THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

Psalms: Living By Faith In God

CVIII. A Psalm Composed For Perilous Times

(Psalm 108:1-13)

Introduction: (To show the need . . .)

We need a psalm today that was composed specifically for perilous times, and the reasons abound:

(1) On May 31^st, the Christian Law Association’s June 2024 circular The Legal Alert arrived in the Church’s mail with its lead article, “Perilous Times” that reported on America’s political and social unrest. That very day, the Republican-American lead story, “Trump guilty on all counts” told how former President Trump had been convicted on 34 felony counts in a case where, according to the liberal New York Times, presiding Judge Juan M. Merchan had been warned by a state ethics panel about illegal donations that he as a judge had made to groups supporting Democrats, including a $15 donation to the Biden campaign and a $10 donation to “‘Stop Republicans.’” (William K. Rashbaum, Jonah E. Bromwich and Ben Protess, “Ethics Panel Cautions Judge in Trump Trial Over Political Donations,” May 17, 2024; nytimes.com) The trial was “‘outrageous’ and an ‘embarrassment to the legal system’” according to Julian Epstein, former chief counsel to Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee. (“Democratic lawyer calls out N. Y. v. Trump trial: ‘It’s an embarrassment to the legal system,’” April 24, 2024; foxnews.com)

(2) The trial has also emboldened rival nations to further their agendas: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the Trump case an “‘elimination of political rivals by all possible legal or illegal means,” and it “‘shows the rottenness of the American political system.’” (Emma Burrows, “Trump’s attacks on U. S. justice system after his conviction could be used by autocrats, say experts,” Ibid., Republican-American, June 3, 2024, p. 7A) “China’s state-owned Global Times . . . suggested Trump’s conviction adds to the ‘farcical nature’ of this year’s U. S. presidential election, adding that it will aggravate political extremism and end in ‘more chaos and social unrest.’” (Ibid.)

(3) In addition, elitists keep trying to promote their own false narratives: “‘Despite repeatedly being exposed for having imposed or demanded ever-more online censorship, politicians, journalists and philanthropists continue to make their demands . . . in their quest to control what can and can’t be said and heard on social media platforms.’” (Michael Shellenberger, “Global Elites’ Fear Of Democracy Behind War On Free Speech,” Global, May 17 as cited in “Quotable,” Ibid., May 22, 2024, p. 6A) It recalls the Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn quote about Soviet officials: “‘We know that they are lying, they know that they are lying, they even know that we know they are lying, we also know that they know we know they are lying too, they of course know that we certainly know they know we know they are lying too as well, but they are still lying.’” (“Time for equal standards,” Ibid., May 23, 2024, p. 10A)

(4) At the grassroots level, Kansas City Chiefs place-kicker Harrison Butker recently gave a commencement speech at a college in Kansas, telling its women, “‘Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.’” (Rich Lowry, “Harrison Butker is right about men and women,” Ibid., p. 7A) He told the men that they “‘set the tone of the culture, and when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction and chaos set in. This absence of men in the home is what plays a large role in the violence we see all around the nation.’” (Ibid.)

As a result, the National Football League “has distanced itself from Butker’s . . . speech” for fear he’s “driving women away from the NFL and, even worse, perhaps offending Taylor Swift by quoting one of her lyrics.” (Ibid.) “To judge by the internet reaction,” Mr. Butker “is guilty of a dreaded double-doink – a missed field goal attempt that embarrassingly hits both uprights.” (Ibid.) Actually, the statistics indicate that he split the uprights: “(P)ublic opinion surveys by the Institute for Family Studies” show “‘(s)trong majorities of mothers under 55 agree that housework is as fulfilling as employment. Depending on the year and survey . . . between 53% and 79% of mothers had this view.’” (Ibid.) “What Butker said” to the men “is strongly supported by the research, as fatherlessness is associated with child poverty and reduced educational attainment, increased idleness and more jail time among young men,” Ibid.

But with pressures from Marxist progressives, Butker is made to appear wrong when he is so very right!

Need: So, we ask, “Does God have a psalm that was specifically composed for use in perilous times?”

I. David’s Psalm 108 consists of parts of two psalms he had once composed when he faced perilous times:

A. Psalm 108:1-6 is “virtually identical” to Psalm 57:7-11 that David wrote when he fled from Israel’s king Saul and hid in a cave (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to Psalm 108; introductory notes to Psalm 57).

B. Psalm 108:7-13 is “virtually identical” to Psalm 60:5-12 that David wrote when he fought Arameans in the north and sent Joab to defeat Edom in the south (Ibid., ftns. to Psalms 108 and 60; intro. notes to Psalm 60).

II. Thus, David composed Psalm 108 by combining Psalm 57:7-11 with Psalm 60:5-12 for use specifically for future times of Israel’s peril were a national emergency ever to arise again:

A. Psalm 108:1-6 used the very confident expression of trust in God’s deliverance that David expressed in Psalm 57:7-11 following his prayer of great concern over his humanly highly threatening enemies in Psalm 57:1-6.

B. Then, Psalm 108:7-13 voiced a great summary statement David had made in Psalm 60:5-12 about God’s promises to Israel’s forefathers that guaranteed Israel victory if she had to fight to protect her Promised Land:

1. Verses 7-9 that recall God’s land promises to Israel do not actually quote any of His extensive promises to the forefathers, but it is a “free adaptation of God’s promises to the nation which He made in various forms and ways throughout the whole . . . Pentateuch.” (H. C. Leupold, Exposition of the Psalms, 1974, p. 450)

2. Thus, Shechem is named because Jacob stayed there after he returned from Mesopotamia (Gen. 33:18) and Succoth is mentioned as it was his trans-Jordanian stopping place prior to that (Gen. 33:17). By means of a metonymy, these two places then respectively represent the territory west and east of the Jordan. Gilead and Manasseh are named as larger areas of the East-Jordan area where Ephraim, the most powerful tribe west of the Jordan is named along with Judah, the ruling tribe under David, so they represent the West-Jordan area. Genesis 15 would include the surrounding nations that had to be subdued to make Israel’s position safe against attack, so historically troublesome Moab and Edom are also mentioned, with the “whole section” being “an expression of exuberant confidence that God will fulfill His ancient promises to His people and will give them the land in possession.” (Ibid., p. 450-451)

Lesson: David’s composition of Psalm 108:1-13, a combination of Psalm 57:7-11 with Psalm 60:5-12, reveals that if we firmly trust God’s promises to us for blessing, we can be assured that we will obtain those blessings.

Application: (1) May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God's gift of eternal life, John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. (2) May we firmly believe God’s promises to us for our era in God’s plan for His blessing that we might obtain His blessings for us.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message and provide additional guidance . . .)

(1) To apply Psalm 108, we first review God’s Scripture promises for us in our era much as David reviewed Israel’s land promises to the forefathers for him (as follows): (a) God implied in Revelation 3:21 with 7:17 that we would face a mini-Great Tribulation in our era (of Revelation 3:14-22) where leaders in the government-business-academic-religious complex full of intrigue would afflict subordinates so that the people would long for relief from their oppression. (ii) God would let this trial occur to create a thirst in people for the balm that is available by the exposition and application of Scripture. (iii) We also know from Revelation 3:21 with 7:17 that God will reward (an?) overcomer(s?) with great edifying influence with His people worldwide. (iv) Thus, local church pastors are called to expound Scripture and (v) the congregations are called to heed God’s truth and give it to others for their use!

(2) We thus address the issues of concern in our introduction with Scripture (as follows): (a) On the violation of law and order in even our court systems as seen in the Trump trial, Romans 8:3-6 reveals that unbelievers and ungodly believers who live by their sin natures have no ability to live with God’s righteousness where godly believers who rely on the Holy Spirit fulfill His righteousness. Thus, (i) unbelievers need to trust in Christ to obtain the Holy Spirit and (ii) ungodly Christians need to confess their sins for restoration to fellowship with God to get under the Holy Spirit’s control for law and order to prevail in society! (iii) Since a restoration of law and order may not occur in our era, we still know that the Holy Spirit restrains the growth of sin on the earth until the rapture when God takes the true Church to heaven (2 Thessalonians 2:6-14), so we believers are to be comforted and established in every good word and work until the rapture regardless what occurs in history, 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17. (b) On the emboldening of enemy nations to use the former President Trump case to advance their agendas, Psalm 127 reveals that unless the Lord guards a city, the watchman guards it in vain. We must then trust the Lord for our protection and apply Paul’s directive of 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17 to remain comforted and established in our service for the Lord. (c) On efforts by elites to flood us with false narratives, 1 John 2:18-27 with 4:1-6 and 2 Timothy 3:13-4:2 clarify that Scripture and the indwelling Holy Spirit will provide all the discernment we need to handle the deceptions we face until the Lord’s return. (d) On the roles of men and women, 1 Timothy 2:11-15; 5:8 and Colossians 3:18-21 teach that women are to make homemaking their main focus, to submit to their husbands and to love their children and husbands, while husbands are to oversee their families and selflessly, protectively, lovingly earn a livelihood for their families.

May we trust in Christ Who died as our Atoning Sacrifice for sin that we might receive God’s gift of eternal life. May we firmly trust God’s promises to us in our era for His blessing that we might be blessed.