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Psalms

Psalm 30

By Pastor Doug
Thanksgiving for delivery from death.
A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the house of David.

Toward the end of David's life he had sinned when he took a census.  This is found at the end of 2 Samuel.  David made the mistake of finding comfort in great numbers instead of the Lord.  As a result David had to make a decision of what punishment he would receive.  His choices were seven years of famine; 3 years at the hands of his enemies or three years of pestilence.  David's choice was to fall into the hand of the Lord and not in the hand of man.  The pestilence came upon the land as the result of David's sin and 70,000 people died.  The hand of the destroying angel was stayed at the floor of Araunah (or Ornan) the Jebusite.  David purchased that land…….and later purchased the land around it which was Mt. Moriah.  On this land David's son would build the temple, or the house of the Lord.


 


This Psalm is a song written for the dedication of the house of God.  This was not intended to sound like it would be sung when David's house was built.  The Palm was written toward the end of David's life when it was clear the temple would be built after his death.  David didn't live to hear this song in the temple.


  


1I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up,
         And have not let my foes rejoice over me.
To extol God is to have a high and honorable view of Him.  While others dishonor, despise and blaspheme God, David said he would extol Him.  David's response to the Lord was because the Lord had lifted Him up.  By Grace, the Lord had saved David.  He was brought up from the pits of hell.  His soul was removed from all that was deserved and in spite of what he was and what he deserved, God lift Him up.  God made something more of David than he deserved.  We could all say that.  God raised us up and made something of us.  He gave us an incredible inheritance that we couldn't come close to deserving. 


 


David was raised up by the Lord where the enemies could not rejoice over him.  David received a severe chastening from the Lord.  But that chastening was delivered in love.  To be turned over to his enemies was a punishment David didn't want to think about. 


 


 2 O LORD my God, I cried out to You,
         And You healed me.


Once again we see David bring his case to the Lord.  This seems to be one of the strongest and most overriding themes in all the Psalms.  David didn't cry out for mercy; he didn't cry out to his friends or family.  He cried out to the One of whom he owed his life, his breath, and his heartbeat.  And that One healed Him.  This healing is to remove distress, to physically heal or to be made safe in some way.  Our soul finds all those things in the presence of the Lord. 


 


We know the Lord our God is the great Physician.  He is our creator and it is in Him we find the power to heal whatever is wrong with us.  All healing is divine.  Sometimes God works through doctors, medicine, through people, life, love, laughter and many other things.  Then sometimes he heals us instantly.



 3 O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave;
         You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
The declaration David makes here is definitive.  David didn't get lucky.  He didn't skirt or cheat death because of some act on his part.  God saved him.  David was sure of it, his statements are very declarative.  God brought his soul up from the grave; God kept him alive; God kept him from the pit. 



 4 Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His,
         And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
The Psalmist and the song call on us to sing along.  It's not enough for one to sing the praise but the whole assembly of saints must join in.  They will join in songs that sing praise and give thanks when they remember His holy name.  Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty.  Regardless of our circumstances we can always look back at what He has done and sing to Him in the highest of reverence and awe.


 


 5 For His anger is but for a moment,
         His favor is for life;
         Weeping may endure for a night,
         But joy comes in the morning.
In God's anger David and the people of Jerusalem were chastened with pestilence.  But that time of God's anger is a short time.  He is a loving father and He takes no delight in these times.  His favor is for life and when the Lord looked at the chastening we see Him in 2 Samuel 24:16 stop the angel and say that it was enough. 


 


Seventy thousand people died in this moment of God's anger.  God's anger is serious; we cannot just rely on God's mercy and grace; we also fear Him and stay clear of his wrath.  Although He favors life, his anger is very real.


 


David knew these times would pass.  The long nights of pain and sorrow seem to last forever.  Those seasons in life when we are down and life seems to be stacked against us seem relentless, endless and without mercy.  But there is a time coming.  The sun will rise from those long nights that we all must endure.  The sun will come up on a new morning and we can find joy again.


 


In each believers life there was a time when we the night ended and we found a new morning, a new beginning in Jesus Christ.  That resurrection morning brought a joy that is available to all men.  The darkness of the reign of evil and sin has ended and there is joy in the New Light of Jesus Christ. 


 


Lamentations 3:22


22 Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed,
      Because His compassions fail not.
       23 They are new every morning;  


         
 6 Now in my prosperity I said,
         "I shall never be moved."
 7 LORD, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong;
         You hid Your face, and I was troubled.


This 'prosperity' is careless or carefree existence and assurance found in present circumstances.  Wiersbe said, "Prosperity without humility can lead to adversity."  Another commentator put it this way, "No temptation is so bad as tranquility.  David sat on his throne toward the end of his days and felt that he had somehow arrived where God had brought him.  He felt like he was beyond ever falling again.  In his prosperity he found comfort and he fell to that temptation to rely on his prosperity instead of the Lord.  He didn't think he could be moved.  It was by God's favor that his mountain was strong.  It was God who gave him favor and put him on the throne.  And the minute God hid His face, David was troubled.   


        
 8 I cried out to You, O LORD;
         And to the LORD I made supplication:
 9 "What profit is there in my blood,
         When I go down to the pit?
         Will the dust praise You?
         Will it declare Your truth?
 10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me;
         LORD, be my helper!"
David pled his case before the Lord.  He cried out to Him and made his prayers and supplications to the Lord.  He makes the argument to God that if he goes down to the pit; if he dies then David couldn't praise Him.  David said to God if he was allowed to die then he wouldn't be able to sing any more Psalms to Him.  If he was kept alive he would praise the name of the Lord and he would declare God's truth.  The Lord is our help and our only help.  God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46). 


 


The prosperity David felt was fleeting.  Suddenly David is fully aware that he is but a breath and a heartbeat away from the grave.  He went from feeling as though he could not be moved to knowing that death was always near and that our days are numbered by the Lord.


         
 11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
         You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
 12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
         O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.


David went from this horrible night of mourning in sackcloth to finding a new joy in the morning.  He was suddenly clothed in gladness and dancing instead of being downtrodden.  When the joy came in the morning, David said, his glory was singing praise to God.  He gives the Lord all the glory and gives Him thanks forever.