PSALM 54 A Living Sacrifice

Psalm 54:6 (verse 8 in the St Athanasius Septuagint (SAAS)
I will sacrifice to You voluntarily.

Psalm 54:6 NKJV
I will freely sacrifice to You  

verse 6 is a prophecy of the free sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
on the cross of Calvary  where He gave Himself for us.
The greatest offering we can make is ourselves.

Take my life and let it be,
Consecrated , Lord , to Thee.
                    Frances Ridley Havergal, 1836-79

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
                    Isaac Watts 1674-1748
                    from " When I survey the wondrous cross"

Romans 12:1  ESV
I appeal to you therefore , brothers and sisters,
by the mercies of God
to present your bodies as a living sacrifice
holy and acceptable to God,
which is your spiritual worship.

PSALM 54 God is My Helper

Psalm 54:4-5 NKJV
4 Behold, God is my helper
The Lord is with those who uphold my life.
5 He will repay my enemies for their evil
Cut them off in your truth.

The LORD is with your Doctor , the driver of your train,
whoever you depend on...everyone who upholds your life.
Plotted evil will recoil like curses upon the perpetrators of
injustice and oppression .
The violence which evicts families from their homes......
The violence which denies the poor their medical care.....
will rebound like curses on the perpetrators.

Isaiah 41:10 NKJV
Fear not , for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you.
I will uphold you with My
righteous right hand.

PSALM 54 Oppressors are Godless

Psalm 54:3 NKJV
For strangers have risen up against me
And oppressors have sought after my life.
They have not set God before them.

These men "do not set God before them"
in terms of doing His will or fearing His judgements.
In practice they are atheists.

As the Ziphites betrayed David ( 1 Kings 23:15-21 );-
     Judas  and the Jewish leaders betrayed Christ.

The psalmist expresses his real fear along with a cry for help.
He prays in faith in the midst of his danger
as did our Lord Jesus but our Lord was able to pray;-
"not my will but thine"  

PSALM 54 Prayer of Faith

Psalm 54:2 The Latin text from the Vulgate
Deus exaudi orationem meam auribus percipe verba oris mei
O God , hear my prayer: give ear to the words of my mouth.

The English text from Challoner's revision of the Douay translation.
Psalm 54 is a prayer of faith.
7. For he has delivered me from every trouble
    and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.
The psalmist in the midst of his troubles can say this
with expectant hope, because of his faith that God is his helper
and the upholder of his life. ( verse 4 )

PSALM 54 Authority in the Name

Psalm 54 : 1 & 6b  ESV
1  O God, save me by your name
    and vindicate me by your might.
6b  I will give thanks to your name,
      O LORD, for it is good.

Acts 3:6  " In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazereth ,
                   stand up and walk"
The power of Jesus was present and effective because Peter
had the authority from Jesus invested in him.
When a policeman says "Stop in the name of the law"
he has authority invested in him as a police man.
Each believer has the authority of a believer invested
in him or her

John 14:12-14 ESV
12 Truly, Truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me
will also do the works that I do; and greater than these
will he do, because I am going to the Father..
13 Whatever you ask in my name, this will I do, that
the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 I f you ask anything in my name, I will do it.

PSALM FIFTY-THREE verse 6

Foolish unbelief, corruption and vile injustice are administered to people
by governments and international organisations.
" The common good " is no longer a fashionable objective.
Psalm 53:6 NIV
Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

Who will give salvation to Israel out of Zion ?
Although everyone has turned away from God (verse 3)
and have become corrupt....
God has not turned away from his people.
He remains faithful !

Although the children of Israel have suffered
the consequences of unbelief and disobedience
God restores the fortunes of his people (verse 6)

PSALM FIFTY-THREE verse 5

Psalm 53:5 NIV 
There they were, overwhelmed with dread,
where there was nothing to dread,
God scattered the bones of those who attacked you;
you put them to shame, for God despised them.

                          The Lord will judge His people.   
Hebrews 10:31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into
                          the hands of the living God.

PSALM FIFTY-THREE verse 4

Psalm 53:4 NIV
Will the evildoers never learn--
those who devour my people as men eat bread
and who do not call on God ?

The slippery slope is a downward  spiral.
Violence often begins as greed or envy.
Injustice breeds violence.
Dangerous places are not animated by the love of Christ
or by Christian goodness.
In places where people do not know Christian values
and do not practice God's will
because they have no recourse to the one true God in prayer,
things go from bad to worse. 

PSALM FIFTY-THREE verse 3

Psalm 53:3 NIV
Everyone has turned away
they have together become corrupt;
there is no-one who does good, not even one.

In those areas where greed and violence reign,
it is not safe for the innocent to walk the streets.

Where national leaders are corrupt and local leaders are corrupt
there is no justice for the innocent nor for the man in the street.

The psalmist is pointing out that when people banish God from
their thinking, they are lead to exploit their neighbours .
In our generation men have turned away from God
and allowed injustice to become law.......
but the God of the poor is not mocked.

PSALM FIFTY-THREE verse 2

Psalm 53:2 NIV
God looks down from heaven on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.

Those who understand would act with wisdom.
Those who seek God in scripture and in prayer
and practice Christian discernment
are much more likely to act with some wisdom
than those who are lost in a sea of self gratification.

PSALM FIFTY-THREE, verse 1

Psalm 53:1 NIV
The fool says in his heart, "there is no God"
They are corrupt , and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.

So are we going to live our lives animated by the love
and wisdom of the true God ?
Or or are we going to make our lives a rat race
animated by self interest ?
Without God, financial self interest becomes greed.
Without God, social self interest becomes at least
                      competitive one-up-man-ship
Without God, morality has little meaning in practice.
Robbing people becomes a virtue not a sin..

The wrong attitude of the "fools"
has resulted in their wrong actions
towards their fellow human beings.

Jeremiah had the same problem (Jer 5:1)
to find even one person
"who deals honestly and seeks truth" 

PSALM FIFTY-TWO, HOLY

LEVITICUS  11:45 NRSV
For I am the LORD your God; sanctify yourselves
therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.

LEVITICUS 19:2 NRSV
1  The LORD spoke to Moses, saying;
2  Speak to the congregation of the people of Israel
    and say to them:  You shall be holy,
    for I the LORD your God am holy

1 Peter 1:15-16 NASB
like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves
also in all your bahaviour 16 because it is written
"YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY"

Psalm 52 TLV
I praise You forever for what You have done
I will hope in Your name, for it is good
In the presence of Your kedoshim (Your holy ones).

Our future is to give thanks and praise for ever
in the presence of Your holy ones..............TLV
in the presence of Your godly ones............NASB.

PSALM FIFTY-TWO, FOR EVER

Psalm9:7 NRSV       But the LORD sits enthroned forever.
Psalm 10:16  NRSV The LORD is king for ever and ever.
Psalm 33:11  NRSV The counsel of the LORD stands for ever.
Psalm 48:14  NRSV  you may tell the next generation
                              14 that this is God
                                   our God for ever and ever.
                                   He will be our guide for ever.
Psalm 52:8b               I trust in the steadfast love of God
                                   for ever and ever.
Psalm 52:9b               I will thank you for ever
                                    because of what you have done.

The ongoing relationship which we have personally with the LORD
our God is a relationship in which we stand in His counsel for ever,
in His guidance for ever, in His steadfast love forever, and is a relationship
in which we give Him our thanks and praise, for ever and ever

2 Corinthians 5:1  New American Bible 1971-1972 edition
Indeed, we know that when the earthly tent in which we dwell
is destroyed we have a dwelling provided for us by God, a 
dwelling in the heavens, not made by hands but to last for ever..

PSALM FIFTY-ONE, Do Good To ZION

Psalm 51:18 ESV
Do Good to Zion in your good pleasure
     build up the walls of Jerusalem.

As a member of God's covenant community
the psalmist prays for Jerusalem.

As a member of the Body of Christ we each pray for the restoration,
renewal and revival of the Body of Christ worldwide.
In confessing our failure to "bloom where we are planted" we look
forward to a time when our God reigns   in our government
in our courts, in the boardrooms of  industry, commerce, finance,
on the air, on the NET, and in all our hearts.

"GOD IS WORKING HIS PURPOSE OUT.
nearer and nearer draws the time
the time that shall surely be
when the earth shall be filled
with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea."
Arthur Campbell Aigner  1841-1919.

PSALM FIFTY-ONE, A Contrite Spirit

Today we have amazing freedom;- to vote in local and national elections,
to vote with our feet, to vote with our wallets, and our pension funds.
We continue as individuals and communities and nations, to vote for greed
and self indulgence , for adultery, for abortion, for oppression , for
persecution, for addiction and for perversion !
We get the literature we pay for---as a nation.
The media we use is the media we choose.
The "Way" we promote is the life we lead.
If Christian values are not the bench mark, in government, in business and
at the social core of our nation,  it is because our Christian witness,
decade after decade, has not been up to the mark:
So the bench mark has slipped.
How many sinners have returned to God
because we have taught them God's ways ?
Psalm 51 ESV
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to You.
We should be disturbed by our own sin,
and concerned about its effect on others.
Psalm 51:19  TANAKH
True sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit;
God, You will not despise a contrite heart.
51:21  Then You will want sacrifices offered in righteousness.

PSALM 51 Charismatic Renewal

The person who lives dynamically his love for God,
                  who chooses to be led by the Spirit of Christ,
                  whose speech and action exudes the love of Christ
                  lives in an ongoing personal relationship
                  with their savior Jesus Christ.
                                                             see Joseph Tetlow,S.J. "Lightworks"
God's present-continuous "being"
includes dancing (the Father will dance)
and smiling and shining ( His face upon you )
forgiving ( the prodigal in us )
holding you ( in the palm of His hand )
loving you ( as the apple of His eye )
renewing. enabling , calling and sending,
separating light from dark,
and giving life.

Psalm 51:20...In your kindness, deal favorably with Zion
build up the walls of Jerusalem.

Hearts must be transformed.
God alone can effect this new creation, and infuse a new Spirit.
The Psalmist who  acknowledges his own sin,
has hope for himself and for Zion.
i.e.the individual relates to and prays for God,s covenant community.

PSALM 51 Anointed for Praise

Psalm 51: 15  ESV
O Lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise

Psalm 19:14  ESV
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight O Lord , my rock and my redeemer.

It is the Lord who opens our lips for words of praise
We ask that those words be absolutely right with God

By the Spirits power we cry out to God  ( Romans 8:15 GNB )
Christians are instructed....Be filled with the Spirit  (Ephesians 5:18)
                              and....Pray at all times in the Spirit  ( Ephesians  6:18 ).

John 4:23-24 RSV
But the time is coming, and now is,
when true worshippers will worship the 
Father in spirit and truth, for such the 
Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit,
and those who worship him must worship
in spirit and truth.

PSALM FIFTY-ONE, Gifts to ask for.

Psalm 51 RSV
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
        and put a new and right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence,
        and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of thy salvation,
        and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Psalm 51:11 reveals that the Holy Spirit is the active agent of God the Father in accomplishing His purposes.
In this instance the reference might be to God's anointing and The Holy Spirit's enabling for the individual.
It may refer to The Holy Spirit's role in clensing the inner life by opening spiritual eyes and ears (Ezek 3:27).
Also EZEKIEL 36:27  I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.  ESV

Gifts to pray for in Psalm 51:10,11,12;-
a pure or clean heart
inner renewal
a steadfast/right spirit within
retention of The Holy Spirit and the presence of God
the joy of salvation
a willing spirit ( to uphold )
and a spirit of fervor ( to sustain. )

PSALM FIFTY-ONE, Godly/Christlike

Known as one of the penitential Psalms, Psalm 51 may express King David's repentance
for adultery and murder. It certainly expresses vary frank and sincere confession, and the
entreaty indicates authentic repentance.
We should be disturbed by our own sin and bring it to the Lord for forgiveness.
But we must not become obsessed with sin. verse one puts things in perspective.
ESV Have mercy on me, O God according to your steadfast love.
KJV Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving kindness.
NIV Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your unfailing love.
NEB Be gracious to me, O God, in thy true love.
Knox Have mercy on me, O God, as thou art ever rich in mercy.

So it is Godly / Christlike;-
                                         to be ever rich in mercy
                                         to practice loving kindness
                                         to be of unfailing love
                                         to have steadfast love
                                         to be gracious, in true love
                                         to practice great mercy.

We wish all our friends were like that, and they wish we were like that. 

PSALM FIFTY-ONE, Gifts of the Spirit

PSALM 51:8  New Catholic Version..Saint Joseph Edition
But you desire sincerity of heart;
and you endow my innermost being with wisdom.

In this verse the Psalmist is talking about the wisdom to see
what is the will of God in situations;
the wisdom to be less immature in everyday life;
the divinely endowed wisdom which enables men and women
to speak and act as members of the Royal Priesthood ,
with love and patience and kindness:
And, when called upon, to act with wisdom and appropriate authority
in our everyday lives.
Eagerly desire such spiritual gifts.

1 Corinthians 14:1 NIV
Follow the way of Love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts. 

PSALM FIFTY-ONE, Mercy

Men and women become conscious of the sin that alienates them from God.
We can then pray with the psalmist the words of Psalm51
to ask the Saviour,s mercy and our own inner renewal.
     Have mercy on me , O God, in accord with your kindness*
     in your abundant compassion wipe away my offences;

*Kindness; Hebrew  hessed....may also denote mercy, benevolence and
favour  i.e.the love of the covenant between God and the community of
His people and therefore present in each member of His community...
that is kindness, abundant compassion, forgiveness, benevolence,
favour and love in all the members of the community.

Lord have mercy.......Kyrie  eleison in the Greek.
Words used by the sick in the New Testament, and addressed to Jesus
by people seeking healing.
God's mercy includes tenderness and compassion, covenant faithfulness,
faithful love and uprightness.
miserere mei     in  Latin    in it's original form actually means "to have pity"
"to feel sympathy for"  and  "to be gracious to".

   Thank you Lord;-
that your mercy includes tenderness and compassion
that You have felt sympathy for us
and that You still feel sympathy for us
and have pity on us and are gracious to us.       AMEN.

PSALM FIFTY, LET GOD SPEAK.

Psalm 50:7 TLV.  O my people, listen as I speak.
Here are my charges against you O Israel:
Psalm 50:17 TLV  For you refuse my discipline
and treat my words like trash.

Because He is our Spiritual Director, God reveals out failings to us.
How shall we ever ask for healing grace if we can't see how immature
we are being ?  God tells His people that He does not need their blood sacrifices,
but he does not reprimand them for their efforts.

Psalm 50:8 GNB    I do not reprimand you because of your sacrifices
and burnt offerings you always bring me.

In their longing for God and their desire for the comfort of His presence
They experience Him in Jerusalem, especially in the temple
where their Praise for Him is greatest.
For them God shines from Zion in perfect beauty

Psalm 50:2  TLV  From Mount Zion , the perfection of beauty,
God shines in glorious radiance.

To day those who have an appetite for God are likely to seek His presence
"on retreat" or in their own "quiet times" and contemplation.
Brother Laurence's book is about "Practicing the presence of God"
in an ongoing way.
Yet it is in thanksgiving and praise that something powerful happens.
Psalm 50:23 GNB 
Giving thanks is the sacrifice that  honours me
and I will surely save all who obey me.
Our God does not need food offerings
Psalm 50:12 If I were hungry I would not ask you for food...
How much does our God really need our praise?
God is most Praiseworthy and our praise and thanksgiving
are more than a communication of information.
It is in our most Christlike attitude of love and open worship
in the power of the Holy Spirit that we encounter the
transforming presence and abiding love of
The Almighty God, our LORD.
It is easy enough for us to look back to the psalmist and his friends
enjoying their processions and sacrifices  and think " It was your praises
which enabled you to know  God's presence". Fortunately we can also look
back at Psalm 22:3. As my friend Neil has commented
"God lives in the praises of His people"
Psalm 22:3 But thou art Holy,
O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
.