Psalms chapter 28 comments

 

Psalm 28:1 ¶  «A Psalm of David.» Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. 2  Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle. 3  Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts. 4  Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert. 5  Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.

 

We’ve seen in several places where God is likened to a rock, steady, trustworthy, and unmovable in His promises, His mercy, and His guidance. Here are some examples.

 

Deuteronomy 32:4  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

 

1 Corinthians 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

 

David wants to hear, needs to hear from God. To not feel God’s presence in his life is like him feeling dead. This underscores the temporal nature of the Israelite’s relationship with God and their dependence on that relationship in the land of the living.

 

Psalm 143:7 ¶  Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

 

Regarding verse 2, remember what David said previously;

 

Psalm 5:7 ¶  But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

 

Strong’s says that in 16 places oracle refers to the Holy of Holies.

 

David’s plea here continues with a cry to separate him from the wicked who are hypocrites and liars. See these cross-references;

 

Psalm 12:2  They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

 

Psalm 26:9  Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:

 

Psalm 55:21  The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

 

Psalm 62:4  They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.

 

In verses 4 and 5 David asks that they get their just deserts. Compare this with Christ’s statement regarding those who crucified Him to see the extreme contrast between the dispensations.

 

Luke 23:34  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

 

Luke 6:35  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

 

Verse 5 is a stark contrast to God’s desire under the Covenant of Grace after Christ’s resurrection.

 

1 Timothy 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

 

Psalm 28:6 ¶  Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. 7  The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. 8  The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. 9  Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.

 

David praises God for hearing him.

 

Psalm 66:19  But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. 20  Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

 

Psalm 116:1 ¶  I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. 2  Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

 

Psalm 118:5  I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.

 

David then goes on to declare how God is his strength. Remember Psalm 18;

 

Psalm 18:1 ¶  «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,» I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. 2  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

 

…and that David trusts in God to help him…

 

Psalm  25:2  O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

 

Psalm  31:6  I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.

 

Psalm 52:8  But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

 

Psals 143:8  Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

 

Psalm 144:2  My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.

 

…and that this is a cause of great rejoicing…For the following verse remember that 99% of the time salvation is mentioned in the Bible it is about deliverance from a temporal danger.

 

Psalm 13:5  But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

 

Then there are these Psalms about rejoicing!

 

Psalm 16:9  Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

 

Psalms 33:21  For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.

 

Psalms 68:3  But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

 

…and this prompts David to praise God which is something he has done quite often previously. It is a great example to us and to how we might devote at least some of our time if we truly love God and are Christ’s.

 

Psalms 7:17  I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

 

Psalms 9:1  «To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David.» I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. 2  I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

 

Psalms 9:14  That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.

 

Psalms 21:13  Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.

 

Psalms 22:22  I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. 23  Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel…25  My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

 

Verses 8 and 9 are a prayer for the children of Israel. I believe that we can appropriate these prayers and apply them to the Christian if we don’t take the doctrinal too far. Every Christian themselves is like the children of Israel as a whole. He is our strength and our salvation. The church, the body of Christ on earth, asks to be lifted up for ever. I think of the translation of the church sometime during the end times.