Austin Bible Church
A brief analysis of the book of the Psalms reveals some the prayers of the righteous.
Psalms 17 - The Psalmist recognizes the character of God. The Psalmist is under pressure and oppression. The Psalmist does not dwell on his merits for God’s ear. The Psalmist recognizes that his ultimate happiness is in the future.
Psalms 20 - This is thinking divine viewpoint in the face of troubles. This is refusal of human viewpoint (chariots and horses). Psalms 20:7. This is positive volition expressing itself in faith and prayer.
“Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.” (Psalms 20:7, NASB)
Psalms 25 - The condition of the Psalmist is one who is defeated, suffering, and feeling low. He is pitiful. The desire of the Psalmist is to be led and taught in Truth – Bible doctrine, and thereby be forgiven. The characteristics of those God teaches are meekness, fearing, and sinfulness. When they confess their sins to God the Father, the Psalmist recognizes that God is his only remedy.
Psalms 28 - The first cry of the Psalmist is found in Psalms 28:1-3 - “Do not cast me off!” The second cry of the Psalmist is found in Psalms 28:4-5 - “Bring judgment on the wicked.” The third cry of the Psalmist is found in Psalms 28:6-9 - divine viewpoint praise for God’s solution.
“A Psalm of David. To You, O LORD, I call; My rock, do not be deaf to me, For if You are silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit. Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary. Do not drag me away with the wicked And with those who work iniquity, Who speak peace with their neighbors, While evil is in their hearts.” (Psalms 28:1-3, NASB)
“Requite them according to their work and according to the evil of their practices; Requite them according to the deeds of their hands; Repay them their recompense. Because they do not regard the works of the LORD Nor the deeds of His hands, He will tear them down and not build them up.” (Psalms 28:4-5, NASB)
“Blessed be the LORD, Because He has heard the voice of my supplication. The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him. The LORD is their strength, And He is a saving defense to His anointed. Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.” (Psalms 28:6-9, NASB)
Psalms 40 - This Psalm contains the historical and the prophetical. Historically, occasioned in the Psalmist’s life, the return from reversionism is found in Psalms 40:1-2. The Psalmist’s resultant capacity for the happiness of God, +H can be found in Psalms 40:3-7.
“For the choir director. A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.” (Psalms 40:1-2, NASB)
“He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD. How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count. Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me.” (Psalms 40:3-7, NASB)
Divine good production is restored Psalms 40:8-10. God’s continued blessing and strength is requested in Psalms 40:11. The Psalmist realizes that the conflict raging in his life is both physical and spiritual.
“I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart." I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O LORD, You know. I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.” (Psalms 40:8-10, NASB)
“You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.” (Psalms 40:11, NASB)
This is a prophetical sign of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. Christ’s sacrifice terminated the animal sacrifice. Christ was willing to do the Father’s will. Christ had completed the Father’s plan with undeserved suffering. Psalms 40:9-11. Christ’s humiliation and death on the Cross is seen in Psalms 40:12-17.
“I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O LORD, You know. I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation. You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.” (Psalms 40:9-11, NASB)
“For evils beyond number have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; They are more numerous than the hairs of my head, And my heart has failed me. Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; Make haste, O LORD, to help me. Let those be ashamed and humiliated together Who seek my life to destroy it; Let those be turned back and dishonored Who delight in my hurt. Let those be appalled because of their shame Who say to me, "Aha, aha!" Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, "The LORD be magnified!" Since I am afflicted and needy, Let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.” (Psalms 40:12-17, NASB)
Psalms 42 - This is a Psalm of David while he apparently fleeing from Absalom, off the throne, away from the Tabernacle and life of the king rightly his. His soul was thirsty, he needed water and Bible doctrine. Water was a necessity, not a luxury. The only water he had for his soul was his own tears. Tears were the product of his emotions. His emotions were overflowing into the soul. They weren’t getting the job done. When emotions are allowed to flow into the soul, you have sublimation instead of benefit and production.
In Psalms 42:3, “tears” are the food which was bread, meat, and fish. It was the common food not the rarity. When Bible doctrine is lacking, the true water, emotions become the normal thing that feeds the soul. The memory has a way of adding pain by calling to mind, “remember” means to recall past experience with regret and longings. Psalms 42:4.
“My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"” (Psalms 42:3, NASB)
“These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God, With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.” (Psalms 42:4, NASB)
In Psalms 42:4, “pour out” conveys the idea of pouring out the pain, the pressure, and the longing to get some temporary relief. Several terms describe the soul thirsty for Bible doctrine and being fed from the emotions. In Psalms 42:5, “despair” refers to the depression that is the normal result of no Bible doctrine. “Disturbed” refers to discouragement and murmuring.
“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.” (Psalms 42:5, NASB)
In Psalms 42:6, “I remember” means to keep in mind. Still, he will keep God in mind. Remembrance of God is present even when suffering as described above. In Psalms 42:7, “Deep calls to deep” refers to the overwhelming sea. “The sound of Your waterfalls” refers to the sound of releasing water through a conduit. Water for the soul is what he needs. He needs Bible doctrine. But waters as an overwhelming sea, torrents through a conduit flood the soul. Instead of the refreshing water of Bible doctrine, he has the water of adversity and judgment. In Psalms 42:8, we again have the Psalmist’s recollection of God and His character.
“O my God, my soul is in despair within me; Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.” (Psalms 42:6, NASB)
“Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.” (Psalms 42:7, NASB)
“The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life.” (Psalms 42:8, NASB)
In Psalms 42:9, “Why have You forgotten me?” is one of the normal responses of believers off from Bible doctrine and it is the assumption that God doesn’t care or at least not too concerned. The term “forgotten” has a number of meanings in the Hebrew. When the term “forgotten” is used of men, it can mean forget and leave, forget to mention, cease of care, let it grow lean, let it disappoint, or fail. When the term “forgotten” is used of God, it can mean forget the person, forget the sins, forget wars, be forgotten, or cause to forget. The usage here is of God “forgetting the person” of the Psalmist.
“I will say to God my rock, "Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"” (Psalms 42:9, NASB)
“Mourning” is the figurative use of mourning. The root in the Hebrew means “to be dark.” It has various meanings such as to show gloom, figurative of lack of revelation from God, used of a turbid stream, and figurative of a mourner, very neglected in manner and dress of a mourner. The usage here is figurative of a mourner, very neglected in manner and dress of a mourner. The believer off from Bible doctrine and with an emotional input is a disheveled, unraveled mess, forgetting and losing all form of appearance and respect.
In Psalms 42:9, “Oppression of the enemy?” means distress produced by a personal enemy. No pain is as great as when it originates with one of your own household. In Psalms 42:11, “help” this is a term for salvation and recognizes the use of positional truth in salvation. “Countenance” is the term for “face” and we have the actual matter of “saving face.” Bible doctrine eventually and positional truth is going to enable him to regain his face, his testimony and posture.
“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.” (Psalms 42:11, NASB)