Let God Arise – Psalm 68

“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song. Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered. Let those also who hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.” Psalm 68:1-2

David prays that God would appear in His glory as when the sun rises and dispels darkness. He prays for haters to be blown away as smoke before wind. He prays that the wicked will melt as wax does in the presence of fire. Just so, may God’s presence with us melt them.

David’s prayed a prayer that Moses taught the nation of Israel to pray in times of war. In Number 10:35, Moses prayed, “Rise up, O Lord! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You.” David expanded on it.

Jesus Messiah was the Messenger of the Covenant that guided Israel through the wilderness. [1] He defeated their physical enemies. Then, later in the Gospels, when He resurrected from the dead, He defeated the greatest enemies of Jew and Gentile, namely, death and hell.

Revelation 12:17 indicates that Satan’s war is with those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

We can pray for our enemies by asking God to remove the serpent’s venom from their blood. Replace animosity toward God with affection for Him! Replace pride with humility! Replace lies with truth! Replace doubt with faith! If they perish in their sins, they will experience hell.

In 2 Peter 3:7, the Lord says that the heavens and the earth are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. In 2 Thessalonians 1:8 , the Lord says that He will take “flaming fire vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In Acts 17:22, 30-31, while standing near the Areopagus in Athens, Greece, Paul declared that the “times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Repentance of sin and profession of faith in Jesus Christ are necessary for salvation.

“But let the righteous be glad. Let them rejoice before God. Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.” Psalm 68:3

Those who rejoice in God have reason to rejoice with exceeding joy. Nevertheless, we pray for this joy to fill all who live in a right relationship with Him.

“Sing to God, sing praises to His Name. Extol Him who rides on the clouds, by His Name Yah, and rejoice before Him.” Psalm 68:4

David refers back to Moses again. In Deuteronomy 33:26, Moses blessed Israel, saying, “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to help you, and in His excellency on the clouds.” David invites us to sing praises and rejoice in Yah, the God of our salvation.

“A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families.” Psalm 68:5

God is great, but He does not despise fatherless children, the widows, or the lonely. He is all-sufficient to them. His grace fills the gaps in their lives. He fills the voids with His presence.

He who rides on the heavens by His name Jah, is worshipped by angels as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the sovereign director of all the affairs of states and nations. Yet, He glories in being a Father of the fatherless. Though God is high, He regards the lowly. Happy are those that have an interest in such a God as this. He is a Father worth having.

While I was teaching English in China, my wife and I met a woman and her three daughters right after their husband/father went to be with the Lord. Before he passed away, he urged them to believe in Jesus, and they did. The widow’s name was He Rae Hua. She wrote a poem to the Lord entitled, “The Love I Lost and the Love I gained.” The Lord met all her needs wonderfully. I had the privilege to take part in the marriage ceremonies of two of her daughters.

Suffering children are safe in God’s arms. Healing comes from His hands. There is none like God. [2] God is the creator and builder of families. He enjoys surrounding lonely people with lovers.

“He brings out those who are bound into prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.” Psalm 68:6

God loosens chains that bind people. In Acts 12:6-19, the Lord sent an angel to retrieve Peter from Herod’s prison. Peter was chained between two soldiers. The angel caused the chains to fall off Peter’s hands. The angel walked Peter past two sets of security guards. The angel opened the city’s iron gate. None of these highly trained guards noticed Peter missing until the next day.

The rebellious dwell in a dry land. God’s blessing is not on what is obtained by fraud. The best land becomes a dry land to them. God’s provision for the Israelites in the wilderness was constant whereas sometimes the Nile River failed the Egyptians. Their Nile god was no god.

“O God, when You went out before Your people when You marched through the wilderness, Selah! The earth shook. The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God. Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel. You, O God, sent a plentiful rain, whereby You confirmed Your inheritance, when it was weary. Your congregation dwelt in it. You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.” Psalm 68:7-10

God made a way for His people where there seemed to be no way. [3]

David’s song reiterates what Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 4:33: “Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live?”

Deborah the prophetess wrote in her song of victory, “Lord, when You went out from Seir, when You marched from the field of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens poured, the clouds also poured water. The mountains gushed before the Lord.”

The Lord provided for Israel in the wilderness. He rained manna and quail upon them. He did miracles for them when they were weary. God provided out of His goodness for the poor.

“The Lord gave the Word. Great was the company of those who proclaimed it.” Psalm 68:11

The Lord gave Israel victory over their enemies. From the time they entered Canaan, during the times of the judges, until David’s days. God was their Commander-in-Chief. He gave the Word as generals do for their armies. God gave His judges commissions and assured them of success.

The Hebrew word for company (צָבָא) is feminine in gender and refers to a group or choir of women proclaiming God’s victory over their foes. In Exodus 15:20, the prophetess Miriam led a group of women in worship to the Lord for His victory over Pharoah. In Judges 5, the prophetess Deborah sang to the Lord after He gave Israel a victory over General Jabin’s 900 chariots of iron. In 1 Samuel 18:7, the women of Israel celebrated David’s victory over 10,000 Philistines. In Luke 1:46-55, Mary’s soul magnified the Lord when the angel told her that she would bring forth Israel’s Messiah. In Luke 1:51-52, she said, “He [God] has shown strength with His arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly.”

Israel’s victories over their foes are a foreshadowing of Messiah’s victories over death and hell. Christ’s resurrection defeated our spiritual enemies. Their power was broken. In Matthew 28:7, Christ’s victory was first proclaimed by the women (the she-publishers) to the disciples. [4]

“Kings of armies flee, they flee, and she who remains at home divides the spoil. Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, you will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold. When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Zalmon.” Psalm 68:12-14

Enemy armies have fled before God. They retreated in fear without firing an arrow. They did not regroup and try again. Israel was enriched by their losses.

When the Almighty scattered kings for Israel, she was white as snow, purified and refined by seeing God’s Word embodied with mighty miracles.

God advanced Israel from a low and despised position to a place of splendor. She became one of the most prosperous kingdoms on earth. While God adorned Israel with wings of silver and feathers of gold, idolaters were still worshipping wood and stone, and groveling in vile lusts.

“A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan. A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan. Why do you fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks? This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in. Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever.” Psalm 68:15-16

David prefers God’s mountain over Bashan. Zion was the hill which God had chosen, therefore though Bashan exceeded it in size, it lacked the Lord’s special presence. God dwells in Zion. [5]

“The chariots of God are twenty thousand. Even thousands of thousands! The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.” Psalm 68:17

Angels are the chariots of God, His chariots of war, which He make use of against His enemies, as He did for Elijah. [6] In 2 Kings 2:11, a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. In 2 Kings 16:15-17, when the servant of Elisha was afraid, Elisha prayed, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” “Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

In Deuteronomy 33:2, Moses wrote, “The Lord came from Sinai... He came with ten thousands of saints. From His right hand came a fiery law for them.” In Acts 7:53, martyr Stephen scolded his executioners, “You have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”

The enemies David fought with had chariots (2 Samuel 8:4), but what were they, for number or strength, to the chariots of God? In Psalms 20:7, David testified, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the Name of the Lord our God.”

In Matthew 26:51-53, Peter used his sword to strike a guard who came to arrest Jesus. Jesus told Peter to put his sword away. Jesus asked Peter, “Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?”

“You have ascended on high You have led captivity captive. You have received gifts among men, even from the rebellious, that the Lord God might dwell there. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! Selah! Our God is the God of salvation. And to God the Lord belong escapes from death.” Psalm, 68:18-20

In Ephesians 4:8, Paul quotes the phrase “captivity captive” and “received gifts among men.” He applies its interpretation to Christ ascending on high and giving His people gifts of the Holy Spirit. Christ triumphed over the gates of hell. He opened the gates of heaven to believers. He received gifts for men. The gifts according to Ephesians 4:11 were apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists, and teachers. Anointed servants of God to edify the body of Christ!

What does God do for those who are willing to receive from Him? He daily loads us with His benefits. He is the God of our salvation.

The Lord helps us escape from death. In Revelation 1:18, the keys of hell and death are in the hand of the Lord Jesus. Having made an escape from death in His resurrection, Jesus Christ has both authority and power to rescue from death.

“But God will wound the head of His enemies, the hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.” Psalm 68:21

In Genesis 3:15, God foretold that the Seed of the woman would crush Satan’s head. Jesus Christ is that Seed. He crushed Satan’s stronghold on human souls by dying on the cross to remove our sins from us and by opening the way for the Holy Spirit to fill us.

“The Lord said, ‘I will bring back from Bashan. I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, that your foot may crush them in blood, and the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.’” Psalm 68:22-23

The land of Bashan was on the other side of Jordan where they had wars with Sihon and Og. There, the blood of their enemies flowed like water and dogs lapped it up. Dogs also lapped up the blood of Israel’s evil King Ahab and evil Queen Jezebel. In 1 Kings 22:38, dogs lapped up Ahab’s blood after he died in battle. In 2 Kings 9:30-37, dogs consumed all of Jezebel’s corpse except for her skull, hands and feet.

“They have seen Your procession, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after. Among them were the maidens playing timbrels. Bless God in the congregations, the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.” Psalm 68:24-26

What witness did God’s people give to those who heard of their triumph? They saw them entering God’s sanctuary. They saw singers of praise followed by Levites playing joyful music, and ladies playing timbrels. God’s Spirit uplifted their souls to sing joyful songs.

“There is little Benjamin, their leader, the princes of Judah and their company, the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.” Psalm 68:27

People from the tribe of Benjamin (former King Saul’s tribe) entered first, then, princes of Judah (the royal tribe of King David) followed, and after them, princes from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. Why are Zebulun and Naphtali particularly mentioned? Perhaps, because they had suffered more attacks from the Syrians than any other tribe, yet, survived and thrived.

“Your God has commanded your strength. ‘Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us. Because of Your temple at Jerusalem, kings will bring presents to You.” Psalm 68:28-29

What God does, He will strengthen! Missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, once said, “Depend on it. God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God's supply.”

God strengthens what He wants for us. One way that He strengthens it is by moving the hearts of rulers to support our effort. In Nehemiah 2:8-9, Nehemiah testified that the reason his king granted him supplies was because the good hand of God was upon him. In 1 Kings 9:10–14; 26–28, King Hiram of Tyre sent timber, gold, and craftsmen to help with the construction of the temple in Jerusalem. God also moved King David’s heart to strengthen His kingdom on earth.

“Rebuke the beasts of the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples, till everyone submits himself with pieces of silver. Scatter the peoples who delight in war. Envoys will come out of Egypt. Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.” Psalm 68:30-31

“The ‘beast’ and the ‘bulls’ denote the oppressors, troublers, and seducers of the nations. They must come to an end.” [7] David asked the Lord to scattered those who enjoy war. Egypt and Ethiopia needed to humble themselves before God. To repent! To stretch uplifted hands to Him!

“Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth! O, sing praises to the Lord! Selah! To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old! Indeed, He sends out His voice, a mighty voice! Ascribe strength to God. His excellence is over Israel, and His strength is in the clouds. O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!” Psalm 68:32-35

David urges us to sing praises to the Lord. Indeed, we should measure our spirituality by the measure of our love for God. He is worthy! Do the images we look at yield worship to God? Do our choices of food and drink honor God? May all we do bring glory to God!

God rides upon the heavens of heavens. During a battle, an army on high ground holds the advantage over an opposing army. God’s army is above all others. David urges us to give our strength and power to God. Go all in with God! Bless Him and Him alone! To God be the glory!



[1] Matthw Henry’s Commentary
[2] Based on lyrics from the song, “There is None Like You” by Lenny LeBlanc
[3] Based on lyrics from the song, “God Will Make a Way” by Don Moen
[4] Matthw Henry’s Commentary
[5] Ibid
[6] Ibid
[7] Enduring Word Commentary with quote from VanGemeren

Favorable Faces Shining – Psalm 67

“To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song. God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, Selah!” Psalm 67:1

God’s mercy, blessing and His face turned toward us with approving favor yields happiness. David composed a prayer-song about this. He sang to God for mercy, blessing and for His favor.

Matthew Henry wrote, “We need desire no more to make us happy than to have God’s face shine upon us, to have God love us, and let us know that He loves us.” [1]

“That Your way may be known on earth. Your salvation among all nations.” Psalm 67:2

Why do we seek God’s mercy, favor and blessing? The answer is so that His ways and salvation may be made known among the nations. When we enjoy the presence of God, we want to tell others about Him.

David sung to the Lord petitions for the conversion of the nations, “That Your way may be known upon earth. “Lord, I pray not only that You will be merciful to us and bless us, but that You will be merciful to all humankind, that Your way may be known upon earth.” [2]

David’s prayer-song parallels what Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:9-10. The first three petitions of the Lord’s Prayer from the original Greek to English is, “Our Father who [is] in the heavens. Let Your Name be made holy! Let your kingdom come! Let your will be done, as in heaven also on earth.” The Lord’s Prayer is also about God’s ways being made known and His salvation being experienced by people on the earth.

“Let the peoples praise You, O God. Let all the peoples praise You.” Psalm 67:3

Amen! And I pray, “Heavenly Father, help us to go to highways, byways and next door to invite people to join us in worshipping You. Holy Spirit, please direct social media users to Christ-worshipping websites, as well as to radio stations that resound Your praises!”

“O, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall judge the people righteously and govern the nations on earth. Selah!” Psalm 67:4

Are we tired of hearing stories about liars, thieves and warmongers leading our nations? Let us turn to the Lord and be glad in Him! Let us sing for joy to Him! Thus, by our worship and praises to Him, profess our confidence that all the evildoers of the world combined together are as wind before Him. Our God is God Almighty Maker of heaven and earth. When we invite Him to judge and govern our nations, He sends forth His angels to fight the battles and turn the tide.

“Let the peoples praise You, O God. Let all the peoples praise You.” Psalm 67:5

Yes, my prayer is, “Heavenly Father may our praises arise to You like the vapors of the earth that seed the clouds which in turn drop down rain upon our crops and cause them to produce abundantly. As we worship You, make the works of our hands and the meditations of our hearts bring forth abundant fruit for Your glory!”

“Let all the people praise You!” Not just some but all people! “Let us bring to You Abba Father whole-hearted worship in the Name of Your Son Jesus Christ, by the power of Your Holy Spirit.”

I cannot imagine a better way to preach the Gospel or to testify for Jesus than do it with a heart filled with love for Him and with joy in Him. Such worship changes people.

In John 12:32, Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

“Then the earth shall yield her increase. God, our own God, shall bless us.” Psalm 67:6

The earth yielded its increase more than before after Israel worshipped God. The Creator of meat, fruits and vegetables blessed the produce of them.

God blessed their food as they thanked Him for it. In 1 Timothy 4:3-5, Paul wrote, “God created foods to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer.”

“God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.” Psalm 67:7

The ends of the earth shall fear Him, that is, harbor honorable thoughts about God.

In Psalm 42:11, David wrote, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God! I shall yet praise Him, the health of my countenance, and my God.” It makes sense that if God’s favor yields fruitful crops, His favor also yields a fruitful me. He is the health of my countenance. When I looked up the word for “health” in this verse, I discovered it was “יְשׁוּעֹת” from the word “Yeshua” or Jesus which means Savior.

While in the Orient, I learned that there are certain cultural do’s and don’ts to observe so as not to “lose face.” When all is said and done, it will be those who worship “יְשׁוּעֹת, Yeshua, Jesus, Savior, that shall not lose face. Our faces shall shine like the Son thanks to Him. In Psalm 34:5, David wrote, “They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.”



[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Ibid

Worshippers of our Lord Jesus Christ – Psalm 66

“To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm. Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His Name. Make His praise glorious. Say to God, ‘How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You. All the earth shall worship You and sing praises to You. They shall sing praises to Your Name.’ Selah!” Psalm 66:1-4

All earthlings joyfully shouting to God! Imagine the loudness of that shout! It would be great if, perhaps on livestream, we all joined in singing harmoniously in honor of the Name of the Lord. Hands uplifted to the Lord, singing, “Your works are awesome.” God’s Word says that all the earth shall worship and sing praises to God. It shall come to pass.

In the early 1980’s, I participated in a worship service at Grace World Outreach Center in St. Louis with 5,000 in attendance. Several Integrity Hosanna “live” music albums, featuring artists like Ron Tucker and Kent Henry, were recorded in this sanctuary. The Spirit of the Lord used their “live” worship song recordings to fuel our service unto Christ while on the mission field.

During the 1990’s, Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI) held a large international convention in Hong Kong. During that convention, thousands of men were jumping and joyfully dancing to the Lord. This convention took place on the second floor of a tall building. During the worship, I turned to my friend Eddie Chan, and said to him, “It feels like the floor is moving up and down.” Eddie told me that the building was made to flex as a caution against earthquakes. That was my first time to worship God on a floor that felt like Jello.

I also attended Billy Graham crusades in Hong Kong and in Tampa, Florida. There were tens of thousands of people praising the Lord there.

Let us pray for more people to be inspired to organize and host large worship services unto the Lord. He is worthy of our thanks and praise.

“Come and see the works of God. He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men. He turned the sea into dry land. They went through the river on foot. There we will rejoice in Him.” Psalm 66:5-6

How do we see the works of God? We see them with spiritual and physical eyes. We see the works of God in the Scripture through the eyes of the Holy Spirit. The Lord’s words are living words. As we think on Scriptures, the Holy Spirit helps us to believe the stories. We also see the works of God with our physical eyes as we offer ourselves to serve people in the Name of Jesus. For example, one time in China, while others and I prayed in the Name of Jesus for a man with a swollen ankle, his ankle immediately became normal. He jumped around and praised the Lord.

“He rules by His power forever. His eyes observe the nations. Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah!” Psalm 66:7

The power of God Almighty remains the same no matter what people think or say about it. We can’t see the wind but it is there. We cannot see God with our physical eyes, but He sees us. In Matthew 10:29-31, Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows.” We should not rebel against our Heavenly Father. He loves us and seeks to save us from an eternity in hell.

“O, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard, who keeps our soul among the living, and does not allow our feet to be moved. For You, O God, have tested us. You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net. You laid affliction on our backs. You have caused men to ride over our heads. We went through fire and through water; but You brought us out to rich fulfillment.” Psalm 66:8-12

While in this world, we are apt to be tripped up by trouble. In John 16:33, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

When persecuted, God’s people were as panicked as a bird in a trap. Enclosed and entangled by trouble as a fish in a net! They were pressed down by it! Kept under a load of it. [1] But unable to free themselves, they relied 100% on God for deliverance. He did not disappoint them.

Is anything more dangerous than fire and water? We went through both, that is, afflictions of different kinds. As one trouble ended, another began. Such may be the troubles of the best of God’s saints, but in Isaiah 43:2-3, God has promised, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” [2]

In Psalm 124:2-4, 6-8, David wrote, “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us. Then, the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul.” “Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers. The snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the Name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

In 1 Peter 1:3-7, Peter blesses the Lord for birthing us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ into an inheritance that is reserved in heaven for us. We rejoice because we are kept by the power of God “though now for a little while, if need be,” we “have been grieved by various trials.” Why? The answer is “that the genuineness of” our “faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” When Jesus Christ appears, we will “rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,” because we will receive the end of our faith—the salvation of our souls.

Our troubles will certainly end well. They are fire and water, but God gets us through them. [3] The waters are an inlet to the garden of the Lord. Our heavenly Vinedresser pruned us to make us more fruitful than ever before.

“I will go into Your house with burnt offerings. I will pay You my vows, which my lips have uttered, and my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.” Psalm 66:13-14

David did not forget what he promised to do for God when he was in trouble. He was grateful to the Lord and wanted to express his gratitude both with words and deeds.

“I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals, with the sweet aroma of rams. I will offer bulls with goats. Selah!” Psalm 66:15

David praised the Lord with generous offerings such as rams, bulls and goats. Not all people had the means or zeal to offer these sacrifices in praise of God, but David was so blessed.

In Luke 12:48, Jesus said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” David was happy to be able and willing to give back more to the Lord due to his many blessings.

“Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. But certainly God has heard me. He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me!” Psalm 66:16-20

David speaks to those who fear God. He wants to strengthen our confidence in God. What did the Lord Jesus Christ do for his soul? The Lord listened to the cry of his mouth. The Lord received the praises of David’s tongue. David’s heavenly Father attended the voice of his prayer as though at a wonderful event.

David had offered generous sacrifices to the Lord as God had ordained at that time for sinners to do. He recognized his need for the shedding of blood for the remission of his sin. In Hebrews 9:22, Paul wrote, “And according to the Law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” David neither denied nor disregarded his need for blood to wash away his sin. Nor should we! David said to those who fear the Lord, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. But certainly God has heard me.” He sought the Lord’s forgiveness, then, he prayed and God listened to him.

What sacrifice do we bring to God when we pray? We offer to Him a sacrifice that is much more precious than the blood of rams, bulls and goats. We come to the Father in the Name of Jesus. Jesus is the Lamb who takes away the world’s sin and ours. And what did Jesus say would happen if we asked for help in His Name? In John 14:13-14, He said, “Whatever you ask in My Name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My Name, I will do it.”

What do I want to ask our Lord for after reading Psalm 66? “In Your Name, Lord Jesus, I ask for a heart of worship toward You, and for the heritage of other lovers and worshippers of You.”



[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid

Praises Waiting in Line – Psalm 65

“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song. Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion. And to You the vow shall be performed. O You who hear prayer, to You all flesh will come.” Psalm 65:1-2

The imagery I see is of David telling the Heavenly Father that he has the people of Jerusalem singing praises to Him. David has them worshipping the Lord together. They are grateful for all God has done for them. They want to do what they vowed to do for God.

Psalm 134:1-2 says, “Behold, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who by night stand in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and bless the Lord.”

Matthew Henry wrote, “The Levites by night stood in the house of the Lord, ready to sing their songs of praise at the hour appointed, and thus their praise waited for Him.”

God let David know that all flesh will come before Him. In Revelation 7:9-10, God gave to John a vision of a great multitude which “no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” People from every land and generation were there.

Even the “goats” whom the Shepherd separates from the sheep, shall have their moment to appear before Jesus Christ. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:10, “At the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth.”

David appreciates the Father for hearing his prayers. In Ephesians 3:20, Paul wrote that the Lord “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” In Hebrews 4:16, Paul urged us to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

“Iniquities prevail against me. As for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them.” Psalm 65:3

Iniquities prevail as long as we try to balance them with any righteousness of our own.

In Psalm 49:6-8, David wrote, “Those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him—for the redemption of their souls is costly.”

David wrote that God would provide atonement for our transgressions. He did! Ephesians 1:7 says that in Christ we “have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” 1 John 1:7 says that “the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 Peter 1:18-19 says that “you were redeemed... with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” The only atoning work that God honors is His Son’s. We must bring our sins to Jesus and ask that He apply His atoning blood to them to wash them away.

“Blessed is the man You choose, and cause to approach You, that he may dwell in Your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, of Your holy temple.” Psalm 65:4

“Blessed is the man” that God chooses to approach Him. In John 6:44, Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.” In Hebrews 4:7, Paul wrote, “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” It is a great blessing when Jesus turns to you and says, “Come, follow Me.”

At this point, we don’t have the privilege of physically dwelling in God’s courts or in His house. However, God does bless us with His presence by His Spirit and Word. It is God’s presence that makes His courts and house so wonderful. David experienced the presence of the Lord and we can as well as we worship and serve Him.

“By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of the far-off seas.” Psalm 65:5

God takes care of His people. He is the confidence of saints all over the world. God gives us His Spirit and Word to remain online with us. Before there were telephones or internet, God was already able to maintain open line communications with any person at anytime and anywhere.

“You who established the mountains by His strength, being clothed with power.” Psalm 65:6

God’s strength established the mountains. Have you ever stood at the foot of a mountain and looked up its rocky side? Tons and tons of rock sustain its towering peak. Yet, Jesus said that by something as invisible and light weight as faith, God would cast that mountain down before us.

“You who still the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples.” Psalm 65:7

In Psalm 2, the nations are raging. Kings and rulers are against the Lord and His anointed. God is in heaven laughing. His Son will always be above them. God commands them to be wise and be instructed. “Serve the Lord with fear!” “Kiss the Son, lest you perish in the way.”

God stills sounds of stormy citizens as easy as He stills stormy seas. In Mark 4:37-39, a great wind storm was blowing on the Sea of Galilee. The boat in which the disciples were traveling began to fill with water. It appeared to the disciples that they were going to die, but then, Jesus arose, and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “’Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.”

“They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs. You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.” Psalm 65:8

God’s miraculous signs are not confined to people of Israel. Throughout the earth, God Almighty displays His power through whirlwinds, lightning, thunder, hail, floods, famines, earthquakes, fires and pestilences. Those who do not know Him fear these destructive signs. But then, God also makes mornings and evenings in which people rejoice due to the beauty of them. In Matthew 5:45, Jesus said, “Your Father in heaven makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Matthew Henry wrote, “It is hard to say which is more welcome to us, the light of the morning, which befriends the business of the day, or the shadows of the evening, which befriend the repose of the night. Does the watchman wait for the morning? So does the hireling earnestly desire the shadow.” [1]

“You visit the earth and water it. You greatly enrich it. The river of God is full of water. You provide their grain, for so You have prepared it. You water its ridges abundantly, You settle its furrows; You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth.” Psalm 65:9-10

In Acts 14:17, Paul told Lystrans (people of modern day Türkiye), that God “did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” In John 15:1, Jesus compared His Father to a vinedresser who cares for those who are in His vineyard. His goal is to help us live and produce good fruit.

“Our hearts are dry and barren unless God himself be as the dew to us and water us.” The rivers of God’s blessings enrich the earth. “We might live well enough without silver and gold, but not without corn and grass.” [2]

“You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance. They drop on the pastures of the wilderness, and the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks. The valleys also are covered with grain. They shout for joy, they also sing.” Psalm 65:11-13

As one’s head is honored by wearing a golden crown, so a land is honored when it is abundantly watered by God. [3] Flocks can gather in it and enjoy green pastures. The hills rejoice on every side because streams of water flow down from them and water the crops that people are growing. The hills and fields are adorned with trees and flowers, as well as with singing birds and playful bunnies hopping. The valleys are shouting and singing with joy of the Lord.

It is easy to take God’s rich blessings for granted if you have never been without them. Once, I shared a room at a camp with a minister from Kenya. When he took a shower, he shut the water off in between soaping and rinsing. I could hear what he was doing from outside the bathroom. When I told him that he did not need to do that, he explained to me that due to drought in Kenya, he often had to walk for miles to get water. Water was considered very precious. He was in the practice of not wasting it. He told me that the ground where he lived was like chocolate powder because the land was so dry. When he saw the trees that surrounded the park, he said to me that they would all be turned into fuel for fire in his land. The people where he lived had to rely on wood for cooking. Cutting down trees and turning the wood into kindling was also a way to make money for survival.

In Psalm 65:1, David wrote, “Praise is awaiting You, O God.” May our praises unto God flourish and become abundant, so much so, that they are like people waiting patiently in line to be the next one to say to Him, “Praise the Lord!”



[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid

Do You also Want to Go Away – Psalm 64

“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation. Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.” Psalm 64:1

Fear is the opposite of faith. The devil wants to place “worst-case scenario” images in our minds to paralyze us with fear. He doesn’t want us to testify for Jesus Christ. He uses fear of failure to mute us. Paul urged us to rely on the Holy Spirit to overcome our fears. In 2 Timothy 1:7, he wrote, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” In 1 John 4:4, the apostle John wrote, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” God’s Word to us in Joshua 1:9 is, “Be strong and of good courage. Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

“Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, from the rebellion of the workers of iniquity, who sharpen their tongue like a sword and bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words, that they may shoot in secret at the blameless. Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear. They encourage themselves in an evil matter. They talk of laying snares secretly. They say, ‘Who will see them?’ They devise iniquities: ‘We have perfected a shrewd scheme.’ Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.” Psalm 64:2-6

When our Heavenly Father grants us His servants favor with people, the servants of Satan are angry. They begin to fire off words like marksmen shooting arrows to pierce our hearts. As if the arrows were not enough, they will set traps for us as well. In 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul wrote, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

In Matthew 26:59-61, “The chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, ‘This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ They mischaracterized what Jesus had said. Jesus had spoken of the destruction and resurrection of His body. They falsely accused Jesus of being a terrorist who planned to destroy the temple which they loved.

In Acts 10:38, Peter said of Jesus, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Jesus made the blind to see, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the dead to resurrect and the poor to hear good news, but even so, the religious leaders refused to believe in Him.

In 1 Corinthians 4:9-13, Paul wrote that he and his fellow apostles were treated as spectacles by the world and as fools for Christ. They experienced hunger and thirst, poor clothing, beatings and homelessness. They worked with their own hands. Being reviled, they blessed! Being defamed, they responded with kindness. In Galatians 6:17, Paul shared that he bore in his “body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”

In 1 Peter 2:21-23, Peter wrote, “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth,’ who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.”

“But God shall shoot at them with an arrow. Suddenly they shall be wounded. So He will make them stumble over their own tongue. All who see them shall flee away. All men shall fear and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider His doing.” Psalm 64:7-9

Cruel people shot at David secretly and suddenly, to wound him. Thus, God prepared His arrows for them. “God’s arrows will hit surer, and fly swifter, and pierce deeper, than theirs do or can. God also has an arrow named death.” [1]

Some think that the Lord’s prophetic word to David in Psalm 64:7-9 was fulfilled in 1 Samuel 31:7... “When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.”

Saul’s criminal accomplices abandoned him when he died.

In a similar fashion, the 250 people who had supported Korah, Dathan, and Abiram in their rebellion against Moses fled when they realized God was about to bring them down.

In Numbers 16:1-7, Korah with Dathan and Abiram rose up before Moses with 250 others. They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”

In Numbers 16:4, when Moses heard their words, he fell on his face before the Lord.

On the next day, in Numbers 16:26-30, Moses said to the people, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins.” So they got away from around their tents. And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord.”

Then, in Numbers 16:31-33, “the ground split apart under them, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit. The earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.”

When David’s son Absalom rebelled against him, at first David retreated from him. He did not want to lose his son. But ultimately, the rebellion had to be put down. Absalom was killed against David’s wishes by Joab the commander of Israel’s army. David wept bitterly.

Sometimes followers depart from their leaders. Departures hurt! In John 6:32-66, after Jesus taught that people needed to eat His flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life, many of His disciples departed and never returned to Him. In John 6:67-69, when Jesus asked His twelve disciples if they too would depart from Him, Peter answered on behalf all of them saying, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

“Just as physical food sustains the body, ‘eating’ Jesus’ flesh and ‘drinking’ His blood means taking the reality of His death on the cross—His body broken and blood shed for the forgiveness of sins—and internalizing it by faith. To consume Him is to make His life part of your own. It is to allow His teachings and Spirit to abide within you. In John 6:63, Jesus says, ‘The flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life,’ which many interpret as a direct hint that the eating is spiritual, not physical.” [2]

Later, Jesus instituted Holy Communion with His disciples. In that moment, Jesus announced a new covenant in which eating bread and drinking the fruit of the vine was to eat His flesh and drink His blood. We take Holy Communion to remember that our Savior Jesus Christ gave His body and blood on the cross for our forgiveness and salvation. And as we eat the communion bread and drink from the communion cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He returns. [3]

In John 17:20-23, before He went to the cross, Jesus prayed to the Father to keep His disciples as one. He prayed, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

Globally, people have varying views about politics, morality, and Bible interpretation. Only God, the Holy Spirit can bring us into one accord and keep us in one accord with Christ.

In Philippians 2:3, Paul urged Christians “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

In 1 Peter 3:8, Peter urged Christians to “be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.”

According to 1 Corinthians 13:4–8, love is patient and kind. Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself. Love is not puffed up. Love does not behave rudely. Love does not seek its own. Love is not provoked. Love thinks no evil. Love does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

“The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.” Psalm 64:7-10

What does the Lord’s righteousness do for us? His righteousness makes us glad. His righteousness helps us to trust in Him. He doesn’t betray us when we believe in Him. His uprightness in our hearts, helps us to bring Him glory which yields for us great joy!



[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] DesirngGod.org
[3] See In Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:26

God Works Wonders in Wildernesses – Psalm 63

“A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.” Psalm 63:1

In 1 Samuel 22:5, David was in the forest of Hareth. In 1 Samuel 23:15, he was in the wilderness of Ziph. He likely penned Psalm 63 during one of these two wilderness experiences.

God works wonders in wildernesses! In Genesis, God turned the earth from formless, empty, and dark into a paradise. In Numbers, mighty miracles occurred in a wilderness. In 1 Kings, Elijah experienced miracles while he was in a wilderness. Ezekiel, Daniel and John received visions from God while exiled from their homelands. In the Gospels, John the Baptist preached to and baptized many people in a wilderness. Jesus fasted for 40 days and overcame the devil’s temptations in a wilderness. Paul wrote five of his thirteen books of the Bible from prison.

In 1982, two young entrepreneurs, Mike Coleman and Ed Lindquist had entered it seemed into “a wilderness.” Their Christian magazine called “New Wine” had run its course. They needed to close it down, but what would they do next?

Previously, Coleman and Lindquist had received a recording of Grace Outreach Center’s worship music. Being impressed with it, Coleman reached out to Grace Outreach Center. He asked if they could advertise the recording in the last edition of their magazine. Their answer was yes.

The response to the advertisement for the recording was far more than Coleman expected. Coleman, Lindquist and producer Tom Brooks met together to discuss the future. Although the magazine had run its course, Coleman sensed that God was doing a new thing through live worship recordings. The Holy Spirit led Coleman to offer “New Wine” magazine subscribers a new tape of live worship music captured from churches all around America every eight weeks. Subscribers could listen to the tape for free and return it for a refund if they didn’t like the recording. The response was incredible. Thus, the “Hosanna Music” label was formed.

Later, Coleman and Lindquist changed the label from “Hosanna Music” to “Integrity Hosanna.”

“Don Moen, Robin Mark, Darlene Zschech/Hillsong, Paul Baloche, Marty Nystrom, Kent Henry, Randy Rothwell, Graham Kendrick, Bob Fitts and Ron Kenoly are some of the well-known worship leaders on Integrity Hosanna’s recordings. Their music became a primary source for many churches to discover new songs of worship including favorites like, ‘Give Thanks,’ ‘Shout to the Lord,’ ‘Ancient of Days,’ ‘More Precious Than Silver,’ ‘God will Make A Way,’ ‘Days of Elijah’ and ‘Open the Eyes of My Heart,’ many of which are still sung in churches around the globe today.” [1]

God turned the wilderness of Coleman and Lindquist into a fountain of blessing. As Psalm 84:5-7 says, “Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs. The autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.”

“O God, You are my God. Early will I seek You. My soul thirsts for You. My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.” Psalm 63:1-2

God was still David’s God in a wilderness. When his soul and flesh were thirsty, David turned to God to quench his thirst. He did not try to fill the void with something other than God. He took advantage of the loneliness and lack of “fun” activities to open wide his heart and mind to God. He didn’t wait until many days passed to do so. He sought the Lord early. He did not waste a moment of his time to be alone with God. Instead of looking down, he looked up to God’s holy place and envisioned Him in His power and glory.

While in the wilderness, the Lord inspired David to write Psalm 63.

“Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live. I will lift up my hands in Your Name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.” Psalm 63:3-6

Have you experienced God’s lovingkindness being better than life? I don’t want to be disingenuous. There are lots of things that I enjoy about life. I like eating delicious food. I like watching an inspirational movie. I like residing in a home that meets my needs. I like doing fun activities with my wife. So, how can I say that God’s lovingkindness is better than life? Well, amidst everything else, I most treasure the love that God puts in my heart for Him and for those around me. It is God’s love in my heart... genuine love which is better than life.

My most valued moments have been when God’s love flowed in and through me to others.

The Spirit of God transformed David’s desperate petitions into jubilant praises. Psalm 105:3 says, “Let the hearts of those rejoice that seek the Lord.” David was in a wilderness, yet his heart was greatly enlarged as he praised the Lord!

When God filled David with His love, David’s lips began to praise the Lord. His hands began to raise because he wanted to blessed the Name of the Lord. God’s presence satisfied David’s soul where all other substitutes failed to do so. After being filled with love for God, David even thought about the Lord when he woke up at night.

In Psalm 16:7, David wrote, “I will praise the Lord, who counsels me, even at night my heart instructs me.” In Psalm 119:62, David wrote, “At midnight I rise to give you thanks for your righteous laws.”

“Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You. Your right hand upholds me.” Psalm 63:7-8

David’s joy of being under the shadow of God’s wings, alludes either to the wings of the cherubim stretched out over the Ark of the Covenant, between which God is said to dwell, or to the wings of a bird, under which the helpless young ones have shelter. In Exodus 19:4 and Deuteronomy 32:11, the Lord describes Himself as an eagle carrying His people and protecting them with His wings. In Matthew 23:37, Jesus used the imagery of a humble hen wanting to protect her young under her wings to express His heart to protect His people from the coming invasion of their city.

“God’s right hand upheld me” is an allusion to Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us.

“My soul follows close behind You.” In Philippians 3:14, while in prison, Paul wrote, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” “To press hard after God is to follow Him closely, as those that are afraid of losing sight of Him, and to follow Him swiftly, as those that long to be with Him.” [2]

“But those who seek my life, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword. They shall be a portion for jackals. But the king shall rejoice in God. Everyone who swears by Him shall glory, but the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.” Psalm 63:9-11

King Saul sought to destroy David but fell by his own sword. David did not have to do it. Death eventually swallows up those who persecute God’s anointed ones. In Luke 19:27, Jesus said, “Those enemies of Mine who did not want Me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of Me.” The mouths of those who speak lies against Christ shall be stopped.

Death seeks to destroy all people. Jesus Christ is our Savior from death. In 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, Paul wrote, “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

With faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the “wilderness” of death becomes a portal to paradise. Praise the Lord!

Attached below is a link to an interview that Travis Doucette did with Mike Coleman on YouTube. His testimonies were helpful to me.

https://youtu.be/CBXzGTBcJa8?si=Y_lj5Myqh6H2jw33

[1] https://travisdoucette.com/2022/06/24/this-history-of-integritys-hosanna-music-with-tom-brooks/ (all my information about Integrity Hosanna was from Travis Doucette) 
[2] Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Waiters on the Lord Win – Psalm 62

“To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.” Psalm 62:1

In 1 Chronicles 16:41, Jeduthun was “designated by name, to give thanks to the Lord, because His mercy endures forever.” In 1 Chronicles 25:3, Jeduthun had “six sons under his direction who prophesied with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord.” In 2 Chronicles 35:15, Jeduthun is called “the king’s seer.” His descendants served as musicians in Jerusalem.

“Truly my soul silently waits for God, from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not be greatly moved.” Psalm 62:1-2

Whatever difficulties or dangers my soul encounters, I will wait silently upon God. Silence in the face of danger conveys confidence in God. In Philippians 1:27-28, Paul wrote, “Stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the Gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.”

David did not taunt God to do something. He did not try to bargain with God. God would save him because that is who God is. He is a Savior! He is a Defender.

Don’t forsake God! That’s what the enemy wants you to do! Wait on the Lord! He will save you!

In Psalm 121:1-2, David wrote, “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Sometimes with haste, I assume that I must do a difficult task or spend much money to resolve a problem, only to find out later that God had already provided a solution for me. For example, I purchased something at a store and discovered later that I did not need it. If I had prayed first, God would have spared me from wasting time and treasure.

David’s soul waited silently for God. Have you ever become frustrated and angry while doing a task, only to find out that you were using the wrong tool or approach to get the job done? The Lord in His grace toward me has shown me to stop and pray when this happens. Even step away from the project! Then, while being quiet before Him, He reveals to me a better way.

According to Hebrews 6:19, the hope we have in God is the anchor of our soul, both sure and steadfast.

“How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.” Psalm 62:3

David envisions his enemies swaying back forth and finally falling from their high positions.

“They only consult to cast him down from his high position. They delight in lies. They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah!” Psalm 62:4

Their intelligence briefings lacked the intelligence of God. Their use of lies and deception to advance themselves backfired and brought them down. They thought they could mask from David the malice in their hearts by expressing blessings upon him with their mouths. God revealed to David the curses within them.

In some social circles, people will maliciously gossip about someone who is earnestly serving the Lord, and then afterward say, “Bless their heart.” As though adding that tag line turns their gossip into an expression of care.

If we don’t like what a godly person is doing for the glory of Jesus Christ, we should ask the Lord to forgive our sin and change our heart.

“My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory. The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.” Psalm 62:5-7

As God’s Spirit urged David to quietly wait before the Lord, David complied. The Holy Spirit filled David with hope. Romans 15:13 says that the “God of hope fills you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” David’s expectation was from God, and God would not disappoint Him.

“Trust in Him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us. Selah!” Psalm 62:8

Filled with the Holy Spirit until overflowing, David turned to those around him and urged them to trust in the Lord at all times and pour out their hearts to God.

“Surely men of low degree are a vapor, men of high degree are a lie. If they are weighed on the scales, they are altogether lighter than vapor.” Psalm 62:9

David cautions us not to misplace our trust. When people of low degree coalesce, they may expect anyone moving into their neighborhood to trust that their ways are best. Likewise, with people of high degrees! However, if their ways are at odds with God’s, they are moving forward on a trajectory that ends in hell. Their majority opinion does not change the truth. They may all agree that faith in Christ is not necessary, but the truth according to Acts 4:12 is that there is no other name given among people by which everyone must be saved. Faith in Christ is necessary.

“Do not trust in oppression, nor vainly hope in robbery. If riches increase, do not set your heart on them. God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God. Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; for You render to each one according to his work.” Psalm 62:10-12

Coerced conformity by criminals wreck a community. In such a case, those who know and trust in God, should pray and ask the Lord to bring down the strongholds of the devil. Neither riches or poverty, nor great or few possessions are the metrics by which righteousness is measured by God. Alignment with God’s Word is the metrics we should use to determine how we are doing as a community of people. We are either leaning on God’s mercy and grace to help us live in accordance with His will or trusting in our own works which ends in shock when we meet God.

Psalm 130:7 says, “With the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption.” God is the Father of mercies in 2 Corinthians 1:3. Though our sins deserve nothing but His wrath, yet He is willing to forgive all our sins when we believe in His Son Jesus Christ and profess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. God has the power to redeem us from our sin. We don’t!

The best thing that can happen to our community, to our nation, and to our world, is a massive turning to Christ in repentance of sin and profession of faith in Him.

The Holy Spirit makes clear to us the error of our ways and teaches us how to walk with God. The Holy Spirit curbs our affections and desires so that they run parallel with God’s will for us.

According to Acts 26:18, God wants to open our eyes. He wants to turn us from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that we receive His forgiveness and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord!

When we wait on God, we allow His two hands, that is Jesus the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit of God, to shape and mold are thinking and bring our thoughts in alignment with God’s.

“Dear Heavenly Father, my soul silently waits on You. Thank You for bringing forth my salvation.”

Lead Me to the Rock that is Higher than I – Psalm 61

“To the Chief Musician. On a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David. Hear my cry, O God. Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You. When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy.” Psalm 61:1-3

David cried out to God. He asked God to pay attention to him. “He did not speak to God in a cold and careless manner.” [1] He knew his need for God, and he let God know it.

“From the end of the earth” refers to a remote and obscure location. Praise God, that heaven is equally accessible from all places. [2] The Lord gave to John the visions recorded in the Book of Revelation while he was on the Island of Patmos. God gave Ezekiel and Daniel their prophecies while they were in Babylon. God gave Paul the words of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon while he was in prison. He has also spoken to me through the Bible in lonely places.

When David’s heart was overwhelmed, he turned to the Lord. “Lead me to the rock” suggests the imagery of a man in a stormy sea groping for a rock to grab and to cling onto for survival.

Amidst the sea of trials and hardships in this world, Christ is the rock to cling to for survival.

Jesus is referred to as the rock in 1 Corinthians 10:4. When water sprang from a rock in the wilderness to quench the thirst of the Israelites, Paul wrote, “They drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

In 1 Peter 2:4, Peter characterizes Christ as “a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God.” In 1 Peter 2:6, Jesus is “a chief cornerstone, elect, and precious.”

In Exodus 33:18-22, after Moses asked to see God’s glory, God allowed him to see His back. God asked Moses to stand on a rock. As God’s glory passed by Moses, God placed him in the cleft of a rock. God covered Moses with His hand as He passed by him. The hand and rock are a type of Christ because it is by faith in Christ that God covers our sin and gives us grace to see His glory.

Jesus Christ is our strong tower. In His Name, we are protected from the power of Satan.

“I will abide in Your tabernacle forever. I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah!” Psalm 61:4

The phrases, “Abide in Your tabernacle” and “trust in the shelter of Your wings,” convey the imagery of being in a close relationship with the Lord. Where He is! Right at His side! In John 15:4, we must abide in Christ to bear His fruit. We must have a personal relationship with Him.

Due to persecution, David could not enter the physical tabernacle of the Lord. This grieved him, but the Lord met him right where he was. In the Gospels, Jesus is often ministering to people along roadsides, on hills, at sea, and by the side of a pool.

The Greek word for “dwelt” among us in John 1:14 is “tabernacle.” Thus, John 1:14 is correctly translated, “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Thus, when my family lived and worshipped in China, our tabernacle was Christ. We listened to His Word with other believers in whatever space we could find to meet together. He was with us there. He tabernacled among us. He provided for us grace and truth.

In Psalms 27:4, David spoke of abiding in God’s tabernacle forever because His tabernacle on earth was only a symbol of God’s heavenly one. Thus, Hebrews 9:8 says, “The Holy Spirit indicated that the way into the Holiest of Holies was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.” And in Hebrews 9:24: “Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”

“For You, O God, have heard my vows. You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your Name.” Psalm 61:5

God let David know that He had heard and accepted His vows by giving to David a wonderful friendship with Prince Jonathan, the son of King Saul. Jonathan was as to David a heritage because David feared the Name of the Lord. In 1 Samuel 18:1-4, Jonathan loved David as he loved himself. Jonathan made a covenant with David. David was committed to the Lord, and the Lord gave to him the heritage of others who had a similar love for God as he did.

Was Jonathan really a man of faith? In 1 Samuel 14:6-15, by faith in God, Jonathan and his armor bearer killed 20 Philistines soldiers in a small open field. “That [deed] set off a terrific upheaval in both camp and field, the [enemy] soldiers in the garrison and the raiding squad badly shaken up, the ground itself shuddering—panic like you’ve never seen before!” The Philistine army which was larger and better supplied than Israel’s was defeated that day.

“You will prolong the king’s life, his years as many generations. He shall abide before God forever. O, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him! So I will sing praise to Your Name forever, that I may perform my vows daily.” Psalm 61:6-8

David, like any other godly king, had enemies who wanted to shorten his life. After David composed this psalm, it was delivered to the chief musician. As the people of his kingdom sang Psalm 60, the lyrics assured them that God would preserve his life and that he would not abandon God. He trusted in the Lord’s mercy and truth to preserve him. Thus, he would sing praise to God’s forever.

David asked for God’s mercy and truth to preserve the king. In John 1:17, the Apostle John wrote, “Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the King of kings, is the embodiment of divine truth. John 1:1 says that Jesus is the Word of God. Our Savior Jesus Christ is also the grace of God to us sinners. By Him, our sins are forgiven. In Him, we have the Holy Spirit. Thus, the king’s life and our lives are preserved by God’s mercy and truth.

After God “hears us from the ends of the earth” and brings us under the shelter of His wing, what is left for us to do? The answer is to sing of His love for us. Testify of His goodness!

Attached below is a video link to a song entitled, “Lead Me to the Rock” based on Psalm 61. This song was composed by Lynn DeShazo in 1995. I have included some of the lyrics below the link.

https://youtu.be/wRfsIZhM5fA?si=OR6WuT3Y6vEGeixg

When my heart is overwhelmed
Hear my cry, give heed to my prayer
When my eyes are dimmed with tears
Oh Father, make them clear

From the ends of all the earth
When my heart is fainting...
Lead me into safety

And lead me to the rock, the rock that’s higher
Lead me to the rock that's higher than I

You, oh Lord, have been for me
A refuge from my enemy
Let me live within Your strength
In the shelter of Your wings

And lead me to the rock, the rock that’s higher
Lead me to the rock that’s higher than I



[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Ibid

Celebrate Recovery – Psalm 60

“To the Chief Musician. Set to “Lily of the Testimony.” A Michtam of David. For teaching. When he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah, and Joab returned and killed 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.” Psalm 60:1

The lily is an emblem of beauty. Triumph blooms as a lily when the Lord gives Israel a military victory over their foes.

In Psalm 60, the Lord teaches us to rely on Him during times of war. During the Reformation era, Martin Luther composed hymns to teach people theology, Scripture, and faith. These hymns replaced complex Latin liturgy with accessible songs, shifting worship toward congregational participation and teaching doctrine through music, particularly on justification by faith. [1]

In 2 Samuel 8:1-8, God gave David victory over the Philistines, the Moabites and the Syrians. David and his men killed 22,000 attacking Syrians in one battle. They confiscated large amounts of gold and bronze from them. They also received ongoing tribute from the Moabites. 2 Samuel 8:13 records that David killed 18,000 Syrians in the Valley of Salt. However, 1 Chronicles 18:12 clarifies that it was Abishai, under David’s command, who led this attack. Besides these 18,000 dead Edomite combatants, the introduction of Psalm 60, records that Joab and his men killed an additional 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. Did Joab and Abishai divide the troops and fight on two fronts? They did! In 2 Samuel 10:9-14, during their very next victory over the Syrians, Joab and Abishai divided the troops between them and attacked from two directions.

“O God, You have cast us off. You have broken us down. You have been displeased. O, restore us again! You have made the earth tremble. You have broken it. Heal its breaches, for it is shaking. You have shown Your people hard things. You have made us drink the wine of confusion. You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah! That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and hear me.” Psalm 60:1-5

In his book, “Reality, Grief, Hope: Three Urgent Prophetic Tasks,” Walter Brueggemann writes: “The prophetic tasks of the church are to tell the truth in a society that lives in illusion, grieve in a society that practices denial, and express hope in a society that lives in despair.” In his book, “The Prophetic Imagination,” he emphasizes that “without death, there is no resurrection.” God’s prophets urged people to relinquish the wrong way to receive the right way.

Are you familiar with “Celebrate Recovery” (CR)? CR teaches in accordance with Psalm 34:18 that “the Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” “Admitting powerlessness over ‘hurts, hang-ups, and habits’—is the necessary starting point, or precursor, to finding wholeness, healing, and restoration through Jesus Christ.” [2]

Before David went to war with Israel’s foes, he expressed to God on behalf of his nation their sense of distance, brokenness and rejection. They had seen hard things. They were feeling unstable. They were confused. He wanted God to fly the banner of truth over them so that they would not think that He abandoned them. Then, he straight out asked God to deliver His beloved nation with His right hand – an allusion to Messiah who sits at God’s right hand.

Yes, salvation is of the Lord! Our Lord Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lord must win the battle.

“God has spoken in His holiness: ‘I will rejoice! I will divide Shechem and measure out the Valley of Succoth. Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine. Ephraim also is the helmet for My head. Judah is My lawgiver. Moab is My washpot. Over Edom I will cast My shoe. Philistia, shout in triumph because of Me.’” Psalm 60:6-8

David rejoiced because God had spoken to him in His holiness – a holiness that never tells lies. God’s Word is a firm foundation for hope and joy for believers. [3]

In Matthew 5:5, Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” The Lord placed Shechem and Succoth into David’s hands. The Lord called men from the tribes of Manasseh, Ephraim and Judah to help David. Ephraim supplied David with soldiers. Judah supplied David with judges (lawgivers) for his courts of justice. [4] The greatest lawgiver and law keeper in the family line of David is Jesus Christ, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

“Who will bring me to the strong city? Who will lead me to Edom? Is it not You, O God, who cast us off? And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies? Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.” Psalm 60:9-12

Who could lead David to victory over a strong city and over Edom? The answer was God. At first, when the surrounding nations gathered against Israel to attack them, it appeared that God had forsaken them, but, no, God helped them to do valiantly and to tread down their enemies with a great slaughter.

Though it is God that performs all things for us, yet there is something to be done by us. We are to go forth to battle with strong hope in our hearts that we will return home victoriously. [5] Perhaps, even singing God’s praises as we march towards our enemy. That’s what King David’s descendant – King Jehoshaphat – did. In 2 Chronicles 20:21-22, he sent singers of praise out before his army. They sang, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.” As they sang God’s praises, the Lord caused their enemies to turn against each other. God defeated their enemies!

It is through God that we do valiantly. Glory, honor and power be to His holy Name. Amen!



[1] https://www.reformedworship.org/resource/luthers-musical-reformation
[2] https://celebraterecovery.com/
[3] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid

Persecuted for Speaking the Name of Jesus Christ – Psalm 59

“To the Chief Musician. Set to ‘Do Not Destroy.’ A Michtam of David when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.” Psalm 59:1

The back story of Psalm 59 is recorded in 1 Samuel 19. In David’s day, he was like one of the reformers in the days of Martin Luther. The religious authorities who should have applauded Luther’s revelation from God about salvation by God’s grace through faith in Christ, sought to kill him. Before he became king, David was mischaracterized by his enemies as an evildoer.

In 1 Samuel 19:1, Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. In 1 Samuel 19:9-10, David was back with Saul and playing music for him. Suddenly a distressing spirit came upon Saul and he threw a spear at David. David escaped in the night. In Samuel 19:11-17, Saul sent messengers to David’s house to kill him, but Michal, his wife, knew of the plan and warned him to escape. Afterwards she felt obligated to lie to her father lest he execute her. She told Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you?’”

Jesus was persecuted by the very people who should have been for Him. In Zechariah 13:6, there’s a prophecy about Jesus, where “One will say to Him, ‘What are these wounds in Your hands?’ Then He will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends.’”

Have you ever been literally wounded or betrayed to corrupt authorities by a friend? Many of God’s servants including His own Son experienced such treatment. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Philippians 2:7-9 says that Jesus made Himself of no reputation... humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God. Defend me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity and save me from bloodthirsty men. For look, they lie in wait for my life. The mighty gather against me, not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord. They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine. Awake to help me and behold! You, therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to punish all the nations. Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah! At evening they return, they growl like a dog and go all around the city. Indeed, they belch with their mouth. Swords are in their lips, for they say, ‘Who hears?’” Psalm 59:1-7

The persecution against David was intense. His assassins wanted to see his blood. They continuously laid traps for him. Each hunter hoped to be the hero who killed him. David had done them no wrong. Their pursuit of him stemmed from a selfish ambition to claim the reward for his capture and death. David’s mention of growling dogs, belching men and lips like swords causes me to think of a hunting party of beer guzzling and vulgar mouthed men on a hunting expedition. They have their hound dogs with them. David prayed to God, “Awake to help me!”

In Psalm 22:16, the persecutors of Jesus are compared to dogs. The words of their lips stabbed and wounded Him like swords. According to Isaiah 53:4, they esteemed Him smitten by God.

“But You, O Lord, shall laugh at them. You shall have all the nations in derision. I will wait for You, O You his Strength, for God is my defense. My God of mercy shall come to meet me. God shall let me see my desire on my enemies.” Psalm 59:8-10

God says in 1 Peter 4:14, “If you are reproached for the Name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” God’s Spirit strengthened David.

Once, when a friend named Mark Franzen and me were witnessing to a man. He suddenly turned violent and threatened to shoot us with his gun. In that moment, I could sense that Franzen and me were aglow with God’s Spirit. God’s Spirit of glory rested on us. It felt great! Glory to God! And the very next day, that man professed faith in Jesus Christ through the ongoing witness of others.

David foresaw the Lord laughing at the pride of those who insult Him. In Psalm 24:1, he wrote, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.” In Isaiah 40:15, God’s Word says, “Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket and are counted as the small dust on the scales.” In Isaiah 40:22, The Lord “sits above the circle of the earth [yes, the earth is round], and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers...”

David waited on the Lord, and the Lord gave him instructions. Rather than making decisions based on pride in himself, David inquired of the Lord. For example, in 1 Samuel 23:2-4, David asked God if he should attack the Philistines and, even after God’s receiving approval, he asked God again to ensure he understood God perfectly.

David called God’s mercy his mercy. The Lord said to His people in Isaiah 55:3, “Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live. And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—the sure mercies of David.” God’s mercy was on the linage of David because the Christ child was born on earth from his family tree. [1]

“Do not slay them, lest my people forget. Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down, O Lord our shield. For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride, and for the cursing and lying which they speak. Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be and let them know that God rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth. Selah!” Psalm 59:11-13

If the execution of David’s enemies had been swiftly done, the impacts of their deaths would have been small. “Swift destructions startle men for the present, but they are soon forgotten.” So, David prayed that their decline would last long. “Scatter them.” Thus Cain, though a murderer, was not immediately slain, God sentenced him to be a fugitive and a vagabond. [2]

David wanted God to make his persecutors as monuments of divine justice. Indeed, the stories of David’s victories over Goliath and King Saul have been memorialized in works of art, in songs, in books and in modern day movies.

David speaks of his enemies uttering curses, lies, and arrogant boasts. God made our tongues to speak edifying words of comfort and exhortation to one another. Our tongues should speak words of God’s love to those around us. We also use our tongues wisely when we use them to give God thanks for all the many blessings that He gives to us.

“And at evening they return, they growl like a dog and go all around the city. They wander up and down for food, and howl if they are not satisfied.” Psalm 59:14-15

Those who hunted for David in the wilderness, returned to their city empty handed. I thank God that when I preached the Gospel and made disciples in China, that those who hunted for Christians did not find us. Once, due to having fever, I ended my Bible teaching early. After everyone departed, Public Security Bureau agents showed up and asked our host where everyone was. He acted as though he had no clue about what they were saying. They searched the room for Bibles but found none. Praise God! Those dogs found nothing.

David wrote that after the hunt, the dogs growled all around the city. They searched for food and howled when they were not satisfied. In Isaiah 56:11, the Lord speaks of the misguided spiritual leaders in Isaiah’s day, saying, “Yes, they are greedy dogs which never have enough.

And they are shepherds who cannot understand. They all look to their own way. Every one for his own gain, from his own territory.” Their mission was not in submission to the Lord’s mission.

“But I will sing of Your power. Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; for You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises, for God is my defense, my God of mercy.” Psalm 59:16-17

David was not growling or howling. He was singing of God’s mighty power. It was a reality to him. In the morning, he was singing aloud of God’s mercy. He had survived to see another day. God defended him. During the day of trouble, he rested in God. God had revealed to David His strength, His defenses and His mercies. David was at peace. God prepared a table before him in the presence of his enemies. God’s goodness and mercy was following David.


[1] Comments derived from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[2] Ibid

After the Last Great Battle – Love, Joy and Peace – Psalm 58

“To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David.” Psalm 58:1

Psalm 57-59 and Psalm 75 “are characterized by a plea for safety from enemies, trusting in God’s protection, and the ultimate, destruction of the wicked while the righteous are preserved. All four Psalms are set to the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” “Do Not Destroy” or “Destroy Not” is believed to be a popular song or musical phrase of the era.” [1]

In Revelation 9:11, the name of the king of the bottomless pit is Apollyon in Greek and Abaddon in Hebrew. His name means Destroyer. In what ways are destructive forces at work in your life and in the world?

In 1 John 5:5, the Apostle John asks and answers a question about overcoming the destructive forces in the world. He wrote, “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” When we believe in and profess Jesus Christ, God saves us.

Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? I do. I hope that you do too.

“Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent one’s? Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men? No, in heart you work wickedness. You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.” Psalm 58:1-2

In Psalm 58:1-2, David, not as a king, for he had not yet come to the throne, but as a prophet, declares his judges guilty. He does so with the gavel of God’s Word. He judges them with more authority and justice than they showed in prosecuting him. [2]

Saul’s government was evil. In 1 Samuel 22:6-23, he gave the orders for an entire village of godly priests and their families to be put to death by the sword, and those orders were carried out without hesitation. Saul’s congregation was a collaboration of corrupt officials. His department of justice was a department of injustice. His convention was a convention of criminals. His learned lawyers were masters at vindicating criminals and prosecuting the innocent.

According to 1 Samuel 22:7, Saul incentivized men to hate David. “He said to them, ‘Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?’”

In Ecclesiastes 3:16, God expresses His grief over the miscarriage of justice, saying, “I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, iniquity was there.”

According to Romans 13:3, God authorizes earthly governments to be a terror to those who do wrong but not to those who do right. In Romans 13:4, the Word of the Lord says, “They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”

“The wicked are estranged from the womb. They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent. They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear, which will not heed the voice of charmers, charming ever so skillfully.” Psalm 58:3-5

In Matthew 3:7, when John the Baptist “Saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?’” In Matthew 23:33, Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees, “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” Apart from Christ, religious leaders deceive their followers because Jesus is the Truth. In Romans 3:13, Paul wrote of his own people, the ones who rejected Christ, saying, “The poison of vipers is on their lips.”

The Pharisees focused their listeners on symbolic acts of holiness rather than conversion and transformation by God. In John 3:5, Jesus told one of them named Nicodemus, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” Salvation is not solely based on a formula that one follows. It is based on a relationship with the living God. God must do the converting and transformation. We must abide in Christ to be holy.

In Matthew 23:23, Jesus said, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” Jesus is the Seed from which justice, mercy and faithfulness grow. Without Him, crime, cruelty and betrayal spring up like weeds, and takeover.

“Break their teeth in their mouth, O God! Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! Let them flow away as waters which run continually. When he bends his bow, let his arrows be as if cut in pieces. Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes, like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.” Psalm 58:6-8

David asks God to defeat enemies of righteousness. Remove their teeth! Sanction their food intake! Change the course of their stream! Let them be thirsty! Make their arrows miss their mark so they doubt the validity of their actions. Let them crawl and melt away! Hinder their advances! Let them not see the light of day! Disorient them!

In Acts 13:6-12, a false prophet tried to stop Barnabas and Paul from sharing the Gospel with a Roman official. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at him and said, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.” He immediately did become blind. Then, the Roman official believed in Christ.

“Before your pots can feel the burning thorns, He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, as in His living and burning wrath.” Psalm 58:9

“The Hebrew of these lines is difficult but the thought may be that David considered how quickly a bunch of dry thorns burn in a fire under cooking pots. David prayed that God’s judgment would come upon his enemies like a flash of fire.” God’s judgment is sudden, unavoidable, and complete. [3]

God is able to bring down a mighty empire in a moment.

For example, in Daniel 5:1-6, King Belshazzar was having a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles. “As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.” God’s Word to Belshazzar was that his days were over. Daniel 5:30-31 states, “That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom.”

“The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, so that men will say, ‘Surely there is a reward for the righteous. Surely He is God who judges in the earth.’” Psalm 58:10-11

The imagery here is of the righteous walking victoriously with God at the end of a bloody battle. The wicked seemed invincible. Their propaganda promised a better life, but behind the scenes, they used bribes, blackmail and torture to ensure their agenda was accomplished. They killed millions of preborn people. They enslaved millions with drug and sexual addictions. They sent greatly loved children off to die in their wars. Finally, after one great battle, they ceased to exist.

In Revelation 12:17, God reveals to us that the devil is at war with those who keep His commandments and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

In Revelation 20:8-10, God reveals to us that Satan will deceive the nations to gather against “the camp of the saints.” But at the very moment, when all seems lost for Christ’s faithful followers, fire will come down from God out of heaven and devour them. Then, the devil, who deceived the nations, will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where he “will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

In Revelation 21-22, after the devil’s days of destroying people are over, Christ’s followers enjoy a new heaven and a new earth. We shall live in a kingdom that is eternal. Perfect in splendor! A paradise where hatred, crime and death no longer exists! We will never hunger nor thirst again. God will abundantly provide for our eternal existence. In God’s presence, there is love, peace and joy forevermore. God will be to us as a loving Father. God does delights in our happiness.



[1] Enduring Word Commentary
[2] Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[3] Enduring Word Commentary