You probably are familiar with the song We Are Standing on Holy Ground by Geron Davis. He wrote that song as a very young man for the dedication of a newly built sanctuary. I happen to know this story because Geron and I had the same piano teacher; although I’d say Geron is the far more accomplished student.
Geron’s father was the pastor and had asked his very talented son to write a dedication song for the new building. As most young students are prone to do, he waited until the night before to “do his homework.” He went into the new sanctuary with only a few lights on, sat down at the piano and wrote…
“As I walked through the door I sensed His presence. And I knew this was the place where love abounds. For this is the temple, Jehovah God abides here. And we are standing in His presence on holy ground.”
David was also a songwriter. And He probably realized that He wouldn’t be alive to see the dedication of the Temple that his son would build. But he could leave a part of him behind to participate in that dedication. A psalm. Psalm 30.
You would think that the subject of a dedication psalm for the Temple would be about Zion or God’s holy dwelling place or perhaps the Ark and the beauty of Yahweh’s presence. But it isn’t. And that’s a feature, not a bug. David is a prophet and he is writing under inspiration. And he writes about… resurrection.
Right out of the gate, David sets the tone:
“I will exalt you, O Yahweh, because you have drawn me up, and have not made my enemies rejoice over me.”
Psalms 30:1 LEB
In case anyone is unclear about where Yahweh is drawing David up from…
“O Yahweh, you have brought my life up from Sheol. You preserved me alive from among those going down to the pit.”
Psalms 30:3 LEB
Now you could read this, and eruditely adjust your glasses to the tip of your nose and say, “This is just David reflecting on the many times his God has saved him over the course of his life.” And you would be right on a surface level.
Recall that David is advanced in years. The end of his life is looming on the horizon. Yet he speaks as if death is already in his rearview mirror.
David has known what it is to be corrected by Yahweh and to be on the wrong end of His anger. But he also knows what it is to be forgiven and reconciled to Him. And that is the context for the oft-quoted (but probably not oft-understood) verse:
“Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning.”
While that wording is by no means incorrect, here is a translation that reflects more nuance of the Hebrew:
“For there is a moment in his anger; there is a lifetime in his favor. Weeping lodges for the evening, but in the morning comes rejoicing.” Psalms 30:5 LEB
The weeping is from God’s righteous anger. It’s from sorrow over personal failure and sin. But weeping is only an overnight guest.
In the grand span of eternity, Sorrow visits for a night; as if your life was an AirBnB or a Motel 6. But it picks up the free muffin and leaves in the morning. It doesn’t move in. It can’t. Why?
Because (verses 8-12 paraphrased), “I pleaded to God for compassion and help and He heard me.” It was a reasonable plea too:
“What gain is there in my death, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?”
Psalms 30:9 LEB
“Lord, what’s the point of me dying? I can’t very well praise you if I’m dead, can I?”
And the Lord answers this plea in a way that turns mourning into dancing. He personally takes the sackcloth of repentant sorrow over sin off of me and dresses me in new duds of joy – “in the morning.”
Morning is a Biblical idiom for the resurrection.
“But those who die in the Lord will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! For your life-giving light will fall like dew on your people in the place of the dead!”
Isaiah 26:19 NLT
Isaiah speaks of death as sleep and the morning sunlight as God’s life waking the dead from slumber.
“As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.”
Psalm 17:15 ESV
David speaks of seeing the face of God when he wakes up (in the morning) in the resurrection.
The Sons of Korah wrote…
“Like sheep they [the wicked] are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell. But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah.”
Psalm 49:14-15 ESV
“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.”
Malachi 4:2-3 ESV
I’m pretty sure that this is what these OT texts are referring to:
“Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”
Revelation 20:4-6 ESV
The bodies of those who lay in the dust will be awakened at the dawning of the resurrection – kinda like your parent coming in to wake you up to get ready for school.
So… why is this an appropriate topic for the Dedication of the New Temple?
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”
1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV
“you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 2:5 ESV
The Church of the Lord Jesus is yet under construction. We are the living stones in the Temple where the Spirit of the Living God dwells. Jesus Christ Himself is the Cornerstone. One day, that Temple will be complete. The final stone will be put in place. And the time for the Dedication will come. If you know what happened at the dedication of Solomon’s Temple, you know that the visible cloud of God’s glorious presence entered into the Temple to dwell.
I know it may be difficult for us to get our heads around but… Salvation isn’t done yet. There’s more. There is one final step called “Glorification” to come… in the morning; at the resurrection, when the mortal is clothed in immortality.
The dedication of the Temple IS the Resurrection. At the Resurrection of the Saints, the Temple will be complete and…
“…the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.”
Malachi 3:1 ESV
The dead will be raised and the living transformed. We will be clothed with new bodies and made like our Savior (in a way that we cannot yet comprehend), when He fully indwells His completed Church and we are freed forever from sin and mortality.
Think of the most amazing experiences you’ve ever had in the presence of the Lord. They are not the pinnacle. There is more to come.
If I may mix my biblical metaphors…
The bride is engaged to the bridegroom. The bride price has been paid. She belongs to Him but He has not yet come into her. If His nearness is thrilling, how glorious the bridal chamber? No wonder it has to happen at the resurrection. The mortal body would surely expire from the glory.
And David anticipates the resurrection when he says, “O Lord, my God, I will give thanks to You forever.” Not – I will give You thanks until I die.
No.
Forever.
And how could that be possible?
He knows the grave isn’t the end.
PSALM 108
This is prayer for help in battle. Let’s look at the structure:
- Praise, v1-5
- So that… we may be rescued, v6
- God’s view of tribes & nations, v7-9
- We need God’s help in battle, v10-13
David was facing physical battles with flesh-and-blood men. We fight not against flesh-and-blood but against spiritual forces. But, the principles in this prayer for help may be applied for either kind of battle.
- Always begin with praise.
- David anchors his praise with a statement of his loyalty to Yahweh. “My heart is steadfast, O God.”
- He starts early. I have piece of art on the wall beside my bed that was a high school graduation gift. It’s a quote from the missionary Hudson Taylor: “Do not have your concert first and tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with God.”
- His praise is public – “among the peoples.”
- Because: the extent of Yahweh’s loyal, faithful love is unmatched. That’s why we praise.
- He prays Yahweh’s exaltation and glory over ALL the earth. Remember from Exodus 34 that God’s idea of His glory is His goodness. We can pray that God’s glorious goodness will be manifest (show up in a tangible way) in the earth.
- Pray in confidence, knowing who we are to the LORD.
- David calls the people what they are to God, His “beloved ones.” Let’s approach the Lord in confidence, knowing that we are loved.
- If your relationship with the LORD is thin and you lack confidence, press in. Repent. Humble yourself. Trust in His great love and come boldly.
- Pray Yahweh’s Words back to Him.
- Praying God’s Word is one of, if not THE most powerful ways we can pray. Contending in prayer needs to involve claiming and appropriating what God has said in His Word.
- Don’t attempt to fight the battle on your own.
- Have you been going out against enemies without the LORD? Just repeating prayers or living in sin or shallow self-interest? That’s a waste of time. The stronghold is not going to budge from willpower alone. And “the help of mankind is futile.”
- The LORD is the only One Who can “bring me into the fortified city” (stronghold). If you’ve been fighting and losing, fall back for a season and get Yahweh back in the middle of your camp. Then, you can get back in the fight and come out on top of those enemies.
PSALM 109
This is also a prayer for help against an enemy, but this is a very different kind of battle; a battle of words.
This is another one of the imprecatory psalms; those psalms that call down curses upon the wicked.
You may have recognized this verse from its quotation in the book of Acts:
“Let his days be few; let another take his office.” Psalms 109:8 LEB
“Men and brothers, it was necessary that the scripture be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit proclaimed beforehand through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus,
For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his residence become deserted, and let there be no one to live in it,’ and, ‘Let another person take his position.’”
Acts 1:16, 20 LEB
We don’t know exactly what Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, but imagine Him praying Psalm 109 as a prayer; knowing that Judas had already betrayed Him and was on the way with soldiers to arrest Him.
While it may prophetically point to Judas and His betrayal of Jesus, in David’s more immediate present, it might possibly hint at his experience being cursed by Shimei when he was leaving Jerusalem. Here’s what he says about this mystery attacker:
- Surrounds him with words of hate and fight him for no reason, v3
- Returns evil for good, v5
- Is disloyal and comes after him after David has lost everything, v16
- Loves to curse and wears his curses like a robe, v17-18
Every single one of these fits the situation with Shimei exactly.
Another clue is verse 28 when David says of this accuser, “Let them curse.” That’s exactly what David said to Abishai about Shimei in 2nd Samuel 16:10-11.
Whoever David was thinking about when he wrote this, he takes comfort that Yahwah knows all things and He always judges rightly. He didn’t have to defend himself against those who falsely accused him and cursed him. And neither do we. People may curse you, but God’s word of blessing undoes the enemy’s curses. And the LORD can shut down your accusers and even take them out in disgrace. Like David, we can leave it in God’s hands.
PSALM 110
“The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” Psalm 110:1 ESV
It’s as if David is kinda eavesdropping on a conversation between Yahweh (THE LORD) and someone He calls “My Lord.”
I wonder Who it could be?
If you were a kid in the late 80s you probably recognize this:
Psalm 110 is a warp zone. There are 3 pipes in verse 1 alone you can go down. One of them will warp you into Luke 20:41-44 where Jesus uses the verse to stump the Pharisees when He asks them if the “My Lord” Psalm 110:1 is referring to Messiah, how can Messiah be both David’s son and his Lord?
😏 That shut ‘em up.
Indeed.
Another pipe takes you to Revelation 3:21 where Jesus offers to “skooch over” and make room for the overcomer to sit beside Him on His throne just as He sits at the right hand of the Father on His throne.
We’re going to take pipe #3.
And we pop up in…
(Cue the sound effect)
🟢 Bloink… Bloink… Bloink…
🟢 The book of Hebrews!
“But to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit down at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
Hebrews 1:13 LEB
“And every priest stands every day serving and offering the same sacrifices many times, which are never able to take away sins. But this one, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, from now on waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet.”
Hebrews 10:11-13 LEB
Think about the furniture in the Tabernacle. There is only 1 chair – the Mercy Seat. There is no other place for a priest to sit, so they don’t ever sit down.
Those of us raised by parents who taught us to work may have heard something along these lines growing up: “Why are you sitting down? There’s work to be done!”
The fact that Jesus – the High Priest – is sitting down means that His work is done and He is worthy to sit on the Mercy Seat because He is Divine.
The inspired commentary in Hebrews explains Psalm 110:1 to us which helps us interpret the rest of the Psalm. It’s the Father speaking to the Son.
In the Septuagint, verse 3 even speaks of the incarnation (and possibly the famous Star of Bethlehem?) and is read in the Greek Orthodox Churches at the Nativity:
“With You is the beginning in the day of Your power, in the brightness of Your saints. I have begotten you from the womb, before the morning star.”
So this One that Yahweh is addressing in Psalm 110 is both Divine (He gets to sit with Yahweh on the Divine throne), but also human (begotten from the womb). Right here in this psalm we have crucial information about Messiah. He will be BOTH human and divine.
And not only that, but this God-man will be “a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews chapter 7 has much to say on this. The gist of it is that Christ is a different kind of priest with a different covenant and He will never be replaced by another priest or priesthood.
He is sitting at the right hand of Yahweh until Yahweh makes His enemies His footstool. And that’s what the end of the psalm is about. Apparently the One sitting at the right hand gets up again. There are kings shattered on “the day of His wrath” and piles of dead bodies and crushed skulls. It’s not a pretty picture when the enemies are under the feet (the footstool) of Messiah.
And then there’s this final chord. It reminds me of how Beethoven’s 5th is in C minor but at the very end resolves to Major.
“He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.”
Psalm 110:7 ESV
The 17th century theologian, Matthew Henry, thought this was a reference to Jesus drinking the cup of sorrow on the way of redemption. Most other commentators take a more positive view; that Jesus is so soundly defeating His enemies that He only stops long enough to get a drink from a brook along the way. The phrase “lift up the head” is easier. It’s an idiom for victory. We still kind of use the idea when we say things like, “Hold your head high” or “Keep your chin up.” Whatever the brook is, apparently it’s connected in some way to the Lord’s victory.
I honestly don’t know what verse 7 means. But I can tell you this:
- The “brook” or “river” (it’s a fairly generic term used throughout the OT) is said to be “in the way.”
- “Way” is the Hebrew word derek which means road.
- I can think of only one place in scripture that describes a river in the middle of a road.
“Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.”
Revelation 22:1-2 NLT
Do with that what you will.
To The Reader 