PSALM 144
LORD provides David with power to win verse 1- 2
Blessed be the LORD my strength – which teaches my hands to war
and my fingers to fight – my goodness – my fortress
my high tower – my deliverer – my shield
and HE in WHOM I trust
WHO subdues my people under me
David states the frailty of man verse 3- 4
LORD – what is man – that YOU take knowledge of him
OR the son of man – that YOU make account of him
man is like to vanity
his days are as a shadow that pass away
David admires the LORD’S characteristics of victory verse 5- 8
Bow YOUR heavens – O LORD – and come down
touch the mountains and they shall smoke
cast forth lightning – and scatter them
shoot out YOUR arrows – and destroy them
Send YOUR hand from above – rid me
and deliver me out of great waters
from the hand of strange children
whose mouth speak vanity
and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood
Songs of victory on David’s instrument of ten strings verse 9- 10
I will sing a new song unto YOU – O God
upon psaltery and instrument of ten strings
will I sing praises to YOU
It is HE that gives salvation unto kings
WHO delivers David HIS servant
from the hurtful sword
Characteristics of enemy described verse 11
Rid me – and deliver me from the hand of strange children
whose mouth speaks vanity
and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood
Victory brings peace to families verse 12
That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth
that our daughters may be as corner stones
polished after the similitude of a palace
Victory provides safety for produce verse 13- 14
That our garners may be full – affording all manner of store
that our sheep may bring forth thousands
and ten thousands in our streets
that our oxen may be strong to labor
that there be no breaking in – nor going out
that there be no complaining in our streets
Victory produces joy of the LORD verse 15
Happy is that people – that is in such a case – yea
happy is that people
whose God is the LORD
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 “Blessed be the LORD my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle-” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). (Trains – 3925 לָמַד [lamad /law·mad/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 1116; GK 4340; 86 occurrences; AV translates as “teach” 56 times, “learn” 22 times, “instruct” three times, “diligently” once, “expert” once, “skilful” once, “teachers” once, and “unaccustomed + 3808” once. 1 to learn. teach, exercise in. 1A (Qal) to learn. 1B (Piel) to teach. 1C (Pual) to be taught, be trained. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: Training for warfare is an extremely important task. In the military it is usually assigned to those who have experienced it and shown themselves to be exceptional under the stress of battle. David was an exceptional warrior for Israel and his troops were well trained. Here he gives God the glory for the training and equipping for battle he received. Do you realize that you are involved in a declared state of war? That this warfare is of a manner that the consequences of winning or losing is eternal in nature?
The Scriptures reveal that we are in a state of conflict and our adversary is wily, fierce and determined! (Eph. 6:11; 1 Peter 5:8) Paul warned Timothy that some had already turned aside after Satan and had deserted. (1 Timothy 5:14) We live in difficult times and the training necessary to fight this spiritual battle is as great as any time in church history!
Are you being trained in the essentials for war? It is imperative that we return to the manual the Lord has given us to prepare for warfare. Spend some time reviewing Ephesians 6 and 1 Peter 5 so that we be the people God wants us to be as we live in this state of conflict.
CHALLENGE: Spiritual warfare is a real battle today which we must prepare for, the word of God is our manual. Learn the rules and techniques of spiritual conflict. (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 2 My goodness, and my fortress, my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and HE in whom I trust; who subdues my people under me. (7286 “subdues” [radad] means to drive back, subjugate, conquer, to put down by force or authority, beat down, to prostrate, repel, obtain control, or hammer out flat)
DEVOTION: David knew that he was not the one who had control over the children of Israel even though he was king. He understood that it was the LORD who gave him is position and it was the LORD who was able to keep him in that position as long as he was obedient to HIM.
David knew that the LORD was strong enough to defeat any enemy and to keep HIS own people under control. So he told the LORD that he trusted HIM.
We need to understand that if we are put in a position of leadership over other believers that it is the LORD who is in control not us. David learned this lesson and we need to learn it as well.
Too often we have some people who put themselves in a position of leadership even if it is by a vote of other believers who don’t receive the blessing of the LORD. It is sad that even believers can be fooled by others.
Our responsibility is to always be humble before the LORD and ask HIM for help when we find a leader who is not listening to HIM. David was listening at this time and he wanted the LORD to take care of those who were opposed to his leadership.
CHALLENGE: We need to lean on the LORD at all times especially if we are in a position of leadership. HE will give us the strength and wisdom to lead and cause others to follow.
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: 3 LORD, what is man, that YOU take knowledge of him! or the son of man, that YOU make account of him! (2803 “account” [chashab] means think, reckon, calculate, esteem, value, or meditate.
DEVOTION: How much do you think about ants? How much do you think about your fellow human beings? Do you care when someone you don’t know gets hurt? Do you care if someone you do know is hurting or are you too busy thinking about your own problems? These questions need to be answered. It shows if you are a loving person. It shows if you are a caring person. If your actions prove that you care than you are on your way to please the LORD. HE wants us to be loving individuals who care about those who are around us. HE wants us to really care about their relationship to HIM.
Now we can think about how God thinks about us. David asks an important question. It was asked in Psalm 8 as well. Why should God take knowledge concerning what is happening in our life? How important are we to HIM? David was asking about the relationship he had with his LORD. He wanted to understand how much value God placed on HIS relationship with him and why he even cared.
Throughout the Word of God we find God creating Adam and Eve and working with them. HE never stops working with those who are willing to work with HIM. HE blesses them and corrects them when it is necessary. HE has a goal of causing us to be more Christ-like during our existence here on this earth. We are not always co-operative.
HE also knows that a majority of those who live on the earth will never want a personal relationship with HIM. HE knew this in the garden. HE knew this at the tower of Babel. HE knew this during the time period of the judges. Man likes to do what is right in his own eyes rather than in the eyes of the LORD.
God loves and cares. HE gives strength to HIS followers. HE gives HIS goodness. HE is a high tower of protection around those who love HIM. HE is the only deliverer and shield we can count on.
Our life only lasts for a short time on this earth and HE wants us to make the most of it. HE wants us to know that we have eternity in front of us.
CHALLENGE: Prepare for eternity now. Yes, this life is short but we need to make it count for the LORD the best we can.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 14 That our oxen may be strong to labor; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets. (6682 “complaining” [ts@vachah] means outcry, grief, shout, or cry of distress.
DEVOTION: We tend to be dissatisfied with life. We seem to look at all the negative things around us and say we need things to change. Our words usually are not positive. Contentment is hard to find in most people’s life. This is true also of those who claim Christ as their Savior.
We can find fault with other believers. We can gossip about those we are supposed to be encouraging in the LORD. We would like all of our desires to happen yesterday. God never seems to move as fast as we would like HIM.
David describes the LORD in this psalm as one who is his strength, goodness, fortress, high tower, deliverer, shield and the only ONE that he trusts. He is asking the LORD to deal with his enemies. He would like all those strange people to dealt with because all they do is lie.
So his ultimate desire is that the children of the people of Israel would grow up and have just blessing after blessing. He would like all the fields to yield much fruit. He would like all the cattle to have many babies that are healthy. He wants all the work animals to be very strong to bring in the harvest. He would like to have the country free of all those who would steal. Finally, he would like none of the people to say anything negative. He wanted an ideal world for those who were followers of the LORD.
Is this how we describe the LORD in our life? One of the blessings David is looking for from the LORD is that there would be no more cries of distress in the streets of Jerusalem. If there are no cries of distress it means that the city is living in peace. There is peace in Jerusalem.
If we carry this over to today, it would be like there being no cries of distress in our churches. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was no one in the church that was dissatisfied? Wouldn’t be wonderful if everyone in the church was satisfied with what was going on in the church.
This could only happen if all were walking in the Spirit of the LORD. There would be singing with musical instruments. There would be shouting of praise to the LORD. This is not happening in most, if not all, churches today. There always seems to be someone who has a grief they want to share. There seems to be someone who disturbs the peace in the church.
How about in our Christian family? Is there always a member who has a grief to share? If we are the one who is always sharing a grief – ask the LORD for a different attitude. If we are the one in the church who is always sharing a grief – ask the LORD for a different attitude. Wouldn’t that be a taste of heaven?
If we are looking for a grief – we will always find it. The LORD wants there to be peace in the church and in the home. If this takes place then there will be peace in our nation. The Biblical family is the key to lasting peace in our churches and our nation. Remember a Biblical family is made up of one man married to one woman that raises their children to honor the LORD in a Biblical manner. The outcries would stop!!
CHALLENGE: Watch how your word your comments. Try to practice making positive statements to your family members and then to the members of the church that you attend. See what happens in the atmosphere of your home and church.)
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Servant verse 10
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Sing a new song verse 9
psaltery
instrument of ten strings
Sing praises verse 9
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 3, 5, 15
Strength
Taught David to war and fight verse 1
Goodness verse 2
Fortress verse 2
High tower verse 2
Deliverer verse 2
Shield verse 2
Subdues people under David verse 2
Takes knowledge of man verse 3
Bow YOUR heavens verse 5
Controls the weather verse 6
Deliverer verse 7
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 9, 15
Gives salvation verse 10
Controls birth of children verse 12
Controls the animals verse 13, 14
God is the LORD verse 15
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Vanity verse 4
Shadow that passes away verse 4
Strange children verse 7, 11
whose mouth speaks vanity
have right hand of falsehood
Sons verse 12
Daughters verse 12
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Speaking vanity verse 8, 11
Falsehood verse 8, 11
Stealing verse 14
Complaining verse 14
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Blessed verse 1
Strength verse 1
Teach verse 1
Deliverer verse 2, 7, 10, 11
Trust verse 2
Accountable to God verse 3
Sing praises verse 9
Salvation verse 10
Happy verse 15
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
David verse 1- 15
Subdues people
Servant of God
Delivered from hurtful sword
Delivered from strange children
Asks for blessings of the LORD
Garners may be full
Sheep may bring forth
Oxen may be strong to labor
No breaking in nor going out
No complaining in streets
Happy whose God is the LORD
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
Recollection is now the springboard for intercession. Where Psalm 18 had looked back in wonder (‘He bowed the heavens, and came down … he drew me out of many waters’, 18:9, 16), this psalm looks steadfastly up to heaven for a comparable act of rescue. All these verbs are now imperatives. And while Psalm 18:44f. (45f., Heb.) told of foreigners cringing before their conqueror, verses 7c, 8 and 11 point to them again (rsv aliens, translating the same expression), this time as an insidious and mortal threat. The right hand (8, 11) was commonly raised towards heaven (Deut. 32:40) in swearing an oath, or offered to one’s fellow to shake hands on an agreement (cf. e.g. Prov. 6:1b, lit.). (Kidner, D. (1975). Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 16, p. 515). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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In this psalm the monarch prays for the Lord’s help for himself (vv. 1–11) and for God’s blessing on his people. While it is true that a shift from the individual to the community takes place in v. 12, producing two units (vv. 1–11, 12–15), the canonical unity reveals the need for God to act (a royal lament, vv. 1–11) and the resultant blessings of his actions (a psalm of blessing, vv. 12–15). The psalmist interweaves liturgical elements common to other psalms (esp. Ps 18). A.A. Anderson designates the resultant whole a “National Lamentation” (p. 931), but a good case may be made for reading it as a royal psalm (Kraus, Psalmen 2:1123).
….. 5–8 The insistent prayer for God’s immediate involvement is best felt by reading the verbs: “part … come down … touch.… send forth … scatter … shoot … rout.… reach down … deliver.” He calls on the Lord to appear as he did at Mount Sinai, where in the midst of smoke, lightning, and earthquake phenomena he came down to his people (cf. Exod 19:11, 18–19; cf. Ps 18:14). The purpose for the theophany is no other than God’s coming as the Divine Warrior, by whose “hand” comes deliverance to the people of God and vengeance to the enemies. The enemies are the object of the “lightning,” also called “arrows” (cf. 18:14), so that their power will be effectively eliminated. The people of God are the object of his deliverance, as he puts forth his right hand of deliverance (cf. 18:16) to “deliver … and rescue” (v. 7; cf. vv. 10–11). The marvel of grace is that the God who is so greatly exalted (“on high”; cf. 68:18) condescends to “come down” (v. 5) to the aid of his own! (See the appendix to Ps 119: Yahweh Is My Redeemer.)
The adversaries are likened to “the mighty waters” (v. 7) that, according to Canaanite legends, were under the rule of the god of the sea, Yamm. He caused havoc in the peaceful world of the gods but was eventually subjugated by Baal. Here it is the Lord who has quieted the stormy seas (cf. Gen 1:2; Ps 65:7), and his power still hovers over the stormy nations. The hegemony of the “foreigners” (cf. Isa 56:6; 61:5) is wholly contrary to the rule of God. Their words and intimating actions (“right hands,” v. 8) are nothing but “lies,” i.e., unfaithful, treacherous, perfidious (cf. 140:1–3). (VanGemeren, W. A. (1991). Psalms. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 856). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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144:1 my rock. David’s foundation is God—solid and unshakeable (cf. Pss 19:14; 31:3; 42:9; 62:2; 71:3; 89:26; 92:15; 95:1). trains my hands for war. David lived in the days of Israel’s theocracy, not the NT church. God empowered the king to subdue His enemies. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ps 144:1). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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144:15. So David concluded that any people whose God is the Lord will be blessed. This royal psalm shows that divine intervention in a holy war on behalf of the Lord’s anointed brings peace and prosperity. (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 895). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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David never engaged in war just for the sake of conquest. His goal was to defend the land so the people could live peaceful and profitable lives. The people of Israel were God’s people, and they had a work to accomplish on the earth. Therefore, they had to have children (v. 12), the necessities of life (v. 13), and peace in the land (v. 14). All of these blessings were promised to them in God’s covenant (Deut. 28:1–14) if the people and their rulers obeyed the laws of the Lord. David mentioned the home and family first, for as goes the home, so goes the nation. He compared the sons to strong growing plants (127:3–5; 128:3) and the daughters to beautiful graceful statues that could support buildings. Then he moved to the fields to behold bountiful crops and multiplying flocks and herds. Once again, these blessings are all mentioned in God’s covenant. Translations of verse 14 differ. Are the oxen heavy with young or bearing heavy loads because the fields are so fruitful? Is the picture that of a family of animals giving birth without losing any of their young, or was David describing a battle scene with the enemy breaking through the walls and the people crying out in the streets? “Breaking in” could describe the enemy coming through the walls, and “going out” the captives being led out as the people weep and express their sorrow. In His covenant with Israel, God promised them victory over the enemy, peace, prosperity, and a happy life. It is unfortunate that the nation rebelled against Jehovah and lost all those blessings in Babylonian captivity. “How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!” for He cares for us personally, delivers us victoriously, and blesses us bountifully. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be exultant (1st ed., pp. 209–210). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
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Ver. 15. Happy is that people that is in such a case, &c.] Whose families are in good order and behave well; who enjoy plenty of all good things; whose flocks and herds increase, and who live in peace and prosperity; these are temporal blessings highly valuable, and for which those who have them should be thankful, as being happy in comparison of others that are destitute of them, Deut. 28:3–6 and especially who besides these are blessed with spiritual blessings, signified by them, and of which these were typical. Yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord; whose God the Lord is, not only by creation, and as he is a common benefactor and preserver, but as their God in covenant, their covenant God and Father in Christ; whom he has loved, chosen, redeemed, adopted, justified, pardoned, regenerated, and sanctified; all which appears to them in effectual vocation, is manifested by the application of covenant grace to them, and is witnessed to their spirits by the spirit of God, and which their faith claims an interest in: and these are happy, thrice happy persons; for all that God has are theirs; all his perfections are on their side and for their good; he is their portion, shield, reward, and their all in all; his covenant, its blessings and promises, are all theirs; they have enough, having all things, and can want no good thing; nor need they fear any enemy; the Lord takes care of them, sets a guard about them, resents all injuries done them, prevents the designs of their enemies, makes all things work together for their good, provides all things necessary for them for time and eternity, and will be their God and guide even unto death; covenant-interest always continues, and therefore such must be ever happy. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 305). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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It’s not what I have been through in my life that defines who I am, it’s how I got through it that has made me the person I am today. (Amanda)
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Carest Thou Not?
“And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:38)
There are times when we have great problems and God seems to ignore our prayers, and finally we begin to wonder if He cares about us at all. There is no need to wonder. God cares about the sparrow, and He surely cares about His own dear children. If there is not some clear reason why He fails to answer (such as sin in our lives), then perhaps it is simply (as in Job’s case) a test of our faith.
When the disciples thought Jesus didn’t care, He rebuked them thus: “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). Mary and Martha sent word that their brother Lazarus was deathly ill, but then Jesus “abode two days still in the same place where he was” (John 11:6). When the sisters complained about His delay, He replied: “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” (John 11:40).
One day a woman of Canaan cried out to Him for mercy on her for her demon-possessed daughter, “but he answered her not a word.” He seemed not to care, but she kept calling on Him and worshipping Him, until He finally said unto her: “O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt” (Matthew 15:23, 28).
The disciples and the sisters of Lazarus and the Canaanite woman all wondered at His seeming lack of concern, but He did care. He finally calmed the storm, and raised Lazarus, and healed the daughter. His delay was in order to test and strengthen their faith.
Can He not also test us, “that the trial of your faith . . . though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7)? (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Christians are to live in righteousness and holiness, worthy of their calling in Christ.
INSIGHT
On the basis of who we are in Christ – redeemed, inheritors with Christ, adopted into God’s family, and destined to spend eternity with Him – we are to live a lifestyle that reflects our identity. We are no longer to live as we did before we knew the Lord – or as those who do not know Him. By putting on the “new man” we will preserve the unity of the Spirit and show the world that Christ is real. He makes a difference in the life that is dedicated to Him. (QuietWalk)
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The Vine
“What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?” (Isaiah 5:4)
In Scripture we find many references to vines and vineyards, but there are three major passages that together reveal three aspects concerning the character of God and His love for His people.
The first, Isaiah 5:1-7, includes our text. Here we find that God, the owner, planter, and caretaker of the vineyard, cannot contain His disappointment, for despite the loving care showered upon the vine, it has brought forth improper, worthless fruit. In this parable, “the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant” (v. 7), the chosen people who had seen more clearly than anyone else His abundant provision, but who had chosen to reject Him and not bear Him fruit. To them, and to those of us who reject His cultivating grace, He says: “I will lay it waste” (v. 6).
Psalm 80:8-19 gives us a picture of the abject desolation of the unfruitful vineyard once it is abandoned by the vinedresser. It is ravaged by enemies, wild animals, and fire, utterly helpless. The “vine” (Israel) may cry for help and restoration, but there are consequences to be paid. What a graphic picture this is, and what a reminder to believers today that we cannot for long ignore His will for our lives.
The last and most precious passage is found in John 15:1-16 and concerns fruitbearing. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (v. 5). Here are found the secrets of the believer’s growth and fertility in glorious union with Christ. “Herein is my father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (v. 8). (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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DELIVERED
And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
1 John 3:5
When John says that “he was manifested to take away our sins,” he is not stopping at the guilt of our sins, for salvation goes beyond that. We are delivered from the guilt, this first thing is essential; but thank God, the process does not stop there. He delivers us also from the power and from the pollution of sin. His work is such that He takes away our sin in a more vital sense. We are growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord; we are increasingly being made to conform to the image of His Son. We are being delivered, we have been, we are, and we shall be ultimately. The glorification is coming when He will take away our sin altogether, so that we shall be blameless and faultless and spotless and perfect in His holy presence.
The hymn that tells us, “There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin” also tells us this: “He died that we might be forgiven”; yes, but “He died to make us good” is equally true. The apostle Paul, writing to Titus, says: “[He] gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar [special] people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14).
So we must never separate sanctification from justification; we must never talk about a kind of series of separate blessings. It is all one, it all belongs together. And it is all a matter of this law that condemns us and from which Christ delivers us through the cross and by the gift of new life. He went to that cruel death on the cross not only so that you and I might have pardon. Thank God, that does come out of it, that is the first thing. But He did it really to separate, to put aside, a people for Himself as a special treasure and possession who, as Paul puts it, should be “zealous of good works,” who should live a holy life.
A Thought to Ponder: He delivers us from the power and from the pollution of sin.
(From Children of God, pp. 56-57, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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