Ps 71:12-21
SS Lesson for 07/14/2024
Devotional Scripture: Ps 96:1-6
Psalm 71 is part of a long string of prayers (going back at least to Psalm 50) that express the hope that God will help those who trust in him. This section of Psalms addresses the suffering of either individuals or Israel as a people in lament after lament. These psalms call God’s attention to the human need for a continuing relationship of rescue. And the psalms remind the people of Israel of their constant need for self-examination, repentance, and hopeful action. Psalm 71 is the last in this series of laments; Psalm 72 brings Book II of the Psalms (Psalms 42-72) to a hopeful conclusion. Because this psalm is not attributed to a specific person, we can refer to him (or her) as “the psalmist.” Psalm 71 is a psalm of individual lament, in which a single person addresses God while seeking help during a time of danger or catastrophe (compare Psalms 3; 22; 43; etc.). Even though the psalm does not explicitly name an audience, the psalmist likely had in view a public performance of the psalm (perhaps set to music) along with other texts like it. The audience would be the assembly of Israel gathered in the temple, especially during the great festivals noted in Exodus 23:14-19. While this poem is a lament, we can also speak of it as a prayer. Psalm 71 interweaves requests for help with statements about the problems faced and expressions of trust in God. The psalmist expresses trust in God’s righteousness (v. 2) and reliability throughout life (vv. 5-6). Verses 10-11 (not in our printed text) describe the insults of the psalmist’s critics and enemies. They slandered not only the psalmist but also God, whom they accused of abandoning the faithful (compare Psalm 22:7-8). The psalmist’s real experiences are revealed in general terms, without naming names, so we are invited to consider our own experiences as we consider the psalmist’s troubles and how he responded in faith.
But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more
(Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV)
12 O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!
13 Let them be confounded and consumed who are adversaries of my life; Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor who seek my hurt.
14 But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more.
15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits.
16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
15 Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord.
20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground.
23 "Am I only a God nearby," declares the Lord, "and not a God far away? 24 Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?" declares the Lord. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the Lord.
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
26 He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."
17 I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.
1 Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain.
2 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits —
2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
2 that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
16 'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
23 The Lord answered Moses, "Is the Lord's arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you."
35 You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!
4 Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea — the Lord on high is mighty.
24 "O Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?
17 O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.
19 Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You?
20 You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
21 You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed — not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence — continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
17 You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
10 Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
13 if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
26 He prays to God and finds favor with him, he sees God's face and shouts for joy; he is restored by God to his righteous state.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
22 "Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding." "Yes, we will come to you, for you are the Lord our God.
76 May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
13 Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
12 "I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass, 13 that you forget the Lord your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, that you live in constant terror every day because of the wrath of the oppressor, who is bent on destruction? For where is the wrath of the oppressor?
Verses 1-4
The writer began by reaffirming his confidence in God, in whom he had trusted in the past (cf. Psalms 31:1-3). He wanted God’s deliverance from the attacks of wicked people so that his confidence in God would not prove in vain. He spoke of the Lord as a refuge, a rock, and a fortress. We do not know if he was under verbal, or physical attack, or both types. This individual lament psalm expresses the faith of an older person in need who had trusted in God for many years. The writer is unknown to us. He combined elements that we find in several other psalms to communicate his thoughts (cf. Psalms 22; Psalms 31; Psalms 35; Psalms 40).
Verses 5-6
The writer had trusted in the Lord from his youth, since God had sustained him from the day of his birth. He had praised Him all his life.
Verses 7-8
The psalmist meant that onlookers regarded what was happening to him as an omen of things to come. Evidently they felt God was abandoning the righteous because He appeared to be abandoning this aged saint. Nevertheless the psalmist continued to praise God.
Verses 9-13
The writer appealed specifically to the Lord not to forsake him in his old age, especially since his adversaries were claiming that God had abandoned him. He had no other defender and cried out to God to do what was right.
Verses 14-18
Regardless of the outcome in his case, the writer determined to continue trusting and praising God. The Lord had demonstrated His righteousness, salvation, and mighty deeds for a long time and in many ways. Therefore, the psalmist vowed to speak of them forever, even if he could not tally up all of God’s faithful acts. If God forsook him, he could not fully relate these testimonials to the present generation of his people.
Verses 19-21
The great things of which the writer testified included God’s salvation out of many personal troubles. The psalmist had been down before, but God had always lifted him up. [Note: See C. J. Labuschagne, The Incomparability of Yahweh in the Old Testament.] He prayed that this would be his experience again. His greatness, or honor, came from trusting in God and having that trust rewarded with deliverance.
Verses 22-24
In anticipation of God’s help, the writer promised to praise Him with stringed instruments, as well as vocally. The title "Holy One of Israel" (Psalms 71:22) is common in Isaiah but rare in the Psalms, occurring only three times (cf. Psalms 78:41; Psalms 89:18). In conclusion, the psalmist spoke of his accusers’ humiliation as already present, even though that is what he was requesting. This is probably another instance of expressing confidence that something would happen by describing it as having already taken place. When people have trusted in God over a lifetime and have seen Him deliver them from many trials, it becomes easier for them to trust Him in the present. Just as continual unbelief makes faith more difficult, continual trust makes unbelief more difficult
(Adapted from URL:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/dcc/psalms-71.html)
This psalm, like others, portrays God as the head teacher in the school of life. The attentive student enters enthusiastically into the lessons even when they are difficult, even when they involve real suffering. When other people seem bent on our destruction, when everything we attempt fails, or when our most cherished plans crumble into the dust, even then, there is hope. Hope is possible because this life does not fully belong to human beings, and whatever evil we may dream of, carry out, or merely tolerate will not prevail in the end. God reigns in life. He works steadily for the good, building a world in which love prevails over hate. Hardships can teach us hope because we trust the teacher to provide valuable learning that will transform our lives and lead to a better situation (Romans 8:28). As the good teacher, God cares deeply about the welfare of his students and leads us at a pace at which we can successfully proceed toward the ultimate goal, a life of goodness and peace before him (compare 5:3-5). A more righteous world begins by improving our use of language as people of faith. We refuse to join in the fearful, hateful barrage of words that does so much damage. Instead, we fill the air with praise for God’s justice and mercy, as this psalm does. Better words lead to better actions and better relationships. Hope spreads from life to life to create a new world. The social alienation and pain caused by human greed, pride, and envy will give way to social harmony wrought by mutual love and full of praiseworthy actions. May God grant us this comfort and bring his kingdom to earth as it is in Heaven (Matthew 5:10).