Pr. 24: Proverbs for Living

Proverbs 24:21-22 "Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious, for those two will send sudden destruction upon them, and who knows what calamities they can bring?"

Don't hang out with jerks. Not only are they jerks to you, but others. And others see you and jerks. (v. 1-2)

Wisdom builds a house.
Understanding establishes a house.
Knowledge fills a house with treasures.

Wisdom begets understanding, understanding begets knowledge, knowledge begets strength. (v. 3-6)

Step in and help if someone is being led to death. Come on! Not doing something is still doing something. (v. 11-12)

Honey is sweet to the taste, as wisdom is sweet to the soul. (v. 13)

The righteous man may fall, but he is restored. Not so for the wicked. (blamelessness) (v. 16)

Gloating over a fallen enemy is discouraged. Who gave you victory? And why be a jerk, why drive a deeper wedge between you and your enemy? (v. 17-18)

Don't worry about the evil, who worry and don't have the hope you have. (v. 19)

Lance Ito. (v. 24)

Tit-for-tat revenge is not your place. (v. 29)

Poverty is a result of laziness. (v. 30-34)

Ps. 108: Divine Victory

Psalm 108:13 "With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies."

David singles God out, among all the nations, all the peoples, as worthy of his praise. David recognizes God's power in victory and to mark off boundaries of the land. (Is human-claimed possession of land an illusion? I suppose.) David knows that the only way to achieve and maintain possession of the promised land is to trust in God, and trust him to make the borders.

Interesting how there are two very different ideas of the land. Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim and Judah are described as helmets, scepters...very useful objects. Important in conquest and protection. However, the enemy lands (Moab, Edom, Philistia) are seen basically as toilets and doormats. Useful, but not near the honor bestowed upon the Israelite land.

Ps. 21: Victory Forever

Psalm 21:7 "For the king trusts in the LORD; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken."

David continues his theme of crediting God for the victories won, as well as for the glorious things David has been given. It's really odd behavior for a king. I would imagine kings would spend more time praising themselves, heralding their accomplishments, and thumping their chests as if to say, "Look at this, look at me." Not David. He seems to think that he is nothing...has nothing without what was given to him by God.

David asked for certain things, and God saw fit to grant David the desires of his heart. I don't know why. I ask for stuff, and sometimes, often times, I don't receive it. But as we read in Job, God doesn't do that for everyone. He is capable, sure. But this inconsistency with which God rewards people and to what degree is God's consistency. He will do what he means, precisely how and when he means to. Nuts to little me and my mundane demands.

David attaches a real sense of permanence to these victories. Length of days, forever and ever. David obviously doesn't live forever (1 Ch. 29:28), but his throne was promised to continue (2 Sa. 7:16). Eternal blessings have been granted. He appears to know that something is coming after death. God's return is referenced, in which he will smite all his enemies in a fiery smiting.

The enemies of David are the enemies of God, and they are powerless to stand against God. This makes me want my enemies to be the enemies of God. If God and my enemies form an alliance of some kind, it's all over.

Ps. 20: Psalm of Blessing

Psalm 20:7 "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." 

This may come as an obvious acknowledgement to some, but Psalm 20 reads like a blessing someone would read or confer upon someone before he went to war. It makes sense. David's life and reign were very militaristic, so he would draw upon that experience, naturally.

I picture this being spoken to a troop, preparing for battle. Many of Israel's incursions were divinely ordered, and though war may be an apparent reason for fear, God always came through when His orders were followed exactly. 

War is a troubling thing. Conflict and strife are a troubling thing. But God maintains a sturdy stronghold of peace and uplift in His sanctuary. What an encouragement this is! May he give you the desires of your heart and may all your plans succeed? Incredible! How often do we wish that for people? Even less than we tell people, thats for sure. How concerned can I be with my own success and failure that I would ignore wanting someone else to succeed? 

God has all the power to save and to protect, regardless of the number of chariots and horses a person may be facing.

Psalm 20 reminds me of:
Psalm 20 by Plankeye

Wear Your Colors by Rick Cua

Ps. 18: Victory!

Psalm 18:46 "The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!" 

This 18th Psalm is just brimming with energy, dotted by exclamation points throughout. Just when you thought David was at his desperate end, along comes Psalm 18, like some heroic victor out of no where. Out of the clouds, as God is described, thundering with storms and lightning and enough power to lay bare the valleys of the sea. It's pretty incredible. I imagine David breathless as he writes this, as a friend of mine would recount an awesome play that led to a Detroit Tigers victory. He wouldn't want to leave out any detail. Here David gives so much glory to God. He doesn't for a second credit himself for having any part in this victory. 

Sure, he describes his own righteousness and clinging to God's commands, and wholeheartedly following God's decrees (v. 19-24). This leads to promised deliverance for not wavering to the right or to the left (the "main road" as described in Deuteronomy 2). God gave him this victory, but not because God was bound by whatever David did, necessarily, but because God "delighted" in David (v. 19). It was ultimately up to God.

There's a lot of descriptive language that indicates that this rescure felt like a sudden, powerful storm. I wonder what that must have felt like. I wonder about the head rush, the heart pounding, the speed, the emotions, the pulse. I am certain that it was amazing and unforgettable. The turnaround was so quick, the strength a then-weak-kneed David must have received went to work instantly dismantling and annihilating his enemies. David says he could have bent a bow of bronze. Wow!

Not only did this awesome rescue give David unbelievable victory over those were set upon him to kill him, it gave him great hope! He describes a feeling of having a broad path set before him. His trust in God was lifted exponentially. And when David has this power behind him, he's really invincible. Imagine the despair his enemies must have felt. Foreigners are described as surrendering from their strongholds. The chapter is really quite invigorating.

Psalm 18 reminds me of:

Psalm 18 by Waterdeep

Since I Met You by dc Talk

You Are My Rock by Petra

Praise the Name of Jesus by Roy Hicks Jr