David appears to be in a jam in this psalm (what else is new?). Some think that this psalm is related to Psalm 25—that the same situation is going on. It appears to be a revolt by the ruling class who are taking “bribes” (vs 10) and not acting in integrity in their relationship with God, David as king, or the people. It’s a great psalm for us when our motivations are being challenged by powerful people in our lives and it calls us back to the basics—our relationship with Yahweh.
1 – 3
David’s first reason for asking God for deliverance involves his relationship with God. It appears at first like David is bragging about how perfect he is. I don’t think that’s the case at all. Integrity means that you are the same on the inside as the outside—and it all revolves around his trust in God’s faithful love. David is basically saying “rescue me from this difficulty because I have put my whole life in the hands of your covenant love.”
4 – 7
Secondly, David says he has cut ties with those that have rejected God and His character. Furthermore, he approaches God with integrity and purity because he has performed the sacrifices prescribed in the Law and so can “go around the altar”. 2 Corinthians 6:14 says “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” Though we still must relate to those outside the faith, there is definitely a “cutting of ties” to them that should occur. You don’t do the same things you used to do—you are different and should act that way.
8 – 10
David proclaims that he wants to dwell where God dwells. You can’t really draw close to God and hold a rebellious attitude in your heart. And so he pleads with God to make a distinction between he and those that devise evil and can take bribes—two things that are certainly not in God’s character. This remains true for us as well. We who have read and understood God’s word know that there is a coming separation between good and evil. Those who cling to Jesus have their evil cleansed through His sacrifice and will be taken to be with Him forever.
11 – 12
David rejoices that through the sacrifices, through his loyalty to God and, more importantly, God’s loyalty to him, he can ask for God’s redemption from his trouble. Notice he seeks God’s grace. It isn’t by his merit, or ours, that God moves on our behalf, but it is by His grace—that unmerited favor He bestows on us.
Because of that, we know the path to walk—God’s character is clear when compared to those who reject Him. His faith too is firm and will not waver. So David will fulfill his vow to praise God in public—not backing away from God but putting it all in!
Power and influence are big deals to us. When people in powerful positions say one thing but mean another; when others we respect sneer at God and try to knock us away from our relationship to Him, we should not sneak away but know that:
1.We love God
2.We are cleansed through Jesus
3.We give God access to our thoughts and motivations
4.We don’t throw our lot in with those that reject God but come to Him with praise and thanksgiving—in public if need be
5.We look to Him for vindication, not our own efforts.
Psalm 27
Psalm 27 may hold the record for the most encouraging of all of the psalms. Like others it was written by David in a time of trouble. It seems as if people were saying bad and false things about him (vs 12), but his declarations about the Lord and about how he approaches God should lift the spirits of anyone facing difficulty.
1 – 3
Light is often used as a metaphor for rescue…darkness often represents danger (like in Psalm 23 “the darkest valley”). We naturally fear the darkness because you can’t see what’s coming. But here David is saying he has nothing to fear because the Lord Himself is David’s light and his rescue out of trouble.
Further, God provides for David a place of safety. He speaks here of a “stronghold” and later (vs 5) about a “high” rock. In terms of warfare you want to have a defendable position and “taking the high ground” and having a place to hide behind is ideal.
Because of these positions, David feels he has no fear of those who come against him. It doesn’t appear in this case that it is a physical attack but an emotional or character attack that is going on.
He declares in verse 2 that those arrayed against him actually trip and fall as they attempt to attack. So why? Because David is “confident”—not in his own strength and abilities, but in the strength and abilities of the Lord.
Notice what David is doing about the problem—he is not going on the counter attack; instead he is going before the Lord.
4 – 6
This is an amazing set of verses as David declares his ultimate desire is to just be in God’s presence, “gazing on the beauty of the Lord.” I find this incredible as we want to focus on the danger around us, but David wants to focus on the attributes of Yahweh. Wouldn’t it be incredible if in our times of difficulty instead of going on the attack or going into hiding we went into God’s presence in worship and adoration?
David declares further that this leads to Yahweh both being concealed and also lifted up. It seems as if the idea of being “hidden” under the “cover of His tent” suggests bringing worship and sacrifices to the Lord. When we are in times of trouble and when people are bringing accusations against you, you also can hide in God’s tent through Jesus, and bring worship into God’s house:
Hebrews 13:15 “Therefore, through Him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips that confess His name.”
7 – 10
Verses 7 – 10 seem to be the only place of doubt in this psalm. David essentially seems to be saying that he has thrown his entire lot in with God so if God doesn’t answer there is no answer. What a place of confidence that is, even when confidence in God’s answer may waver, confidence in God Himself never does!
11 – 12
The adversary seeks to “steal kill or destroy” or perhaps turn David into something he is not. But David wants to know God’s way, God’s “level” path instead of the way of those against him. We should be encouraged to press in all the more to God when faced with accusations of others!
13 – 14
David ends the psalm on an encouraging note. David is “certain” that God will come through in this life for Him and therefore his admonition to us is to “wait” for the Lord and be “strong and courageous” which, of course, echoes Joshua words to Israel when they faced mighty foes in the Promised Land (Joshua 1:6).
How willing are you to “wait” on God to answer?
Psalm 28
It seems if you read his Psalms, you see that people spoke against David quite often. What’s often hard when that happens to us is figuring out what people really mean. Sometimes people seem to be so nice but in reality they mean to harm us. In this psalm David cries out to God for rescue.
1 – 2
David has on many occasions referred to God as his “rock” and I like that. A rock is something firm that you can count on not to move. David depends on God, and he is pleading with God to not be deaf but hear his prayer. If God doesn’t answer then it will be like “going down to the pit” which represents those who die without a relationship with Yahweh—abandoned.
Listen, David cries out—as he speaks to God and lifts his hands. This was a common way of praying and may have represented holding your open hands to God to show you have no other motives and your hands are “clean” meaning you have done the appropriate sacrifices for your sins.
He is making these cries to the “holy sanctuary” which is a Hebrew word meaning the Holy of Holies—that place where the presence of God dwelt and from where God dispensed mercy from the “mercy seat.”
The wonderful thing about us is that through the sacrifice of Jesus we can call out to God for His mercy and we know He will hear and extend it to us.
3 – 5
David is saying here that he has not thrown his lot in with those that reject God and so pleads with God not to treat him that way. By their words and actions they prove they are hypocrites—saying one thing but meaning another. And it all seems to boil down to their attitude about God. They “do not consider what the Lord has done.” This probably speaks of the fact that God created the heavens and the earth and is Lord over it.
Those that reject God will get what they deserve. Those that belong to Jesus will get what Jesus deserves because He took what you deserved!
6 – 9
Here David rejoices that God has heard and that the idea of “rock” is now “strength and shield.” I love the latter part of verse 7: “my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.” Is that not a good word for us always? Further it leads David to sing songs of worship to the Lord, as should we!
Then in the final verses David extends the idea of God’s strength out to the people and to himself as the king. The final words are prayers that should always be on our lips as the people of God: “Save your people, bless your possession, shepherd them, and carry them forever.”
