Author: Scott Walter

Today we wrap up the third book of the Psalms, which may come as a welcome relief to some. Some of these psalms that have been quite dark (especially yesterday’s reading). You may see that this psalm was written by someone named “Ethan the Ezrahite.” He was a wise Levite musician (see 1 King 4:31; 1 Chr. 15:17-18) and this is the only psalm written by him.

The two major themes that stand out in this passage are the steadfast love of the Lord and His faithfulness. Those are two truths that we can hold fast to in dark times. Even when we don’t see it, He’s working (go listen to “Way Maker” if you need a reminder). This serves as a comfort to us when we are in seasons where God feels far. These two attributes are foundational to our faith. 

We see Ethan build his psalm on those attributes of God as he focuses on God’s character (v. 5-18), His promises (v. 19-37), and then he appeals to God (v. 38-52). It is not unbiblical to appeal to God when you feel the dark clouds roll in. Don’t miss that! Because God desires a relationship with us, we can bring our burdens to Him and find rest (Matthew 11:28-30). However, we must not lose sight of who holds the universe in His mighty hand. Ethan demonstrates a posture that rightly recognizes God’s faithfulness, yet can still bring his questions to the Lord and even call Him to His promises. It is important to remember in those moments “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness,” (2 Peter 3:9a).

Another point to note is that Ethan was interceding on behalf of King David. Ethan saw the darkness that David was experiencing and he came to God in order to appeal to Him. We too can and should intercede for others when we see the dark clouds rolling in. This is just another reason why it is so important for believers to live in community with other believers. We are able to intercede on behalf of our brothers and sisters and come alongside them.

God welcomes our grief. We can acknowledge His goodness while still mourning the broken world we live in and plead with the creator of this universe for mercy and clarity. In this psalm we see a raw cry of despair that lays out the author’s sorrow and sin in the form of a desperate prayer to a God that is bigger than our pain. Written by Heman the Ezrahite, who was known as a wise and talented man, this dark song is evidence that even the faithful experience doubt and angst. 

In the midst of confusion, the writer acknowledges God’s power and goodness from the very first line. “Oh God of my salvation.” Before anything else, he recognizes God has already delivered him and then he can proceed to wrestle with his own agony. He attributes his troubles to the power and acts of God:

“You have put me in the lowest pit” (v. 6).

“Your wrath lies heavily on me” (v. 7).

“Your terrors have destroyed me” (v. 16).

By doing this, he acknowledges his own sin and wrestles with the righteous wrath and justice of God. He feels alone and weak, but his greatest despair is in verse 14 when he feels God has left him. “Why, Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?” The greatest consequence of our own sin and sorrows is that God feels far from us in them. This psalm isn’t a plea to change his circumstance, but just to be near to the presence of God again. 

Doubt doesn’t disqualify or distance us from God, but it’s an opportunity to lean in and seek His face above all else. Our prayer, along with the psalmist, is to be near to God and to know He is constant when our situation is not. 

Issac Watts, an English minister, hymn writer and theologian penned a hymn years ago “We’re Marching to Zion.” It depicts the jubilation of children of the heavenly King victoriously “marching to the beautiful city of God.” The thread of Zion runs throughout the seven verses in this chapter. Zion is a term Hebrews used for Jerusalem (and sometimes the land of Israel as a whole). Jerusalem is the epicenter of Hebrew culture, a special place where God chose to display much of His past redemptive work, and where one day He will establish His ultimate kingdom on earth. God has a special love for Jerusalem. We should take notice.  Jerusalem is where Jesus died for our sins, the church was born at Pentecost, and where the apostles served and sent out the gospel. Out of all places on earth, God chose Jerusalem (Zion) to usher in His kingdom on earth. 

Zion is clearly sacred to the Israelites, but what does it mean to Gentiles? Hebrews 12:22-23 figuratively speaks of Zion this way: “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven.” Through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, Gentiles (non-Jews) can be regarded as citizens of Jerusalem and be registered among God’s people. All are welcome! In Jesus, every believer can have the privilege of being a citizen in the heavenly city of God. Man does not determine who qualifies as God’s people (v. 4-6; e.g., “The Lord will write in the register of the peoples”). “All nations shall gather to [Jerusalem]” (Jeremiah 3:17). 

The next time you come across Watts’ hymn or mentions of Jerusalem or Zion in the Bible, remember two things. First, Zion refers to God’s city. Not a physical city, though, as much as a reference to God’s people. Second, God sent Jesus to suffer a humiliating death on the cross to pay the price for the sins of the world—not just Jews or church-goers or any other group. Watts’ lyrics connect a few of these ideas: “Then let our songs abound, and every tear be dry; we’re marching through Immanuel’s ground, to fairer worlds on high.”

When an attorney is making an argument for a client, he cannot simply argue what he thinks is correct or what he thinks the judge should do. The attorney has to give reasons why the judge should rule a certain way, providing both facts and law to support the conclusion that the attorney advocates. This method is called “grounding” the argument, or basing the request in supporting evidence.

David takes a similar approach in Psalm 86 when he asks God to hear his prayer and then grounds his request in certain facts that he knows to be true: David is poor and needy (v. 1), he is devoted to God and trusts Him (v. 2), he is dependent on God (v. 3), and he has confidence that God will answer him (v. 7).

David has this confidence because he knows and understands who God is. The other gods of the time (Baal, Ashtoreth Dagon) were vengeful and cunning. But in verse 10, David states, “You alone are God.” Notice that David doesn’t just acknowledge that God is better than those gods, but rather that He alone is God. David knows his God is different and that he needs Him. This belief is proven, because it is grounded in the evidence of God’s character: He is good, ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy (v. 5).

By knowing and understanding who God is, not only does David know that he needs God, he also wants to learn from Him. In verse 11, David no longer cries out for help. Rather, his desperation makes him recognize his greatest need – to understand God’s ways and walk in His truth. We don’t know exactly when David wrote this prayer, and we don’t know exactly who or what he feared at the time. But, this lack of knowledge is fortuitous in that it allows us to see our needs in David’s needs.

As one commentator explained, “Most of us, when we pray, are concerned about deliverance and help and guidance and such things. But we are not nearly as concerned to be taught God’s way and to be helped to serve Him with an undivided heart.” If we have hearts that are divided and serving different gods, we can never truly walk in God’s way. If our heart serves the gods of pride, apathy, passivity, false humility, busyness, children, security, prosperity, appearances, or control, we can never honestly say, “You alone are God. Teach me your ways and help me walk in Your truth.” Let our prayer today be that we recognize our need for God and God alone.

The year is 594 BC, and the Jews were returning to Israel after 70 years of exile and captivity in Babylon. They longed for a renewed future in Israel, and this psalm of lament expressed their need for God to show His steadfast love and faithfulness by restoring and reviving and granting salvation once again. (v. 4, 6, 7). This is not before affirming what God had done in the past for the nation of Israel and their vast land of inheritance.

You, Lord, showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger (v. 1-3).

Don’t miss the active language the psalmist uses to describe the grace extended to the chosen people of God long before their exile. He showed favor, restored fortunes, forgave iniquity, covered sins, set aside wrath, and turned from His fierce anger. Now they are returning to their land, longing to experience the restorative love of God that they may rejoice once again in His unfailing love.

While we may not be in exile and captivity, we often find ourselves enslaved to our own self-imposed exile from God. It is marked by our fears, doubts, isolation, and unrepentant sin. At these moments, deliverance is found by clinging to the gospel which saved us. We can use these prophetic gospel words of the psalmist as they point us directly to the cross of Christ that restores us to God, covers our sins, and shelters us from His just and fierce wrath. In short, this gospel psalm reminds us that we are favored by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And on the heels of this declaration, we find the joy of the exiles and experience the great love of our redemptive God.

Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven (v. 9-11).

Just as the psalmist used powerful language to describe salvation from sin, he now offers beautiful poetic words and imagery to display the intimate love of our heavenly Father. His attributes of love and faithfulness to His children and righteousness and peace for you and me are beautifully united. What a gift Psalm 85 is to us today! Read it again and delight in your salvation story that “His glory may dwell” in your life!

This psalm, penned by one (or more) of  the Sons of Korah, shares an eternal truth with us that is as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago when it was written: There’s nothing quite like the presence of God. The psalmist here describes the importance of being in the house of God. There was a longing and a desire to be inside God’s house. The psalmist would even settle for being outside in the courts! Why? Because that’s where God’s presence could be found. Why would you even want to go anywhere else?

When we read this, it’s easy to think of this solely through the lens of “going to church.” Even though we know it’s incorrect, we think of a physical church building as the place we go to meet with God. That’s where God is. While physically gathering with other believers to worship corporately is extremely important, the truth is we’re able to enter into the presence of God at all times. Because all believers have the Holy Spirit inside of them, we aren’t restricted to merely finding God inside a building. Through prayer, we can enter into the presence of God at any given moment.

A helpful question to ask ourselves as we read Psalm 84 is “Do we take that for granted?” If we’re honest with ourselves, the answer is probably yes. The psalmist says “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.” We hear that. We’ve even sung songs about that. But do we believe that? The psalmist says he “would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” This is a reminder to us to flee from the earthly temptations of treasures and trinkets that have no eternal value. Instead, let’s enter into the presence of God with a posture of humility and gratitude that we get to have access to Him.

In this psalm, Asaph shares ALL the enemies that surround the people of God. In verses 6-8, these people and places seem to fit two categories: 1) enemies who geographically surrounded Israel and 2) the major superpower at the time responsible for the destruction of the northern kingdom. It seems then that Psalm 83 paints a picture of an Israel hemmed in by enemies on every side who can find no escape from a superpower who is ready to pounce.

In verses 9-11, Asaph, in using these names, recalls many victories in Israel’s past before founding the kingdom and the crowning of a king. Asaph is teaching us to reflect and remember God’s faithfulness! He used God’s past victories to sing a hopeful song for what God would do to their present enemies.

Sometimes, we’ve felt like this too – surrounded by our enemies. However, unlike Asaph, maybe we’ve asked for God’s vengeance for our own reasons and in our own timing. But Asaph’s words hold a lesson for us about how to respond to problems. Asaph trusts that God will eventually take care of his enemies even in the void of a consistent silence. Such trust is not easy, but it is worth it. And trust is not the only lesson to be learned from Asaph’s prayer.

We also learn that Asaph longs for God’s voice to be heard so that his enemies know God is the only God and Lord over all. Asaph’s cry for justice is not for his own benefit: it is that God’s glory would be known throughout the earth. This is a humbling lesson to learn. How often are our prayers for relief selfish and for our revenge, rather than for God’s glory? Asaph’s prayer for his enemies’ destruction is ultimately that they would be humbled so that they would seek God. His cry is not only for their defeat, but for their restoration.

2 Timothy 3:16 states, “All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” Psalm 82 is useful for us even though it seems to be written about a specific group of judges. We can look at this psalm and ask God to use it to teach, rebuke, correct, and train us.

First, it teaches us that God is sovereign and the judge over all. Then, verse 5 mentions the human judges walking in darkness and the foundations of the earth being shaken. In our world today, there is evidence of corrupt and unjust leadership. At times, it may feel like the world we live in is crumbling around us and the foundations of society⏤values or laws we think should be clear and firm⏤are shaking. It is comforting to know that God is sovereign and the judge over all. So, when we see injustice and corruption, we can be confident that, God presides as judge over all. The song is right⏤He’s got the whole world in His hands.

Secondly, let’s ask God if we need correction in our own lives regarding how we lead others. We may not be actual judges, but we make judgments all the time. Maybe we need God to point out ways in which we show “partiality to the wicked.” Do we “defend the weak and the needy?” Do we “uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed?” May we allow God’s Word to pierce our hearts today (Hebrews 4:12) and show us our own depravity, remembering that “The Lord disciplines those He loves” (Hebrews 12:6).

Let’s praise God for being sovereign over all and thank Him for preparing a Kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28).

When life gets overwhelming, it can be hard to remember how big our God is and how He will watch over and protect us. It seems as though our battles are too big for our God, that He cannot shine through the darkness that surrounds us. However, in Psalm 81:10-16, the author, Asaph, reminds us of how our God can fight our battles as long as we listen and trust in Him. 

Whether it is financial struggles, academic struggles, or hardships with family and friends, the Lord tells us He will provide for us, as long as we submit to Him and know He is Lord. In verse 7, the Lord reminds us that He will provide and rescue us whenever we call out in distress, just like He delivered His people from Pharaoh in Egypt (v. 10). The Lord is good, and wants to provide us with the blessing of taking our burdens and fighting for us. 

However, in verses 13 and 14, he advises us to listen to God and seek Him through our struggles. In doing so, He will overcome our enemies and bear the burden we face alongside us. How often do we only give up the battles to God we think He can handle, rather than fully submitting to Him and giving Him everything? In our generation, we tend to crave control over every situation, causing our belief in Him to fight our biggest battles to diminish. However, this psalm proves that those who submit to Him with everything will be satisfied by how He combats our struggles (v. 16). Not only  will He fight on your behalf in a general sense, but will help you overcome the specific sin struggle with which you’re wrestling since He satisfies us with His love and provision.

As you step into today, be reminded that the Lord is fighting for you every step of the way, through every battle and hardship. Submit fully to Him and trust that His provision on your life will satisfy you always. Seek Him and listen to His instruction through your everyday interactions and quiet time. He is working even when it feels difficult to believe it. Our battles may be too big for us to handle, but when giving everything to Him, He fights for us, knowing exactly what we need and fulfilling our lives in every way.