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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
PSALM 17
LESSON #11
LIVING IN ENEMY TERRITORY
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 17:8
WE ARE IN A SECTION OF THE PSALMS THAT RELATES TO THE CHURCH AGE IN WHICH WE LIVE. THECHURCH AGE BEGINS WITH THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST AND EXTENDS TO THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.
PSALMS 16-41 IS CHRIST IN THE MIDST OF HIS PEOPLE SANCTIFYING THEM.
SOME OF THE PSALMS IN THIS SECTION RELATE DIRECTLY TO JESUS CHRIST AND THE CRUCIFIXION.SOME RELATE MORE TO THE BELIEVER.
PSALM 17 IS A PRAYER BY DAVID. IT PROBABLY WAS WRITTEN WHEN DAVID WAS FLEEING FROM KINGSAUL. HE AND HIS MEN WERE HIDING IN THE WILDERNESS. SAULS ARMY WAS CLOSE TOCAPTURING DAVID. IN SOME WAYS THIS PSALM IS SIMILAR TO PSALM 16. HOWEVER, WHILE DAVID WASAFRAID BECAUSE THE ENEMY PURSUED HIM IN PSALM 16, IN PSALM 17 THE SITUATION IS MOREURGENT. THE ENEMY IS ALMOST UPON HIM.
BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE:
READ 1SAM 23:13-15, 25-28
READ PSA 17:1-15 A PRAYER FOR DIVINE DELIVERANCE
PRIMARY INTERPRETATION:
THE CLAIM OF THE RIGHTEOUS (1-4)
DAVID CLAIMS TO BE RIGHTEOUS AND WITHOUT “FEIGNED LIPS”.
“FEIGNED LIPS” = INSINCERITY OR HYPOCRISY
BECAUSE THE LORD DOES NOT CONVICT HIM OF SIN, HE CALLS ON GOD FOR JUSTICE.
“LET THY EYES BEHOLD THE THINGS THAT ARE EQUAL.”(2)
GOD DOES NOT JUDGE UNEQUALLY. EVERY PERSON IS JUDGED INDIVIDUALLY, PERSONALLY AND EQUALLYACCORDING TO GODS STANDARD. IN OTHER WORDS, DAVID DESIRES GODS PERFECTJUSTICE.
HE WANTS GOD TO BE A JUDGE WHO DOES NOT TAKE BRIBES THE WAY MEN DO.
DAVIDS RIGHTEOUSNESS:
1. HE SPEAKS HONESTLY WITHOUT HYPOCRISY AND INSINCERITY.(1)
2. THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT CONVICT HIM OF ANY SIN. (3)
3. HIS MOUTH DOES NOT SIN:
NO LIES, NO CURSING, NO DIRTY JOKES, NO BLASPHEMY, NO GOSSIP, NO FALSE FLATTERY.
4. HE HAS STAYED AWAY FROM THE PATH OF SATAN (THE DESTROYER) (4)
WOULD IT NOT BE WONDERFUL IF WE COULD ALL BE LIKE DAVID? UNLIKE DAVIDS CALL FORJUSTICE, WHAT WE ALL NEED FROM
GOD IS NOT JUSTICE, BUT MERCY. BECAUSE WE ARE ALL SINNERS, WE DEPEND ON GODSMERCY. HOW CAN DAVID CLAIM HE IS RIGHTEOUS?
1. DAVIDS RIGHTEOUSNESS COMES FROM HIS FAITH IN THE MESSIAH JUST AS OURRIGHTEOUSNESS COMES FROM FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.
2. DAVIDS WORDS PROPHETICALLY ARE THE WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST. WE WILL EXAMINE THISASPECT LATER.
THE REQUEST OF THE RIGHTEOUS: (5-6)
1. KEEP ME IN YOUR PATH, GOD, THAT MY FOOTSTEPS NOT SLIP. (5)
THIS SHOULD BE OUR CONSTANT PRAYER. WE ARE ALL IN DANGER OF SLIPPING CONTINUALLY AS WELIVE IN A SINFUL WORLD WITH MANY TEMPTATIONS AND DECEPTIONS.
EVIDENTLY DAVID WAS AWARE OF THIS DANGER.
2. HEAR MY VOW (SPEECH).
DAVID HAS MADE A PROMISE TO GOD TO BE GODS DISCIPLE.
LIKE WE WHO ARE BELIEVERS, HE HAS GIVEN HIS HEART TO THE LORD. HE HAS MADE A COMMITMENT TOSERVE GOD AND TO BE OBEDIENT.
THE SPECIAL POSITION OF THE RIGHTEOUS: (7-9)
BECAUSE DAVID BELONGS TO GOD, HE CALLS FOR GODS LOVING KINDNESS. (7)
DAVID UNDERSTANDS THE CONDITION OF SALVATION:
ONLY THOSE WHO TRUST IN THE LORD ARE SAVED.
THERE IS A POPULAR BELIEF IN SOCIETY THAT EVERYONE IS SAVED. IT IS CALLED”UNIVERSALISM”.
SOME PEOPLE SAY IT DOESNT MATTER WHAT YOU BELIEVE, BECAUSE ALL ROADS LEAD TO GOD.
WE SEE THIS DOCTRINE IN TELEVISION SHOWS, NEW AGE PHILOSOPHY, AND NEW AGE GLOBAL”TOLERANCE”.
DAVID KNEW GODS TRUTH. IT TAKES A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. YOU MUSTPUT YOUR TRUST IN HIM TO BE SAVED.
OF COURSE, THE ENEMY TO WHICH DAVID REFERS IS SATAN WHO STANDS BEHIND ALL EVIL MEN.
“KEEP ME AS THE APPLE OF THE EYE…” (8)
THERE ARE 2 MEANINGS OF THE WORD “APPLE” IN THIS VERSE AND BOTH GIVE US ANACCURATE INTERPRETATION.
1. “APPLE” MEANS = DAUGHTER
THE IDEA IS THAT A PARENT LOVES HIS DAUGHTER SO MUCH THAT HE KEEPS WATCH OVER HERCONSTANTLY.
2. “APPLE” MEANS = THE PUPIL OF THE EYE
THE IDEA IS THAT BECAUSE THE PUPIL IS ALWAYS AT THE CENTER OF THE EYE, THE BELIEVER ISALWAYS AT THE CENTER OF GODS VISION.
“HIDE ME UNDER THE SHADOW OF THY WINGS” (8)
THE IDEA IS THAT GOD IS LIKE A MOTHER BIRD WHO PROTECTS HER BABIES BY PLACING HER WINGOVER THEM TO KEEP THEM CLOSE TO HER.
RIGHTEOUS PRAYER AGAINST THE ENEMY (10-12)
“THEY ARE ENCLOSED IN THEIR OWN FAT” (10)
HIS ENEMY IS CONCERNED WITH HIS OWN GREED AND PRIDE.
“THEY HAVE COMPASSED US IN OUR STEPS.” (11)
THIS VERSE TELLS US THAT THE ENEMY IS VERY CLOSE.
“LIKE A LION THAT IS GREEDY OF ITS PREY” (12)
HE HAS BEEN PURSUED LIKE A HUNGRY ANIMAL.
RIGHTEOUS REQUEST: (13-14)
“DELIVER MY SOUL FROM THE WICKED, WHICH IS THY SWORD.”
SOMETIMES GOD USES EVIL PEOPLE TO DO HIS WILL. IN THE BACKGROUND PASSAGE WE READ IN 1SAMUEL 23, GOD USED AN INVASION BY THE PHILISTINES TO ATTRACT SAULS ATTENTION AWAYFROM PURSUING DAVID. THE PHILISTINES WERE A CONSTANT ENEMY AGAINST ISRAEL.
DAVID CALLS FOR PUNISHMENT ON 3 GENERATIONS: (14)
WORLDLY MEN WHO REAP THEIR GREEDY REWARD IN THIS LIFE. THEY PRODUCE GREEDY CHILDREN, WHOIN TURN,
LEAVE THEIR WORLDLY WEALTH TO THEIR CHILDREN.
THE RIGHTEOUS CONSOLATION IN AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE: (15)
“AS FOR ME…”
DAVID DETERMINES TO REMAIN WITH GOD. HE WILL NOT LOOK WITH ENVY AT THE UNSAVED WORLDLYPEOPLE WHO SEEM TO HAVE MORE THAN HE DOES. INSTEAD HE WILL KEEP HIS EYES ON THE LORD ANDHIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. AS HE DOES THAT, HE WILL BECOME MORE AND MORE LIKE THE LORD. THEN, WHENHE SEES THE LORD FACE TO FACE, HE WILL KNOW IT HAS BEEN WORTH IT ALL. HE WILL BESATISFIED.
SUMMARY:
WHAT DOES DAVID SAY ABOUT GOD IN PSALM 17?
1. GOD IS JUST.
2. THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD CONVICTS US OF SIN. (3)
3. THE LORD GIVES US THE STRENGTH TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE (5)
4. GOD HEARS THE PRAYERS OF HIS PEOPLE (6)
5. GOD SHOWS BELIEVERS HIS LOVING KINDNESS (7)
6. GOD SAVES US. (7)
7. GOD PROTECTS HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR ENEMIES (7-8)
8. GOD KEEPS US INTIMATELY CLOSE. (8)
9. GOD IS A LOVING PARENT (8)
10. GOD EVEN USES EVIL PEOPLE WHEN IT BENEFITS GODS PURPOSE. (13)
11. GOD WILL MAKE THE STRUGGLES OF THIS LIFE WORTH IT ALL IN ETERNITY. (15)
THE PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION:
THIS PSALM BEGAN WITH THE IDEA THAT DAVID WAS RIGHTEOUS. ONE REASON DAVID SAYS THESETHINGS IS BECAUSE HE SPEAKS PROPHETICALLY ABOUT JESUS CHRIST. JESUS WAS WITHOUT SIN. HE ISTHE ONLY ONE WHO COULD HONESTY SAY THAT IN HIMSELF HE IS TRULY RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD, WHOSELIPS DID NO SIN.
READ 1PET 2:22-23.
PROPHETICALLY THE ENEMY IN THIS PSALM IS SATAN WHO SOUGHT TO DESTROY JESUS BY USING EVILMEN TO CRUCIFY THE SON OF GOD. THE PROPHETIC MESSAGE IN THIS PSALM REFERS TO JESUS CHRISTAND THE DAYS WHEN HIS ENEMIES WERE GATHERING AND CONSPIRING TO CRUCIFY HIM.
PERSONAL APPLICATION:
DAVID WAS IN ENEMY TERRITORY WHEN HE WROTE THIS PSALM. BELIEVERS LIVE IN ENEMY TERRITORYBECAUSE THIS WORLD SYSTEM HAS BEEN SOLD TO SATAN. HOWEVER, WE CAN KNOW THAT GOD ISINTIMATELY CLOSE TO US. LIKE A LOVING PARENT, HE NEVER LETS US OUT OF HIS SIGHT. HE ALWAYSPROTECTS US.
HOMEWORK
PSALM 18
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF PSA 17
READ PSA 17:6-8
IF YOU ARE PRESENTLY IN A DESPERATE SITUATION IN YOUR LIFE, USE THESE VERSES TO ENCOURAGEYOURSELF AS DAVID DID. YOU CAN WRITE THEM DOWN AND PUT THEM ON YOUR REFRIGERATOR OR INYOUR CAR. DAVID TALKED TO HIMSELF OUT LOUD USING WORDS OF FAITH. YOU CAN DO THAT, TOO. TRYIT THIS WEEK.
PREPARATION FOR PSA 18
READ PSA 18:1-50
WHAT ONE MAJOR EVENT IN THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST DO YOU THINK THIS PSALM REFERS? MAKE ALIST OF THE VERSES THAT SPECIFICALLY RELATE TO THIS EVENT.
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 18:19
