David and the Psalms

1. David and the Psalms

2. “He ran to him, stood over him, took Goliath's sword out of its sheath, and cut off his head and killed him. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they ran away.” (1Samuel 17:51 – GN)

3. Bright light and dim light • “After this, Absalom provided a chariot and horses for himself, and an escort of fifty men. He would get up early and go and stand by the road at the city gate. Whenever someone came there with a dispute that he wanted the king to settle, Absalom would call him over and ask him where he was from. And after the man had told him what tribe he was from, Absalom would say, ‘Look, the law is on your side, but there is no representative of the king to hear your case.’ And he would add, ‘How I wish I were a judge! Then anyone who had a dispute or a claim could come to me, and I would give him justice.’ When the man would approach Absalom to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out, take hold of him, and kiss him. Absalom did this with every Israelite who came to the king for judgment, and so he won their loyalty. (2 Samuel 15:1-6 – GN)

4. Bright light and dim light • “A messenger reported to David, ‘The Israelites are pledging their loyalty to Absalom.’ So David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, ‘We must get away at once if we want to escape from Absalom! Hurry! Or else he will soon be here and defeat us and kill everyone in the city!’” (2 Samuel 15:13-14 – GN)

5. Bright light and dim light - #1 • “As the king and all his men were leaving the city, they stopped at the last house. All his officials stood next to him as the royal bodyguards passed by in front of him. The six hundred soldiers who had followed him from Gath also passed by, and the king said to…their leader, ‘Why are you going with us? Go back and stay with the new king. You are a foreigner, a refugee away from your own country. You have lived here only a short time, so why should I make you wander around with me? I don’t even know where I’m going. Go back and take all your people with you---and may the LORD be kind and faithful to you.’”(2 Samuel 15:17-20 – GN)

6. Bright light and dim light - #2 • “Zadok the priest was there, and with him were the Levites, carrying the sacred Covenant Box. They set it down and didn’t pick it up again until all the people had left the city. The priest Abiathar was there too. Then the king said to Zadok, ‘Take the Covenant Box back to the city. If the LORD is pleased with me, some day he will let me come back to see it and the place where it stays. But if he isn’t pleased with me---well, then, let him do to me what he wishes.’” (2 Samuel 15:24-26 – GN)

7. Mephibosheth and Ziba - background • “There was a servant of Saul’s family named Ziba, and he was told to go to David…The king asked him, ‘Is there anyone left of Saul’s family to whom I can show loyalty and kindness, as I promised God I would?’ Ziba answered, ‘There is still one of Jonathan’s sons. He is crippled.’” (2 Samuel 9:2,3 – GN) • “Don’t be afraid,’ David replied. ‘I will be kind to you for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will give you back all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always be welcome at my table.’ Mephibosheth bowed again and said, ‘I am no better than a dead dog, sir! Why should you be so good to me?’” (2 Samuel 9:7,8 – GN)

8. Bright light and dim light - #3 • “When David had gone a little beyond the top of the hill, he was suddenly met by Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, who had with him a couple of donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, a hundred bunches of fresh fruit, and a leather bag full of wine. King David asked him, ‘What are you going to do with all that?’ Ziba answered, ‘The donkeys are for Your Majesty's family to ride, the bread and the fruit are for the men to eat, and the wine is for them to drink when they get tired in the wilderness.’ ‘Where is Mephibosheth, the grandson of your master Saul?’ the king asked him. ‘He is staying in Jerusalem,’ Ziba answered, ‘because he is convinced that the Israelites will now restore to him the kingdom of his grandfather Saul.’ The king said to Ziba, ‘Everything that belonged to Mephibosheth is yours.’ ‘I am your servant,’ Ziba replied. ‘May I always please Your Majesty!’” (2 Samuel 16:1-4 – GN)

9. Bright light and dim light - #3 • “Then Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, came down to meet the king. He had not washed his feet, trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes from the time the king left Jerusalem until he returned victorious. When Mephibosheth arrived from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, ‘Mephibosheth, you didn’t go with me. Why not?’ He answered, ‘As you know, Your Majesty, I am crippled. I told my servant to saddle my donkey so that I could ride along with you, but he betrayed me. He lied about me to Your Majesty, but you are like God’s angel, so do what seems right to you. All of my father’s family deserved to be put to death by Your Majesty, but you gave me the right to eat at your table. I have no right to ask for any more favors from Your Majesty.’ The king answered, ‘You don’t have to say anything more. I have decided that you and Ziba will share Saul’s property.’ ‘Let Ziba have it all,’ Mephibosheth answered. ‘It’s enough for me that Your Majesty has come home safely.’” (2 Samuel 19:24-30 – GN)

10. Bright light and dim light - #4 • “…one of Saul’s relatives, Shimei son of Gera, came out to meet him, cursing him as he came. Shimei started throwing stones at David and his officials, even though David was surrounded by his men and his bodyguards. Shimei cursed him and said, ‘Get out! Get out! Murderer! Criminal! You took Saul’s kingdom, and now the LORD is punishing you for murdering so many of Saul’s family. The LORD has given the kingdom to your son Absalom, and you are ruined, you murderer!’…Abishai said to the king, ‘Your Majesty, why do you let this dog curse you? Let me go over there and cut off his head!’ ‘This is none of your business,’ the king said to Abishai and his brother Joab.’” • “So David and his men continued along the road. Shimei kept up with them, walking on the hillside; he was cursing and throwing stones and dirt at them as he went. The king and all his men were worn out when they reached the Jordan, and there they rested.” (2 Samuel 16:5-10,13-14 – GN)

11. Bright light and dim light - #4 • “They [the people of Judah] crossed the [Jordan] river to escort the royal party across and to do whatever the king wanted. As the king was getting ready to cross, Shimei threw himself down in front of him and said, ‘Your Majesty, please forget the wrong I did that day you left Jerusalem. Don’t hold it against me or think about it any more. I know, sir, that I have sinned, and this is why I am the first one from the northern tribes to come and meet Your Majesty today.’ Abishai…spoke up: ‘Shimei should be put to death because he cursed the one whom the LORD chose as king.’ But David said to Abishai…‘Who asked your opinion? Are you going to give me trouble? I am the one who is king of Israel now, and no Israelite will be put to death today.’ And he said to Shimei, ‘I give you my word that you will not be put to death.’” (2 Samuel 19:18-23 – GN)

12. Bright light and dim light • When we are in a dark cave spiritually, God will give us dim lights: • The power to kill giants and cut off their heads • Samson • Elisha and the she-bears

14. David • David’s last instructions to Solomon: • “There is also Shimei…He cursed me bitterly…but when he met me at the Jordan River, I gave him my solemn promise in the name of the LORD that I would not have him killed. But you must not let him go unpunished. You know what to do, and you must see to it that he is put to death.” (1 Kings 2:8-9 – GN) • David was hot and cold; bright and dark – but not lukewarm • “I know what you have done; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were either one or the other! But because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth!” (Revelation 3:15-16 – GN)

15. Psalms

16. “I have asked the LORD for one thing; one thing only do I want: to live in the LORD’s house all my life, to marvel there at his goodness, and to ask for his guidance.” (Psalms 27:4 – GN)

17. Psalm 139 • “LORD, you have examined me and you know me. You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts. You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions. Even before I speak, you already know what I will say. You are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power. Your knowledge of me is too deep; it is beyond my understanding. Where could I go to escape from you? Where could I get away from your presence? If I went up to heaven, you would be there; if I lay down in the world of the dead, you would be there.” (Psalms 139:1-8 – GN)

18. Psalm 139 • “The days allotted to me had all been recorded in your book, before any of them ever began. O God, how difficult I find your thoughts; how many of them there are! If I counted them, they would be more than the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. • O God, how I wish you would kill the wicked! How I wish violent people would leave me alone! They say wicked things about you; they speak evil things against your name. O LORD, how I hate those who hate you! How I despise those who rebel against you! I hate them with a total hatred; I regard them as my enemies.” • “Examine me, O God, and know my mind; test me, and discover my thoughts. Find out if there is any evil in me and guide me in the everlasting way.” (Psalms 139:16-24 – GN)

19. Prayer • The Psalms are a model of how we should come to God in prayer • Prayer – talking with God as we would talk to a friend • Like a sick patient coming to a doctor

20. “According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, spinning such a wheel will have Much the same effect as orally reciting the prayers.”

21. Prayer • Luther “did not pass a day without devoting three hours at least to prayer, and they were hours selected from those the most favorable to study….full of adoration, fear, and hope, as when one speaks to a friend.” D’Aubigne, b. 14, ch. 6

22. How to talk to God • “LORD, if I argued my case with you, you would prove to be right. Yet I must question you about matters of justice. Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why do dishonest people succeed? You plant them, and they take root; they grow and bear fruit. They always speak well of you, yet they do not really care about you. But, LORD, you know me; you see what I do and how I love you. • [what’s on your mind Jeremiah?] • “Drag these evil people away like sheep to be butchered; guard them until it is time for them to be slaughtered. How long will our land be dry, and the grass in every field be withered? Animals and birds are dying because of the wickedness of our people, people who say, ‘God doesn’t see what we are doing.’ • The LORD said, ‘Jeremiah, if you get tired racing against people, how can you race against horses? If you can’t even stand up in open country, how will you manage in the jungle by the Jordan?” (Jeremiah 12:1-5 – GN)

23. Psalm 77 • “I cry aloud to God; I cry aloud, and he hears me. In times of trouble I pray to the Lord; all night long I lift my hands in prayer, but I cannot find comfort. When I think of God, I sigh; when I meditate, I feel discouraged. He keeps me awake all night; I am so worried that I cannot speak. I think of days gone by and remember years of long ago. I spend the night in deep thought; I meditate, and this is what I ask myself: ‘Will the Lord always reject us? Will he never again be pleased with us? Has he stopped loving us? Does his promise no longer stand? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has anger taken the place of his compassion?’ Then I said, ‘What hurts me most is this--- that God is no longer powerful.’

24. Psalm 77 • “I will remember your great deeds, LORD; I will recall the wonders you did in the past. I will think about all that you have done; I will meditate on all your mighty acts. Everything you do, O God, is holy. No god is as great as you. You are the God who works miracles; you showed your might among the nations. By your power you saved your people, the descendants of Jacob and of Joseph. When the waters saw you, O God, they were afraid, and the depths of the sea trembled. The clouds poured down rain; thunder crashed from the sky, and lightning flashed in all directions. The crash of your thunder rolled out, and flashes of lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook. You walked through the waves; you crossed the deep sea, but your footprints could not be seen. You led your people like a shepherd, with Moses and Aaron in charge.” (Psalms 77:1-20 – GN)

25. Psalm 1 • “God blesses those people who refuse evil advice and won’t follow sinners or join in sneering at God. Instead, the Law of the LORD makes them happy, and they think about it day and night. They are like trees growing beside a stream, trees that produce fruit in season and always have leaves.” (Psalms 1:1-3 – GN) • “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” (Psalms 1:2 – NKJV)

26. Delight in the law • “With all my heart I try to serve you; keep me from disobeying your commandments. I keep your law in my heart, so that I will not sin against you. I praise you, O LORD; teach me your ways. I will repeat aloud all the laws you have given. I delight in following your commands more than in having great wealth. I study your instructions; I examine your teachings. I take pleasure in your laws; your commands I will not forget. Be good to me, your servant, so that I may live and obey your teachings. Open my eyes, so that I may see the wonderful truths in your law.” (Psalms 119:10-18 – GN) • Do you delight in the law?

27. Delight in the law • “The only obligation you have is to love one another. Whoever does this has obeyed the Law…If you love others, you will never do them wrong; to love, then, is to obey the whole Law” (Romans 13,8,10 – GN). • “For the whole Law is summed up in one commandment: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself’” (Galatians 5:14 – GN). • “Jesus answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40 – GN).

28. “Those who know you LORD, will trust you” (Psalms 9:10 – GN) • This is the essence of everything important • To “know” in the Bible: • “And eternal life means to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom you sent” (John 17:3 – GN) • “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with him.” (Philippians 3:8,9 – NLT) • “Go away, I never knew you…” • Trust: • “Abraham put his trust in the LORD, and because of this the LORD was pleased with him and accepted him” (Genesis 15:6 – GN) • “And he believed! Believed God! God declared him ‘Set-Right-with-God.’” (Genesis 15:6 – The Message) • To know God is to trust him • Righteousness by faith = right with God by trusting him - - trust in God is based on an intimate knowledge of his character.

29. Psalm 69 • “Save me, O God! The water is up to my neck; I am sinking in deep mud, and there is no solid ground; I am out in deep water, and the waves are about to drown me. I am worn out from calling for help, and my throat is aching. I have strained my eyes, looking for your help. Those who hate me for no reason are more numerous than the hairs of my head. My enemies tell lies against me; they are strong and want to kill me. They made me give back things I did not steal.” • “This, however, was bound to happen so that what is written in their Law may come true: ‘They hated me for no reason at all.’” (John 15:25 – GN)

30. Psalm 69 • “My sins, O God, are not hidden from you; you know how foolish I have been. Don’t let me bring shame on those who trust in you, Sovereign LORD Almighty! Don’t let me bring disgrace to those who worship you, O God of Israel! It is for your sake that I have been insulted and that I am covered with shame. I am like a stranger to my relatives, like a foreigner to my family. My devotion to your Temple burns in me like a fire; the insults which are hurled at you fall on me.” • “His disciples remembered that the scripture says, ‘My devotion to your house, O God, burns in me like a fire.’” (John 2:17 – GN) • “For Christ did not please himself. Instead, as the scripture says, ‘The insults which are hurled at you have fallen on me.’” (Romans 15:3 – GN)

31. Psalm 69 • “I humble myself by fasting, and people insult me; I dress myself in clothes of mourning, and they laugh at me. They talk about me in the streets, and drunkards make up songs about me. But as for me, I will pray to you, LORD; answer me, God, at a time you choose. Answer me because of your great love, because you keep your promise to save. Save me from sinking in the mud; keep me safe from my enemies, safe from the deep water. Don’t let the flood come over me; don’t let me drown in the depths or sink into the grave. Answer me, LORD, in the goodness of your constant love; in your great compassion turn to me! Don’t hide yourself from your servant; I am in great trouble---answer me now! Come to me and save me; rescue me from my enemies. You know how I am insulted, how I am disgraced and dishonored; you see all my enemies. Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I had hoped for sympathy, but there was none; for comfort, but I found none.”

32. Psalm 69 • “When I was hungry, they gave me poison; when I was thirsty, they offered me vinegar.” • “They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink…And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.” (Matthew 27:34, ,48 – KJV) • “After this, when Jesus knew that everything had now been finished, he said, ‘I’m thirsty.’ He said this so that Scripture could finally be concluded. A jar filled with vinegar was there. So the soldiers put a sponge soaked in the vinegar on a hyssop stick and held it to his mouth.” (John 19:28,29 – GOD’S WORD) • Was Jesus really thirsty?

33. Psalm 69 • “May their banquets cause their ruin; may their sacred feasts cause their downfall. Strike them with blindness! Make their backs always weak! Pour out your anger on them; let your indignation overtake them. May their camps be left deserted; may no one be left alive in their tents. They persecute those whom you have punished; they talk about the sufferings of those you have wounded. Keep a record of all their sins; don’t let them have any part in your salvation. May their names be erased from the book of the living; may they not be included in the list of your people. But I am in pain and despair; lift me up, O God, and save me!” (Psalms 69:1-29 – GN) • Were these the thoughts of Jesus on the Cross?

34. “Look at this country! Darkness and distress! The light is swallowed by darkness.” (Isaiah 5:30 – GN) “Clouds and darkness surround him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.” (Psalms 97:2) “Now the message that we have heard from his Son and announce is this: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him.” (1 John 1:5 – GN)

35. Dim light –Bright light • David - Jesus