You Are Not the Only One

Psalms Chapter 22: Verses 11-30 Part 2 Continued

(Unless otherwise stated all Scriptures in this devotional are from the King James Version of the Bible.)

#BeNearOhGod #Troubles #Deliverance #Forsaken but not #Forgotten #GodIsFaithful

11Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

David pleads with God not to be “far” from him. He declares that he is about to endure “trouble.” His perception is that there is “none to help.” There is no human being around anywhere who can help David. He must approach the throne of God.

Have you experienced this distance between you and God in your times of trouble?

I do not remember a time period in my life after I became saved when I have felt alone and without God. As I was praying this morning, and thinking about yesterday’s devotional, that very thought came to my mind. I know that it is not because I am anyone special. Once again we can go back to the New Testament (NT) scriptures that speak about Christ’s experience with trouble approaching and the loneliness that he felt on the cross. He knows that death is approaching, but not because the devil is about to win a victory. He died for us because He wants to.

1. John 10:17 “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.”
2. John 10:18 “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

The Enemy Attacks David Verses 12-18

12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. 13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

Apparently, David is outnumbered he states “many bulls...” Visualize ferocious bulls rushing at David with their mouths open like the mouths of a roaring lion about to devour its prey and you will imagine how David felt. These verses are descriptive of how his soul felt. They also describe read biblical characters see Amos 4:1; Deut. 32:14. Christ experienced this same type of seek and destroy mentality from the Pharisees (Matt 23:1-12;  Mark 12:38-40; Lk 20:45-47; Matthew 23:8, 10).The Seven woes against the Pharisees and Sadducees

• 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 
• 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; 
• 16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 
• 17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. 
• 18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

Verses 14-18 describe David’s physical and emotional reaction to his enemies. One can sense the fear and absolute terror in his mind as they read the verses. Figurative language is used in the description of his feelings, but the physical reactions are real.

• “my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.” (Is the latter a physical reaction to the fear that David is experiencing. Have you ever been so afraid that you stomach grumbles and your bowels react inappropriately? That is what David is suffering here.
• “my tongue cleaveth to my jaws,” and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. .. This is a sign of death. David is concerned that Gen. 2:7 will become His reality. “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. [But Eccl. 12:7 tells us that “…..the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”] His mouth is dry with fear, dry like a potsherd , and thus his tongue sticks to the roof of his mouth. Dust (the dust of death ) is associated with death because humans are created from the dust of the ground and the breath of God (Gen. 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”), and at death the breath returns to God and the dust returns to the ground (1 Kgs 14:11;16:4; 21:23– 24;2 Kgs 9:10, 36).

• 19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.

• 20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
• 21 Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

David returns to pray/petition God to “be not thou far from [him].”  His prayer returns back to the level of urgency that the previous verses displayed and he repeats his threat level “power of the dog.” He still sees “the lion’s mouth” as an imminent threat! 

David Praises God for His Deliverance

• 22I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. 
• 23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

David is coming out of his state of dread and fear. He is going back to what he did in  Psalms 5:7 “But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple. ”

Not only is David [raising God he is telling the people to praise God with him “in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.”Now he becomes even more specific “all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.”  David remembered Gen. 32:28 “And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” First, he addresses the people as the “the seed of Jacob,” then he calls them “the seed of Israel.” That is the name that God gave to Jacob. Read Genesis 32 for the context of this scripture.

24For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. 

I love the way Longman responds to this verse. “Perhaps the psalm itself was composed after God did respond, or perhaps this praise is expressed in the context of confidence that he will respond and help. In either case, the psalmist does not end in a quandary, but rather he has confidence that his God is a God who saves” (Longman 2014, 132). Have you ever been in a situation where you felt you had no choice, no hope, and no help? You prayed and did not hear an answer.

You had others pray for you, and still, you are in the same situation! Well, I can truthfully say that God hears and answers all of our prayers. The Book of Psalms is a biblical testimony to that fact.

But, in my life, He has heard and answered my prayers. Not always when I wanted Him to answer them. Sometimes He would tell me to “Just Be Still!” Sometimes He would tell me “deliverance is mine to give to you in the flesh when you have learned from the situation that you are in.” I consistently ask Him to change my heart. So, maybe that is why I am being molded so much 🙂

• 25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. 
• 26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live forever.

What does David mean when he says he “will pay [his] vows before them that fear him?”  Longman proposes that “vow” verse 25 “are promises undertaken on condition that God will answer a plea for help. Perhaps the vow included donations of food or resources for the poor, which would explain why they will eat and be satisfied” (Longman 2014, 132). 26 “The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live forever.”The meek will not go without food. They will also praise him who lives forever.

27All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

David looks into the future based on the promises to Abraham and declares that all the people of the nations will worship before “The King of Kings and Lord of Lord.” Revelation 21:22-24  “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.”

This is a prophecy of a time in the future, even so, come Lord Jesus come!  28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the nations.. Verses 28-29 continue the thoughts of Rev 21:22-24. 

•  29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
• 30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
• 31They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

Verse 29 reminds us that we cannot give life to ourselves “ and none can keep alive his own soul.” Romans 6:23 states “²³ For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Life comes only through Christ.

Verse 30 declares that “A seed shall serve him.” Just look at what Galatians 3:29 “And if ye [be] Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” And the icing on the cake is penned in verse 31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.” It takes belief to live by this Psalm. It begins with agony and turmoil and then prophecies of the greatness that comes from God’s grace and mercy toward His people. 

The people born who saw that God sent His son, His one and only son, were those of the NT times. The people who were witnesses of the birth of Christ. His life. His death, and His glorious resurrection. Look at  John 20:29 “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are] they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed.” We are the ones who have not seen Him and still believe. Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” We are declaring to people all over the world what God has done in our lives. We have a mission. Will you join us? Praise Him even in the interesting times! 

https://youtu.be/VMNoSIGzJF4

References

Cayce, Ken. 2017. “Books of the Bible.”  http://www.bible-studys.org/About%20Me.html. Accessed August 29, 2018

Longman, Tremper, III. 2014. Psalms : An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press. Accessed September 7, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central.