of David, written to get Godʼs attention.

1 O Lord, do not continue to rebuke me in your anger!

Do not continue to punish me in your raging fury!

2 For your arrows pierce me,

and your hand presses me down.

3 My whole body is sick because of your judgment;

I am deprived of health because of my sin.

4 For my sins overwhelm me;

like a heavy load, they are too much for me to bear.

5 My wounds are infected and starting to smell,

because of my foolish sins.

6 I am dazed and completely humiliated;

all day long I walk around mourning.

7 For I am overcome with shame

and my whole body is sick.

8 I am numb with pain and severely battered;

I groan loudly because of the anxiety I feel.

9 O Lord, you understand my heartʼs desire;

my groaning is not hidden from you.

10 My heart beats quickly;

my strength leaves me;

I can hardly see.

11 Because of my condition, even my friends and acquaintances keep their distance;

my neighbors stand far away.

12 Those who seek my life try to entrap me;

those who want to harm me speak destructive words;

all day long they say deceitful things.

13 But I am like a deaf man - I hear nothing;

I am like a mute who cannot speak.

14 I am like a man who cannot hear

and is incapable of arguing his defense.

15 Yet I wait for you, O Lord!

You will respond, O Lord, my God!

16 I have prayed for deliverance, because otherwise they will gloat over me;

when my foot slips they will arrogantly taunt me.

17 For I am about to stumble,

and I am in constant pain.

18 Yes, I confess my wrongdoing,

and I am concerned about my sins.

19 But those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous;

those who hate me without cause outnumber me.

20 They repay me evil for the good I have done;

though I have tried to do good to them, they hurl accusations at me.

21 Do not abandon me, O Lord!

My God, do not remain far away from me!

22 Hurry and help me, O Lord, my deliverer!

The NET Bible

Psalm 37 - Do Not Fret

Psalm 37 - Do Not Fret

This is one of my favorite Psalms. Maybe it's because I tend to worry, having come from a family of world class worriers, but this Psalm is all about not fretting. "Do not fret", "do not envy", "Trust in the Lord", "Wait patiently", "Do not fret", and "do not be angry and frustrated", and that's only the first 8 verses.  And then verse 4 is one of the most precious promises in the Bible:

  "Delight yourself in the Lord;

   And He will give you the desires of your heart." NASB

The Lord knows we need encouragement.  He made us, so he knows our faults and our tendency to doubt and worry.  I don't know if he created us with this need to depend on Him, or if it is the result of the fall, but none the less, in these time we must depend on the Lord to provide for us and sustain us or we will sink into all sorts of fretting and worrying.   

Now you may say, "Elder B, you're old and wise.  Why would you worry?  You don't have the problems that we young people have today."  There may be a little truth in that, but you are never too old to worry! We all tend to rely on ourselves and cause ourselves problems when we don't trust in the Lord at all times.  But in the end, I can agree with the wisdom of the psalmist when he says:

  "25 I was once young, now I am old.

        I have never seen a godly man abandoned,  

        or his children forced to search for food.

   26 All day long he shows compassion and lends to others,

        and his children are blessed.

Like Jesus said, worrying never added an inch to our hight or a day to our lifespan, so trust in the Lord like the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. (See Matthew 6:28 and other verses)

The psalmist continues to compare and contrast the lives of wicked men and those who trust in the Lord.  Read that for yourself while you listen to the way that the Sons of Korah put this Psalm to music

Psalm 37 - Sons of Korah Cover 

http://youtu.be/csy1IMYfJPE

Psalm 37

By David.

1 Do not fret when wicked men seem to succeed!

Do not envy evildoers!

2 For they will quickly dry up like grass,

and wither away like plants.

3 Trust in the Lord and do what is right!

Settle in the land and maintain your integrity!

4 Then you will take delight in the Lord,

and he will answer your prayers.

5 Commit your future to the Lord!

Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf.

6 He will vindicate you in broad daylight,

and publicly defend your just cause.

7 Wait patiently for the Lord!

Wait confidently for him!

Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner,

a man who carries out wicked schemes!

8 Do not be angry and frustrated!

Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!

9 Wicked men will be wiped out,

but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land.

10 Evil men will soon disappear;

you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone.

11 But the oppressed will possess the land

and enjoy great prosperity.

12 Evil men plot against the godly

and viciously attack them.

13 The Lord laughs in disgust at them,

for he knows that their day is coming.

14 Evil men draw their swords

and prepare their bows,

to bring down the oppressed and needy,

and to slaughter those who are godly.

15 Their swords will pierce their own hearts,

and their bows will be broken.

16 The little bit that a godly man owns is better than

the wealth of many evil men,

17 for evil men will lose their power,

but the Lord sustains the godly.

18 The Lord watches over the innocent day by day

and they possess a permanent inheritance.

19 They will not be ashamed when hard times come;

when famine comes they will have enough to eat.

20 But evil men will die;

the Lordʼs enemies will be incinerated -

they will go up in smoke.

21 Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt,

but the godly show compassion and are generous.

22 Surely those favored by the Lord will possess the land,

but those rejected by him will be wiped out.

23 The Lord grants success to the one

whose behavior he finds commendable.

24 Even if he trips, he will not fall headlong,

for the Lord holds his hand.

25 I was once young, now I am old.

I have never seen a godly man abandoned,

or his children forced to search for food.

26 All day long he shows compassion and lends to others,

and his children are blessed.

27 Turn away from evil! Do what is right!

Then you will enjoy lasting security.

28 For the Lord promotes justice,

and never abandons his faithful followers.

They are permanently secure,

but the children of evil men are wiped out.

29 The godly will possess the land

and will dwell in it permanently.

30 The godly speak wise words

and promote justice.

31 The law of their God controls their thinking;

their feet do not slip.

32 Evil men set an ambush for the godly

and try to kill them.

33 But the Lord does not surrender the godly,

or allow them to be condemned in a court of law.

34 Rely on the Lord! Obey his commands!

Then he will permit you to possess the land;

you will see the demise of evil men.

35 I have seen ruthless evil men

growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil.

36 But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared!

I looked for them, but they could not be found.

37 Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly!

For the one who promotes peace has a future.

38 Sinful rebels are totally destroyed;

evil men have no future.

39 But the Lord delivers the godly;

he protects them in times of trouble.

40 The Lord helps them and rescues them;

he rescues them from evil men and delivers them,

for they seek his protection.

The NET Bible

Psalm 36 - Your Love Reaches to the Heavens

Psalm 36

5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,

your faithfulness to the skies.

6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,

your justice like the great deep. NIV

Contemplate on those verses for a bit.  Consider the love of the Lord. Can it be contained by the sky?  Isn't it greater than the highest mountain?  Can not His love reach deeper than the deepest ocean?  Indeed, God's love is greater than all of these, but the psalmist imagination was limited to those things he could see in his world.  In our day we can see far into the heavens and peer deeply into the inner most parts of an atom, yet God's love is greater even than that.  In fact, our human imagination is unable to comprehend the hight, and depth and width and breadth of God's love. (See Ephesians 3:18) 

I'm often asked, "How can a scientist believe in God?" To me that is just silly talk.  How can you probe into the inner workings of the atom and investigate the complex inter workings of the human body, and not acknowledge that there is one greater than all. There is one greater indeed than mere chance or natural selection, a creator that has designed a most marvelous universe.  Indeed, His love reaches to the heavens...

The psalm continues to extols the virtues of the Lord or provides food, drink and shelter to all men. "For you are the one who gives and sustains life." Our God is not only the creator of all things, but He is the sustainer, the one that enables our continuing existence. Some of the environmental doomsday talk is nothing less that a lack of faith in the master designer that created the world and sustains it.  Yes, we need to be good stewards of the earth, but no it's not so fragile that we can easily destroy it.

Well, this has all been very interesting, but let's get back to the purpose of the psalm, to praise the name of the Lord, and listen to Third Day sing psalm 36.

Your Love Oh Lord (Psalm 36) - Third Day - Worship Video w. Lyrics

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0OBRvxrzhqs

Psalm 36

1 An evil man is rebellious to the core.

He does not fear God,

2 for he is too proud

to recognize and give up his sin.

3 The words he speaks are sinful and deceitful;

he does not care about doing what is wise and right.

4 He plans ways to sin while he lies in bed;

he is committed to a sinful lifestyle;

he does not reject what is evil.

5 O Lord, your loyal love reaches to the sky;

your faithfulness to the clouds.

6 Your justice is like the highest mountains,

your fairness like the deepest sea;

you preserve mankind and the animal kingdom.

7 How precious is your loyal love, O God!

The human race finds shelter under your wings.

8 They are filled with food from your house,

and you allow them to drink from the river of your delicacies.

9 For you are the one who gives

and sustains life.

10 Extend your loyal love to your faithful followers,

and vindicate the morally upright!

11 Do not let arrogant men overtake me,

or let evil men make me homeless!

12 I can see the evildoers! They have fallen!

They have been knocked down and are unable to get up!

The NET Bible