(written by Pastor Joe)
Psalms 58, 59 & 60
I am excited at the opportunity to join with my brothers & sisters in Christ as we journey together in GOD's Word. I plan on writting in every few days or so to complement the great job Franklyn is already doing. So here goes.
Wow! What a place to start! Great idea to begin with the Psalms. As I read these three, I was struck by the very vivid language and images that David used in these three Psalms. These are not polished press releases sent out by David's public relations team, these are the very words and feelings straight from his heart, totally unfiltered and unedited. I love his honesty and the fact that God's Word is full of real people with real emotions and real problems. We can learn a lesson on putting away the masks and facades we wear from this.
In the midst of these three psalms, we encounter some of David's pain and difficulties. We see his intense frustration with wicked men carrying out their wicked plans. We hear his pleas for help as he is being hunted down by King Saul. We listen to his feelings of helplessness as he faces defeat in battle. In all of this he uses vivid word pictures to convey his raw emotions. His enemies are poisonous and untamed snakes; they are snarling dogs that "belch out with their mouth" (1). And David uses some choice words in his call for justice against the wicked. He prays that God will knock them toothless, that He will melt them away like a snail, that He will poke fun at them and consume them.
In all of this, David is learning some important lessons. In Psalm 58 he learns that despite how things appear, God is the Righteous Judge who will hold the entire world accountable.
In Psalm 59 David learns that God is our Strength and Defense. He is our place of refuge in an unfair world. And in Psalm 60, David learns just how weak the help of man is, but how with God he is able to "do valiantly."
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(1)Psalm 59:7 KJV
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