Psalm 141

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“O Lord, I call upon You; hasten to me!” David cried out to God for help. He asked the Lord to hear his personal prayers with the same weight that Jehovah would have given to the petitions of Israel that accompanied the daily sacrifices offered up by the appointed priests.

What was David's great need? “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth.” David wanted help from on high so that he would not sin with his lips. “Do not let my heart incline to any evil.” He wanted his God to direct his soul toward holiness and away from anything that might displease his Maker. He asked the Lord to keep him from desiring the approval of ungodly people. “Let me not eat of their delicacies!”

David needed to stay spiritually strong. He had to be able to quickly distinguish between the correction that he might receive from truly holy friends and the false wisdom that could come from high-placed unrighteous judges. The former had important words that might sting at first hearing. The latter brought smooth messages that would only lead those who received them into deep waters of sin.

The king knew that his God would judge the hearts of all mankind. His only safe refuge was in His holy God. The “snares of evildoers” were not going to be his destiny. “Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by safely.”

We who have been cleansed by the blood of Christ would do well to sing these important words of David as our sincere petition to the Lord. We were not saved by God for the purpose of continuing in sin. We want the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit. We need to ask our God to keep us from slick advisers who would only turn us away from the Lord.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father God, there is great help for us when we remember to call upon Your Name. You can tame our tongues and calm our restless hearts. You can turn away our foolish gluttony and covetousness. You can give us words of wisdom that are appropriate for every occasion. Our sin would be our downfall, but You protect Your people from the traps of the evil one, and bring us to a place of perfect safety.

Psalm 140

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“Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men.” Though David's songs may seem to be just individual testimonies, they have been included by God in Israel's songbook. Especially when they carry the introductory instruction, “To the Choirmaster,” we know that they were intended to be sung by more than just one man. David's life struggles were appropriate for the nation as they approached the Lord in song.

The king knew that there were “evil men” who needed to be stopped. He asked the Lord to come to his aid in a just cause. These arrogant and violent adversaries were not friends of the Lord's anointed king. They hoped to eliminate him. “They have set snares for me.”

David turned toward his powerful God—the God of Israel. He asked for deliverance from these dangerous people. He knew that his life depended upon the Lord's power, but he had another motive beyond his own survival. The king was eager to see God's Name lifted high. “Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked; do not further their evil plot, or they will be exalted!”

The adversaries who insist that they be worshiped and obeyed as gods are antichrists. The Lord will not let such foes prosper forever. Their own lips that utter slander and blasphemy will be silenced. They will not be established in the kingdom of resurrection where Jesus will reign forever. These utterly deluded enemies will be destroyed “speedily.”

Meanwhile, the Lord will “maintain the cause of the afflicted.” He will not allow the pompous gangsters that seem to rule over this dying world to win. He “will execute justice for the needy.” The Son of God will rule on behalf of His chosen flock. “The righteous shall give thanks to Your name; the upright shall dwell in Your presence.”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Great God, help us in times of danger. We know that there are many wicked and violent men who create snares of trouble and distraction for us. None of them is a match for You. You will help us in the worst situation. Deal with our enemies according to Your ways. You know what to do for the humble who trust in You, and You know how to repay proud men and angels who seek the destruction of Your servants.

Psalm 139

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“O Lord, You have searched me and known me!” David was impressed with the extent of God's great knowledge. The Lord understood all about him—even his thoughts were not hidden from the Almighty. He found this all very overwhelming, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.”

There was no way for David to hide from God. Even if he made his way to heaven or if he found himself in Sheol, the land of the dead, the Lord would find him. In these other spiritual realms, the Lord was still there. If the king went to the most remote corner of the earth, God would still be involved in his life. “Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.”

As David considered his own life, he meditated on his existence prior to birth. It was God who had created him. “You knitted me together in my mother's womb.” Prior to his first breath, the Lord had already planned all of the days of David's life—not just the number of them, but all the details of the events that would fill those days.

“How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!” David was captivated by the glory of the Lord. Who could conceive of the mind of God? The man willing to rest in the Lord and to trust Him in His goodness could take great comfort in the fact that God would never be surprised by some new fact. The Lord already knew. Therefore all His children could sleep soundly.

Yet the Lord and His servants had powerful enemies. David longed for the fulfillment of the purposes of the Almighty. He hoped for God's perfect judgment so that evil people would be exposed and utterly defeated. “Oh that You would slay the wicked, O God!”

David invited the Lord to expose some secret error within his soul. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me.” He surrendered himself entirely to the true King of kings.

How amazing that the Lord in whom David believed would one day be his descendant! Jesus, the long-expected Son of David, was also the Messianic Son of God. Now we know the Name of the One who knows us so intimately. We too can trust in David's Lord. We have come to believe that our eternity is very secure in Him. Jesus is leading us “in the way everlasting.”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Great Lord, You know us. You created us. Our days were planned by You before we began any of them. You are everywhere and You know everything. What a wonderful love You have for Your people! You have helped us in countless ways, even when we have been utterly unaware of Your presence and goodness. May we bless Your Name forever. Please protect us day by day and deliver us from this evil age at the appointed hour. When we have accomplished the purposes that You have for Your servants here, lead us home again to You.

Psalm 138

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“I give You thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart.” David knew that the idols of the nations were nothing, but he was also very aware that among men and angels there were many so-called “gods.” He was able to give his “whole heart” to Yahweh because he trusted that the God of Israel was far above all these other powers. Together with all in Israel who worshiped the Lord, the king gave thanks to the One whose Name and Word was “exalted above all things.”

David knew about God not only based on the testimony of Moses, Samuel, and the other prophets who came before him. He had also experienced the power of the Lord in his own life. “On the day I called, You answered me; my strength of soul You increased.”

King David was entirely right when he insisted that the rulers of nations all over the earth would give thanks to Israel's God. So many years prior to the proclamation of the gospel, this royal ancestor of the Messiah insisted that many great kings would hear God's Word and would “sing of the ways of the Lord.” Even though the “haughty” might only know the Christ “from afar,” they would come to appreciate what so many of their “lowly” subjects would understand better than they—that Jesus was King of kings and Lord of lords.

David, and many others who would sing the songs that he composed, would still have to “walk in the midst of trouble.” Yet they would heartily acknowledge this truth before God: “You preserve my life.” Many simple believers would sing with confidence, “Your right hand delivers me.” Despite their great sufferings, they would confess this faith: “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.”

We join in the song of believers throughout the ages. We add our voices to theirs as we sing these earnest words: “Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of Your hands.”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father God, we give You thanks. Thank You for Your faithfulness. When we called out to You, You heard Your servants and helped us. Surely You heard Your Son when He cried out to You in the garden of Gethsemane. You heard His cry from the cross. Now He is risen and even ascended. He is at Your right hand, and He intercedes for us. You will fulfill all of Your purposes for Your Son. We are the work of His hands. Please do not forsake the people of Your Son’s possession.

Psalm 137

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“By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.” The people of God were brought into the Promised Land by the power of the Almighty. Though the Lord was slow to anger, eventually God removed His people far away from Canaan by the hands of the Babylonians. It was a sad day for the people of Judah. Their captors wanted to hear “one of the songs of Zion” for their entertainment. The temple had been torn down and the city of Jerusalem was destroyed. How could the Lord's people celebrate?

Instead of singing songs of “mirth” for their “tormenters,” God's people in exile called upon the Name of the Lord to bring judgment against their adversaries. They reminded the Lord about the Edomites who had cheered when Jerusalem was being demolished. They asked the Lord to bring the horrors of death upon the families of the Babylonians who ruled over them.

Psalm 137 reminds us of the judgment that will come against those who have cheered when God's chosen people suffered. We remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:40, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.” Persecution of those who are counted as members of the Lord's family will have eternal consequences. “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46)

How can we survive the judgment of the Lord? Surely our only plea must be that a perfect Substitute has taken the wrath that we deserve. Since we have received the love of God that is ours through Christ, we must never stand far off from the Lord's family in their time of need, celebrating their troubles like the Edomites did, or joining the Babylonians in their request for entertainment from the broken people of God. Instead we must do what people of faith have done for centuries, “... choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.” (Hebrews 11:25)

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Our Father, You know our deep sadness in the day of our captivity and distress. Evil men would like to use Your songs for their own entertainment. They do not love You. They do not believe the truth of Your Word. O Father, surely the day of their destruction approaches. Give us grace to keep on going in times of trouble.

Psalm 136

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“Give thanks to the Lord.” Giving thanks to God was an important part of Israel's worship. They were to recount before the Lord solid reasons for their appreciation of the Almighty, beginning with this important reminder: “... for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.” The Hebrew word translated “steadfast love” appears in every verse of Psalm 136. Israel needed to sing about the mercies of the Lord. The Lord's covenant faithfulness to His people would continue forever.

Israel's God was the “Lord of lords.” He “alone” had accomplished great feats of creation. Their great “God of gods” had made the heavens, the waters, and the dry land. No other being made the “sun to rule over the day” and the “moon and stars to rule over the night.”

The Lord was also Israel's Savior. He rescued His people out of Egypt. He accomplished their redemption by mighty acts of judgment and deliverance. The God of Israel “overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea.” He made a distinction between His chosen people and their captors.

As God's people drew near to the land that He was giving them, He destroyed the surrounding powers that sought to thwart His great plan. He defeated kings and armies and brought His people into the land of Canaan.

The power and wisdom for creation and redemption did not come from Israel. They were a people of “low estate.” All of God's great works took place because of the steadfast love of the Lord for His people. He “remembered” them in their affliction and rescued them from all their foes.

Why did God do all this for Israel? Why did He have a chosen people at all? The Savior of the world came from the Jews, the one people group that the Lord had prepared for the first proclamation of His Kingdom to the nations.

God's greatest work of redemption was bigger than the rescue of Israel from Egypt. The Lord of heaven and earth who “gives food to all flesh” had a plan to renew the entire earth. He intended to bring about a resurrection world through one Man who would die for our sins. The Son of God would be born of a woman—born as a part of the chosen people of the Old Testament—in order to extend His covenant mercy to the ends of the earth.

The coming of God's kingdom, first announced by Jewish disciples, has now reached our ears and touched our lives. How can we respond to the mercy of the Lord that has extended to the ends of the earth? We join in the song that so many have sung before us: “Give thanks to the God of heaven, for His steadfast love endures forever.”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Merciful God, Your steadfast love endures forever. We give thanks to You. You do great wonders. You made the heavens. You also created the earth and You keep it going. You put the sun up in the skies. You gave us the moon and the stars for signs and seasons. You have performed great works of redemption. You rescued Israel out of Egypt. More than that, You have rescued all of Your people from horrible bondage to sin and Satan. You have granted to us a great hope. The rescue that we have experienced to this day is small when compared with the future age of glory that is coming. Surely Your steadfast love will endure forever.

Psalm 135

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“Praise the Lord!” The preceding fifteen psalms took worshipers on a journey from distant lands all the way to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. What could be more fitting after following the journey of these songs of ascents than singing a great psalm of worship?

The people of God in every generation have been called by Him to bow before Him and to glory in His Name. Israel knew that God was good and that singing to Him was “pleasant.” They happily embraced the truth that they belonged to the Lord.

Those who gathered together so long ago on the top of Mount Zion were not to pursue all the religions of the world with an equal appreciation. They were to proclaim in their songs that their God was far above all the idols of the world.

The Lord's greatness was especially expressed in His sovereignty. Israel's God did everything that pleased Him “in heaven and on earth.” This one God who controlled the land, the seas, and the skies was unstoppable.

The Almighty was also the God of history. He intervened in the affairs of His people in order to accomplish His plans. He was more than able to defeat powerful adversaries and to deliver His chosen ones from the grasp of imperial powers. It was this great God who had given the land of Canaan to the descendants of Jacob.

The Lord was not a temporary phenomenon. His power would not come and go according to the working of some force that was beyond His control. His eternal purposes would surely be established forever and ever.

The idols of all the nations simply could not be compared to the Lord. They had no power for good. They could not establish their plans anywhere for any length of time. Sadly, those who worshiped idols would “become like them.”

The house of Israel no longer gathers for worship in the ancient temple built by Solomon. That great structure has been gone for many centuries. The priests in the line of Aaron and their fellow servants from the tribe of Levi no longer perform the duties of the Old Testament sacrificial system. A new temple of the Lord is being built throughout the earth based on the offering of one perfect sacrifice.

What was the Lord's final plan for all the other people groups of the earth who once worshiped various idols? It is now the privilege of believers all over the world to call upon the Name of the God of Israel. Through Jesus, God has vindicated a great host of people and has had “compassion on His servants.”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

O Lord God, it is so wonderful to praise You. You are good. We are Your chosen people. How great is Your mercy! You are far above all powers and principalities. You have wonderful decrees. You will accomplish all of Your good purposes. You are working out all the great events of the story of salvation. The idols of the world are nothing. How foolish we are when we make a god. May all of Your people praise You forever in the holy city of Your heavenly church.

Psalm 134

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“Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord!” The journey that began in Psalm 120 far away from Jerusalem finally came to a delightful destination—the temple of the Lord. What were the pilgrims of Israel to do when they reached the top of Zion? They were called by all those around them to worship the Almighty. The God who was the source of all their blessings gave them the joy of sending blessings back to Him.

Even though these ancient sojourners had come to the holiest place on the face of the earth, they still needed to look beyond Jerusalem to another sanctuary that they could not see. They lifted up their hands to a better “holy place” in the heavens.

The Omnipotent One “who made heaven and earth” does not dwell in houses made by men. He needs nothing from us, but we need every good gift from His gracious hands.

Jesus, our great High Priest, “after making purification for sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:3) When we complete the journey of this life that He has ordained for us, He will come to take us home. Because we believe in Him and in His resurrection, we can bless the Lord even now. We can be near to Him and to all the inhabitants of the present heavens as we worship the Lord of glory.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Great God, we have come to our destination. We look to You with the fullest happiness. Your Son’s hands are lifted up in benediction upon us even now. We are receiving a divine blessing from the heavenly Jerusalem. What a wonderful gift!

Psalm 133

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“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” David experienced much conflict during his years of service. In a world plagued by sin and division, the joy of combined endeavor was not easy to maintain. The Lord could bring this good gift to His people as they approached Him in worship. David extolled the pleasantness of such a mercy sent from heaven.

Togetherness among the people of God was like the oil used in anointing the High Priest who wore special garments first made for Aaron, the brother of Moses. It was a privilege to draw near to the Almighty and to offer to God the sacrifices of Israel. Only the descendants of Aaron could perform the duties of the Old Testament priesthood. They were set apart for these tasks by ordination. The fragrant blessing that flowed down upon the head, the beard, and the holy garment of the priest was a symbol of a gift of God that would come down from heaven upon a far greater priesthood so many years later.

The Lord would grant to His church the unity of the Holy Spirit and a peace that would be beyond our understanding. It would flow down like dew from heaven upon all those who would worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Jesus, our great High Priest, would send forth this great Comforter to His church and knit us together in faith and love.

Today the church may still face moments of disagreement and contention. At such times we are called to remember that we have one Lord who is over all and in all. We need to listen to each other and seek to understand the will of the Lord. We can sing Psalm 133, as God's people have done for many centuries, and remember the goodness of the Lord. The King who died for our sins will surely heal the wound of our divisions.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Great Lord, it is a joy to be together with our brothers as we serve You in peace. We are Your people. You have given us the oil of gladness. Our security in Christ will never be taken away.

Psalm 132

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“Remember, O Lord, in David's favor, all the hardships he endured.” David was willing to face suffering in order to “find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.” As devout worshipers made their way to Mount Zion in Jerusalem in the years that followed, they walked on with David's zeal for the Almighty. “Let us go to His dwelling place; let us worship at His footstool!”

Those who had traveled from distant lands directed their plea to God. “Arise, O Lord, and go to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might.” They wanted more than a holy building. Their longing was for God Himself. Would their worship, offered up by the Levitical priests, be acceptable to God? Only if the priests were “clothed with righteousness” would the Lord's worshipers be able to rejoice with confidence. Even the king, the anointed son of David, needed God to receive his gifts according to the system that had been established in the Law of Moses. As the people drew near to their destination, they sang out to the Lord, “For the sake of Your servant David, do not turn away the face of Your anointed one.”

The God of Israel had sworn an oath to David concerning the reign of his descendants. The Lord's promise was “forever,” but it required the obedience of future kings. “If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their sons also forever shall sit on your throne.”

The Lord was determined to make Zion His “resting place forever.” Even though the kings in the line of David brought great trouble upon Israel and Judah, the Lord provided one perfect King in order to secure His promises to His people. This final King has established a new temple through His death and resurrection. We who call upon His Name have become the resting place that God desired.

No longer do we approach the Almighty through the Levitical priesthood. All who worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth have been clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and are counted as priests in the new Zion that is coming down upon the earth from heaven. The Lord will have the “resting place” He desired. We will “shout for joy,” and the crown of Christ will shine forever, but His enemies He will “clothe with shame.”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

God in Heaven, be with Your people who trust in the greatest Son of David. We are Your priests forever. We are counted as Your holy ones in Him. A Messiah has come for us, and He reigns. His crown will shine forever. We will rest in Zion according to Your promise.

Psalm 131

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“O Lord, my heart is not lifted up.” David was one of the great kings of Israel. He also wrote many psalms and received mighty revelations from God that have now been fulfilled in the death and resurrection of the Messiah. The Lord chose David above all his fellow Israelites to be the beginning of a great dynasty that would last forever. Yet this chosen man did not puff himself up in arrogance. He was humble before the Almighty.

David did not allow his heart to be unsettled about matters that were “too great and too marvelous” for him. He deliberately rested upon the Lord. He “calmed and quieted” his own soul like an obedient toddler who was secure in the embrace of his mother. His soul found peace in God though there were many weighty matters swirling all around him.

All of David's subjects needed to consider the king's testimony regarding his quiet heart. “O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.”

Many centuries after David's life on earth was over, the king's greatest descendent was born. At one point during His ministry when His companions were concerned with the wind and waves threatening their safety, Jesus was able to sleep in peace. The disciples were sure that they were perishing. They were consumed by their fears. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25)

Our faith is in Jesus today. We hope in the Son of David who died for our sins. He is able to calm the winds and the waves. He will accomplish all of His perfect purposes.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Our Father, we rest in You. Like a child we rest in the security of Your embrace. We rest in You and trust in You even now. Your people will not be put to shame, for Your love will endure forever and ever.

Psalm 130

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“Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord!” As the Lord's pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem for festival worship in ancient days, there was no divine guarantee that their lives would get easier with every step that they took toward their destination. Along the journey toward God's temple, sincere worshipers might need to call out to their Lord from the depths of despair. They asked God to “be attentive” to their “pleas for mercy.”

The Lord's people have always relied on His abundant forgiveness. “If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” Their understanding of the kindness of the Almighty was not to be an excuse for foolish or undisciplined living. God's mercies should have always moved them to sincere repentance and reverent worship.

As they walked toward God, they waited for His tokens of unfailing compassion toward them. They put their hope in His Word, and they strengthened each other in the Lord with words of solid hope. “O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”

Millions of Jews and Gentiles have received the powerful Word of our Lord's great salvation. Our great Redeemer, Jesus, has ransomed us from sin and death. He will supply all our needs today as we continue on our journey to the celestial city.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord God, we cry to You again today. You have forgiven our many sins. Because of the mercies of Christ, we now wait for Him with hope. Your Son is our plentiful redemption. A day of the fullest joy is surely near.

Psalm 129

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“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth.” God's chosen people have encountered much suffering over the course of their history as they waited for the coming of the perfect King. As a nation, Israel spent her “youth” under the oppression of the Egyptian Empire. The Lord's people confessed that though their enemies were very powerful, “they have not prevailed.”

All people have dignity from God as His image-bearers. No oppressor can ever take that away. Yet throughout history various people groups have lived under the yoke of abusive masters. Those who face inhuman treatment have too easily believed the lie that they were beyond the love of the Almighty. Israel was called to remember her Lord in song. The righteous King of all the earth would do what was right. He would “cut the cords of the wicked” who were trying to keep His people in chains forever.

One of the ways that wicked men and nations have expressed their hatred for God has been to persecute those who bear His Name. The Lord's “Zion,” whether Old Testament Israel or the New Testament church, often suffered at the hands of evil people. God will one day be the Avenger against all who would harm His beloved bride.

The most outrageous enemy assault of all time came against the Lord's Anointed, the promised Son of David. Jesus faced the taunts of those who despised Him. Yet the death of the Messiah on the cross was not all about hatred. We glory in the cross today because through this one atoning sacrifice we have experienced the infinite benefits of divine love. The blessings of the Lord have come upon God's people, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Merciful God, Your people have faced much persecution for many generations. Surely those who hate You and who kill Your loved ones will face Your wrath. Our only hope is in Your Name. In Christ we have great blessing forever.