* This magnificent piece of 10th century art is titled, "David Fighting a Lion". David kills the lion assisted by Strength. It is part of The Paris Psalter. The Paris Psalter is a copy of the 150 Psalms of David, translated from Hebrew into demotic Greek. The Paris Psalter is a Byzantine illuminated manuscript 38 x 26.5 cm in size, containing 449 folios and 14 full-page miniatures. The Paris Psalter is considered a key monument of the so-called Macedonian Renaissance, a 10th-century renewal of interest in classical art closely identified with the emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (909-959) and his immediate successors.
>1. Why might David call God his refuge? (Numbers 35:6, 11-15)
* Psalm 7:1-2 "O LORD my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me."
* The title of the psalm is "A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite." The word "shiggaion" occurs only here (but see its plural in Hab. 3:1).
* This psalm is an appeal to the Lord's court of justice when enemies attack.
* "O LORD my God" -Personal address to a personal friend, master, and God.
* "I take refuge in you" -Refuge cities existed in David's Israel as decreed by the Lord God. It appears that David could not enter the refuge cities for fear that Saul had allies in them that would harm, even kill him. Saul even killed the Lord's priests because they helped David, though they did not know he was fleeing King Saul. So David made the LORD, his God his refuge.
* Numbers 35:6, 11-15 "Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee... select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone accidentally may flee. They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that a person accused of murder may not die before he stands trial before the assembly. These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge. Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites, aliens and any other people living among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there."
>2. Did David consider that he might be guilty? (3-4)
* Psalm 7:3-4 "O LORD my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands-- if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me or without cause have robbed my foe--"
* 1 Corinthians 11:28-32 "A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world."
* "if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands" -David could not recon a time that he did wrong to be pursued by Cush, a Benjamite. Perhaps, he thought he forgot or was unaware.
* "if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me or without cause have robbed my foe" -David was a warrior in Israel's army. As such he had killed enemies as the LORD had decreed. Here he is seeking to know if he harmed anyone who was a peace with the LORD, Israel, and/or himself.
* "rob my foe" -David statements reveals that it is wrong to rob even his foes.
* Sin is sin whether known or not; whether remembered or not. Even if a law does not exist defining a particular sin, it still has the same effect, separation from God and others.
>3. What does David foresee about all peoples of the earth? (7-10)
* Psalm 7:5 "then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust. Selah"
* "let my enemy.. him" -Ready to accept judgment even through the hands of his enemies.
* "trample my life to the ground" -Physical body.
* "make me sleep in the dust" -David knew that the end of physical life is not the end of existence. It was more like sleep implying that he knew there will be a resurrection as after we sleep we rise to a new day.
* David was being pursued by Cush, a Benjamite. King Saul was also a Benjamite. Cush was part of the forces that Saul sent to find and tear David apart like a lion would, or at least Cush would bring him to King Saul for judgment, prison, and/or execution. David could not go to one of the refuge cities the Lord through Moses had established. (Numbers 35:6-34) So he declared that the LORD, his God would be his refuge. "Save and deliver me from all who pursue me," David cried out to his Refuge.
David did not take it for granted he was innocent. Rather he searched his soul to see what was his part in ending up on the run as a fugitive. He considered if he had done any wrong. If he was guilty he would accept the pursuit ending with his life being trampled to the ground and his sleep in the dust.
I too am to search my soul for why I am here in these circumstances. Self-examination in humility before God is a vital step in repentance and healing. If I have harmed or offended another I need to make recompense as long as doing so doesn't further harm others. "A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world." (1 Corinthians 11:28-32)
Listen to the above comments on Psalm 7:1-5.
II. God is a Righteous Judge (7:6-17)
* This magnificent piece of 10th century art is titled, "David Defeats Goliath". David in the top is swinging a sling while Goliath approaches with a sword. David in the bottom is about to cut Goliath's head off. On either side the two armies watch the one-on-one combat. It is part of The Paris Psalter. The Paris Psalter is a copy of the 150 Psalms of David, translated from Hebrew into demotic Greek. The Paris Psalter is a Byzantine illuminated manuscript 38 x 26.5 cm in size, containing 449 folios and 14 full-page miniatures. The Paris Psalter is considered a key monument of the so-called Macedonian Renaissance, a 10th-century renewal of interest in classical art closely identified with the emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (909-959) and his immediate successors.
>4. What does David ask God in this part of his prayer psalm?
* Psalm 7:6 "Arise, O LORD, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice."
* "Arise, O LORD" -David uses colorful words depicting God is alive, but unable to take his defense because he is sitting idle on his throne in heaven.
* "anger" -God has all emotions as human. Or rather humans have the same emotions as God including anger. In anger the LORD drove Adam and Eve out of the garden.
* "rage of my enemies" -They were in heated emotional attack.
* "decree justice" -An appeal to the Judge of all the earth to execute his judgment over all peoples; and particularly to adjudicate David's cause. (NIV Study ZBible)
>5. What does David foresee about all peoples of the earth? (7-10)
* Psalm 7:7-10 "Let the assembled peoples gather around you. Rule over them from on high;
8 let the LORD judge the peoples. Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High.
9 O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure. My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart."
* "Let the assembled peoples gather around you... judge the peoples" -The judgement at the end of this age.
* Joel 3:14 "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision."
* Matthew 13:47-50 "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
* Life is often overwhelming, a relentless barrage for adults and adolescents alike. Continuous are the assaults against body, heart, and mind. Few reliefs can be found that are not self-destructive. Life is often like living in a besieged city. Enemies' weapons encircle, constantly firing at a shield wall with gaps and grass openings with no shield to stand behind and no counterattack that can surely break through let alone entirely remove their multilayered fronts. Life often seems like an entrenched war.
A shield does exist for the embattled. David, trying to evade a pursuing enemy, prayed to God for refuge. He asked the LORD to be his champion. Hope exists for all who call on the name of the LORD. Like David, I can proclaim, "My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart." Justice is decreed by my God addressing the battle when called to action. Call upon the LORD Jesus right now.
The engine for the daily battle is from within. The righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, brings to an end the violence of the wicked and makes the righteous secure. As David prayed, "Let the assembled peoples gather around you. Rule over them from on high; let the LORD judge the peoples. Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High."
Listen to the above comments on Psalm 7:6-10.
>6. What does it mean, "a God who expresses his wrath every day"?
* Psalm 7:11-13 "God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day. If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow. He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows."
* "God is a righteous judge" -Meaning his judgments are considered to be right; inline with truth and justice. Morally upright.
* "a God who expresses his wrath every day" -God's judgments are not kept in store for some future day. Express means to manifest as a sign or symbol.
* "If he does not relent" -Relent means to become more lenient and slacken or abate. God does and can do this. If he doesn't his judgement will come. God is compassionate and forgiving.
* "sword... bow... deadly weapons... flaming arrows" -Poetry. God does not literally have and use these weapons manufactured by mankind.
* Psalms often requires the reader to distinguish between poetic form and literal means.
>7. What does verses 14-17 foretell and how does this define the weapons God uses in the previous verses?
* Psalm 7:14-17 "He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment. He who digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit he has made. The trouble he causes recoils on himself; his violence comes down on his own head. I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High."
* "disillusionment"
* "recoils... comes down on his head"
* "the name of the LORD Most High"
* David was on the run from a man who wanted to kill him. He was a fugitive in his own land. Life was not sunshine on the beach. David did not take action for he considered he might be wrong. Instead, David asked the Lord to be his shield. He asked God to be the judge.
God is not far off from the daily activities in people's lives. He knows our troubles. He knows our pain. God is a righteous judge. He views the motives that drive actions. He executes justice. Every day the Lord expresses his wrath on the guilty. He is not slow to express wrath as some perceive.
Rather, he is patient seeing if the guilty repent. All the while he is ready to engage the bully. God enables the bully to fall prey to his own trap. David was rescued. He praised the LORD. He sang praises to the name of the LORD Most High.
God has his plans. God is at work all the time. When I call on him he hears. Though I do not experience immediate relief I can be sure that God is a righteous judge who expresses his wrath every day.
Listen to the above comments on Psalm 7:11-17.
III. How Majestic is Your Name (8:1-9)
* This magnificent piece of 10th century art is titled, "Isaiah Prayer". Isaiah prays with Night and Dawn on either side. It is part of The Paris Psalter. The Paris Psalter is a copy of the 150 Psalms of David, translated from Hebrew into demotic Greek. The Paris Psalter is a Byzantine illuminated manuscript 38 x 26.5 cm in size, containing 449 folios and 14 full-page miniatures. The Paris Psalter is considered a key monument of the so-called Macedonian Renaissance, a 10th-century renewal of interest in classical art closely identified with the emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (909-959) and his immediate successors.
>8. How was the prophecy in verses 1 and 2 fulfilled?
* Psalm 8:1-2 "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger."
* The title of this psalm is "For the director of music. According to gittih. A psalm of David. "Psalm 81 and 84 titles also have gittith. The Hebrew word perhaps refers to either the winepress (song of the winepress) or the Philistine city of Gath, the Gittite lyre or music. (2 Samuel 15:18)
* "how majestic is your name in all the earth!"
* "set your glory above the heavens"
* "ordained"
* The Psalm of David starts with praise for the LORD, our Lord. The name of the Lord is the manifestation of his character. It has no separate existence apart from the Lord, but is synonymous with the Lord himself in his gracious manifestation and accessibility to his people.
The name of a person, place, or object is more than a letter sequence and vocal pronunciation. If someone were to say my mother's or father's first name, two prevalent English names, I would react in a very unique personal way for their names mean something to me. I will re-experience their character, mannerisms, events we shared, their smile and scowl, their words, actions, and reactions, their emotions expressed to and for me. The name of my parents is the manifestation of their character and more than my perception of their being.
So is it with the LORD, my Lord. His name is majestic in all the earth! When Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey just before he was about to suffer for his people, the crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
Then Jesus entered the temple, drove out the buying and selling, and healed the blind and lame. The children kept repeating the words of their parents and other adults, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" Their adoration is greater than the angels who continually declare at the heavenly throne, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and will come."
The chief priest and teachers of the law took objection to this and indignantly asked Jesus, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" Jesus replied with verse 2 of this psalm, "Yes, have you never read, 'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?" Jesus did not finish the verse which explains why the children praised the name of the LORD Jesus, "because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger."
This early morning with less than a week till Christmas, I am moved by the name of the LORD, our Lord. How majestic is his name in all the earth. I will not be silenced. I will declare praise to his name.
Listen to the above comments on Psalm 8:1-2.
>9. How was David moved when he considered God's creation? (3-5) What does it mean to be made "a little lower than the heavenly beings"?
* Psalm 8:3-5 "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor."
* "When I consider your heavens"
* "set in place"
* "mindful of him"
* "the son of man"
* "a little lower than the heavenly beings"
* "crowned him with glory and honor?
>How and when was the prophecy in verses 6-8 fulfilled?
* Psalm 8:6-8 "You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas."
* "him ruler"
* "the moon and the stars... made his ruler over the works of your hands"
* "put everything under his feet"
>10. What does it mean that the LORD's name is majestic in all the earth?
* Psalm 8:9 "O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"
* "O LORD, our Lord"
* "how majestic is your name in all the earth!"
* Verses 3 and 4 remind me of the celebrated hymn "O Lord My God". I also think of Apostle Paul's letter to the Roman congregation, "...since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1:19-20)
However, when David looked at the stars and planets he asked the question, "What is man that God, the Creator is mindful of man, the son of man that you care for him?" He was thinking of God's grace to all of mankind and sure of himself as well. Why would the infinite, omnipotent, and eternal God care for little ol' him?
The author of Hebrews makes it clear that this Psalm is referring to Jesus, the Son of God. (Hebrews 2:6) Jesus left heaven and became man. Adam and Eve were created a little lower than the angels. Jesus became one of us, sharing in our humanity. Jesus had flesh and blood and walked on the earth interacting with other humans. Jesus died and God raised him from the grave. Jesus was crowned with glory and honor. Jesus is the ruler over all of creation. Those that are in Christ will rule with him at the resurrection of the dead. (1 Thessalonians 4:14, 5:10; 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12)
"O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"
