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

Psalm 35 - Contend O Lord

Psalm 35 - Contend O Lord

“Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;

Fight against those who fight against me” NASB

At first reading, I was sort of put off by the militaristic language of this Psalm.  I mean asking the Lord to use your spear and lance doesn’t exactly sound like Jesus saying “turn the other cheek”.  But then I considered more closely.  The Hebrew word translated fight or contend could also be translated “plead my case”.  That got me to thinking about the lawyer adds that you see on late night TV. “Have you been injured by big truck?  Call ABC and we can get you the big settlement that you deserve!”   Now most days you don’t need a lawyer, but if you do get hit by a big truck, just minding your own business, sitting at a red light while taking the kids to school, you would want one of these aggressive lawyers pleading your case! Especially if you had a family member hurt in the wreck, you would want the trucking company to pay and pay big!

Sometimes it’s the same in your spiritual walk.  You’re just going to church, minding your own business, when this demonic semi truck broadsides you with something like cancer or loss of your job.  That is the time you need an advocate, and you want the biggest, baddest, meanest one that you can find!  That’s exactly how the psalmist was feeling when he wrote this psalm.  I don’t know exactly what kind of trouble he found himself in, but he needed a powerful lawyer to plead his case.  And what more powerful advocate could we have than the Lord God himself? This is exactly what is promise to us in John 2:1

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins,    we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;… NASB

So take heart, if you find yourself struggling with serious trouble in your life, you have an advocate in heaven that will fight for you, will plead your case, and will get a righteous judgement for you that you may triumph over your enemies!

This psalm may not struck you as the most likely one to inspire a song, but the Sons of Korah have come up with a very beautiful and haunting melody which is a very appropriate setting for this psalm.  Listen then to them sing Psalm 35 and see if you don’t come away with a deeper appreciation of the advocate that you have in heaven.

Sons of Korah - Psalm 35 Contend

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfoyhlSJ9f8

Psalm 35

1 O Lord, fight those who fight with me!

Attack those who attack me!

2 Grab your small shield and large shield, 

and rise up to help me!

3 Use your spear and lance against those who chase me!

Assure me with these words: “I am your deliverer!”

4 May those who seek my life be embarrassed and humiliated!

May those who plan to harm me be turned back and ashamed! 

5 May they be like wind- driven chaff,

as the Lord ʼs angel attacks them! 

6 May their path be a dark and slippery,

as the Lord ʼs angel chases them!

7 I did not harm them, but they hid a net to catch me

and dug a pit to trap me. 

8 Let destruction take them by surprise! 

Let the net they hid catch them!

Let them fall into destruction! 

9 Then I will rejoice in the Lord

and be happy because of his deliverance. 

10 With all my strength I will say, 

“O Lord, who can compare to you?

You rescue the oppressed from those who try to overpower them; 

the oppressed and needy from those who try to rob them.” 

11 Violent men perjure themselves, 

and falsely accuse me. 

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

I am overwhelmed with sorrow. 

13 When they were sick, I wore sackcloth, 

and refrained from eating food. 

(If I am lying, may my prayers go unanswered!) 

14 I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother. 

I bowed down in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother. 

15 But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together;

they gathered together to ambush me. 

They tore at me without stopping to rest. 

16 When I tripped, they taunted me relentlessly, 

and tried to bite me. 

17 O Lord, how long are you going to just stand there and watch this? 

Rescue me from their destructive attacks;

guard my life d from the young lions!

18 Then I will give you thanks in the great assembly; 

I will praise you before a large crowd of people! 

19 Do not let those who are my enemies for no reason gloat over me!

Do not let those who hate me without cause carry out their wicked schemes! 

20 For they do not try to make peace with others, 

but plan ways to deceive those who are unsuspecting. 

21 They are ready to devour me; 

they say, “Aha! Aha! Weʼve got you!” 

22 But you take notice, a Lord!

O Lord, do not remain far away from me!

23 Rouse yourself, wake up and vindicate me! 

My God and Lord, defend my just cause! 

24 Vindicate me by your justice, O Lord my God!

Do not let them gloat over me!

25 Do not let them say to themselves, “Aha! We have what we wanted!” 

Do not let them say, “We have devoured him!”

26 May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed! 

May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation! 

27 May those who desire my vindication shout for joy and rejoice!

May they continually say, “May the Lord be praised, for he wants his servant to be secure.” 

28 Then I will tell others about your justice, 

and praise you all day long. 

The NET Bible

Psalm 34- O Magnify the Lord with Me

Psalm 34- O Magnify the Lord with Me

Psalm 34 picks up on the same theme from Psalm 33:

  “ I will bless the Lord at all times;

  His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

   My soul will make its boast in the Lord;

  The humble will hear it and rejoice.

   O magnify the Lord with me,  

  And let us exalt His name together.”

These verses have inspired a number of songs.  See the link at the bottom for a simple and elegant acoustic guitar version of verse 3, Let us Exalt His Name Together.  You might also remember other versions of, “O Magnify the Lord with Me”, including a popular one by Sandy Patti.  Whichever version you sing, and in whichever language, the message is the same, let us bless and magnify the Lord and exalt his name together!

I think back to ancient days, to what it might have sounded like in the tabernacle of David, with stringed instruments and cymbals, and the voices of the people of Israel lifted in praise.  And then I think to the future, to the throne in heaven described in Revelation 5, where all the elder bow down and all the myriad of angels surround the throne and sing “worthy is the lamb…” O what a glorious day! Past, present, future: it’s really all the same; the eternal tapestry of worship woven by the voices of the people of God from creation to eternity.

Back to our Psalm in verse 8, “taste and see”.  We only have the present, so let us just take a sample, a taste if you will, of that eternal worship, and exalt the Lord in our time. Let us lift up the eternal God in the time that He has given us and exalt His name to the nations and people who are living now.  That can be our contribution to the eternal symphony of worship, as we add our voices to that never ending song.

What more important thing can we teach our children (verse 11), than to teach them to worship, to fear and reverence the Lord, that they may see length of days and no lack of good things.

We must not leave the Psalm without noting the presence of Jesus here in verse 20.

    “He keeps all his bones,

     Not one of them is broken.”

Some question the value of studying the Old Testament in the age of the New Covenant, but the wise will see Jesus through the Old as well as the New.  This little snippet is a prophetic revelation of the Lord’s manner of death on the cross, but revealing that not one bone would be broken in the process, contrary no normal practice in crucifixion. The Word is indeed marvelous and able to instruct in all of its parts.

Well, we’ve gone on a bit, but us kick back a bit now and enjoy this simple acoustic guitar rendition of Let us Exalt His Name Together:

(Psalm 34) Let Us Exalt His Name Together Forever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkxotaO76yg&index=34&list=PLs-e_mJnYlwgPUmMnO2erKVXdlWSoRWLn

Psalm 34

1 I will praise a the Lord at all times;

my mouth will continually praise him. 

2 I will boast a in the Lord;

let the oppressed hear and rejoice! 

3 Magnify the Lord with me!

Letʼs praise a his name together!

4 I sought the Lord ʼs help and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him for help are happy;

their faces are not ashamed. 

6 This oppressed man cried out and the Lord heard;

he saved him a from all his troubles.

7 The Lord ʼs angel camps around

the Lord ʼs loyal followers and delivers them. 

8 Taste a and see that the Lord is good!

How blessed is the one who takes shelter in him! 

9 Remain loyal to a the Lord, you chosen people of his, 

for his loyal followers lack nothing!

10 Even young lions sometimes lack food and are hungry,

but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 Come children! Listen to me!

I will teach you what it means to fear the Lord. 

12 Do you want to really live? 

Would you love to live a long, happy life? 

13 Then make sure you donʼt speak evil words 

or use deceptive speech! 

14 Turn away from evil and do what is right! 

Strive for peace and promote it! 

15 The Lord pays attention to the godly

and hears their cry for help. 

16 But the Lord opposes evildoers

and wipes out all memory of them from the earth. 

17 The godly a cry out and the Lord hears;

he saves them from all their troubles. 

18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted;

he delivers a those who are discouraged. 

19 The godly a face many dangers, 

but the Lord saves them from each one of them.

20 He protects a all his bones; 

not one of them is broken. 

21 Evil people self- destruct; 

those who hate the godly are punished. 

22 The Lord rescues his servants; 

all who take shelter in him escape punishment. 

The NET Bible