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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
PSALM 35
LESSON #27
THE IMPORTANCE OF SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 35:18
PRIMARY INTERPRETATION:
PSALM 35 WAS WRITTEN BY DAVID DURING THE DAYS WHEN SAUL PERSECUTED HIM. THIS PSALM IS APRAYER AGAINST KNOWN AND HIDDEN ENEMIES. DAVID LEARNED A LOT DURING THIS TIME THAT HELPEDTO FORM HIS CHARACTER. THESE LESSONS WERE NECESSARY TO PREPARE DAVID TO BE A STRONG KINGWITH MANY ENEMIES, BOTH NATIONALLY AND PERSONALLY.
READ 1SAM 24:1-12, 16-20
DAVID HAD BEEN ANOINTED TO BE THE KING, BUT SAUL WAS STILL THE KING. DAVID AND HIS MENHIDE IN A LARGE CAVE. SAUL AND HIS MEN SPEND THE NIGHT IN THE CAVE UNAWARE THAT DAVID ANDHIS MEN ARE HIDING IN THAT SAME CAVE. DURING THE NIGHT DAVID FINDS SAUL SLEEPING AND CUTSOFF THE BOTTOM OF HIS CLOAK. AFTER THAT ACTION, THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTS DAVID OF HIS SIN,AND DAVID IS ASHAMED. OF COURSE, DAVID COULD HAVE KILLED SAUL. WE CAN CONGRATULATE DAVIDTHAT HE DID NOT.
WHY WAS THIS ACTION OF CUTTING SAULS ROBE SO BAD THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT SHOWED HIMTHAT THIS WAS A SIN?
READ ROM 13:1-2
SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY IS AN IMPORTANT BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE.
THIS PRINCIPLE OF AUTHORITY MEANS ANYONE WHO IS IN AUTHORITY OVER YOU.
A. PARENT OVER A CHILD
B. HUSBAND OVER A WIFE
C. THE PASTOR AND ELDERS OVER A CHURCH BODY.
D. A GOVERNMENT LEADER OVER THE PEOPLE
HOW DID DAVIDS ACT SHOW DISRESPECT FOR SAUL, THE KING?
SEWN INTO THE HEM OF A ROBE, A MAN CARRIED A SMALL OBJECT THAT WAS HIS PERSONAL SEAL OFAUTHORITY. WHEN HE SIGNED ANY LEGAL AGREEMENTS, HE PRESSED THE HEM OF HIS ROBE INTO SOFTWAX TO MAKE A SEAL. THEREFORE, THE HEM OF THE ROBE WAS A MANS MARK OF IDENTITY ANDAUTHORITY.
WHEN DAVID STOLE THE HEM OF SAULS ROBE, HE WAS REMOVING SAULS MARK ANDIDENTITY OF AUTHORITY.
WASNT DAVID JUSTIFIED TO KILL SAUL IN SELF DEFENSE?
HE CERTAINLY HAD CAUSE, BUT IT WAS NOT GODS WILL FOR DAVID TO TAKE SAULS LIFE.WHY?
READ ROM 12:19
GOD WOULD END SAULS REIGN IN HIS PERFECT TIMING. DAVID WOULD LEARN VALUABLE LESSONSWHILE HE WAITED FOR GODS PERFECT TIMING.
GOD WANTED THE NATION TO BE UNIFIED. THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE WHO FAITHFULLY FOLLOWED KINGSAUL. IF DAVID HAD KILLED SAUL, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO HOPE OF A UNIFIED NATION UNDERDAVID.
PRIMARY INTERPRETATION AND PERSONAL APPLICATION:
READ PSA 35:1-8, 19-26 DAVIDS PRAYER AGAINST HIS ENEMIES
DAVID PRAYS AGAINST HIS ENEMIES IN TWO PARTS OF THIS PSALM.
WE HAVE SEEN THIS KIND OF PRAYER BEFORE IN THE PSALMS. REMEMBER THAT IT IS AN OLDTESTAMENT PRAYER WHICH WOULD BE WRONG FOR A NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER TO PRAY THIS WAY. WHY?
READ MAT 5:44-45a
JESUS TELLS US NOT TO PRAY AGAINST OUR ENEMIES BUT TO PRAY FOR THEM.
EVEN THOUGH DAVID PRAYS AGAINST HIS ENEMIES IN PSA 35:1-8, HE DOES UNDERSTAND THATVENGEANCE BELONGS TO GOD. (3, 4, 5, 6, 8) (23, 26)
HE PRAYS THAT GOD WILL:
1. STOP THE PROGRESS OF HIS ENEMY (3)
2. CAUSE CONFUSION IN HIS ENEMYS PLANS (4, 26)
3. SEND AN ANGEL TO PURSUE AND PERSECUTE HIM (5-6)
4. CAUSE HIS ENEMY TO STUMBLE AND FALL (6)
5. CAUSE HIS ENEMY TO FALL INTO HIS OWN TRAP (8)
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO SAUL IN THE END. (1SAM 31) GOD ANSWERED THIS PRAYER.
SAUL HAD THE MILITARY ADVANTAGE IN THE BATTLE WITH THE PHILISTINES. HOWEVER, HE WASPROBABLY BETRAYED BY SOME OF HIS OWN MEN.
READ PSA 35:9-10, 27-28 THE WAY TO VICTORY
NOTICE THAT DAVID STOPS CONCENTRATING ON HIS PROBLEM AND TURNS HIS FOCUS TO THE LORD.
HE USES HIS FAITH TO PRAISE THE LORD FOR HIS SALVATION.
REMEMBER THE WORD “SALVATION” IS NOT JUST SPIRITUAL SALVATION BUT PHYSICAL ASWELL. GOD PROMISED HIM HE WOULD BE KING. HE ONLY NEEDS TO USE HIS FAITH TO REMIND HIMSELFTHAT GOD WILL SAVE HIM FROM HIS ENEMY, KING SAUL.
NO MATTER HOW BIG DAVIDS PROBLEM, WE ALWAYS SEE HIM GIVE PRAISE TO GOD IN EVERYPSALM.
APPLICATION:
WHAT PRINCIPLES DO WE DISCOVER IN THIS PSALM FOR DEALING WITH ENEMIES?
1. REMEMBER WHO HAS AUTHORITY IN OUR LIVES AND WHO IS IN CONTROL OF THE SITUATION…IT ISGOD
2. REMEMBER THAT VENGEANCE BELONGS TO GOD.
3. REMEMBER THAT OTHER BELIEVERS ARE NOT OUR ENEMY.
EVEN THOUGH WE SOMETIMES SEE OTHER BELIEVERS AS THE ENEMY, IT IS SATAN WHO IS THE ENEMYBEHIND THE SITUATION.(EPH 6:12)
IT IS SATAN WHO WANTS TO CAUSE DIVISION AND A LACK OF UNITY AMONG BELIEVERS. HE DOES THISBY CAUSING DISCONTENT AND FRUSTRATION WITH THOSE WHO ARE IN AUTHORITY OVER US. THIS WASTHE PROBLEM MOSES HAD IN THE WILDERNESS WHEN THE PEOPLE MURMURED AGAINST HIM. THIS LEADSTO REBELLION AGAINST AUTHORITY. LIKE DAVID, WE MUST LEARN TO HAVE RESPECT FOR AUTHORITYEVEN THOUGH WE MAY DISAGREE WITH HIM.
4. REMEMBER THAT FOCUS ON GOD AND PRAISE TO HIM IS THE WAY OF VICTORY OVER ANY SITUATION.
PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION:
THERE IS A SECTION OF THIS PSALM THAT I PURPOSEFULLY DID NOT READ BECAUSE IT IS MOSTLYPROPHETIC.
READ PSA 35:11-18 THE GROUP OF ACCUSERS AND MOCKERS
THOUGH DAVID HAD PEOPLE WHO MOCKED HIM FOR KILLING GOLIATH BUT HAVING A GREAT FEAR OF KINGSAUL, THIS PASSAGE MORE APPROPRIATELY FITS JESUS CHRIST.
1. THE FALSE WITNESSES AGAINST JESUS AT HIS TRIAL (11) MAT 26:54-68; MAR 14:55-65
2. JUDAS, THE ONE WHO BEGAN AS A FRIEND AND THEN BETRAYED HIM (14)
3. THE BEATING AND CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS (15-16)
THIS SECTION IS ALSO PROPHETIC OF THE JEWS IN THE TRIBULATION:
THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL PURSUE AND PERSECUTE JEWS IN THE LAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS OF THETRIBULATION.
READ MAT 24:16-21 (REV 12:5-10)
THERE IS ALSO A PROPHETIC VIEW OF ETERNITY IN THE MEMORY VERSE. (18)A GREAT MULTITUDE OFBELIEVERS WILL PRAISE GOD FOR ALL ETERNITY.(REV 7:9-10)
HOMEWORK
PSALM 36
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF PSA 35
WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THE FOLLOWING AUTHORITIES IN YOUR LIFE?
GOD
YOUR PASTOR
YOUR HUSBAND (IF YOU HAVE ONE)
YOUR PARENTS (IF YOU ARE CHILD)
YOUR EMPLOYER (IF YOU HAVE ONE)
YOUR PRESIDENT
PREPARATION FOR PSA 36
READ PSA 36:1-4
WHEN A NEW BABY IS BORN, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE CONDITION OF HIS HEART? (JER 17:9 MAT15:19) WHY?
READ PSA 36:5-12
WHAT IS DAVIDS ANSWER FOR THIS HEART PROBLEM?
WHAT DO YOU LEARN ABOUT GOD IN THIS PSALM?
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 36:11
