Psalm 30

A Psalm of David

Canticle for the Dedication of his House

⁰¹          I will extol You, O Lord,

You:    have drawn me out,

 have not let my foes gloat over me.

⁰²             O Lord my God,

 I cried to You for help,

and You  healed me.

⁰³          O Lord, You brought my soul up from Sheol;

You revived my life,

from among those going down to the pit.

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Up From the Grave!

For the Lord’s Day:  the 31^st of July 2005

Introduction:  Contrary to the understanding of many contemporary scholars, both Calvin & Delitzsch understand this psalm to be related to a dedication of his own house rather than any altar on Mount Zion where the Temple would be built in Solomon’s day.  This might also be considered a re-consecration of his house and throne after it was defiled by Absolom’s revolt.  Calvin notes that “it is not unreasonable to suppose that in this psalm [David] celebrates God’s favor to him in restoring him to his former state.”

 

Certainly, it is difficult, if not impossible to establish the point in David’s life, when this psalm of thanksgiving was composed.  As we work through this psalm, we will read not only: of sickness, restoration and salvation; but also of thanksgiving for the working out of God’s providential blessing of David and his earthly abode.

 

It is certainly a long time since, celebrations were common for God’s kind provision of a roof over our heads.  In simpler times, such as when David lived, it was more evident that only in a land of peace and security could a house be built, let alone it become a place where the owner could grow old and comfortable. 

 

In colonial times, the raising of a barn was always cause for celebration, a feast for the fellow builders was followed by a community dance on the new floors of the grand edifice which would so soon be the home of animals.  I can also remember stories as late as the forties of the last century, of neighbors coming to the home of a newly married couple for an impromptu party. The party being especially calculated for a time when the newly weds wanted privacy to get settled into their new life together.  My own parents, not having any extra food in the house, slipped out a back window and hid until their unwanted guests got tired of waiting.

 

But, enough speculation – at the very least we should understand that David was always ready and willing to compose an immortal poem whenever it was opportune to give praise to the God of heaven.  If this psalm be set in the aftermath of the heart rending revolution of his own son, we could thus be better framed to understand the dysfunctional episode which possibly prompted this prayer of David.

 

Development:  Spurgeon outlines the psalm for us in five sections, but we will spread our meditation over four weeks.  The first three verses contain David’s praise for personal deliverance.  Verses four to seven contain an invitation to celebrate the lesson the Lord led him through.  Then in verses eight to ten he repeats his supplication and closes in the last two verses with thanksgiving.

 

Spurgeon notes on the whole psalm, that “throughout this Psalm, there are indications that David had been greatly afflicted both personally and relatively, after having, in his presumption, fancied himself secure.”

 

How much this notion applies to the present time, is beyond ordinary belief.  Now, that the baby boomers are beginning to retire, there are all sorts of hints and indications that the social security system bought into by their grand parents and parents could indeed collapse.  An acquaintance of mine, who faces a forced retirement, may not have any corporate retirement plan to ease his later years.  Another large corporation, has reported that at least $1,500 of the price of every new car must go towards unfunded pension and retirement accounts promised its workers for the last fifty years.  The Federal government even has a little known agency whose sole purpose is to bail out failed corporate retirement systems, and it is steadily getting overloaded to the point of collapse.

 

I can certainly attest to retirement adjustments.  Having a specially strong pension system, that I planned on supplementing for many years – I discovered that the other system, which I had not paid into has confiscated all too much of my reduced earnings.  The very Federal system for social security has undermined my own ability to feel prosperous in semi-retirement.  It is unfortunately a system that because of my private system, will never return any adequate investment related to the ongoing costs.

 

Well, at least my children have not tried to run me out of my house and farm like David’s progeny.  So my place in life, in comparison to David’s situation is far, far less aggravating and challenging.  But, still – like David, we all have to be very careful that we do not take the attitude of the man in Jesus parable who thought he had it made and planned to live a life of leisure.  As we remember from the New Testament, there was a life cut untimely short!

 

Having said all of that, let us consider the three verses with which David begins this “retirement” prayer!

 

“I will extol You, O Lord,

You:        have drawn me out,

 have not let my foes gloat over me.”

 

In this verse, David praises the Lord God for two blessings, one positive action and the other a limitation of hostile reaction to David’s personal dilemma.  “You have drawn me out,” David begins.  This phrase is pregnant with meaning in relation to verses that follow after. My Translator’s Handbook explains that the verb here is “used of drawing water out of a well.”  The poetic language means simply that God did not allow David to die.  And yet symbolically, it is pregnant with meaning in relation to David’s ultimate salvation.  We should take away from these words, David’s assurance that he realizes the hand of God which has lifted him up out of the mud and mire and stood him on solid ground. 

 

Every once in a while we read or hear stories about children or pets falling into an old well, and being retrieved, drawn up – if you will have it from a dangerous pit where death was imminent.   For this rescue, David is gracious in his thanksgiving and hope for better fortunes. 

 

The second line is related to any and all who might have celebrated in his own house, if he had died in exile:  “let not my foes gloat over me.”  In many places where ethnic cleansing has been all too common, many homes were simply taken over by conquerors.  When the Iron Curtain fell and the two Germanies were reunited, the courts began to hear countless cases of former owners attempting to reclaim property lost at the end of World War Two.  The ownership of very many famous European paintings is still in dispute, because of large scale looting at governmental and individual levels during and after World War Two.  On one occasion the Papal authorities had to clean out the Sistine Chapel after some of Napoleon’s horses were stabled there.  A door to get the animals in and out, had even been cut in a wall where one priceless mural had been painted.

 

So, David may return to his home – clean up the mess from parties held not in his honor and be grateful that hearth and home have been restored.

 

In verse two we see that David well understands the source of his deliverance and restoration.  “O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me.”  Ordinarily, we would take the word “healed” here for restoration after a sickness.

While, this is certainly probable, healing can mean so much more.  In a possible revolution, David would have consistently and constantly been near death’s door.  And so he would have prayed his heart out to the Lord.  The healing here can very well be spiritual encouragement or even a restoration of his fortune.  Have you ever known anyone who lost a fortune – sickness is very much in the picture.  Or have you known someone who lost a home to fire or had valuables stolen.  Healing is always very much a description of the restoration of a former comfort within the bounds of a newly re-established home.

 

David, unlike many today who would rather resort to government programs, that the Lord God of heaven and earth is the only one who can heal a broken heart, fortune or reputation.  Recently I heard of a situation where a convicted sexual predator was ordered by the court to stay away from churches.  Of course, I can well understand the wisdom of such an order.  However, the courts in this matter have created a class of living dead, so to speak.  Never again can they be restored to their former status, and yet – the government refused to follow the biblical mandate and execute them for their insufferable crimes.  So, there they are a class of dangerous criminals who must always live on the edge of society with no means of public redemption!

 

Had a biblical mandate been carried out consistently and fairly, very many of these criminals could have been held back from doing the dastardly deeds for which their lives must continue a living hell on earth.

 

Application:  From that last illustration, let us take our application of these three verses.  There but for the sake of God, go I – runs an old saw.  In verse three David realizes the utter hopelessness of his previous situation before he was restored.

 

“O Lord, You brought my soul up from Sheol;

You revived my life,

from among those going down to the pit.”

 

We begin with the first and third lines in that verse.  Sheol, Hades or the pit as it was referred to in ancient days, is nothing more than where the unredeemed must go and there remain apart from God forever and ever.  Like all the saints who understand the method of salvation, David knew where his natural inclinations could have taken him.  Indeed – in spite of a higher calling, he went where many saints never strayed.  And yet, for adultery, murder and various other crimes – the Lord granted him forgiveness.  In an ordinary court, David’s case as well as our own would be much like the sex offenders in our country – totally unredeemable and hopeless!  And yet even as David hinted in verse one, it would be from the very pit of Hades that the Lord God of heaven and earth would lift him up.

 

From all of “those going down to the pit”, which is an apt description of the whole human race – David admits that it was the kindness, mercy and grace of the Lord who revived him and lifted him up and out of such a hopeless state in hell.  “You revived my life!”  David admits.  Here is a profound understatement of grace received many centuries before Paul and the others began to write about it, having known better that David, his own greater Son:  Jesus Christ.  May we who know more than David give our heartfelt thanks to the Lord, who lifted us as well up from the pit into the solid world of God’s love, grace, mercy and goodness.  And while we are at it, let us remember the sins that would have taken us away – except for the promptings of the Holy Spirit who taught us to repent, believe and to give God praise for the great work He has done.  Amen.

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PREACHING RESOURCES

Calvin, John:  Commentary on Book of Psalms.

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

Spurgeon, C.H:  Treasury of David.

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