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
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
No comments:
Post a Comment