Understanding Psalms and Human Frailty

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PRAYER

SONG The Sacrifices of God

SILENCE

Alright we are gonna take a quick-clip today as we have a lot of redundancy in the Psalms we will cover but a few key items to pause upon. Psalm 39 – 43 April 6th 2025

Psalm 39

It is believed that David, having composed this Psalm, gave it to a man named Jeduthun and his company to sing. But several have supposed that Jeduthun himself was the author. It is also believed that this Psalm was written along with last weeks Psalm 38 as it relates to an unknown malady which David was afflicted after his transgression with Bath-sheba. So let’s read as verses 1-3 are like a preamble to verses 4-5.

1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace. not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.
2 I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.
3 My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,

So he seems to be saying that he was extremely contemplative, and withheld speaking until the end of verse 3, “then” he writes, “spake I with my tongue” and verses 4-5 are what he said,

4 YAHAVAH, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.
5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah

This is an introductory to the writer explaining how short life is, and we see sentiments reiterated in Ecclesiastes written by Solomon about the human existence at its best can be calculated up as nothing more than vanity, which means “hollow, emptiness.”

The Gift of Foresight

We will talk more about this biblical view in a moment but look back at verse four and ask, “will YAHAVAH make us to know our end,” so that we can see “how frail we are?” I wonder about this but really don’t have much to go on except some general insights. First of all, the Bible suggests that God has a plan for each person's life, including the time of their deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God., and that humans do not have control over this.

Job 14:5 says,

"Man's days are determined; you (God) have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed," implying that God has set the boundaries of human life.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 highlights that there is a "time for everything" under heaven, including a time to be born and a time to die, reinforcing the idea that death is a natural part of life. This said, we do have people who knew that their time was coming – Yeshua included. Outside of him, we have some interesting examples orbiting around this theme including Stephen's Vision, recorded in Acts 7:54–60, where he was shown the glory of the Lord in the sky as he was stoned to death, suggesting he knew he was leaving the earth. Then Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:6-8, to Timothy that “his time was up” and that he “had completed his salvation race successfully.” Peter also said in 2 Peter 1:14 that the Lord told him that he would be leaving his tabernacle shortly.

Psalms and Reflections on Life

That word translated shortly, is from the root Tachos, and it literally means that which is why we read the word describing the events of Revelation happening both in the first chapter and then the last chapter of the book. If Peter died shortly, which he did, the events of Revelation happened in a short period of time too. I wonder about premonitions given to some human beings around knowing their time of death – something to be considered as somehow viable to ask God about as David does right here.

In any case, from verse 6 to 11, the writer delves a bit deeper into the theme of the vanity of life, saying:

6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.
7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish.
9 I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.
10 Remove thy stroke away from me: I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.

The Concept of Vanity

11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.

It’s pretty morose, as David was obviously depressed. His vitality was in jeopardy, and the meaning of life void. I appreciate it though because we all go through times when we wonder about the meaning, purpose even value of life. These are very existential moments, very real and tend to occur when the din of all of our entertainments and distractions fade and we are left alone, sometimes in castles, sometimes in hovels, wondering about the real value and meaning of our respective existences.

The paradox is this life is supremely meaningful to every single individual, granted by God for a purpose that often remains elusive which is hard, and when it is known, it’s still very hard because when we sit back and take an accounting of what we have really done, relative to the God, the eternities, and even relative to this mortal existence, all of it fades and simmers down to that one word used throughout the scripture – vanity. The paradoxical reality of these realizations is they bring any honest individual to humility – frankly abject humility before God, which friends, is the precursor to growing in faith, light, learning, love and liberty. But it takes a someone, who is seriously committed to introspection to get there in large part because we are surrounded with fluff that makes us see our accomplishments and lives in the grand but false light of ego.

Understanding Human Vanity

The scripture is plain that vanity is one heck of a natural condition all of us face but I think we need to be wise in really defining it. First of all, humans are in and of themselves, vain. That literally means we esteem hollow things as valuable – it's our nature and escaping it is nearly impossible whether it be our pursuits of pleasure, compliments, self, wealth – whatever – our fleshly makeup is vain and therefore seeks, receives and pursues things on the eternal spectrum that wind up being nothing but empty.

I have sat in public places now for forty years and while working I observe people around me with genuine curiosity. Sometimes I am in a place where the windows are tinted or treated with a reflective surface which means people walking toward the doors can see themselves. You would not believe what people do when they can see their reflection – fascinating vanity. And I am not one step behind them.

The Psalmist is trying to reach the place where he acknowledges this about himself, saying here in chapter 39: Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

We tend to think that vanity is socio-economic but Psalm 62:9 we read: Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity. When we get to Psalm 94:11 we will read: The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. And Psalm 144:4 says, Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away. But the Revised retranslates that as Psalm 144:4 Man is like a breath, his days are like a passing shadow.

The Path Beyond Vanity

So, the reality is we OURSELVES are the very definition of vanity because we OURSELVES are a passing shadow. The goal then is to not live act and think in terms of what is ephemeral but to live act and think on what lasts, what never ends, what is truly meritorious in terms of our lives.

Without any boast but with only shame, I understand vanity and hollow living really well and for this reason when I saw the Eternal I transitioned from the most vain to the most sublime – not because I am good, but because He is, and when we redirect our hollow minds and hearts to Him who is the first and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega, we transition, as humans, from the temporary to the always has been and will never end. So certainly, as individuals, there is the notion in scripture of our “chasing windmills” and “building our houses on sand,” which are obvious nods to hollow, unstable personal existences, but if we really want to get to the root of what vanity actually manifests itself in it’s . . . idolatry with the fruit of pride following.

The State of Vanity

Listen to how Ezekiel describes what the Nation had become in his day, saying,

Ezekiel 22:24 Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. 25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. 26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. 27 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. 28 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.

The Idolatry and Lies

Sound familiar? These vanities found in idolatrous religious practices? Listen to Zechariah who wrote in Zechariah 10:2

For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd. Sound familiar?

But the Proverbs say,

Proverbs 30:8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me.

The feeding is of His Wisdom and Word, not the food which too, becomes empty and hollow and short-lived. Moving out to the apostolic Record, Paul says to the Bride in Ephesians 4:17,

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind

Which is where everything resides and hence the need for mind renewal through the washing of the Word.

Insights from Romans

But it is in the amazing chapter of Romans 8 where Paul gives insight to the believers in that day and to us today, principally when he wrote:

Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature (those still in the flesh who believed) waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

I have come to understand something recently that may help us understand what the process is to overcome the vanity in which we are all subject as human beings.

Take a quick look as I am personally convinced in the face of fulfillment that we might see the world's inhabitants of abiding, dwelling, living in one or more of the following states:

Those reconciled but without faith and spiritually and physically dining on the Tree of Knowledge of Evil:

1 REALM OF DARK

CONDITION MIND DIET WILL EMOTION

Justified Unsanctified

The Realms and Their Significance

Little Spirit Tree of Know. Self Earthly no truth of evil

Children of God/The Kingdom

CONDITION MIND DIET WILL EMOTION

Sanctified His Spirit TOL Of His Of His Justified and Truth Son Son

Realm of Religious Light

CONDITION MIND DIET WILL EMOTION

Justified His Spirit Tree of Know. Religious Religious Infants of Good

Realm of Dark

CONDITION MIND DIET WILL EMOTION

Justified Unsanctified Little Spirit Tree of Know. Self Earthly no truth of evil

From this, I would submit to you that EVERYTHING is in the mind, including all of our vanity, and that once the mind has been renewed by the washing of the Word, the Spirit equips each individual to govern their WILL and EMOTION – and that our will and emotion is always in the hands of each individual and only conform when we allow Him to renew our minds.

Whew!

Okay, the Psalm wraps up with

12 Hear my prayer, O YAHAVAH, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. 13 O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

That last line, “before I go hence and be no more,” was the common belief in that day about the afterlife destination – sheol or the grave, as Job wrote in Job 10:20-22,

Job 10:20 Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, 21 Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; 22 A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.

Alright, PSALM 40

Author – who knows – perhaps David. But interestingly, this Psalm is identical to Psalm 70 with the addition here of the first two verses.

We also note that the sixth, seventh, and eighth verses contain a remarkable prophecy of the incarnation and sacrificial offering of Christ and then from the eleventh verse to the end, a new subject appears which may have belonged to another Psalm.

1 I waited patiently for YAHAVAH; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in YAHAVAH. 4 Blessed is that man that maketh YAHAVAH his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 5 Many, O YAHAVAH my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

Okay, verses 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 I suggest were Holy Spirit inspired and Messianic. Let’s take them one by one as verse 6 says,

6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

Now, in the Old Testament, we know that these specific sacrifices and burnt offerings were established for sin until the Messiah came.

So, what gives? God established this sacrificial system as a means to show them that there was a price for sin that had to be paid, that it was costly, took time (which is the stuff life is made of) and was painful in that animals lost their lives and humans surrendered something of value for the error.

But as usual with human beings, they misunderstood the intention and purpose and

The Focus on the Heart

made the acts of sacrifice and burnt offerings THE FOCUS instead of THE RESULT. God has always wanted the focus to be on their heart, on walking humbly before Him.

I might be like if God spoke to lets say, Polynesians, two thousand years ago and he said, to remember me, take coconut oil and dab it on your eyelids, ears and lips the first of each new moon. And then he sends an angel to visit them and they were bathing in coconut oil daily, wore only coconut clothing, and put a giant coconut on an alter to worship. This is what God means when we read passages that speak to this, like,

1st Samual 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Obedience Over Sacrifice

And what is the obedience that Samuel was referring to all the way back in his day? To have a broken (humble) heart and a contrite spirit before Him. THIS, my friends, THIS is what God sought in humans then and THIS is what I believe God continues to seek today.

Psalm 51:16-17 reads, For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Humans, going way way back have always naturally believed in the act of making offerings to gods to please Him. From Pele, to the Astec world, sacrifice to the gods for protection, good harvests and such have been the human way to please and appease Him. There is a super worldly show I’ve been watching called the White Lotus and they all take place in tropical locations and this last one is Thailand. And it shows the employees offering up fruit on the altar of their god, and you know the tranquil surroundings are ornamented with fresh flowers, and tinkling of windchimes and the people are namastaying themselves all over the place, and it really seems like this would be God-honoring.

But the Hebrew scripture makes it plain – God wants the hearts of the resort visitors to be humble and contrite as these are the sacrifice that pleases Him. I lived with the largest cutter and sower of fabric in South East Asia for a month. He had a Buddhist priest who lived with him who served to bless him daily with threads and smoke offerings to protect his business. Very impressive to the flesh – but he never seemed to offer God what he really wanted from him.

The True Sacrifice God Desires

The religious world is filled with similar affectations as the blood of bulls and goats have been replaced by worship services, financial offerings, special dress and cultural expressions, and all sorts of other things people today believe reflect what God wants from us. All miss the point when it is the individual heart, broken and contrite, that He seeks.

Listen to what Isaiah said all the way back in Ancient Israel

Isaiah 1:10 Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. 11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. 12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? 13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Sacrifice, Mercy, and Understanding

Isaiah 66:1 YAHAVAH says so logically, listen

Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? 2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. 3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. 4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

Hosea 6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

This is why we gather and this is why I teach – to bring about the knowledge of God in our lives – to Know Him is life eternal. And if we know Him we should KNOW that material sacrifices are NOT what He seeks. Of course this understanding was clear in Yeshua’s day, as we read in Matthew 9:11-13 where it says,

Yeshua's Perspective

Mt 9:11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? 12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Meaning, Yeshua said, was akin to saying, “Why do I eat with sinners? Because it is an act of mercy, which my Father loves and seeks, therefore I am not here to engage with those who believe that they are righteous but to help sinners turn and look to me.

Interestingly, Hebrews 10:5 says, “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.”

Translation Differences

The interesting part is where did he say this?

COMPARE GRAPHIC PLEASE

Hebrew Based Translation 6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire— but my ears you have opened— burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. 7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll.

Greek Based Translation in the LXX 7* You did not want sacrifice and offering, but a body you restored to me. You did not ask for whole burnt offering, and an offering concerning sin. 8* Then I said, “Behold, I have arrived. In the scroll of the book it has been written concerning me.

Just to show how the translations can vary greatly and why I believe Christ cited the Septuagint and not the Hebrew Bible.

7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,

Remember when Christ said, in John 5:39,

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

I see this as a direct fulfillment of Psalm 40:7 and then verses 8-10

8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

Again, speaking of Yeshua who was the first to have God’s Law within Him and on His heart and with this very same inner-inscription applicable to all who believe on Him today. It is His Spirit within, and never the letter without – as hard as this is for people to comprehend.

We read the scripture to learn of Him, but our relationship with Him and others around us, is NOT through the Bible. Listen to what Paul writes WAAAY back in his day to those who believed on Christ, ready?

2 Corinthians 3:1 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? 2 Ye are our epistle written in our

The Epistle of Christ

hearts, known and read of all men:

3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. 4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

The Messianic Message

Let’s finish up reading the rest of 40 with the rest of verse 9 and 10 being messianic and saying,

I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, YAHAVAH, thou knowest. 10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

Seeking Deliverance

11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, YAHAVAH: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. 12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me. 13 Be pleased, YAHAVAH, to deliver me: YAHAVAH, make haste to help me. 14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. 15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. 16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, YAHAVAH be magnified. 17 But I am poor and needy; yet YAHAVAH thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

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