Epaggelia

There are a few Psalms (6, 67 & 76) written specifically for music to be played while singing the words. Many Christians feel awkward singing to God with instruments, because there is no example of a Christian congregation in the New Testament using any kind of instrumental music in praise to God. But there obviously was a time when God accepted it and was pleased with the congregation of Israel using instruments, there was also a time when God accepted the sacrifice of animal blood. So just because instrumental music was accepted with Jewish praise, doesn’t mean it’s accepted in Christian praise. Christian praise is exclusively centered and directed from the human heart directly and uniquely to the Spirit of Christ, nothing added and nothing taken away. Perhaps the reason instruments were used with this song in particular is because David was deeply distressed and found the sound of strings emphasized the feeling behind the words of truth that relieved his stress so well. God does use many different tools to treat human conditions and music therapy may indeed be as effective as aromatherapy for some ailments. But the ailment of the soul, which is sin, is not treated with anything better than the words and love of Christ. The gospel and presence of Christ’s Spirit is very effective in dealing with a Christian’s stress or distress and there is nothing that can enhance it. If we try to add anything, we venture into the fields of our will instead of God’s will and therein lay sin.

In verse 1, we find David stirring himself up to take hold of God’s strength. This is something that Israel really lacked during Isaiah’s day, See Isaiah 64:7, when he said “NO ONE” stirs himself up to take hold of You. Do we prepare ourselves for worshiping God? Do we stir ourselves up for prayer? If not, let me encourage you to learn more about Biblical meditation, 1st Timothy 4:15.

In verses 2-3, Despite the discouragement of his enemies, David may be disrespected publicly, but he finds that God answers his prayers. Do we focus on God’s answers when we are tempted and tried by the trials of life? There are many things that can stop us from seeing God’s answers to prayer, they are: 1-Not living in Christ Jesus (Jn. 15:7), 2-Unbelief (Mt. 17:20-21), 3-Bad marriages (1Pt. 3:7), 4-Unconfessed sin (Jas. 5:16), 5-Trusting in the length or style of prayer itself (Mt. 6:7) So we must do whatever it takes, to be heard, if not, the Bible gives us no certainty in an answer!
In verses 4-8, David used Biblical meditation, not the Eastern practice of meditation. In Biblical meditation, we fill our heart and mind with God’s word, the TRUTH. In eastern meditation, the idea is to empty the heart and mind, leaving us open potentially for LIES. David proclaims that the Lord’s goodness puts gladness in David’s heart. Here David sounds alot like Aaron’s High Priestly promise in Numbers 6:24-26 coming true and fulfilled in his life experience. Is this your experience in Christ?

A Psalm of David while he ran from Absalom his son; ref. 2nd Samuel, 15-18

v1-2, When human beings are led to think and accept that God can’t help them, we lose hope. Telling people God can’t help them, is horrible emotional abuse. Shimei did this to David, thinking David was just getting what he deserved, 2Sam. 16:7-8. This thought was painful for David because he had experienced blessings from God after he was repentant, so to use the disobedient rebellion of your child as a public stage for humiliation and blame it on God’s neglect, must have been very hurtful. 

v3-4, Truly, silent prayers are heard, indeed, but most Christians experience better & more fruitful prayers when praying out loud, even when they are alone, after all, we are not talking to our self! Speak up! The way God showed David that he was shielded and lifted up his head, may be a bit mysterious to us, but we know it had to do with David recognizing God’s influence. The word glory means exactly that, “influence”.  Men find glory or “influence” in all sorts of things; money, fame, power, prestige, or possessions. David found his influence or glory in the LORD. Be honest, do you, deep down inside, make God your glory/influence? Other people may boast in their money, beauty or position, but do you find in God, what others find in these? Where is your glory? If it’s in Christ, you will feel his security like a shield, (Ephesians 5:16) and your head won’t be droopy, but held up in dignity, not prideful arrogance.

v5-6, Know this: while we sleep, we’re unconscious, dead to the world – yet we breathe, our heart pumps, our organs operate and to a certain extent, in a small way, our muscles are refreshed. The same God who sustains us in our sleep, sustains us in our difficulties, don’t forget this. Because Christ as our shield, is who saves us, even if we die in our sleep one day. Afterall, God is bigger & better than any modern home security gadget & service. Christian courage is akin to Jewish courage from the Psalmist because their God is our Christ. Paul put it like this, “If God is for us, who can be against us? ~ Rom. 8:31. Ultimately, the worst thing anyone can do to a genuine Christian, is make us endure suffering for the short time it takes us to change addresses, and our new address is Heaven!

v7-8, Arise, O LORD: David is quoting the words of Numbers 10:35 here, where Moses used this phrase as the children of Israel broke camp in the wilderness. It was a military phrase, proclaiming that God goes forward to defend Israel and lead them to victory. God will SHATTER the teeth of our enemies with one blow. UFC’s middleweight Devin Clark’s bottom front teeth were knocked out of place, by Ion Cutelaba on Sep 19, 2021 in Las Vegas. UFC featherweight Conor McGregor had the majority of his teeth fixed paying almost 500K to a Dentist in April 2021. Darren Till the British kickboxer revealed to journalists about his teeth and said, “They’re all fake. … .Aug 7, 2020. Even with our protective measures in our mouth and on fists, we still damage teeth, but God will not relent towards the unrepentant. There is a day appointed for judgment and their teeth will be shattered. For the Christian, God has already “Risen” in Christ. In a sense His victory is given to us and we are more than conquerors in Him, which doesn’t mean we don’t lose a battle here or there, but it does mean that the final season championship is ours! THAT is favor and grace shown to Christians by God. Rejoice!

Praise for The Rule of God

It’s likely that Nathan the Prophet during David’s reign wrote this Psalm, he asks why all the worldly people want to attack the King, which only results in making God very angry. He praises God for showing his justified wrath towards people who rebel against the Messiah. Do you have any idea why this message would be a song? Psalm 2 is not only about David and other kings of Israel. It is also about Jesus. The prophets said that the Messiah would be king of all the nations. David never ruled the whole world. Jesus Christ is still on course to rule the whole world & one day promises to destroy those will not submit to his Lordship. Jesus had a friend called Peter. Peter wrote that the message of the prophets was for us. The sovereignty of God is usually called “providence” by many Christians, if you do not use this word or have an understanding of what it is, please read Matthew 6:25-26 & 10:29  (Acts 24:2 & Romans 13:14 KJV “providence/provision”)

In Acts 4:25-26 Luke writes that Peter repeated Psalm 2:3. Herod and Pilate were the leaders that killed Jesus. Some of the people in the Psalm were the Jews that killed Jesus. They all decided that Christ (the Greek word for “Messiah”) must die.

v4 – 6: God put David in Zion as king. When David died his son Solomon became king and so on. Jesus was the last man that God put as king in Jerusalem. Herod, Pilate and the Jews killed Jesus, knowing that Jesus claimed to be a “type” of King, but they were so angry with Jesus that their rage blinded them from understanding what type of King Jesus claimed to be. Where Jesus died Pilate wrote, “The King of the Jews.” Really, Jesus offered himself and God said that he was king. “Sitting above the skies” means “in heaven.”

v7 – 8: The description here of angels, fire and wind, is surely pointing to the description of the coming of the Son’s Spirit of Christ in Acts 2, which the Hebrew writer points out in Hebrews 1:5 & 5:5. Jesus is the only person ever born on earth, as a truly faithful son of God. Adam is described as a son of God in Luke 3, but that was simply in the sense that God made him first from the dust of the earth. Adam’s earthly nature was weak and fell into sin, but not Jesus! Everyone else must become a son of God by becoming born again in Jesus. God then gives us new life. It is as though we start life again! In Acts 13: 33 Luke repeated another verse from Psalm 2. He wrote that the words “You are my son” came true as evidenced in power, when God raised Jesus from the dead”.

v9 – 12:His rod of iron is seen in Revelation 12:5 & 19:15, what does it represent?  This is important especially towards civil Government. If politicians do not see themselves as ministers for good and to execute justice against evil, nations will suffer.  We must all become servants of the LORD. If we do not, we will die. When we come to Jesus, he becomes our friend. But we must remember who he is. Jesus is God! Though we are friends, we are also servants that have God’s joyful satisfaction & sovereign security in our hearts.

The first 41 Psalms are categorized as Part One of the entire collection of Psalms by most orthodox Jews. They usually section them into 5 Parts corresponding to the 5 books of the Torah (Law) 

• 1-41, Man, God, & The Natural World.
• 42-72, The Royal House of Israel i.e., Spiritual Israel.
• 73-89, God’s Protection & Presence.
• 90-106, Our Lowliness & God’s Loftiness.
• 107-150, God’s Presence In Distress or Destruction

v1, Whether we are walking, standing or sitting, we need to be avoiding the wickedness, sinfulness or scoffing of worldly people Jesus loves. Jesus was well known to mingle and eat with sinners, but he showed the perfect way to avoid the sin!

“Blessed” in Greek from the O.T. Septuagint is μακάριος that is makarios, pronounced mak-ar’-ee-os. It is used in the beatitudes in Matthew 5 and Luke 6. It is said of God twice, 1 Timothy 1:11; 6:15. In the beatitudes the Lord indicates not only the people that are “blessed,” but the nature of that which is our highest good.

v2, When we have the privilege of actually doing what we have mediated on, it potentially brings a sense of fulfilment. How do you meditate on “commands”? John says “this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments and his commandments do not weigh us down” 1Jn. 5:3.

v3, This verse describes fruit bearing trees that are evergreen, a lot of fruit trees here in N. America are deciduous. But in many parts of the world they actually aren’t as rare as we might think, avocados, loquats, most citrus trees, tropical guava, papaya and lychee are seasonal in their fruit bearing, but continually in leaf. The Tree of Life in Rev. 22:2, shows continual fruit bearing, reflecting the powerful ability God gives Christians to bear fruit regardless of whatever is against us in this world, Galatians 5:23 & Matthew 19:26.

v4-5,  The lack of stability and strength in morals and virtues of Christ are the very reason they are never allowed to join the assembly of the godly even if they wanted to. Where do Christians get strength & stability morally? 

v6, Godly people need protection, because we live in a world that is wicked and without God’s protecting us spiritually, we are bound for the same degenerate destruction they are heading towards. Peter says they are “like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, they don’t understand whom they are insulting and consequently in their destruction they will be destroyed” 2Pt. 2:12