Day #25 (Psalms 37 & 38) – “God Will Not Forsake”

GATHERING

THE CALL | Daniel 3:17b–18 [ESV]
“Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

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[Image: Psalm 124 | Mitch Collier, “Snare Broken”]

CONFESSION 
Father, we long to have the courage to worship you in the face of danger, neglect, or public shame, but we confess that we often fall short. Our small daily compromises corrode the foundation of our faith and when trials come, we crumble. Teach us to trust you even when we do not face the fire furnace, and in doing so, lead us to greater trust and confidence in you. Teach us to recognize your presence with us in any circumstance.  

ASSURANCE | Isaiah 41:10 [ESV]
fear not, for I am with you;
    be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

SING | Doxology [sheet music]
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen

WORD
Day #25 (Psalms 37 & 38) – “God Will Not Forsake”
[Jan 31]
Read Psalm 37:1-11, and Psalm 38:1-12
Second Readings: Psalm 37:12-40, and Psalm 38:13-22
 
We will consider both psalms today, comparing and contrasting them.  First of all both Psalm 37 and Psalm 38 deal with God’s faithfulness.  The ESV bible entitles[1] Psalms 37, “He Will Not Forsake His Saints”, and Psalm 38, “Do Not Forsake Me, O Lord.”  This shows that the theme of God’s faithfulness to people in beleaguered circumstances is found in both psalms. 
 
With that in mind, the contrast between the psalms becomes more striking.  Psalm 37 is written from the perspective of an outsider looking in at a difficult situation and encouraging someone to endure.  It is as if David is a wise old counselor who identifies with a struggling friend and says, “Fret no yourself with evildoers…for they will soon fade like the grass (Ps 37:1-2.)”  David goes on to promise that, ultimately, “the wicked will perish (Ps 37:20)”, but “the meek shall inherit the land (Ps 37:11.)”  The psalm functions an expression of wisdom about God’s faithful presence in the world.  In the NT, Jesus shares similar wisdom in his sermon the mount, though we understand that the fulfillment of these promises does not necessarily happen in this lifetime.  (See Matthew 5:15.) 
 
By contrast, Psalm 38 is very personal and volatile.  David does not share this psalm from the perspective of an outsider who looks in at someone else’s problem and offers counsel.  Instead, he expresses this psalm from inside the problem.   David writes, “I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning (Ps 38:6.)”  Not only is this personally, but it is emotional.  David really feels this problem.  It reminds us that our struggles are not things that we easily set aside.  Psalm 37 encouraged us to remain steadfast when evildoers seem to prosper.  But, Psalm 38 reminds us that the process of remaining steadfast is full of twists and turns.  
 
Finally, Psalm 38 reminds us that our experience of suffering is often complex.  While Psalm 37 points us to the promise that God works for the righteous and against the evildoers, Psalm 38 paints a more nuanced picture.  In particular, sinful humans never experience suffering with purity of heart.  Our own situation is often mixed and complicated.  Dave writes as someone who sins and who is sinned against.  That is, he has enemies that are outside of him, but also evil has a root in his own heart.  We see both of these in one of the closing verses, “I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.  But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully (Ps 38:18-19.)”  Fortunately, the faithfulness of God is expressed even hear.  God hears those that cry to him for mercy.  He will not forsake us when we face our foes and when we battle against our own sin. 
(Matt Koerber) 

[1] When you read headings like this in your Bible it is important to recognize that they are not part of the original text, but are put there by the translators to help you identify different sections.  Usually, these headings are written in bold faced type.  The headings will be different between different translations of the Bible, but they often emphasize similar themes in each section.  By contrast the Psalms often include fine print statements that either follow or precede the psalm.  These superscriptions are found in the Hebrew texts, though it is not clear when or how they came to be attached to the psalm.  For example, Psalm 37 has a superscription that reads, “Of David”, and Psalm 38 has a superscription that reads, “A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering.”  These will be quite similar across the breadth of English translations since they are starting with the same Hebrew text.  

ABIDING
SING

• Psalm 124 | He’s On Our Side [recording] [sheet music]

Optional Meditation: Psalm 124 | Responsorial Chant [demo recording] [chant setting pdf]
If we could tour history and listen to how God’s people have sung the Psalms throughout the centuries, it would probably sound like chant to our ears. Common meter and western melodic structures did not exist for most of human history. While our hearts engage more naturally with western sounds, chanting the Psalms can still be an excellent way to let God’s Word minister to you. There are many modern forms of chant, but here is an example of Responsorial Chant, where the cantor (chanter) uses a tone to sing through the bulk of the text. The refrain is sung by the congregation as a way of reflecting and responding to the Psalm text. The red dots signify to the cantor where to go to the next tone phrase. There are many chant resources if you want to investigate more, or you can create your own chant tone as well! 

MONDAY-LECTIO DIVINA | Psalm 124
We memorize things we value. The brain has an incredible ability to remove information that we don’t need. As we make an effort to memorize the Psalms, the beginning of each week seeks to establish the value of God’s Word in our hearts before we view it as information to be remembered. Read more about the Lectio Divina HERE.

1. Receive God’s Word from Psalm 124 as a gift as you read or listen. 
2. Re-read and meditate on the meaning of the Psalm. If you are in a group, briefly share an idea that applies to your life. 
3. Re-read and pick an attribute of the Psalm and pray from it in your own words.
4. Re-read and silently contemplate how God has spoken to you through his Word.

SENDING
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, 
hallowed be your Name, 
your kingdom come, 
your will be done, 
on earth as it is in heaven.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. 
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, 
Amen.

Isaiah 40:31 [ESV]
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint