Psalm 138

This Psalm provides a wonderful illustration of the principle that all Scripture points to Christ.  It is a Psalm of David and is not one of the classic Messianic Psalms (e.g. 22,45,110, etc).  And yet you see the Messiah all throughout the short Hymn and highlighting a different major truth in each stanza.

·        138:1-3: David is full of whole-hearted praise to God.  It is focused on the temple, the place of the Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat, the one place on earth where God said He would dwell with men.  It is focused on the great twin attributes of God: lovingkindness and truth (HeHHeb. checed and emeth).  What did God do?  He magnified His word; He was faithful to His word.  And in what way did God do that?  He answered David’s prayer for inner strength in the face of adversity.  God had told David He would give him success and God was true to His word.  Note that David vows to sing praise before the gods.  This is a Psalm that involves the nations; perhaps David means he will exalt the LORD God of Israel before the gods of those nations.  Or the term, elohim, can refer to mighty men such as those in the next stanza.  So our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, will reign in glory from Zion, just as His Father promised.  That day will reveal God’s faithfulness like no other day!

·        138:4-6: David is so overtaken by God’s wonderful words that he is sure, that when he exalts the LORD before the kings of the nations, they too will want to sing God’s praises.  When the Spirit enables a person to know God’s word it will always produce awe and wonder.  As Moses told Israel, what nation has such a God as Israel to gave them such a wonderful law as Israel received from the LORD (Deut. 4:6-7).  Perhaps David experienced this to some degree as some kings around him acknowledged the blessing of God on him.  But it only anticipates the praise that will be received by the King of kings and Lord of lords when He is revealed from heaven.

·        138:7-8: Whatever the profound answer to prayer David had received, it did not deliver him from all his troubles.  Like us, even a great king like David can say, I walk in the midst of trouble.  Yet he walked in confidence of God’s deliverance because his God is the God of lovingkindness and truth.  His God keeps His promises.  God would continue to keep His word to prosper David against all future enemies.  And what great words: The LORD will perfect (complete) that which concerns me.  David was promised a throne forever, and even after he was gone from earth God would keep His word.  We have the same confidence that what God has begun in our lives He will complete (Phil. 1:6).  And for David, and us, the ultimate issue here is the Lord Jesus Christ.  David’s throne forever is found in Christ.  Our completeness will come when we see Christ and become like Him (Phil. 1:21; 1 John 3:2).

Truly this Psalm calls us to boldly exalt the Lord before the gods!