This Psalm, as is often the case in the Psalms, is subject to numerous interpretations. What is the setting? Why are there mood swings? How should a word or phrase be translated? Is it the combining of more than one Psalm?
Most of the psalms are subject to multiple interpretations. Most interpretations vary because of questions concerning background or technical questions that focus on the psalms structure.
Remember several things. A psalm is Hebrew poetry, not Hebrew prose. The majority of us are dealing with the translation of a writing about 3000 years oldwords and phrases change meaning as time passes. If the Psalm made sense to those who originally sang the Psalm, that does not mean the Psalm will automatically and obviously make sense to us. Often the Psalms dealt with lifes rawness in a time when people did not have the insights we are provided through Jesus Christ. Those people dealt with lifes uncertainties differently than do Christians.
Two things to take into consideration when studying the Psalms: (a) The Psalms are poetry, not prose. (b) The Psalms commonly do not view now difficulties from a Christian value system.
One of the raw edges of life we all endure is the ups and downs produced by physical hardships. It often is easy to believe in and trust God when things are going the way you want. It is challenging to believe in and trust God when a period of struggle is followed by another period of struggle.
In every age the explanation of current difficulties are challenging to ones faith. This is especially true when difficulties come over and over. Just when a righteous person thinks he/she has the challenges figured out, he/she is attacked again in a new but vulnerable and weak spot. The new attack is frequently unanticipated.
We should be able to relate to this challenge. One war ends, another begins. The Twin Towers disintegrate, vigilance heightens, and still someone attempts to blow up Times Square. A huge, destructive hurricane is followed by huge, destructive earthquakes which are followed by a massive, destructive oil spill. Human greed and evil never end! Many are the expressions of human hate! One group grabs for power as it ignores other groups suffering! Problems go on and on, ignoring human dilemmas produced by the problems! How does one maintain trust in God in the face of all that occurs?
Have your students to (a) verify the difficulty of repeated attacks and (b) discuss why such attacks can be challenging to ones faith. Discuss the fact that a situation may be of help to people in one society but disastrous to people in another society.
The Psalm began with an affirmation of trust in God. Note the focus was on God. It focused on what God did for the psalmist. Perhaps it was a declaration of what the psalmist knew to be true because of Gods responses in the past. He took refuge in God. He asked that God assist him in not being ashamed of God. God was his rescue, his strength, and his salvation. For the sake of Gods name (for the sake of Gods reputation), he asked for God to lead and guide him, to deliver him from the entangling net, and to continue to be his ransom.
It is simple to maintain faith in God when small difficulties are mastered. There is a huge difference between the dilemma of a personal inconvenience and the dilemmas caused by a starving child! The individuals struggles in those two situations are not the same!
Even with all his threats and troubles, he hated idolatry. He trusted in God and Gods mercy. God knew what he went through. God was aware of his troubles! Yet, God did not desert him! (Even though he endured a very difficult time, he did not feel abandoned by God.)
Though the struggle was severe, the person understood the situation would not be resolved by changing godsa real option when idolatry was rampant!
Seemingly then the psalmist went through a second hard time that was even worse than the first. He could feel his confidence and strength slipping! Out of his distress He called for Gods consideration. He cried so much that his whole body was wasting away. His life went from sorrow to sorrow. His acquaintances ridiculed him. His neighbors wanted nothing to do with him. He was like a dead man, a broken (useless) vessel, as many slandered him and terrorized him. People plotted to kill him!
The psalmist was experiencing some major personal rejection as a result of his hardship! Personal rejection is extremely painfula righteous person has to deal with injustice in ways he never felt beforeand may not have imagined.
Even though his circumstances were disastrous, he was not ashamed to trust God. He just asked for deliverance from his enemies. He asked for Gods face to shine on him as God used His mercy to save him. Instead of him being shamed, may the wicked be ashamed. Instead of him dying, may the wicked be silenced by death. May the lying lips be stopped!
He clung to God as in his confusion he struggled to understand his circumstances. His only response was to trust God. In his view, the wrong person was suffering. The situation was unjust and should be reversed.
As God again delivered, the psalmist again sang Gods praises. Gods goodness was great for those who endured difficult times. God blessed those who endured hard times through trusting Him. God provided care that the wicked could not see. Though troubles put a siege on his life, Gods mercy rescued him. Though he was alarmed and in horrible circumstances, God heard him when he cried out.
His trust in God was vindicated! He did not say how God acted, but he gave God all the credit. There is no formula that said, Do this, and troubles will go away. The solution: Do not abandon trust in God! God has many ways to help you!
His exhortation was simple: Love the faithful God! God preserved those who belonged to Him! If you belong to God, be strong in Him and find your courage in Him. Let nothing prevent God from being your hope!
The psalmists exhortation was simpledo not abandon God ever, no matter the circumstance.
This is not a psalm that said, If you trust in God, nothing bad will ever happen to you! It said, If bad things repeatedly happen to you, endure the bad circumstances by patiently keeping your hope in God! Never let God cease to be your strength and courage!
In no way is this a health and wealth message to vindicate being a righteous person. It is the assurance that a righteous person can and will endure if he keeps his trust in God.
The American Christian often lives in a health and wealth environment. Often he/she expects to receive health and wealth in exchange for faith in Jesus Christ. Some have lost their faith in God because life did not work out as anticipated. More often than not, faith in God provides the righteous with the strength and courage to endure while refusing to abandon righteous living. Good times that are favorable to a righteous life are not essential to righteous living. Righteous is what you are because you believe. Your lifegood or badis but the canvass on which you paint righteousness because you believe. The blessing of deliverance is wonderful, but the blessing of endurance often has the loudest and most recognized voice.
In the American society, many associate the promise of faith in God to be the assurance of physical health and physical wealth. This is not Gods promise to any righteous person who trusts God. The righteous person does not need favorable circumstances to continue to be a righteous person. Gods promise is the ability to endure even if Satan opposes us with hardship.
For Thought and Discussion
1. This Psalm is subject to what?
It is subject to numerous interpretations.
2. The majority are dealing with what? How does time affect translation?
The majority of us are dealing with a translation. Time affects the meaning of words and phrases.
3. What is one of the raw edges of life we all deal with?
We all endure the ups and downs produced by physical hardships.
4. Discuss why we should be able to relate to the challenge of this raw edge of life.
The discussion should include (a) the unending physical hardships of physical existence and (b) Gods power.
5. Discuss how the psalmist looked at God in the first difficult time.
The discussion should include this: he saw God as a refuge, a rescuer, a saver, and a guide.
6. The second hard time was what in comparison to the first hard time?
The second hard time was worse than the first difficult time.
7. Even though his circumstances were disastrous, he was not ashamed to do what?
He was not ashamed to trust God.
8. What was his attitude toward the wicked?
He wished they would be shamed and silenced by death so the lying would stop.
9. When God delivered him, what was the psalmists simple exhortation?
The exhortation: Love the faithful God! Do not abandon your trust in Him!
10. What did the Psalm not say? It said what?
It did NOT say, Trust in God and nothing bad will happen to you!
It said, If bad things repeatedly happen to you, endure by patiently keeping your hope in God.
11. What environment does the American Christian often live in?
They often live in the health and wealth environment. (Trust in God and you will have physical health and wealth.)
12. What is not essential to righteous living? Righteousness is what?
Favorable circumstances are not essential to righteous living. Righteous is what you are because you believe in God.
13. What is wonderful? What often has the loudest and most recognized voice?
The blessing of deliverance is wonderful. The loudest and most recognized voice is produced by the blessing of endurance.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 12