RETURN TO SYLLABUS
PSALMS 58
LESSON #15/P2
A PERMANENT WALKING STICK: RIGHTEOUSNESS
- THE SUB-TITLE: "
To the chief Musician, Al-Taschith, Michtam of
David"
- "AL-TASCHITH" MEANS = DESTROY NOT.
- "MICHTAM" MEANS = ENGRAVEN OR PERMANENT AND USUALLY HAS TO DO
WITH DELIVERANCE..
- THIS IS THE THIRD OF THE MICHTAM PSALMS.
- IN THESE PSALMS WHERE DAVID PLEADS THAT HE WILL NOT BE DESTROYED BY ALL THE
ENEMIES SURROUNDING HIM, HE KNOWS HE IS NOT WORTHY OF GOD’S HELP. NO ONE IS. HOWEVER,
GOD IS SUFFICIENT. THEREFORE, DAVID LEARNS TO LEAN ON GOD’S PERMANENT WALKING STICKS.
- WALKING STICK #1 = DAVID’S FAITH IS A GIFT FROM GOD THAT HELPS HIM FIGHT THE FEAR.
(PSA 56)
- WALKING STICK #2 = GOD’S MERCY TOWARD DAVID IS A FREE GIFT. (PSA 57)
- WALKING STICK #3 = IN THIS PSALM WE WILL LEARN THAT GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS IS ALSO A
FREE GIFT. (PSA 58)
- THE PRIMARY INTERPRETATION:
READ PSA 58:1-11
- THERE ARE TWO KEY WORDS REPEATED AT THE BEGINNING AND AT THE END OF THIS PSALM:
- THE WORD, RIGHTEOUSNESS (OR RIGHTEOUS) IS REPEATED IN VERSES 1, VERSE 10, AND VERSE 11.
- THE WORD, RIGHTEOUSNESS, MEANS = RIGHT STANDING WITH GOD.
- RIGHTEOUSNESS IS WHAT WE NEED TO STAND BEFORE GOD WITHOUT SHAME AND CONDEMNATION.
- READ ROM 3:10
- HOWEVER, THERE IS NOT ONE PERSON THAT IS RIGHTEOUS. THEREFORE, ALL EXIST IN A HOPELESS
CONDITION UNABLE TO STAND BEFORE GOD.
- READ ROM 5:17-21
- GOD PROVIDED THE SOLUTION FOR US AS A FREE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH JESUS
CHRIST’S DEATH ON THE CROSS.
- THE WORD WICKEDNESS (OR WICKED) IS REPEATED IN VERSE 2, VERSE 3, AND VERSE 10.
- THESE TWO WORDS STAND IN CONTRAST IN THIS PSALM. EITHER A PERSON IS RIGHTEOUS OR HE IS
WICKED IN GOD’S SIGHT.
- WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT NO MAN IS RIGHTEOUS EXCEPT THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
- THEREFORE, JESUS STANDS AS THE DIVIDER BETWEEN THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED.
- GOD BEGINS THE PSALM BY SPEAKING THROUGH THE PEN OF DAVID:
- GOD ASKS WHETHER THERE IS ANYONE WHO SPEAKS RIGHTEOUSNESS. AND, OF COURSE, AS WE HAVE
ALREADY DISCOVERED. THE ANSWER TO GOD’S QUESTION IS NO. THERE IS NO ONE WHO SPEAKS
RIGHTEOUSNESS MUCH LESS ACTS RIGHTEOUS.
- GOD ASKS WHETHER WE MAKE RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENTS OR RIGHTEOUS DECISIONS. AND, OF COURSE THE
ANSWER IS NO. THERE IS NO ONE WHOSE DECISIONS ARE ALWAYS RIGHT ONES WITH A PURE MOTIVE.
- THE REASON THERE IS NO RIGHTEOUS PERSON IS BECAUSE OF THE WICKEDNESS IN EACH
PERSON’S HEART. (2)
- THE REASON THERE IS NO RIGHTEOUS PERSON IS BECAUSE EACH HUMAN BEING IS BORN A SINNER
FROM HIS MOTHER’S WOMB. (3)
- YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TEACH A CHILD TO LIE OR TO REBEL. IT COMES AUTOMATICALLY FROM THE
HEART.
- BECAUSE OF ADAM’S SIN, ALL ARE SINNERS. THIS IS WHAT WE CALL THE CONCEPT OF
ORIGINAL SIN. (ROM 5:14)
- DAVID PRAYS FOR SIX DESTRUCTIONS TO COME UPON GOD’S ENEMIES:
- =1= "…BREAK OUT THE GREAT TEETH OF THE YOUNG LIONS…" (6)
- REMEMBER THAT SATAN IS LIKE A ROARING LION. (1PET 5:8)
- IN OTHER WORDS, MAKE THE ENEMY’S BITE A TOOTHLESS ONE.
- =2= "LET THEM MELT AWAY AS WATERS…." (7)
- =3= "…LET THEM BE CUT IN PIECES." (7)
- =4= "AS A SNAIL WHICH MELTETH, LET EVERY ONE OF THEM PASS AWAY…" (8)
- THERE IS A SNAIL IN THE MIDDLE EAST CALLED A SLIMEWORM THAT MELTS IN THE HEAT OF THE
SUN.
- IN OTHER WORDS, MAY THEIR EVIL THAT TRAILS THROUGH THE WORLD MELT AWAY.
- =5= "… LIKE THE UNTIMELY BIRTH OF A WOMAN THAT THEY MAY NOT SEE THE SUN."
(8)
- IN OTHER WORDS, MAY THE EVIL THAT THEY PLAN NOT COME TO FRUITION.
- =6= "BEFORE YOUR POTS CAN FEEL THE THORNS, HE SHALL TAKE THEM AWAY AS WITH A
WHIRLWIND..."
- THE THORNED BRAMBLE BUSH WAS PUT UNDER A POT AND BURNED.
- IN OTHER WORDS, DAVID IS REQUESTING THAT THEIR BURNING BE SO QUICK THAT THE POT
WON’T EVEN FEEL THE THORNS OF THE BUSH, BEFORE THE WIND COMES AND BLOWS AWAY THE
ASHES.
- THESE PSALMS THAT CALL FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ENEMY ARE NOT FOR THE NEW TESTAMENT
BELIEVER TO PRAY.
- IN THE NEW TESTAMENT WE ARE TOLD TO PRAY FOR OUR ENEMIES, NOT PRAY FOR THEIR DESTRUCTION
AS DAVID DOES HERE.
- THAT IS WHY THERE ARE 6 POINTS OF DESTRUCTION AND NOT 7. REMEMBER THAT 7 IS GOD’S
SYMBOLIC NUMBER OF COMPLETENESS OR PERFECTION, WHILE 6 IS THE SYMBOLIC NUMBER OF MAN WHO
IS FALLEN SHORT OF GOD’S PERFECTION.
- BECAUSE DAVID IS UNDER THE PERIOD OF THE MOSAIC LAW, HE PRAYS FOR THEIR DESTRUCTION. WE
ARE UNDER A PERIOD OF GRACE, SO WE MUST PRAY FOR GRACE TO DESCEND ON THEIR LIVES.
- A BETTER WAY FOR THE NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER TO VIEW THIS KIND OF PRAYER IS TO VIEW THE
ENEMY AS OUR SPIRITUAL ENEMY, SATAN. THEN WE CAN PRAY THIS KIND OF PRAYER AGAINST SATAN
AND HIS DEMONS, AND AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS.
- THE SPIRITUAL VICTORY: (10-11)
- WE COME FULL CIRCLE, ENDING THE PSALM WITH THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE
WICKED.
- WHILE NO ONE IS WORTHY TO BE CALLED, "RIGHTEOUS", THERE ARE THOSE THAT GOD
CALLS RIGHTEOUS. THEY ARE THOSE WHO PUT THEIR FAITH IN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST, THE
MESSIAH.
- THE PERMANENCY OF OUR IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH CHRIST IS THE TEACHING (MICHTAM) IN
THIS PSALM THAT WE CAN LEAN ON AS WE WALK THE CHRISTIAN WALK.
- THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST IS OUR PERMANENT WALKING STICK, AND IT IS A FREE GIFT TO
THOSE WHO BELIEVE. AS A RESULT, WE WILL NOT BE DESTROYED WITH THE WICKED. PRAISE TO GOD!
SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
- WHILE RIGHTEOUSNESS IS A FREE GIFT THROUGH THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, THERE IS A RIGHTEOUSNESS
THAT WE MUST DEVELOP IN OUR OWN PERSONAL LIVES.
- READ ROM 1:17
- DISCUSSION:
WHAT DOES THIS VERSE MEAN WHEN IT COMES TO LIVING A VERY PRACTICAL
CHRISTIAN LIFE?
THIS VERSE TELLS US THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS IS REVEALED FROM FAITH TO FAITH.
- IN OTHER WORDS, YOU TRUST BY FAITH IN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST TO HELP YOU THROUGH
TEMPTATIONS. AS YOUR FAITH GAINS THE VICTORY OVER TEMPTATION, YOUR LIFE BECOMES MORE
RIGHTEOUS. YOU BEGIN TO LIVE UP TO THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. AS YOUR FAITH GROWS, YOU
USE IT MORE AND MORE TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION. IN THAT WAY YOU GROW IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. IT IS
A NEVER ENDING CYCLE OF FAITH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS UNTIL YOU GO TO BE WITH HIM.
HOMEWORK
PSALMS 59
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR
CORRECTION.
- APPLICATION OF PSA 58
- IN THE AREA OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHAT PART OF YOUR LIFE IS GOD DEALING WITH THAT HE WANTS
TO SEE YOU GAIN A SPIRITUAL VICTORY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS?
- HOW CAN YOU USE YOUR FAITH TO GAIN VICTORY OVER SOME SPECIFIC TEMPTATION AND THUS
FULFILL ROM 1:17?
- PREPARATION FOR PSA 59
- READ PSA 59:1-17
- THERE ARE TWO SELAH’S (MUSICAL PAUSES) IN THIS PSALM. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS
IMPORTANT THAT GOD WANTS US TO STOP AND THINK ABOUT IN VERSES 5 AND 13?