Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

2. After he took a census of the land that the Law of Moses had forbidden. “’ This is what the Lord says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will do it.” (2 Sam. 24:12) David chose three days of plague that ravaged the land.

INTRODUCTION:

“ For Jeduthan, the choir director: A psalm of David.”

This is the first of three psalms with this title that were given to Jeduthun for ministry in the temple. Psalm 62 is the second and it contains many similarities to Psalm 39. It also begins with silence and ends in hope, “ I wait quietly (silently) before God for my hope is in him”(Ps. 62:5) Psalm 77 is the third but it was written by Asaph rather than David. It is important to understand who Jeduthun was and the scope of his ministry during the lifetime of David and afterwards. He is also called ‘Ethan’ (1 Chron. 6:44) and was one of David’s three main mu- sicians along with Asaph and Heman. He was appointed to give thanks to the Lord: “ David also ap- pointed Heman, Jeduthun,…to give thanks to the lord, ‘for his faithful love endures forever.’ They used their trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments to accompany the songs of praise to God.” (1 Chron. 16:41, 42) Jeduthan’s name means to ‘worship, praise and give thanks by the extending of the hands’ and he is associated with the phrase “ give thanks to the Lord, for his faithful love endures forever .” Jeduthun and his sons were appointed to be musical prophets in the Tabernacle of David: “ Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Je- duthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals…six (sons) under the di- rection of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp to give thanks and to praise the Lord.” (1 Chron. 25:1,3, NKJV) Jeduthun specialized in the stringed instruments while Asaph was a percussion- ist and Heman a horn player. Jeduthun helped preside over the dedication of Solomon’s temple, the greatest recorded worship service in the Old Testament: “ And the Levites who were musicians- Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun…stood at the east side of the altar playing cymbals, harps, and lyres…they raised their voices and praised the Lord with these words: ‘He is so good! His faithful love endures forever!’ …the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of God. “(2 Chron. 5:12-14) Jeduthun became a ‘seer’ or prophet to David and the other chief musicians. Together they formed a prophetic group of worship ‘architects’ that laid the foundations for worshippers in all ages. “ The mu- sicians, descendants of Asaph, were in their assigned places, following the orders given by David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, the king’s seer.” (2 Chron. 35:15) His descendants were also serving God centuries later in Nehemiah’s day.

I THE BRIEFNESS OF LIFE - 1-5

“ I said to myself, ‘I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will curb my tongue when the un- godly are around me.’”(1)

This is excellent advice when you know you will lose control and become harmful with your words. The ungodly listen very carefully to what believers say.

“ But as I stood there in silence-not even speaking of good things- the turmoil within me grew to the bursting point. My thoughts grew hot within me and began to burn, igniting a fire of words:”(2,3)

Silence is a bad thing when you have something good to say. Here the molten lava of godliness stirs under the surface until it vents itself like a volcanic explosion. Jeremiah agrees with David: “ If I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am weary of holding it in!”(Jer. 20:9) David’s son Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 3:7 …there is “ a time to be quiet and a time to speak up. ” Those who speak to God first before addressing others will rarely have to retract and apologize for what they say.

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