January 29 - February 4 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
January 29
Psalms 7:11-17
11. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
12. If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
13. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.
14. Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
15. He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.
16. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.
17. I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.
Every sinner ought to know, that he never opens his eyes from a night's sleep, but that God is angry with him. Every day his soul awakes to the greatest peril. While he persists in his sinful state, the wrath of God burns against him. It is only a question of time, with no guarantee that the time will be long, before he is eradicated. God is at war with the sinner and what is the sinner's arsenal against His? Is there a shield to ward off the arrows of the Almighty or is there armor to stop the thrust of His sword? There is none, even in this day of sophisticated resistance. Though they may shake the earth, hydrogen bombs bounce off heaven's doors like cotton balls. Do not be deceived, God is equipped with instruments of death and He can kill and cast into hell. The Psalm declares that He premeditates and preordains the death of the wicked. Only timely repentance can save him.
Is God just in executing fierce retribution against men? Remember that every sinner is a threat to human well-being and a reproductive channel of future evil. He is a pregnant bombshell, a birthing agent of deception and mischief. His own inventions will turn against him. He has birthed them to his own destruction and they will snap back in his face. David used Goliath's sword to cut off his head. Every weapon of the enemy is a self-destructive boomerang.
For this, David gives praise to God. It is a demonstration of His righteousness, not a calamity, when wickedness is judged. We are not holy or merciful, if we recoil against His acts. If we do, we may be demonstrating rebellion against His righteousness.
January 30
Psalms 8:1-2
1. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
This Psalm begins with heartfelt praise, springing from a revelation of the glory and majesty of God. David can see the excellence of the character of God around him in the earth, yet he perceives that His glory goes above any revelation found, either in earth or heaven. It is the highest human experience to fathom the greatness of Almighty God and then to sound forth His praises.
Upon earth, not only can we discover the extreme bigness of God, beyond words, but there is something else, which, upon discovery, David calls excellent. It is difficult to find a synonym to further describe it, but Jesus illustrates it when he rejoiced to the point of ecstasy and exclaimed, “Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them onto babes.” It is also found in our chapter, verse 2: “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies.” God delights in exalting the small and humble and equipping them for the highest service. Jeremiah was one of these: “Say not, I am a child; for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee”. . Certainly the disciples were of that lot. He raised their kind to still His enemies. What glory this excellency adds to the unfathomable greatness of the Creator of heaven and earth!
January 31
Psalms 8:1-6
1. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5. For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
The revelation of God’s excellence, disclosed in scripture, is undeniable. How many barren wombs did He open to produce patriarchs and prophets? Mary gave expression in praise to the same excellency, "He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden...he hath exalted them of low degree..he hath filled the hungry with good things." How many enemies has He stilled through the fruit of her womb?
David turns to the glory that is above the heavens. He looks to the moon and stars and sees them as the handiwork of God's fingers. It is debatable whether modern scientific knowledge can add to the wonder, but today we know the bulk of these stars to be greater than our sun and billions of light years apart. God produced them at His fingertips.
In His condescension to man over all His creation, God again shows his excellence. Man's planet is a speck in the universe and man, among the other of earth's inhabitants, is a weak, helpless creature. Animals are able to run and protect themselves shortly after birth. It takes man about a year to take a few faltering steps. His teeth are slow in developing. He has no natural coat for his body and is easy prey to many stronger beasts. God has made him a defenseless, dependent creature, so that he might trust in his Creator.
February 1
Psalms 8:5-9
5. For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
7. All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
8. The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
9. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
God's most careful attention is towards the race of human beings. He did more than create a wonder when He made man, but He also imparted to him His likeness. God watches over man as a father watches over his children. Not content with that, He sent His eternal Son to be one of us. We should recognize Him as more than a gift to the human race in general, but should see through Him, God’s plans and interests towards the individual.
In Jesus, we have the apex of God's intention for us, as firstfruits of a new creation (see Hebrews, chapter 2). As the Son of Man, He was made a little lower than the angels. Then, through the sufferings of death, He was given glory, honor and dominion over all things. They were all put under His feet. Herein is manifested the excellent character and plan of God to lift lowly man and bring many sons to glory, exalting them to the heavens.
February 2
Psalms 9:1-8
1. I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
2. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
3. When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4. For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.
5. Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
6. O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
7. But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
8. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness
The longing of the redeemed soul is to pour himself out totally to God. He is not satisfied until every unsanctified area is conquered and the heart is perfect before God. David wills to be wholly a praise unto Him. Then, his desire is to be a testimony horizontally. There is vertical praise and there is horizontal praise. David wants to be a beacon that shines beams of the wonderful workings of God upon all around him. Others may rejoice in lesser benefits, but he will rejoice in the Reward of Abraham, who refused the booty of the king of Sodom, in order to inherit God Himself. Others sing to nature, friends and sweethearts, but David sings to his Creator. God is the reason behind His song, joy, and his whole heart’s desire.
The Lord makes a clear distinction in His judgment. Those whose cause conforms to His eternal purpose can expect a favorable result, when they are judged. He rebukes the heathen, on the other hand, casts them aside and destroys them in everlasting ruin and eternal forgetfulness. Memory of them, their deeds, and the cities that they have founded, will alike perish forever. The Lord is making great preparations for fair and equal justice. It will be a perfect demonstration of judicial rectitude, without flaw or lack of evidence.
February 3
Psalms 9:9-14
9. The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
10. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
11. Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.
12. When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
13. Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:
14. That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.
Those who have become experientially familiar with the character of God can confidently cast their fate upon Him. They are the needy ones, to whose aid He has come. It is impossible for Him not to respond to seekers. Jesus said, “Seek and ye SHALL find.” The time will come for Him to avenge every misdeed against those who are humble enough to cry to Him, rather than to confide in themselves or in other sources.
The enemies of the righteous are many and they attack both physically and spiritually. They are too strong for him and the greatest enemy, death, is the one before which he is the most helpless. David trusts in the Lord, who lifts him like the crippled man, who begged at the Gate Beautiful for so many years. He rejoices in the revelation that his deliverance from death has come from the hand of the Lord. He transfers him from the gates of death to the gates of Zion. As David, we should apply God’s truth to our situations. We ought to rejoice in His salvation and praise Him publicly. Let us declare His justice and faithfulness to our generation.
February 4
Psalms 9:15-20
15. The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net, which they hid, is their own foot taken.
16. The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.
17. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
18. For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
19. Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
20. Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.
While David helplessly waited on God, the heathen made strong efforts to ensnare him, but every plot ricocheted back upon them. These are God’s ways. He is a help to the helpless and uses the strength of the wicked against him.
Turn away from the illusion of temporal success. The destiny of the wicked is sure. Whether they are individuals or nations, those who leave God out of the picture, have a future in hell. On the other hand, the forgotten, needy soul, who waited in the background while the wicked prospered, can expect recompense.
Here is a cry, which we can well afford to echo today. “Arise, Oh Lord!” Let God come upon the scene and let people recognize that He is God. Let Him judge the heathen in such a way that no one can fail to see His hand in it. Bring on His fear. Let self-idolatry be desecrated, beneath the glory of the One and Only God. Let men know that He is God and they are only His creation.
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