Psalm 28:9

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Psalm 28:9

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

9 Save [yasha`] thy people [`am], and bless [barak] thine inheritance [nachalah]: feed [ra`ah] them also, and lift them up [nasa'] for ever [`owlam].  KJV-Interlinear

9 Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance; Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.  NASB

This psalm is both as prayer for what God does, and a recognition of what God does, for those who belong to Him.  Beginning with the rock foundation from verse one, God is not silent with regard to those who are His.

All who have believed in Christ, in effect, belong to God.  We are His possession, and there is nothing and no one who can remove us from Gods possession.  You cannot even remove yourself from His possession.

And as God owns the entire universe and beyond, then we as His creation, and who have believed in Him, become His inheritance, domain, estate, forever and ever, Num. 18:21, Josh. 13:23, Deut. 4:20, 9:26, 29.

As a possession of His, then He watches over us as a shepherd watches over his flock, guiding them to green pastures, to clear water, protecting them from predators, helping them when they are injured, carrying them when they cannot walk or do for themselves.

In contrast, throughout this psalm, God is silent to those who do not belong to Him, turns His back on those who do not belong to Him, leaving them who do not belong to Him in a pit of doom and despair.

And as such this psalm asks that we as believers and Gods possession, not be treated like those who are not His possession, that we not be numbered among those who do not belong to Him, that we not be dealt with as those who do not belong to Him.

And so it is.  There is a very real and infinite difference between those who are Gods and those who are not.  And the difference between belonging to God or not, rests entirely with each individual person.  By your choice, you either believe in Christ or you refuse to believe in Christ.

God does not force this choice upon you.  God does not decide for you, but leaves that decision entirely up to you.

God certainly warns of the repercussions of disbelief, and makes clear the rewards of belief, but ultimately it is the individual person who decides where their life and future will be.

It would seem that eternal reward and blessing are far more desirable than eternal loss and torment, but then you have to reach that conclusion for yourself.  And not only reach the right conclusion, but then you have to commit your life to that right decision of voluntarily belonging to God, so that your life will have phenomenal meaning and purpose and completeness, and not just coasting along like an empty ship coming from nowhere and going nowhere.

Better to have a purpose, and a direction that is positive and fulfilling as God intends for you.

And then, perhaps maybe you will begin to understand and experience what we studied the other day, the inner music that expresses far more appreciation than any words can.

Psalm 28:8

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Psalm 28:8

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

8 The LORD [Yahovah] is their strength [`oz], and he is the saving [yashuw`ah] strength [ma`owz] of his anointed [mashiyach].  KJV-Interlinear

8 The Lord is their strength, And He is a saving defense to His anointed.  NASB

The difference between these two references for strength, is that ‘oz,’ and ‘ma owz,’ refer not to the act of salvation, but to the process of developing power, through growth.  The first reference for strength, which we studied yesterday, is in reference to power, or inner power due to the existence of bible doctrine within ones soul.

This second reference to strength, is in reference to the power from the source of God, in Christ, who resides within you as a result of the doctrine that you learn through your daily study.

Remember that Jesus Christ is God.  He is also a very real person of human design. He is human.  But also, Christ is the Word of God, and the Word of God is Christ.

So, by learning doctrine through a daily study, we in effect take Christ into our soul, and make Him a part of our inner self.  He becomes an integral part of us.

The Holy Spirit builds within us a structure within our soul.  That structure is constructed of bible doctrine, and the inner strength, ‘ma owz,’ is a direct reference to that structure, or fortification, or rock, or foundation upon which our life sets and is stabilized.

God does this with His anointed.  His anointed are those who have already believed in Him.  People who are believers in Christ.  This distinguishes believers from unbelievers.

Therefore, only believers have access to this inner strength.  Unbelievers do not.

The word for saving, ‘yashuwah,’ refers to help, prosperity, health, welfare.

So, when you learn doctrine, which you learn only by means of pursuing a daily study, then that doctrine is used within your soul, to construct a fortress of power and stability.  That in turn promotes your health, your spiritual health, your prosperity, your spiritual prosperity, and your welfare which is the completion process of yourself.

Without doctrine, you are incomplete.

Without a daily study, you learn nothing, and are in effect living a life separate and apart from Gods design, which by default means that you reject God, by rejecting His plan and design.  You cannot say that you love God but simultaneously do not follow His plan.

However, when you do comply with Gods will, once you learn it, then you will be on a path for the ultimate completion of meaning and purpose for your own personal life, as God intends for you.

But that path requires doctrine, and that doctrine has to be learned before you can know it and benefit from it.

Psalm 28:7

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Psalm 28:7

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

7 The LORD [Yahovah] is my strength [`oz] and my shield [magen]; my heart [leb] trusted [batach] in him, and I am helped [`azar]: therefore my heart [leb] greatly rejoiceth [`alaz]; and with my song [shiyr] will I praise [yadah] him.  KJV-Interlinear

7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.  NASB

Music is an expression of ones deep seeded inner feelings.  Often times there are no words that can be spoken that express how a person feels about something.  But music or even the concept of music, can run deep through ones soul, and through that deep and inner thought process, you can get some idea of how you really feel.

More often, that feeling exists between you and God and no one else.  For only God sees the inner you and therefore, only God can know exactly how you feel, perhaps even better than you do yourself.

But the source of that music within your soul, comes not from the radio or some music player, but from the thought process of your soul, which is able to deeply appreciate all of the gifts and blessings that God has provided for you.

The heart, ‘leb,’ is a reference to the thought activity of your soul.  The heart within the body, is a pump that keeps the blood moving throughout your body.  Similarly, the heart function of the soul, consists of your thought activity.  You keep thinking and thinking and thinking all day long, and in the night too.

Even though some may joke about whether or not there is any activity up inside of your head, that just describes the operation of the soul within you, whether it is apparent to anyone else or not.

Great appreciation is based not simply on emotion, but on the combination of substantive knowledge and experiences.

In order to appreciate something, you have to know about it and often times experience something related to that thing.

In the spiritual life, all knowledge of God or of the spiritual realm, comes from bible doctrine.  Knowledge comes from the daily study of doctrine, and experience comes from the application of that doctrine to ones daily life.

Often times we have bad experiences, because this is the devils world.  But when you are able to put things into perspective, usually in hindsight, and then combine that with your doctrinal knowledge, you begin to see and then appreciate Gods role in your life.

Through your learning of bible doctrine, as well as your daily experiences in this world, your eyes are opened up and you see Gods role within your life more and more.

Then within your soul, you develop strength, which is inner power, which is protected by the shield of doctrine combined with your daily application or experiences in life.  These then develop into your faith, and faith looks to God with trust, which is confidence.

Confidence that, no matter what occurs in your life, you know that God is there, that His plan for your life will never be interrupted or derailed, and thus sooner or later, life will overwhelm you with so much appreciation that you cannot express your inner feelings in words.

You form a song, or music, or deep feelings within yourself, which is known and experienced generally only by you, and God.

Psalm 28:6

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Psalm 28:6

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

6 Blessed [barak] be the LORD [Yahovah], because he hath heard [shama`] the voice [qowl] of my supplications [tachanuwn].  KJV-Interlinear

6 Blessed be the Lord, Because He has heard the voice of my supplication.  NASB

As we have already seen in this psalm, when you know the works and design and dealings of God and how He operates, then the result is confidence and assurance in how He will deal with you and with life in general. 

But more particularly, that no matter what happens in life, there is always a reason which may be obvious but more often may not be obvious, as God places many and various obstacles before us in order to see how we will deal with them.

This tests the very metal of our inner spiritual strength.

If you are spiritually sound, then you will take life's stumbles, no matter what they are, in stride and keep moving forward.

If you are spiritually weak, then you will have many roller-coaster emotional rides through life.

Looking to oneself, sets you up for disappointment after disappointment, because life does not ever go as planned.

Someone once said, that if you want to make God smile, then tell Him ‘your’ plans.

This is the devils world and life will never be prefect in this world.  If you expect that life owes you something or anything, then you are sadly mistaken, because life will squeeze you and squeeze you until you are in tears or worse.  The world is happy when you are unhappy and defeated.

As the previous verse stated, when you do not know Gods works, when you do not know Gods design, when you do not know how God operates, then you are in a sad state.  And when you remain indifferent or defiant toward Gods methods and expectations and mandates, then you are setting yourself up for disaster and extreme sorrow.  And, you are doing all of it to yourself.

The things of this world are unimportant.  Your knowledge of God is very important.  For by that knowledge you gain wisdom and strength and power from within yourself, never dependent on any external thing or event or situation.

And then we arrive at this verse.

When we are knowledgeable, and that means legitimately knowledgeable, then God take notice of us and folds us into His plan as we should be.

That is Gods work, Gods plan, and our benefit.

Our supplications, entreaties, appeals, petitions, etc., are received and heard and dealt with appropriately, and in a manner that is consistent with what God believes is best for us.

Psalm 28:5

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Psalm 28:5

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

5 Because they regard [biyn] not the works [pa`ullah] of the LORD [Yahovah], nor the operation [ma`aseh] of his hands [yad], he shall destroy [harac] them, and not build them up [banah].  KJV-Interlinear

5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord  Nor the deeds of His hands, He will tear them down and not build them up.  NASB

When you watch a movie or a television show, you can always tell who is the bad guy, because they always have the scar or the ugly scowl or they wear black hats and so forth.

But in real life, you cannot tell what a person is like on the inside, just by looking at them.

God however, can look deep into the soul of the individual and know exactly what that person is like.

For it is not what a person looks like, nor even how they present themselves to others, that determines their true character, it is the content of their soul that determines who and what they are.

And whether a person is pretty or ugly, happy or scowling, wearing red or blue or whatever color, then their true nature is what they think, not what they say or do or own or how they dress, or anything else that is on the surface that the public can see.

The truly spiritual person is the person who recognizes God and His will and His mandates, and follows them explicitly.

The phony person, has little or no regard for what God expects or demands, not even Gods plan or design for the individual or even history on the whole.

Phony people make up their own rules, and find ways to justify everything that they say or do or stand for. They will never accept or even recognize their error, never accept the blame for their chosen path in life, will always have an excuse for their position, will always find someone or something else to blame, and above all, will raise to the highest levels the errors of others, but never their own.

The standards of phony people are more important to them, than the standards of God, and even their public acknowledgement of God becomes phony and pretentious.  After all they will nearly always blame God when things do not go their way.

As a result of their rejection of God, which of course they do not believe that they are rejecting God, because they believe that their standards and beliefs are what God wants, but in the face of their false approaches to life, then God rejects them.

When God rejects a person, it does not mean that God simply casts-off or throws away a person, it means that the person will not grow up spiritually, due to the fact that they have rejected the correct growing process.

God never refuses help to anyone.  What happens is that when Gods design is not followed, then the results of Gods design can never be achieved.  And that is the failure of the individual person, not God.

When God says, take ten steps straight ahead and then you will arrive at the intended goal, then most people take steps off to the left and to the right and sideways and on and on in mazes of their own design, with no outlets, and they cannot understand why they cannot find the goal.

Most people do not understand Gods designs, do not understand Gods deeds, do not understand Gods works, because they never take the time to learn them.

Understanding God means learning God.  Learning God requires a study through instruction, a proper study means pursuing spiritual information in the manner that God has authorized for that learning and growth process.

The correct spiritual growth process builds you up.  It builds you up toward a completion of yourself.

Not learning, means that you are not built up, and therefore you fail to become complete.  A failure to grow is the destruction of that growth.  And that failure is all your fault, because you did not do what you are supposed to do, in the correct way.  People need to spend more time examining themselves, and then getting on the right track, rather than appeasing themselves at the expense of others, and never getting anywhere.

Psalm 28:4

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Psalm 28:4

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

4 Give [nathan] them according to their deeds [po`al], and according to the wickedness [roa`] of their endeavours [ma`alal]: give [nathan] them after the work [ma`aseh] of their hands [yad]; render [shuwb] to them their desert [gamuwl]. KJV-Interlinear

4 Requite them according to their work and according to the evil of their practices; Requite them according to the deeds of their hands; Repay them their recompense. NASB

This psalm reaches out to God to apply justice fairly and accurately.  That evil should be judged and punished for evil and that good be evaluated and rewarded for good.

Here evil is in view.

Behind every action within the human realm, there is an intent, a design, a thought, a decision, and then an action.

The phrase, their deeds, encompasses the whole of the activities of the evil person, their thoughts and intents, their design and motives.  All that is behind their overall involvement and responsibility and guilt in what they think and plan and desire and do.

Evil, in every form, does not come by accident, but by decision.  People are to be held accountable and responsible for the sum total of their life.

The wickedness of their endeavors, looks to the quality or result of their activities in life.

Wickedness is the work of evil.  Evil is the policy of Satan and encompasses all that is in opposition to God and good. 

This includes criminal activity of course, but it also includes social wrongs, and human good, which is performed in the name of good, but is originated from the source of arrogance.

There are two forms of good, namely human good and divine good. Human good looks to self for the credit of what one does.  Divine good looks to God who is the originator of all that is good, and from whom all good comes.

Man is undeserving and can claim nothing of or for himself.  All comes to man by means of Gods grace.  Man cannot earn or deserve anything.  Man is the recipient of Gods grace as a gift from God, due to Gods promises and Gods work.

All of mans endeavors from the perspective of evil, originate from self, to the exclusion of God.  They are selfish, and self-centered drives within man, that look not to divine good, but to selfish results.

The work of their hands, is the overt result of all of mans thoughts, intents and decisions.

Thus the term desert, means deserves.  When man produces evil, then he deserves the reward of evil.

God is fair and just.  God deals with the total and overall content of an individuals life.  God does not pick and choose, but deals with everything.  And, God makes fair decisions based on all of the facts.

You cannot fool God.  You cannot misdirect God.  You cannot compromise Gods standards of truth.

Psalm 28:3

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Psalm 28:3

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

3 Draw me not away [mashak] with the wicked [rasha`], and with the workers [pa`al] of iniquity ['aven], which speak [dabar] peace [shalowm] to their neighbours [rea`], but mischief [ra`] is in their hearts [lebab].  KJV-Interlinear

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked And with those who work iniquity; Who speak peace with their neighbors, While evil is in their hearts.  NASB

The metaphor of, draw me not away, is a prayer requesting that the individual will not be treated in the same fashion as evil people will be treated.  Do not include me in with their number.  Do not include me in their judgments or punishments.

And even though there are innumerable examples of evil people who seem nice or sincere or kindhearted on the  outside, their hearts on the inside are evil.

Evil people are defined by the content of their souls.

Bible doctrine in the soul, determines the separation of the good from the bad.

There is no such thing as a victimless crime, nor a victimless sin.   Any and all departures from Gods divine design, is evil by definition.  And if you believe that your choice for something other than God intended, affects only you, then you are greatly mistaken.  For any decision, action or even a thought that is in error, spiritually speaking, will sooner or later have an impact or influence on how others may think, and thus misdirect them into those same compromising ideas.

Social norms and standards generally have the greatest influence and therefore the greatest impact on society and subsequent generations.  The developmental direction of those same social standards sooner or later determines the public standards for leadership or even entertainment.

And as goes the attitude toward doctrine and truth, so goes the direction of society.  And if society intertwines itself in false concepts, then the punishments for those false standards likewise attach themselves to society.

When society is saturated with evil in whatever form, then the punishments likewise can saturate society on a large scale.  And when that occurs, then everyone can be affected.

However, God hears the prayers of those who are obedient to Him, and even though life may swirl out of control around you, there is always that extra and unseen aid that comes to you from heaven.  This does not mean that you will not be affected by the problems of the world, but it does mean that God will bring you help in such a manner that is best for you and compatible with His plan for you.

Simply avoid imitating the thoughts and actions of others, and certainly avoid blaming or complaining.

Learn and know the signs of the times as you would the seasons of the year, and be forewarned of impending difficulties that can be drawn out over long periods of time in their development and their duration, and adjust your life accordingly as best you are able.

Psalm 28:2

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Psalm 28:2

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

2 Hear [shama`] the voice [qowl] of my supplications [tachanuwn], when I cry [shava`] unto thee, when I lift up [nasa'] my hands [yad] toward thy holy [qodesh] oracle [dabiyr]. KJV-Interlinear

2 Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to Thee for help, When I lift up my hands toward Thy holy sanctuary. NASB

Supplications are the pleadings of an inferior toward a superior.  Pleadings of one who is in need, of one who has difficulties, of one who it at a disadvantage, toward one who can help.

To cry out, does not imply tears, but emphasizes the urgency of the request.

Lifting up the hands, signifies neediness, helplessness, surrender, a reaching out.

Toward the holy oracle, is more than the direction of prayer, it is the environment and the disposition and the dispatching of the prayer.  It is a reference to the inner most part of, and the holiest location, wherein God resides and thus hears the requests that are made.  This is the fellowship sphere within which God the Father hears all prayer.  Anything presented outside of fellowship, is not acknowledged.

A lot of people in this world are in need, are helpless and certainly look to someone or something of a higher power for the answer or solution to their situation, but God honors those who honor truth.

And to gain an audience with God, you have to follow His rules of truth, in truth.

God is perfect and He will not deal with imperfection, so, you have to become perfect.  But your perfection must be in accordance with His rules of perfection, not yours.  Perfection is the only way you can enter into His sanctuary.

As God is pure, so you must be pure.  As God is clean, so you must be clean.  As God is just, so you must be just.  As God is righteous, so you must be righteous.  And the terms or these attributes are defined by God, never by man.

Justice and righteousness is accomplished when you believe in Christ.  Cleanliness is accomplished when you confess your sins.  Purity is the state that results when you are in fellowship with God, placing you, positionally, in His presence, as He gives you an audience, and thus hears your petition.

His answer, then of course, depends on many other things that must match up with His plan and reality and truth, and of course what is best for you.

Psalm 28:1

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely

Psalm 28:1

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

1 A Psalm of David [David].

Unto thee will I cry [qara'], O LORD [Yahovah] my rock [tsuwr]; be not silent [chashah] to me: lest, if thou be silent [charash] to me, I become [mashal] like them that go down [yarad] into the pit [bowr].  KJV-Interlinear

1 A Psalm of David.

To Thee, O Lord, I call; My rock, do not be deaf to me, Lest, if Thou be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.  NASB

We live in this world, but the world is nothing more than a foundation built upon sand.  It is temporary and unstable and will never ever get any better than that.   Even the length of our life from birth to death is tentative, uncertain and limited in many respects.

The quality of life for most in this world hangs by a thread if even that.

This is the devils world, and as a world leader, he is an utter failure.

God, on the other hand, maintains the lives of people despite the evils, both Satan’s and man’s, in the world.

The rock of life is found in God through Jesus Christ.  Knowledge of God is by means of bible doctrine.  Access to God is within the framework of fellowship which is attained through confession.

Within that environment, which we call the spiritual environment, is a stability that far exceeds anything in this world and it exists in spite of this world.

However, if you choose to ignore this, if you choose to disregard God and His framework, then you reject the rock of stability in favor of a constantly settling and changing and insecure world, which will always lead you to failure and disaster.

God never rejects anyone, but God will not interact with those who reject Him.  That is a mere courtesy of His grace in respecting your wishes.

But the warning here is very real.  Reject truth, which is what you are doing when you reject Gods plan and procedures and will, and you are throwing away the only stability and security and promise that exists.

The pit, is an expression for the place of despair, sorrow, loss, failure, and worse.  That is the only place that is available to those who lose their connection with God.  And people lose their connection to God, by means of their own decisions to reject Him.  You have only yourself to blame if that is what you choose.

The alternative is for choosing God, by choosing His plan and method for the spiritual life, and thus choosing for happiness, contentment, prosperity, destiny, promise and far, far more.  The promise is much preferred to the pit.