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Study No.7 : Psa 62:1-8 : God our Refuge

A. Find Out:    

1. How does the psalmist first describe God? v.1,2

2. What were men trying to do? v.3

3. How were they two-faced? v.4

4. What did he see as the answer to this? v.5

5. How would this work out in practice? v.6,7

6. What did he counsel others to do? v.8

 

B. Think :

1. What problem with people was the psalmist having?

2. How was the Lord the answer to this problem?

 

C. Comment :

Observe first of all what this psalm shows us about man. The psalmist himself sees himself as a leaning wall, a tottering fence i.e. one who is easily pushed over (v.3). He is first of all aware of his own weakness and vulnerability. Next he describes those who are against him, trying to get him down with lies (v.4), who speak nicely face to face but who inwardly hate him.

Thus we see the frailty of the righteous and the hypocrisy and evil of the unrighteous. Second, see how the psalmist views the Lord. His knowledge of the Lord leads him to be able to describe Him as one who is the support of his very life (my rock) and that support saves him from going down (my salvation) (v.5,6). Even more the Lord protects him (my fortress) from the attacks of the enemy.

Third, we see the consequences of this experience and this knowledge. The psalmist is able to rest in this knowledge of the Lord, knowing that though the enemy may come against him, the Lord will support, save and protect him. Thus there IS hope for the future, the enemy will not overcome. Yet there is one further thing: "pour out your hearts to him" (v.8) comes the psalmist's advice that was later echoed by the apostle Paul (Philippians 4:6,7). When you receive opposition, pour your heart out to the Lord, trust in Him; let Him be your rock & fortress.

 

D. Application?

1. Feel frail? Run to the Lord. Let Him become your rock.

2. Resting in His support, salvation and protection?

     

         

Study No.8 : Psa 62:9-12 : Strong & Loving

A. Find Out:

1. Who does he contrast & with what conclusion? v.9

2. What three things does he say not to do? v.10

3. How much did God speak & how much do he hear? v.11a

4. What was the first thing? v.11b

5. What was the second thing? v.12a

6. What does he conclude? .12

 

B. Think:

1. Why does he write off contrasting stations in life?

2. What also does he decline?

3. How does verse 12 respond to that?

C. Comment:

In the first part of the psalm David referred again and again to God as his rock or fortress, a place of stability and security. Now he looks at the things he will not rely upon. He considers first the different stations in life that men hold (v.9). There are the lowly who are like a breath, they come and go with little effect. But then there are those from so-called noble families, yet all their affluence merely covers up what they're really like. Both of them really account for little.

But then you might be attracted by the wealth of the rich man. Get rich quick is the worlds' dictum, often by illegal means (v.10). No, he says, even if you do make money, don't put your trust in it. Then he testifies. God spoke one thing - that he is great and powerful - hence he trusts Him to be his fortress. (v.11)

But he's also heard in himself that God is a loving God (v.12). It's not what he's been told, but it's what he's learnt. What an amazing testimony from an Old Testament saint! And because God is loving, David doesn't need to worry about getting riches. If he just trusts in God and commits his way to Him, the Lord will look after him, the Lord will provide for him, the Lord will reward him.

 

D. Application:

1. The world's values are false and worth little.

2. Being esteemed by God, as His child is worth everything, and knowing that

    sonship means we can trust Him to provide.

             

      

Study No.9 : Psa 63 : Yearning for God

A. Find Out:

1. What is conveyed in verse 1?

2. What has David experienced and known? v.2,3a

3. What does that create in him? 3b-5

4. When does he find himself thinking of God? v.6

5. Why does he cling to the Lord? v.7,8

6. What confidence does it create in him? v.9,10

 

B. Think :

1. From this Psalm, how do we know David had a close relationship with the

    Lord?

2. What were the three consequences of that relationship?

3. How does knowledge of God affect all the other areas of our lives?

 

C. Comment :

David knows God. He has encountered Him in the meeting place with God (v.2) and knows something of His wonderful power and His wonderful glory. Now everything else in this Psalm flows out of this. First the knowledge of God in a small way, creates a GREATER YEARNING to know Him more and more (v.1). If we don't have that, perhaps it is because we have allowed the things of the world the smother our vision.

Second, it RELEASES PRAISE (v.3,4). Now when we praise someone it is because they have done something to be commended for, and with the Lord that is always so, because of who He is and what He has done, He is ALWAYS worthy of our praise (v.4). If we do not praise Him it is perhaps, because the world has smothered our vision.

Third, it brings a SENSE OF SECURITY in respect of those who are against us (v.9). The Lord WILL deal with them, whether it be in this life or after death. We don't have to get worked up with words like "justice" or "revenge", for the Lord will deal with them in His time, and it will PROBABLY be in this lifetime and will CERTAINLY be after death. Leave them to Him!

 

D. Application?

1. Knowing God brings consequences. If it doesn't we should question the

    relationship we think we have.

2. A greater yearning for Him, and security in Him, come with this.

           

     

Study No.10 : Psa 64 : Wagging & Scheming Tongues

A. Find Out:

1. For what does David ask the Lord? v.1,2

2. What had they been doing against him? v.3,4

3. What had they been doing in secret? v.5,6

4. What did David feel God would do? v.7,8

5. What will be the result of all this? v.9

6. So who does he exhort to do what? v.10

 

B. Think:

1. Who had been giving David concern?

2. How does he see they will be dealt with?

3. What are the lessons to be learnt here?

C. Comment:

David feels threatened. There are those who speak and plot against him. They have been speaking out against him and they have been planning to bring him down (v.1,2). David, as he always does, cries out to the Lord for help. Again and again he gives us this example: when the enemy rises up, turn to the Lord for help.

Once he has cried out to the Lord and detailed the problem (v.2-6), he knows in his heart what the outcome will be - the Lord will turn their plotting and their words back on them (v.7,8). Somehow He will bring their downfall. It will not be anything that David himself has to do; it will simply be the working of the Lord. Not only that, it will be clear and obvious and all the surrounding world will see and know that this was the work of God (v.8a,9). So, he concludes, if you are righteous then rejoice in the Lord and let Him be your protection (v.10).

So often it is what people SAY about us that hurts, the words they speak against us. When people speak such words they are looking for our downfall, they don't want us to succeed in life. When people speak like that it is their spirit as well as their actual words that come against us. In some situations we must learn to simply run to God with our anguish and pour it out to Him and then leave it with Him.

 

D. Application:

1. The Lord will stand up for the righteous against the unrighteous.

2. When opposition comes, take it to the Lord.

       

            

Study No.11 : Psa 65 : Creation & Provision

A. Find Out:

1. What reasons does David give for praising God? v.1-4

2. How is God described? v.5

3. What has He done? v.6,7

4. With what result among men? v.8

5. To what does David attribute to God? v.9-13

 

B. Think:

1. What sort of God is described in verses 1-4?

2. What sort of God is described in verses 5-8

3. What sort of God is described in verses 9-13

C. Comment:

Praise is due to God; that is David's main point here (v.1). He gives us three reasons. The first is that God is a REDEEMING God. In verses 1-4 David speaks about God who hears men's prayers, who forgives them when they come in repentance, and who brings them into close relationship with Him. These are verses all about relationship.

The second reason is that God is a CREATING God. In verses 5-8 David reminds us that God is the one who formed the earth, who established the mountains and the seas. The result is that all peoples can rejoice in the security of this world that God has provided for us.

The third reason is that God is a CONSTANTLY PROVIDING God (v.9-13). We may take for granted the ongoing nature of the world but David attributes it to God. It is God who provides water that sustains the ground (v.9), that brings forth fruit and harvest (v.10c,11), that feeds the flocks (v.12,13). No all the bounty of Creation is provided by God. In Heb 1:3 we find the same thing as the writer describes Jesus as the one who is “sustaining all things by his powerful word.” We assume Creation is like a machine that keep on going. No says the Bible, it is not, it keeps going because God is the force that keeps it moving. The world isn't like a petrol engine with its own fuel. It's more like a cart that keeps on needing ‘pushing', and that's what God does.

 

D. Application:

1. God is worthy of our praise. Do we give it to Him?

2. Praise Him for His relationship, & Provision for you

             

    

Study No.12 : Psa 66 : Praise for Answered Prayer

A. Find Out:

1. What is the Psalmist's initial intention? v.1-4

2. What does he remember that the Lord had done? v.5,6

3. What does the Lord do generally? v.7-9

4. What had He done specifically? v.10-12

5. So what did the Psalmist say he would do in response? v.13-15

6. Why was he doing all this? v.16-20

 

B. Think:

1. What hardship had the Psalmist been through?

2. What had he done?

3. And what response had he got?

C. Comment:

This is a psalm that many Christians can identify with. It is essentially a psalm of praise (v.1-4) and the praise comes because of what God has done (v.5).

  

First of all there was DELIVERANCE, the time when God led Israel through the waters (v.6) after the Exodus. (see Ex 14:21 ,22), so be warned world, don't rebel against Him! (v.7). Then there was TESTING, when the Lord kept them (v.9), and tested them (v.10) and disciplined them (v.11,12). This happened time and time again in the time of the judges and also a number of times through the period of the kings, but the Lord always brought them through to blessing (v.12c)

Then comes the Psalmist's response to that understanding; he will worship the Lord in the Temple (v.13-15). Now he testifies to all this (v.16). He had cried to the Lord (v.17), he had ensured he had a clean heart (v.18) and God heard and responded (v.19,20)

He is quite clear that the deliverance from the pressures of the enemy is an act of the Lord on their behalf and he is filled with praise. The order here is crisis, prayer, deliverance and then praise.

 

D. Application:

1. Are we able to identify difficult times as times of testing, times when we

    have an ‘exam' to pass?

2. Is our natural response to cry out to the Lord for deliverance? Is prayer the

    natural response that rises in us in these times?

       

   

RECAP No.2  Psalms 62 - 66

INTRODUCTION :

Here we continue to simply produce a table as a reminder of what we have recently been reading in the Summary, and then a similar table in the Lessons. Next to the study numbers, the letter indicates the writer. D=David, U = untitled 

   

SUMMARY : 

 

Study	Psa	Subject
7D	62:1-8	Awareness of frailty & vulnerability
8D	62:9-12	Things to be trusted in
9D	63	On yearning for more of God
10D	64	When people speak and plot against us
11D	65	God who is Redeemer, Creator & Provider
12U	66	Praising God for Deliverance

 

COMMENT : 

 

This group of Psalms, again mostly from David, reveal more of his heart as considers his frailty, what he has seen of the Lord which makes him yearn for more, his struggles when people plotted against him, and his knowledge of God as redeemer, creator & supplier. The last psalm recounts God's goodness to them as a people.

    

LESSONS?

   

Study	Psa	Subject
7	62:1-8	When feeling frail, run to the Lord
8	62:9-12	Don't trust position or prosperity. Trust God.
9	63	Knowing God brings consequences
10	64	When people speak against us, run to the Lord
11	65	God is worthy of our praise for all He does
12	66	We go through times of testing but God delivers

   

PRAY :

 

Oh Lord, there are time when I feel frail and weak. Be my strength. There are times when I am oppressed. Be my shield. Lord, please let me know more of you, for in you is fullness of life, for you have redeemed me and now provide for me. Thank you so much.