Psalms 36 - 41 (with 1 topic)

Psalm 36 For the director of music (chief musician). Said to deal with evil people. Texted in grape is the passage (v. 1b) that is quoted in the N.T. (see Psalms 12 - 18 Psalm 15 2. N.T. Quotes from Psalms A.):

  An oracle (A revelation-- a prophetic visual clip) is within My heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no Fear of GOD before his (their, per Roma 3:18) eyes. For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. The words of his mouth are wicked & deceitful; he has ceased to be wise & do good-- ceased to follow that written on his heart. Even on his bed he plots evil (vanity); he commits himself to a sinful course & does not reject what is wrong.

  YOUR Love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, YOUR Faithfulness to the skies. YOUR Righteousness is like the mighty mountains (Mountains of GOD), YOUR Justice is like the great deep. O LORD, YOU preserve both man & beast. How priceless (precious) is YOUR Unfailing Love! Both high & low among men (heavenly beings & men) find refuge in the shadow of YOUR Wings. They feast (are watered) on the abundance of YOUR House; YOU give them drink from YOUR River of Delights. For with YOU is the fountain of life; in Your light We see light. Continue YOUR Love to Those who know YOU, YOUR Righteousness to the upright in heart.

  May the foot of the proud not come against Me, nor the hand of the wicked drive Me away. See how the evildoers lie fallen-- thrown down, not able to rise!

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Psalm 38 A psalm, a petition for remembrance. Said to: address being guilty; deal with punishment & temptation; provide forgiveness:

  Distant prophecy O LORD GOD, do not rebuke Me in YOUR Anger or discipline Me in YOUR Wrath. For YOUR Arrows have pierced Me, & YOUR Hand has come down upon Me. Because of YOUR Wrath there is no health in My body; My bones have no soundness (peace; health) because of My sin-- the known/unknown sins of the world that I bear.

  My guilt has overwhelmed Me like a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester & are loathsome because of My sinful folly. I am bowed down & brought very low (distrait/twisted); all day long I go about mourning. My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in My body. I am feeble & utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart. All My longings lie open before YOU, O LORD GOD; My sighing is not hidden from YOU.

 Note that this was all day long; it is commonly thought that Jesus bore the sins of the world on the cross-- but that's only part of the story. Psalms 28 - 35  Psalm 35 (vv. 11-18) chronicled how this was at-least-a-several-hour event, as we also saw in PerspectivesC C.10.(in the Garden of Gethsemane). Now on the cross, as prophesied-- see Psalms 19-24 Psalm 22 (vv. 1-8), Jesus uttered (recall, I & the FATHER are ONE) Eli, Eli, lama sebachthani? (My GOD, My GOD, why have YOU forsaken Me?-- which prophecy also says, I cry out by day, by night). About this time-process after which Jesus realized that He wasn't being abandoned-- similar to Jesus learning obedience, He came to realize that, yes, for some 3 days sin tipped the scale as GOD looked away, but then love slam-dunked: Jesus arose (& later ascended). BTW, do not miss the part in Psalms 19 - 24 Psalm 22 about Jesus raising himself up.

  My heart pounds, My strength fails Me; even the light has gone from My eyes. My friends & companions avoid Me because of My wounds; My neighbors stay far away. Those who seek My life set their traps, those who would harm Me talk of My ruin; all day long they plot deception. I am like a deaf man, who cannot hear, like a mute who cannot open his mouth; I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply.

  I wait for YOU, O LORD; YOU will answer, O LORD My GOD. For I said, 'do not let them gloat or exalt themselves over Me when My foot slips.' For I am about to fall, & My pain is ever with Me. I confess My iniquity (the practices of the world that I bear); I am troubled by My sin (the unknown sins of the world that I bear). Many are those who are My vigorous enemies; those who hate Me without reason are numerous. Those who repay My good with evil slander Me when I pursue what is good. O LORD, do not forsake Me; be not far from Me, O My GOD. Come quickly to help Me, O LORD My savior. EOP

1. Transition #1 Love-boundary Matt 5:43-48 (with Luke 6:29-34) Job "associated" with sinners, but presumed to be above taking their counsel-- it can be said, "at least his heart was in the right place." At that time Jews were to "love their neighbors (non-Jewish citizens of the neighborhood)"-- specifically not to judge them & consider them enemies. They were indeed to hate their enemies (foreigners intent on harming them). But today we can be successful at loving/associating with our neighbors to the extent of not judging them as sinners-- the Holy Spirit as guide precludes taking their counsel (presuming we remain connected) & so we remain fearless that we shall become tainted. This metamorphosed old command is mentioned in 1stJoh. Also brought out there was the radically new command of loving our enemies on the world-scale. Suffice to say that this has everything to do with For GOD so loved the world-- & is not willing that any should perish. But now back to the local neighborhood-- or even closer, church fellowship. Are we not all sinners-saved-by-grace? Is anyone above sinning, by thought, word or deed, such that only scum need to go before the throne of grace? You have heard it said, 'Love (ah-gah-PAE-seh-ihs) Your neighbor (plae-SIH-ohn) & hate (mih-SAE-seh-ihs) Your enemy (ehkh-THROHN)-- distinguish between friend & foe, between spiteful Israelite & alien non-Israelite.' But I tell You: Love (ah-gah-PAH-teh) Your enemies (ehkh-THROOS) [some manuscripts add: bless (yue-loh-geh-IH-teh) them who curse (kah-tah-roe-MEH-noos) You, do good (kah-LOES  poh-ih-eh-IH-teh) to those who hate (mih-SOON-tahs) You] & pray (proh-SYUE-khehs-theh) for those who persecute (di-oe-kohn-toen) You [the Luke account (Luke 6:29-31) adds: If someone (anyone) strikes (TUHP-tohn-TIH) You on 1 cheek, turn to him (PAH-reh-kheh; offer) the other also. If someone (anyone) takes (ah-IH-rohn-TOHS; takes away) Your cloak, do not stop him from taking (mae-koe-LUH-saes; do not forbid) Your tunic. Give to everyone who asks You & if anyone takes (ah-IH-rohn-tohs; takes away) what belongs to You, do not demand (mae-ah-pah-IH-teh-ih; ask for) it back. Do to others as You would have them do to You], that You may be Sons of Your FATHER in Heaven. HE causes HIS Sun to rise on the evil & the good, & sends rain on the righteous & the unrighteous. If You love those who love You, what reward will You get? Are not even tax collectors (teh-LOE-nah-ih) doing that? And if You greet (ahs-PAH-saes-theh) only Your accepted, inner-circle brothers, what are You doing more than others (peh-rihs-SOHN; extraordinary)? Do not even pagans (teh-LOE-nah-ih; tax collectors) do that? The Luke account further adds: If You love those who love You, what credit is that to You? Even "sinners" love those  who love them. And if You do good to those who are good to You, what credit (KHAH-rihs; thanks) is that to You? Even 'sinners' do that. And if You lend to those from whom You expect repayment (ehl-PIHD-zeh-teh  ah-poh-lah-beh-IHN; hope to receive), what credit is that to You? Even "sinners" lend to "sinners," expecting to be repaid in full (IH-nah  ah-poh-LAH-boe-sihn; that they may receive the like). Be perfect (merciful), therefore, as Your Heavenly FATHER is perfect (merciful).

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Psalm 39 A psalm for Jeduthun, for the director of music. Said to: address being purposeless; deal with punishment:

  I said, 'I will watch My ways & keep My tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on My mouth as long as the wicked are in My presence.' But even when I was silent & still, not even saying anything good, My anguish increased. My heart grew hot within Me, & as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with My tongue-- he again flew within the God-radar when he realized that meditating, dwelling on it, just stoked the fire; he decided that even better than a muzzle was to talk to God.

  Show Me, O LORD, My life's end & the number of My days; let Me know how fleeting is My life. YOU have made My days a mere handbreadth; the span of My years is as nothing before YOU. Each man's life is but a breath. Selah

  Man is but a mere phantom as he goes to & fro: he bustles about, but in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it. But now, LORD, what do I look for? My hope is in YOU. Save Me from all My transgressions; do not make Me the scorn of fools. I was silent; I would not open My mouth, for YOU are the One who has done this.

  It's much better to blame God while honoring the God-radar, rather than when not considering-- unlike Job, who blamed God as he spoke to his mockers, & so received God's reproof, necessitating repentance.

  Remove YOUR Scourge from Me; I am overcome by the blow of YOUR Hand. YOU rebuke & discipline men for their sin-- recall that it was specified that Job was to be tested; God declared him blameless & upright both times (see Job 1:8 & 2:3); YOU consume their wealth like a moth-- each man is but a breath. Selah

  Hear My prayer, O LORD, listen to My cry for help; be not deaf to My weeping. For I dwell with YOU as an alien-- Jesus called us friends in John 15:15, a stranger, as all My fathers were. Look away from Me, that I may rejoice again before I depart & am no more.

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