Psalm 5

Tuesday's Daily Word and Thought Journal (By: Yusun Beck)

Psalm 5

" 1^(A)Give ear to my words, O LORD,
Consider my ^[a](B)groaning.
2Heed ^(C)the sound of my cry for help, ^(D)my King and my God,
For to You I pray.
3In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice;
In the ^(E)morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly ^(F)watch.
4For You are not a God ^(G)who takes pleasure in wickedness;
^(H)No evil dwells with You.
5The ^(I)boastful shall not ^(J)stand before Your eyes;
You ^(K)hate all who do iniquity.
6You ^(L)destroy those who speak falsehood;
The LORD abhors ^(M)the man of bloodshed and deceit.
7But as for me, ^(N)by Your abundant lovingkindness I will enter Your house,
At Your holy temple I will ^(O)bow in ^(P)reverence for You.
8O LORD, ^(Q)lead me ^(R)in Your righteousness ^(S)because of my foes;
Make Your way straight before me.
9There is ^(T)nothing reliable in what they say;
Their ^(U)inward part is destruction itself
Their ^(V)throat is an open grave;
They flatter with their tongue.
10Hold them guilty, O God;
^(W)By their own devices let them fall!
In the multitude of their transgressions ^(X)thrust them out,
For they are ^(Y)rebellious against You.
11But let all who ^(Z)take refuge in You ^(AA)be glad,
Let them ever sing for joy;
And may You ^(AB)shelter them,
That those who ^(AC)love Your name may exult in You.
12For it is You who ^(AD)blesses the righteous man, O LORD,
You ^(AE)surround him with favor as with a shield." (Quoted from http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%205;&version=49;)

Looking at this Psalm, I would just like to continue reflecting on the fact that God loves us and is watching us. Constantly the Psalms have talked about people who trust and love God being protected. However, this one actually says that those who love your name may exult in you. According to Romans, all man is considered unrighteous and ensnared by the worldly sin and flesh. Our iniquity condemns us. Yet in the Old Testament Psalm 5, it states that those who take refuge in Him shall be glad. It differentiates between righteous and unrighteous people. It also says here that God makes His people righteous. I would not draw this one out. I will simply leave some questions in the hope that others will search out the answers because I know the answer to these questions.

Question one, is God a God that can not stand wickedness? What must He do when He sees evil? What does it mean for God to be the Holy One and Righteous One? Who is the righteous man?

Question two, what is the name of God that people may exult in God? How does God make people righteous? How did God punish the sin of those who He made righteous?

Question three, this man had enemies, and yet he called them wicked and evil; did he judge his enemies, or was it God's word? If this man is a man, then how did he take refuge in God who must be holy and judge sin? How was this man righteous if God sees all man as wicked? How does a sinner take refuge in righteousness?

Yes it is true that our iniquity condemns us... God has set a provision. For me to say it over and over would be redundant. Those who trust in God truly know the answer. Those who don't care to seek God will never find these answers. Perhaps those who care will read through Romans so that they may know answers to these questions. I know the answers, so these questions serve as a reminder of Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1-22. "1And you were ^(A)dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you ^(B)formerly walked according to the course of ^(C)this world, according to ^(D)the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in ^(E)the sons of disobedience. 3Among them we too all ^(F)formerly lived in ^(G)the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were ^(H)by nature ^(I)children of wrath, ^(J)even as the rest. 4But God, being ^(K)rich in mercy, because of ^(L)His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were ^(M)dead in our transgressions, made us alive together ^[a]with Christ (^(N)by grace you have been saved), 6and ^(O)raised us up with Him, and ^(P)seated us with Him in ^(Q)the heavenly places in ^(R)Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing ^(S)riches of His grace in ^(T)kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For ^(U)by grace you have been saved ^(V)through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is ^(W)the gift of God; 9^(X)not as a result of works, so that ^(Y)no one may boast. 10For we are His workmanship, ^(Z)created in ^(AA)Christ Jesus for ^(AB)good works, which God ^(AC)prepared beforehand so that we would ^(AD)walk in them. 11Therefore remember that ^(AE)formerly ^(AF)you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "^(AG)Uncircumcision" by the so-called "^(AH)Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands-- 12remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, ^(AI)excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to ^(AJ)the covenants of promise, having ^(AK)no hope and ^(AL)without God in the world. 13But now in ^(AM)Christ Jesus you who ^(AN)formerly were ^(AO)far off have ^(AP)been brought near ^(AQ)by the blood of Christ. 14For He Himself is ^(AR)our peace, ^(AS)who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15by ^(AT)abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is ^(AU)the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might ^(AV)make the two into ^(AW)one new man, thus establishing ^(AX)peace, 16and might ^(AY)reconcile them both in ^(AZ)one body to God through the cross, by it having ^(BA)put to death the enmity. 17AND ^(BB)HE CAME AND PREACHED ^(BC)PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE ^(BD)FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE ^(BE)NEAR; 18for through Him we both have ^(BF)our access in ^(BG)one Spirit to ^(BH)the Father. 19So then you are no longer ^(BI)strangers and aliens, but you are ^(BJ)fellow citizens with the saints, and are of ^(BK)God's household, 20having been ^(BL)built on ^(BM)the foundation of ^(BN)the apostles and prophets, ^(BO)Christ Jesus Himself being the ^(BP)corner stone, 21^(BQ)in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into ^(BR)a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you also are being ^(BS)built together into a ^(BT)dwelling of God in the Spirit." (Quoted from http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%202;&version=49;) Truthfully though, no man seeks God on his own, for every inclination of man is evil. To bring the truth constantly in the face of people who don't want to hear it is like pearls to swine though. So I say this scripture that is mentioned is the truth. I am not a great mind that figured it out. God made it simple for my simple mind to understand. For those who see this truth let it always be a reminder that Christ did what He did out of love. The Old Testament points towards Christ and the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. Otherwise, how could God save this man who wrote this very psalm if he had to be made righteous? How does a man become made righteous without Christ? It is impossible. See Isaiah 53, Genesis' fall of man, Psalm 23, Leviticus chapter 4-5/20/21-24/26, Isaiah 51-End, Jeremiah 33, and Psalm 22... There are more, but consider this Psalm 22 as a conclusion with the questions earlier asked. Rather than me giving my own words because my words are simply a flickering shell from the light that is Christ. Let God's word tell you what comes to mind.

"1^(A)My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
^(B)Far from my deliverance are the words of my ^(C)groaning.
2O my God, I ^(D)cry by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but I have no rest.
3Yet ^(E)You are holy,
O You who are enthroned upon ^(F)the praises of Israel.
4In You our fathers ^(G)trusted;
They trusted and You ^(H)delivered them.
5To You they cried out and were delivered;
^(I)In You they trusted and were not disappointed.
6But I am a ^(J)worm and not a man,
A ^(K)reproach of men and ^(L)despised by the people.
7All who see me ^(M)sneer at me;
They ^[b]separate with the lip, they ^(N)wag the head, saying,
8"^[c]Commit yourself to the LORD; ^(O)let Him deliver him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him."
9Yet You are He who ^(P)brought me forth from the womb;
You made me trust when upon my mother's breasts.
10Upon You I was cast ^(Q)from birth;
You have been my God from my mother's womb.
11^(R)Be not far from me, for trouble is near;
For there is ^(S)none to help.
12Many ^(T)bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of ^(U)Bashan have encircled me.
13They ^(V)open wide their mouth at me,
As a ravening and a roaring ^(W)lion.
14I am ^(X)poured out like water,
And all my ^(Y)bones are out of joint;
My ^(Z)heart is like wax;
It is melted within me.
15My ^(AA)strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And ^(AB)my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
And You ^(AC)lay me in the dust of death.
16For ^(AD)dogs have surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They ^(AE)pierced my hands and my feet.
17I can count all my bones.
^(AF)They look, they stare at me;
18They ^(AG)divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots.
19But You, O LORD, ^(AH)be not far off;
O You my help, ^(AI)hasten to my assistance.
20Deliver my soul from ^(AJ)the sword,
My ^(AK)only life from the power of the dog.
21Save me from the ^(AL)lion's mouth;
From the horns of the ^(AM)wild oxen You ^(AN)answer me.
22I will ^(AO)tell of Your name to my brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23^(AP)You who fear the LORD, praise Him;
All you descendants of Jacob, ^(AQ)glorify Him,
And ^(AR)stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.
24For He has ^(AS)not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He ^(AT)hidden His face from him;
But ^(AU)when he cried to Him for help, He heard.
25From You comes ^(AV)my praise in the great assembly;
I shall ^(AW)pay my vows before those who fear Him.
26The ^[d]afflicted will eat and ^(AX)be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will ^(AY)praise the LORD
Let your ^(AZ)heart live forever!
27All the ^(BA)ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the ^(BB)families of the nations will worship before You.
28For the ^(BC)kingdom is the LORD'S
And He ^(BD)rules over the nations.
29All the ^(BE)prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who ^(BF)go down to the dust will bow before Him,
Even he who ^(BG)cannot keep his soul alive.
30^(BH)Posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to ^(BI)the coming generation.
31They will come and ^(BJ)will declare His righteousness
To a people ^(BK)who will be born, that He has performed it." (Quoted from http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2022;&version=49;)