PSPSAALMLMSS Book THREE CHAPTERS 101 - 150 BRIAN J. BAILEY, Ph.D., D.D. ZION CHRISTIAN PUBLISHERS “Psalms - Book Three” ©Brian J. Bailey 2000 All Rights Reserved ISBN 1- 890381-82- 9 All Scripture quotations in this book are taken from the King James Version Bible unless otherwise stated. Produced and Distributed by: Zion Christian Publishers Waverly, New York Visit our List of Publications at: www.zionfellowship.org/zcpublishers This book is intended for personal use only. It shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise distributed for any purpose, in any format, without the publisher’s prior written consent. For further information please contact: ZION CHRISTIAN PUBLISHERS P.O. Box 70 / Waverly, New York 14892 Phone (607) 565-2801 Fax (607) 565-3329 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We wish to extend our thanks to all the following: To Mary Humphreys—for her excellent assistance in the editing of the grammar and flow of this book. To Tarah Derrick, Sarah Humphreys, and Beth Humphreys—for their superb “final touches” in the proofreading of this book. To Mercy Alarid—for her beautiful drawing of the front cover. To Pastor Joseph Cilluffo—for his vivid colorization of the front cover. Edited by Rev. Brian and Mercy Alarid Contents Preface Introduction i Summary of Psalms 101-150 iii Condensed Outline of the History of Israel xi Brief Synopsis of the Life of David xii Exegesis of Psalms 101-110 1 Exegesis of Psalms 111-120 71 Exegesis of Psalms 121-130 171 Exegesis of Psalms 131-140 211 Exegesis of Psalms 141-150 287 Conclusion 339 PREFACE The Psalms have been called the hymnal of Israel and of the Church. In times of revival, the Holy Spirit has inspired God’s people to set the Psalms to music, greatly aiding the devotional and spiritual lives of believers everywhere. Flow- ing through the Psalms is a strong, creative spirit of prophecy. They produce love, joy, hope, and trust within the hearts of those who meditate upon them and sing them. When I have faced seemingly impossible situations, I have found that a psalm set to music has often sprung up within my heart. One such time was on the occasion of the funeral of my own dear wife. The verses of Psalm 30:10-11 bubbled up from deep within my heart, and all mourning and sadness liter- ally disappeared. I was filled with unspeakable joy and hap- piness. The Psalms are basically devotional in character, dealing with the emotional life of the believer—his fears, sufferings, dis- tresses, persecutions, joys and hopes. Their purpose is to de- velop a deep sense of trust and confidence in a loving Heav- enly Father who hears and cares when we pray to Him in our afflictions. The Psalms portray a God who delivers His people from the storms of life by bringing them to their desired haven, and giving them an expected end. The Psalms cause us to realize that the Lord uses these dis- tresses to enlarge us, to teach us His ways, and to bring us into fellowship with our Heavenly Father and His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Psalms bring comfort, consola- tion, and courage to the weary pilgrim along life’s journey from earth to heaven. Brian J. Bailey i I NTRODUCTION The Lord Jesus divided the Old Testament into three sections: the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Lk. 24:44). The Jews have divided the Psalms into five sections, corresponding to the five books of Moses. 1.) Psalm 1-41 Genesis 2.) Psalm 42-72 Exodus 3.) Psalm 73-89 Leviticus 4.) Psalm 90-106 Numbers 5.) Psalm 107-150 Deuteronomy The word psalm comes from the Greek word Psalmoi used by the translators of the Septuagint Old Testament. This Greek word corresponds to the Hebrew word Mizmoi—meaning an ode or song whose singing is accompanied by an instrument. The Psalms fall into two principal categories: 1.) Didactic - meaning teaching 2.) Lyrical - meaning poetical Hebrew poetry cultivated the recurrence of a thought, which is called parallelism. The Jews had a tendency to say everything twice. The second form of expression is a repetition, an am- plification, or explanation of the first. Almost all the verses of the Psalms have a division in the middle. The second half of the verse repeats or amplifies the first half. ii Many of the Psalms are Messianic, meaning that they proph- esied or foreshadowed the coming Messiah, the Lord Jesus. The Lord Himself testified in Luke 24:44, “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” Everything that was prophesied of the Lord in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms had to be fulfilled. The New Testament writers quoted from the Psalms more than any other Old Testament book, except the book of Isaiah. The majority of the Psalms were written during three specific periods in the history of Israel: 1.) During the time of David 2.) During the reign of Hezekiah 3.) During and after the Babylonian captivity * One or two Psalms were written earlier and possibly a few later. Each psalm is best understood and interpreted by a careful examination and study of that particular psalm. Occasionally, however, it is necessary to look at the historical circumstances through which the Psalms were birthed by the Holy Spirit in the life of the author who penned them. We trust that this little book will be a personal blessing to you. We have recommended to our students throughout the world that they read five psalms a day. This has proven to be of great benefit to their devotional life as well as their prophetic flow. iii SUMMARY OF PSALMS 101-150 We have provided a brief summary of Psalms 101-150. A key verse or key thought from each psalm is given to help summa- rize the overall tenor of the Psalms. Psalm 101 - King David speaks of behaving wisely and walking perfectly in his own house. Psalm 102 - The set time to favor Zion will come when the Lord builds up Zion, and at that time He will appear in His glory. Psalm 103 – David exhorts us not to forget all of God’s ben- efits: a) Who forgives all thine iniquities b) Who heals all thine diseases c) Who redeems thy life from destruction d) Who crowns thee with lovingkindness e) Who satisfies thy mouth with good things f) So that thine youth is renewed like the eagles The difference between Moses and the children of Israel is illustrated. Psalm 104 - The manifold works of the Lord’s creation reveal that He has made them in wisdom. iv Psalm 105 - The seed of Abraham remembers the mighty works of God from Abraham to the Exodus. Psalm 106 – A continuation of the history of Israel from the desert to the Promised Land, and the time of the Judges. Psalm 107 - The rejoicing of the redeemed from their captiv- ity is followed by precious verses showing the Lord’s meth- ods of bringing down their hearts with hard labor to the shadow of death. Then they cry out to the Lord and He sends His Word to heal and deliver them. Whosoever is wise will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord. Psalm 108 - A cry to God to exalt Himself and deliver His Beloved (Christ): “Save with thy right hand, and answer me.” God speaks in His holiness that He will triumph over Moab, Edom, and Philistia. Psalm 109 - The wicked man spoken of is Judas Iscariot, who persecuted the poor and needy man, the Lord Jesus. Verse 8 is quoted by Peter in Acts 1:20 when the apostles decided to give Judas’ vacated office to Matthias (cf. Psa. 69:25). Psalm 110 – The Lord Jesus is our High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek, which is the New Testament priesthood. Psalm 111 – The Lord is gracious, full of compassion, holy, and reverend is His name. A good understanding have all they that keep God’s commandments. v Psalm 112 – This psalm speaks of several qualities of a righteous man: he shows favor by lending to those in need, guides his affairs with discretion, fixes his heart upon God, and he gives to the poor. The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. Psalm 113 – This psalm speaks of the humility of the Lord, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are on earth and in heaven. He raises up the poor, lifts up the needy, and makes the barren woman to keep house. Psalm 114 - A call for the earth to tremble at the presence of the Lord, calling to mind the parting of the Red Sea and also the Jordan River. Psalm 115 - The greatness of the Lord and the impotence of idols are described. Those who make and trust in idols be- come like them. Psalm 116 - Because of the goodness of the Lord to him, the psalmist asks what he shall render unto the Lord in return. The answer is to call upon the Lord and pay his vows to the Lord. Psalm 117 - A command for all nations to praise the Lord. Psalm 118 - Two verses in Psalm 118 are very well known: verse 22, which refers to Christ and His rejection by the el- ders of Israel; and verse 27, which speaks of binding the sac- rifice upon the altar and not taking it back.