Scripture
Semicontinuous - Psalm 28; Genesis 40:1-23; Matthew 8:23-27
Complementary - Psalm 18:1-19; Job 36:24-33; 37:14-24; Matthew 8:23-27
(What are semicontinuous and complementary readings?)
___
Prayer
O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)
___
Reflection
Verse 1 / “To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, do not refuse to hear me, for if you are silent to me, I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.”
The Psalmist begins with a plea to the Lord to listen. Calling upon the Lord as “my rock,” David uses a familiar images describing the Lord in the Psalms. The Lord is stable, giving safety, and demonstrating faithfulness. Even though God is ever faithful, there are times when it seems the heavens are silent. David fears that silence more than any earthly enemy because God’s apparent absence would leave him as helpless as those who have already entered the grave. The Pit, or place of death, is where praise and fellowship with God have been silenced. Prayer often begins in desperation. Faith does not remove our fears; it only turns our fears toward the One who alone can answer.
Verse 2 / “Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.”
The Psalmist intensifies his cry, describing his words and his posture. Lifting one’s hands in prayer was a common gesture of dependence and surrender. God’s heavenly presence cannot be confined to the Temple or any human structure, even thought the sanctuary signified the place where heaven and earth met, where it was believed that God was directly present.
David turns his word toward that sacred space because it symbolizes God’s covenant presence—God’s true presence. Prayer is more than verbal expression. It is the revealing of a heart reaching toward God in complete and utter dependence.
Verse 3 / “Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who are workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors while mischief is in their hearts.”
David contrasts himself from those who live deceptive lives. They put themselves forward as friendly and faithful; yet their hearts harbor nefarious intentions. Their words conceal corruption. David asks God to save him from their demise. David does not assume moral perfection; rather he appeals to God for recognition of the difference between seeking him and rejecting him. Scripture repeatedly warns that hypocrisy is among the most destructive forms of evil because it disguises wickedness beneath a mask of kindness.
Verse 4 / “Repay them according to their work and according to the evil of their deeds; repay them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward.”
The Psalmist asks God to administer justice. God should judge people according to what they have done. Throughout Scripture, divine justice is rooted in God’s knowledge of every heart which is revealed in one’s deeds. David leaves judgment to God rather than taking matters into his own hands. David is confident that God governs the moral order of creation.
Verse 5 / “Because they do not regard the works of the LORD or the work of his hands, he will break them down and build them up no more.”
The wicked are condemned; for they commit evil and they ignore what God has revealed through his actions in creation and history. They refuse to recognize God’s rule and his acts on behalf of the people of Israel. Since they reject God’s purposes, restoration is not possible. Destruction is assured. Indifference toward God is itself a serious form of rebellion. Those who refuse to acknowledge the God of Israel, eventually realize that they cannot escape divine judgment.
Verse 6 / “Blessed be the LORD, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.”
Without describing when or how God answered, David shifts from petition to praise. Fear now outwardly flows with thanksgiving. Prayer itself bolsters confidence. Circumstances may remain the same, but the Psalmist believes that God has heard him. Faith finds assurance before visible evidence is made known. That God listens is foundational for worship.
Verse 7 / “The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”
David celebrates who God is for him. God is his strength for living and protection from danger. Trust is what ties relationship with the divine. Because David places his confidence in the Lord, he experiences divine help that results in joyful praise. Gratitude becomes the proper response to God’s faithfulness. Trust leads to help, help leads to joy, and joy leads to worship.
Verse 8 / “The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.”
The focus expands from David to the covenant people. God’s care extends beyond one to all. The “anointed” denotes Israel’s king, whom God had chosen and consecrated to lead his people. The king’s well-being was inseparable from the nation’s prosperity. God protects both ruler and people because they belong together under his covenant. One cannot be had without the other. Christians also recognize in the language of God’s anointed a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, through whom God’s saving protection reaches all who belong to him.
Verse 9 / “O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.”
David demands that God would save not only his people but his flock. Like a shepherd is always watching, shepherding he tends to it with love and concern. The Psalmist desires to shepherd “them for ever.” God’s everlasting faithfulness is shown by in every stage of life. While David’s faith is very personal and individual, it extends to include the people, too. True faith is never insular. To experience God‘s mercy individually, leads to the desire for the community to enjoy God‘s care as well.
PRAYER: Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer)
SOURCES
Nancy L. deClaisse-Walford, Rolf A. Jacobson, Beth LaNeel Tanner, The Book of Psalms (New International Commentary on the Old Testament).
Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72 (Kidner Classic Commentaries).
Tremper Longman III, Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries).
Gerald H. Wilson, Psalms, Vol. 1 (The NIV Application Commentary).
___
Some of my earnings from Substack support my teaching mission in Cuba, Cameroon, and Zimbabwe. I hope you will prayerfully consider supporting my work with a paid subscription.
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.