Author: Sebastien

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From A Prayer Of David

By Alfred Bouter

Introduction
Two psalms, 17 and 86, are entitled “Prayer.” The word “prayer” (Hebrew tephillah) is used 77 times in the Hebrew Bible.

In his prayer of Psalm 17 and by faith, David placed himself in the presence of the LORD, asking Him to listen to him and intervene to plead his cause. David recognized God’s righteousness and holiness, and he submitted to His standards because he wanted to be right with God. In contrast to the actions and ways of men and of those who oppose God, David tried not to deviate from God’s path, either in word or action. He called on the LORD, confident that God would answer him. David prayed that the LORD would protect him as the apple of His eye and keep him under the shadow of His wings, away from those who oppose him. These were violent, arrogant people, contrasted by those who have the qualities of true disciples (see Matthew 5:3-9). In his distress, David asked for God’s intervention, keeping his trust in Him and confident that one day he would be satisfied with the LORD’s presence in the world of resurrection.

A Key Verse
In the middle of this prayer we find verse 7, consisting of only six words in the Hebrew. These words are like pearls representing great riches. Compare two translations with the Hebrew text:

New King James VersionNew American Standard BibleHebrew Text
Show Your marvelousWondrously showWondrously show
loving-kindnessYour loving-kindnessYour loving-kindness
by Your right hand,O SaviorYou who save
O You who saveof those who take refugethose who trust [in You]
those who trust in You at Your right handfrom their adversaries (literal:
from those who rise up [against them]
from those who rise up against them.From those who rise up against them.with [or, “at”] Your right hand.

In the third column, the English words in each box are translated from one word in the Hebrew text.

A Few Considerations
Let’s ponder a few thoughts as we consider this wonderful verse, using the Hebrew text as a guide.

I say “wonderful” because David’s prayer “Show Your marvelous loving-kindness” is closely linked to the Hebrew word for “wonderful” that may also be translated as “marvelous.” The Scriptures use it only in relation to God. The root of this word occurs 98 times (or 7 x 14) in the Hebrew Bible, in several forms. It is one of the names of the LORD and of the Messiah and is contained in the English words of miracle, marvelous, wonderful and admirable. David’s prayer implies the desire that God would show Himself in a marvelous way, according to who He is and expressed in His name “Wonderful” (Isa. 9:6; compare with Judges 13:18).

The second Hebrew word implies a connection between what God does and what He is: God is good and His goodness expresses who He is. God wants those who believe, His children, to reflect His goodness (or steadfast love) in their actions, words and attitude. Biblically, the Hebrew term Chasidim, meaning pious or holy ones, represents believers reflecting the goodness of God. Of course there is always a difference between God and those who reflect something of Him, but what is implied is the link between the Holy One, who is good, and His holy ones.

The third word in the Hebrew text addresses the One who saves. There is a close connection between Jesus as the One who saves, the Savior (Mt. 1:21), and the fact that He is the Messiah, God (Emmanuel, v.23). The Jews consistently reject both points, but the gospel of John reconfirms their importance: “These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (Jn. 20:31 NKJV). Saul of Tarsus, immediately after his conversion, affirmed that these two great truths are inseparable one from another: Jesus is the Son of God and He is the Messiah (Acts 9:21-22). Wonderful Savior! “I, even I, am the LORD, and besides Me there is no savior” (Isa. 43:11).

“Those who trust [in You]” represents those who have been saved and are marked by the fact that they have learned to put their trust in Him. They learned this from the Man Christ Jesus, our perfect model, who as a man on earth always put His trust in God (Ps. 16:1). Here are a few of the 42 times that this verb is used:

  • “… under whose wings you have come for refuge” (Ruth 2:12),
  • “Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him” (Ps. 2:12, total of 25 times in Psalms),
  • “He knows those who trust in Him” (Nah. 1:7), and
  • “I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD” (Zeph. 3:12).

The release from those who oppose the faithful, or “who rise up against them,” is something only God can do, as the end of the psalm suggests: “Arise, O LORD” (Ps. 17:13). “Arise” is one form of the verb “to oppose” or “to rise.” So David’s prayer involves the thought that God may rise up against those who oppose or rise up against His people. Faith realizes that God is its only remedy.

“Your right hand” is a personification of God Himself, sometimes represented by His “hand” or His “arm” (Isa. 53:1,10). “Your right hand, O LORD! has become glorious in power; Your right hand, O LORD, has dashed the enemy in pieces” (Ex. 15:6). “Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, upon the Son of Man whom You made strong for Yourself” (Ps. 80:17). “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly” (Ps. 118:15). “Your right hand shall teach You awesome things” (Ps. 45:4). Finally, “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11). The right hand or arm implies power and represents a position of favor (Gen. 48:18; Ps. 110:1,5).

Conclusion
This short verse of six Hebrew words (Ps. 17:7) displays wonderful points on the person and work of the Lord Jesus and of our God and Father. May His Spirit, who dwells in us, produce in us similar desires as we see in David in this beautiful psalm and verse, realizing that we live in the age of grace.

To Him be the glory both now and forever!

QUESTION: How did Moses get direction and help as he led the people of Israel through the wilderness?

Answered by Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.

ANSWER:

Hebrews 3:5 presents Moses to us as a faithful servant over the house of God. This passage refers back to Numbers 12:6-8 where God says that unlike other prophets to whom He would speak in visions and dreams, He spoke plainly, face to face, with Moses. Yet Moses is pictured as a servant in contrast to Christ who is far, far greater, being Son over God’s house.

Whether in Egypt, on top of Mount Sinai, from the entrance to the tabernacle, or wherever it might have been, God spoke directly to Moses and through him to the people. This was God’s purpose, for Moses was to be a type of Christ through whom God has spoken to His people.

But Moses felt himself insufficient for the task entrusted to him and in need of human help. In contrast to Christ, he had some helpers. The first one mentioned was Aaron, his brother, whom God appointed as his spokesman when he complained that he was not eloquent (Ex. 4:14-17).

In Exodus 17, Amalek attacked and Moses put Joshua in charge of the fighting men while he himself went up to the hilltop with the rod of God to pray. But Moses’ hands, unlike Christ’s, got heavy. Aaron and Hur put a stone under Moses to support him while he prayed and they supported his arms uplifted in prayer.

Joshua seems to have been with Moses practically from the exodus out of Egypt. He was one of the two men over 20 years old when Israel came out of Egypt who ultimately entered the land of Canaan. Joshua made a few mistakes that Scripture notes, but as Moses’ servant he doubtless learned much from him. God later chose Joshua to lead His people into the Promised Land.

To lead a people numbering more than 600,000 fighting men plus their wives and children, along with a mixed multitude of tag-alongs, was a tremendous undertaking for God’s servant Moses. Early on their wilderness journey, in Exodus 18, Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought Moses’ wife and sons to him and stayed for a brief visit. Seeing Moses spend the day from morning till evening judging the people, Jethro suggested that Moses lighten his load by only intermediating between God and the people and teaching the people what God wanted them to do. He also suggested that Moses appoint faithful, able, God-fearing men over the people as rulers of thousands, hundred, fifties and tens to judge small matters. Only major matters would then be brought to Moses’ attention to bring before God. Moses welcomed this suggestion and sought to implement it.

We find this account in Exodus 18, and it is apparently this that Moses refers to and elaborates on in Deuteronomy 1 as he reviews the events of the wilderness journey with the people shortly before his death. It is interesting to see that while he and Israel had accepted his father-in-law’s counsel, good advice from the standpoint of human wisdom, we never find it referred to as coming from God nor do we ever find instances of its being successfully implemented. On the contrary, at least a year later when God had led Israel on from their long encampment at Sinai, where they had built the tabernacle and its furnishings, we find the people continuing to complain.

The second instance of complaints, in Numbers 11, caused Moses to complain bitterly to the Lord (vv.11-15). He told God, “I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.” God then told him to gather seventy men of the people of Israel, elders and officers over them, to stand with him at the tabernacle of meeting. God said that He would talk with Moses there and that He would take of the Spirit that was upon Moses and put it upon these seventy, that they would bear the burden of the people with him. This was done, and these men prophesied. But in the final analysis we do not find them lightening Moses’ load or that, by God’s putting of the Spirit that was on Moses on these seventy, there was any multiplication of the Spirit of God. Indeed, we can well say there was now more machinery and greater complication, but no more of God’s Spirit!

God still spoke to Moses, giving him direction. God’s servants doing God’s work at God’s direction will always find God’s grace to be sufficient for them. He may well be pleased to give them help, for fellowship in His service is a sweet and encouraging grace. But help that His servants try to find or devise for themselves will never attain to God’s gracious provision for them. May we learn to lean hard on Him rather than depend on human wisdom or resources!