Psalms 139-143

Psalms
139:1-24  -  Through Christ our Saviour, we are led ‘in the way everlasting’: ‘God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son’ (24; 1 John 5:11). God’s great purpose of eternal salvation seems ‘too wonderful’ - ‘too good to be true’! ‘It is a thing most wonderful, almost too wonderful to be, that God’s own Son should come from heaven and die to save a child like me, and yet I know that it is true...’ (6; Church Hymnary, 385). God has a glorious future planned for us. We can hardly even begin to take it in: ‘Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain’. We know that ‘no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him’ yet we rejoice in this: ‘God has revealed it to us by His Spirit’ (6; 1 Corinthians 2:9-10). ‘Lead me in the way everlasting!’(24).

140:1-13  -  When we are threatened by ‘men of violence’, we must must put our trust in the Lord, our ‘strong Deliverer’. We must pray that the ‘men of violence’ will not succeed in their ‘evil plans’: ‘Do not let their plans succeed... May disaster hunt down the men of violence’ (1-2,7-8,11). The ‘men of violence’ may seem to be getting things all their own way. We must not allow ourselves to be brought down to their level. In our battle against the ‘men of violence’, we must use God’s ‘weapons’: ‘truth... righteousness... peace... faith... salvation... prayer’. These ‘weapons’ have ‘divine power to demolish the strongholds’ of Satan (Ephesians 6:13-18; 2 Corinthians 10:4). Never forget this: ‘“Vengeance is mine, I will repay”, says the Lord’ (Romans 12:19).

141:1-142:7  -  The Psalmist continues to emphasize the importance of ‘prayer’ in our battle against ‘evildoers’: ‘My prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers’ (141:5). We pray that their ‘wicked deeds’ will not succeed. We pray that they will see ‘the error of their way’, returning to the Lord and being ‘led in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake’ (141:5; 23:3; James 5:19-20). We may feel that our ‘persecutors’ are ‘too strong’ for us. We must never think that ‘no one cares’. We must bring our fear to God, praying, ‘Set me free from my prison, that I may praise Your Name’. Faced with powerful enemies, we must remember this: The Lord is our ‘portion in the land of the living’. In the face of fierce opposition, we must learn to say, ‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the House of the Lord for ever’ (142:4-7; 23:6).

143:1-12  -  The Psalmist prays, ‘Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord’ (9). He is not concerned only about his own welfare. He is concerned about the glory of God: ‘For Your Name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life’ (11). How does God lead us in victory? How is He glorified in our lives? He brings to us the teaching of His Word - ‘Let the morning bring me Word of Your unfailing love’ (8). He gives to us the strength of His Spirit - ‘May Your good Spirit lead me in good paths’ (10). Through His Word and Spirit, God shows us His ‘unfailing love’. He enables us to say, ‘You are my God’, ‘I have put my trust in You’ and ‘I am Your servant’. He ‘shows us the way we should go’. He ‘teaches us to do His will’. He gives us victory over our ‘enemies’ (8,10,12).