Psalm 30
By Bro David Petersen
The Book of Psalms
Introduction |
Psalm 1 |
Psalm 9 |
Psalm 23 |
Psalm 30 |
Psalm 33 |
Psalm 34 |
Psalm 46 |
Psalm 96 |
Psalm 103 |
Psalm 119
Psalm 30
30:1 I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
7 LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.
8 I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication.
9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?
10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.
11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
Psalm 30
Commentary by Bro. David Petersen
30:1 I will extol <exalt> thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up , and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
I Will Extol Thee O LORD
The word extol in verse 1 could also be translated "exalt". It is a verb which means to lift up, to raise or to set on high. In its adjective form the word means to be high, to be lofty or exalted.
The Lord is not low so that he needs us to lift him up. The idea here is that the Psalmist recognizes and acknowledges the Lord's high and lofty position. The Lord is above all creation. He's way up there apart from everything else in his position as the self-existent one. He is separate from all created things because he is not a created being. He has no cause because he is not an effect.
Because of the power of his might all other things exist. There is nothing that compares to him in exaltation. Everything else is beneath him. He's not to be categorized alongside the plant or animal kingdoms. You don't just look him up and see his picture in the encyclopedia. The Lord is not a common thing. You don't find him next to the paper towels at WalMart. You don't award him the Nobel Prize for his environmental contributuions. It would be trivial compared to the praises he deserves. And he sure doesn't take his place alongside your favorite sports hero or popular music idol.
The word extol is translated "high" in Isaiah 6:1:
Isaiah 6:1-7
6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
That's how we see the Lord: high and lifted up, exalted and above all. You don't come into his presence with unclean lips; but he purges us and takes away our iniquity.
Thou Hast Lifted Me Up
The word here for "lifted" is different from the word for "extol". It literally means to draw up like a bucket of water out of a well. David is making a play on words here and the picture is of the Lord drawing David up out of the pit as if he were on a rope.
Like David God has raised up those who are identified with Christ:
Ephesians 2:4-7
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
When we were dead in sins, God made us alive with Christ. God didn't sit back and wait for us to take a few courses on self-improvement before he raised us up. He didn't say that once we clean up our act, then he might love us.
No, while we were still dead in our sins, when we were without hope and without God in the world, when we followed the ways of this world and obeyed God's enemy, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature; God drew us up like a bucket of water out of a well, like a drowned rat at the end of lifeline.
Sinners roll in the dirt but the quickend sit in heavenly places, are raised above the world; the world is as nothing to them, compared with what it has been, and compared with what the other world is. By his grace the saints have ascended with him above this world to interact with another, and they live in the constant expectation of it. They are not only servants to the best of masters in the best work, but they are exalted to reign with him; they sit upon the throne with Christ, as he has sat down with his Father on his throne.
We are raised to walk in newness of life. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
In the heavenly places we don't have to be conformed to this world: but we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds, that we may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
In the heavenly places to which we have been raised we can take no thought for our lives in this world, what we shall eat, or what we shall drink; nor yet for our bodies, what we shall put on. In the heavenlies, life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
Hast Not Made My Foes To Rejoice
David had many enemies. The ironic thing was that his enemies were generally not people he had done any previous harm to. The Philistine giant Goliath had blasphemed the Lord. David had done nothing to harm Saul, yet Saul was jealous of David and wanted to kill him.
None of David's enemies were gloating or throwing a big celebration. The Lord subdued the nations around Israel and gave David rest from his enemies. "And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies." 2 Sam 7:1.
Those who will follow and obey the Lord will have enemies. "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." John 15:18-19. The Lord's teaching was not that we would have no enemies. Instead he taught that we should love our enemies (Matt 5:44). As Christians we strive to live peacably with all men. But those who stand up for the truth will have enemies.
Ultimately God will not allow our enemies to rejoice over us. It may seem as though the wicked prevail in this lifetime. But in the end God will fully execute his plan of redemption. The righteous will rule and reign in the new earth and the wicked shall perish.
It is not the enemies of God who will rejoice, but the righteous.
Ps 68:1-3
68:1 Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
This is not an argument in favor of miraculous physical during our natural lives. It is true that David went through a period of physical illness while he suffered from the guilt of his sin and God did have mercy on him and heal him. The Lord is still able to heal and we can pray in faith for healing but it may not be the Lord's will to deliver us from physical suffering. In David's case it was the Lord's will to heal him. The Lord's will may be to use illness to bring about some spiritual growth in us.
The apostle Paul said that the Lord had given him a physical infirmity in order to teach him the spiritual quality of humility:
2 Cor 12:7-10
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
See how Paul prayed 3 times for the Lord to take away the infirmity; yet no healing came. We are not entitled to miraculous healings. God does not promise physical healing. Instead he promises to give us grace to bring us through any trial.
A good way to apply this verse is in a spiritual sense. Jesus described himself as the great physician of sinners:
Mark 2:16-17
16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
As sinners we are spiritually sick. Jesus heals us from the depraved sickness of sin. That is a promise from God that we can count on.
" For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Rom 10:13.
3 O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
We have already seen in Eph 2:5 above that even when we were dead in sins, God quickened us together with Christ by his grace. Through the salvation experience the Lord brings our souls up from the grave that we should not go down into the pit. But there is another sense in which this verse applies and that is with respect to unrepented sin in the believer's life.
David believed that he was near death. The word grave in verse 3 refers to Sheol: the place of departed spirits. David was grateful that the Lord had spared his life. Unconfessed sin festers. It is possible for God's people to actually suffer physical illness because of unrepented sin in their lives.
Paul warned the church at Corinth that some there who participated in the Lord's supper with unrepented sin in their lives who became sick and that others had actually died.
1 Cor 11:28-32
8 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
I'm not saying that when God's people are sick that it always means that it is a result of sin in their lives. What I am saying if that if we do not judge or discern sin in ourselves and confess it to the Lord and then repent of it; the sin will fester and consequences will accrue to the point where it can literally make us sick. God can even take us out this world because of unresolved sin.
Ps 38:1-5
38:1 O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2 For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.
3 There is no soundness <health> in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest <soundness> in my bones because of my sin.
4 For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
<My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burdern too heavy to bear>.
5 My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.
Sin is like an infection that spreads.
4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Usually we think of holiness as being sinless perfection. But this speaks of God's holiness in a broader sense that includes his goodness and mercy. The Lord has mercy because he is good and holy.
David calls God's people to sing at the remembrence of his holiness. We have seen in previous studies that singing is associated with joyfullness. David could not thank God enough by himself. He needed to enlist the aid of God's assembly; those who share his appreciation and wonder at the holiness of the Lord.
5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Verse 5 could be translated: For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
Grace brings correction to God's children who err. But these corrections last only long enough to bring true confession and repentence. This is a great mercy because if the Lord's wrath burned for a long time all flesh would be consumed. God is slow to anger and swift to end it. If his loving, fatherly correction of his own children is so intense that it has need be short, then think about the terror that his eternal wrath should bring upon his enemies.
Heb 12:9-11
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
6 And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.
7 LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.
When would the Lord hide his face from us? In David's case, it was the sin of pride. It is when things are going smooth that we are most likely to become self-confident and forget the Lord. We saw that David's kingdom came to a point where the Lord gave him rest round about from all of his enemies. The surrounding nations had been subdued. His rebellious son was dead and buried. He had much wealth stored up from tribute and plundering. "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." 1 Cor 10:12.
We have seen in other psalms that the mountain is a stronghold or a shelter: a place where you are safe from your enemies. You have security on the mountain where you are unasssailable.. We need to recognize that the only reason that our mountain stands strong is because of the Lord. So many things can go wrong in this world. Everything is trying to get us. If the Lord does not make our mountain strong then it will crumble beneath our feet.
8 I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication.
9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?
10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.
11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
That my heart <or soul> may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.
The Book of Psalms
Introduction |
Psalm 1 |
Psalm 9 |
Psalm 23 |
Psalm 30 |
Psalm 33 |
Psalm 34 |
Psalm 46 |
Psalm 96 |
Psalm 103 |
Psalm 119