| Psalm 5 | Psalm
6 | Psalm 7 | Psalm 8 |
Psalm
9 | Psalm 10 |
Psalms 11-20
Psalms 20-29
1) What attitudes do you see as David begins to pray?(1-2)
2) Why is urgency or earnestness necessary? (See James 5:16-18)
3) Are any of those attitudes important in our attempts to pray effectively?
4) How does David describe his relationship to God, why do you think he uses those terms?
5) What are the three “types” of prayer we see in verses 1 and 2?
hagiyg, haw-gheeg'; from an unused root akin to Hebrew 1897 (hagah); properly a murmur, i.e. complaint :- meditation, musing (Strong), a barely audible self-communing (Kidner), inmost thoughts, a sigh, a groan. .
6) Are words always necessary? When might a sigh or a groan say more than a word? When might it be more appropriate to “cry out” to God?
7) What more do we learn about the David’s prayer life in verse 3?
8) Why is expectation important in our praying? (Heb. 11:6)
9) Who is the focus as David prays?
10) Most of the time, he is clearly focused on God, but twice he “glances over his shoulder” to the wicked. How does that affect his praying?
P.C. Craigie: “Psalm 5 illustrates with clarity the polarity and tension which characterize certain dimensions of the life of prayer. On the one side, there is God: on the other, evil human beings. And the thought of the psalmist alternates between these two poles. He begins by asking God to hear him, but recalls that evil persons have no place in God’s presence. He turns back to God again, expressing his desire to worship and his need of guidance, but then is reminded of the human evils of the tongue. Eventually, he concludes in confidence, praying for protection and blessing.” “...the prayer is not only for protection from wicked persons, but also a prayer for protection from becoming like them.”
11) What are some roadblocks to answered prayer that David mentions? (5-6)
12) Instead of arrogance, what attitude does David bring to the Lord’s house? Where does this attitude come from? (7)
13) What does David Ask for? What were his petitions?
14) What is the most important thing you can learn from David’s prayer in Psalm 5?
REFLECT AND APPLY:
15) What attitudes do you bring to prayer? What do you need to learn from David’s example?
16) What burdens on your heart tonight call for sighs? words? groans?
1) As the Psalm begins, how would you describe David’s state of mind? How does he feel about things?
2) What are the causes and/or symptoms of his distress?
3) What causes one to have a sense of God’s disapproval and wrath?
4) David also is going through a “dark night of the soul”, where he doesn’t sense the Lord’s presence. Why does this sometimes happen to people?
5) Is the lack of an “answer” a sign that God has abandoned you? If not, what does it mean?
6) What advice would you give to someone who was going through a “dark night of the soul”, who felt distant from God?
7) Have you ever been so down and depressed that you couldn’t sleep? “For most sufferers it is in the long watches of the night, when silence and loneliness increase and warmth of human companionship is absent, that...pain and grief reach their darkest point.” P.C. Craigie. How does David’s situation compare?
8) In addition to loss of sleep, how else does David describe his condition?
9) How does David deal with his situation?
10) What lessons could we learn here about dealing with times we might fall into depression?
11) When he makes his petition, what does David Ask for?
12) What do we learn about our God through Psalm 6?
13) Why is the last verse so different from the rest of the Psalm? What happened?
“This sudden access of confidence...is most telling evidence of an answering touch from God, almost as if we saw the singer’s face light up in recognition.” Derek Kidner
REFLECT AND APPLY:
14) When life is difficult, where do you turn?
15) Do you need a “touch” from the Lord tonight?
DIGGING: Read Psalm 7
1) In verse 3 and 4, David gives us three "ifs", What are they?
2) Based on the "Ifs", and other information you may see in the Psalm, what was David's reason for writing this Psalm?
"Whereas a false accusation may deceive and convince our fellow human beings, it cannot deceive God" P.C. Craigie
"How do you vindicate yourself or get out from under such false and unjust accusations? If you are innocent of the fault, you cannot even repent of it and make restoration. What can you do? There is only one thing to do, and that is to take your problem to God as David does. We can appeal to God for justice." James M. Boice
"Over this Psalm should be written the sentence: ‘Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?' " Arno Gaebelein (Gen. 18:25)
3) When falsely accused, where does David find refuge? (1) Is this new to him or a regular practice? (See NASB for a more careful translation of the tense)
4) How confident does David feel about his innocence in regards to the accusation?(3- 5,8)
"Only the man who is sure of his innocence in the sight of God would venture to call for such a doom upon himself in the case he had been guilty of the thing wherewith he is charged.. David, therefore represent the cause of the righteous who are unjustly persecuted, as the church always is." H. C. Leupold
5) What does verse 6 show about David's situation? About the way he prays?
6) Is David's concern only for personal justice? (7-9 esp.)
7) Is there a place for praying for justice for those who are unfairly treated or accused?
8) Is God concerned about those that are easily taken advantage of? Why or why not? Can you back it with scripture?
"We have been taught to believe that only fools ask for justice from God and that we need from God is not justice but mercy. In my opinion, this is a point at which C. S. Lewis makes an important contribution. In his Reflections on the Psalms, Lewis beings by distinguishing between two kinds of justice: ultimate or heavenly justice, which is most commonly in the Christian's mind when he considers justice; and limited or earthly justice, which was the primary preoccupation of the jew. These two understandings produce two different attitudes toward judgement. One the one hand, the Christian trembles at the thought of God's judgement, because he thinks of himself as the defendant and knows that he is not innocent. Apart from the substitutionary atonement of Christ, he knows that he stands to be condemned. The Jew, thinking of earthly justice, does not tremble at judgment but seeks or desires it. What is more, he does not think of himself as the defendant. He is the plaintiff. The Christian hopes for acquittal or a pardon. The Jew hopes for a resounding triumph with heavy damages. When justice is distinguished in this way, Christians naturally embrace the more recent and (perhaps) higher conception. But Lewis rightly asks us to yearn for earthly justice also, and work for it." James M. Boice
9) What does it mean to pray "Thy Kingdom Come"? Does David's prayer here give us any clues?
10) Do you long for Justice? Do you long for the King of King and Lord of Lords to take his Throne and Rule? Do you pray for it?
11) How do people normally react when someone falsely accuses them?
12) How does David handle it, and what can we learn from that?
13) How does Jesus example further help our understanding? 1 Pet. 2:19-23
14) What do you learn about God in this Psalm?
15) What do we learn about his attitude toward sin? (Especially 11-13)
16) What is the natural consequence of wickedness and sin? (14-16)
17) When David places his situation in God's hand, what is the result in his attitude and state of mind? (17)
"We do not know from the psalm whether the falsely accused was finally vindicated or his name was cleared; we know only that he came into such a knowledge of God that he could accept his lot...it is better to maintain integrity and continue to suffer injustice, than to sell out to evil and form ranks with the unrighteous." P. C. Craigie
READ PSALM 8.
1) Why would David say that God's name is Majestic or Excellent?
2) What does the creation tell us about the Creator?
3) How might David's background as a shepherd be seen in this Psalm?
4) When he considers God's creation, the stars, planets, etc., how does it make him feel? What thought run through his head?
5) What amazes David about mankind?
6) The word translated "heavenly beings" is Elohim. It is almost always translated God. It was the word used in Genesis chapter 1 to describe the creator. If that were the best translation, what would be the implication of verse 5?
7) What amazing responsibility is given to man? (6) (Gen.1)
8) In practical terms, how should Christians "rule over the works of God's hands"?
9) What do we learn about God that would lead us to echo David's exclamation "How majestic is your name"?
10) How does our position and responsibility add to our exclamation of praise?
REFLECT AND APPLY
11) Have you lost the awe-struck wonder of childhood regarding creation? Regarding God?
12) Are you a good steward of the works of God's hands?
DIGGING: READ PSALM 9
1) How does David praise the Lord?
2) What does it really mean to praise the Lord with "all your heart" or with a "your whole heart"
leb, Hebrew 3820, Strong's: leb, labe; a form of Hebrew 3824 (lebab); the heart; also used (figurative) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything.
"Heart became the richest biblical term for the totality of man's inner or immaterial nature. In biblical literature it is the most frequently used term for man's immaterial personality functions as well as the most inclusive term for them since, in the Bible, virtually every immaterial function of man is attributed to the "heart". By far the majority of the usages refer to either the inner or immaterial nature in general or to one of the three traditional personality functions of man: emotion, thought, or will." Theological Wordbook of the O.T.
3) How does that relate to what Jesus said in John 4:24? In Mark 12:30?
"Worship must have heart and head. Worship must engage emotions and thought. Truth without emotion produces dead orthodoxy and a church full (or half-full) of artificial admirer (like people who write generic anniversary cards for a living). On the other hand, emotion without truth produces empty frenzy and cultivates shallow people who refuse the discipline of rigorous thought. But true worship comes from people who are deeply emotional and who love deep and sound doctrine. Strong affections for God rooted in truth are the bone and marrow of biblical worship." "The fuel of worship is a true vision of the greatness of God; the fire that makes the fuel burn white hot is the quickening of the Holy Spirit; the furnace made alive and warm by the flame of truth is our renewed spirit; and the resulting heat of our affections is powerful worship, pushing its way out in confessions, longings, acclamations, tears, songs, shouts, bowed heads, lifted hands and obedient lives." Desiring God, John Piper, 76, 77.
4) Does worship with all our heart come naturally? It is doing what is comfortable? Why or why not?
5) Why does David praise the Lord?
6) What do we learn about God that should cause us to praise the Lord?
7) What is David's attitude toward the Judgement of God? Why?
8)What wonderful promise is given in verse 10?
9) How much of this psalm is petition? Intercession? Praise and thanksgiving?
10) What does he ask the Lord for?
11) What is David's motivation for his request in verse 13?
12) What is the fate of the wicked?
13) What is the future for the oppressed and needy?
REFLECT AND APPLY:
14) Do you lay a "foundation of Praise and Thanksgiving" or do you rush into your personal requests?
15) Do you really worship and Praise God with your WHOLE HEART? Emotions, Will and Thought?
16) Do you look forward to opportunities to worship God?
DIGGING: READ PSALM 10
1) What is the attitude of the wicked?
2) How do their actions show that attitude?
3) What is the situation the wicked finds himself in? How has he gotten there?
4) Because of his arrogance and apparent success, how does the wicked relate to God? What are his thoughts and attitudes concerning God?
5) Where does the wicked find his security? (6)
6) Is that a source of real security?
7) Where do people today find security? Is it any different for Christians?
8) In addition to attitude and acts of sin, what else results from the evil heart of the wicked? (7)
C.S. Lewis: "I had half expected that in a simpler and more violent age when more evil was done with the knife, the big stick and the firebrand, less would be done by talk. But in reality, the psalmists mention hardly any kind of evil more often than this one, which the most civilized societies share....It is all over the Psalter. One almost hears the incessant whispering, tattling, lying, scolding, flattery and circulation of rumors. No historical readjustments are here required, we are in the world we know."
9) What does the phrase "trouble and evil are under his tongue" suggest about the wicked? (Vs 7)
"The Hebrew poetry conveys the implication that the trouble and iniquity which are "under his tongue" are a source of pleasurable taste and genuine delight to the wicked person. The wicked person not only speaks evil, but positively delights in it." -- P.C. Craigie, Word Biblical Commentary. Psalms vol. 1, p.125--
10) In verses 8-9, what vivid metaphors and similes does the Psalmist use to describe the wicked? What does each of them show about the wicked?
11) How does the wicked perceive his situation, particularly in relationship to God?
12) How is he deceived?
13) Is prosperity, success, lack of adversity, a sign that all is O.K. with God?
14) Is lack of prosperity and success and much adversity, a sign that God is absent? That God doesn't care?
15) How are the victims of evil men described?
16) What is the specific request of the Psalmist?
17) Does the Psalmist believe that God will deal with the injustice?(14)
18) What do we learn of God in this Psalm?
19) What can we learn about prayer from this Psalm?
REFLECT AND APPLY:
20) When do you behave as if God were not looking? As if he was not paying attention to your sin? As if there were no accountability for your actions? What is the truth?
21) What do you do when you see the powerful exploiting the poor, the needy, the lonely, the powerless? Do you take it to the Lord?
If you have comments or suggestions, email me at JeffSyv@concentric.net
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