Psalms: Volume 3

By Dr. Brian J. Bailey

Psalms – Book Three is an easy to read devotional commentary of Psalms 101-150. It is the third book in a series of three books on the Psalms, containing timeless truths which grant direction and encouragement to believers from all walks of life. Through the Spirit of inspiration, Dr. Bailey confronts the most profound problems inherent within the heart of man, bringing us, like the psalmists of old, to a new expression of praise and adoration toward our God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zion Christian Publishers
• Release date: Jul 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781596656536

Book preview

PSALMS

BOOK THREE

CHAPTERS 101 – 150

Version 1.0

Dr. Brian J. Bailey

Psalms—Book Three

© 2001 Brian J. Bailey

Front cover design:

© 2009  Zion Fellowship, Inc.

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations in this book are taken from the

King James Version Bible unless otherwise stated.

Published as an e-book on June 2016

in the United States of America

E-book ISBN 1-59665-653-0

For more information, please contact:

Zion Christian Publishers

A Zion Fellowship ® Ministry

P.O. Box 70

Waverly, New York 14892

Toll free: 1-877-768-7466

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We wish to extend our thanks to all the following:

To Mary Humphreys—for her excellent assistance in the editing of the grammar and flow of this book.

To Tarah Derrick, Sarah Humphreys, and Beth Humphreys—for their superb final touches in the proofreading of this book.

To Mercy Alarid—for her beautiful drawing of the original front cover.

To Pastor Joseph Cilluffo—for his vivid colorization of the original front cover.

To Brian and Mercy Alarid – for the editing of this book.

To the rest of our editorial team: Carla Borges, Justin & Sarah Kropf, Caroline Tham, Suzanne Ying.

We with to extend our thanks to these dear ones for without their many hours of invaluable assistance, this book would not have been possible.

PREFACE

The Psalms have been called the hymnal of Israel and of the Church. In times of revival, the Holy Spirit has inspired God’s people to set the Psalms to music, greatly aiding the devotional and spiritual lives of believers everywhere. Flowing through the Psalms is a strong, creative spirit of prophecy. They produce love, joy, hope, and trust within the hearts of those who meditate upon them and sing them.

When I have faced seemingly impossible situations, I have found that a psalm set to music has often sprung up within my heart. One such time was on the occasion of the funeral of my own dear wife. The verses of Psalm 30:10-11 bubbled up from deep within my heart, and all mourning and sadness literally disappeared. I was filled with unspeakable joy and happiness.

The Psalms are basically devotional in character, dealing with the emotional life of the believer—his fears, sufferings, distresses, persecutions, joys and hopes. Their purpose is to develop a deep sense of trust and confidence in a loving Heavenly Father who hears and cares when we pray to Him in our afflictions. The Psalms portray a God who delivers His people from the storms of life by bringing them to their desired haven, and giving them an expected end.

The Psalms cause us to realize that the Lord uses these distresses to enlarge us, to teach us His ways, and to bring us into fellowship with our Heavenly Father and His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Psalms bring comfort, consolation, and courage to the weary pilgrim along life’s journey from earth to heaven.

Brian J. Bailey

INTRODUCTION

The Lord Jesus divided the Old Testament into three sections: the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Lk. 24:44). The Jews have divided the Psalms into five sections, corresponding to the five books of Moses.

1.) Psalm 1-41    Genesis

2.) Psalm 42-72   Exodus

3.) Psalm 73-89   Leviticus

4.) Psalm 90-106   Numbers

5.) Psalm 107-150   Deuteronomy

The word psalm comes from the Greek word Psalmoi used by the translators of the Septuagint Old Testament. This Greek word corresponds to the Hebrew word Mizmoi—meaning an ode or song whose singing is accompanied by an instrument.

The Psalms fall into two principal categories:

1.) Didactic - meaning teaching

2.) Lyrical - meaning poetical

Hebrew poetry cultivated the recurrence of a thought, which is called parallelism. The Jews had a tendency to say everything twice. The second form of expression is a repetition, an amplification, or explanation of the first.

Almost all the verses of the Psalms have a division in the middle. The second half of the verse repeats or amplifies the first half.

Many of the Psalms are Messianic, meaning that they prophesied or foreshadowed the coming Messiah, the Lord Jesus. The Lord Himself testified in Luke 24:44, "These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." Everything that was prophesied of the Lord in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms had to be fulfilled.

The New Testament writers quoted from the Psalms more than any other Old Testament book, except the book of Isaiah.

The majority of the Psalms were written during three specific periods in the history of Israel:

1.) During the time of David

2.) During the reign of Hezekiah

3.) During and after the Babylonian captivity

* One or two Psalms were written earlier and possibly a few later.

Each psalm is best understood and interpreted by a careful examination and study of that particular psalm. Occasionally, however, it is necessary to look at the historical circumstances through which the Psalms were birthed by the Holy Spirit in the life of the author who penned them.

We trust that this little book will be a personal blessing to you. We have recommended to our students throughout the world that they read five psalms a day. This has proven to be of great benefit to their devotional life as well as their prophetic flow.

SUMMARY OF PSALMS 101-150

We have provided a brief summary of Psalms 101-150. A key verse or key thought from each psalm is given to help summarize the overall tenor of the Psalms.

Psalm 101 - King David speaks of behaving wisely and walking perfectly in his own house.

Psalm 102 - The set time to favour Zion will come when the Lord builds up Zion, and at that time He will appear in His glory.

Psalm 103 – David exhorts us not to forget all of God’s benefits:

a) Who forgives all thine iniquities

b) Who heals all thine diseases

c) Who redeems thy life from destruction

d) Who crowns thee with lovingkindness

e) Who satisfies thy mouth with good things

f) So that thine youth is renewed like the eagles

The difference between Moses and the children of Israel is illustrated.

Psalm 104 - The manifold works of the Lord’s creation reveal that He has made them in wisdom.

Psalm 105 - The seed of Abraham remembers the mighty works of God from Abraham to the Exodus.

Psalm 106 – A continuation of the history of Israel from the desert to the Promised Land, and the time of the Judges.

Psalm 107 - The rejoicing of the redeemed from their captivity is followed by precious verses showing the Lord’s methods of bringing down their hearts with hard labour to the shadow of death. Then they cry out to the Lord and He sends His Word to heal and deliver them. Whosoever is wise will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.

Psalm 108 - A cry to God to exalt Himself and deliver His Beloved (Christ): Save with thy right hand, and answer me. God speaks in His holiness that He will triumph over Moab, Edom, and Philistia.

Psalm 109 - The wicked man spoken of is Judas Iscariot, who persecuted the poor and needy man, the Lord Jesus. Verse 8 is quoted by Peter in Acts 1:20 when the apostles decided to give Judas’ vacated office to Matthias (cf. Ps. 69:25).

Psalm 110 – The Lord Jesus is our High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek, which is the New Testament priesthood.

Psalm 111 – The Lord is gracious, full of compassion, holy, and reverend is His name. A good understanding have all they that keep God’s commandments.

Psalm 112 – This psalm speaks of several qualities of a righteous man: he shows favour by lending to those in need, guides his affairs with discretion, fixes his heart upon God, and he gives to the poor. The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.

Psalm 113 – This psalm speaks of the humility of the Lord, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are on earth and in heaven. He raises up the poor, lifts up the needy, and makes the barren woman to keep house.

Psalm 114 - A call for the earth to tremble at the presence of the Lord, calling to mind the parting of the Red Sea and also the Jordan River.

Psalm 115 - The greatness of the Lord and the impotence of idols are described. Those who make and trust in idols become like them.

Psalm 116 - Because of the goodness of the Lord to him, the psalmist asks what he shall render unto the Lord in return. The answer is to call upon the Lord and pay his vows to the Lord.

Psalm 117 - A command for all nations to praise the Lord.

Psalm 118 - Two verses in Psalm 118 are very well known: verse 22, which refers to Christ and His rejection by the elders of Israel; and verse 27, which speaks of binding the sacrifice upon the altar and not taking it back.

Psalm 119 - This is a beautiful psalm exalting the Word of God and His righteous judgments. There are 22 stanzas in this psalm, corresponding to the 22 letters of the Jewish alphabet. In each stanza there are 8 verses, making 176 in all. Each verse consists of two sections. The first line of each couplet begins with a letter of the alphabet, and the letters are in alphabetical order.

Psalm 120 – This psalm describes the distress of the psalmist who has dwelt for a long time in Mesech and Kedar, among those who have deceitful tongues and hate peace. What a victory it is to conserve a love for righteousness in the midst of such a people. Sometimes the Lord causes us to dwell among the unconverted.

Psalm 121 - The Lord is the keeper of Israel. He does not slumber or sleep, but carefully watches over the children of Israel.

Psalm 122 - Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Psalm 123 - The closeness of our walk with Christ is exemplified in keeping our eyes on Christ, waiting on Him for the slightest direction.

Psalm 124 – Israel testifies that she survived only because of God’s help. We, too, survive by His help alone.

Psalm 125 - It is not good for the wicked to rule over the righteous lest the righteous do wickedly as well.

Psalm 126 - When the Lord turned the captivity of Israel, they were filled with laughter and singing. The sorrows of the captivity faded away like a distant dream.

Psalm 127 – Unless the Lord builds the house, we labour in vain. There is only value and permanency in something if the Lord is the One who builds it.

Psalm 128 - The blessings of those who fear the Lord are enumerated.

Psalm 129 - Verse 3 foretells the scourging of Christ, and the punishment of those who took part in it.

Psalm 130 – There is forgiveness with the Lord so that He may be feared.

Psalm 131 - The humility of David is illustrated. His soul is tender like a weaned child and he does not occupy himself with things too difficult for him.

Psalm 132 – The psalmist calls to remembrance the vows of David concerning the building of the temple. The psalmist prays that the priests will be clothed with righteousness and the saints with joy.

Psalm 133 - The unity of the brethren is described.

Psalm 134 - Those who stand by night before the Lord are commanded to bless Him.

Psalm 135 - The mighty acts of the Lord are exalted. His victories over the heathen kings are listed. The reassuring statement that He shall judge His people is given.

Psalm 136 - The theme of this psalm is, For His mercy endureth forever.

Psalm 137 - By the rivers of Babylon, the Israelites wept at the remembrance of Zion and asked God to judge Edom and Babylon.

Psalm 138 - There are two words of assurance in this psalm: Thou wilt revive me, and the Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.

Psalm 139 - David declared that the all-seeing God knows even the words on his tongue and knew him before he was made. With such knowledge, David prays, Search me O God … and see if there be any wicked way in me.

Psalm 140 - This psalm speaks of deliverance from the evil man, who sharpens his tongue like a serpent, with poison under his lips.

Psalm 141 – David speaks of his prayers being as incense and the lifting up of his hands as the evening sacrifice. He asks the Lord to set a watch before his mouth.

Psalm 142 – David says that no man cared for his soul. He cries to the Lord to bring his soul out of prison so that he might praise Him.

Psalm 143 – The psalmist prays, Teach me to do thy will.

Psalm 144 - Let there be no complaining in our streets. This brings happiness.

Psalm 145 – God’s greatness is unsearchable and beyond human comprehension. He satisfies the desire of every living thing. He is acquainted with the needs of everything that has breath.

Psalm 146 - An exhortation not to put our trust in man, but to look to the Lord who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 147 – This is a psalm of restoration, speaking of the building up of Jerusalem and the gathering of the outcasts.

Psalm 148 - All of creation is commanded to praise the Lord.

Psalm 149 - The children of Zion are commanded to be joyful in their king. The homer of the saints is to execute the judgment written upon the heathen.

Psalm 150 – The Book of Psalms fittingly closes with a psalm of praise. We are to praise God with various instruments of praise. Everything that hath breath, praise the Lord!

CONDENSED OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL

Because some Psalms were written at different epochs in the history of the children of Israel, the following outline is provided to aid you as a quick and ready reference to events mentioned in individual Psalms.

• The Descent into Egypt under Joseph

• The Period of 400 years in Egyptian Exile

• The Exodus under Moses

• The Wilderness Journey

• The Entry into the Land of Promise under Joshua

• The Period of the Judges until Samuel

• The United Kingdom under Saul

• David Persecuted by Saul

• David Ascends the Throne at the Death of Saul

• The Reign of Solomon

• The Divided Kingdom, Comprising the Northern  Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah

• The Assyrian Invasion

• The Babylonian Captivity

• The Restoration Era

• The Birth, Ministry, Death, and Resurrection of Christ

• The Church Age

• The Millennial Reign of Christ for 1000 years

• The New Heavens and the New Earth

BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF THE LIFE OF DAVID

About seventy-three Psalms are directly attributed to David. Because they were written at crucial times during his life, an understanding of David’s life helps us to appreciate more fully the spiritual implications of those psalms.

A. EARLY LIFE OF DAVID

1. Birth at Bethlehem - 1 Samuel 17:12

2. Son of Jesse - Ruth 4:17, 22

3. Genealogy - 1 Chronicles 2:3-15

4. Member of the tribe of Judah - 1 Ch.28:4

5. Youngest son of Jesse - 1 Samuel 16:10-13

6. Handsome lad - 1 Samuel 16:12

7. Shepherd - 1 Samuel 16:11

8. His strength - 1 Samuel 17:34-36

9. God’s chosen - 1 Samuel 16:1, 13

B. HIS LIFE UNDER KING SAUL

1. Royal harpist - 1 Samuel 16:14-23

2. Armourbearer - 1 Samuel 16:21

3. Giant killer - 1 Samuel 17:4-50

4. Conqueror of Philistines - 1 Samuel 17:32-54

5. Jonathan’s friend - 1 Samuel 18:1-4

6. Man of wise behaviour - 1 Samuel 18:5-30

7. Psalm writer - Psalm 59 (Title)

C. THE FUGITIVE HERO

1. Flees from Saul - 1 Samuel 19:1-18

2. Takes refuge with Samuel - 1 Samuel 19:20 24

3. Makes covenant with Jonathan - 1 Samuel 20:1 42

4. Eats the shewbread - 1 Samuel 21:6; Matthew 12:3-4

5. Feigns insanity in Gath - 1 Samuel 21:10-15

6. Dwells in a cave - 1 Samuel 22:1-8

7. Saves Keilah - 1 Samuel 23:1-13

8. Experiences God’s deliverance   1 Samuel 23:14

9. Makes his second covenant with Jonathan - 1 Samuel 23:16-18

10. Is betrayed but saved - 1 Samuel 23:19-29

11. Writes a psalm - Psalm 54 (Title)

12. Spares Saul’s life - 1 Samuel 24:1-22

13. Is scorned by Nabal - 1 Samuel 25:1-38

14. Marries Nabal’s widow - 1 Samuel 25:39-42

15. Again spares Saul’s life - 1 Samuel 26:1-25

16. Dwells in Ziklag - 1 Samuel 27:5-7

17. Rejected by the Philistines - 1 Samuel 29:1 11

18. Smites the Amalekites - 1 Samuel 30:1-31

19. Kills Saul’s murderer - 2 Samuel 1:1-16

20. Laments Saul’s death - 2 Samuel 1:17-27

D. KING OVER JUDAH

1. Anointing at Hebron - 2 Samuel 2:1-4, 11

2. List of supporters - 1 Chronicles 12:23-40

3. Long war with Saul’s house - 2 Samuel 3:1

4. Abner’s covenant with David - 2 Samuel 3:6-21

5. Mourning of Abner’s death - 2 Samuel 3:28 29

6. Punishment of Ishbosheth’s murderers - 2 Samuel 4:1-12

E. KING OVER ALL ISRAEL

1. Is recognized as king - 2 Samuel 5:1-5

2. Takes Zion from the Jebusites - 2 Samuel 5:6 10

3. Builds a house - 2 Samuel 5:11

4. Strengthens the kingdom - 2 Samuel 5:11-25

5. Strikes down the Philistines - 2 Samuel 5:17 25

6. Escorts the ark to Jerusalem - 2 Samuel 6:1 15

7. Organizes worship - 1 Chronicles 15:16-28

8. Organizes musicians - 1 Chronicles 25:1-31

9. Blesses the people - 2 Samuel 6:17-19

10. Is upbraided by Michal - 2 Samuel 6:20-23

11. Receives an eternal covenant - 2 Sam. 7:4 29

12. Subdues many nations - 2 Samuel 8:1-18; 10:1-19

13. Commits adultery - 2 Samuel 11:1-27

14. Is rebuked by Nathan - 2 Samuel 12:1-14

15. Repents - Psalm 32:1-11; Psalm 51:1-19

16. Experiences subsequent afflictions - 2 Samuel 12:15-23

17. Has family strife - 2 Samuel 13:1-39

18. Is betrayed by Absalom - 2 Samuel 15:1-31

19. Flees from Jerusalem - 2 Samuel 15:13-37

20. Mourns Absalom’s death - 2 Samuel 19:1-10

21. Returns to Jerusalem - 2 Samuel 19:15-43

22. Learns of Sheba’s conspiracy - 2 Samuel 20:1 26

23. Atones for Saul’s crime - 2 Samuel 21:1-14

24. Has further conflicts - 2 Samuel 21:15-22

25. Sings a song of deliverance - 2 Samuel 22:1 51

26. Speaks his last words - 2 Samuel 23:1-7

27. Lists his mighty men - 2 Samuel 23:8-39

28. Sins by numbering the people - 2 Samuel 24:1 17

29. Buys Araunah’s threshing floor - 2 Sam. 24:18 25

30. Secures Solomon’s succession - 1 Kings 1:5 53

31. Gives a dying charge to Solomon - 1 Kings 2:1-11

32. Completes forty-year reign - 1 Kings 2:11

F. SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF DAVID’S LIFE

1. Prophet - Acts 2:29-30

2. Musician - 2 Samuel 23:1

3. Inspired man - Matthew 22:43

4. Type of Christ - Jeremiah 23:5-6

5. Name of David designates Christ - Ez.34:23 24

6. Christ, the son of David - Matthew 1:1

7. Kingdom of David - Mark 11:10

8. Throne of David - Luke 1:32

9. Tabernacle of David - Acts 15:16

10. Key of David - Isaiah 22:22

11. Faith - Hebrews 11:32-33

12. Covenant of David - 2 Samuel 7:4-17 (or the sure mercies of David - Isa. 55:3)

The Book of Psalms

EXEGESIS OF BOOK THREE

PSALMS 101-150

PSALM 101

A psalm of instruction for householders, Psalm 101 can be entitled, The House of the King. It was written by King David when he was about to ascend the throne. This psalm contains maxims that are applicable to everyone in leadership. It also shows us how a Christian home should operate.

A Psalm of David

101:1 - I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing. David develops many themes in this psalm. First of all, he declares his explicit intention to sing unto the Lord. It is so important for our homes to be filled with the songs of Zion. Christian music and choruses inspired by the Holy Spirit create a very beautiful atmosphere in which faith can flourish.

Christians should be very careful about the type of music they play in their homes, because some so-called Christian rock music can bring evil spirits into a person’s home. Let only the anointed songs of Zion be heard in your home.

In this psalm, David majors on the mercy and judgment of the Lord toward him. We should make much of the Lord’s mercies towards us. In so doing, our homes will be filled with gratitude and thankfulness to our Lord. Then there will be no complaining or murmuring in our streets (Ps. 144:14).

101:2 - I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. All of our actions, especially toward those of our own household, should be directed by the wisdom of God. Our hearts must be perfect and upright toward those for whom we have responsibility. Job spoke of this when he said in Job 31:13, If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me. We commend that you read Job 31:16-20,32.

We also must be genuine, and free of any hypocrisy in our lives. We must act in our homes like we do when we are in church. Many ministers’ children turn away from serving the Lord because their parents do not practice what they preach. It is the doers of the Word that are rewarded. Hearing and preaching the Word is not enough; we must live it!

101:3 - I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. Many people turn aside because they desire something that is not God’s best for them. This is one of the greatest heartaches of being a pastor. You love the people in your congregation and you warn them, but often they ignore your counsel and make the wrong decisions. Many people miss out on God’s high calling for their lives because they do not fully consecrate their lives to the Lord (Phil. 3:14).

101:4 - A froward [or perverse] heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person. David speaks here of the importance of having right relationships. We must not permit wicked people to dwell with us, because they will turn our hearts away