October 27, 2009
BEING HONEst with god
Psalm 109:9-19
Stephen Hancock
Central Truth
We can tell God our true feelings and desires.
Key Verse | Psalm 109:19
May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on,
or a belt one wears continually!
(Psalm 109:19)
Psalm 109:9-19
9
May his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow!
10
May his children wander about and beg,
seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!
11
May the creditor seize all that he has;
may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!
12
Let there be none to extend kindness to him,
nor any to pity his fatherless children!
13
May his posterity be cut off;
may his name be blotted out in the second generation!
14
May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD,
and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!
15
Let them be before the LORD continually,
that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth!
16
For he did not remember to show kindness,
but pursued the poor and needy
and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.
17
He loved to curse; let curses come
1
109:17
Revocalization; Masoretic Text curses have come
upon him!
He did not delight in blessing; may it be far
2
109:17
Revocalization; Masoretic Text it is far
from him!
18
He clothed himself with cursing as his coat;
may it soak
3
109:18
Revocalization; Masoretic Text it has soaked
into his body like water,
like oil into his bones!
19
May it be like a garment that he wraps around him,
like a belt that he puts on every day!
Dive Deeper | Psalm 109:9-19
Whoa! What is going on in this passage? Why is David flying off the handle like this? What did someone do to deserve this?
If I could divide Psalm 109 into three parts, this would be part two. Yesterday in part one, we read of the sorrow that David felt as a result of the slander and lies that were being told about him. Now in part two, we see David expressing his raw emotions to God. He is angry about the way he is being treated. He is angry at the evil and injustice surrounding him. And he makes clear his idea of how God should judge these people!
Observe David’s ability to tell God his true feelings. Expressing feelings and emotions does not come naturally to me. I have believed the lie that if God is all-powerful and all-knowing, then He already knows how I feel, and I don’t really need to process these feelings and explain them to Him. The truth is that God wants us to vocalize our feelings of anger and sorrow to Him so that He can start healing our spirit and delivering us.
Next, observe David’s ability to trust in God and in God's plan for bringing judgment. As a king, David had the power to take matters into his own hands. He could have wiped out all of these men just by lifting his hand. Instead, he pleaded with God to take vengeance. In doing so, David showed his trust in God and God's promise to one day complete His purpose on earth.
As we will see tomorrow, David concludes this psalm with a prayer for help. Reading this passage challenges me in the areas of my life in which I tend to get stuck between part two and part three. Too often, I rely on my own power and understanding to get me through difficult circumstances. I then fail to take the next steps, starting with expressing my feelings to God, and then trusting Him for strength and deliverance.
Discussion Questions
1. Are there any feelings that you need to communicate to God?
2. In what areas are you stuck and need to take the next steps? Have you trusted God's plan and wisdom in those circumstances?