Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19980419.htm

PSALMS: DIARIES OF GODLY OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS
Psalm One Hundred And Eight - Encouragement From Recalling Experiences When God Kept His Word To Us
(Psalm 108:1-13)
  1. Introduction
    1. God wants us to trust Him, for without faith it we cannot please Him and receive reward, Hebrews 11:6.
    2. To the end of seeing our faith built up, king David combined parts of two different psalms in an effort to show how faith can be built so that we please God, leading to His reward to the faithful. Psalm 108:1-13 is that combined psalm, and it reveals a key step toward building a strong faith for current needs:
  2. Encouragement From Recalling Experiences When God Kept His Word To Us, Ps. 108:1-13.
    1. Psalm 108:1-5 is almost identical with Ps. 57:7-11 where Psalm 108:6-13 practically mimics Ps. 60:5-12.
    2. If we note the background of Psalms 57 and 60 respectively, we note a clear, intentional thrust by David that shows us how to have our faith edified in current times of need as follows:
      1. Psalm 57:7-11 is a strong expression of personal trust in God that David expressed as he hid in a cave while Saul looked for him to end his life. We know this from the introductory remarks to the psalm. As such, it was a testimonial to an early cry of faith by a desperate, younger David who looked to God's personal promises to make him a king as hope for deliverance from Saul's intended bloodshed!
      2. On the other hand, Psalm 60:5-12 enumerates Scripture promises God had given the nation, Israel as hope that they would conquer the Arameans who, at the time of the psalm, seemed to be winning! (See Ps. 60:1-4 and Allan Ross' comments in Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament, p. 838 that "Israel was championing God's cause, but God was letting them get defeated.")
      3. Thus, both segments arise out of dire situations of the PAST, one having to do with a former personal crisis and another having to do with a former national crisis.
      4. On the one hand, David's Psalm 57 crisis served as a testimony by way of experience that God had shown He would help David in accord with His promises to make him king after Saul, cf. 1 Samuel 16:12-13. On the other hand, the nation's Psalm 60 crisis served as a testimony by way of experience as to God's willingness to fulfill Scriptural promises that Israel would conquer specific nations like the Arameans, cf. Ps. 108:7-9 and Ps. 60:5-9.
      5. Thus, David combined passages that utilized (a) the TESTIMONYof EXPERIENCES recalled, BOTH on a PERSONAL level and on the GROUP level that (b) verified the validity of God's Scriptural promises to the individual and the nation (c) as a means of building faith for CURRENT crises that might arise!
      6. Accordingly, David combined the two segments of Psalm 57:7-11 and Psalm 60:5-12 into forming Psalm 108:1-13 to teach that (a) combining testimonials of God's (b) keeping His promises, (c) both for individuals and groups of individuals, whether it is a single party or a family, or state or nation, faith can be built to face present era crises at any level for God's blessing!
Lesson: God wants us to (1) recall personal and/or group EVENTS wherein He came to our aid in accord with His Word, and (2) COMBINE these memories with Scripture promises we see we need for CURRENT crises in order to find the will to BELIEVE His cu rrently-needed Scripture promises for blessing! (3) This is because PAST spiritual triumphs are but stepping stones and markers for where God wants us to head in the PRESENT!

Application: Like David did, it is profitable for us to take stock of PAST spiritual battles and their TRIUMPHS or even defeats, and COMBINE the lessons learned to see the PATTERN God has in working with us so that WHEN we need faith to trust NEW p romises in His Word for CURRENT issues of concern, we aren't left floundering with a lot of questions and worry. We KNOW how God has helped us in the PAST as a PRECEDENT for how He intends to direct us NOW, and we can face new experiences with confidence b y looking at those "markers" of the past!