Tag: Righteousness

Psalm 143

Have we come before God realizing that without Him we are wicked and that in Him He makes us righteous and worthy? Have we considered how Satan will devour us and then ask God to strengthen us as we seek forgiveness? Why not do it now?

Psalm 143

God is faithful to His promises (Matthew 5.37 and 2 Corinthians 1.20) and to His righteousness, as verse one informs us. Based on this alone, no one should go a moment without prayer (1 Thessalonians 5.17). Based on this alone, no one should think that justice will look over sin as was promised. David knew this, as do we. God will judge sin. On Christ our sin was placed. He became our sin that we might become that which we lacked–His righteousness. This is the great trade given at the cross. This is what David needed as he faced the truth of verse two.

We don’t have physical enemies pursuing us these days, for the most part. However, we do have a spiritual enemy who is seeking to devour us daily. After all, our battle is not with flesh and blood but with powers and principalities (Ephesians 6.12). David saw his deliverance from his enemies deeply connected with forgiveness of sin. We need to see this for our lives too. Satan will devour us when we allow unconfessed sin to continue to fester in our lives. He will destroy because our sin takes us out of fellowship with God. Forgiveness, the cleansing of 1 John 1.9 which is based on God’s faithfulness and righteousness, restores that fellowship.

David cries out for God to hear is prayer (1-6), to answer his prayer (7-9), to teach him (10), and to restore or revive him (11-12).

Have we come before God realizing that without Him we are wicked and that in Him He makes us righteous and worthy? Have we considered how Satan will devour us and then ask God to strengthen us as we seek forgiveness? Why not do it now?

Media

Psalm 97

Can you state you hate (or reject) evil? What about your gods, which are not gods at all? Do you accept them? They are evil. The way for you to full know you have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and have been placed into the kingdom of the Son He loves is how you live your life (Acts 26.18-19 and Colossians 1.13-14). Your works do not save you, but the display to yourself and others that you have been saved. And, part of this is to reject or hate evil.

Psalm 97

This psalm opens with the truth that the God of Promise, the covenant God, rules mightily. With this truth, all else is trivial. With this truth, there will be much joy. Because He reigns, not will reign but does reign, we have reason to rejoice. He is in control of all and He is good and just.

This psalm should remind the reader of the happenings at Mt. Sinai and the giving of the Law (Exodus 19). It is also a stark reminder of the days to come when God will indeed judge the earth in righteousness and truth.

Whereas Psalm 95 calls God’s people to sing and Psalm 96 calls all the earth to sing, Psalm 97 calls both the world and God’s people to rejoice. While the Septuagint ascribes this psalm to David, there is nothing else that supports or denies this. For the sake of our study, we will agree with the Septuagint.

  • Verses 1-6-This imagery is of God’s presence coming. With it comes blessing and judgement. Blessing for those who can rejoice in Him and judgement for all others.
  • Verses 7-12-We are called to hate evil if we love the Lord. We can read the verse this way: “The Lord loves those who reject evil and choose holiness.”

Can you state you hate (or reject) evil? What about your gods, which are not gods at all? Do you accept them? They are evil. The way for you to full know you have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and have been placed into the kingdom of the Son He loves is how you live your life (Acts 26.18-19 and Colossians 1.13-14). Your works do not save you, but the display to yourself and others that you have been saved. And, part of this is to reject or hate evil.

Media

Psalm 26

Have God examine your heart today.

Psalm 26

This psalm begins and ends with the desire to bring blessing to the covenant God of Israel  (יְֽהוָה).  David sees a way for this to occur in his life through his integrity, his moral uprightness or righteousness. We find this can only be found in a person who has a right relationship with God and who walks in fellowship with Him.

Due to the topic of this psalm, David’s integrity and God’s grace, many declare that this psalm was written before his failing with Bathsheba. However, the false accusations and the mood of the psalm place it about the time of Absalom’s rebellion with all the false accusations coming against David. This is why it is placed here, in this study, and not prior to 2 Samuel 11.

The words of David, to some, seem proud and boisterous. However, they are no different from his words in Psalm 139.23 where he asks God to search his heart.

Someone once said, “Look at others and be distressed; look at self and be depressed; look at Jesus and you will be blessed.” The thoughts of this anonymous saying present themselves in this psalm. David encourages us to look and examine ourselves (1-5), to focus ourselves on the God of our covenant (6-10), and continue to serve Him (11-12). The only way to truly be blessed is to realize that we are servants of the Most High and serve others in His name. This is true life.

Verses 1-5-Are you living the life God created for you to live? Examine yourself today.  Read our study on Psalm 1 for a call to examine your life.

Verses 6-10-When we look at ourselves, we can get depressed. When we look to others, we can get upset or frustrated or proud. When we focus on God, we can walk on water and we can also see the standard to which He has called us. It is not us or our world that is our standard, it is He who created us who is the standard (Romans 3.23).

In verses 3–5, David presents six reasons for his integrity:

  1. He calls on God’s grace, not his works.
  2. He basis his daily walk on the truth of God’s Word, not his desires, which only someone indwelt with the Spirit of God can claim.
  3. He proclaims that he has not joined in with others whose purpose is to walk away from God.
  4. He refuses to walk with those who have a form of godliness but deny its power (2 Timothy 3.1-5).
  5. He does not gather together with those who seek to do evil. The congregation he seeks is where he can serve God by serving others.
  6. He refuses to commune with those who propose wickedness. He knows he sits at God’s table (see our study of Psalm 23).

How do you measure up to these six reasons?

Verses 11-12-God calls us, knows us, will conform us ultimately into the image of His Son; He called us, He made us righteous, and He will bring it to completion (Romans 8.28-30 and Philippians 1.6). It is all about Him, not us. He has chosen to use His body, the church, as the chosen instrument to help our conformity to His image through the work of the Holy Spirit. Are you involving yourself in the local congregation? Are you actively praising God by serving others there? If not, you are not walking in integrity. This is the heart of this psalm, David’s desire to worship God with God’s people (6-8). David knew in order to do this he needed to be a man in right relationship with God and in fellowship with Him. Jesus stated this in Matthew 5.23-24.

Have God examine your heart today.