Psalms 143-145

Thoughts

Psalm 143

My Soul Thirsts for You. A Psalm of David.

Hear my prayer, O LORD;
give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me,
in your righteousness!

• David cries out to God in crisis

Enter not into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous before you.

• The psalmist acknowledges all human guilt.
• David sets a tone of humility

For the enemy has pursued my soul;
he has crushed my life to the ground;

Therefore my spirit faints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.
he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.

• Threat is personal “soul” and all encompassing “life”
• David’s crises similar to language of crucifixion. 

I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands.

I stretch out my hands to you;
my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.

• God’s past actions give present hope.
• Need for God is framed as thirst

Answer me quickly, O LORD!
My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
lest I be like those who go down to the pit.

• Silence from God feels like death.

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.

• Hope toward daily renewal 
• Guidance matters as much as rescue.

Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD!
I have fled to you for refuge.

Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
on level ground!

• Escape for David is defined as running toward God.

For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life!
In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!

And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,
and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
for I am your servant.

• Salvation for God’s glory as well as man’s need
• Justice is entrusted fully to God.

Psalm 144

My Rock and My Fortress. Of David.

Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
he is my steadfast love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield and he in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.

• God is praised as both the protector and trainer.
• Trains in the present tense – always training never “trained”
• MY hesed, my deliverer..etc. 

O LORD, what is man that you regard him,
or the son of man that you think of him?
Man is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.

• Human life is fragile and fleeting- why does God care?

Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down!
Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
send out your arrows and rout them!

• Sinai imagery 
• Calling for God to act

Stretch out your hand from on high;
rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
from the hand of foreigners,
whose mouths speak lies
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

• Foreigners meaning foreigners to God’s loyalty

I will sing a new song to you, O God;
upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
who gives victory to kings,
who rescues David his servant
from the cruel sword.

• Praise anticipates deliverance 
• God is acknowledged as the source of victory.

Rescue me and deliver me
from the hand of foreigners,
whose mouths speak lies
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

May our sons in their youth
be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars
cut for the structure of a palace;

• David again asks for deliverance from these evil people
• Prayer for community growth 

may our granaries be full,
providing all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
and ten thousands in our fields;

may our cattle be heavy with young,
suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;
may there be no cry of distress in our streets!

• Prayer for abundance of provision 
• Prayer for security and safety

Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!

• True blessing comes from relationship with the LORD.

Psalm 145

Great Is the LORD. A Song of Praise. Of David.

Acrostic! But the letter nun (נ) is missing in the MT- restored verse below in [[ ]] 

I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.

• Worship is continuous

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.

On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

• God’s greatness exceeds human measurement.
• Reflection on what God has done for us can deepen worship.

They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.

They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

• God’s goodness is abundant
• Similar to Exodus 34:6 when God passes in front of Moses

The LORD is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.

All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
and all your saints shall bless you!

• God’s care extends beyond Israel to all creation.

They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,

to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

• The kingdom is to be proclaimed, not hidden.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

• God’s reign outlasts all others.

[[The LORD is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]]

The LORD upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.

• God’s speech and action align.
• God cares for the weak

The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.

You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.

The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.

• God is generous and desires His creation
• Life depends on God

The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.

• God is accessible to us
• God responds to need 

The LORD preserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

• Love for God leads to preservation.

Application

Psalm 143 shows us how to depend on God when we have no strength. We can remember what He has done for us in the past to shape our present.  Psalm 144 shows us how to trust God. He trains His  people and gives peace. Psalm 145 shows how blessed we are to be part of God’s kingdom. How great is it to have a God who is near and worthy of our worship!