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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
PSALMS 9 AND 10
LESSON #7
DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 10:17
WE CONSIDERED THE STRUCTURE OF THE FIRST 8 PSALMS. PSALMS 2 AND 8 ARE MESSIANIC PSALMSABOUT THE FIRST AND THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST. THE PSALMS BETWEEN 2 AND 8 AREEXPERIENCES DURING THE TIME PERIOD BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
PSALMS 9-15 CONSIDER THE CONFLICT WITH THE ENEMY.
PSALMS 9 AND 10 GO TOGETHER AND MAY ORIGINALLY HAVE BEEN ONE PSALM. THEY ARE UNITEDBECAUSE THEY ARE ORGANIZED AROUND THE HEBREW ALPHABET. EVERY OTHER VERSE BEGINS WITH A NEWHEBREW LETTER. THEREFORE, THEY ARE CALLED “ACROSTIC” PSALMS. WE DO NOT EASILYSEE THAT STRUCTURE IN THE ENGLISH OR THE SPANISH TRANSLATIONS.
READ PSA 9:1-20 FINAL JUDGMENT
THERE IS A MUSICAL INSCRIPTION, “TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN UPON MUTHLABBEN, A PSALM OFDAVID.
WHAT IS “MUTHLABBEN”?
“MUTHLABBEN” MEANS = WRITTEN ON THE OCCASION OF THE DEATH OF A SON (FIRSTBORN).THEREFORE, THIS IS A SONG FOR THE DEATH OF A SON.
WHAT SON?
IN DAVIDS PERSONAL LIFE, HE EXPERIENCED THE DEATH OF SEVERAL SONS:, THE MOST WELLKNOWN ARE:
1. AMNON, HIS FIRSTBORN SON, WHO WAS KILLED BY HIS BROTHER, ABSALOM, AFTER HAVING RAPEDHIS SISTER, TAMAR.
2SAM 3:3 2SAM 13
2. ABSALOM WAS KILLED BY DAVIDS GENERAL WHEN ABSALOM ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OVER THEKINGDOM.
3. DAVIDS INFANT SON BORN TO BATHSHEBA. 2SAM 12:15-18
IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL, THE DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN OCCURRED IN EGYPT DURING THE LASTPLAGUE WHEN MOSES LED THE ISRAELITES OUT OF EGYPT. IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE PASSOVERCELEBRATION WHEN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB WAS PUT ON THE DOOR POSTS.
WE WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS EVENT LATER IN OUR STUDY.
PRIMARY INTERPRETATION:
PRAISE TO GOD (9:1-2)
IN THE DEATH OF A SON, DAVID BEGINS WITH PRAISE TO GOD. HE LOOKS FOR SOME REASON TO GIVEPRAISE TO GOD.
THE ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE (9:3-4)
DAVID DETERMINES TO LOOK BEYOND HIS IMMEDIATE LOSS TO THE ETERNAL FUTURE AND TO A KING WHOHAS JUDGED HIS LIFE JUSTLY.
IT TAKES FAITH TO SAY THAT GOD HAS DETERMINED JUSTLY THOSE THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN YOURLIFE.
DAVID MAY NOT HAVE UNDERSTOOD WHY HIS SON DIED, BUT HE KNEW GOD DID THE RIGHT THING.
DAVIDS CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE JUST JUDGE (9:5-6)AND (9:7-8)
1. GOD IS A JUST JUDGE IN A PERSONS INDIVIDUAL LIFE.
2. GOD IS ALSO A JUST JUDGE IN THE LIFE OF NATIONS. (9:5)
3. GOD IS A JUST JUDGE CONCERNING EARTHLY ENEMIES. (9:6)
4. GOD IS THE ETERNAL JUST JUDGE CONCERNING SPIRITUAL ENEMIES (9:7-8)
THE MERCY OF THE JUST JUDGE (9:9-10)
DAVID DOES NOT ONLY SEE GOD AS JUST, BUT ALSO HE SEES GOD AS A MERCIFUL REFUGE TO THOSE INNEED OF COMFORT.
PRAISE TO GOD (9:11-12)
WHAT A BEAUTIFULLY BALANCED CONCEPT OF GOD, JUSTICE AND MERCY TOGETHER. THIS IDEA PROMPTSDAVID TO PRAISE GOD IN VERSE 11. THIS BALANCE OF JUSTICE AND MERCY IS EXPLAINED IN VERSE12.
A PERSONAL CRY FOR MERCY (9:13-14)
“THE GATES OF DEATH” (9:13)
NOT ONLY IS DAVID SUFFERING FROM THE DEATH OF A SON, BUT HE IS CONCERNED THAT HE IS NEARDEATH HIMSELF.
“THE GATES OF THE DAUGHTER OF ZION” (9:14)
IN OTHER WORDS, IF GOD WILL SPARE HIM, HE WILL PRAISE GOD IN THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM.
THE CONDITION OF EVIL NATIONS AND EVIL PEOPLE (9:15-16) AND (9:17-18)
SIN AND EVIL ARE ITS OWN TRAP THAT PEOPLE, AS WELL AS NATIONS, FALL INTO AND CANTGET OUT. (15-16)
“HIGGAION” = MEDITATION
SELAH (STOP AND THINK ABOUT THAT!)
GOD, THE JUST JUDGE, WILL SEND EVIL NATIONS AND PEOPLE TO HELL, WHILE THOSE WHO ARE HUMBLEAND IN NEED WILL RECEIVE MERCY. (17-18)
A CALL TO LET GOD BE THE JUDGE (9:19-20)
MANS JUDGMENT IS NOT PERFECT. THEREFORE, IT IS BETTER TO ALIGN YOUR THINKING WITHTHE IDEA THAT GOD IS THE BETTER JUDGE.
SELAH (STOP AND THINK ABOUT THAT!)
PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION:
1. GOD, THE FATHER, EXPERIENCED THE DEATH OF HIS FIRSTBORN AT THE HANDS OF EVIL MEN ANDNATIONS. THIS PSALM TELLS US THAT GOD WILL JUDGE JUSTLY THOSE WHO REJECTED AND CAUSED HISDEATH.
2. WHEN WE CONSIDER THE PASSOVER AND THE DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN.
IN EGYPT, WE SEE GOD MAKING A DIVISION BETWEEN THOSE WHO ARE EVIL AND THOSE WHO ARE GODLY.
THE EVIL EGYPTIANS WHO PERSECUTED THE JEWS WOULD BE JUDGED AND SENTENCED TO HELL.
THE GODLY JEWS WHO TRUSTED IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB WOULD BE SAVED.
THIS DIVISION BETWEEN THE GODLY AND THE UNGODLY STILL EXISTS BASED ON THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.
THE FINAL JUDGMENT WILL BE DETERMINED BY THIS DIVISION. THOSE WHO TRUST IN THE BLOOD OFJESUS CHRIST WILL BE SAVED. THOSE WHO DO NOT TRUST IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST WILL BEETERNALLY LOST AND SENTENCED TO HELL.
READ PSA 10:1-18 A PLEA FOR GODS SPEEDY JUDGMENT
THE PRIMARY INTERPRETATION:
THE VICIOUS POWER OF THE WICKED (10:1-2)
WHEN DAVID LOOKS AROUND, IT SEEMS TO HIM THAT THE GODLY PEOPLE ARE LOSING AND THE EVILPEOPLE ARE WINNING. THEREFORE, HE PLEADS WITH GOD FOR THAT JUST JUDGMENT TO COME. (1)
A DESCRIPTION OF EVIL MEN (10:3-4) AND (10:5-6) AND (10:7-8) AND (10:9-10)
1. SELF-CENTERED (3)
2. COVETOUS (3)
3. PRIDE (4)
4. HAS NO INTEREST IN GOD (4)
5. EVERYTHING HE DOES CAUSES PROBLEMS (5)
6. HE MOCKS HIS ENEMIES (5)
7. IN PRIDE, HE THINKS NOTHING BAD WILL HAPPEN TO HIM. (6)
8. HE CURSES (7)
9. HE DECEIVES AND SPEAKS EMPTY THOUGHTS (7)
10. HE FREQUENTLY GOES TO EVIL PLACES (8)
11. HE IS ALWAYS PLANNING SOME EVIL AGAINST OTHERS TO BENEFIT HIMSELF. (8)
12. HE LOOKS FOR WAYS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE (9)
13. HE MAKES HIMSELF TO APPEAR WHAT HE IS NOT IN ORDER TO DECEIVE PEOPLE. (10)
THE RESULTS OF ALL THIS EVIL (10:11-12) AND (10:13-14) AND (10:15-16)
HIS EVIL WAYS FINALLY CAUSE THE EVIL MAN TO DECEIVE HIMSELF SO THAT HE BELIEVES GOD DOESNOT SEE HIM. (11)
HE HAS DEVELOPED A SEARED CONSCIENCE SO THAT HIS CONSCIENCE DOES NOT BOTHER HIM WHEN HEDOES EVIL THINGS.
HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE GODLY PEOPLE CALL FOR JUSTICE, GOD WILL EVENTUALLY JUDGE IT. (12)
THE EVIL PERSON WILL EVENTUALLY HATE GOD BECAUSE DEEP DOWN HE KNOWS GOD WILL REQUIRE HIMTO PAY FOR HIS EVIL WAYS. (13)
GOD, THE JUST JUDGE, WILL SEARCH OUT EVERY SMALL PART OF EVIL AND DESTROY IT. (14-15)
THE RESULTS OF A GODLY LIFE (17-18)
GOD WILL HEAR THE PRAYERS OF THE GODLY MAN AND CAUSE JUSTICE TO REIGN.
THE PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION:
THE UNGODLY, WICKED MAN PROPHETICALLY REFERS TO THE ANTI-CHRIST WHO WILL OPPRESSGODS PEOPLE IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
NOTICE THAT VERSE 15 AND VERSE 18 REFER TO “A MAN”.
HE WILL BE THE SUPREME EXAMPLE OF WICKEDNESS AND EVIL DECEPTION.
READ REV 19:20 HIS FINAL DESTRUCTION
SUMMARY AND PERSONAL APPLICATION:
WHAT DO YOU LEARN IN THESE TWO PSALMS ABOUT JUDGMENT?
1. GOD IS A JUST AND MERCIFUL JUDGE.
HE IS NOT ONLY THE JUDGE AT THE END OF TIME WHEN A PERSONS FINAL DESTINY IS REAPED.BUT HE IS THE JUDGE IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THE DIFFICULT TIMES. HEKNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU. WHEN YOUR PATH IS VERY DIFFICULT, YOU QUESTIONGODS JUSTICE AND ASK “WHY ME, LORD” (SEE 10:1). YOU CAN EITHER PRAISE GODLIKE DAVID OR YOU CAN CURSE GOD LIKE THE WICKED MAN.
2. YOU MUST LIVE YOUR LIFE ACCORDING TO GODS WAYS AND HE WILL BE YOUR REFUGE ANDSTRENGTH.
WHAT DO YOU LEARN ABOUT GODS FAITHFUL REMNANT?
THEY PRAISE AND WORSHIP HIM NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS BECAUSE HE IS WORTHY OF PRAISE ANDBECAUSE HE IS JUST AND MERCIFUL. .
HOMEWORK
PSALMS 11 AND 12
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF PSA 9 AND 10:
HAVE YOU HARBORED ANY BITTERNESS AGAINST GOD FOR SOME EXTREME DIFFICULTY IN YOUR LIFE THATYOU FELT WAS NOT FAIR? DESCRIBE IT HERE.
ASK GOD TO FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS VERY HUMAN FAILURE. PRAY AND BEGIN TO PRAISE GOD FOR WHOHE IS AND FOR WHAT HE DOES IN YOUR LIFE. REMEMBER THAT HE LOVES YOU AND HE KNOWS WHAT HEIS DOING BECAUSE HE IS BOTH JUST AND MERCIFUL.
PREPARATION FOR PSA 11 AND 12
READ PSA 11:1-7 FAITHS BRAVE ANSWERS TO THE COUNSELS OF FEAR
READ JAMES 1:1-8
WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO DAVIDS QUESTION IN PSA 11:3?
READ PSA 12:1-8 THE GODLY MAN IN THE MIDST OF UNGODLY MEN
READ JAMES 3:2-12
WHAT ARE THE SINS OF THE TONGUE?
WHAT ARE DAVIDS WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO YOU WHEN OTHERS SPREAD LIES AND GOSSIPABOUT YOU?
MEMORY VERSE: PSALM 11:4
