Psalm 31

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    deliver me in your righteousness.
Turn your ear to me,
    come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
    a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress,
    for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
    for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commit my spirit;
    deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.
I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
    as for me, I trust in the Lord.
I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
    for you saw my affliction
    and knew the anguish of my soul.
You have not given me into the hands of the enemy
    but have set my feet in a spacious place.
Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
    my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
    my soul and body with grief.
My life is consumed by anguish
    and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,
    and my bones grow weak.
Because of all my enemies,
    I am the utter contempt of my neighbors
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
    those who see me on the street flee from me.
I am forgotten as though I were dead;
    I have become like broken pottery.
For I hear many whispering,
    “Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me
    and plot to take my life.
But I trust in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hands;
    deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
    from those who pursue me.
Let your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your unfailing love.
Let me not be put to shame, Lord,
    for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
    and be silent in the realm of the dead.
Let their lying lips be silenced,
    for with pride and contempt
    they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
How abundant are the good things
    that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,
    on those who take refuge in you.
In the shelter of your presence you hide them
    from all human intrigues;
you keep them safe in your dwelling
    from accusing tongues.
Praise be to the Lord,
    for he showed me the wonders of his love
    when I was in a city under siege.
In my alarm I said,
    “I am cut off from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
    when I called to you for help.
Love the Lord, all his faithful people!
    The Lord preserves those who are true to him,
    but the proud he pays back in full.
Be strong and take heart,
    all you who hope in the Lord.

• Psalm 31:1-24

Type of Psalm

Psalms of Affliction: Psalms where the psalmist is crying out in pain or distress, asking God where He is in the psalmist’s time of need.  But no matter how dire the circumstances or how long the lament, there seems to always be a word of praise.  Otherwise, why do we go to God in such times, other than to recognize Him as the only one who can help us?

Imprecatory psalms: Asking for vengeance against enemies.  From the two examples above, these requests for vengeance are usually not specific in how God does it.  I have written about this type of psalm or prayer in that they are legitimate requests to God.  We know that God will eventually stamp out all evil in the world.  Praying that God would do as He promises that He will eventually do is legitimate, but when a face is applied to that evil, our first reaction should be one of forgiveness and mercy.

Matthew Henry’s Summary

“It is probable that David penned this psalm when he was persecuted by Saul; some passages in it agree particularly to the narrow escapes he had, at Keilah (1 Sam. 23:13), then in the wilderness of Maon, when Saul marched on one side of the hill and he on the other, and, soon after, in the cave in the wilderness of En-gedi; but that it was penned upon any of those occasions we are not told. It is a mixture of prayers, and praises, and professions of confidence in God. I. David professes his cheerful confidence in God, and, in that confidence, prays for deliverance out of his present troubles, ver. 1-8. II. He complains of the very deplorable condition he was in, and, in the sense of his calamities, still prays that God would graciously appear for him against his persecutors, ver. 9-18. III. He concludes the psalm with praise and triumph, giving glory to God, and encouraging himself and others to trust in him, ver. 19-24.”

• Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

Psalm 31:3 “Your Shepherd knows that you were not made for this place. He knows you are not equipped for this place. So he has come to guide you out.
“He has come to restore your soul. He is the perfect one to do so.
“He has the right vision. He reminds you that ‘you are like foreigners and strangers in this world’ (1 Peter 2:11). And he urges you to lift your eyes from the jungle around you to the heaven above you.
“He also has the right direction. He made the boldest claim in the history of man when he declared, ‘I am the way’ (John 14:6). People wondered if the claim was accurate. He answered their questions by cutting a path through the underbrush of sin and death … and escaping alive. He’s the only One who ever did. And he is the only One who can help you and I do the same.”

• Max Lucado, Traveling Light

My Thoughts

This psalm starts with God being David’s rock, fortress, and anything related to refuge and security.  It then moves on to God as guide.  Then David talks of faith.  This is a good way to praise God.  If we just took one of God’s attributes a mention how God uses that attribute in our lives, it would be a great practice in praising God.

But then, this roller coaster psalm speaks of distress, but even in times of distress, God can be trusted.  God gives us good things.  David returns to God as our refuge.

Then God speaks openly in praising God.  He has been humbled, but the proud will be paid back in full.

The imprecatory verses are verses 17-18.  In these verses, David defines the wicked as being liars who are proud and show contempt for the righteous.  He asks that these wicked, proud, liars be put to shame and silenced.  We may know wicked people who are all those things, but in praying these verses, the emphasis is on the deeds, not the person.  And who among the righteous would not want a proud person who openly shows contempt for the righteous to be both shamed for saying and doing that and the harmful words silenced.

Psalm 32

Blessed is the one
    whose transgressions are forgiven,
    whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one
    whose sin the Lord does not count against them
    and in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent,
    my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
    your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
    as in the heat of summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you
    and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
    my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
    the guilt of my sin.
Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
    while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
    will not reach them.
You are my hiding place;
    you will protect me from trouble
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule,
    which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
    or they will not come to you.
Many are the woes of the wicked,
    but the Lord’s unfailing love
    surrounds the one who trusts in him.
Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
    sing, all you who are upright in heart!

• Psalm 32:1-11

Type of Psalm

Didactic psalms: These psalms are psalms that are intended to teach.  In most cases the psalm instructs us in moral principles.

Penitential psalms:  Penitential psalms relate to penitence, but more specifically confession.

Matthew Henry’s Summary

“This psalm, though it speaks not of Christ, has yet a great deal of gospel in it. We have here a summary, I. Of gospel grace in the pardon of sin (ver. 1, 2), in divine protection (ver. 7), and divine guidance, ver. 8. II. Of gospel duty. To confess sin (ver. 3-5), to pray (ver. 6), to govern ourselves well (ver. 9, 10), and to rejoice in God, ver. 11. Grotius thinks it was designed to be sung on the day of atonement.”

• Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

Psalm 32:3 “Ask yourself two questions:
“ls there any unconfessed sin in my life?
“Confession is telling God you did the thing he saw you do. He doesn’t need to hear it as much as you need to say it. Whether it’s too small to be mentioned or too big to be forgiven isn’t yours to decide. Your task is to be honest …
“Are there any unsurrendered worries in my heart?
“ ‘Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you’ (1 Peter 5:7).
“The German word for worry means ‘to strangle.’ The Greek word means ‘to divide the mind.’ Both are accurate. Worry is a noose on the neck and a distraction of the mind, neither of which is befitting for joy.”

• Max Lucado, When God Whispers Your Name

My Thoughts

This psalm starts with two “blessed” statements, but both refer to the forgiven.

The psalm then goes through the process.

At first, maybe because we are ashamed, we hide from God.  We know we have done wrong.  But we must not wallow in our guilt.  Even though that is a hard place to be, some people seem to enjoy that suffering.  They hold onto their guilt as if it were a royal robe, but God wants us to confess and turn away from our sin, not hold onto the guilt of that sin.  He has forgiven us.  Why do we not forgive ourselves?

When we confess, we open those shadowy areas so that God can wash us clean.  God is faithful to wash away our sins.  The faithful come to God to confess their sin because God will not allow our sin to engulf us.  And if we forget one tiny sin or another, we have opened the doors, so that God washes every corner.

And then David praises God for not making us like the horse or mule who only goes where the bit and bridle guide him.  A modern thought would be that God does not make us robots.  Yes, we can fall down, but the righteous know where to turn when we get back up.  If we were a robot or a horse on a bit and bridle, we would not be able to freely choose to turn to the One who loves us.  Thus, those who know God are the only ones who can understand this kind of Love.

Let us sing praises to God.

Psalm 33

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully, and shout for joy.
For the word of the Lord is right and true;
    he is faithful in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of his unfailing love.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
    he puts the deep into storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the people of the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.
The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
    the purposes of his heart through all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
    the people he chose for his inheritance.
From heaven the Lord looks down
    and sees all mankind;
from his dwelling place he watches
    all who live on earth—
he who forms the hearts of all,
    who considers everything they do.
No king is saved by the size of his army;
    no warrior escapes by his great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
    despite all its great strength it cannot save.
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
to deliver them from death
    and keep them alive in famine.
We wait in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
    for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you.

• Psalm 33:1-22

Type of Psalm

Psalms of praise: Exactly as stated.  God is being praised.

Matthew Henry’s Summary

“This is a psalm of praise. The psalmist, I. Calls upon the righteous to praise God, ver. 1-3. II. Furnishes us with matter for praise. 1. For his justice, goodness, and truth, appearing in his word, and in all his works, ver. 4, 5. 2. For his power appearing in the work of creation, ver. 6-9. 3. For the sovereignty of his providence in the government of the world, ver. 10, 11, and again, ver. 13-17. 4. For the peculiar favour which he bears to his own chosen people, ver. 12, and again, ver. 18-22.”

• Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

Psalm 33:6 “We take a low and primitive view of things when we conceive of God at the creation coming into physical contact with things, shaping and fitting and building like a carpenter. The Bible teaches otherwise: ‘By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. … For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast’ (Psalm 33:6, 9). ‘Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God’ (Hebrews 11:3). Again we must remember that God is referring here not to His written Word, but to His speaking Voice. His world-filling Voice is meant, that Voice which antedates the Bible by uncounted centuries, that Voice which has not been silent since the dawn of creation, but is sounding still throughout the full far reaches of the universe.”

• A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

My Thoughts

As a psalm of praise should do, it starts out with shouting for Joy, not that they all start out with those words.

God has unfailing love for us.  God’s words are true, and we can trust him.

The stars point to the majesty and power of God.

While we can gather the rain in jars by placing the jars on the flat roof of the house, God has aquifers deep in the ground to store water.  David only knew of wells that could be dug, but science has found large quantities of fresh water deep in the ground, enough to flood the entire earth, if some of the tallest mountains were not as tall in the time of Noah.  What was thought impossible has been proven possible.

Then David speaks of how nations and evil people within this world have their plans thwarted, but the nation who looks to God as Lord will be blessed.  There are some nations that acknowledge God as the supreme being that they worship, but does any nation on earth treat God as Lord, the supreme ruler?  But the corollary, those nations that do not worship God as Lord will not be blessed.  As a world, we are entering the End Times for that one reason.  Can just a portion of this world repent and turn to Jesus?  God may still show national mercy if we do.

Then David talks about how no king, regardless of the size of the army can save us.  No warrior can stand.  No horse can save us.  The modern equivalent would be tanks, artillery, rockets, and bombs.  No amount of those will save us if we reject God.  Are all the soldiers in the world going to save you from famine?  They have to eat, too.

But for those who trust in the Lord, He is our shield, and He loves us with unfailing Love.  We trust in God and our Hope is in God.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

Psalm 31

“1. Both Jesus and Stephen quoted verse 5 as they were about to die. Were their situations similar to David’s? What would you like your ‘famous last words’ to be?
“2. Where are you feeling ‘trapped’: By your enemies? By your desires? By loneliness? How will you ‘escape’?
“3. Can you express feelings of abandonment or rejection by God? Does it show a lack of faith? Why or why not?
“4. Like David, have you ever felt joy in God, then feel the joy ebb and flow unpredictably?
“5. What does the phrase ‘My times are in your hands,’ mean to you: (a) Time’s up? (b) Time’s a-wasting? (c) Fighting time? (d) Killing time? (e) God’s timing?
“6. What action from verses 19-24 do you most need to take: fear God, take refuge in God, call out to God, be faithful, place hope in God? How will you do so?
“7. In what situation now do you need to ‘be strong and take heart’? What from this psalm can help you do just that?”

Psalm 32

“1. What does Paul try to prove with this psalm (see Ro 4:7-8)?
“2. Unconfessed sin sapped David’s strength like the summer heat. What picture would you use to describe forfeiting God’s blessing by covering up your own sin?
“3. God freely forgives those who trust him: How has that message been driven home to you recently? How has that forgiveness spilled over into your other relationships? How do you see yourself differently?
“4. Have you felt like God is not to be found? What ‘waters’ rise and obscure God?”

Psalm 33

“1. ls security important to you? How much of your time goes towards buying a house? Medical and life insurance? Savings? Where does security lie?
“2. Has God turned a time of wailing into a time of dancing for you? Was it ‘overnight,’ surprising you with joy? Or did your mood swings level out more gradually?
“3. How is the theme of ‘sorrow producing joy’ developed in the New Testament (see Jn 16:19-22; 2Cor 4:16-18)? For what are you ‘mourning’? How long has your ‘night’ been? How long until ‘morning’ comes, do you think?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

There is one set of questions for each psalm.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.