Exhortation to Uprightness

In many ways this chapter in Wisdom sounds similar to the Book of Proverbs. However there are slight language variance even for the untrained linguist which may point to a different author for these two books. This chapter looks at righteousness and our relationship with God. It describes the consequences of unrighteousness and contrast it with the rewards from righteous actions.




Wisdom 1 (NRSVCE)
Exhortation to Uprightness
1 Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth,
think of the Lord in goodness
and seek him with sincerity of heart;
2 because he is found by those who do not put him to the test,
and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him.
3 For perverse thoughts separate people from God,
and when his power is tested, it exposes the foolish;
4 because wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul,
or dwell in a body enslaved to sin.
5 For a holy and disciplined spirit will flee from deceit,
and will leave foolish thoughts behind,
and will be ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness.

6 For wisdom is a kindly spirit,
but will not free blasphemers from the guilt of their words;
because God is witness of their inmost feelings,
and a true observer of their hearts, and a hearer of their tongues.
7 Because the spirit of the Lord has filled the world,
and that which holds all things together knows what is said,
8 therefore those who utter unrighteous things will not escape notice,
and justice, when it punishes, will not pass them by.
9 For inquiry will be made into the counsels of the ungodly,
and a report of their words will come to the Lord,
to convict them of their lawless deeds;
10 because a jealous ear hears all things,
and the sound of grumbling does not go unheard.
11 Beware then of useless grumbling,
and keep your tongue from slander;
because no secret word is without result,[a]
and a lying mouth destroys the soul.

12 Do not invite death by the error of your life,
or bring on destruction by the works of your hands;
13 because God did not make death,
and he does not delight in the death of the living.
14 For he created all things so that they might exist;
the generative forces[b] of the world are wholesome,
and there is no destructive poison in them,
and the dominion[c] of Hades is not on earth.
15 For righteousness is immortal.

Life as the Ungodly See It
16 But the ungodly by their words and deeds summoned death;[d]
considering him a friend, they pined away
and made a covenant with him,
because they are fit to belong to his company.

Discretion will preserve you

Sometimes, in the presence of a hostile crowd, or even among casual friends who are non-believers,  we might not speak up so much about our Lord. We may feel guilty for not standing up for the Lord, because of our fear of being ridiculed. Then perhaps there is a verse which we can take comfort from, though this is by no means an exemption for us to suppress the gospel.

The verse "Discretion will preserve you", is all the more important when those around us make actually cause some harm after hearing about the gospel. In that case, their is a valid cause for discretion. Looking at the context of the passage, it appears that the situation is where one is surrounded by those who are evil and perverse in thinking and in deeds.


Proverbs 10
10 When wisdom enters your heart,
And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11 Discretion will preserve you;
Understanding will keep you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things,
13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who rejoice in doing evil,
And delight in the perversity of the wicked;
15 Whose ways are crooked,
And who are devious in their paths;

But for this purpose I came to this hour

John 12:27-28
“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.”

Our Lord Yshua is pouring His heart out to God the Father. He knows the trials that He will go through soon. As a man, the thought of saving himself must have spark his mind as the electrical impulses in his brain fires up the possibility. However, He is the perfect example that although unholy thoughts enter our mind, we have the free will to fight those thoughts and be fully devoted to God. Living on earth, we face all kinds of temptation - we just have to will it away by focusing purely on God. There is no other way, there is no in between, there is no tasting a little of the forbidden fruit. It has to be all out rejection of the things that we know would not be pleasing to God. Only then can we glorify God's name.

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely

1 Thessalonians 5:23
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul prays that the believers will be sanctified. The sanctification process should be for all believers. It means to make pure and perfect. Although we still live in a sinful world, the Holy Spirit will guide the followers of Christ to sanctification if only we let Him.

Living in a sinful world will lead believers to battle with sin and tempations constantly. Many times, human will itself will not be able to win over tempations. It is only with the help of the Spirit that we can stand and be sanctified. This is also a process of surrender to Him and to entrust our battles to Him.

May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5
23 .... may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This verse can be a general application for all Christians, because the Lord is coming and we are meant to keep ourselves blameless. To put it in context, this chapter begins with the description of the Second Coming of our Lord Yshua Ha Masiach. Although the exact time will be unknown, there will be many signs so that those who watch will now. So the whole Body or Church is supposed to be alert to this, and keep ourselves pure in preparation for His Coming.

The verse mentions not only our physical body has to be pure, but so too do our spirit and soul. A preacher once defined these three quantities as follows: We ARE a spirit - the real us, we HAVE a soul - our intellect or mind and we LIVE in our body - the physical part. This verse says to keep all three blameless.

If this does not make sense then try thinking of the opposite of keeping just the body pure but unrestricting the soul and spirit. Pretty soon the spirit will motivate the person to unholiness, then the soul will rationalize or justify the actions, and quite soon the body will be helpless but follow what the soul and spirit directs. Hence all three must be kept blameless.

For we who have believed do enter that rest

There is a warning that although many heard the gospel that was preached, not everyone will enter into the gospel's promised rest if there is no faith in the hearers. A link is made of God's rest as being the same rest in which God rested on the seventh day after the Creation. God's creation is finished and so too is God's work of salvation, and then God rested. But only through faith can the hearers of the Word enter into His rest.

From history, the rest that God promised has not yet been fulfilled since people were disobedient. This refers to the Israelites from after the exodus from Egypt. So there is another opportunity to enter into God's rest through Messiah.

Believers need to continue in obedience to God through His Word, in order to enter into His rest. There is nothing that can be hidden from God. Although this may seem as if no one may qualify but the chapter reminds us that is why there is the need to rely on the mercy and grace of God by coming to the throne of Christ who is our High Priest.





Hebrews 4
The Promise of Rest

1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them,[a] not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:

“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’”[b]
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; [c] 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”[d]

6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:

“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”[e]
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

The Word Discovers Our Condition

11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Our Compassionate High Priest

14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Is it not My Way which is Fair, and Your Ways which are Not Fair?

God reveals a principle in generational righteousness to Ezekiel. He starts by confirming that all souls belong to Him. Then God describes the good person such as lawful, just, does not rob, does not commit adultery and so on. Such a good man shall live. Then God describes the opposite man who does all these wicked things and that the soul of such a man would die.

Two important principles here is about goodness and faith, the other is about judgment on the individual. Firstly, it seems that being good, which many Christians consider as good works, according to this passage will lead to the soul being saved. Whereas the person who commits the wickedness will die in his soul. However, reading clearly, it does reveal that the good man, is also a man of faith, because he walks in God's statutes. So his faith enables his relationship with God, and produces good works as fruits. The man who keeps committing wickedness without repentance will not be saved.

The other principle is that the judgment is based on the individual. God will not judge the father's sins onto the son nor the other way around. There are passages in the Old Testament about the curse of the father being passed through the generations, but perhaps that was a specific principle applying in that situation. It appears that the more universal principle is judging an individual without accumulating sins of the father. Verse 19 answers this well as: "Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live."

Moreover, God goes further in establishing the grace and mercy to be revealed by Yeshua. For it is written here that even the wicked who repents and walks in God's statutes and law will be saved and all the past sins are forgiven. There is absolutely full consistency between God's revelation here and through Christ. On the other hand, the righteous who sins and continues will die.

Another statement that is commonly made of God is that "God is not fair". God answers this question directly here in verse 25: "is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair?" God offers salvation to all those who have sinned and repents. His motivation is also clear "For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,"




Ezekiel 18
A False Proverb Refuted

1 The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, 2 “What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying:

‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
3 “As I live,” says the Lord God, “you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.

4 “Behold, all souls are Mine;
The soul of the father
As well as the soul of the son is Mine;
The soul who sins shall die.
5 But if a man is just
And does what is lawful and right;
6 If he has not eaten on the mountains,
Nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife,
Nor approached a woman during her impurity;
7 If he has not oppressed anyone,
But has restored to the debtor his pledge;
Has robbed no one by violence,
But has given his bread to the hungry
And covered the naked with clothing;
8 If he has not exacted usury
Nor taken any increase,
But has withdrawn his hand from iniquity
And executed true judgment between man and man;
9 If he has walked in My statutes
And kept My judgments faithfully—
He is just;
He shall surely live!”
Says the Lord God.
10 “If he begets a son who is a robber
Or a shedder of blood,
Who does any of these things
11 And does none of those duties,
But has eaten on the mountains
Or defiled his neighbor’s wife;
12 If he has oppressed the poor and needy,
Robbed by violence,
Not restored the pledge,
Lifted his eyes to the idols,
Or committed abomination;
13 If he has exacted usury
Or taken increase—
Shall he then live?
He shall not live!
If he has done any of these abominations,
He shall surely die;
His blood shall be upon him.
14 “If, however, he begets a son
Who sees all the sins which his father has done,
And considers but does not do likewise;
15 Who has not eaten on the mountains,
Nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife;
16 Has not oppressed anyone,
Nor withheld a pledge,
Nor robbed by violence,
But has given his bread to the hungry
And covered the naked with clothing;
17 Who has withdrawn his hand from the poor[a]
And not received usury or increase,
But has executed My judgments
And walked in My statutes—
He shall not die for the iniquity of his father;
He shall surely live!
18 “As for his father,
Because he cruelly oppressed,
Robbed his brother by violence,
And did what is not good among his people,
Behold, he shall die for his iniquity.


Turn and Live

19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. 20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

21 “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. 23 Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?

24 “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.

25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? 26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. 27 Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. 28 Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, is it not My ways which are fair, and your ways which are not fair?

30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”

Faithful are the Wounds of a Friend

There is a seemingly unrelated collection of valuable verses and wise insights. But intertwined among these, one topic that kept recurring are the sayings about friends. The verses about friends are below:

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
9 Ointment and perfume delight the heart, And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel.
10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.
14 He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It will be counted a curse to him.
17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.




Proverbs 27
1 Do not boast about tomorrow,
For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth;
A stranger, and not your own lips.

3 A stone is heavy and sand is weighty,
But a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them.

4 Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent,
But who is able to stand before jealousy?

5 Open rebuke is better
Than love carefully concealed.

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

7 A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb,
But to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

8 Like a bird that wanders from its nest
Is a man who wanders from his place.

9 Ointment and perfume delight the heart,
And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel.

10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend,
Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;
Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,
That I may answer him who reproaches me.

12 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself;
The simple pass on and are punished.

13 Take the garment of him who is surety for a stranger,
And hold it in pledge when he is surety for a seductress.

14 He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,
It will be counted a curse to him.

15 A continual dripping on a very rainy day
And a contentious woman are alike;

16 Whoever restrains her restrains the wind,
And grasps oil with his right hand.

17 As iron sharpens iron,
So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

18 Whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit;
So he who waits on his master will be honored.

19 As in water face reflects face,
So a man’s heart reveals the man.

20 Hell[a] and Destruction[b] are never full;
So the eyes of man are never satisfied.

21 The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,
And a man is valued by what others say of him.

22 Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,
Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

23 Be diligent to know the state of your flocks,
And attend to your herds;

24 For riches are not forever,
Nor does a crown endure to all generations.

25 When the hay is removed, and the tender grass shows itself,
And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in,

26 The lambs will provide your clothing,
And the goats the price of a field;

27 You shall have enough goats’ milk for your food,
For the food of your household,
And the nourishment of your maidservants.

The Fear of the Lord is to Hate Evil

Wisdom is first described as the voice of warning. Wisdom is something that should be desired above gold and silver. Wisdom is righteous and not wicked and can be found by those with knowledge and understanding.

"The fear of the Lord is to hate evil"

After describing all the benefits and rewards of wisdom, it reveals that, not surprisingly, God had wisdom even before He created the Universe. So wisdom was with God before the beginning and it is not a man-made philosophy.

The final instruction is to hear wisdom, act on it and constantly seek it out. This will result in a life of blessings and favor from the LORD. In contrast, those who act against wisdom "wrongs his own soul" and those who hate it loves death.




Proverbs 8
The Excellence of Wisdom

1 Does not wisdom cry out,
And understanding lift up her voice?

2 She takes her stand on the top of the high hill,
Beside the way, where the paths meet.

3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city,
At the entrance of the doors:

4 “To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.

5 O you simple ones, understand prudence,
And you fools, be of an understanding heart.

6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things,
And from the opening of my lips will come right things;

7 For my mouth will speak truth;
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.

9 They are all plain to him who understands,
And right to those who find knowledge.

10 Receive my instruction, and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choice gold;

11 For wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

12 “I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
And find out knowledge and discretion.

13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.

14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom;
I am understanding, I have strength.

15 By me kings reign,
And rulers decree justice.

16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All the judges of the earth.[a]

17 I love those who love me,
And those who seek me diligently will find me.

18 Riches and honor are with me,
Enduring riches and righteousness.

19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold,
And my revenue than choice silver.

20 I traverse the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice,

21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth,
That I may fill their treasuries.

22 “The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.

23 I have been established from everlasting,
From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was brought forth;

26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields,
Or the primal dust of the world.

27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,

28 When He established the clouds above,
When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,

29 When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth,

30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman;[b]
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,

31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world,
And my delight was with the sons of men.

32 “Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For blessed are those who keep my ways.

33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.

34 Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.

35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And obtains favor from the Lord;

36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.”

When My Spirit Was Overwhelmed Within Me

A psalm where David cries out to God to deliver from his persecutors. He describes the depth of his despair with words like "my spirit was overwhelmed within me", "no one who acknowledges me", "no one cares for my soul". Some of us may feel this way at some times and to different degrees. But we can learn much from David in that during such despair, he still cries out to God and knows that God is his refuge. He finishes with much hope that God will deal "bountifully" with him and he will be able to praise God's name.



Psalm 142
A Plea for Relief from Persecutors
A Contemplation[a] of David. A Prayer when he was in the cave.

1 I cry out to the Lord with my voice;
With my voice to the Lord I make my supplication.

2 I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare before Him my trouble.

3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,
Then You knew my path.
In the way in which I walk
They have secretly set a snare for me.

4 Look on my right hand and see,
For there is no one who acknowledges me;
Refuge has failed me;
No one cares for my soul.

5 I cried out to You, O Lord:
I said, “You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.

6 Attend to my cry,
For I am brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are stronger than I.

7 Bring my soul out of prison,
That I may praise Your name;
The righteous shall surround me,
For You shall deal bountifully with me.”

Let My Prayer Be Set Before You As Incense

The psalmist, David, cries out to God to hear him. A few interesting prayer request he makes to God which is not only for improving his character but to improve his relationship with God. He prays that God watch over his lips mouth, guard his heart from wicked and evil things, let himself be rebuked and disciplined by righteous people when he needs it.

Such is an honest prayer by a man after God's heart. His eyes are constantly focused on God, whom he takes refuge in. He asks God to nourish his soul. Finally, for a man with many enemies, he asks God to help him escape the traps of his enemies.


Psalm 141
Prayer for Safekeeping from Wickedness
A Psalm of David.

1 Lord, I cry out to You;
Make haste to me!
Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.

2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.

4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice wicked works
With men who work iniquity;
And do not let me eat of their delicacies.

5 Let the righteous strike me;
It shall be a kindness.
And let him rebuke me;
It shall be as excellent oil;
Let my head not refuse it.
For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.

6 Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the cliff,
And they hear my words, for they are sweet.

7 Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave,
As when one plows and breaks up the earth.

8 But my eyes are upon You, O GOD the Lord;
In You I take refuge;
Do not leave my soul destitute.

9 Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,
And from the traps of the workers of iniquity.

10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
While I escape safely.

Lord, My Heart is Not Haughty

A simple psalm in hope and submission to the LORD. The first verse may express abandoning ambitions and stature which the worldly view craves for. It also shows a humble intellect in not worrying about matters too complex to solve or understand. Perhaps one example is world hunger - a problem which is confronting but too massive to be solved by anyone or organization alone. Yet we still help in any small way that we can.

The second verse reveals the inner peace as a result of putting our trust in God. He compares it with a child who is weaned yet at peace with his mother. The final verse is a simple but powerful call for Israel to continue to trust and hope in the LORD forever.


Psalm 131
Simple Trust in the Lord
A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 Lord, my heart is not haughty,
Nor my eyes lofty.
Neither do I concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too profound for me.

2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,
Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
From this time forth and forever.

So Our Eyes Look to the Lord Our God

Two key items from this psalm:
- The writer describes us fallen humanity harbouring scorn and contempt in us. Essentially, the sinful character in us sometimes produces sinful actions.
- But we children of God, know to look up at our Master, knowing that He sees us, seeking His help and His guidance. 


Psalm 123
Prayer for Relief from Contempt
A Song of Ascents.

1 Unto You I lift up my eyes,
O You who dwell in the heavens.

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God,
Until He has mercy on us.

3 Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us!
For we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

4 Our soul is exceedingly filled
With the scorn of those who are at ease,
With the contempt of the proud.

He Who Keeps You Will Not Slumber

The psalmist looks forward to God arriving to help him. He trusts in the LORD that He who is the Creator will also not let him down. The LORD is a keeper and He preserves His people from evil. He will guard as whenever we go.


Psalm 121
God the Help of Those Who Seek Him
A Song of Ascents.

1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

In My Distress I Cried to the Lord

Those against us may include they who lie or gossip about us. They use words to spread lies. But the psalmist shows how to call upon God, to deliver him from his distress.



Psalm 120
Plea for Relief from Bitter Foes
A Song of Ascents.

1 In my distress I cried to the Lord,
And He heard me.
2 Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips
And from a deceitful tongue.
3 What shall be given to you,
Or what shall be done to you,
You false tongue?
4 Sharp arrows of the warrior,
With coals of the broom tree!
5 Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech,
That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
6 My soul has dwelt too long
With one who hates peace.
7 I am for peace;
But when I speak, they are for war.

For My Soul is Full of Troubles

The psalmist appears to have gone through a long journey and is still facing much troubles. He knows God is his salvation and continues to cries out yet he is facing constant difficulties. He calls on the LORD daily and stretches out his hands and also sarcastically asks if God's lovingkindness could only be experienced after death. Despite the hopelessness of the situation, it does seem that the psalmist still have a hope in God which perhaps he does not understand - that is the hope which keeps him calling onto God and praying every morning.



Psalm 88


A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath Leannoth.” A Contemplation[a] of Heman the Ezrahite.

 1 O LORD, God of my salvation,
         I have cried out day and night before You.
 2 Let my prayer come before You;
         Incline Your ear to my cry.
       
 3 For my soul is full of troubles,
         And my life draws near to the grave.
 4 I am counted with those who go down to the pit;
         I am like a man who has no strength,
 5 Adrift among the dead,
         Like the slain who lie in the grave,
         Whom You remember no more,
         And who are cut off from Your hand.
       
 6 You have laid me in the lowest pit,
         In darkness, in the depths.
 7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
         And You have afflicted me with all Your waves.  Selah
 8 You have put away my acquaintances far from me;
         You have made me an abomination to them;
         I am shut up, and I cannot get out;
 9 My eye wastes away because of affliction.
       
         LORD, I have called daily upon You;
         I have stretched out my hands to You.
 10 Will You work wonders for the dead?
         Shall the dead arise and praise You?  Selah
 11 Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
         Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
 12 Shall Your wonders be known in the dark?
         And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
       
 13 But to You I have cried out, O LORD,
         And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
 14 LORD, why do You cast off my soul?
         Why do You hide Your face from me?
 15 I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth;
         I suffer Your terrors;
         I am distraught.
 16 Your fierce wrath has gone over me;
         Your terrors have cut me off.
 17 They came around me all day long like water;
         They engulfed me altogether.
 18 Loved one and friend You have put far from me,
         And my acquaintances into darkness.

As the Deer Pants for the Water Brooks

The opening of this psalm has been made into a popular worship song. It describes the longing of the soul for God. From the bottom of the soul there is a longing for God that cannot be filled by anything else apart from God Himself.

The psalmist appears to be taunted by his enemies who ask where is his God. The psalmist soul is cast down and yet there is hope which cries out to God and desire to praise Him.

Psalm 42

To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation[a] of the sons of Korah.

 1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,
         So pants my soul for You, O God.
 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
         When shall I come and appear before God?[b]
 3 My tears have been my food day and night,
         While they continually say to me,
         “Where is your God?”
       
 4 When I remember these things,
         I pour out my soul within me.
         For I used to go with the multitude;
         I went with them to the house of God,
         With the voice of joy and praise,
         With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.
       
 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
         And why are you disquieted within me?
         Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
         For the help of His countenance.[c]
       
 6 O my God,[d] my soul is cast down within me;
         Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
         And from the heights of Hermon,
         From the Hill Mizar.
 7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
         All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
 8 The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
         And in the night His song shall be with me—
         A prayer to the God of my life.
       
 9 I will say to God my Rock,
         “Why have You forgotten me?
         Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
 10 As with a breaking of my bones,
         My enemies reproach me,
         While they say to me all day long,
         “Where is your God?”
       
 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
         And why are you disquieted within me?
         Hope in God;
         For I shall yet praise Him,
         The help of my countenance and my God.