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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
PSALMS 13 AND 14
LESSON #9
ASKING GOD THE RIGHT QUESTIONS;
DEFINITION OF A FOOL
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 13:6
THIS SECTION OF THE PSALMS HAS TO DO WITH FIGHTING THE ENEMY.
READ PSA 13:1-6 THE “HOW LONG” PSALM
WE CAN CALL THIS PSALM THE “HOW LONG PSALM” BECAUSE DAVID ASKS THIS QUESTIONFOUR TIMES IN THIS SHORT PSALM.
THE PRIMARY INTERPRETATION
IN DAVIDS LIFE, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN AN ENEMY PURSUED HIM.
KING SAUL PURSUED DAVID FOR YEARS OUT OF JEALOUSY. DAVID WAS ALSO PURSUED BY THEPHILISTINES WHO WERE THE ENEMIES OF THE JEWS.
IN 1SAMUEL 22 DAVID FLED TO A CAVE. IT WAS IN THIS TIME OF TROUBLE THAT DAVID CALLS TOGOD, “HOW LONG?”
DAVID FEELS AS THOUGH GOD HAS FORSAKEN HIM. HE WAS A SHEPHERD BOY THAT GOD CHOSE ANDRAISED TO A HIGH POSITION IN THE COURT OF KING SAUL. HE WAS THE COMMANDER OF THE ARMYAFTER DEFEATING GOLIATH AND THE PHILISTINES. HE WAS CHOSEN BY GOD TO BE THE NEXT KING. BUTNOW HE RAN FOR HIS LIFE.
YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT GOD WAS DOING. HE WAS WEARY ANDDISCOURAGED.
HE TURNS IN FAITH TO GOD FOR WISDOM.
READ JAM 1:5
GOD SAYS THAT IF YOU LACK WISDOM, GOD WILL GIVE IT TO YOU ABUNDANTLY. DOES THAT MEAN GODWILL ANSWER ALL OUR QUESTIONS? NO. WE MUST ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
JOB ASKED GOD WHY HE HAD TO SUFFER SO MUCH LOSS (JOB 31:35), BUT, IN THE WHOLE BOOK OFJOB, GOD DID NOT ANSWER THAT QUESTION. IT WAS THE WRONG QUESTION TO ASK. WHEN JOB STOPPEDASKING THAT QUESTION, GOD REVEALED TO HIM WHAT HE WANTED HIM TO LEARN…FAITH IN AGOD WHO LOVES THE BELIEVER.
GOD WILL GIVE WISDOM TO THE BELIEVER WHO LISTENS TO GOD AND LEARNS WHAT GOD WANTS HIM TOLEARN.
WISDOM DOES NOT COME SUDDENLY BUT GRADUALLY
HOW DOES DAVID ENCOURAGE HIMSELF WHEN HE FEELS AS THOUGH GOD HAS FORSAKEN HIM? (5-6)
HE SPEAKS HIS FAITH.
HE REASSURES HIMSELF OF THE MERCY OF GOD.
HE PRAISES GOD BECAUSE HE IS SAVED. HE HAS A COVENANT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
HE SINGS TO THE LORD.
CHRISTIAN MUSIC DOES 3 THINGS FOR THE BELIEVER:
1. IT SOOTHES THE SOUL.
WHEN HE WAS IN THE COURT OF SAUL, DAVID WOULD PLAY MUSIC TO SOOTHE SAULS ANGER.(1SAM 16:16-17)
2. THE WORDS LIFT YOUR FAITH ESPECIALLY IF THE WORDS ARE SCRIPTURE.
3. IT HELPS THE BELIEVER TO PRAISE THE LORD.
HE REMINDS HIMSELF THAT GOD HAS BLESSED HIM ABUNDANTLY.
THE PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION:
IN THE LAST 3 ½ YEARS OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL PURSUE GODSPEOPLE, THE CHRISTIANS AND THE JEWS. JEWS WILL FLEE TO THE CAVES IN THE CITY OF PETRA,JORDAN. GOD WILL PROTECT THEM JUST AS HE PROTECTED DAVID IN THE CAVE OF ADULLAM.
BELIEVERS, MARTYRED BY THE ANTI-CHRIST, CRY TO GOD WITH THE SAME QUESTION, “HOW LONG,OH LORD?”
READ REV 6:9-11
GOD DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY ANSWER THEIR QUESTION, BUT HE GIVES THEM PEACE. GOD REVEALS THATHIS TIMING IS PERFECT.
THE SAME IS TRUE OF DAVID. GODS TIMING WAS PERFECT.
PERSONAL APPLICATION:
IN THIS PSALM WE SEE SOME HINDRANCES TO PRAYER:
1. A WRONG CONCEPT OF GOD. (1)
GOD DOES NOT FORGET HIS PEOPLE.
2. TOO MUCH EMPHASIS ON SELF. (1)
“HOW LONG WILL YOU HIDE YOUR FACE FROM ME?
OFTEN WE ASK THE SAME QUESTIONS: “HOW LONG?”, “WHY?”
HOWEVER, WHILE GOD SELDOM ANSWERS THESE QUESTIONS, THE LESSON IS CLEAR:
1. FAITH IN THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD.
2. FAITH IN THE LOVE OF GOD.
3. FAITH IN THE TIMING OF GOD.
THEREFORE, WE ARE TO TRUST HIM ONLY THROUGH IT ALL..
READ PSA 14:1-7 THE FOOLS PSALM
THE PRIMARY INTERPRETATION:
THIS PSALM BEGINS WITH THE DEFINITION OF A FOOL.
HE IS THE PERSON WHO:
1. DOES NOT BELIEVE THERE IS A GOD.
“THERE IS NO GOD (FOR ME)!”
2. DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE GOD.
IN MAT 23:17 AND 19 JESUS CALLS THE PHARISEES, FOOLS.
THE WORD “FOOL” IN HEBREW IS “NABAL”. NABAL IS ALSO THE NAME OF A MANIN DAVIDS LIFE.
READ 1SAMUEL 25:1-3
DAVID WAS FLEEING FROM SAUL. HE AND HIS MEN WERE HUNGRY. THEY ASKED NABAL FOR FOOD. NABALSAID NO.
NABALS WIFE, ABIGAIL, HELPED DAVID. NABAL WAS SO ANGRY THAT HE DIED THAT SAME NIGHT.
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A FOOL? (1-6)
1. HE IS NOT WISE TO WHAT GOD IS DOING.
2. HE IS CONCERNED ABOUT ONLY HIS OWN GREED AND INTERESTS.
3. HE IS CORRUPT.
4. HIS WORKS ARE EVIL.
5. HE IS A SINNER WHO DOES NOT REPENT.
ROM 3:11-12
ALL MANKIND IS IN THIS CATEGORY. THEREFORE, BEFORE YOU AND I CAME TO KNOW THE LORD, WEWERE FOOLS.
6. HE DOES NOT CALL TO GOD, NOR DOES HE THANK GOD FOR HIS FOOD.
7. HE PERSECUTES BELIEVERS.
THE PRAYER FOR SALVATION (7)
EVEN FOOLS CAN EVENTUALLY BE SAVED. YOU AND I ARE EXAMPLES.
THE PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION:
DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, BELIEVERS WILL BE A MINORITY. (2)
THE CHURCH IS ABSENT FROM THE EARTH BECAUSE THE RAPTURE HAS REMOVED ALL BELIEVERS BEFORETHE TRIBULATION BEGINS. WITH THE CHURCH GONE, EVIL REIGNS IN THE TRIBULATION. (3,4)
THE FOCUS OF THIS SALVATION PRAYER IS THE JEWS WHO WILL BE SAVED AT THE SECOND COMING OFCHRIST. (7)
WHEN JESUS RETURN S, HE BRINGS THE SHELTERED JEWS OUT OF THE CITY OF PETRA TO JERUSALEM.
READ ROM 11:26-36
PERSONAL APPLICATION:
WE ARE TO BE WISE IN THE WAYS OF GOD. THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO GAIN THIS WISDOM. WE MUSTSTUDY THE WORD OF GOD TO DISCOVER WHAT GOD IS LIKE, WHAT PLEASES HIM, AND HOW HE WORKS INPEOPLES LIVES. WE CANNOT KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT GOD BECAUSE HIS WAYS ARE HIGHER THANOURS. HOWEVER, WE MUST LEARN ALL WE CAN.
HOMEWORK
PSALMS 15 AND 16
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF PSA 13 AND 14
DO YOU SEEK ANSWERS FROM GOD TO A SPECIFIC PROBLEM IN YOUR LIFE?
WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU ASK HIM?
CONSIDER ASKING HIM THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS REGARDING YOUR PROBLEM:
WHAT CAN I LEARN THROUGH THIS PROBLEM?
HOW CAN THIS PROBLEM CHANGE ME TO BECOME MORE LIKE CHRIST?
HOW CAN GOD USE THIS PROBLEM EN MI VIDA TO MINISTER TO SOMEONE ELSE WHO MAY HAVE THE SAMEPROBLEM?
AS GOD GIVES YOU ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS, WRITE THEM AFTER EACH QUESTION.
PREPARATION FOR PSALMS 15 AND 16
READ PSA 15:1-5
WRITE AN ANSWER TO THE TWO QUESTIONS IN VERSE 1.
READ PSA 16:1-11 A MESSIANIC PSALM
WHAT DOES THIS CHAPTER TELL YOU ABOUT THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST?
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 16:11
