Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19960630.htm

PSALMS: DIARIES OF GODLY OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS
Psalm Thirty-Three: Security When Our Livelihood Is Vulnerable To "Uncontrollable" Threats
(Psalm 33:1-22)
  1. Introduction
    1. Though God holds heads of households responsible to make a living for their families in 1 Timothy 5:8, there are times when forces outside of the breadwinner's influence can threaten the success of his efforts! His company can lay him off due to business downsizing, or a farmer can be wiped out by locusts!
    2. In such times, David's Thirty-Third Psalm addresses the breadwinner, supplying direction as follows:
  2. Security When Our Livelihood Is Vulnerable To "Uncontrollable" Threats, Psalm 33:1-22.
    1. David addressed the concern over two threats to a breadwinner's efforts to gain a livelihood: invasion by enemies (Psalm 33:16f) and famine (due perhaps to siege warfare or changes in climate?) (33:19).
    2. Yet, in spite of these livelihood vulnerabilities, David admonished his listeners to rejoice in the Lord, v. 1-3
    3. Just how David could arrive at such a conviction with such livelihood threats is explained as follows:
      1. There were some realities about David's GOD that affected just how really vulnerable was his ability to gain a livelihood as a breadwinner in spite of these outside threats to that effort, Ps. 33:4-5:
        1. The Word of God was upright, and that meant that David could afford to remain upright, Ps. 33:4a.
        2. Also, God was faithful to uphold His promises of that upright Word. Thus, David could count on being upright and getting divine help in his efforts to gain a livelihood, Ps. 33:4b.
        3. Besides, David's upright God loved righteousness and justice, and the world was full of evidences of His loyal love for His righteous ones, Ps. 33:5.
      2. In case one DOUBTED these truths, he only needed to recall the effects of God's loyalty to His loving words regarding mankind's original living space that were spoken in CREATION, 33:6-9:
        1. David reminded his listeners that God spoke and all that was created came into existence because God simply spoke the commands, Ps. 33:6-7 with Gen. 1:3,6-7,9,11,14-15,20-21,24,26-27.
        2. Now, ever since God SPOKE these creative commands, what came into existence has since STOOD in existence THROUGH TIME (33:9) due to His loyal love to His creatures, v. 5-7!
        3. This loyal love was shown by God's making the heavenly hosts for man to use for light and telling time, and in "storing up" the uninhabitable oceans to make space of dry land for man, 33:5-7; Gen. 1.
        4. Thus, David called men to respect God for the way He EVEN STILL demonstrates His loyal love to mankind in preserving an original living space for human livelihood in creation, Ps. 33:5,8.
      3. Drawing from the proof of God Almighty's loving allegiance to man by His creative commands to form and preserve an original living space for man, David applied this truth to his current living fears, 10-19:
        1. The Almighty Creator who made mere man was greater than created men who might invade David's realm and destroy his livelihood as one who was loyally loved by God, Ps. 33:10,13-15.
        2. This Almighty Creator was loyal in His love (Hebrew = chesed) toward David to keep His words' promises of blessing given through Moses and Samuel regarding David's livelihood security, for God constantly proved such loyalty by creation's daily existence , Ps. 33:10,12,16-17 with Ps. 33:9.
        3. Consequently, this Almighty Creator would save David from famine coming either by changes in creation's weather patterns (sunspots, el nino ocean currents west of South America, etc.) or through siege warfare by invading armies of mere, created men, Ps. 33:18-19 with 33:9,10!
        4. The proof that God would still help David overcome these threats according to His personal promises to David was evidenced by the fact that His loyal love, creative commands yet stood, 11,9
    4. David thus closed this psalm with an upbeat admonition to the godly, Ps. 33:20-22:
      1. The godly needed to wait on God for protection from invaders, for God was their personal, hand-held Shield (megan) from the disastrous effects of such threatening invaders, Ps. 33:20.
      2. In God they could afford to rejoice as He, the Supreme Sovereign, was trustworthy in His loyal love to help the godly now overcome these created threats as evidenced by His being trustworthy to uphold His creative commands by the existence of creation, Ps. 33:21 -22 with 33:9!
Lesson: Since man's ORIGINAL living space in Creation ITSELF STILL EXISTS due to God's loyal love to mankind, GOD Who is thus trustworthy to uphold these loving creative commands can be trusted to uphold His loving personal promises of to His godly people for their CURRENT livelihoods. The upright breadwinner merely needs to trust and obey God for threats to his livelihood efforts, and relax!