Weekly Devotion Psalm 69-72
Psalm 69
In this world that is sinful and distant from God, many people take pleasure/ are eager to see others in misfortune. Their happiness and victory are built on other people's mistakes, disasters, and pain, rather than on their own true kindness, holiness, and hard work. They followed their sinful habits and committed evil. David almost perished in the spiritual war because they were insulting and hurting David and made him suffer from oppression on unfounded charges. David also knew his own sinfulness and foolishness. After all, he knew that he was not perfect. Under such circumstances, the loneliness and helplessness of being regarded as a stranger by his brothers did not put him in despair. Instead, he waited and called out to Jehovah God for salvation.
Amid internal and external troubles, as an anointed king, the mission that David cared the most about and was the most anxious about was: the temple of the Lord (the tabernacle) v9, which symbolized the covenant with the people of Israel and the foundation of their blessings. This situation (being scorned and ridiculed by gall and vinegar (metaphor) in hunger and thirst v21) also happened to Jesus the anointed king (in fulfillment) thousands of years later.
Although he was sad, distressed and helpless, he did not lose faith because he knew God’s abundant love and mercy. He called on the Lord to judge the evil deeds of his enemies,“ 28: May they be blotted out of the book of life, and not be recorded among the righteous.” He did not commit evil to seek revenge and exceed his boundaries. Instead, he brought his wishes before God and let him decide. “The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but by no means clearing the guilty, punishing the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.” (Numbers 14 : 18) He is praying for God’s righteous judgment.
When God’s progressive revelation is fulfilled in Jesus, the eternal anointed King, we finally understood his teaching: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44) becomes even more apparent. God is rich in mercy and forgives sins and transgressions. When he suffered on the cross, he was a completely sinless, righteous and spotless lamb, without any evil hatred or grievance in his heart. Therefore, the words coming out of his mouth were crying out to God: "Father, forgive them! for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34). He lived such a life; He also gave the Holy Spirit, so that all His redeemed people can obey and follow His footsteps when they understand.
The basis of all the author’s prayers is in v35-36: "For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. then people will settle there and possess it... And those who love his name will dwell there." The real focus of His prayer is not on himself, but on Mount Zion, which God has chosen and will bless; therefore, he ultimately wants to thank and praise God’s name with joy!
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Psalm 70
Note:(This chapter is identical to Psalm 40:13~17, but becomes a separate chapter here)
David was recorded many times in his life as having many adventures while he was on the run to escape from Saul's pursuit, living with Achish, king of Gath, the Philistine, pretending to be insane, letting his saliva/ spit drip down his beard, and escaping from Absalom's rebellion, etc. These were all good examples of thrilling life or death moments. However, as the anointed one with faith, he did not forget to cry out to Jehovah God for salvation in times of crisis.
Christian faith is not only about thanking and praising God on good days, but also about relying on God, calling on God, and entrusting ourselves to God when God allows us to go through troubling times. As the apostle Peter said: “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6–7)
David understood this clearly, so he said: "4 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; and let those who love your salvation always say Magnificat God!" Although he didn't see even a clue of salvation at this time, he still called on God to come to rescue him quickly without delay; Jehovah was his only reliance and choice. The point of faith is not in the immediate results, but in the nature and trustworthiness of the object of faith - Jehovah.
This is also like the faith shown by the apostles in the New Testament: "When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” (Acts 27:20–25)
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Psalm 71
Note: (This chapter has no title. Some scholars believe that it is possible that the author regarded Psalm 70 as the preface to Psalm 71. If so, it may have been written by David during his old age v9+18)
The psalmist completely relied on God and asked God to save him based on righteousness; "3...You have ordained to save me" and be his rock and fortress. Justice is often used in connection with salvation; because Jehovah is the God who made a covenant with the people of Israel, it is natural to call on the Lord to rescue him from the hands of the wicked in times of trouble because of the covenant, and it is also a "righteous" act in line with the covenant. "righteous" means fairness; at the same time, the root word "right" in the word "righteousness" means what is true and right in the eyes of God, which means doing what God sees as appropriate, so righteousness has rich connotations.
In the Bible, the word "righteousness " is sometimes translated as "righteousness " （note: English translations don’t use different words for them) to express the characteristics of good deeds, so it is inseparable from kindness and mercy. "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you." (Psalm 89:14) Without righteousness and justice, the governance of the eternal kingdom cannot be implemented, sin will be tolerated, and there will be no long-lasting peace. God is righteous, so he must judge sin; if there is only mercy without the foundation of justice, the sins of indulgence will inevitably arise; if there is only justice and fairness without mercy, it will be harsh and ruthless. But in the eyes of the world, the truths of justice and love, which are often contradictory and conflicting, should go hand in hand in harmony in the kingdom of God; they also intertwine and are miraculously realized on the cross of Christ Jesus. This is because truth comes from God, truth is not contradictory, but unified in God; and they are not opposing each other because they complement each other.
It is natural for the author to be supported and saved by God from his mother's womb, from childhood to old age, and to have God guide the actions of his future generations, to walk in the path of fearing God, and to be blessed from generation to generation.
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Psalm 72
This psalm describes a country where a king governs with justice and fairness; justice should be based on guiding the people to obey God's law, and the governance will bring about richness, strength, prosperity, and blessings. Especially compassion for the poor, distressed, and destitute, "He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight." (v14) The governance of this king values the welfare of every one of the most vulnerable groups because every human being is created in the image of God’s majesty and glory.
Although this king could originally be referred to as King Solomon, he later abandoned Jehovah God and followed the many foreign concubines he favored to worship false gods. As a result, "the Lord was angry with Solomon"; "He did not keep my ways and walk in my sight. "Looking at what is right and keeping my statutes and my judgments, like his father David." (1 Kings 11) and his long-term construction, laboring people "bearing a heavy yoke and doing hard work" (1 Kings 12), it is obvious that it is inappropriate for him to accept the connotation of this psalm prayer. These relate to a kingdom beyond the rich representations of King Solomon's day and point to the coming of the restored Messianic King and his kingdom. "May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed." (v17)
When we apply this concept of justice in all areas of life, we also view and respect everyone from God's perspective, so we can value the value God has given them, and God's noble image in them, regardless of who they are. No matter their identity, status, and "appearance"?
In the end, the author gives glory to "the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds." and praise be to his glorious name forever! Commentators believe that this glorification is the end of the second book of Psalms (42-72), not the end of this chapter.
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每周灵修 《诗篇》69-72
《詩69篇》
在這遠離神、罪惡的世界上，許多人是幸災樂禍，見獵心喜的。他們的快樂、勝利是建立在別人的失誤、或災禍、痛苦之上，而不是基於本身真實的善良、聖潔、努力。他們依著自己罪惡的慣性行惡，落井下石，以莫須有的罪名使大衛遭受到眾多的壓迫，以致於他在靈性爭戰上幾乎要滅頂。大衛也知道自己的的罪愆與愚昧，畢竟他誠實地知道自己不是完人。在這情況之下又被弟兄視為陌路人的孤單與無助，並沒有使他失望、絕望，反而是等候、極力呼求耶和華神的拯救。
內憂外患下，身為受膏君王，大衛心中最為牽掛、心裡焦急的使命是：與以色列民立約之耶和華的聖殿（會幕）v9，那代表了神的同在，是神百姓一切蒙恩得福的基礎。這景況下，飢渴中遭受到苦膽與醋（比喻）的輕蔑嘲弄v21，也在千年後他所預表的耶穌受膏君王身上（應驗）發生。
雖憂傷、困苦無助，他因為認識神的豐盛慈愛憐憫，並沒有失去信心，呼求耶和華審判他仇敵的惡行，「28願他們從生命冊上被塗抹，不得記錄在義人之中。」他不是自己去行惡報仇，超出他的界線，而是將心願帶到神面前，由神作主。「耶和華不輕易發怒，並有豐盛的慈愛，赦免罪孽和過犯，萬不以有罪的為無罪，必追討他的罪，自父及子，直到三四代。」（民數記 14：18）他是祈求神的公義審判作為。
當神的漸進式啟示在耶穌永遠的受膏王裡面成就的時候，我們才明白他的教導：「要愛你們的仇敵，為那逼迫你們的禱告。」（馬太福音 5：44）更加顯明了神有豐盛的慈愛，赦免罪孽和過犯。當在十字架上受難時，他是完全無罪、無瑕疵的羔羊，是公義的、卻心中無絲毫邪惡的恨意與委屈，故而他口中所出的話語是向神呼求：「父啊，赦免他們！因為他們所做的，他們不曉得。」（路加福音 23：34 ）。他活出了這樣的生命；他也賜下了聖靈，讓所有蒙他救贖的子民都能夠在明白後，順服、遵行、跟隨他的腳縱去行！
詩人這一切禱告的依據在於：「35 因為神要拯救錫安，建造猶大的城邑。他的民要在那裡居住，得以為業。36… 愛他名的人也要住在其中。」他禱告的真正著眼點並不是在於自己，而在於神所揀選的錫安山，是神所要賜福的；因此，他最終要感謝、歡喜讚美神的名！
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《詩70篇》
（本詩篇與40：13〜17完全相同，此處成為單獨的一詩篇）
大衛在生命裡多次被記載有逃亡歷險的遭遇，逃避掃羅追殺，流落非利士迦特王亞吉那裡假裝瘋癲、使唾沫流在鬍子上，以及逃避押沙龍造反等等，這些都是驚心動魄的生死關頭。但是他身為受膏者，不忘記在危難當頭向施恩揀選他的耶和華神呼求拯救，這是他的信心。
基督徒的信心不僅是平順日子中的感謝讚美神，更在於神使我們經歷患難時候的緊緊倚靠神、呼求神、交託神，如同使徒彼得所說：「6 因此，你們是大有喜樂。但如今在百般的試煉中暫時憂愁，7 叫你們的信心既被試驗，就比那被火試驗仍然能壞的金子更顯寶貴，可以在耶穌基督顯現的時候，得著稱讚、榮耀、尊貴。」（彼得前書 1：6–7）
大衛清楚明白這一點，所以他說：「4 願一切尋求你的，因你高興歡喜；願那些喜愛你救恩的常說：“當尊神為大！”」雖然這時候他連一點得救的線索都沒見到，仍呼求神速速前來搭救他，不要耽延；耶和華是他唯一的倚靠和選擇。信心的要點不在於眼前立即的結果，而在於信心對象--耶和華--的本性與信實可靠。
這也如同新約中使徒表現出的信心：
「20 太陽和星辰多日不顯露，又有狂風大浪催逼，我們得救的指望就都絕了。21 眾人多日沒有吃甚麼，保羅就出來站在他們中間說：“眾位，你們本該聽我的話，不離開克里特，免得遭這樣的傷損破壞。22 現在我還勸你們放心，你們的性命一個也不失喪，惟獨失喪這船。23 因我所屬所事奉的神，他的使者昨夜站在我旁邊說：24 ‘保羅，不要害怕！你必定站在凱撒面前；並且與你同船的人，神都賜給你了。’25 所以眾位可以放心，我信神他怎樣對我說，事情也要怎樣成就。」（使徒行傳 27：20–25）
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《詩71篇》
（本詩篇沒有標題，有學者認為很可能是詩篇編者將70篇視為71篇的前言，若是如此，這可能是大衛老年時所寫v9,v18）
詩人完全的倚靠神，求神憑著公義搭救他；「3…你已經命定要救我」，做他的磐石與山寨。公義常與救恩相連使用；因為耶和華是與以色列百姓立約的神，患難中呼求立約主的拯救脫離惡人之手是理所當然的，也是合乎立約的「公義」舉動。「公義」帶有公平的含意；同時，公義righteousness字中的right字根有神眼中視為正確、對的含意，也就行神所視為合宜的事情，故公義的內涵豐富。
在聖經中，「公義」這個詞，有時被翻譯成為「仁義」，以表達在善行方面的特性，故與仁慈、憐憫密不可分。「14 公義和公平是你寶座的根基；慈愛和誠實行在你前面。」（詩篇 89：14）沒有公義和公平就不能施行永恆國度的治理，就會容留罪惡，不能長治久安。神是公義的，就必定要審判罪惡；若僅有慈愛而無公義的根基，必然產生溺愛與放縱的罪惡；若僅有公義公平而無慈愛，又失之嚴厲無情。而在世人眼中看來常是矛盾、相衝突的公義與慈愛的真理，在神的國度裡，卻應是和諧並行；也在基督耶穌的十字架上相交會、奇妙的實現了。因為真理來自於神，真理在神裡面是統一的，不是矛盾的；是相輔相成的，不是相對立的。
詩人的一生自母腹中、年幼、直到老年都要蒙神的扶持，拯救，並要神的作為指示後代，走在敬畏神的道路之中，讓世世代代蒙福，這也是理所當然的。
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《詩72篇》
這詩篇描述一位君王以公義、公平治理的國度；公義應當是以引導百姓遵行神律法為基礎，施行治理，帶來豐富、強盛、繁榮、蒙福的景象。特別是對於窮乏、困苦、貧寒人的憐憫，「14 他要救贖他們脫離欺壓和強暴。他們的血在他眼中看為寶貴。」這位君王的治理，看重最弱勢的群體中每一位的福祉，因為每一個人都是照著神的尊貴榮耀的形象所造。
雖然這位君王原可指涉為所羅門王，但是他後來離棄耶和華神，跟隨所寵愛眾多外邦妃嬪去敬拜假神，以至「耶和華向所羅門發怒」；「沒有遵從我的道，行我眼中看為正的事，守我的律例典章，像他父親大衛一樣。」（王上11章）以及他長期建設，勞役人民「負重軛，做苦工」（王上12章），顯然他不適任這詩篇禱告的內涵。這些涉及了一個超越所羅們王當時的豐富表象之國度，而指向了復興的彌賽亞君王和他的國度來臨。「17 他的名要存到永遠，要留傳如日之久。人要因他蒙福，萬國要稱他有福！」
當我們應用這樣公義的觀念在生活中各個場域的時候，我們也從神的角度看待、尊重每一個人，看重神所賦予他們的價值，和他們身上所具有神形象的尊貴，不論他們的身份、地位、「外貌」如何。
最終，詩人將榮耀歸給「獨行奇事的耶和華以色列的神」，稱頌他的名直到永遠！解經家認為這個頌榮是詩篇第二卷（42〜72篇）的結尾，而不是本篇詩的結尾。
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