Year 1, Week 41, Day 3 Bible Reading Observations

Year 1, Week 41, Day 3

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of Psalm 131, 138-139, 143-144.

Today’s reading consists of five Psalms. While all of the Psalms in today’s reading are located in Book Five of the Psalms, and while most of David’s Psalms are located in Book One, each of these five Psalms are attributed to David. It seems fair to suggest that these Psalms originate from the latter years of David’s life. Thus, these Psalms probably coincide with our readings from Samuel and Chronicles, although none of the Psalms have a superscription providing any background. Psalm 131 expresses David’s reliance upon the LORD: “But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me” (Psalm 131:2). Psalm 138 voices David’s praise to the LORD: “I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word” (Psalm 138:2). Psalm 139 reflects David’s understanding of the LORD: “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you” (Psalm 139:17-18). Psalm 143 reveals David’s cry to the LORD for help: "Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!” (Psalm 143:1). Psalm 144 proclaims David’s gratitude to the LORD: "Blessed be the LORD” (Psalm 144:1a).

One of the things that struck me from today’s reading was the numerous times that themes expressed in Psalm 144 have already been expressed in the Psalms: “O LORD, what is man that you regard him, or the son of man that you think of him?” (Psalm 144:3). David’s reflection, concerning the LORD’s caring attention in his life, was a reality that David had reflected upon before: “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4). From the early days of his reign as king to the latter days of his reign as king, David marveled over the fact that the LORD took mind of him. David marveled over God’s goodness that he was made king and that he stayed king. The LORD’s attentive care is not something just reserved for His kings, but is for all His children. David himself affirms this when he applies the work of God’s goodness to all the people of God: “Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!” (Psalm 144:15)

Repetition is often used to underscore and reinforce a reality: "Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge” (Psalm 144:1-2). David emphatically believed that all of his victories, successes, and accomplishments were rooted in the LORD: “I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold…He trains my hands for war” (Psalm 18:1-2,34). David’s confidence was not self-confidence and he was quite conscious that it was the LORD who was working on his behalf. David prayed expressing the LORD’s presence: “Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down! Touch the mountains so that they smoke! Flash forth the lightning and scatter them; send out your arrows and rout them!” (Psalm 144:5-6). The wording of these prayers are grounded in what David knows to be true about the LORD: “Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet” (Psalm 18:7-9). The very descriptions of what the LORD does, forged the specific wording of what David asked the LORD to do.

David possessed musical skill. Therefore his praise to the LORD was consistently expressed as musically lyrical praise: “Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts” (Psalm 33:2-3). While David started out by comforting King Saul by his musical abilities (see 1 Samuel 16:14-23), he eventually became the king who had musical abilities: “I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you, who gives victory to kings, who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword” (Psalm 144:9-10). And what David sings about as the king who has been given victory over his enemies is based upon what God had promised to His king: “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Psalm 2:6-9). Now nearing the end of his reign as king, David realizes that he is the king that the LORD has installed in Zion. This installation is but a preview of the son of David: Jesus, whom the LORD has now installed as His Son, the King.

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe