Psalm 38

38 1 מִזְמ֖וֹר לְדָוִ֣ד לְהַזְכִּֽיר ׃ 2 יְֽהוָ֗ה אַל ־ בְּקֶצְפְּךָ֥ תוֹכִיחֵ֑נִי וּֽבַחֲמָתְךָ֥ תְיַסְּרֵֽנִי ׃ 3 כִּֽי ־ חִ֭צֶּיךָ נִ֣חֲתוּ בִ֑י וַתִּנְחַ֖ת עָלַ֣י יָדֶֽךָ ׃ 4 אֵין ־ מְתֹ֣ם בִּ֭בְשָׂרִי מִפְּנֵ֣י זַעְמֶ֑ךָ אֵין ־ שָׁל֥וֹם בַּ֝עֲצָמַ֗י מִפְּנֵ֥י חַטָּאתִֽי ׃ 5 כִּ֣י עֲ֭וֺנֹתַי עָבְר֣וּ רֹאשִׁ֑י כְּמַשָּׂ֥א כָ֝בֵ֗ד יִכְבְּד֥וּ מִמֶּֽנִּי ׃ 6 הִבְאִ֣ישׁוּ נָ֭מַקּוּ חַבּוּרֹתָ֑י מִ֝פְּנֵ֗י אִוַּלְתִּֽי ׃ 7 נַעֲוֵ֣יתִי שַׁחֹ֣תִי עַד ־ מְאֹ֑ד כָּל ־ הַ֝יּ֗וֹם קֹדֵ֥ר הִלָּֽכְתִּי ׃ 8 כִּֽי ־ כְ֭סָלַי מָלְא֣וּ נִקְלֶ֑ה וְאֵ֥ין מְ֝תֹ֗ם בִּבְשָׂרִֽי ׃ 9 נְפוּג֣וֹתִי וְנִדְכֵּ֣יתִי עַד ־ מְאֹ֑ד שָׁ֝אַ֗גְתִּי מִֽנַּהֲמַ֥ת לִבִּֽי ׃ 10 אֲֽדֹנָי נֶגְדְּךָ֥ כָל ־ תַּאֲוָתִ֑י וְ֝אַנְחָתִ֗י מִמְּךָ֥ לֹא ־ נִסְתָּֽרָה ׃ 11 לִבִּ֣י סְ֭חַרְחַר עֲזָבַ֣נִי כֹחִ֑י וְֽאוֹר ־ עֵינַ֥י גַּם ־ הֵ֝֗ם אֵ֣ין אִתִּֽי ׃ 12 אֹֽהֲבַ֨י ׀ וְרֵעַ֗י מִנֶּ֣גֶד נִגְעִ֣י יַעֲמֹ֑דוּ וּ֝קְרוֹבַ֗י מֵרָחֹ֥ק עָמָֽדוּ ׃ 13 וַיְנַקְשׁ֤וּ ׀ מְבַקְשֵׁ֬י נַפְשִׁ֗י וְדֹרְשֵׁ֣י רָ֭עָתִי דִּבְּר֣וּ הַוּ֑וֹת וּ֝מִרְמ֗וֹת כָּל ־ הַיּ֥וֹם יֶהְגּֽוּ ׃ 14 וַאֲנִ֣י כְ֭חֵרֵשׁ לֹ֣א אֶשְׁמָ֑ע וּ֝כְאִלֵּ֗ם לֹ֣א יִפְתַּח ־ פִּֽיו ׃ 15 וָאֱהִ֗י כְּ֭אִישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא ־ שֹׁמֵ֑עַ וְאֵ֥ין בְּ֝פִ֗יו תּוֹכָחֽוֹת ׃ 16 כִּֽי ־ לְךָ֣ יְהוָ֣ה הוֹחָ֑לְתִּי אַתָּ֥ה תַ֝עֲנֶ֗ה אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהָֽי ׃ 17 כִּֽי ־ אָ֭מַרְתִּי פֶּן ־ יִשְׂמְחוּ ־ לִ֑י בְּמ֥וֹט רַ֝גְלִ֗י עָלַ֥י הִגְדִּֽילוּ ׃ 18 כִּֽי ־ אֲ֭נִי לְצֶ֣לַע נָכ֑וֹן וּמַכְאוֹבִ֖י נֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִֽיד ׃ 19 כִּֽי ־ עֲוֺנִ֥י אַגִּ֑יד אֶ֝דְאַ֗ג מֵֽחַטָּאתִֽי ׃ 20 וְֽ֭אֹיְבַי חַיִּ֣ים עָצֵ֑מוּ וְרַבּ֖וּ שֹׂנְאַ֣י שָֽׁקֶר ׃ 21 וּמְשַׁלְּמֵ֣י רָ֭עָה תַּ֣חַת טוֹבָ֑ה יִ֝שְׂטְנ֗וּנִי תַּ֣חַת רדופי 1 ־ טֽוֹב ׃ 22 אַל ־ תַּֽעַזְבֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֑ה אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אַל ־ תִּרְחַ֥ק מִמֶּֽנִּי ׃ 23 ח֥וּשָׁה לְעֶזְרָתִ֑י אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י תְּשׁוּעָתִֽי ׃

Psalms 38:1-22

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Do Not Forsake Me, O Lord 38 A Psalm of David, l for the memorial offering. 1 O Lord , m rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! 2 For your n arrows have sunk into me, and your hand o has come down on me. 3 There is p no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my q bones because of my sin. 4 For my r iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, 6 I am s utterly bowed down and t prostrate; all the day I u go about mourning. 7 For my sides are filled with burning, and there is p no soundness in my flesh. 8 I am feeble and crushed; I v groan because of the tumult of my heart. 9 O Lord, all my longing is before you; my w sighing is not hidden from you. 10 My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and x the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. 11 My y friends and companions z stand aloof from my a plague, and my nearest kin b stand far off. 12 Those who seek my life c lay their snares; those who seek my hurt d speak of ruin and meditate e treachery all day long. 13 But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like f a mute man who does not open his mouth. 14 I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no g rebukes. 15 But for h you, O Lord , do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. 16 For I said, “Only i let them not rejoice over me, who j boast against me when my k foot slips!” 17 For I am l ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. 18 I m confess my iniquity; I am n sorry for my sin. 19 But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me o wrongfully. 20 Those who p render me evil for good q accuse me because I r follow after good. 21 Do not forsake me, O Lord ! O my God, be not s far from me! 22 t Make haste to help me, O Lord, my u salvation!

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Notes

Hurry to help me, O Lord my salvation! Intro : 'Waiting' a theme here, last week, and in the coming two Psalms (39.7, 40.1). Ps 37 had the principles/overview, Ps 38 is a worked example of the experience up close. I WAIT - cf Psalm 37 'Those who render me evil for good', cf Ps 37 'To bring to remembrance' (not 'memorial offering'). Laying before him a situation which calls for his help. Since for God to remember is to act. There is more going on here than suffering injustice at the hands of others; there is the burden of personal sin. We don't feel the weight of our sin. We are shameless. Since shame is to feel it (whether you should or not). And if/when we do feel it, we simply can't bear it 1. The burden of my sin is too heavy for me! (v1-8) v1-2 the opening prayer bones, most inner self v3 v3 and v7 no soundness in my flesh, repeated v4 my iniquities, like a heavy burden v5 (lit.) the stripes/blows of my foolishness stink and fester v6 emphatic v1-8 the link between suffering and sin. Emphatic, body and soul is suffering. Application directions: Our burden of suffering is the overflow of the weight of our sin We can't carry our iniquities, they are too heavy for me Foreshadowing Jesus. Who felt the weight of sin, yet it was not his own. FCF: We don't feel the weight of our sin. We are shameless. Since shame is to feel it (whether you should or not). And if/when we do feel it, we simply can't bear it (cf Crime and Punishment or Brothers Karamazov). 2. All my longing is before you (v9-14) but v9 God sees and knows, we can pour out our hearts to him v11 the social aspect of suffering v12 actual malice he is entrusting himself to God who judges justly, v13-16 v14 Jesus silent before his accusers. Glory of God: He sees our suffering and has entered into it to bring it to an end. Person of Jesus. He knew no sin, yet he chose to come and suffer it. He identifies with those feeling their sin and those suffering misery. He comes announcing good news for those who carry the burden. 3. I wait for you O LORD! (v15-22) v15 BUT for you O LORD do I wait He is entrusting himself to God who judges justly, another aspect of the 'worked example' of Psalm 37 v20 translation (v21 Heb) literally reads: v21-22 a final prayer of the Son of God, answered at the resurrection. v21-22 his only hope is the LORD (cf the Cross). Work of Jesus. He suffers as one terribly condemned, though he is innocent. He pins his hope entirely on the Father and calls out to him in the darkness. His incarnation sets up his atonement, which sets up his ascension/intercession. Union with Jesus. I increasingly feel my sin (this is growth in holiness), yet I am able to take it with joy to the Cross and know the constant joy of forgiveness, of burden lifted. The prayer of v1 is answered through Jesus! In Jesus I am disciplined in love, not in wrath. In Jesus I am learning what it means to 'wait' for the LORD. Wrap up: 'Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage, and wait for the LORD!' (Ps 27.14) We cannot bear the weight of our sin, but Jesus already did.

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