PSALM 60
Sovereignty of God recognized verse 1- 4
O God – YOU have cast us off – YOU have scattered us
YOU have been displeased – O turn YOURSELF to us again
YOU have made the earth to tremble
YOU have broken it – heal the breaches thereof – for it shakes
YOU have shown YOUR people hard things
YOU have made us to drink the wine of astonishment
YOU have given a banner to them that fear YOU
that it may be displayed because of the truth SELAH
Ownership of earth belongs to God verse 5- 8
That YOUR beloved may be delivered
save with YOUR right hand – and hear me
God has spoken in HIS holiness
I will rejoice
I will divide Shechem – and mete out the valley of Succoth
Gilead is MINE – and Manasseh is MINE
Ephraim also is the strength of MINE head
Judah is MY lawgiver
Moab is MY washpot
over Edom will I cast out MY shoe
Philistia – triumph you because of ME
Victory belongs to the LORD alone verse 9- 12
Who will bring me into the strong city?
Who will lead me into Edom?
Will not YOU – O God – which hast cast us off?
and YOU – O God – which did not go out with our armies?
Give us help from trouble – for vain is the help of man
through God we shall do valiantly
for HE it is that shall tread down our enemies
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 O God, YOU have cast us off, YOU have scattered us, YOU have been displeased, O turn YOURSELF to us again. (599 “displeased” [‘anaph] means angry, to be or become angry and feel aversion and antipathy for something, be indignant, without implying necessarily an emotional response, or to breath hard, or be enraged)
DEVOTION: It is not good when the LORD is not pleased with our behavior. HE is not only displeased with individuals but HE also can and does get angry with a nation. In this case it was the nation of Israel that was not being obedient to HIM.
God wants HIS people to be obedient and live their lives in a way that is pleasing to HIM. HE has standards that HE wants followed by all those who claim to be HIS people. This goes for the children of Israel in the Old Testament and those who are member of the church today.
There are standards to be followed by those who claim HIM as their God. HE has given instructions for those who are HIS followers in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.
Today we are under that New Testament standards but we can also learn what HE expects from what happened in the Old Testament.
The Children of Israel were, it seems, having more times of disobedience rather than obedience. They seemed to like to go their own way at times and then when they made a mess of their lives or the nation they would call on HIM to save them.
It has not changed in this New Testament time. We know the standards that HE expects of individual believers and for the church to follow. HE makes it plain and yet we go our own ways and HE has to discipline us as HE did the children of Israel.
It is sad that we are so disobedient. Yet HIS is long-suffering and wants to encourage us to follow HIM in spirit and in truth.
The church today is a mess. There are so many false teachers that we can watch on television and listen to on the radio. There are so many people in our pulpits that are not preaching the Bible but their telling stories to tickle the ears of those who attend church.
God wants us to please HIM and that can only be done as we try with the help of the Holy Spirit to understand HIS standard for our lives and if we break HIS standard we come to him and confess our sins and HE is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.
This has to happen in some churches as well. We need a revival! We need to get back to the basics of the Word of God and stop trying to please everyone. HE has a standard to follow and if we break it we need to confess it and ask HIS forgiveness and HE will forgive us and help us move closer to HIM.
Believers need to attend a Biblical church that is teaching the truth of the Word of God that is pleasing to HIM. If you are in a church that doesn’t really preach the truth of the Word of God – move on to a church that does.
CHALLENGE: God is displeased with most of the churches in our world because most are tickling the ears of people. The Bible doesn’t tickle, it cause genuine change in the lives of those who follow it.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 3 YOU have showed YOUR people hard things: YOU have made us to drink the wine of astonishment. (7186 “hard things” [qasheh] means cruel, severe, difficult, intense, or vehement)
DEVOTION: Elohim is used of God more in the second book of the Psalms. Elohim [God] means that HE is creator of universe and that HE is sovereign over it. Another key name for God is Jehovah [LORD or GOD] which means that HE is a personal God and HE keeps HIS covenant with HIS people or saints. The third main name for God in the Old Testament is Adonai [Lord]which means owner or master. Each time a name is used for God it shows an attribute of God. This group of Psalms wants to inform the singers and us as readers that God is the Creator and remains Sovereign over the world.
The people of God were a hardheaded people. It took God many times to help them learn that HE was in control. They want to do things themselves. HE had to show them difficult things. HE had to show them defeat. HE had to make them realize that HE was in control of the entire world. HE owns it all. Too often, man thinks that he can trust in his fellow man to help him in difficult times. Man will let the people of God down. Man will not give the people of God victory. Man doesn’t care about the people of God. Only God does. Man only cares for himself. Too often the people of God look to other nations to come and help them defeat their enemies and usually it never works. God has shown example of them going to other nations for help and asked them why they didn’t come to HIM.
David pleads with God to give him help. He has experience defeat. He doesn’t like it. God knows that defeat will get the attention of HIS people. It usually takes a two by four to get some individuals attention. God knows which two by four to use on each person to get his or her attention. HE sometimes startles us into going on the right path. What is HE using in our lives to get our attention? God always acts valiantly.
CHALLENGE: If you are going through a difficult time it can be to help you turn toward the LORD. Go to HIM and prayer.
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: 5 “That Your beloved may be delivered, Save with Your right hand, and hear me.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). Save – 3467 יָשַׁע, יׄשַׁע, מֹושִׁיעַ [yashaʿ /yaw·shah/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 929; GK 3828 and 3830 and 4635; 205 occurrences; AV translates as “save” 149 times, “saviour” 15 times, “deliver” 13 times, “help” 12 times, “preserved” five times, “salvation” three times, “avenging” twice, “at all” once, “avenged” once, “defend” once, “rescue” once, “safe” once, and “victory” once. 1 to save, be saved, be delivered. 1A (Niphal). 1A1 to be liberated, be saved, be delivered. 1A2 to be saved (in battle), be victorious. 1B (Hiphil). 1B1 to save, deliver. 1B2 to save from moral troubles. 1B3 to give victory to. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: Failure can be such a great teacher for believers and yet one that we love to hate as well. It is difficult to believe that the defeat we have suffered may actually be helpful to us later in life. The psalmist turned to the Lord to ask for restoration from Israel’s disastrous predicament—a disaster brought on by God’s anger. The Lord had torn open the land and staggered David’s troops. Because the disaster of defeat was brought by the Lord, He was the only One who could bring them victory.
This is why the psalmist cries out to the Lord and asks for deliverance and salvation with his right hand. The psalmist recognized that the Lord alone would bring victory out of defeat! It is interesting to see that the psalmist uses the exact same portion of scripture again in Ps. 108:6-13! Could it be that the Lord was reminding the Israelites of this defeat and assuring them that He would provide? The repetition in scripture is used to remind and instruct us of important truths God wants us to learn. Are we learning these truths as He instructs us?
CHALLENGE: His right hand is sufficient to save us again as we cry out to Him from the depths of defeat! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 11 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. (7723 “vain” [shav’] means vanity, false, lying, emptiness, vanity, nothingness, lying, worthlessness, or the quality of being valueless or futile.)
DEVOTION: There are only two sources of help when we are in trouble. There is the source of man or the source of God.
David is asking the LORD for help as he knows that the help of man will usually be wrong or let us down. It is a problem that was in David’s time and it is a problem even now.
We have a tendency of looking for help with the people around us before we turn to the LORD in prayer and wait on HIM to help us with whatever is going on in our life.
There are too many people who want to give us human advice instead of Biblical advice on how we should live and how we should act in our daily walk with the LORD.
The Bible is our final source of instruction. The answers are found in our Bible and with the help of the Holy Spirit genuine believers can know what they should do in any given situation.
When we sin, we need to confess to the LORD what we have done wrong and ask for HIS forgiveness and instruction on how to live our lives better for HIM. HE knows that we are going to sin. HE knows that as long as we are in our human body temptations are going to be around every corner.
There will be others who want to help and some are them are genuine in their relationship with the LORD. This is a great help.
However, there are many people who claim to be believers that will give us wrong advice. We need to make sure that we check with the LORD before we listen to those who claim to have all the answers.
God gives us answers in HIS Word, the Bible. We need to continually read it and ask the Holy Spirit to give us instructions to follow. If we are genuine HE will give us the needed actions we should take in every given situation.
Remember that through the reading of the Bible and the ministry of the Holy Spirit we can live a life that is pleasing to the LORD.
Does that mean we should never ask a human what to do? NO! It means our primary source should be our prayer life with the Word of God, while waiting for the Holy Spirit to give us an answer to our questions.
CHALLENGE: A good Biblical believer is hard to find but they are out there. Seek the LORD and HE will lead you to the right action and the right person to help in time of need.
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:12 “Through God we shall do valiantly: for HE it is that shall tread down our enemies.”(“Do Valiantly,” 381 אִישׁ, חַיִל [ʾIysh-Chayil] 1 a mighty man, valiant man. [Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software]).
DEVOTION: The attribute of being valiant or doing something valiantly carries with it the idea of being courageous, bold, and brave. This is an attribute of someone who is not fearful of the future, but is “all in” when it comes to doing things that may be associated with some danger. This is an attribute which is highly desired in military combat.
This psalm reminds us that we are in spiritual warfare. This is not the same as the jihad we hear about (for Muslims) in our news. We recognize that we are involved in fighting spiritual forces which we cannot see. Paul reminds us that our struggle is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). That is why he tells us to put on the Christian armor (Ephesians 6:13-17), which is designed to protect us. Never does Scripture tell the believer to engage in mindless suicide.
Soldiers who are valiant not only trust in their armor and their weapons, but they also have a confidence in their leader. They are willing to risk their lives because they are convinced that they are fighting for what is right. In our case, we realize that this life is not all there is, and that we serve a risen Savior, with whom we will spend eternity in His kingdom.
Valiant men also work as a team. God rarely sends only one person into battle. Rather He uses our encouragement of one another to make us all willing to do more for Him. So it is working with other believers in the church that is what is build us up in accomplishing the Great Commission He has given us.
As a result of these things, we do not run from the line of battle when the forces of war are engaged. We accept that there will be challenges and difficulties in what we do, yet we are willing to sacrifice for what we know is right. We are not to think about the cost to ourselves, but rather the honor of serving alongside those of like mind who are determined to see God’s kingdom planted here on earth. We take confidence that His will is what will be done on earth eventually, and that is also what we pray for (Matthew 6:10).
CHALLENGE: What thing is God asking you to do for Him that you are fearful of? Do you need to witness to someone about Christ? Remember that being a Christian is not always easy but that God uses those who are willing to take risks for Him. (Dr. Marc Wooten – board member)
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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)
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)
David asks the LORD to turn again to Israel verse 1
David wants the LORD to hear him verse 5
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead) God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign)
verse 1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 12
HE has cast off Israel
HE has scattered Israel
HE has been displeased with Israel
Makes the earth tremble
HE has broken the earth
HE can save Israel with HIS right hand
God speaks in holiness verse 6
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)
Moab verse 8
Edom verse 8, 9
Philistia verse 8
Vain is the help of man verse 11
Enemies verse 12
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Presence of the LORD verse 1, 12
Shown hard things verse 3
Drunk the wine of astonishment verse 3
Fear of the LORD verse 4
Truth verse 4
Deliverance verse 5
Saved verse 5
Heard of the LORD verse 5
Rejoice verse 6
Help verse 11
Valiant verse 12
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
David – author of Psalm verse 1- 12
Asks the LORD to help
Wants Israel to be delivered
Will rejoice because God has spoken
Wants God to lead them to victory
Doesn’t want God to cast off Israel
Wants God to help in trouble
Knows that vain is the help of man
Israel shall do go with God’s help
Knows with God’s help they will
Tread down enemies
Israel = God’s people verse 3
God has shown them hard things
God has made them drink the wine
of astonishment
God has given them a banner to
fear HIM
With God’s help Israel will do valiantly
Shechem verse 6
Valley of Succoth verse 6
Gilead verse 7
Manasseh verse 7
Ephraim verse 7
Judah (Lawgiver) verse 7
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
60:9–12. Through three rhetorical questions the psalmist acknowledged that the Lord, the One who had rejected them in the battle (cf. vv. 1–4), would lead them to victory. But because human effort is futile, David prayed that God would give them aid against the enemy, confident that with God … victory was theirs. Thus it is clear that victory or defeat belongs to God. When disaster comes, one’s only hope is God. (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. 838). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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David earnestly prayed that the Lord would honor His Word and give His beloved people victory over their enemies, and the Lord answered. David made it clear that he wasn’t looking back at the defeat (vv. 9–10). He was the kind of leader who looked to the future and trusted the Lord. The “fortified city” was probably Petra (or Sela), the capital of Edom. David didn’t interpret one setback as the sign of total defeat. He was making a great name for himself by his many victories, so perhaps he needed this one defeat to humble him and drive him closer to the Lord. David didn’t trust in himself or in his capable officers or his valiant soldiers (v. 11). He trusted fully in the Lord, and the Lord honored his faith. The enemy would be completely defeated—trampled into the dirt—and Israel would triumph. Israel rallied to the “banner of God’s truth” (v. 4), and the Lord gave them victory (1 John 5:4). “Edom will be conquered; Seir [Edom], his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong” (Num. 24:18, niv). (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be worshipful (1st ed., p. 208). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
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60:10 But it is a vain hope at the moment because God has hidden His face from His people. He has cast them off. He no longer accompanies Israel’s armies as a guarantee of victory. (MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 640). Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
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10. The question in the last verse, “Who will bring me into Edom?” is here answered by another question, “Wilt not thou, O God?” &c. that is, To whom can we have recourse for assistance, but to thee, O God? Deserted by thee, we fall; but do thou go forth with us, and we shall again rise superior to every enemy. So saith the Christian soldier: “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life;” “Thou hast overcome the sharpness of death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.” (Horne, G. (1856). A Commentary on the Book of Psalms (p. 213). New York: Robert Carter & Brothers.)
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Ver. 10. Wilt not thou, O God? &c.] This is an answer to the question, and is made by putting another, which tacitly contains in it an affirmation that God would do it. He has foretold the destruction of the Romish antichrist; he has said it shall be: he is faithful to his purposes, predictions, and promises; he is able to effect it; strong is the Lord that judgeth Babylon, Rev. 18:10. He will put it into the hearts of the kings of the earth to hate her; he will encourage them to reward her double; he will give her blood to drink, because she is worthy; her destruction will be according to his righteous judgment, and will be irretrievable; he will call upon all his people to rejoice at it, whose shoutings on this occasion will be like those of persons that enter into a conquered city in triumph. Which hadst cast us off; who seemed in former times to have cast off his people, when they were killed all the day long; accounted as sheep for the slaughter; were slain in great numbers in the Low Countries; burnt here in England; massacred in France and Ireland: especially God seemed to have cast off his people, and to have had no regard to his interest, when antichrist so prevailed, that all the world wondered after the beast. And thou, O God, which didst not go forth with our armies; but suffered the antichristian beast to make war with the saints, and to overcome and kill them; and which was the case in many pitched battles with the Waldenses and Albigenses before the Reformation, and with the Protestants in Germany since. But this will not be always the case; he whose name is the Word of God, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, will fight with the antichristian powers, and overcome them, and make his people more than conquerors over them; and his having formerly seemed to have cast them off, and not going forth with their armies, will serve as a foil to set off the glorious and complete victory that will at last be obtained. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 773). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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10. “Will not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off?” Yes, the chastising God is our only hope. He loves us still. For a small moment does he forsake, but with great mercy does he gather his people. Strong to smite, he is also strung to save. He who proved to us our need of him by showing us what poor creatures we are without him, will now reveal the glory of his help by conducting great enter prises to a noble issue. “And thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?” The self-same God art thou, and to thee faith cleaves. Though thou slay us, we trust in thee, and look for thy merciful help.
11 Give us help from trouble; from vain is the help of man.
12 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies. (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 56-87 (Vol. 3, p. 31). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.)
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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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No matter how insignificant he may have been before, a man becomes significant the moment he has had an encounter with the Son of God. When the Lord lays His hand upon a man, that man ceases at once to be ordinary. He immediately becomes extraordinary, and his life takes on cosmic significance. The angels in heaven take notice of him and go forth to become his ministers (Hebrews 1:14). Though the man had before been only one of the faceless multitude, a mere cipher in the universe, an invisible dust grain blown across endless wastes-now he gets a face and a name and a place in the scheme of meaningful things. Christ knows His own sheep “by name.” A young preacher introduced himself to the pastor of a great metropolitan church with the words, ‘I am just the pastor of a small church upcountry.’ ‘Son,’ replied the wise minister, “there are no
small churches.” And there are no unknown Christians, no insignificant sons of God. Each one signifies, each is a “sign” drawing the attention of the Triune God day and night upon him. The faceless man has a face, the nameless man a name, when Jesus picks
him out of the multitude and calls him to Himself. (A.W. Tozer, We Travel an Appointed Way, 19).
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Most people understand that even the best forms of worship do not themselves secure the best worship. What the worshiper brings to worship is an indispensable part of the mix. Without the knowledge of God in those who worship, without active faith, without reverence, without gratitude in the worshiper, even the best forms of worship simply fall flat. (p. 189, GOD in the Whirlwind by David F. Wells)
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The work on the city wall is ridiculed by those opposing it. Nehemiah 4
INSIGHT: It is difficult to do any work when we are strongly opposed. We begin to doubt the validity of the task or our ability to perform it. When we are assailed for doing God’s work, we must evaluate the source of opposition. We cannot assume opposition means that God is against us. While it is of little value to blame the devil for everything that goes wrong, the Bible makes it clear that spiritual opposition is a reality in the work of God. If we suspect spiritual opposition, we must oppose the enemy, remain at the task at hand, and redouble our prayers! (Quiet Walk)
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RIGHT THINKING
It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves. Psalm 100:3
Get right in your thinking about yourself; then think of yourself in your relationship to God. And the moment you do so, you will realize that you are utterly dependent upon Him. “It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves.” Our times and our breath are in His hand. God brought us into being, and He could end it in a moment. We, none of us, control life; God controls it all. But men and women do not stop and think about that. They say, “What shall I put on tonight? How shall I dress tomorrow?” They may be dead before tomorrow! But they do not think of that. The whole of life, for them, is without God; He does not enter into their calculations.
That is why the world is as it is, says our Lord. If only all men and women believed in God, they would all humble themselves before Him. If only the whole world believed in God, there would be no preparation for war, there would be no jealousy and envy and rivalry, because all men and women would be bowing before Him and worshiping Him and living to His glory and His praise. But because they do not, they set themselves up as gods, and they worship themselves. So there are barriers between nations. “I am going to be bigger,” says one; so he makes a bigger bomb. “I will make a bigger one!” says the other. And up and up and up we go, and we get worse. “Whence come wars and fightings among you. Come they not hence, even of your lusts…? Ye ask, and receive not,” says the apostle James (James 4:1,3).
You will never satisfy your god, and so, according to the Bible, we get all the troubles in the world–individual troubles and collective troubles, national troubles and international troubles! All this rivalry is because we are not living as under the eye of an almighty God.
A Thought to Ponder: If only all men and women believed in God, they would all humble themselves before Him. (From The Kingdom of God, p. 40, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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