"Dance With the One Who Brung You"

 

April 26, 2021

 

Worship in WORD

Ps 31   6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the Lord. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.   NIV

Ps 31 For the choir director: A psalm of David. 6 I hate those who worship worthless idols. I trust in the Lord. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul. 8 You have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place. Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

Ps 31 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. 6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD. 7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities; 8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room. KJV

Ps 31 Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 6 I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the Lord. 7 I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, 8 and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place. ESV

 

I. Hope – vv. 1-8

            A. Verse 1: Action

            B. Verse 2: Appeal

            C. Verses 3 & 4: Acknowledge

            D. Verse 5: Abandon

            E. Verse 6: Abhor

            F. Verses 7 & 8: Acclaim!

II. Help! – vv. 9-18

III. Hail – vv. 19-22

IV. Heart – vv. 23-24

 

F.  Verses 7 & 8 Acclaim!

David’s heart overflows with abhorrence (v. 6) and acclamation (vv. 7 -8). I hate! I trust! I will be glad (rejoice -ESV) and rejoice (be glad – ESV). In what? In God’s “steadfast love (hesed)” ESV.

And David is confident that his hope is not misplaced. So much so that even though he is not out of the woods yet, he trusts that the Lord will deliver him. He knows that God is aware of his plight. He testifies to this fact in verses 7, where he declares that:

·        God “has seen his affliction” ESV

·        God “has known the distress of my soul” ESV

 

In verse 8, David declares that even though the enemy is still pursuing him, God has protected him this far. He states this fact in both a negative and a positive way:

·        God has “not delivered me into the hand of the enemy” ESV

·        God has “set my feet in a broad place” ESV (“spacious place” NIV)

 

Constable comments:

 

31:7-8 Even though the psalmist had not yet experienced deliverance, he delighted in the loyal love of his God. God had not handed him over to his enemy, so the prospects for the future were encouraging. Even though final deliverance was yet to come, David could praise God as he waited for it since he believed God would be faithful to His promises to help His afflicted. Paul and Silas sang praises to God in the Philippian jail with the same confidence (Acts 16:25).

(from Thomas Constable's Notes on the Bible. Copyright © March 4, 2014 by Thomas L. Constable. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)

 

Taking a closer look at verse 7, we see David’s response to what he observes in the latter part of verse 7 and on into verse 8.

 

⁷ I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. ⁸ You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place. NIV

 

We might place the reason before the response (Thou - i), but David wants to emphasize His reaction (i - Thou). Therefore he reverses the order. Observe in verse 7, we have two words that mean almost the same thing. This can be seen by observing that the NIV, NLT, and KJV have “glad” and “rejoice” – in that order. The ESV has “rejoice” and “glad.”

 

The first word is gyil (gheel) and the second word is samach (saw-mack’). A simple reference to a Strongs Concordance will suffice here to see why there is this difference between translations without going into too much depth.

 

OT:1523 lyG! giyl (gheel); or (by permutation) guwl (gool); a primitive root; properly, to spin round (under the influence of any violent emotion), i.e. usually rejoice, or (as cringing) fear:

 KJV - be glad, joy, be joyful, rejoice.

(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006, 2010 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

 

OT: jm^c* samach (saw-makh'); a primitive root; probably to brighten up, i.e. (figuratively) be (causatively, make) blithe or gleesome:

 KJV - cheer up, be (make) glad, (have, make) joy (-ful), be (make) merry, (cause to, make to) rejoice,  very.

(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006, 2010 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

 

If I were to take a stab at the difference between the two, I would say that the former (gyil) deals more with the external expression of joy. The latter dealt more with the internal aspect. By that, I mean that David was probably dancing for joy (or gladness), with his face lit up expressing gladness (or joy). But I cannot help but think that David - being the psalmist he was - did not also break out in song as well.

 

The Message may capture it best when it paraphrases verses 7 & 8 this way:

 

⁷ I'm leaping and singing in the circle of your love;

you saw my pain,

you disarmed my tormentors,

⁸ You didn't leave me in their clutches

but gave me room to breathe.

(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

 

Worship in Witness:

What can I learn from this? Perhaps this is what I must remind myself: In the midst of turmoil when I am in the eye of the storm - as David here was – I can, I must – NO – I will rejoice that by God’s grace and steadfast love, He has kept me safe thus far. I will sing and dance in His presence. And surely, as the storm winds begin to blow again, He will safely bring me through them as well.

 

So if you are going to dance for joy, you ought to “dance with the one who brung you.” That is if you have the right dance partner, God Himself. 

Oh, and don’t forget to let Him lead.

 

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Worship in Promise, Poetry, Prayer, and Praise:

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Prayer From a Broad Place

Lord,

I hate, I trust, I will rejoice

Hate all that is empty and vain

To trust in You will be my choice

In times of joy and pain

Amen

 

2 Kings 6:15-17

 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.

 

16 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

 

17 And Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes so he may see." Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

NIV

 

Amazing Grace by John Newton

(I’m sure I have used this song before, but I believe it is appropriate to use it again to end this journal entry.)

 

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved;

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come;

'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,

His Word my hope secures;

He will my Shield and Portion be,

As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease,

I shall possess, within the veil,

A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,

The sun forbear to shine;

But God, Who called me here below,

Shall be forever mine.

When we've been there ten thousand years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We've no less days to sing God's praise

Than when we'd first begun.

(from Biblesoft Hymnal, electronic database Copyright © 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Video: https://youtu.be/YXd-FyGMVto - an A Cappella version that contains all of these verses.

 

 

 

Some Further Notes & Quotes:

 

1) How different is the Lord, whose “love” finds expression in his acts of deliverance from the enemies (vv. 7–8; see the appendix to Ps 25: The Perfections of Yahweh)! The psalmist knows in the depth of his being that Yahweh is still the same (“for you saw … and knew,” v. 7; cf. 9:12–13). He is the God who saw the affliction of the Israelites in Egypt (Exod 2:24). That Yahweh sees and knows is enough, because this is the first stage of his deliverance. The rendering “saw … and knew” in the past tense may be contextually improved by a present tense: “I will be glad … for you see … and know [y-d-ʿ].” The knowledge of God is comforting, as it connotes his loving care and concern for the anguish of the psalmist (cf. Exod 2:25; Ps 1:6, NIV, “watches over”).

The psalmist rejoices in anticipation of God’s act of deliverance. The rejoicing is based on his trust in God’s love (ḥeseḏ see 5:7). The use of the jussive in both verbal forms indicates the strong determination: “I will be glad and rejoice” (v. 8). The psalmist also reflects on the effects of God’s righteous acts. The Lord, as the Great Shepherd, delivers from distress and guides his own into “a spacious place” (cf. 4:1; 18:19). The experience of deliverance results in a new freedom, in which one is surrounded by the peace and security that attend God’s salvation.

VanGemeren, W. A. (1991). Psalms. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 265). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

 

 

2) 31:6–8. You have preserved me

 

By committing himself to God’s protection, he demonstrates that he trusts God, in contrast to those (his enemies?) who rather put their confidence in false gods (worthless idols). While some argue that ‘God hates the sin, but not the sinner’, the psalmist believes that God will be pleased with his holy hatred for those who vainly look to idols for help. Although the previous and following stanzas make it clear that the psalmist is still in distress, here he expresses confidence that God is aware of his trouble which is for the first time associated with an enemy, the first indication that the original setting of this psalm is in warfare. God has kept him from capture; he is still in a spacious place, a metaphor for freedom of movement

Longman, T., III. (2014). Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary. (D. G. Firth, Ed.) (Vol. 15–16, p. 161). Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press.

 

3) 7. I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy. I will triumph and joy in thy mercy; that is, in the mercy which he had already experienced, and in that which he still hoped to enjoy. He had had abundant proofs of that mercy; he hoped for still further proofs of it; and he says that he would find his joy in that, and not in what idols could give.

For thou hast considered my trouble. In times past and now. He felt assured that his prayer would be regarded, and that God would relieve and deliver him.

Thou hast known my soul in adversities. In the troubles that have come upon me. That is, God had seen and known all the feelings of his heart in the time of adversity;—his sorrow and anxiety; his hope and trust; his unmurmuring spirit; his feeling of entire dependence on God, and his belief that he would interpose to save him. God had not turned away from him, but had shown that he regarded with interest all his feelings, his desires, his hopes. It is much, in the time of trouble, to know that all our feelings are understood by God, that he sees all our sorrows, and that he will not be regardless of them. There are no states of mind more interesting than those which occur in adversities; there is no one who can fully understand the soul in adversities but God; there is no one but God who can wholly meet the wants of the soul in such seasons.

Barnes, A. (1870–1872). Notes on the Old Testament: Psalms (Vol. 1, p. 263). London: Blackie & Son.

 

 

↓[Excerpt from the appendix to Ps 25: The Perfections of Yahweh referenced in first note above]

 

7. Compassion (raḥûm, raḥ^amîm, r-ḥ-m)

The compassion of God refers to his parental concern for his children. Yahweh is supportive and understanding. He hears the prayers of his children and sees their needs: “As a father has compassion on his children, / so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him” (103:13). The psalmists operate from the credo (belief) that Yahweh is compassionate and that in his compassion he listens to their complaints, questions, and laments: “But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, / slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (86:15; cf. 116:5). In the dynamic of faith and questions, the child of God casts himself into the arms of God’s compassion, knowing that he cares: “Have mercy on me, O God, / according to your unfailing love; / according to your great compassion / blot out my transgressions” (51:1).

 

Texts: 25:6, 8, 10, 16, 21; 31:5, 7, 16, 21–23; 33:4–5, 18, 22; 36:5–7, 10; 40:9–11; 48:9–10; 57:1, 3, 10; 71:2, 15–16, 19, 22; 85:7, 10–11; 86:3, 5–6, 11, 13, 15–16; 89:1–2, 5, 8, 14, 16, 19, 24, 28, 33, 37, 49; 90:13–14; 91:4, 14; 92:2, 15; 96:10, 13; 97:2, 6, 10–11; 98:2–3, 9; 103:4, 6, 8, 11, 13, 17; 106:1, 45; 107:1, 8, 15, 21, 31, 42–43; 111:3–4, 7–8; 116:1, 5; 118:1–4, 19, 29; 119; 136; 143:1, 8, 11–12; 145:7–9, 13, 18, 20.

VanGemeren, W. A. (1991). Psalms. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 236). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.