The Passion Translation | Psalms Study | Dr. Brian Simmons Lesson 5/ Psalm 5: The Song of the Clouded Dawn for the Pure A

The Passion Translation | Psalms Study | Dr. Brian Simmons

Lesson 5/ Psalm 5: The Song of the Clouded Dawn

For the Pure and Shining One For her who receives the inheritance , by King David

Dear friend, have you ever had a “clouded dawn”? You awakened for a new beginning only to be greeted by a heaviness and weariness that threatened to weight you into despair. Sometimes the circumstances in our life seem to cloud the hope we have in God, and this precious psalm shows us the path to the light of day—the pathways of God’s pleasure! A sacrificial song of pure worship will break the gloom and bring the canopy covering of His sweet presence, and we ultimately find it is all we need.

Psalm 5 is another psalm of David written for the Pure and Shining One. The Hebrew word for inheritance is actually “flutes.” However, the Hebrew word neliloth is a homonym which can also be translated inheritances. It could be translated “for flutes.” However, the early church father, Augustine, translated it, “For her who receives the inheritance,” meaning, the church of Jesus Christ. The Father told the Son in Psalm 2 to ask for His inheritance, and here we see it is the church that receives what Jesus asks for. We receive our inheritance of eternal life through the cross and resurrection of the Son of God.

The word nehiloth (a Hebrew hapax legomenen) is taken from a root word that means to bore or perforate, like a flute that has holes drilled in it. It is a beautiful picture of a life fully yielded and laid down unto the Lord. We must become crucified ones (perforated ones) before we can become an instrument of worship for the King. Jesus is the One who was crucified and pierced for us. Perhaps this was a cry heard from the lips of the Savior as he awakened before the dawn to cry out to His Father.

David was a father who knew the pain of a wayward son. Psalm 5 is the last of a trilogy of poems that David wrote during his exile from Jerusalem because of Absalom’s rebellion (Psalms 3,4,5). Although he had reason to be discouraged, David found his confidence and peace in the God who answers prayer. Psalm 5 is a morning prayer for those who are distressed and longing for an answer. It is the upward gaze into the brightening sky of God’s grace. The people of God are found praying in the morning (Ps.3:5-7), in the evening (4:1, 8), in the morning again (5:3), and in the evening again (6:6-9).

Where do we go, where do we turn, where do we look when all seems lost, broken or unbearable? We see in Psalm 5 a view of God as our help and our hope. He hears our hearts even when words are not enough—He speaks, as it were, the language of crying and sighing; it all makes sense to Him. He treasures every cry, captures every tear, and answers our every

longing. This week sink a bit deeper into His heart, friend. His heart is your home, and you are so welcome there!

Outline:

V. 1-3 Morning Watch

V. 4-6 Making it Right

V. 7-8 Multitude of Mercy

V. 9-10 Multitude of Sins

V. 11-12 Multitude of Blessings

The Morning Watch (v. 1-3)

V. 1 “Listen, Yahweh, to my passionate prayer! Can’t you hear my groaning? ”

Prayer is an appeal to God to give ear to our words and consider the unspeakable sighings of our inner being. Prayer is communion with heaven. Our longing is to connect, not just speak. As we pray our inner being is seeking out the heart and ear of God. It is not a routine, but an earnest cry—Listen to my passionate prayer!

The Hebrew word for groaning (hagiyg) can also mean “sighing.” In a time of trouble the heart has more to say than we have words to speak. Even our sighings matter to God. The Lord is so kind; He will consider the meditation of our heart and the unspoken longings we have yet to express. He understands what is unspoken deep in our hearts. What begins as a groaning will soon take on words and will break forth in a cry for God’s attention.

V. 2 “Yahweh, don’t you hear how I’m crying out to you? My King and my God, consider my every word, for I am calling out to you.”

This is the passion that must grip you as you come into His House of Prayer. You WILL be heard, for He is your King and your God. You come to Him in covenant relationship. You may plead your cause before a King who is your God! The Lord is always wanting you. He will listen to your cry for help, for He is your God. Since He is your King and your God, He will care for you and treat you as one of His own.

V. 3 “At each and every sunrise you will hear my voice as I prepare my sacrifice of prayer to you. Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on the altar and wait for your fire to fall upon my heart.”

David’s example of keeping the morning watch is significant to us all. It all depends on how we start the day. If we will begin our morning watching and waiting for the Lord, life works better. God’s voice is heard, our heart is cleansed, and our spirit renewed. Prayer is the only way to begin the day. As soon as it is morning, let Him hear your voice. See Psalm 59:16 and 88:13.

Each morning it is time to lay our requests before God. This phrase is used elsewhere for preparing a sacrifice. It is a priestly term used for laying out the wood (Lev. 1:7) and for preparing the altar fire for offering a holy offering before the Lord. This is how we must approach the morning watch. We are setting before God our requests, directing our prayers into heaven like arrows, and waiting in hope for the answer. This IS the morning sacrifice we make at the threshold of God’s Tabernacle (Ex. 29:42).

“I hold myself in readiness for you.” JB

“In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.” KJV

“In the morning I will order my prayer to Thee and eagerly watch.” NAS

We pray in hope. To wait in expectation is a duty of the morning watch. We have offered the sacrifice, we have laid out our requests as fuel for altar fires, we have directed our prayers into His heart…now we must wait and watch eagerly for the answer to come. We do not pray in the morning just to speak, we pray for an answer...to hear God speak. Prayer brings us to the door of the Tent of Meeting where God speaks to His people. See Isaiah 21:6-8, Micah 7:7, & Habakkuk 2:1.

In the Song of Songs 2:14, the Bridegroom asks to hear the voice of the Bride. He longs to hear the interceeding Bride come before Him in the morning and lay her requests before God:

“For you are my dove, hidden in the split-open rock. It was I who took you and hid you up high in the secret stairway of the sky. Let me see your radiant face and hear your sweet voice. How beautiful your eyes of worship and lovely your voice in prayer.”

There is unspeakable joy in the heart of Jesus as He overhears your prayer life. We should never rob Him of this joy by a prayerless morning! David promises to lift his voice to the Bridegroom each morning…will you?

Making It Right (v.4-6)

V. 4 “I know that you, God, are never pleased with lawlessness, and evil ones will never be invited as guests in your house.”

The holy God we serve is unable to delight in evil (or “lawlessness”). The one thing that will shut down our prayer life and song of joy is lawlessness—placing our own opinions and ways over the truth of God. To ignore God’s Word and His authority that is placed over our life is to push away God’s pleasure from us. God does take pleasure in us, but will never take pleasure in our waywardness. When we worship Him with a pure heart, our prayers will be anwered speedily.

The wicked cannot live with God. The wicked thing in us will move us away from holiness if we do not deal with it. We must “make things right” by confessing our sin and removing the “wicked” from our life (Ps.66:18-19). Evil cannot dwell as a guest in God’s house. See Psalm 15:1-2.

V. 5 “Boasters collapse, unable to survive your scrutiny, for your hatred of evildoers is clear.”

Prideful boasters will not be able to present their case before the Lord. Pride is the great enemy of the human heart that blinds us to truth and binds us to falsehood. When we boast and display arrogance, we are demonstrating that we are not in the presence of God, for no one can boast in His presence!

The God of heaven hates all who do wrong, those who are given over to their wickedness (Prov. 6:16-19). Sin makes the God of love an enemy to His creatures. To be hated by God is an awful thing. It is time to warn the wicked with these words: It will be a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God!

V. 6 “You will make an end of all those who lie. How you hate their hypocrisy and despise all who love violence!”

Lies and violence will separate the soul from God. Judgment and destruction will come to those who tell lies and practice fraud. Violent ones will also experience what it means to be hated by God. All of this will intensify as the anti-christ spirit increases on the earth (II Thess.2:3-4). Each of us are deceitful when the Spirit of the Lord is not in charge of our hearts. Yet, we can thank heaven for grace that is greater than our sin.

In verses 4, 5, and 6 we notice the six stages of darkness that alienate God from the wicked:

God takes no pleasure in evil. The wicked will not dwell with God. The arrogant cannot stand in His presence. The Lord hates all who do wrong. God destroys those who tell lies (hypocrisy). The Lord abhors those who love violence. The Lord will make an end to them.

Multitude of Mercy (v. 7-8)

V. 7 “But I know that you will welcome me into your house for I am covered by your covenant of mercy and love. So I come to your sanctuary with deepest awe to bow in worship and adore you. ”

David knows the way home…it is the way of mercy. It is the GREAT mercy of the Lord that brings us into the sacred chamber, into His holy presence. Humble prayer brings us into the Father’s House. We also have things in us that are offensive to God, but as we acknowledge the mercy of the Lord and PRAY, we will be ushered into the House of the Lord. The wicked cannot enter, but I will! Abundant mercy will bring us in. It is only in the outer court that we are aware of the wicked and evil around us. No matter what the wicked do, we can come into His House…and in His House all cry, “GLORY!”

So I come to your sanctuary with deepest awe to bow in worship and adore you. This is the attitude of true worship. Our worship must be full of reverence. Worship is declaring the worthiness of God and taking the posture of humility and trembling before Him. Even as wickedness increases around us, there is a place of peace and holiness we may come to. Reverence is bowing down our heart before God’s presence. In the heart of every worshipper will be a mingling of confidence that we may approach God and a deep sense of humility and awe in coming into His presence.

The Hebrew word used most commonly for worship is "shachah." This root word is taken from the concept of "a deep well," "a place to go down low and sink into." This is why we bow before the Lord, we lower our bodies and our hearts before Him in worship. Wise men and women still bow before Him and worship!

V. 8) “Yahweh, lead me in the pathways of your pleasure just like you promised me you would. Or else my enemies will conquer me. Smooth out your road in front of me, straight and level so that I will know where to walk.”

David cries to the Shepherd of his soul and asks for guidance. When we come into the realm of holiness with the right spirit within us, we may ask for guidance and receive the answer to our cry. David knows that righteousness will be his compass, his plumbline, to know which way to take. David pledges his heart to do what is right no matter what the cost, for his enemies are many and are waiting to see him stumble.

David wanted to walk with God, for God only walks in righteousness. He is asking for divine adjustment of his heart and ways to God’s holiness. He did not know which way to take and must ask for wisdom. If we walk in darkness, our enemies will take advantage of us with their deceitful schemes (II Cor.2:11). David’s heart is humble, confident only in God’s grace and righteousness. Humble people ask for guidance, while the proud in heart choose their own way. David asks for wisdom and will not be denied.

David cries out for God to make the path clear and level—“Smooth out your road in front of me, straight and level so that I will know where to walk.” The oldest translations of this verse render it, “Make my way straight [level] before Your face.” David cries out for a way that is free from crookedness and hinderances, so that he would not stumble in front of his adversaries. The straight way is the way of purity, the way of obedience to God (Matt.7:13:14).

Multitude of Sins (v. 9-10)

V. 9 “Their words are unreliable. Destruction is in their hearts, drawing people into their darkness with their speeches. They are smooth-tongued deceivers, flattering with their words.”

This verse clearly teaches us about our own sinful nature. The heart of flesh independent of Christ is deceitful and desperately wicked. Our enemies are a reflection of areas of darkness inside of us. The ways of the flesh must be abandoned if we will walk on the level way of righteousness. Notice the description we are given of the wicked heart of man:

Their words are unreliable. This is unfaithfulness and deceit.

Destruction is in their hearts. This is wicked motives and darkness within.

“Their throat is an open grave.” This is death and filthiness coming from their words.

“With their tongue they speak deceit.” This is manipulation and lies.

All of these things can be described as the schemes and “wiles” of the devil. Often, he will use people to spread his evil, but the power behind them is the darkness of Satan. Notice how the apostle Paul quoted from this Psalm as he describes the darkness of this fallen planet:

“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:13-18)

The accuser of the brethren will often use human words to come against us. When our heart is secure in the Bridegroom’s love, we can discern when the enemy is speaking to us with the stench of the open grave. The devil has to go to hell to get his lies against you, for the Lord in mercy has washed away all your sins. When he speaks to us, we can smell the decay of death with each word we hear.

V. 10) “Declare them guilty, O God! Let their own schemes be their downfall! Let the guilt of their sins collapse on top of them, for they rebel against you.”

This is a prayer asking for God’s judgment upon the wicked. David begins to enter into partnership with God over the judgment of the nations. This is the destiny of the church and of the righteous. As a forerunner, David enters into the nature of God as he prays in the sacred chamber and asks for God to do what He says He will do—judge the wicked (Rev. 18:20). This prayer is the first of many like it in the Psalms.

It should be remembered that there are few in the Bible that show more forgiveness and grace to their enemies like David did. The heart of this inspired worshipper was not vengeful or raging against those who picked on him. Rather, he is pleading with God to condemn the sin of the ungodly and cause their wicked schemes to fail.

More than a wish, this prayer is a prophecy of certain destruction coming upon all of God’s enemies. This is exactly the kind of prayer you want to pray when you fully see the effects of evil in our world. David is taking God’s side and asking for justice to prevail over the wicked. If God declares them guilty, then the schemes of darkness will not succeed. This was the motivation in David’s heart.

Lovers of righteousness cannot stand back when evil rises. We must let our voice be heard in God’s court, asking heaven to thwart the schemes (“intrigues”) of darkness. For the evil of others is ultimately not against us, but against the Lord. If they were David’s enemies, he would forgive them, but they are God’s, and it is not in our power to forgive God’s enemies!

David is praying, “Let their ways be exposed, let their intrigues collapse on top of them, cast them away, and expel them from my path, for they are rebels against Your ways.” This is exactly how David prayed against Ahithophel in II Sam 15:31—“Now David had been told, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." So David prayed, "O LORD, turn Ahithophel's counsel into foolishness.”

Multitude of Blessings (v. 11-12)

V. 11) “But let them all be glad, those who turn aside to hide themselves in you. May they keep shouting for joy forever! Overshadow them in your presence as they sing and rejoice, then every lover of your name will burst forth with endless joy.”

The righteous will rejoice when evil is brought down and justice executed. There is a joy of holy resolution when the Lord reveals His power and wisdom against the forces of darkness. This is the joy of the battlefield after a victory. Righteousness has conquered and darkness has been cast down. Out of the “refuge” of His presence we come forth singing and rejoicing! There is music in the house and music in our hearts when the Lord wins our battles! He becomes our strength and our song.

Notice the power of song to spread protection over us: “Overshadow them in your presence as they sing and rejoice, then every lover of your name will burst forth with endless joy.” Anointed

worship builds a defense around the people of God and around our hearts! Like the wings of the cherubim cover the Mercy Seat, so the Lord will cover us as we worship and touch the theme of mercy. Singing spreads a joy-covering over us. As we sing, our heart is filled with love for His Name. Worship unlocks revelation about the Names of God. Each name we embrace is a revelation of who God is as well as a strength imparted to walk in that revelation. It is time to rejoice in the Lord. And again, I say, rejoice!

V. 12) “Lord, how wonderfully you bless the righteous. Your favor wraps around each one and covers them under your canopy of kindness and joy.”

Nothing will rob you of the blessing and inheritance that is to be yours! The One who made us righteous, will keep us happy and blessed all our days. Others will seek to curse, but surely the Lord will bless us over and over again. With the fullness of His power, with the intensity of His love, and with the timelessness of His mercy, God will bless us.

Under the joy-canopy we are surrounded with favor as with a shield. The FAVOR-SHIELD is our protection! Nothing can harm, and nothing can penetrate as we sing and rejoice. Dark powers flee through the anointing of a song. As we focus on the Lord, His favor, and His blessings, we will see a shield formed around the saints…Paul sees it as a shield of faith, for we must trust in the One who surrounds us with favor.

Use of Psalm 5 for the Tabernacle of David:

David directed the choir director to accompany this psalm on “Nehiloth,” which was most likely a wind instrument [flutes]. Many ancient rabbis believed it would be played like a swarm of bees making a buzzing sound to capture the mood of the enemy hordes who swarmed against David like angry bees.

This is most obviously a Psalm to be sung in the morning watch, at the dawning or shortly after. It is a prayer that begins with a groan and breaks forth with a piercing cry for God to turn His ear to us.

One of the first duties of the priests each morning was to prepare the wood and offering for the morning sacrifice. The last watch of the night concluded as the morning watch began with offering the morning sacrifice to the God of Glory. Then, the priest would lift his head and hands to heaven, watching the smoke ascend and waiting upon God for His answer and acceptance. This must become the duty of the morning watchers.

Psalm 5 consists of five stanzas. In the first, third, and fifth stanza David is standing face-to-face before God as he begins his day in prayer. In the two alternating stanzas (second and fourth) David glances sideways and sees the wicked. These interlocking stanzas give power and contrast to this song. Musicians and singers would easily be able to bring forth this contrast.

The whole Psalm is summed up in the phrase: “MY KING AND MY GOD!” There is the confidence of a heart connected to God that comes through the music. There is every emotion of the heart found imbedded within this Psalm. It is the Spirit of supplication crying out with the Abba cry.

By the end of this psalm there should be a glorious crescendo of voices and celebration as the Joy-Canopy is built around the congregation. Whatever dark shadow was felt in the beginning of Psalm 5 has been removed and replaced by the Song of Rejoicing in the end. As the day breaks, rejoicing spills forth!

This Psalm could be used for the dawning of the Feast of Tabernacles. As the daylight comes, the roof is placed over head as the canopy of rejoicing. The “spreading” of God’s protection over us is a thought that goes back to the booths of the Feast of Tabernacles.

There is a sense of ascending the musical scale from Psalm 1 to Psalm 8, making an octave. These first 8 psalms are clearly speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Blessed Man (Psalm 1), the Second Man (Psalm 2), the Persecuted Man (Psalm 3) etc. until you come to Psalm 8 you find the glorious Son of Man taking possession of His kingdom and ruling over the universe in righteousness. What a beautiful musical resolution this creates!

Let’s Go Deeper Questions:

1. Haven’t you ever felt like those who oppose and persecute you need to disappear? Perhaps no one has been more unrighteously opposed than David the king. What do you do when you are persecuted wrongly?

2. Have you ever prayed in desperation through the night? What are some the phrases in David’s prayer that speak to you?

3. How important is the “morning watch”?

4. David seems to describe prayer to be like a sacrifice. Describe what that means to you.

5. How does God feel about hypocrisy? List some of the phrases found in this Psalm.

6. In verse 8 David uses the phrase, “pathways of pleasure.” What are those pathways?

7. Nearly every Psalm of David ends with a list of blessings and reasons for praising God. List the things in your life that bring your heart into praise, even when you are misunderstood.

8. Describe in your own terms what “a canopy of kindness and joy” would mean to you.

Notes: ______

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