Psalm

¹⁹       Consider how my foes multiply,

the violent ferocity with which they  hate me.

²⁰         Guard my soul, and rescue me!

let me not be humiliated,

for I take refuge in You.

²¹         Integrity and uprightness - may they preserve me,

when I hope in You.

 

²²         Redeem Israel, O God,

out of all their troubles.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Guard My Soul

For the Lord’s Day:  the 20^th of March  2005

Introduction:  Today, we come to the final section of this alphabetic psalm.  And, yes, while there are twenty-two letters in the Hebrew “alefbet”, the composition is imperfect in the form that has come down to us.  My Translator’s Handbook notes that a few manuscripts do introduce “the letter waw (which should come as the last line of verse 5).”  However “the letter qof (which should be verse 18)” is skipped over completely.  In addition, “the last verse is outside the scheme altogether.”

 

Given the ordinary difficulties of such an alphabetic arrangement, we should not be concerned that portions of the text could have been lost.  There is no complete ordering and exact alphabetic ordering of this Psalm in existence.  So let us receive with gladness that which has been given to us from the heart of David.

 

Here in this final section of the psalm, we find a fifth petition that returns to the “enemies” theme of the first petition of the second half of verse two and all of verse three.  While in the earlier petition, David had prayed essentially for the divine protection, here he is more emphatic in continuing the petition of verse eighteen by asking pointedly that the Lord God look upon his desperate situation.  In eighteen, he sought the protective glance of the Almighty upon the fact of his own sin, but here in the nineteenth verse the same word is doubly used again, to fix the gaze of the Almighty upon the sinful attitudes of others who are hostile to the God of heaven.  Delitzsch notes that “the seeing that is prayed for, is in both instances a seeing into his condition, with which is cojoined the notion of interposing on his behalf, though the way and manner thereof is left to God.”

 

While the art of seeing carefully is contained in the opening word of both verses, here I have used a broader term:  “Consider how my foes multiply, the violent ferocity with which they hate me.”  The multiplication of enemies here may seem strange, until one remembers the Oriental attitude in the Middle East that any enemy of a friend is also an enemy of mine as well.  Once, when I had challenged the behavior of a young man in the cafeteria – suddenly I had a half dozen adversaries who took up his cause to the administration.  Once we got beyond the obvious distortions of his operatic Greek chorus, my actions were justified.  But, for an afternoon – it seemed that personal enemies were coming out of every possible corner.  Thankfully, they were all known conspirators to the discipline co-coordinator and the problem was shelved.

 

I have also had experience with those whose hatred of lawful authority in the public sector went far beyond reason and cause.  Once, my barn was almost burned down for some trivial reason I never ever figured out.  It was meant to look like an accident of course.  The water heater in the sheep pen had been flipped out into the straw.  Such an occurrence might have been the work of the livestock, but the crushed beer can in the stock rack indicated otherwise.

 

Even though I have met people who hated everything Christian, the “violent ferocity” which David faced was more than anything I have thankfully and ordinarily experienced.  This “violent ferocity” includes the whole gambit of intense political intrigue, the murder of public officials and even occasional road rage that hits even the headlines of our own Republic:  that is in question here.

 

All that David requests from the Lord is an ongoing awareness of the worldly intentions.  And just as he understands that this awareness of his own sins leads to salvation and instruction, so too will the Lord’s attention with the attitudes and mechanizations of the enemies of the Church, lead Him to provide a protective hedge round about all of the saints in every time and place.

 

Development:  Once David has petitioned the Lord’s consideration, knowing that the consideration alone will be sufficient for his own good, David then forms another petition in the twentieth verse.  And the essence of the petition here is for his own good, that in the midst of confrontation, troubles and adversity – the Lord will guard his own heart, as we might say today.  “Guard my soul, and rescue me!  Let me not be humiliated, for I take refuge in You.”

 

I am reminded of all those troubles within the church to which I have been privy over the years.  I remember several situations where the whole personality and character of once talented and dedicated elders (ruling and teaching) were grated and ground by circumstances so that they were no longer useful in the short run.  Once, a godly group of men fought for many years to remove not only their congregation, but also the property of the church from one denomination.  They finally succeeded, and having become so feisty in the process – they turned in upon themselves and continued the struggles.  In the same way, when the conservatives left the liberal Presbyterian Church in the thirties, those who had fought the good fight against the humanists turned against each other so that what should have been once church became at least three denominations and maybe even more!

 

“Guard my soul,” David earnestly prays – even as the Lord prepares a plan for his rescue.  In the process, David pleads that as leader of the Covenant people, he should not be humiliated, so that he can continue to lead as was his office and calling.  Again, there have been historic moments when perfectly credible men were caught up in political events beyond their control, and even though they had not participated in, or encouraged the Machiavellian processes – still they came to power under a cloud of doubt and concern.  Manufactured by the opposition in many cases, but still they were not able to do all that they could have done – had an election been more forthcoming and beyond doubt as to how it was won.  The secret to success in these situations is to be found in the last note of verse twenty:  “for I take refuge in You.”

 

In this manner, the Lord God is invited to providentially arrange for His outcome in a manner whereby His people are strengthened and those who oppose Him are weakened.  In the last few years, as I have listened to the comments of Rush Limbaugh – I am hopeful that it is just this very process that is ongoing wherever the liberal power block is being weakened and even thwarted.  Of course, it this is so, it is obvious that once the process is accomplished, there will be other political battles to be fought and debated until the end of time.  David’s socio-political and spiritual problems are always the same as the common experiences of history in every place and time.

 

Application:  The next verse, the twenty-first is one where if I could, I would rearrange the ordering completely.  My translation would read this way:  “When I hope in You, may integrity and uprightness preserve me.”  But, I am not translating, arranging or paraphrasing the text in the model of The New English, Living or Good News  editions.  And so I am left with the traditional methodology which reads:  “Integrity and uprightness - may they preserve me, when I hope in You.”

 

As Calvin notes, some would propose that David simply prays that he may be preserved from all mischief, on the ground “that he had conducted himself inoffensively towards others and had abstained from all deceit and violence.”  In another sense, David’s prayer is understood that the Lord would give “him a sincere and upright purpose of heart.”  I am more inclined to go with the second view, that we ought always to lay before our God and king every thought, action and deed before they are accomplished.  After all, we dare not act upon our own recognizance, but always in the Name above all Names.  So in that sense, it is always the Integrity and uprightness of the most High that informs our actions and thereby we are preserved because we dare to hope in the God of heaven and earth.

 

And so, we come to the end of a sometimes rambling discourse of prayer, petition and hopeful planning before the face of God.  The last line, however, appears somewhat discordant.  But, let us accept it in this regard:  whenever I perform a funeral, the funeral director always has the last word when he usually announces that the spiritual services are accomplished and over.  “This completes the service,” as many are in the habit of announcing.

 

And so, at the end of this incredible composition, David announces in no fancy words the simple plea that throughout the life of the Church of God, in both New and Old Covenants – the Lord God will redeem His people from every trial and trouble that comes their way.  And so may we conclude out meditations as well:  “Redeem Israel, O God, out of all their troubles.”  Amen.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

PREACHING RESOURCES

Calvin, John:  Commentary on Book of Psalms.

Delitzsch, F:  Commentary on the Old Testament – Psalms.

Spurgeon, C.H:  Treasury of David.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Permission granted to redistribute unedited versions with this notice.

http://www.tulip.org/selah/sel025g.htm

To Subscribe or Unsubscribe go to:  http://www.four.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/ccrlist/