“From Rejection to Restoration” (Psalm 60)

“From Rejection to Restoration” (Psalm 60)

Why Study The Psalms? • As Christians, we are commanded to utilize the Psalms: • Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, (Ep 5:19) • Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Col 3:16) • Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. (Jm 5:13)

It has been said that in the Psalms one finds “the longing for God's presence". It certainly contains "prayers and songs of joyous trust and praise." • Indeed, every emotion known to man is expressed in beautiful and inspired terms (e.g., joy, anger, praise, repentance, trust, even doubt). • Filled with some emotion for which you cannot find the words to express it? It is likely you will find it expressed in the book of Psalms!

The Origin Of The Word "Psalm" • The Greek word is "psalmos", from the Hebrew word "zmr" meaning "to pluck"; i.e., taking hold of the strings of an instrument with the fingers. • It implies that the psalms were originally composed to be accompanied by a stringed instrument. • David and others therefore originally wrote the Psalms to be sung to the accompaniment of the harp.

3) The Authors Of The Psalms • David - Commonly thought to be the author of the book of Psalms, but he actually wrote only about seventy-three (73), less than half. • Asaph - The music director during the reigns of David and Solomon (1 Chr 16:1-7). He wrote twelve (12) psalms. • The Sons of Korah - These were Levites who served in the Temple (1 Chr 26:1-19). They wrote twelve (12) psalms. • Solomon - At least two (2) psalms are attributed to him (Ps 72, 127). That he wrote many more is stated in 1Ki 4:29-32.

Moses - he wrote the earliest psalms; one is included in Psalms (Ps 90). • Heman - Contemporary with David and Asaph, and is known as "the singer" (1Ch 6:33). He wrote one psalm (Ps 88) that has been preserved. • Ethan - A companion with Asaph and Heman in the Temple worship (1 Chr 15:19). He wrote one psalm (Ps 89). • Anonymous - The authorship of forty-eight (48) of the psalms is unknown.

Introducing Psalms • People look into the Psalms to find out who they are. • Psalms bring into awareness an ancient sorrow, yet release a latent joy. We use the Psalms to present ourselves before God as honestly and thoroughly. • The Psalms show us the shape of our souls and the curve of our sin, realities deep within us, hidden and obscured, for which we need focus.

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A miktamof David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah,and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 1 You have rejected us, God, and burst upon us;you have been angry—now restore us!2 You have shaken the land and torn it open;mend its fractures, for it is quaking.3 You have shown your people desperate times;you have given us wine that makes us stagger.4 But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner

5 Save us and help us with your right hand,that those you love may be delivered.6 God has spoken from his sanctuary:“In triumph I will parcel out Shechemand measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.7 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine;Ephraim is my helmet,Judah is my scepter.8 Moab is my washbasin,on Edom I toss my sandal;over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

9 Who will bring me to the fortified city?Who will lead me to Edom?10 Is it not you, God, you who have now rejected usand no longer go out with our armies?11 Give us aid against the enemy,for human help is worthless.12 With God we will gain the victory,and he will trample down our enemies.

Psalm 60 is a *miktam. A *miktam is either something made of gold, or special teaching or something hidden • In this Psalm David gives a model of how to approach God when we indeed want His help. • APPEAL OF GOD’S PEOPLE – Vss. 1-5 • APPRAISAL OF GOD’S POWER – Vss. 6-8 • ASSURANCE OF GOD’S PARTICIPATION – Vss. 9-12 Note: Most Psalms written do not give us time when they were written, However, this psalm does,

Unfortunately, the sixtieth psalm is the last of the psalms with a historical setting from the life of David. Psalm 60 also has one of the longest descriptive titles given to it. We are told that this psalm’s background is when David “fought with Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah, and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.” This descriptive title points us to the events of 2 Samuel 8:1-14

2nd Samuel Chapter 8 • 11 King David also dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he had subdued— 12 from Syria, from Moab, from the people of Ammon, from the Philistines, from Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah. • 13 And David made himself a name when he returned from killing eighteen thousand Syriansin the Valley of Salt. 14 He also put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants.

2nd Samuel 8 tells us where David was. On the way home he fought the Syrians. While this was happening an old enemy of Israel called Edom attacked Jerusalem. David sent one of his soldiers with part of the army to fight the Edomites. They beat them and killed 12 000 of them. This happened in the Valley of Salt, near the Dead Sea

Examples of rejection: • Joseph trapped in an Egyptian prison simply because he refused to act against his principles and God's rules for life • Moses leading God's people in the desert in spite of their grumbling • Jeremiah and many other of God's prophets who preached to people who shut their eyes and their ears to God's truth • Hosea who lived a life of rejection when his wife left his home and children to be a prostitute - God called Hosea be a living parable of God's love in the world of his day.

Rejection is a common experience in life. It comes to all of us in time. Try as we may to avoid those times and places where we might encounter rejection of any of its forms, sooner or later rejection finds us all. It is hard to keep pressing on through rejection. There is sometimes wisdom in just standing still or even backing up.

The veil that the priest holds during the second part of the prayer is a symbol of the middle wall, that is the old enmity between us and God that was taken down by the redemptive action of the Lord on the Cross.

Only God can give victory 1. David sums up this psalm by declaring that only God can give victory. We cannot find the victory in ourselves. We cannot be true successes without God’s help. We have no hope unless God is willing to act on our behalf. God will fulfill his covenant promises. Only with God’s help can the seemingly impossible take place.

Recovering From RejectionGod understands rejection and knows how to remedy its pain. Christ was rejected when He came to His own people and they would not receive Him. "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him." (John 1:11). He endured rejection when He bore our sins. "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." (Isaiah 53:3).

Jesus rejected and reviledIsa. 53:3 - "He was despised and forsaken of men"Lk. 17:25 - "rejected by this generation"I Peter 2:4 - "rejected by men"I Peter 2:23 - "reviled, He did not revile in return"

God is not rejectiveLev. 26:11 - "My soul will not reject you"Isa. 41:9 - "I have chosen you and not rejected you"Ps. 94:14 - "the Lord will not abandon His people"II Cor. 4:9 - "not forsaken"Heb. 13:5 - "I will never desert you, nor forsake you"

11 Give us aid against the enemy,for human help is worthless. Psalm 108 verse 12 Oh give us help against the adversary,For deliverance by man is in vain.

“From Rejection to Restoration” (Psalm 60)