RETURN TO SYLLABUS
PSALMS 71
LESSON #24/P2
TIMES AND SEASONS OF LIFE FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF OLD AGE

• MEMORY VERSE: PSA 71:1

• THERE IS NO SUB-TITLE FOR THIS PSALM AND NO SUGGESTED AUTHOR. IT IS THEREFORE, WHAT IS CALLED AN "ORPHAN" PSALM. HOWEVER, MANY THINK DAVID WROTE THIS PSALM IN HIS OLD AGE BECAUSE IT BEAUTIFULLY DESCRIBES HIS LONG RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD.

• THE PRIMARY INTERPRETATION:
• READ PSA 71:1-24
• THE PSALM OPENS WITH THE AUTHOR’S THEME FOR LIFE: "IN THEE DO I PUT MY TRUST…" (1)
• THROUGH LIFE, WE MUST KEEP REMINDING OURSELVES THAT OUR TRUST IS IN THE LORD. THIS IS NECESSARY BECAUSE:
• WORLDLY DISTRACTIONS AND TEMPTATIONS GET IN THE WAY OF KEEPING OUR EYES ON THE LORD.
• PROBLEMS OF LIFE CAUSE FEAR TO ENTER INTO OUR MINDS.
• "…LET ME NEVER BE PUT TO CONFUSION." (1)
• IF THE WORLDLY DISTRACTIONS, TEMPTATIONS, FEAR, AND THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE CONTROL YOU, CONFUSION IS THE RESULT.
• YOU ARE SWAYED IN EVERY DIRECTION, UNABLE TO MAKE CLEAR, WISE DECISIONS.
• IT IS ONLY WITH THE CLEAR GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT GOD CAN GUIDE THE BELIEVER WHO IS PUTTING HIS TRUST IN CHRIST.
• THE PLEA FOR DELIVERANCE AND SALVATION (2-4)
• THE HEBREW WORD FOR "SALVATION" HAS A BROADER MEANING THAN THE WAY IT IS USUALLY USED IN CHRISTIAN CIRCLES TODAY.
• THE WORD SALVATION MEANS = DELIVERANCE FROM ENEMIES, FROM EVIL, FROM SICKNESS, FROM PHYSICAL OR SPIRITUAL DANGER, ACCOMPANIED BY PROVISION FOR THE BODY, THE SOUL, AND THE SPIRIT IN BLESSINGS, HEALTH, AND ESSENTIAL NEEDS. IN OTHER WORDS, THE WORD SALVATION REFERS TO MEETING ALL MAN’S NEEDS IN BODY, IN SOUL, AND IN SPIRIT WHETHER IN DELIVERANCE FROM SOME DANGER OR PROVISION FOR SOME NEED. IT IS AN ALL INCLUSIVE WORD.
• THE AUTHOR LOOKS BACK ON HIS LIFE AND HIS CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD.
• HE REMINDS THE LORD OF THEIR LONG RELATIONSHIP THAT BEGAN WHEN HE WAS A BOY. (5)
• EVEN BEFORE THE AUTHOR KNEW THE LORD, THE ALL-KNOWING GOD KNEW HIM IN HIS MOTHER’S WOMB. (6)
• IT IS VERSES LIKE THIS THAT POINT OUT THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE EVEN BEFORE PHYSICAL BIRTH. THE CHILD IN THE WOMB IS A PERSON KNOWN BY GOD.
• FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF OLD AGE (7-8):
• "I AM A WONDER UNTO MANY…" (7)
• PEOPLE MARVEL WHEN A PERSON ATTAINS AN OLD AGE, BUT IN TRUTH, IT IS BECAUSE OF THE GRACE AND PURPOSES OF GOD.
• GOD HAS A SPECIFIC PLAN FOR EACH BELIEVER’S LIFE. WHEN YOU INVITED JESUS INTO YOUR HEART, YOU GAVE HIM CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE. THAT MEANS HE CONTROLS THE LENGTH OF YOUR DAYS ON EARTH TO FULFILL HIS PUPOSES IN YOUR LIFE.
• NOTICE THAT THE AUTHOR OF THIS PSALM, CREDITS THE LORD WITH GIVING HIM HIS LONG LIFE IN THE PHRASE, "…BUT THOU ART MY STRONG REFUGE." (7)
• THE HEBREW WORD FOR, REFUGE, IS mahseh WHICH MEANS = A SHELTER FROM DANGER.
• THEREFORE, THE AUTHOR GIVES PRAISE AND HONOR TO GOD FOR HIS LONG LIFE THROUGH WHICH GOD HAS PROTECTED HIM AND GIVEN HIM REFUGE. (8)
• FEELINGS OF BEING FORSAKEN: (9)
• OFTEN IN OLD AGE, THERE COMES A TIME WHEN YOU CANNOT DO WHAT YOU USED TO DO WITH THE SAME SPEED, ENERGY, AND ABILITY. THAT IS WHEN MANY FEEL THAT THE WORLD IS PASSING THEM BY AND THEY BECOME MORE AND MORE ISOLATED….FORSAKEN.
• THE AUTHOR OF THE PSALM ASKS GOD NOT TO FORSAKE HIM, TOO.
• WE MUST REMEMBER THAT IF GOD LEAVES US HERE ON EARTH, HE HAS A PURPOSE FOR US HERE. THEREFORE, WE MUST CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE CAN FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD AS LONG AS WE CAN IN HIS STRENGTH.
• THE ENEMY IN OLD AGE IS THE FEELING OF USELESSNESS PROMOTED BY SATAN WHO IS THE FATHER OF LIES. (10-11)
• THE AUTHOR PRAYS FOR STRENGTH TO FIGHT AGAINST THIS ENEMY. (12-13)
• IF THE AUTHOR OF THIS PSALM IS REALLY KING DAVID IN HIS OLD AGE, HIS ENEMIES WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE WAITING FOR HIM TO DIE SO THEY COULD SEIZE POWER.
• THERE IS A DETERMINATION TO PRAISE GOD FOR HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND SALVATION ALL THE REST OF HIS DAYS. (14-16)
• THE PURPOSE OF A LIFETIME RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD: (17)
• THOSE WHO COME TO THE LORD WHEN THEY ARE YOUNG AND LIVE A LONG LIFE HAVE A MARVELOUS LIFETIME OF LEARNING GOD’S WAYS.
• THEREFORE, WE SHOULD MAINTAIN AN ATTITUDE OF TEACHABILITY THROUGHOUT LIFE.
• THERE ARE ALWAYS MORE THINGS WE CAN LEARN ABOUT GOD, ABOUT HIS WORD, ABOUT HOW GOD WORKS IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE. THIS LIFE ON EARTH IS GOD’S CLASSROOM TO PREPARE US FOR WORK IN HIS EARTHLY KINGDOM IN THE MILLENNIUM AND IN ETERNITY TO COME.
• NOTICE THIS PERSPECTIVE OF THE AUTHOR WHEN HE SAYS, "…HITHERTO HAVE I DECLARED THY WONDROUS WORKS." (17)
• THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS TO LEARN THE LESSONS GOD IS TEACHING US SO THAT OUR LIVES DECLARE THE MARVELLOUS GRACE AND GLORY OF GOD TO OTHERS. (18)
• REAFFIRMATION OF GOD’S POWER TO DO MIGHTY ACTS (19)
• THE BELIEVER IN OLD AGE LOOKS FORWARD TO AN ETERNITY WITH CHRIST AND BRINGS HIS FOCUS ON GOD’S PROMISE OF RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD. (20) THIS IS THE ULTIMATE MIGHT ACT OF GOD.
• HE RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD, SO WILL HE RAISE US FROM THE DEAD.
• "…QUICKEN ME AGAIN" (20) MEANS TO MAKE ME ALIVE AGAIN.
• READ 1COR 15:20-23
• THE WORDS OF YOUR MOUTH IN OLD AGE: (21-24)
• USUALLY THOSE IN OLD AGE TALK ENDLESSLY ABOUT ALL THEIR ACHES AND PAINS. I AM NO EXCEPTION.
• HOWEVER, IF YOU NOTICE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE THE TOPICS OF THOSE THINGS THAT COME FROM THE LIPS OF THE AUTHOR ARE NOTHING BUT PRAISES TO GOD IN SONG AND CONVERSATION FOR:
• GOD’S COMFORT
• GOD’S TRUTH
• GOD’S SON, JESUS CHRIST (THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL (22)
• GOD’S REDEMPTION
• GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS
• APPLICATION:
• LIKE THE AUTHOR, WE CAN ALL DO BETTER IN GIVING PRAISE TO GOD VERBALLY IN DAILY CONVERSATION FOR THE MARVELLOUS THINGS HE HAS DONE IN OUR LIVES. IF WE STOP AND THINK ABOUT OUR LIVES, WE CAN ONLY COME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION AS THE PSALMIST, "O GOD, WHO IS LIKE UNTO THEE!" (19)

• APPLICATION OF PSA 71
• LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES THIS WEEK TO CHANGE THE WORDS OF YOUR CONVERSATION TO PRAISE FOR GOD. WRITE YOUR EXPERIENCES HERE.

• PREPARATION FOR PSA 72
• READ PSA 72:1-20
• WHAT IS DAVID’S REQUEST FOR HIS SON SOLOMON?

• MEMORY VERSE: PSA 72:19