Psalm 119:113-120

Walking in the light of God’s word is not just a matter of knowing where to go; it requires great courage.  The “narrow path” is scary, full of intimidating enemies.  At the same time, God’s people are not only looking for protection; they are looking to advance in the face of those fearsome situations.  If you wonder about this, just read The Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament and see how the very men who ran from danger in the garden of Gethsemane later fearlessly preached the gospel in a hostile world.

Perhaps that is the kind of context this stanza has in mind.  The Psalmist fears being ashamed of the One in Whom he hopes (114-115).  He is concerned with safety (117).  He does not want the outcome of those who stray from the truth (118-119).  It is no time for the ambivalence of the double-minded (113).  He needs God to be his “hiding place” and “shield” (114).

Do we not find this to be our situation?  We desire to know God’s will for our lives and in specific situations.  Then God’s word shines it’s light on our path and feet, only to reveal that the next step is fearful.  We may hesitate; we may even take the seemingly easy way around, only to find that we have missed God’s blessing.

Our Lord, in the hour before His greatest trial, was on His knees before His Father in Gethsemane.  The disciples who ran were not, though Jesus had warned them of the need for courage in the face of the coming temptation (Mt. 26:41).

The Psalmist prays for that which he must have in the face of trial.  First, “uphold me” (116) so I have the backbone to face the onslaught of the enemy.  Then, “hold me” (117) so I can be safely protected.  God does both as our hiding place and shield.

What a blessing to know that God not only leads us but He provides for us as we follow the way He lays out for us.  Is your pathway treacherous?  Bow before the Lord and plead His mercy and grace to help that you might boldly walk the path He has laid out for you.

Read Psalm 133

This short Psalm tells us something else the pilgrim finds when he makes his journey to God.  He finds that he is not alone in the enjoyment of his soul-satisfaction.  He did not make this journey alone (Psalm 122:1). and he is not alone in Jerusalem.

I have often thought how wonderful it would be to retire alone to a cabin in the woods.  But before long, I come to my senses.  First, I realize that I would have to learn a whole new set of life-skills, such as how to deal with a grizzly in the yard or pesky raccoons on the porch.  But then, even more I think about what it would be like to live alone.  A few days alone can be, and are wonderful, but after that one becomes self-centered.  To live a life where you are the only object of your own attention is an empty life and not the one of deep satisfaction we discover when we come to God.

Think of another setting.  I once attended a Denver Broncos game with one of my sons.  The Broncos were trailing as they entered the 4th quarter.  The quarterback, John Elway, was known for his 4th quarter comebacks.  The crowd of 65,000 anticipated one of John's miracles, as did I and my son, and when it materialized, the response of the extremely partisan Denver crowd was just overwhelming.  We continued to bask in the glory of the moment as we made our all-night drive back to our home in Montana.

Now imagine that you are part of a crowd of people who has just completed the long, dangerous, dusty trek to the glorious city of God.  Rounding the corner where the magnificent temple of Solomon comes into view must have been a thrill.  To share it with a crowd would have been like that moment in Mile High Stadium.

But now go farther.  Think of a group, perhaps a church fellowship, or a Bible study class, or men's prayer group, or young moms fellowship for prayer and study.  Imagine that as they journey together in the Scriptures, sharing their lives together, together they come to know God at a whole new depth, life evermore as the Psalm says (v3).  I have experienced that a few times and there is nothing like it.  A Jew might say it's like the oil that runs down the beard of the priest at his most holy consecration.  Or perhaps it's like the refreshing dew of Mt. Hermon, that most beautiful mountain in Israel.  Words fail to describe, but one cannot miss the point: God has not only made us to fellowship with Him; He has made us to fellowship with other pilgrims.  And when you stay with each other on the difficult walk, the arrival at the moment of deeper worship is truly amazing!

Read Psalm 132

The pilgrim has come to Jerusalem.  He is overcome as he reflects on David who had desired to build the beautiful temple he now beholds.  He remembers with deep joy the worship of the people when the ark was first brought to Jerusalem, and how God's glory filled that temple in the days of Solomon.  But this Psalmist is writing many years afterwards.  Perhaps he is concerned about a lack of true worship in Israel.  Or perhaps a new son of David is ascending to the throne.  The prayer of the Psalmist is a wonderful reminder for the pilgrim in our day.  His prayer is based on three promises he now prays back to God.

A. The promise of God for David, v10-12.

He first remembers the promise God gave to David (2 Sam. 7:11ff) concerning the establishment of a lineage on the throne of Israel.  This was an unconditional promise to David, and so the Psalmist reminds God Who he knows will be faithful.

B. The promise of God for the dwelling place, v13-16.

God had, in fact, chosen Jerusalem to be the place where He would dwell with Israel.  He had promised Moses in the wilderness that at some point He would designate a city.  That city was Jerusalem.  From verse 14 to the end of the Psalm, God is speaking and promising His abundant provision to His people.

C. The promise of God for the Messiah, v17-18.

In verse 17, the Lord refers to the horn of David, a reference to those who would come after him, and, ultimately, the Messiah who will sit on the throne of David.  In the course of promising to bless the temple, God then is promising to bless the Messiah Who will someday be both the occupant of David's throne and the God Who dwells with men!



Again we must think about what all this means to the pilgrim today.  Yes, we await heaven.  Yes, there is yet an earthly kingdom where Christ will reign.  But when the Christian comes to a deeper knowledge of God, he comes to a deeper knowledge of Christ.  No one knows God apart from Christ (John 14:6).  Jesus promises to come to the one who loves Him and make His home with that one (John 14:23).  But this home is not simply a place where God exists; since it is a temple, it is HIS home.  His abundant provisions are only experienced when He is settled down (Eph. 3:17), when He is both the God in the temple and the God on the throne!

Read Psalm 132

The pilgrim has arrived at Jerusalem, the city of God.  The city he saw from afar (Ps. 122) is where he now stands.  He is at rest from his difficult journey (Ps. 131).  And what is impressive about Jerusalem?  What is important is a building, the temple, and a person, David, the first King to rule from that city.  Therefore, in this longest Pilgrim Song, one is not surprised to find the Psalmist caught up with the thought of God's dwelling with men, and filled with reflections on David who had desired to build the temple.

In vs. 1-9, the writer looks back on David and his desire to build a dwelling place for God.  In vs.10-18, the writer expresses his own prayer for God's dwelling with men both now and forever.

A. The desire of David for God's dwelling place, v1-5.

The pilgrim is reminded of David's prayer recorded in 2 Sam 7.  David so loved the Lord that he wanted God to dwell right there in his city.  Certainly David knew what Solomon knew, that God could not be confined to a building (2 Chr. 6:18; see also vs. 3-11 which speak of God's desire to dwell with men).  Yet he also knew that God had promised to dwell with Israel, and had done so through the means of the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant from the time of Moses.  God also longed to dwell with men, as He had fellowshipped with Adam and Eve in the garden.  And at the same time, God had created man for this same fellowship.  And, whether he knew it or not, it was this deep longing to know God and to be at peace with God that had caused the pilgrim to take his first steps away from Meshech in the very beginning (Ps. 120).

B. The worship of the people at God's dwelling place, v6-9.

Because of this longing to be with God the people are moved to worship.  They come with the heartfelt prayer that God would come to His resting place, the ark where the blood has been sprinkled to symbolize the washing away of the sins of the people. The priests are likewise summoned to their righteous service, and the people to joyful praise.  To be finally at the temple is to experience a joy beyond imagination.

Do you understand, fellow pilgrim, that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit whom you have from God (1 Cor. 6:19-20)?  You are not just waiting for the joy of heaven; God desires to have you as His dwelling place now.  To grow in knowing Him, regardless of the afflictions along the way, is to grow in the deepest satisfaction of the soul that man can possibly know.

Read Psalm 131

With this Pilgrim Song the pilgrim has arrived at the temple, or at least at the city gates.  He is able to rest, no longer concerned about the hills before him.  It pictures for today's pilgrim his rest  when he has grown in his knowledge of God.  Let us consider this short song beginning with the last verse and moving forward.

A. Rest  is promised now and forevermore, v3.

Rest is not only physical but a spiritual or faith term.  Heaven is a place for rest from one's labors (Rev. 6:11; 14:13).  But rest can also be the experience of the pilgrim while living in this world (Heb. 3:7-4:13).  This faith-rest is the opposite of hardness of heart (3:7-9), disobedience (3:18) and unbelief (3:19).  It is not so much the cessation of labor as it is the relaxing of the cords of affliction now so tightly drawn, strained and stretched to the uttermost.  Note that the promise is for now and forevermore.  Rest is not only the promise of heaven; it is the goal of the pilgrim in this life as well.

B. Rest is illustrated by the weaned child, v2.

What a wonderful picture this is.  A child, from birth, is immediately, faithfully and perfectly cared for by his mother.  But now the time has come to mature, the first real time of sorrow for the child.  He now cries but must wait.  He must be disciplined, given meals at specified times.  He is no longer as close to his mother.  For some time it is a struggle but time brings relief.  So it has been with the pilgrim.  It has been a struggle, but a necessary struggle, that he might grow in the knowledge of God.  But now he has come to a milestone, to a conclusion.  As Spurgeon said, nothing but grace can make us quiet under affliction, irritations, disappointments.  But so for the pilgrim it has happened.

C. Rest is indicated by the absence of self, v1.

It is important to note that this is a Psalm of the great King David.  Who was more involved in "great things" than the king?  And yet, this man after God's heart, who wrote so many songs reflecting his struggles with his enemies, has now come to rest in his God.  And how do we know this rest?  By David's...

ŸSelfless heart (the wellspring of life).

ŸSelfless eyes (which most easily betray arrogance).

ŸSelfless vocation (all his great projects were nothing compared to knowing God).

ŸSelfless faith (those things beyond his comprehension he could leave with God).

Come unto me all you that labor & I will give you rest. (Mt. 11:28f)

Read Psalm 130

We are thinking about deep trials created or intensified by our sinful choices.  Forgiveness has been provided.  Let us consider...

A. The Pilgrim's plan for deep trials, v5-6.

The plan is wrapped up in one word: wait.  This is not a very popular piece of advice.  This is not the wait of laziness or disobedience.  This is the wait of someone who has no other dependence.  Remember when the children of Israel were backed up to the Red Sea in Ex. 14.  They were no match for the Egyptian army; they could not get across the sea.  God's word was: stand still and see what I will do for you.  In other words: wait.  How can the pilgrim wait?  Perhaps it helps to remember the following:

ŸThe object of the waiting: wait for the Lord.

The pilgrim waits for the Lord, Creator of heaven and earth.

ŸThe subject of the waiting: my soul waits.

Deep trials require deep faith.  It's not a surface waiting but the wait that sees the release of our inner burdens.  It is not wait and worry but rather the wait for God to work.

ŸThe nature of the waiting: hope in His word.

The Word speaks of our God and His faithful provision in time past.  By the word the soul is encouraged to wait.

ŸThe intensity of the waiting: as the watchman.

The enemy is out there.  Darkness seems to give him an advantage so our heart hopes for morning.  Remember the ultimate morning which is the dawn of the return of Christ.  Sometimes our trial stays with us until this life ends but the pilgrim knows that his enemies cannot touch him in the life to come.

B. The Pilgrim's platform, v7-8.

How can we be assured of forgiveness?  How can we be assured of the coming morning?  Assurance is based in God's mercy and work of redemption.  Mercy is God's compassion that sees our deep need and is moved to meet that need.  God is righteous; but it is equally true and wonderful that He is merciful. 

Redemption speaks of God's provision for guilt.  It tells us that God himself has come to earth, in the person of Jesus Christ, to pay the price for our sin and guilt.  The forgiveness for our guilt (v3-4) is truly provided by God Himself through the death of Christ on the cross.  There He took our sin and satisfied God's just demand by His blood.  Thus we see that God can forgive our sin because the guilt has been taken into account. 

To wait on a God like that makes perfect sense.

Read Psalm 130

The Lord has provided help for the pilgrim in the face of lifelong afflictions, those trials often brought about by people or situations over which we have no control.  But what if our trial is of our own making?  Can we expect help?  That is the subject of Psalm 130.  The pilgrim faces a deep trial made worse by guilt.

The intensity of the situation is seen in the word depths in v1. It is deep sorrow from loss of friends or property, or bodily suffering.  It may involve low spirits, darkness of mind, loss of comfort, or disappointment.  It is Bunyon's slough of despond in Pilgrim's Progress.  The Old Testament uses the word to refer to the Red Sea, a deep place through which God made a way for Israel.

It is apparent that the problem, whatever it was, was related to guilt experienced by the Psalmist.  Apparently guilt was brought on by some particular sin that made him cry out to God.  Before dealing with the deep trial, it is necessary to have an answer for guilt.  Without that, we will be hindered in our willingness to cry for help.  Without that answer, the Creator will not hear us (Ps. 66:18).

A. The Pilgrim's provision for guilt, v3-4.

Is guilt real or is it only a feeling?  The view of the Bible is that guilt is real and that the guilty feeling is the result of a conscience doing it's proper work.  The conscience is the Law of God written in the heart of every person (Rom. 2:12-16).  This conscience confirms our actions as either right or wrong in the eyes of the One before Whom we will appear in judgment.  Thus the conscience serves a valuable purpose by making us feel guilty when our words, attitudes or actions will not stand up against ultimate judgment.  The point is that those feelings tell us we have violated the Law of God and that we need to deal with our sin.

The Psalmist tells us what the provision is: it is forgiveness.  Forgiveness has the root idea of pardon.  As the context says, it indicates that the Lord no longer keeps track of our sin.  In pardon He declares that the guilt is no longer being taken into account.  This forgiveness enables us to have a standing when we cry out to God (v3).  It actually encourages us to reverence God (v.4).

We must acknowledge that our trials are often created or intensified by our own sinful choices.  We must bring an end to our tendency to blame others or to deny the reality of guilt. Only then will the way be open for God's solution to our deep trials.