Seeing Jesus in the Psalms

  Psalm 60 “A psalm of David useful for teaching ” -- even before I explore the content of this Psalm I must stop and consider this “teaching” phrase. I have read the Psalm and copied the words and wonder, am I seeing this phrase for the first time? Once again I have compared several versions (translations) of the Bible. I’ve also read the various commentators looking for insights I missed.  I don’t feel that Calvin, Wesley, Henry, Barnes, Barnes, Kinder, Cambridge and others have added a tremendous amount to my search for understanding. Father God, please reveal to me what your word means here. Why is it particularly good for teaching? Father God, what do you want me to learn?  Father, how are you revealing your King Jesus and what are you telling me about your character? I ask for wisdom and insight, in the name of Jesus, Amen. I see a contrast in the Psalm from beginning to end.  David tells us God rejected His people , broke His people and was angry with His peo...

  Psalm 54 The background to this Psalm is found in 1 Samuel 23:19-20 .  David’s life is filled with problems from his childhood through to his death. Can you recount the challenges that David faced in his life? David saw great triumphs, but these did not lead to the peace, prosperity, relative ease and rest that you might imagine. David had those moments in his life, but more often than not, we read of enemies attacking him: from wild animals, to brothers, to mighty warriors, to the king, to foreign armies, to his own sons and on it goes. According to the notes above Psalm 54 and 63, we read David’s prayer to God. And according to the more historical book of first and second Samuel, we read of the events leading up to the prayers and the events following the prayers. David was delivered in a fashion. He still was a fugitive, he still was not yet recognised as King, Saul and the Ziphites were still living and not conquered or destroyed. David escaped, and you could see that i...