October 26 - November 1 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
October 26
Psalms 108:6-9
6. That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me.
7. God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
8. Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;
9. Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over
Philistia will I triumph.
10. Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?
11. Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?
12. Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
13. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.
David turns to petition, interjected after a season of exaltation. He is beloved by this mighty God with a love that surpasses the earth and heavens. David wants to pray down a manifestation of the right hand of God upon the earth. He knows that the Lord does not begrudge fulfilling his word, but rejoices in it. However, His word never compromises His holiness. David has received a “clean” promise, which will benefit God’s kingdom, give back to God what belongs to Him and defeat His enemies. David is part and parcel of that kingdom and his victories are God’s.
Let the same be said of us. The God, who casts off men because of ungodliness, has spoken in His holiness that He will accompany our armies. When the help of man is cast aside and a God-consciousness prevails, with that comes a sense of victory.
October 27
Psalms 109:1-20
1. Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
2. For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
3. They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.
4. For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
5. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6. Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.
7. When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
8. Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
9. Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10. Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek
their bread also out of their desolate places.
11. Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
12. Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
13. Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15. Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
16. Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.
17. As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
18. As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.
19. Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.
20. Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.
Is it not right that God should have a chance to speak? Should lying and hateful lips have their say, while His pure and truthful lips are silent? God is rejected by his creation.
True love is often disdained. The kind of love that Jesus gave to His disciples is faithful to speak comfort and encouragement, along with rebuke and warning. Traitorous Judas, who shared in the secrets of the kingdom of God, led a mob of God-haters. He, who held high office in the council of Jesus, joined His enemies.
What follows is a terrible curse. It applied first to David’s most trusted counselor and friend, but prophetically it applied to Judas. It still applies to such spiritual traitors who learn the ways of Jesus, then turn into devil-inspired traitors and seek to upset the kingdom of righteousness. They cannot endure that which is right and pure. Though fully enlightened to truth, in the bitterness of their own heart, they deliberately turn away to become a help to popular forces. Their lives are cut short and their children become beggars.
October 28
Psalms 109:21-31
21. But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.
22. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
23. I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
24. My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
25. I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.
26. Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
27. That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.
28. Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
29. Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.
30. I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
31. For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.
Notwithstanding the fact he is king, at this time in his life, David was a poor and needy man. He was tested to an extreme and experienced bankruptcy, losing everything and fleeing into the wilderness. So Jesus was stripped of his heavenly-endowed honor and for our sakes became poor. Who has the insight to remember these poor ones in their time of trial and have mercy on them? Hearts like Judas’ are offended and disgusted at a display of weakness. They seek the high and lofty positions. However, those who we think smitten of God, fulfill divine purposes in the time of their affliction. Job fits into this category. Woe to the one who takes sides against the soul, who is subject to God’s chastening!
Here is the situation: The king has become an outcast and his heart had been torn and hurt. The years of fatness had been consumed, his appetite was gone and his human frame was weak. The superficial onlookers, seeing him tossed about, thought him a condemned, broken man. Who would serve such a king as this? In this situation, David is a type of Christ and this is the offense of the cross.
David’s prayer is based on two divine principles: God’s mercy and the vindication of His name and he appeals to the highest court. He awaits an obvious manifestation of His hand that will stop every mouth. Let man curse, if God will bless. The Lord stands at the right hand of the impoverished soul, whom man has cast aside. He is a great deliverer and will lift David’s soul from its present trial. He can still look forward to a future of useful service.
October 29
Psalms 110
1. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
4. The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
5. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
6. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
7. He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
……………………………………………..
Those who brought judgment against the Lord in His humiliation will see Him come in the clouds of heaven. He will sit on the right hand of power and prop His feet on His enemies. He will rule supreme and unchallenged over them. They will have no power to lift their hand against Him, as they did in His first advent. In that day, He will have a willing, trained and able army. The Ancient of Days will take on the power of youth, clad with the garments of holiness at the dawning of the Day of the Lord. The order of Melchizadek will come into power upon the earth. The opposing kings and whole nations, earthly and spiritual, will fall before Him. He will be refreshed as He battles and His strength will not diminish, until all His enemies become His footstool. His head will be crowned in final victory.
October 30
Psalms 111
1. Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.
2. The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.
3. His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
4. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.
5. He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.
6. He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.
7. The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
8. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
9. He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.
10. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Wholeheartedness in praise is the only worthy service unto the Lord. We must be motivated by pure pleasure in seeking His honorable and glorious works. Our soul should revel in His graciousness and compassion. Praise and loving obedience proceed from the assembly of the upright, taught in the fear of the Lord. He has revealed to us the power of redemption by personal demonstration, which has revolutionized our lives, and He has opened our eyes to a future heritage. “The secret of the lord is with them that fear Him.” The Lord cannot forget the covenant, in which He promises intervention from heaven. His word is an immoveable foundation, which stands forever. Stand therefore in total commitment upon the one who cannot fail.
October 31
Psalms 112
1. Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
2. His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
3. Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
4. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5. A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.
6. Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
8. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.
9. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.
10. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.
Fear and delight are companions in the Lord’s kingdom. They are part of a healthy, balanced spiritual diet and he, who is blessed with them, brings forth fruit, which glorifies God. There is no end to what He will do, when He finds a person whose heart is turned wholly in His direction. He may go through dark times, but there is light at the end of every tunnel, so he does not despair. He must only trust for his defense and the Lord will take care of his enemies. God’s man has a giving, “spend and be spent” spirit, characteristic of the true nature of Christ and His gospel. It is what distinguishes him from the natural man, who is murderously envious of that, which he cannot find or produce in himself. The wicked, who gathers possessions for himself may be noticed in his generation, but the giver, the dispenser, is never forgotten.
November 1
Psalms 113
1. Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
2. Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.
3. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praised.
4. The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
5. Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,
6. Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
7. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;
8. That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
9. He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.
Praise Him who is above all. The chief occupation of the servants of the Lord is praise. Not only their words, but their whole being and activities have that common end. From east to west, from morning to evening, there is one alone who is worthy of unceasing praise. From the rising of the sun over Japan to its setting over the islands of the Pacific, there ought to be a people dedicated to His glory. All nations on earth and the entire universe are subject to Him. The Lord condescends to earthly affairs and when He does, He reaches to the lowest and lifts to the highest. The wonder of His meekness is to be extolled, a meekness that forsakes the glory and riches of heaven, leaves the praises of angels, ignores the honor and attention of earth’s princes and walks among the lowly on earth. A meeker than Moses is here. Moses left the pleasures and riches of Egypt to suffer persecution with the people of God, but the reproach of Christ is far greater riches. The Lord’s interests are with the barren, poor and needy. He delights to lift them! Praise Him for His condescension.
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