Psalm 138 - Preserved In the Midst
- Chad Werkhoven
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
God strengthens your soul and revives you as you read (and sing!) His Word.
This week we've seen how the best hymns are that which are rooted in scripture. The best way to sing scripture is to sing from the Psalter. Psalm 138 is a perfect example.
Psalm 138
Of David.
1 I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.
3 When I called, you answered me;
you greatly emboldened me.
4 May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD,
when they hear what you have decreed.
5 May they sing of the ways of the LORD,
for the glory of the LORD is great.
6 Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
though lofty, he sees them from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
with your right hand you save me.
8 The LORD will vindicate me;
your love, LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.
Canons of Dordt
Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints
Article 9: The Assurance of This Preservation
Concerning
this preservation of those chosen to salvation
and concerning the perseverance of true believers in faith,
believers themselves can and do become assured
in accordance with the measure of their faith,
by which they firmly believe
that they are and always will remain true and living members of the church,
and that they have
the forgiveness of sins
and eternal life.
Summary
Psalm 138 is clearly and easily classified as a psalm of thanksgiving. David has a reason for his decision to praise you, LORD with all my heart. David's praise comes in response to all of the LORD's unfailing love and faithfulness. Every time David has called out to the LORD, He answered.
It's not just David singing thanksgiving praises here in Psalm 138. ALL the kings of the earth will join in praising the LORD! David's ancient world was far more fractured geopolitically than ours is, so what would could possibly make the pagan kings of the world praise the LORD? It's the power of God's Word! They will praise you, LORD, David writes, when they hear what you've decreed. Some of these kings will voluntarily and gladly praise the LORD, others will have their knees bow in defeated submission (Philippians 2:10-11).
The LORD has His eye on far more than just kings like David and his persecutors; though the LORD is exalted, He looks kindly on the lowly. Whatever station in life that you read these words from today, you can be certain that our lofty LORD sees you from afar. He will not abandon the work of His hands - and you are part of that work!
Psalm 138 finishes by picking up on a theme David much more famously developed in the 23rd Psalm, where he writes that the LORD is with me as I walked through the darkest valley. Here David uses the same formula: though I walk in the midst of trouble... . But David here indicates that the LORD is more than just with him. Here the LORD preserves, stretches His hand, saves, and vindicates.
Dig Deeper
Most of you will be reading this the day after Thanksgiving here in the US. If you were able to gather with fellow Christians in the Lord's house yesterday, you were likely reminded that our thanksgiving ought not to be contained to just one day a year. And so it's good in that regard to spend another day in God's Word focused on thanksgiving!
Ironically, though, it's not the thanksgiving aspects of Psalm 138 that bring us to it today. Rather, it's the confidence David expresses. He writes that having the LORD answer him greatly emboldened him. I like how the ESV renders v3 - my strength of soul you increased.
David's confidence continued even as he walked in the midst of trouble - the LORD preserved his life. That seems to really fit well with this fifth point of the Canons we call perseverance of the saints! But the NET Bible really brings out how God preserves the lives of His saints: Even when I must walk in the midst of danger, you revive me.
The Canons this week have emphasized that you can have this same confidence and assurance that David did, even in the midst of danger. The LORD may or may not choose to deliver you from that which persecutes you in this life, but you can be absolutely certain that come what may here and now, you always will remain a true and living member of the church, and that you [always will] have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is exalted and who has promised to preserve our lives;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the LORD would revive you through His Word and Spirit even as you walk in the midst of trouble;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Jude
