THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: God's Nurture Of The Inner Man In The Life Of Faith

LXXXVI: Responding Effectively To Fearless, Rebellious Subordinates

(Psalm 86:1-17)

I. Introduction

A. The human institutions God establishes require that subordinates respectfully heed their superiors, for failure in this realm disrupts the capacity for the institution to function and even to survive for man's welfare.

B. Psalm 86:1-17 is God's insight on responding well to troublesome insubordinates, and it instructs us today:

II. Responding Effectively To Fearless, Rebellious Subordinates, Psalm 86:1-17.

A. The introductory remarks of this psalm comprise the first part of verse one in the Hebrew text (Kittel, Biblia Hebraica, p. 1050), so we stay with the numbering system of the English Bible for clarity with this lesson.

B. We thus translate Psalm 86:1-17 as follows:

1. "Bend down Your ear, O Jahweh, and answer me, for I myself (em. pr.) am bowed down with affliction and needy," Psalm 86:1.

2. "Guard my life principle, for I myself (em. pr.) am devoted (to You). You Yourself (em. pr.) are my Elohim; save Your servant who relies on You," Psalm 86:2.

3. "Have mercy upon me, O Adonai, for unto You I call all day long," Psalm 86:3.

4. "Cause the life principle of Your servant to rejoice, for unto You, O Adonai, do I lift up my life principle," Psalm 86:4.

5. "Because You (em. pr.), O Adonai, are wholesome and forgiving and great in loyal love unto all who call upon You," Psalm 86:5.

6. "Give ear to my prayer, O Jahweh, and give attention to the voice of my supplications for favor," v. 6.

7. "In the day of my distress I will call unto You, for Your will answer me," Psalm 86:7.

8. "Among the gods there is none like You, O Adonai, and there are no deeds like Yours," Psalm 86:8.

9. "All of the nations which You have made will come and worship before You, O Adonai; they will bring glory to Your Name," Psalm 86:9.

10. "For You (em. pr.) are great, and You perform marvelous deeds; You (em. pr.) alone are Elohim," v. 10.

11. "Teach me Your way, O Elohim, and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere Your Name," Psalm 86:11.

12. "I will praise You, O Adonai, my Elohim, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your Name forever," v. 12.

13. "For great is Your loyal love to me, for You snatched my life principle from the depths of the grave," v 13.

14. "O Elohim, the presumptuously rebellious (zed, Ibid., p. 267) have risen up against me; a group of ruthless men ('aris, Ibid., p. 792) seeks my life principle and they have no regard for Your Name," Psalm 86:14.

15. But You (emph. pron.), O Adonai, are a compassionate and merciful God, slow to anger and great in loyal love and faithfulness," Psalm 86:15.

16. "Turn to me and be merciful unto me; grant Your strength unto Your servant and save the son of Your maidservant," Psalm 86:16.

17. "Give me a sign of Your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for You (emph. pron.), O Jahweh, helped me and comforted me," Psalm 86:17.

C. We note significant observations and applications regarding this psalm (as follows):

1. The difficulty David faced was the threat of those who had no respect for God and rightful authority granted to David as Israel's king so that they boldly, viciously had risen up to oppose him, v. 14a, 2b, 16b.

2. To handle this problem, David authored a strict reverence for the Lord before asking for His intervention: his humility before God (v. 1-4, 8-10) and deep reverence for Him (v. 11) coupled with God's great mercy and goodness in helping him (v. 13-15) form the basis of this action by David.

3. David anticipated that God would put his foes to shame though helping and comforting him, v. 17.

Lesson: If facing fearless, ruthless subordinates, an overseer must humbly revere God so ask Him to intervene. The result will be God's putting the subordinates to shame while giving the overseer comfort and joy, v. 4a, 12, 17.

Application: (1) May we overseers who face fearless, ruthless subordinates humbly revere the Lord and in this attitude ask for His intervention regarding the subordinates for His edifying resolution to the crisis. (2) May we subordinates heed our overseers lest God intervenes to put us to shame while helping and comforting the overseer.