Milo

1 Corinthians

INTRODUCTION
Paul wrote his letter to Christians in the wealthy seaport city of Corinth in A.D. 55, some four years after he founded the church there. After Paul left, a number of problems developed in the church, and the Corinthians sent for advice. So 1 Corinthians is a practical, problem-solving letter. In it Paul explains how Christians are to deal with many issues, including divisions, immorality, and doctrinal disputes.
Paul’s letter gives us fascinating insights into difficulties first-century congregations faced as they tried to live out their lives in Christ. First Corinthians remains one of the New Testament’s most valuable letters. The principles Paul developed here serve as trustworthy guides to resolving interpersonal problems in today’s church.

OUTLINE OF CONTENTS
I.
Introduction
1 Cor. 1:1–9
II.
Divisions in the Church
1 Cor. 1:10–4:21
III.
Discipline of the Immoral
1 Cor. 5–6
IV.
Divorce and Marriage
1 Cor. 7
V.
Doctrinal Disputes
1 Cor. 8:1–11:1
VI.
Conducting Worship
1 Cor. 11:2–34
VII.
Defining Spirituality
1 Cor. 12–14
VIII.
Understanding Resurrection
1 Cor. 15
IX.
Conclusion
1 Cor. 16

THE DIVIDED CHURCH
1 Corinthians 1

“I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Cor. 1:10).

Divisiveness denies the truth that Christ’s church is one.

Overview
Paul expressed thanks for his Corinthian brethren (1:1–9), but warned against divisions within the church (vv. 10–17) which reflect human foolishness rather than the wisdom of the Cross (vv. 18–31).

Understanding the Text
“Sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy” 1 Cor. 1:1–3. Paul wished the very best for his readers: “Grace and peace to you from God” (v. 3). But he reminded them and us that to experience God’s best, we must become what we are.
What are we? We are persons “sanctified in Christ Jesus.” The word sanctified means “set apart to God.” In Old Testament times sanctified persons, places, and things were never used for profane or ordinary purposes. They could only be used in God’s service. The sanctuary table dedicated to God held loaves of bread. But not even the priests of Israel could put a meal on that table, pull up their chairs, and eat from it.
Paul said the Corinthians, “together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus,” are “sanctified in Christ Jesus.” Jesus has set us apart to be God’s own, and God’s only. As God’s people now, we are to live holy lives, not ordinary ones. That’s why it is so important for believers to solve the kind of problems that emerged in the Corinthian church. Only as we live the holy life fitting for those sanctified by Jesus will we glorify God or experience His grace and peace.

“You have been enriched in every way” 1 Cor. 1:4–9. The Corinthian church had problems. But it had matchless resources too. Sometimes you and I focus so much on our problems that we forget the spiritual reserves that God has provided for us.
What resources did Paul remind us of? We have God’s grace to enrich us, for it was poured out on us when we responded to the message about Jesus (vv. 4–5). We have spiritual gifts to enable us to grow and serve (v. 7). We have Christ’s commitment to encourage us, for we know that He will keep us strong and safe until He returns (v. 8). We have God’s faithfulness to ensure that none of these resources will be taken from us (v. 9).
It’s all too easy for us to focus on our problems, and be overwhelmed. What God wants us to do is focus on His resources, and overcome! (See DEVOTIONAL.)

“Agree with one another” 1 Cor. 1:10–12. This earnest appeal for outward harmony is matched in verse 10 by an appeal for inward unity of “mind and thought.” The divisions Paul spoke of are schismata, cracks that have appeared in the walls of the church, and threaten to cause the building to tumble. Paul wasn’t asking the Corinthians to plaster over the cracks by pretending to agree. He was asking everyone in Corinth to consider the issues carefully, so that there could be a real rather than false unity in the local body.
Plastering over differences never resolves them. Only when we face common problems together, determined to find a basis for unity, will things get better. This is true in the church. It’s true in the family. It’s true in all of life.

“Quarrels among you” 1 Cor. 1:11–12. Some folks get upset over the fact that Christendom has so many different denominations. “See!” they shout as they point to these verses in 1 Corinthians. “It’s wrong for believers to say, ‘I’m a Presbyterian,’ or ‘I’m a Baptist.’ There should only be one grand Christian church, with no divisions.”
But Paul here was dealing with quarrels. He was dealing with factions that not only competed, but were actively hostile to each other. The believers who made up the “party of Paul” and those in the “party of Apollos” fought and argued over who was best, right, and most Christian.
All Christian communities in first-century cities divided up and met in a number of different house-churches. Paul doesn’t hesitate to identify one such congregation as folks “from Chloe’s household” (v. 11). I don’t expect he’d have any serious problem identifying modern Christians as folks “from the Baptist Church on 5th and Main,” or from the “Presbyterian Church on Little Road.”
So lets not make too much of such distinctions. Let’s remember that Baptist or Presbyterian, Christ’s church is one church. But, if the Baptists and Presbyterians start to quarrel over which group is right, or who are the best Christians, then we need to be concerned.

“Is Christ divided?” 1 Cor. 1:13–16 The basis for Christian unity is Jesus, who died for all who believe. Our union is with Jesus, and He is the source of our identity.
One of my wife’s girlhood friends, a devout Catholic Christian, says bluntly that she is a Christian and a Catholic, but that she’s a Catholic first. I appreciate her loyalty to her church as well as her sincere dedication to the Lord. But her approach to faith is too much like that of those in Corinth, whose allegiance to Paul or Peter or Apollos drove them to debate. In truth, our allegiance is to Jesus, and is not divided. He is One, and because He is the Head of every believer, the church is one.
My friend Bob Girard put it best when he moved to the Verde Valley in Arizona and wrote on the visitor’s card his first Sunday in a new church. Where the card asked, Would you like to become a member of this church? Bob wrote, “I already am a member of the body of Christ. So naturally I want to become involved in any way I can with my brothers and sisters here.”
If we nurture this attitude, the church of Jesus, which is one, will be one here on earth.

“Words of human wisdom” 1 Cor. 1:17–24. The word “wisdom” is one of the most significant words in Scripture. In both Testaments it involves the application of knowledge to guide daily life. The “wise” must have truth, and be able to apply it.
Mere human wisdom breaks down at both these points. Though all have smatterings of truth, human cultures and societies are flooded with lies and half-truths. And human wisdom is unable to either separate truth from fiction, or to correctly apply truth even when it is discerned.
Paul offered proof. When the message of the Cross is proclaimed, how does the self-proclaimed “wise man” respond? Those with roots in Jewish culture insisted on miracles to prove it. Those with roots in Greek culture insisted that it be “intellectually respectable.” Neither realized that the preaching of the Cross is “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (v. 24).
Why this critique of wisdom here? Because those who quarreled over which splinter group of Christians was closer to God were relying on mere human wisdom. They marshalled their arguments, completely missing the central fact that in Christianity everything must be related to Christ.
Don’t be surprised if non-Christians laugh at our faith. Carl Sagan publicly ridicules Creation. Ted Turner scoffed at the Cross in a speech to media executives. But never mind. “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (v. 20)
Never mind. Just don’t go taking a worldly approach to solving problems in Christ’s church!

“God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise” 1 Cor. 1:26–31. The intelligentsia and the wealthy and the politically powerful are the shakers and movers in human society. They’re the people who count: the people to see if you want to get something done. But, Paul pointed out, their intelligence, wealth, and power were absolutely useless when it came to winning salvation.
To bring salvation to the world God’s Son became a poor Man, a Carpenter. He lived in a backward corner of the world, died a criminal’s death, and even after His resurrection there were “not many . . . wise . . . not many were influential . . . not many were of noble birth” who responded to the Gospel’s Good News. It follows that we Christians have nothing of which to boast, except of Jesus. Jesus Himself is our righteousness, our holiness, and our redemption.
What a rebuke for those who quarreled over mere human leaders. They not only argued like men of the world, they turned away from Jesus.
Jesus is the unifying center of our Christian faith. As we contemplate Jesus, we are so humbled that boasting in some supposed superiority of our little group seems to be the foolishness it is.

DEVOTIONAL
Out, Damned Spot
(1 Cor. 1:4–17)
Shakespeare portrays Lady MacBeth, a conspirator in the murder of her king, compulsively washing her hands again and again. She feels that a spot of the king’s blood has been splashed on her hand, and it rivets her attention.
Often we Christians respond a little like Lady MacBeth when we discover problems in our church or home. We almost compulsively focus on the problem, talking about it constantly, going over each detail again and again. Like the dear lady, we feel deep frustration, and the more we talk, the more serious the problem appears.
I’m not suggesting that you or I should avoid facing problems. Not at all. We should look honestly at things that need to be corrected, in our personal lives, in our families, and in our churches. But we should look at them positively. We should look at them confidently, in the full assurance that we can resolve them successfully.
In his Letter to the Corinthians Paul expressed confidence before he even mentioned the first problem. The Corinthians had been enriched by God’s grace (vv. 4–6). They had been enabled with a full complement of spiritual gifts (v. 7). They had been strengthened by fellowship with Jesus Christ (vv. 8–9). Because of these matchless resources Paul was sure that the Corinthians could face and overcome their many problems.
Think about it. Only after the Corinthians had been reminded of their resources in Christ (vv. 4–9), did Paul go on to discuss the problem (vv. 10–17).
What a pattern for us to follow. Let’s count up our spiritual assets in Christ. Then let’s face our problems honestly, in the complete confidence that together we can resolve them in His strength.

Personal Application
Looking to Jesus first gives perspective on our problems.

Quotable
“It is called the community of the saints because they have fellowship in holy things, yea, in those things whereby they are sanctified, that is in the Father and the Son, who Himself sanctifieth them with all that He had given them. Thus everything serveth to the betterment and building up of one’s neighbor and to the praise and glory of God the Father.”—Menno Simmons

PRAYER FOR RENEWAL
Psalms 79–84

“Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked” (Ps. 82:4).

The anguish felt in Captivity and even after the return is expressed in psalms begging for renewal. They capture the emotions of oppressed believers throughout the ages who yearn for renewed evidence of God’s favor.

Definition of Key Terms
The nations. In the Old Testament “nations” most often indicates pagan peoples. In the Psalms and Prophets “the nations” commonly represent peoples who are hostile to and who unjustly oppress God’s chosen people.

Overview
Poems expressing captive Judah’s anguish call for judgment on oppressors (Ps. 79), picture Judah as an uprooted vine (Ps. 80), and trace the national disaster to Israel’s stubborn hearts (Ps. 81) and injustice (Ps. 82). Asaph begged God to judge pagan nations (Ps. 83), but Korah celebrated the blessing believers have even now through trust in God (Ps. 84).

Understanding the Text
Psalm 79: Against the Nations. Asaph reminded God of the violence done to Jerusalem by pagan nations and called on Him to pay them back.

“The nations have invaded” Ps. 79:1–4. The description of the ruin of Jerusalem best fits conditions of the Babylonian invasion.

“Pour out Your wrath” Ps. 79:5–8. Asaph begged God to judge the nations “that do not acknowledge You” and save his own desperate people. Asaph agreed that the disaster came because of the “sins of the fathers.” But a new generation had arisen now, that appealed for mercy.

“For the glory of Your name” Ps. 79:9–11. Asaph argued that God should forgive His people and restore the nation for His own glory. Ancient peoples measured the greatness of a deity by the power of the people who worshiped him. Judah’s state held God up to ridicule.

“The reproach they have hurled at You” Ps. 79:12–13. Asaph called on God to pay back the nations, for in crushing Judah they had insulted the Lord.
This brief psalm has greater depth than at first appears. God should judge the nations because the land they invaded was His, the people destroyed were His, the glory tarnished by Judah’s defeat was His, and the reproach was His. By punishing the nations God could display His forgiving grace and His mercy, reestablish His glory, mete out just punishment, and win the everlasting praise of His people.
Far more is involved in our own sin and discipline than we imagine. In a very real sense the loss involved is God’s, not just our own! Yet this means that we can seek restoration confidently, knowing that God forgives and blesses not simply for love of us, but also for His own glory.

Psalm 80. The Uprooted Vine. Asaph developed a common Old Testament image. Israel was a vine God had planted in Canaan, that now stood in desperate need of His care.

Three powerful images and three repeated appeals for restoration shape this psalm.

“O Shepherd of Israel” Ps. 80:1–3. God is able to save the people who are His sheep. Thus the psalmist appealed to God, “Make Your face shine upon us [i.e., look on us with favor], that we may be saved.”

“O LORD God Almighty” Ps. 80:4–7. The Hebrew title means “God of Armies,” and pictures a Sovereign Lord. God used His power to judge Israel; now the psalmist appealed to Him to use that same power to “restore us, O God Almighty; make Your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.”

“O God Almighty!” Ps. 80:8–19 The Lord exercised His power in bringing His people out of Egypt and planting them in the soil of Canaan. He used it to break down the walls protecting His vineyard and expose it to destructive beasts. Asaph appealed to God to once again use His power to watch over His vine: to “restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make Your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.”

Psalm 81: Stubborn Hearts. History reveals both God’s grace and Israel’s stubborn, unresponsive heart.

Asaph had cried out to God for restoration. Yet in this psalm he explicitly recognized the fact that God is always willing to deliver and to bless. It was Israel’s own failure to listen to the Lord and submit to Him that led to disaster. God, speaking through the psalmist, said, “If My people would but listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes” (vv. 13–14).
We too can cry out to God when we are in distress. But we need to examine our lives, and see if our own unwillingness to obey is keeping God from giving us the blessing we so desperately desire.

Psalm 82: Rise Up, O God. Asaph expressed his confidence that God would surely rise up and judge the nations.

The key to understanding this psalm lies in the meaning of the word “gods” in verses 1 and 6. The best interpretation views them as Israel’s leaders, called “gods” because the Lord has delegated to them the responsibility of judging (cf. Ex. 21:6; 22:8, 28). These “sons of the Most High” were appointed to this high position to “defend the cause of the weak and fatherless”; and “maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed” (Ps. 82:3).
Privilege carries responsibility. The higher the privilege, the greater the responsibility. While God has given us great privileges, His is the ultimate responsibility. Thus Asaph was sure that God who holds men responsible will “rise up” and “judge the earth.”

Psalm 83: May They Perish. The psalm is an impassioned appeal to God to crush the nations that conspired against and attacked Israel.

Asaph felt justified in calling on God to punish the peoples who had wickedly attacked Isarel. The last verses pick up the emotion found in all the imprecatory psalms, and express one of the theological bases on which such appeals rest. “May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace. Let them know that You, whose name is the LORD—that You alone are the Most High over all the earth” (vv. 17–18).

DEVOTIONAL
Hidden Blessings
(Ps. 84)
Imagine yourself walking across a burning desert. You struggle through the soft sand, barely able to lift your feet on the shifting surface. The sun beats down on your head, burns through your shirt, drains your body of moisture so that your mouth feels like cotton and your tongue swells.
In a way, Psalms 78–83 describe Asaph’s journey through a desert. God’s people were weak and struggling. They were victims of enemies that had drained them and their land of every resource, and left them destitute and dying. It’s no wonder that Asaph cried out again and again, appealing to God to restore the blessings once enjoyed by his people.
Now, suddenly, with Psalm 84, another psalmist reminds us that no matter how desperate our situation, any desert God’s people may find themselves in has an oasis. In Old Testament times, God’s people directed their feet upward. Approaching Jerusalem, buoyed up by the thought that they would soon appear before God in Zion, His people went “from strength to strength.”
For you and me, the oasis is even more available. We need only to close our eyes to find ourselves in the very presence of the Lord. When our soul yearns for God, we can simply turn our thoughts to Him, and we are there, with Him.
Our days may be filled with troubles, and our hearts may ache, yet we can know the blessedness of those “whose strength is in You, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.” As pressures mount we can visit the Lord in our hearts, and be reminded that “no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”
The peace, the quiet confidence, the strength we need, are all there, available in our desert places. As we draw on them we cry with the psalmist, “O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in You.”

Personal Application
The more difficult our days, the more we need to draw strength from God, and experience the blessing that is ours now through trust.

Quotable
“When I think upon my God, my heart is so full of joy that the notes dance and leap from my pen; and since God has given me a cheerful heart it will be pardoned me that I serve Him with a cheerful spirit.”—Franz Josef Haydn

LESSONS FOR LIVING
Psalms 73–78

“I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all Your works and consider all Your mighty deeds” (Ps. 77:11–12).

Book III of the Psalms, a collection formalized at the time of the Exile, features the teaching psalms (maskil) of Asaph, a Levite who led a choir that praised God.

Overview
Asaph shared lessons for living in psalms which explore jealousy of prosperous wicked (Ps. 73), and puzzlement over the silence of God (Ps. 74). He proclaimed God as near (Ps. 75) and as known through His people (Ps. 76). And Asaph celebrated the Lord as a God of miracles (Ps. 77), of whom we learn through Israel’s history (Ps. 78).

Understanding the Text
Psalm 73: Benefits of Faith. Asaph was overtaken by jealousy at the prosperity of the wicked. Only a change of perspective enabled him to grasp the benefits of faith. (See DEVOTIONAL.)

Psalm 74: The Silence of God. When disasters come God’s people can only cry out to a God who has been silent.

“Why have You rejected us forever?” Ps. 74:1–2. The psalm posed a question that each of us is driven to ask at times. Why is God silent? Why hasn’t He acted? Why does He seem to reject His people?

“Your foes” Ps. 74:3–8. In powerful images the poet described the ruin of the sanctuary in Jerusalem in 587B.C The defeat of Judah seemed to the psalmist to have been an attack on God Himself.

“We are given no miraculous signs” Ps. 74:9–11. Why, then, did God permit the enemy to mock Him? Why did God hold back, and not destroy them? Asaph questioned, but had no answer to offer. The silence of God was beyond explanation.
What are we to do when we too feel crushed, puzzled, and anguished because God permits us to suffer? Asaph had one suggestion only.

“But You, O God, are my King” Ps. 74:12–23. That suggestion is to affirm God as Sovereign, to remember His mighty acts in history, and to call on Him to defend His people and His cause.
We can never explain a present silence of God. But we can always remember that God has spoken in the past, and will speak again. Then, reassured by a fresh vision of how great our God is, we can continue—to wait.

Psalm 75: God Is Near. God, who will act in His own time to judge the earth, is near.

“Your Name is near” Ps. 75:1–10. God’s name, standing here for His self-revelation, is “near” in two senses. (1) God is near now, for God upholds the moral pillars of the universe by raising some men up and bringing others down. His sovereignty is displayed in the fact that He chooses “the appointed time” for such judgments. (2) God is also near eschatologically, for a day is approaching when God will “cut off the horns [power] of all the wicked.”

Psalm 76: Where God Is Known. The Lord is to be feared by those who see His works among His own people.

“His name is great in Israel” Ps. 76:1–3. The people of Israel knew the true God, and exalted Him.

“You are” Ps. 76:4–10. The God Judah knew was characterized by majesty, power, and a righteousness expressed in His judgment of sinful men.

“Make vows . . . and fulfill them” Ps. 76:11–12. Asaph called on the people around Judah to submit and bring tribute (not “gifts”) to God, who is to be feared.
This brief psalm reminds us that the God we know reveals Himself to others through us.

Psalm 77: God of Miracles. When we are in distress, we too can remember that our God performs miracles.

“When I was in distress” Ps. 77:1–9. Asaph spoke of fervent, anguished, and continual prayer (vv. 1–3), which brought him no comfort at all (vv. 4–6). Sometimes prayer, the means by which we cast our burdens on God, actually increases the pressure we feel. When an answer to prayer is delayed we begin to wonder if God will ever show us favor again (vv. 7–9).
The theme fits the experience of the Jews who were taken captive to Babylon (cf. Ps. 74). The national disaster forced God’s people to reevaluate their relationship with the Lord, and question the basis of their hope in Him.
Distress may force you and me to reexamine the foundations of our faith too. When this happens, our faith ultimately will be strengthened.

“To this I will appeal” Ps. 77:10–15. Asaph chose to remember “the deeds of the LORD,” His “miracles of long ago.” The key here is not simply that God is all-powerful, but that God has in the past used His power to redeem His people.
It is the same for us. When distress drives you and me to doubt, we are to recall what God has done for us in Christ. Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates God’s power. But it is the fact that the Son of God died and was raised, for us, that seals our confidence and hope.

“The waters saw You, O God” Ps. 77:16–20. In powerful images Asaph revisited the redemption of Israel through the waters of the Red Sea. We too can find our comfort and our hope in images, but images of Jesus on the cross, suffering for us, crying out to God to forgive His persecutors, promising paradise to the thief who believed in Him.

Psalm 78: Memories. The message of God to Israel was engraved in the history of that people. Each act of God revealed more of the Lord; each event was a sermon directed to the people of today.

This psalm is a sermon intended to help Israel trust in God and forsake the stubborn ways of her forefathers (vv. 1–8). In the wilderness, God’s people were judged when they willfully put the Lord to the test (vv. 9–31). Despite the fact that later generations forgot His miracles and were disloyal to His covenant, God was merciful to them (vv. 32–39). Despite the love displayed in the Exodus and Conquest (vv. 40–55), Israel continued to rebel against the Lord, and was justly punished (vv. 56–64). Then, despite Israel’s faults, God chose David to shepherd His people (vv. 65–72).
The lesson of the psalm is clear. In David, Israel was granted a fresh start. God’s people had to learn from their past, and follow David’s example of faithfulness to the Lord if they hoped to avoid future disaster.

DEVOTIONAL
What Good Is Faith, Anyway?
(Ps. 73)
Probably you can understand Asaph’s feelings. He’d tried all his life to be a good person. He’d tried to serve God. But all he’d gotten in return was sickness, hardships, and more troubles than he cared to name.
Of course, what really bothered Asaph was that he knew people with no faith at all who were healthy and strong, rich and carefree! No wonder Asaph was discouraged, and had begun to feel that “in vain have I kept my heart pure.” What good is a faith that doesn’t work in this world? What good is a faith that seems to bring more plagues and punishments on the believer than the world’s wicked have to endure?
The psalm tells us that Asaph struggled with these thoughts in silence. And then, suddenly, one day in God’s sanctuary, Asaph found his answer! Asaph realized that the troubles he experienced were gifts from God, and that the easy life granted the wicked was actually “slippery ground”!
What Asaph gained was a perspective that you and I need to keep constantly in mind. The easy life of the wicked is no reward, for it leads them away from any dependence on God! Why turn their thoughts to the Lord when they feel no need of His help? Yet, one day soon, they will be “swept away by terrors,” for they will awaken to realize that this world is the dream, and eternity the reality.
And Asaph? Asaph, now ashamed of his earlier jealousy of the wicked, realized that the very trials he had hated had led him again and again to God in prayer. Only through his troubles had Asaph discovered God as “the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Personal Application
The very difficulties that drive us to God are overwhelming evidence of His love.

Quotable
They took away what should have been my eyes,
(But I remembered Milton’s Paradise).
They took away what should have been my ears,
(Beethoven came and wiped away my tears).
They took away what should have been my tongue,
(But I had walked with God when I was young).
He would not let them take away my soul—
Possessing that, I still possess the whole.—Helen Keller

CONFIDENCE IN PRAYER
Psalms 64–72

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death” (Ps. 68:19–20).

The psalmists often express feelings of overwhelming need. Yet they also remind us that however great the need, our God is able to answer prayer.

Overview
This group of psalms is launched with a plea for protection (Ps. 64). God’s ability to answer prayer is affirmed in psalms that review His righteous works (Ps. 65), His awesome works (Ps. 66), His rule (Ps. 67), and His saving works (Ps. 68). Two pleas (Pss. 69–70) are followed by a psalm expressing confidence in God (Ps. 71). Book II ends with a psalm by Solomon celebrating the ministry of the messianic King (Ps. 72).

Understanding the Text
Psalm 64: A Plea for Protection. David sought God’s help against cunning enemies who plotted against him.

“I voice my complaint” Ps. 64:1–10. The Hebrew word translated “complaint” is better rendered “troubled thoughts.” Those who plot against us and attack behind our backs are more dangerous than open enemies. David asked God to bring them to ruin, so all might see that God guards those who take refuge in Him.
When we are troubled, we too have a refuge in God, who is celebrated in the next four psalms.

Psalm 65: God’s Righteous Works. David praised God as One who hears prayer, and whose righteousness is displayed in a creation He continues to care for.

“O You who hear prayer” Ps. 65:1–4. In Hebrew to “hear” prayer is to answer it. The God who has atoned for our sins and blessed us with good things does hear our prayers.

“Awesome deeds of righteousness” Ps. 65:5–13. We know that God does right by men, for He who created the world (vv. 5–8) continues to care for it, so that nature overflows with an abundance of all man needs to enjoy life.

Psalm 66: God’s Awesome Works. These works, performed in man’s behalf, assure David that the Lord will answer the prayers of those who fear Him.

“How awesome His works in man’s behalf” Ps. 66:1–7. David called our attention to history, to “come and see” what God has done. In the past the Lord “turned the sea into dry land” for Israel’s forefathers (vv. 5–7). Even more, the Lord had acted in David’s time. “He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping” (vv. 8–9). God had also “refined us like silver,” an image which speaks of the purification that comes through divine discipline (vv. 10–12). As a result of God’s work in his life David now came to the Lord’s temple a fully committed man (vv. 13–17).
The psalm’s emphasis of commitment is important. As David said, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” When you and I try honestly to please God, we can be sure that He will answer our prayers (vv. 18–20).

Psalm 67: God’s Just Rule. God rules His people justly, blessing those who praise Him.

“May the peoples praise You, O God” Ps. 67:1–7. In this psalm praise and blessing are two halves of a circle. Blessing causes us to praise God. And praise, our appropriate response to His gracious provision, maintains that intimate relationship with God which guarantees the blessing.
Today as we devote ourselves to praise, we can be sure that “God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear Him.”

Psalm 68: God’s Saving Works. One of Scripture’s most vibrant, triumphant psalms celebrates God’s saving works and what they mean to His people.

“Sing to God” Ps. 68:1–6. The psalm opens with a triumphant shout; we can imagine it as a fanfare, played on a hundred trumpets.
Some commentators believe the psalm may have been sung when David triumphantly brought God’s ark into Jerusalem and danced before the Lord (cf. 2 Sam. 6). Whether it was or not, the tone of this psalm is one of triumphant joy.

“When You went out” Ps. 68:7–18. God is praised for His triumphal march through history, in scenes that recall the Exodus, His appearance at Sinai, the thunderstorm that defeated Sisera in Deborah’s time, and the rains which made the Promised Land a place of blessing.

“Who daily bears our burdens” Ps. 68:19–31. Relationship with Israel’s saving God assured His people of victory (vv. 19–23). Israel marched in triumph, praising the Lord (vv. 24–27), who one day will see even the Gentiles bow before Him (vv. 28–31).

“Sing to God” Ps. 68:32–35. The psalm ends with another fanfare, joyfully trumpeting the power of the awesome God who “gives power and strength to His people.”

Psalm 69: Plea of the Distressed. David represented the vulnerable man, a victim of slander, betrayal, and his own faults. In his distress the psalmist’s only hope was that God would “rescue me from the mire.”

“The floods engulf me” Ps. 69:1–5. Deep waters frequently represent overwhelming difficulties or troubles. Here David felt helpless before his enemies (v. 4) and his own sins (v. 5). “Folly” is not misjudgment, but sinful choice.

“Be disgraced because of me” Ps. 69:6–12. Humiliation of God’s servant reflects on God and His people as a whole. The New Testament quote of verse 9 (John 2:17) reminds us that David was not speaking only of himself here. These words also reflect the humiliation of the despised and rejected Messiah.

“Answer me with Your sure salvation” Ps. 69:13–18. In distress the psalmist prayed to God for deliverance. He expected an answer, not because he deserved it, but as an expression “of the goodness of Your love.”

“I am scorned” Ps. 69:19–21. In a series of powerful words David described his feelings: he was scorned, disgraced, shamed, helpless, alone. Again the words picture not only David’s feelings, but also the experience of the Messiah. Dragged to Calvary Christ found no comforter, and was offered gall mixed with vinegar to drink (cf. Matt. 27:48–49).

“May they be blotted out” Ps. 69:22–28. Here David’s natural feelings broke through, and he called down curses on his enemies. In contrast Jesus, from the cross, prayed “Father, forgive them.” Both expressions are appropriate. In Christ God offers forgiveness to all. Yet those who refuse to trust Messiah will “be blotted out of the Book of Life.”

“The LORD hears the needy” Ps. 69:29–36. Even in his distress the psalmist praised God, sure that the Lord does hear and will not despise (reject the plea) of His captive people.
Praise rightly precedes deliverance as well as follows it. When we praise God for what He will do, we affirm our faith in Him. In praise we also find the courage we need to wait until God is ready to act for us.

Psalm 70: Plea of the Poor and Needy. When you or I recognize our need we turn to God, who alone is “my help and my deliverer.”

Psalm 71: Confidence in the Lord. Memories of God’s faithfulness bring the aged hope. (See DEVOTIONAL.)

Psalm 72: Ministry of the King. Solomon’s vision of his own calling as king led him to celebrate the greater ministry of the coming Messiah.

Although this psalm is not quoted in the New Testament, its theme has been understood by both Jewish and Christian commentators as messianic. One day a coming King will “judge your people in righteousness” and “defend the afflicted.” He will “rule from sea to sea” and “all kings” and “all nations will serve Him.” He will rescue the weak and the needy “from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in His sight.” The ancient promises of God to Abraham will be fulfilled in Him, for “all nations will be blessed through Him, and they will call Him blessed” (cf. Gen. 12:1–4).

DEVOTIONAL
Growing Old
(Ps. 71)
Most of us don’t look forward to growing old. We expect old age to rob us of so much that’s important. Our sight will begin to fail. Our hearing will fade. We’ll lack the strength to do many of the things we now enjoy. Many of us will lose much of our sense of taste. Aches will come too, with an increased vulnerability to serious illness and pain. No wonder old age seems to loom like some dark threat on the horizon of our future.
Yet in this psalm David reminds us of something that several modern polls have revealed. Old age can be a time of blessing. Those polls have shown that no segment of our population is as content with their lot as those over 60!
Perhaps many of our older citizens find comfort and hope in their past experiences of God’s grace. Listen to just a few of the verses in this towering psalm, and perhaps your view of old age may change.

  You have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.
    From birth I have relied on You (vv. 5–6).

  Since my youth, O God, You have taught me, and to this day I declare Your marvelous deeds.
  Even when I am old and gray,
    do not forsake me, O God,
  till I declare Your power to
    the next generation (vv. 17–18).

  Though You have made me see troubles, many and bitter,
    You will restore my life again;
  from the depths of the earth
    You will bring me up.
  You will increase my honor and
  and comfort me once again (vv. 20–21).

When we do grow old, we will have years of relying on the Lord and of experiencing His grace to sustain us. All God has taught us throughout our lives will so enrich us that we will be able to bless the next generation. If we learn to rely on the Lord in our troubles now, the years ahead can truly be golden. We will live those years in confidence, sure that beyond them God will restore our lives again, and then we will be forever young.

Personal Application
Today’s experience of God’s grace prepares us for whatever tomorrow may bring.

Quotable
“How completely satisfying to turn from our limitations to a God who has none. . . . For those out of Christ, time is a devouring beast; before the sons of the new creation, time crouches and purrs and licks their hands.”—A.W. Tozer

THE STEADFAST HEART
Psalms 57–63

“One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that You, O God, are strong, and that You, O Lord, are loving” (Ps. 62:11–12).

These psalms of David trace the secret of his commitment to the Lord to an exalted vision of who God is.

Overview
Drawing from experience, David expressed his commitment to the Lord (Ps. 57). That commitment was rooted in his clear vision of God as Judge (Ps. 58), as fortress (Ps. 59), as his help (Ps. 60), shelter (Ps. 61), salvation (Ps. 62), and as his personal God (Ps. 63).

Understanding the Text
Psalm 57: The Steadfast Heart. David refused an opportunity to kill Saul, choosing instead to trust God to fulfill His purpose in David’s life.

“When he had fled from Saul into the cave” Ps. 57 superscription. David was hiding in a cave when Saul entered that same cave to relieve himself. David’s men saw it as a God-given opportunity for David to rid himself of an enemy and claim the throne God had promised to David (1 Sam. 24). But David refused to touch Saul, whom God had anointed king over Israel. Rather than an opportunity to kill Saul, David saw a God-given opportunity to do what was godly and right. This psalm conveys David’s spiritual secret—the secret of his freedom to do what he knew was right.

“Be exalted, O God” Ps. 57:1–5. What does it mean to take refuge in the Lord? David shows us. It means to pray in the confidence that the Lord will fulfill “His purpose” for us, and that He will send “from heaven” and save us.
David chose to wait for God to act, sure that God would accomplish His purpose in David’s life. David did not have to do wrong, for God would bring him to the Lord’s intended goal. This was David’s spiritual secret. He knew there was no need to do wrong, however great the pressure, for God would surely bless David and bring him to the throne in God’s own time.
You and I too can have this kind of confidence in God. When pressures tempt us to seek relief by doing wrong, we can pray to a God who will never let His purpose in our lives fail.

“My heart is steadfast” Ps. 57:6–10. Despite David’s many enemies, his heart was steadfast. David meant here that he maintained an unshakable trust in God.
It was many years after the event celebrated in this psalm that God did at last fulfill His purpose and place David on Israel’s throne. Through all those years David maintained a steadfast trust in God’s love, and in God’s faithfulness.
That steadfast trust enabled David to sing praises even during the years of waiting and uncertainty.

“Be exalted, O God” Ps. 57:11. What a reminder. You and I exalt God, lifting Him up and displaying His beauty for all to see, by steadfast hearts.

Psalm 58: God Who Judges. David’s heart was steadfast because he was convinced that “there is a God who judges the earth.”

“Break the teeth in their mouths, O God” Ps. 58:1–11. In biblical imagery the teeth represent power to tear and to destroy. David was fully aware that this world is filled with wicked men who “devise injustice” and “mete out violence.” Yet he knew that there is a God who judges the earth. The day is coming when the wicked will be swept away. Then “the righteous will be glad when they are avenged.”

Psalm 59: God My Strength. His life threatened, David cried to God and found strength in the image of God as his fortress.

“When Saul sent men . . . to kill him” Ps. 59 superscription. Saul acted openly against his son-in-law David by sending men to kill him in his own house (1 Sam. 19). David fled, weaponless and alone.
Yet David found God a source of strength, and God’s love a fortress in which he could take refuge.
A wonderful expression of David’s faith is repeated twice. It is found after his vivid description of his enemies (v. 9), and after his confident prayer asking God to deal with those enemies for him (v. 17).
What wonderful verses to memorize and bring to mind when you feel endangered by the actions of others.

  O my Strength, I watch for You;
    You, O God, are my fortress,
    my loving God (vv. 9–10).

and

  O my Strength, I sing praise to You;
    You, O God, are my fortress,
    my loving God (v. 17).

In this powerful psalm David envisioned his enemies as snarling scavenger dogs, prowling about and eager to devour him. Dogs were not pets in Old Testament times, and frequently represent the bestial aspect of wicked men (cf. Pss. 22:16; 68:23; Isa. 56:10–11; Jer. 15:3; Rev. 22:15).

Psalm 60: God My Help. David experienced God as his ally and his help.

“When he fought” Ps. 60 superscription. This is a victory psalm, sung after the war had been fought and won (cf. 1 Chron. 18–19). Against the background of the centuries of defeat that fractured Israel during the times of the Judges (vv. 1–3), David now celebrated what God had done to save and deliver a people who, under David, once again honored the Lord (vv. 4–8). The psalm ends with explicit recognition that future victories also depended on the Lord. “Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies” (vv. 9–12).

Psalm 61: God My Shelter. This brief psalm of praise was written after David received the throne.

“The rock that is higher than I” Ps. 61:1–2. David never lost the simple faith he had as a young shepherd. Despite the fact that he was now exalted as king over Israel, he never became proud. He remained a humble believer looking up to God and expressing his dependence on the Lord in prayer.

“You” Ps. 61:3–5. David knew and addressed God in personal terms. The im- ages in these verses suggest how David felt about the Lord. David saw God as a refuge and strong tower: as One to whom he could flee in troubled times and find security. David saw God as a host: he was a vistor in God’s tent. In the ancient East this meant he was under divine protection, with all his needs sure to be met by his gracious Host. And David saw God as sheltering wings: he was a baby chick, nestling for protection against its mother, and finding there not only security but also warmth.
It’s fascinating to note the transition of the images. Each speaks of security. Yet God is first seen as a strong but impersonal power; then as welcoming Host; finally in utmost intimacy as a warm and protective parent. This transition may mirror our own experience with God. The better we come to know Him, the warmer and more personal the sense of our relationship with Him.

Psalm 62: God, My Salvation. Knowing God as Saviour enabled David to find rest. (See DEVOTIONAL.)

Psalm 63: God, My God. David’s heart was steadfast, not simply because he knew who God is, but because he knew this God as his God.

“When he was in the desert” Ps. 63 superscription.The setting again is a time of trouble, as David with a small band of followers lived an outlaw’s life in Judah’s desert regions.

“O God, you are my God” Ps. 63:1–11. Awareness that God is “my God” is the foundation of a living faith. But to experience the full benefits of our faith we need to move beyond awareness to intimacy.
It is this that set David apart. He thirsted for God; he sought opportunities to worship at God’s sanctuary (v. 2) and when alone (v. 6). His sense of God’s love (v. 3) stimulated David to praise the Lord constantly (vv. 4–5, 7, 11).
If you and I wish to experience God in a deeply personal way as “my God,” we need to follow David’s lead. By taking every opportunity to turn our thoughts to Him and to praise Him, that same sense of God’s living presence which sustained David will sustain you and me.

DEVOTIONAL
Stressful, Restful Living
(Ps. 62)
David lived a stress-filled life. His relationship with Saul was stormy, resulting in years of living as an outlaw in the land God had promised he would one day rule. As king, David knew constant warfare with surrounding nations. He was forced to invent and organize a national system of government. He knew great pressures at home, as his sons feuded with one another and one ultimately led half the nation in rebellion. Yet these years of stress were spiritually productive. David wrote many psalms, reorganized the Levites and priests to support strengthened national worship, and began planning for a temple to be built by his son, Solomon.
Today the shelves of our bookstores feature many books on stress. It seems that, in a fast-paced world which makes so many demands on our time, stress is a major concern. People are wound tight, emotionally and physically drained by the pressures of modern life. This makes Psalm 62 especially important for our times. In it David tells us the secret of stressful, restful living.
The secret is expressed in verse 1, and developed in the rest of the psalm. “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.” In the Old Testament “salvation” indicates deliverance from earthly dangers or enemies. The word portrays God as One who acts on behalf of those who trust in Him. It was David’s conviction that deliverance does come from God—that God can and will act in the material universe to save him—which brought his soul rest.
How powerful that conviction! No matter what the challenge, no matter how great the pressure, David was sure that God could and would perform some saving act. With this conviction David could not be shaken by events (vv. 2, 6). With this conviction, David was emotionally at rest no matter how great a force external pressures seemed to exert.
You and I too can find rest despite the stressful pace or pressures of our life. How? By following David’s example, to “trust in Him at all times” and “pour out your hearts” to Him. This, with the conviction that “You, O God, are strong, and that You, O Lord, are loving,” will give us rest.

Personal Application
Expect God to act in your life, and find rest in Him.

Quotable
“In time of trouble, say, ’First, He brought me here. It is by His will I am in this strait place; in that I will rest.’ Next, ’He will keep me here in His love, and give me grace in this trial to behave as His child.’ Then say, ’He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He means to bestow.’ And last, say, ’In His good time He can bring me out again. How and when, He knows.’ Therefore, say, ’I am here (1) by God’s appointment, (2) in His keeping, (3) under His training, (4) for His time.’ “—Andrew Murray