Psalms Chapters 2-7

January 5th 2025

So, Psalm 2 is considered a second part of the introduction to all 150 and it was written by David with what seems like an address to kings and rulers over others.

At verse 4 David writes,

PSALM 2
1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against YAHAVAH, and against his anointed, saying,
3 “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”
4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: YAHAVAH shall have them (evil kings) in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

That line, read prophetically, speaks directly to the Messiah, who, in the flesh of King David, would first preach from the City of David, known as Zion, and once the new heaven and earth were founded in His perfect blood, He would then reign from above over all things.

Then, David, having established this, writes at verse 7 something so important to our understanding of God and His Son, as it says,

7 I will declare the decree: YAHAVAH hath said unto me, “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.”
8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

So, we are first introduced to the theme of Kings by David, then we are told of another king who will have “the heathen for His inheritance” along with “the uttermost parts of the earth for his inheritance,” and this king will “break the rebellious with a rod of iron and dash them (the rebellious) to pieces.”

What would make this future King so powerful that we would revere Him so deeply? David gives us a clue, saying at verse 7,

I will declare the decree: YAHAVAH hath said unto me, “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.”

While David declares this in writing, the meaning seems to be David was speaking prophetically of what Christ would declare when YAHAVAH said to Him,

“Thou (showing Yahavah was speaking to this Messianic King and saying) “Thou art my Son, this day I have begotten you.”

Most people believe that Christ was begotten by God at birth. This is not so. And this fact opens us to some pretty amazing ideas that should be more incorporated into the Christian world view.

To start, there are four verses in the Apostolic Record that refer to this single line written by David.

(GRAPHIC)

So, let’s go to what Paul does with this line from David.

In Acts 13, Paul is visiting a synagogue in Antioch and after they read the scripture, he stands up and we read what he said beginning at verse 26,

Acts 13:26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.
29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.
30 But God raised him from the dead:

That line, “But God raised Him from the dead,” timestamps the fact that he is referencing His resurrection. Now listen carefully as Paul adds,

31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.
32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,
33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, (how?) in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.”

Now, only the King James adds, “again” to the line, “in that he hath raised up Jesus again” and we have to ask why?

By this time in Acts Yeshua had been raised up twice – first at His resurrection and second when He ascended – both proving Gods complete acceptance of Him as a proper sacrifice and as an accepted human victory over Adam. And Paul adds,

34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, “I will give you the sure mercies of David.”
35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, “Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

And then Paul adds, speaking of King David

36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

There is our entrance into His Kingdom folks, believing on Him.

40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; (ISAIAH 29:14)
41 “Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.”

Which has prophetic application to the Apostolic age that Paul was writing.

The second and third time David’s words here in Psalm 2 are referenced are found in Hebrews chapter 5 which opens up with the following from its writer at verse 1 where it says:

Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Then the writer embarks on proving how this Son is better than the angels and says,

4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

And then he reasons –

5 For unto which of the angels said he (meaning, God – who is mentioned in the first verse) “at any time, “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?” And again, “I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?”

Proving that the titles Father and Son were not eternal but were created or used only in the incarnation.

6 And again, when he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he saith, “And let all the angels of God worship him.”
7 And of the angels he saith, “Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. “
8 But unto the Son he saith, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

Amazing, huh?

With all of this in mind we are able to better understand the nature of Christ and His relationship with both His God and with angels and the world and how in fact, He was able to bring reconciliation of the world to His Father as proven by His resurrection and then by His ascension.

Because of the length of Psalms, I would like to avoid talking more about this but the importance of what all of this brings forward cannot be ignored.

Because from it all we can see the following:

(GRAPHIC)

Yeshua of Nazareth (not God in Him) was made, just like the angels were made.
And He was made in His flesh from “the seed of King David.”
He was born of a human woman.
The fulness of God was within Him from birth as His very logos (translated word).
Because He was housed in human flesh, as one of us, from His birth, His relationship to God was that God was His Father, and He was God’s beloved Son.
This was the result of the incarnation.
Here is the complex part now – He, Yeshua the human, was not considered Gods Only Begotten Son until after He overcame His human flesh for the world of human beings.
He certainly was God prior to His incarnation, the One God, His literal word made flesh, but in His flesh He was in a position to sin, to be tempted, to die, and His flesh – His flesh – His flesh was NOT God UNTIL He, in the flesh, overcame sin, death, Satan and hell and it was at His resurrection that God Himself called Him, His ONLY begotten.

The word “begotten” means to parent, to spring or bring forth, create – and as such, Yeshua was, is and forever will be the ONLY human being to ever come from YAHAVAH directly.

But God does not bear human children which is why He declared Jesus of Nazareth His ONLY begotten when He OVERCAME the failures of human flesh on our behalf, pleasing the father through the Spirit reigning over his human flesh.

The proof of this was NOT in His conception or incarnation.

The proof of this was His resurrection and then ascension, where He showed/proved that He certainly was begotten of His Father.

This first raising of Him who had died proved that He was all that He claimed to be and that all He promised was true.

The second raising of Him was into the heavens, with the declaration that He would sit at His Fathers right side until all things were put under His feet, which we teach occurred once all the prophecies concerning Israel and Satan were finished.

This raising also came with the promise of His return to save those who placed their faith and trust in Him to take them directly into a New Jerusalem above, under the administration of both a new heaven and a new earth.

We mix Him, His identity and His fleshly deification up when we try to impose His person as BEING Jesus, GOD’s SON, in a premortal state.

When we do this, we ultimately will overlook when fleshly Jesus was deified, when God recognized Him as His only begotten Son, and what is therefore anticipated in the lives of all who truly receive Him by faith – which is a similar, albeit imperfect, deification made possible in and through His name.

So Yeshua, born of a woman by the creative energy of the Holy Spirit overshadowing His mother so that he “might feel and suffer for man,” by learning obedience through the things He suffered,” whom the scripture describes as “the first-born of many brethren,” was the first, the primary, the foremost, the arche human-being qualified to enter into His Father’s presence, leading the way into the most holy place in the New Jerusalem above for ALL – who accept their adoption into the heavenly family – who too become joint heirs with Christ.

The second Psalm ends with,

10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve YAHAVAH with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

The initial meaning of verse 12 does not mean Yeshua but speaks more to kissing (being friendly with) right or correct doctrine.

There is a whole deal on the Chaldee word son here, but if you want to see some remarkable meaning that could be seen here in retrospect to the person of God’s Son, we know that all judgment is committed to the Son, so to the Jews of His day, and to others worldwide, we are all exhorted to submit to him, to be reconciled to him, that we might be received into his family, and be acknowledged as his adopted children, with kissing as the token of respect, subjection and love.

David includes a reminder to them, however, that even the slightest stroke of the iron rod of Christ’s justice would be sufficient to break that long-standing culture into pieces and then he reminds the reader of the blessedness (or true happiness) all who trust in Him will experience.

PSALM 3

The occasion of this Psalm was Absalom’s rebellion reported in 2nd Samual 15. David was deserted by his subjects, railed on by Shimei, pursued for his crown and life by his own ungrateful son, and not finding anywhere to go, takes himself to YAHAVAH.

Let read it quickly.

1 A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. YAHAVAH, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.
2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
3 But thou, O YAHAVAH, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
4 I cried unto YAHAVAH with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for YAHAVAH sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.

I love that verse because when we really think about it, if we lean on and trust in our God and He is on our side, the worlds inhabitants can reject us, but we will prevail – at some point – forevermore.

I like having my full allegiance aimed at the one being who cannot lose and operated through love.

7 Arise, O YAHAVAH; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8 Salvation belongeth unto YAHAVAH: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.

PSALM 4

This Psalm seems to have been composed on the same occasion with the preceding chapter which was Absalom’s rebellion.

Some believe that it refers to YESHUA, who is the Supreme Governor, or victorious Person; the Giver of victory.

1 <> Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
3 But know that YAHAVAH hath set apart him that is godly for himself: YAHAVAH will hear when I call unto him.

Again, was this only to them in the Nation or is still true today? Probably both, don’t you think?

4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in YAHAVAH.

The Psalm ends with David saying,

6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? YAHAVAH, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, YAHAVAH, only makest me dwell in safety.

PSALM 5

1 To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David.>> Give ear to my words, O YAHAVAH, consider my meditation.
2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O YAHAVAH; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: YAHAVAH will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

7 But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
8 Lead me, O YAHAVAH, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

Note that they lack faithfulness . . .

1. By their MOUTH: “There is no faithfulness in their mouth.”
2. By their HEART: “Their inward parts are very wickedness.”
3. By their THROAT: “Their throat is an open sepulchre.”
4. By their TONGUE: “They flatter with their tongue.”

That is not someone you really want to hang with is it? So David says,

10 Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
12 For thou, YAHAVAH, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

PSALM 6

This Psalm has the following inscription:
“To the chief Musician on Neginoth, upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David;”

The Chaldee includes the words, “To be sung on neginoth, a harp of eight strings.”

The chief musician is directed to accompany the recital of this Psalm with the above instrument known as the Sheninith.

This Psalm, which is one of what some collectively call, “the seven Penitential Psalms,” was apparently written during some grievous disease with which David was afflicted after his transgression with Bath-sheba.

It argues a deep consciousness of sin, and apprehension of the just displeasure of God.

It is the very language of a true penitent who is looking around for help and is contrite in the heart for their ways.

God rebukes and chastens him, and he submits; but he prays not to be rebuked in anger, nor chastened in hot displeasure, because he knows that these must bring him down to total and final destruction.

1 >

O YAHAVAH, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2 Have mercy upon me, O YAHAVAH; for I am weak: O YAHAVAH, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
3 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O YAHAVAH, how long?
4 Return, O YAHAVAH, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.

Obviously, David is troubled. When we get to Psalm 51 we will directly read about David’s sin with Bathsheba but this seems to speak to some result from that sin itself.

Some have supposed, because God does promise to afflict those who sin in that day, that David was facing some sort of physical ailment which he saw as from the hand of God for his sin.

Could be. And I do not doubt that there are ailments and illnesses associated directly with the practice of sin today – no as a material curse but as a natural consequence of such.

At this point David adds something interesting, saying

5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

This concept, that says that here in mortality we are living but that afterward we are dead and can do nothing at all (including thanking God), is carried forth into our day after the finished work and victory Christ has had over death.

In that day, what David wrote is apparently true. Death meant separation from God and there was nothing that could be done by the departed.

The Psalms and Isaiah confirm this, saying

Psalm 30:9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

OR

Psalm 88:11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?

OR

Psalm 115:17 The dead praise not YAHAVAH, neither any that go down into silence.

OR

Psalm 118:17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of YAHAVAH.
18 YAHAVAH hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.

AND

Isaiah 38:18 For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.
19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

I think it is important to realize that these descriptions WERE the case and the reality but that in the FACE of Yeshua and His victory it no longer is – something that many people lose track of in their earnest desires to follow the Bible.

Remember, hell, death, the grave, separation, and Satan were beaten by Christ at the Cross as evidenced by the Resurrection.

And while these sentiments of David and others might bear some weight somehow in the afterlife, they cannot continue to be completely applicable because of Him.

David continues to write saying at verse 6

6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.

Very poetic. Very real for those who fail in the face of their love for YAHAVAH and anyone who has experienced this can relate with David directly. Then at verse 8 David begins to rejoice at what appears to be a change in attitude or perception, saying,

8 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for YAHAVAH hath heard the voice of my weeping.
9 YAHAVAH hath heard my supplication; YAHAVAH will receive my prayer.
10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.

Finally, we come to PSALM 7.

This Psalm is entitled, “Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto YAHAVAH, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.”

The word shiggayon comes from the Hebrew “to wander or a wandering song,” and is believed to have been composed by David in his wanderings, when he hid himself from the fury of King Saul.

Some have suggested that this was really a unpremeditated song, impromptu or what they call an improviso.

Maybe you can relate when you have been wandering and wondering about a certain event or circumstance which causes you to create impromptu musical numbers to help clear your head and heart.

The whole intro reads,

1 Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto YAHAVAH, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.

As to Cush the Benjamite, he is a person unknown in the Jewish history; the name is probably a name of disguise; and by it he may covertly mean Saul himself, the son of Kish, who was of the tribe of Benjamin.

The subject of the Psalm speaks better to Saul’s unjust persecution of David in the face of his innocence than to any other subject in the history of David.

Let’s work through it and see what might have direct application to us today.

1 YAHAVAH my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:
2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
3 YAHAVAH my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands;
4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me;
5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honor in the dust. Selah.

I love the heart of David – the honesty, the willingness to face the consequences of his actions in that day.

I think its important to remember that when Paul, back to Acts 13, stood up and spoke in the synagogue, he, in rehersing the history of the Nation said,

Act 13:21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.
22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

This was Paul citing what went down with Saul from the mouth of Samuel where we read in 1st Samual 13:13,

13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of YAHAVAH thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would YAHAVAH have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever.
14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: YAHAVAH has sought him a man after his own heart, and YAHAVAH hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

We have to ask, “in what way or ways was David “a man after God’s own heart?”

Interestingly, I read a comment where someone actually said,

“In his strict attention to the law.”

Which in the face of biblical evidences is not true. David’s moral weaknesses were far from being in harmony with both the Law and the heart of God. So we cannot suggest that the man was right morally.

But what human is?

Just as Abraham was justified by his faith, so was David, and his heart for God was DESPITE his moral failures.

No, David was said (BY God) to be a man after God’s own heart in His eye being single to His glory and to never allow an idol into his Kingdom.

He was also a man after God’s own heart in his humility before Him and Him alone. David knew that God was the true King in Israel and that he was merely a willing tool in His hand.

And because he was personally devoted from the heart to do the will of God alone he was given this title. And so David continues and says,

6 Arise, YAHAVAH, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.
7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high.

Let’s close with a biblical reality that is ofter misunderstood in the faith today. It surfaces in the face of what David writes in verse 8 saying/singing something that is amazing. Ready?

8 YAHAVAH shall judge the people: judge me, YAHAVAH, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.

Now, in the nomenclature of Christianity, we tend to eschew our own righteousness because of passages that say things like –

Psalm 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

This passage from David was cited by Paul in Romans 3:10 where we read

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.”

But here we have David ask God to his righteousness and integrity? So, what gives? Its not answered just because David was of the old Covenant. It goes deeper than that.

See, later in Psalm 35:24, David will also write

Judge me, O YAHAVAH my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.

What is going on here?

Taking all of the scripture, the reality is all of humankind was judged by His standard of Righteousness, which is His Son alone.

And when He died and rose again, the world was justified through that judgement.

That said, and this is what is often overlooked, we will be REWARDED by our righteousness obtained by and through Him and His resurrected life.

As Paul writes in Galatians 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

David wraps Psalms 7 up with

9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

A confirmation, I believe that the purpose of this life is to be proved. And as a means to prove all souls, He tries us, allowing life and its vicissitudes to challenge our integrity, our devotions, our righteousness through Him.

Psalm 7 wraps up saying,

10 My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.
11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.
14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.
16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

And then King David wraps this Psalm up with a reflection of his personal devotion, saying

17 I will praise YAHAVAH according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of YAHAVAH most high.

And we will stop here.

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