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Psalms 41:1-13
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O Lord , Be Gracious to Me 41 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 1 e Blessed is the one who considers the poor! 1 f In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; 2 the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you g do not give him up to the will of his enemies. 3 The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health. 1 4 As for me, I said, “O Lord , h be gracious to me; i heal me, 1 for I have sinned against you!” 5 My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die, and his name perish?” 6 And when one comes to see me, j he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad. 7 All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me. 1 8 They say, “A deadly thing is poured out 1 on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.” 9 Even my k close friend in whom I trusted, who l ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 10 But you, O Lord , be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them! 11 By this I know that m you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. 12 But n you have upheld me because of o my integrity, and p set me in your presence q forever. 13 r Blessed be the Lord , the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.
Psalms 41:1-14
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41 1 לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד ׃ 2 אַ֭שְׁרֵי מַשְׂכִּ֣יל אֶל ־ דָּ֑ל בְּי֥וֹם רָ֝עָ֗ה יְֽמַלְּטֵ֥הוּ יְהוָֽה ׃ 3 יְהוָ֤ה ׀ יִשְׁמְרֵ֣הוּ וִֽ֭יחַיֵּהוּ יאשר 1 בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְאַֽל ־ תִּ֝תְּנֵ֗הוּ בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ אֹיְבָֽיו ׃ 4 יְֽהוָ֗ה יִ֭סְעָדֶנּוּ עַל ־ עֶ֣רֶשׂ דְּוָ֑י כָּל ־ מִ֝שְׁכָּב֗וֹ הָפַ֥כְתָּ בְחָלְיֽוֹ ׃ 5 אֲֽנִי ־ אָ֭מַרְתִּי יְהוָ֣ה חָנֵּ֑נִי רְפָאָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י כִּי ־ חָטָ֥אתִי לָֽךְ ׃ 6 אוֹיְבַ֗י יֹאמְר֣וּ רַ֣ע לִ֑י מָתַ֥י יָ֝מ֗וּת וְאָבַ֥ד שְׁמֽוֹ ׃ 7 וְאִם ־ בָּ֤א לִרְא֨וֹת ׀ שָׁ֤וְא יְדַבֵּ֗ר לִבּ֗וֹ יִקְבָּץ ־ אָ֥וֶן ל֑וֹ יֵצֵ֖א לַח֣וּץ יְדַבֵּֽר ׃ 8 יַ֗חַד עָלַ֣י יִ֭תְלַחֲשׁוּ כָּל ־ שֹׂנְאָ֑י עָלַ֓י ׀ יַחְשְׁב֖וּ רָעָ֣ה לִֽי ׃ 9 דְּֽבַר ־ בְּ֭לִיַּעַל יָצ֣וּק בּ֑וֹ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁ֝כַ֗ב לֹא ־ יוֹסִ֥יף לָקֽוּם ׃ 10 גַּם ־ אִ֤ישׁ שְׁלוֹמִ֨י ׀ אֲשֶׁר ־ בָּטַ֣חְתִּי ב֭וֹ 1 אוֹכֵ֣ל לַחְמִ֑י הִגְדִּ֖יל עָלַ֣י עָקֵֽב ׃ 11 וְאַתָּ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה חָנֵּ֥נִי וַהֲקִימֵ֑נִי וַֽאֲשַׁלְּמָ֥ה לָהֶֽם ׃ 12 בְּזֹ֣את יָ֭דַעְתִּי כִּֽי ־ חָפַ֣צְתָּ בִּ֑י כִּ֤י לֹֽא ־ יָרִ֖יעַ אֹיְבִ֣י עָלָֽי ׃ 13 וַאֲנִ֗י בְּ֭תֻמִּי תָּמַ֣כְתָּ בִּ֑י וַתַּצִּיבֵ֖נִי לְפָנֶ֣יךָ לְעוֹלָֽם ׃ 14 בָּ֘ר֤וּךְ יְהוָ֨ה ׀ אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל מֵֽ֭הָעוֹלָם וְעַ֥ד הָעוֹלָ֗ם אָ֘מֵ֥ן ׀ וְאָמֵֽן ׃
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Notes
The LORD knows the way of the righteous Intro : Opens with blessed is the one, closes with blessed be the LORD. link to 40.17 and 42.1-2 End of book 1, this has been the whole theme: the LORD knows the way of the righteous. Here is the righteous man in dire need, on his sick bed, and attended by the tender mercies of God. C ontrast of life and death; the negative words have the shadow of death. But God 'keeps alive' and will set him in his presence 'forever'. 1. Blessed is the one who considers the poor! (v1-3) Beatitude Separate word for 'poor' here (not the same one as 'afflicted/humble'). Represents a shorthand for godly ethics. cf Galatians 2.10 The tender mercies of his faithful God. v3 is a verse of tenderness. 'God cares for the poor and needy man who himself cares for the poor and needy one; this connection of salvation and godliness is unbreakable.' 2. O LORD, be gracious to me (v4-10) David's prayer. v8 worthlessness, belial (not deadly) The suffering in body and spirit. On his sick bed, but also the pain of intimate betrayal. T wo faced types, waiting for his end. C lose friend, 'man of peace'. Ahithophel? Obviously, Judas. cf John 13.18 , 22 , Matthew 26.21 He is conscious of his sin, but will get more mercy from God than from his friend he trusted God's glory : his tender mercies, which are in such contrast to man. FCF . We scheme, betray, deceive. Conspire. Jump on others in their misfortune, just waiting for a chance. H1 . Everything is a chance for selfish ambition, or a potential chance. H2 . We want the appearance of sincerity, without the function of true loyalty. 3. Blessed be the LORD forever! (v11-13) David's confidence Ultimately this is a vision of the resurrection/ascension of Jesus. v13, like saying add your signatures here! v13 concludes not just the Psalm but the whole book. Invitation to 'add your signature' here. Amen and Amen. '...verse 13 encourages us to 'add our signatures' to the praise of the covenant God, who does keep all his promises to his anointed King- and will therefore keep all his promises of eternal life to us, in Christ. For we too live in the shadow of death and cry to him for preservation from death and every shadow of death.' Person of Jesus. Shows the loyal HESED of the Father. He is tender to the sick and avoided ones. The poor and needy, eg Zacchaeus. He is the blameless one of v12. Work of Jesus . He is betrayed, struck down, killed and abandoned on his death-cross. So that the poor and needy from across the globe might be gathered into his life. Union with Jesus . Learning to know and trust his tender mercies, come what may from others. Learning a tender and loyal love for others, and a concern for the poor and needy one. Come and share in the of the Righteous Man - add you name here to book 1 of the Psalms! Invitation . Know how loved you are, how secure in Jesus, and thus how free to consider the poor! Confrontation . Stop scheming against others - a form of fear of man. Consolation . Know his nearness and tenderness, his loyalty. He doesn't love like others do. Wrap up: What a fitting close to book 1. 'King Jesus sings this Psalm, which concludes Book 1, and brings us right back to core truths; the King is mortally opposed and will suffer deeply; but in the end He will be given life and His enemies will not triumph. All this is true - but only for the Psalm 2 king who is also the Psalm 1 man of godliness (the one who cares for the weak). What David affirmed was finally shown to be true of Jesus Christ, the man of Psalm 1 and the King of Psalm 2 .' NB doxology as seam through the whole of the Psalms, coming to a climax in book 5.
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