CONTENT
A DESCRIPTION OF THE HATRED OF HUMAN NATURE AGAINST THE CHRIST OF GOD. (PSALM 1:1-3)
The Nations Rage (Psalm 2:1) In the beginning of the Psalm, David starts with an angry interrogation against the humans for God1. David is perplexed about why the people are even raging against God, he knows the have no reason to and they don't have a benefit too anyway. They're rebellion is motivated by vain2. With vain, especially against God, comes boundless foolishness in this Psalm3. The disturbance was not only created by the people but also their leaders who fostered the rebellion4.
Opposition to God and Warfare Continues (Psalm 2:2) The kings, of which David are speaking, include Herod, Pilate, and other with and or after them5. Ever since the Tower of Babel, men come together and go against God, especially in groups. It is believed by men that the more men united against God, the better the chance is to overcome him6. When one opposes God, they oppose Jesus and vice versa7. We know this by John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.”. When the passage says,“set themselves”, this means they completely set themselves apart from God. While the kings are going about their warfare, they go toward it very skillfully and craftily8.
The Kings Become Their Own Gods (Psalm 2:3) By this, they mean and want to break any bonds they have with God so they can become their own Gods and not be held back by anything. The kings say, “cast away their cords from us”, as if they could simply throw off any ties with God they have9. Those who are set apart from God think of Him as a God who makes us his slaves, but as believers, we know this is completely false and that He is a God who gives us freedom from sin10. The kings think they can save themselves be...
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...itude. Fear, without joy, is torment and nothing like the attitude God wants us to have when we serve Him. We must have Holy fear, which is rejoicing while fearing God30. By rejoicing in trembling, we submit to his reverence which is what God is telling the kings to do31.
David Tells Them to Submit Themselves to Him Through Everything and if They Have Any Faith, They are Blessed (Psalm 2:12) The phrase, “Kiss the Son” shows that God wants us to notice our place before Him but also recognize the relationship we have with Him. David leaves a choice with everyone to either be broken and defy God or be blessed and depend on Him32. David tells the kings to submit to God to avoid judgment and gain the blessing that comes when you are obedient to Christ33 No matter what amount of faith one has in God, they are blessed nonetheless because they have their salvation forever.
They were set apart; they had no earthly king and their history was one filled with miracles and impossible victories. Yet Israel’s people were still human; their failures were nearly equal to their victories and their frequent disobedience towards God had cost them greatly. They were hardly a unified nation, and despite a history rich in God’s provision, they were rebellious.
... a cry for help “Save me god (commentary note)”. Maybe the psalmist is saying that it is this coming to awareness of our failing as human beings and our efforts to transcend those flaws are those that will bring true salvation. It may not be misfortune that Christ does not look at the drowning supplicant, but to the angel next to him; perhaps man is really alone, he finally must come to Christ, confessing all of his sins and weaknesses.
does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's and he will give
This phrase is later repeated three more times, in Judges 18:1, 19:1, and 21:25. Since the phrase is repeated several times, it emphasizes the need for a king to govern the people and lead them in better ways. The Davidic covenant also exemplifies this positive view, since God showed favor on David and his descendants. God said that King David’s descendants are God’s sons, and that the LORD will establish a “royal throne forever”, as in a line of kings until the end of time (2 Sam. 7:13). God also promises to give David “rest from all your enemies” (2 Sam. 7:11) and a place for his people to live (2 Sam. 7:10). Just like Abraham, King David is promised descendants, blessings, and land. Hezekiah, another good king of Judah, was also viewed favorably. In the LORD’s sight, Hezekiah did what was right, just like David (2 Kgs 18:3). 2 Kings 18: 5 also states that “and neither before nor after [Hezekiah] was there anyone like him among all the kings of Judah.” Unlike Solomon, Hezekiah observed the commandments and thus, “the LORD was with him, and he succeeded in all he set out to do” (2 Kgs 18:7). Therefore, the Deuteronomistic History looks favorably upon kings, since the need for a king is stated multiple times in Judges, and kings like David and Hezekiah are looked upon with favor by God and the people
...hard to understand fully because of its comprehensive metaphoric language and the difference in culture from present day. It is also sometimes hard for us to understand God's actions because we think of him simply loving and caring rather than ruthless and violent. We need to understand that the creation of mankind is taking place in the recordings of these scriptures and so things may not be as customary as we would like to think. I believe that God has a plan for everyone. And, in the case of Saul, he had a plan to take away his kingdom in order to pass it on to David so the formation of history could continue. I also think this passage, like many other passages from the Bible, has a message linked to it, a lesson to the story if you will. The lesson is to prove that God's unlimited power must never be taken for granted or there surely will be hell to pay.
Psalm 137 is one of a selection of psalms that is frequently difficult to discuss because of its content. The pericope begins with what may appear as a lament like any other in the book, but ends with horrifying imagery of a desired revenge. How does a believer give the proper respect due to the holy Scriptures among such vitriolic language? This paper will assert that proper interpretation of the following pericope involves careful attention to the historical and cultural background, structure, genre, and language of the written text.
“Stop this at once!” King David utters, interrupting him. He stood behind the chair, facing the king’s desk, eyeing King Gabriel with a smoldering hatred that scorched every inch of his soul. He finally takes his seat and says accusingly, “I know you’re the one behind their deaths.”
Verse 2 of psalms continues to deal with the soul of the psalmist. The palmist said, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?” The language of the thirsty soul is also found in (Ps. 63:1, 143:6). Once again the psalmist uses strong imagery in the above statement. The above statement suggests that the psalmist feels internally disconnected from God. The psalmist expresses a longing for the living God. This may have been...
Gathering context from the heading, Psalm 63 is about the refugee David. As described in the title, the psalm occurred when “he was in the wilderness of Judah” (Psalm 63). There were two occasions where David was in the wilderness of Judah. This statement could be reference to David fleeing from Saul in 1 Samuel 23-24 or from Absalom in 2 Samuel 15. One reason to believe that 1 Samuel 23-24 connects Psalm 63 through a common theme is that David refers to himself as “king” in Psalms. In 1 Samuel 23-24, David had not become king yet. A common theme of enemies trying to destroy David is seen in both Psalm 63:9-10 and 1 Samuel 23-24. Psalm describes that whoever plans to kill him will be fail to in their goal. This is observed in several attempts in 1 Samuel. Saul had attempted to hunt for David in 1 Samuel 23:13, 28, and 24. Psalm 63, however, has a close connection with the account of Absalom’s revolt in 2 Samuel
An instructive and stirring string of verses, this passage from the Bible holds great relevance not only for the Ancient Israelites to whom it was spoken, but also acts as a herald to Christians today. This passage forms part of Moses great oration; his instructive teaching, advice and counsel narrated to the second generation of Israelites who required redirection before moving forward into what God had for them. Similarly, it is also relevant for all Christians as we remember what our faithful, loving and powerful God has done in the past, and what he requires of us to move forward.
his king, saying, “Why should my harmless hinds be slain. . .[for] in all fights we fail?” (II: 54,57)
What would bring God’s people to reject God himself for a human king? According to 1 Samuel 8:7, that is exactly what happened: “And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.”
David did not do everything right just as Saul did not do everything wrong. David is a study in the human condition. As Peterson points out, King David is a “character consisting of humility and adoration, sacrifice and courage, repentance and obedience, loyalty in the community, and love of God.” The story of David shows people that when they use the things that God places in your life He is preparing people for their service to Him. He prayed to God, consulted God in prayer, and unified the northern and southern kingdoms in obedience to
There is no good reason why Absalom should try to revolt against David. Instead of becoming a great king, he ends up a dead fool. Even with the instance with Bathsheba, and inability to control his children (Amnor raping Temar), David is such an iconic king because all the reasons that would doubt his leadership makes him appear even greater than before he commits the sins. The Bible rather shows that David improves in righteousness when he cries and admits that he does wrong to God and begs for forgiveness. David overseeing Temar's rape is depicted to show how David has been scarred for committing adultery. The more issues that reveal David's shortcomings, they become more opportunities for David to better himself. By acknowledging what he has done wrong, David disproves any reason why the revolt against him would have any benefits for the kingdom.
The bible recounts the story of the great King Solomon, the son of the notable King David. By following God and his commandments, David had built his empire into a legacy, which was then passed on to Solomon. Soon after Solomon’s reign began, the Lord appeared to him in a dream, offering him anything he desired. Solomon’s request was wisdom and knowledge, so that he may govern his people fairly, and know the difference between good and the bad.