RETURN TO SYLLABUS
PSALMS 59
LESSON #16/P2
A PERMANENT WALKING STICK: MY DEFENSE LAWYER

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 59:9

• THE SUB-TITLE: "To the chief Musician, Al-Taschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him."
• "AL-TASCHITH" MEANS = DESTROY NOT.
• "MICHTAM" MEANS = ENGRAVEN OR PERMANENT AND USUALLY HAS TO DO WITH DELIVERANCE..
• THIS IS THE FOURTH OF THE MICHTAM PSALMS.
• BACKGROUND FOR THIS PSALM:
• THE SUB-TITLE MENTIONS A PARTICULAR EVENT IN DAVID’S LIFE.
• READ 1SAM 19:11-18

• THE PRIMARY INTERPRETATION:
• READ PSA 59:1-4 A CRY FOR DEFENSE:
• DAVID’S HOUSE IS SURROUNDED BY SAUL’S MEN. HIS HOUSE IS CONSTANTLY WATCHED. (3)
• SAUL DESIRES TO KILL DAVID. IT IS NOT BECAUSE DAVID HAS COMMITTED ANY SIN AGAINST KING SAUL. (3) (1SAM 19:4)
• BOTH THE PSALM AND THE ACCOUNT IN 1SAM 19 INDICATE DAVID’S INNOCENCE.
• READ PSA 59:5 "SELAH"
• REMEMBER THAT THE WORD, SELAH, IS A MUSICAL PAUSE FOR EMPHASIS. THEREFORE IT IS IMPORTANT TO STOP AND THINK ABOUT WHAT IS BEING EMPHASIZED.
• NOTICE THAT THIS VERSE APPEARS IN THE MIDDLE OF A DESCRIPTION ABOUT THE ACTIONS OF DAVID’S ENEMIES.
• THE NAMES USED FOR GOD:
• "…OH LORD GOD OF HOSTS, THE GOD OF ISRAEL…"
• DAVID REMINDS HIMSELF WHO HE WORSHIPS.
• HIS GOD IS JEHOVAH, THE GOD WHO HAS A COVENANT RELATIONSHIP WITH MAN.
• DAVID IS TRUSTING IN THIS PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
• HIS GOD IS ELOHIM, THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE.
• DAVID IS TRUSTING IN THE POWER OF THE CREATOR.
• HIS GOD IS ISRAEL’S GOD.
• ISRAEL’S GOD PUT DAVID’S ANCESTORS IN THE PROMISED LAND AND PROMISED THEM A MESSIAH THAT WOULD COME THROUGH DAVID.
• HERE IS THE CATCH! IF GOD DOES NOT DELIVER DAVID FROM HIS ENEMIES AND DAVID’S LIFE ENDS HERE, THERE WILL BE NO PROMISED MESSIAH FROM DAVID’S FAMILY.
• THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD’S PROMISE DEPENDS ON DAVID’S DELIVERANCE.
• "…BE NOT MERCIFUL TO ANY WICKED TRANSGRESSORS…" (5)
• THERE ARE MANY MISGUIDED PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT BECAUSE GOD IS A LOVING GOD, HE WILL EXTEND MERCY SIMPLY BECAUSE HE HAS A SOFT HEART, NO MATTER WHAT OFFENSE WAS COMMITTED. THEY FORGET THAT GOD IS ALSO A VERY JUST GOD.
• YES, GOD EXTENDS MERCY TO THE SINNER, BUT REPENTANCE IS REQUIRED.
• YES, GOD WILL JUDGE WITH PERFECT JUSTICE THE WICKED PEOPLE WHO DO NOT REPENT.
• READ REV 20:12
• THIS VERSE TELLS US THAT THE WICKED WILL BE JUDGED ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS. IN OTHER WORDS, MAN DECIDES THE BASIS BY WHICH GOD WILL JUDGE HIM.
• IF YOU RECEIVE CHRIST IN YOUR HEART, YOU HAVE DECIDED TO BE JUDGED BY CHRIST’S RIGHTEOUSNESS.
• IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE LIVED A GOOD LIFE WITHOUT CHRIST IN YOUR HEART, YOU HAVE DECIDED TO BE JUDGED BY YOUR OWN WORKS.

• READ PSA 59:6-8 DIVINE MOCKERY
• DAVID LIKENS HIS ENEMY TO WILD DOGS THAT ROAM THE CITY AT NIGHT.
• THIS LIKENESS IS REPEATED TWICE IN THIS PSALM (6, 14)
• DAVID SAYS THAT GOD WILL LAUGH AT THE WICKED FOR THEIR FOOLISHNESS.
• THEY ARE FOOLISH BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY WILL GET AWAY WITH THEIR EVIL DEEDS.
• READ ROM 1:19-25
• READ ROM 3:10-12
• ALL MANKIND IS WITHOUT EXCUSE!

• READ PSA 59:9-13 THE COURTROOM SCENE
• GOD IS DAVID’S DEFENSE: (9-10)
• DAVID HAS CHOSEN TO BE ON GOD’S SIDE INSTEAD OF AGAINST GOD. HE IS TRUSTING BY FAITH IN THE PROMISED MESSIAH, JESUS CHRIST, WHO WAS YET TO COME.
• WHEN DAVID SPEAKS OF A DEFENSE, HE VISUALIZES A COURTROOM WHERE GOD, THE FATHER, IS THE JUDGE. JESUS CHRIST, HIS MESSIAH, IS HIS DEFENSE LAWYER, HIS ADVOCATE.
• READ 1JOH 2:1-2
• THESE VERSES TELL US THAT JESUS CHRIST IS OUR DEFENSE LAWYER, AS WELL.
• "THE GOD OF MY MERCY SHALL PREVENT ME…" (10)
• THE WORD, PREVENT, IS AN OLD KING JAMES ENGLISH WORD THAT MEANS, = MEET.
• DAVID’S DEFENSE LAWYER, JESUS CHRIST, COUNSELS AND MEETS WITH HIM AT THE DEFENSE TABLE REGARDING HIS CASE BEFORE THE JUDGE.
• THE JUDGE’S FINAL RESOLUTION OF HIS CASE: (11-13)
• DAVID WILL SEE THE FINAL RESOLUTION OF HIS COURT CASE WHEN GOD, THE JUDGE, DECIDES IN HIS FAVOR AND AGAINST HIS ENEMIES. (10)
• DAVID PLEADS THAT GOD NOT KILL HIS ENEMIES. WHY?
• DAVID WANTS PEOPLE TO SEE THEM FALL FROM POWER AND BECOME DESOLATE.
• DAVID WANTS HIS ENEMIES TO BE A LIVING EXAMPLE TO OTHER PEOPLE.
• IF GOD LETS HIS ENEMIES LIVE, THEY WILL NOT TURN AND HURT DAVID BECAUSE GOD, THE JUDGE, IS SHIELDING HIM. (11)
• DAVID HAS THE PROTECTION OF THE COURT.
• IN VERSE 12 WE HAVE THE PICTURE OF THE BAILIFF OF THE COURT TAKING DAVID’S ENEMIES OUT OF THE COURTROOM IN CHAINS WHILE THEY VEHEMENTLY PROTEST AND CURSE THE JUDGE.
• IN THE END, WHEN HIS ENEMIES DIE, THEY WILL BE CONSUMED. (13a)
• "…LET THEM KNOW THAT GOD RULETH IN JACOB UNTIL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. SELAH" (13b)
• SOMETHING TO STOP AND THINK ABOUT:
• GOD’S JUDGMENT IS FINAL. THERE IS NO APPEAL AFTER APPEAL AFTER APPEAL. THERE IS NO HOPE FOR A DIFFERENT JUDGE TO HEAR THE CASE AND OVERTHROW THE PREVIOUS VERDICT. GOD’S JUDGMENT WILL STAND FOR ETERNITY.

• READ PSA 59:14-17 DAVID’S FINAL SONG
• AFTER THE COURT CASE IS OVER AND HIS ENEMIES HAVE FALLEN FROM POWER, DAVID SEES THEM AS WILD DOGS RAIDING THE GARBAGE CANS OF THE CITY FOR FOOD.
• DAVID PRAISES GOD BECAUSE OF:
• GOD’S POWER (16)
• GOD’S MERCY (16, 17)
• GOD’S DEFENSE (16, 17)
• GOD’S REFUGE (16)
• GOD’S STRENGTH (17)

• THE PROPHETIC INTERPRETATION:
• DAVID’S LIFE, SURROUNDED BY ENEMIES WHO SEEK HIS DEATH, IS PROPHETIC OF THE FAITHFUL REMNANT IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD OF THE FUTURE.
• THE FORCES OF THE ANTICHRIST WILL SURROUNDED BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST ON EVERY SIDE. THIS PSALM WILL BE THEIR PRAYER.
• MANY WILL BE MARTYRED FOR JESUS CHRIST DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD OF 7 YEARS BECAUSE THEY WILL REFUSE TO TAKE THE MARK OF THE BEAST (REV 13:11-18), AND THEY WILL REFUSE TO WORSHIP THE ANTICHRIST.
• READ REV 6:10-11
• READ REV 7:13-14
• REV 20:4

• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
• THE MESSAGE IN THIS PSALM IS THAT THE BELIEVER HAS ANOTHER PERMANENT WALKING STICK TO HELP HIM THROUGH THIS LIFE.
• THAT WALKING STICK IS JESUS CHRIST, OUR DEFENSE LAWYER, OUR ADVOCATE.
• DAVID USES THE WORD, DEFENSE OR DEFEND, FOUR TIMES IN THIS PSALM.
• CHRIST DEFENDS US AGAINST OUR ACCUSER, SATAN, THERE IN GOD’S HEAVENLY COURTROOM.
• READ REV 12:10-11

• APPLICATION OF PSALMS 59
• HAVE YOU EVER SINNED, ASKED GOD FOR FORGIVENESS, AND STILL FELT GUILTY AND UNFORGIVEN?
• GOD PROMISES FORGIVENESS FOR THE REPENTANT BELIEVER.
• READ 1JOH 1:9.
• IF YOU STILL FEEL GUILTY, IT IS BECAUSE YOUR ADVERSARY, SATAN ACCUSES YOU BEFORE GOD AND YOU ARE LISTENING TO HIS PERSUASIVE ARGUMENT INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO YOUR ADVOCATE, JESUS CHRIST, WHO REASSURES YOU OF YOUR FORGIVENESS.
• WHEN SATAN ACCUSES YOU, QUOTE THE WORD OF GOD (1JOH 1:9). GOD DOES NOT LIE. THANK GOD FOR HIS FORGIVENESS AND MERCY.

• PREPARATION FOR PSALMS 60
• READ PSA 60:1-12
• READ HEB 12:6-11
• HOW DOES THIS PASSAGE IN HEB 12 RELATE TO THIS PSALM?

• MEMORY VERSE: HEB 12:6