Bible Studies
These seven psalms protect like armor: they are seven sides of the same thing, like a fortress with a guarded gate. They are seven descriptions of the truth, and they are fine examples of a well-lived life. It is still a long way home, and there is much to do. These two psalms, 58 and 59 are about protection of the heart. The breastplate that does not allow lying without harm was first and here we are protected from the high energy efforts of wicked influence and the stab in the back. The influences are not always violent armies, but thousands of misguided individuals that we see all the time who don't really mean harm, but cause it nonetheless. They want our attention and it is their possessiveness we must fight if we wish to retain our own direction.
59. Deliver Me and I Will Sing
Deliver me from my enemies, O my God, defend me from them that would cause my fall. Deliver me from the unsound thoughts that take me to anger and violence. They lie in wait for my soul. They are hard to resist and they cause more trouble than bad habits and sin, O Lord. They are ready to trip me without my doing anything. Awake and watch to help me. Only You, the Lord God of hosts, the God of our fathers, can overcome in me these trials and temptations. So it is.
These thoughts come back to trouble my sleep, barking like dogs in the night all around my house. Such an awful noise they make, it awakens hatred and anger in those who hear. But You, O Lord, can laugh at them; You make light of all that does not know You. Because of your strength I will wait for You, for my God is my only defense. The God who gives mercy will prevent my fall and He shall give me my desire over my enemies.
They are not yet eliminated, so we won’t forget. Rather, your power scatters them and takes away their sting, O Lord our shield. If we were to yield to their power, the sin of our mouth and the words of our lips would be our undoing and we would be taken by our pride. We would be consumed, wiped out by your wrath and only at the very end would we know the strength of the God of our fathers. So it always is.
So in the evenings let the dogs return, let them come making their noise all around where we live. Let them wander up and down searching for meat, unhappy if they don’t find it here. I will sing of your power in the evening and I will sing aloud of your mercy when the morning comes, for You have been my defense and refuge in my night of trouble.
Unto You, O my strength, I will sing; for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy.
We have found protection from lies and here we find armor against those thoughts and desires that would trap us. Television and movie producers would have us watching their shows: current events in the news, Hollywood, crime and war, the struggles of the rich and famous. We watch it, we swallow it whole and are already hungry for more: movies, newspapers, magazines and books are all about grabbing a share of the public attention, not just its money.
Advertisers know the tricks of colors and shapes and movement to latch onto our imagination and as long as it tickles our fancy we stay for more. Trouble from within and without, it would be perilous out here in the world if we didn't know the armorer. Like the Urim and Thumim we are protected front and back. It is because of the armor God made for us that we are able to find joy in this world, as well as anticipating more in the next.
The influences do not go away and neither does the impulse to give away our attention but we can be protected from their harm in what we do and what we think. Action and thought alternate in 57 and 58, then again in 59 and 60 in these emotionally charged lessons. We know we are safe so we sing. We can trust the protection we are given and eventually it becomes a part of our nature. One day we will not need to put it on because we will become the armor.
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