In Psalms, chapter thirty-nine, verses one through thirteen, the psalm continues the theme of chapter thirty-eight, for the psalmist is still under the severe chastisement of God. This psalm of David made him realize that it is the Lord who is causing the suffering, “I am consumed by the blow of thine hand,” as in …
In Psalms, chapter thirty-eight, verse twenty-one, the one terrible consequence of wilful sin is the loss of God’s fellowship and the sense of His presence, as in Psalms twenty-two, verse nineteen, Psalms thirty-five, verse twenty-two, and Psalms seventy-one, verse twelve, respectively. It is a grievous and bitter experience to commit wilful sin after knowing the …
In Psalms, chapter thirty-eight, verse three, the psalmist emphasizes two consequences of sinning after knowing the Lord and receiving His mercy of Divine anger and judgment. Teaching that God always forgives and forgets sin without ever chastening the repentant believer is not Biblical teaching. A repentant sinner, experiencing God’s forgiveness, may experience the temporal consequences …
In Psalms, chapter thirty-eight, verses one through twenty-two, the psalm is an anguished prayer for God to withdraw chastisement for sin. David is preoccupied with God’s displeasure, as in verses one to two. His body is racked by disease and failing strength from verses three through ten, and he knows that his suffering is the …
In Psalms, chapter thirty-seven, verse seven, this psalm reveals how the righteous must react when the unrighteous prosper despite their evil and immoral ways. We must steadfastly persevere in the faith while waiting for God to bring about justice and vindicate us, as in Psalms thirty-seven, verse one, Psalms seventy-three, Proverbs three, verse thirty-one, Proverbs …
In Psalms, chapter thirty-seven, verse six, the righteous oppressed by sin in the world are promised answers to their prayers, as in verses four to five, a vindication of their righteous standards, as in verse six, a heavenly inheritance, as in verses nine, eleven, and thirty-four. The Lord’s sustaining help, as in verses seventeen through …
In Psalms, chapter thirty-seven, verse four, to delight thyself in the Lord is to desire and enjoy the nearness of His presence and the truth and righteousness of His Word, as in Job twenty-two, verse six, Job twenty-seven, verse ten, and Isaiah fifty-eight, verse fourteen. To those who delight themselves in the Lord, God gives …
In Psalms, chapter thirty-seven, verses one through forty, is a psalm that is not a prayer but a series of proverbial expressions or instructions about godly wisdom. The theme concerns the believer’s attitude toward the success of the wicked and the hardship of righteous people. It teaches that the ungodly will eventually be cast down …
In Psalms, chapter thirty-six, verse four, “evil” refers to basic misbehaving and human depravity. However, the ungodly do not hate evil but accept it as part of life. Hatred of sin is an essential feature of God’s character, as in Proverbs six, verse sixteen, Jeremiah forty-four, verse four, and Habakkuk one, verse thirteen, respectively. It …
In Psalms, verse thirty-five, verse four, the New Testament believer may use this prayer to call God to contend with our greatest enemy, Satan, and as a testimony of our hatred of sin and evil. The theme under the plea for judgment depicts a call for justice against the evil one and his crew, whom …
