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“Summaries, Psalms 27-31”
Categories: Bulletin Articles
Psalm 27 expresses David’s confidence in God. Because God is his light and salvation, he can be fearless. He’s seen God defeat his past enemies, so he won’t be afraid of any future enemies, no matter how numerous they are. He wants to spend his days glorifying God in His house because he knows that God always will protect him. As he worships God now, he appeals to God to protect him even when his own family isn’t. He asks God to bless him both with instruction and protection, and he is certain that he will see God’s goodness before he dies.
Psalm 28 is another one of David’s appeals to God for help. David claims that if God won’t help him, he might as well be dead, so he is pleading with God to answer him. He doesn’t want God to punish him as God punishes the wicked. He expects, in fact, that God is going to reward the wicked according to their wickedness so that they will be permanently destroyed. The psalm concludes with rejoicing in God’s answer to prayer. God has protected David, and He will continue to protect His people.
Psalm 29 begins by calling on the inhabitants of heaven to give God the glory He deserves. In particular, David focuses on God’s majesty as revealed in the volume and power of thunder. The thunder the psalm describes is so powerful that it smashes trees and makes the ground shake. The animals are frightened, the leaves fall off the trees, and God’s people worship Him because of the display of His power. He is King even over the mighty storms, and with His strength, He can grant peace and strength to His own.
Psalm 30 has an ascription that says it was used at the dedication of the temple. It looks back on the way that God has saved David from his enemies. David then encourages the people to praise and thank God because even if they suffer for a little while, the future will surely be better.
David had made the mistake of trusting in himself, but when God withdrew His favor, he realized it was all really due to God. In that time, he pleaded with God to save him because dead worshipers don’t give God any glory. God responded and delivered him, so now he is going to praise God forever.
Psalm 31 was also written during a difficult time in David’s life. David begins by asking God to rescue him. God is his only hope, a thought he expresses with the words, “Into Your hands I commit my spirit,” words Jesus later uses on the cross. David hates wickedness and trusts God because he has seen that God is trustworthy. Nonetheless, he is currently suffering greatly, and all of his neighbors look down on him and plot against him. Despite this, David continues to trust in God, and he calls on God for deliverance. God’s goodness is so great that He always rescues His own. The psalm concludes with rejoicing that God has delivered David, and it calls on all of God’s people to likewise trust in Him.
