Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

II EVENING MEDITATION - 6-11 David’s Final Thoughts at Night

“I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. I think of how much you have helped me; I sing for joy in the shadow of your protecting wings.”(6,7)

The night lends itself to a different level of thought than the day. The darkness hides the colors and shapes of everyday life, the glory of the heavens and the stars expand the mind beyond earthly bound- aries. In this stillness the heart reaches inward towards the memories and outward towards eternity; a song of supernatural joy arises from the midnight meditation. John Donne says of verse 7: “as the spirit and soul of the whole book of Psalms is contracted into this psalm, so is the spirit and soul of the whole psalm contracted into this verse 2 .”

“I follow close behind you; your strong right hand holds me securely.” (8)

The thought behind this verse is to be glued to the Lord or to ‘cling’ to him as a husband and wife. The apostle John had a very close relationship with Jesus as exhibited at the Last Supper; “One of Jesus’ disciples, the one Jesus loved, (was reclining on Jesus bosom) at the table.” (Jn. 13:23) God de- sires to be near to each one of us.

III EVIL MEN - 9,10 David’s Spiritual Fight

“But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin. They will go down into the depths of the earth. They will die by the sword and become the food of jackals.” (9)

Just as Satan’s rebellion has marred the perfection of creation and fellowship with God, people who are motivated by the darkness of sin tear across all that is holy and good with their selfish destruction. The reality of their end is certain: it is ruinous, it is eternal and it is disgraceful. Becoming food for jack- als was the fate of soldiers who died in wilderness battles. The contrast makes the beauty of a rela- tionship with God even more desirable.

IV ENDING MUSIC - 11 David’s Faith Rejoices

“But the king will rejoice in God. All who trust in him will praise him, while liars will be silenced.” (11)

This is perhaps the most faith-filled verse in the song. In it David asserts: • His identity- he is still the king despite the present rebellion. • His emotional state- he recovers his joy by rejoicing! • His focus- he manages the direction of his trust by praising God. • His confidence- though injustice prevails he believes in God’s ultimate triumph over dishonesty!

1 Scroggie 2 Boyce

PSALM 64: BITTER WORDS ARE THE ARROWS The Enemy’s Ambush

Each psalm from 52 until 64 has mentioned the enemies of David and now the reader is transported into the middle of an ambush of arrows. The arrows are bitter words and yet God picks up them up and shoots them back in judgment against the wicked. Just like the ambush, God’s intervention is sudden and swift. There are two main sections:

I ATTACKING ARROWS- 1-6 II AVENGING ARROWS- 7-10

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