Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I call upon You; let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol Psalm 31:17 NASB Shame– We’ve investigated the Hebrew word bôš several times in the past. John Oswalt notes: The primary meaning of this root is “to fall into disgrace, normally through failure, either of self or…
Make Your face to shine upon Your servant; save me in Your lovingkindness. Psalm 31:16 NASB Shine upon– Facebook is a failure. So is texting, and any other form of personal communication that diminishes the human requirement of face-to-face relationship. Yes, all of those electronic (and other) forms of communication convey information, but they do not allow real…
My times are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me. Psalm 31:15 NASB Times– The obvious personal application question here is this one: Are your times in God’s hand? Maybe we should expand this a bit. Is your emotional wellbeing, your sense of personal safety, your reliance on physical sustenance, your…
But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord, I say, “You are my God.” Psalm 31:14 NASB Trust– By now we should be quite familiar with bāṭaḥ (trust). TWOT’s reminder is important: in Hebrew, bāṭaḥ expresses that sense of well-being and security which results from having something or someone in whom to place confidence. It is significant…
For I have heard the slander of many, terror is on every side; while they took counsel together against me, they schemed to take away my life. Psalm 31:13 NASB Slander– Perhaps a pun will help us remember the seriousness of slander. The Hebrew word, dibbâ, seems to be derived from the verb dābab (to move gently or glide over). But from…
I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel. Psalm 31:12 NASB Forgotten– The screenwriters of the movieTroy brilliantly captured the great Greek question mark of life. In a conversation between Achilles and his mother, she describes Greek angst perfectly. Listen: What is the worst thing that can befall a…
We take a little break from our examination of Psalm 31 to provide this from Sefer Hasichot 5749, vol. 2, pp. 509-511; Likkutei Sichot, vol. 22, p. 10. Truth is simple, it has no clothes, no neat little box to contain it. But we cannot grasp that which has no box. We cannot perceive Truth…
Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. Psalm 31:11 NASB Reproach– Are you the Mary Mallon of sin? Remember her? She was “the first person in the United States identified as an asymptomatic…
For my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighing; my strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my body has wasted away. Psalm 31:10 NASB Sorrow/ Sighing– “Why can’t you be more positive?” “You seem so discouraged all the time.” “I’m tired of your pessimistic attitude!” “Look on the bright side of things.” Ever hear someone say…
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also. Psalm 31:9 NASB Distress– Now comes the plea. David’s psalm begins with acknowledgement of God’s character. He praises the Lord for constancy, faithfulness, and a genuine desire to rescue. He alludes to God’s covenant relationship with…
