Psalms, Book 2, Psalms 70-72

From: The Psalms
Narrator: Chris Genthree
Psalm 70‑72  •  5 min. read  •  grade level: 5
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As the psalm which presents the exaltation of Christ is followed by that which expresses His humiliation and sufferings, leading to judgment on His adversaries and the deliverance of His people and land, so here we have the final group, which begins with His Spirit characterizing those who looked to Him and were willing to follow in His steps with a heart devoted to their blessing in Jehovah's time and way. Psa. 70 goes on with this faithfulness throughout Israel's history (personified in David's) and the conviction with prayer that He will not forsake them when He is most needed (71.), and closes with the millennial reign of David's greater Son, the Messiah, to Whom God gives His judgments, and Who will glorify Him on the throne as He had in His rejection (72.).
Psalm 70
“To the chief musician, of David, to bring to remembrance. O God, to deliver me, O Jehovah, to my help, make haste. Confounded and ashamed be those that seek after my soul, driven back and brought to dishonor be those that delight in evil to me. Turned back for a reward of their shame be those that say, Aha, Aha! Let all those that seek thee be glad and rejoice in thee, and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified! But for me, I am poor and needy; O God, make haste unto me. Thou [art] my deliverer and my help. O Jehovah, tarry not” (vers. 1-6).
Psalm 71
“In thee, Jehovah, do I trust; let me never be ashamed. Deliver me in Thy righteousness, and set me free; incline to me thine ear and save me. Be to me a rock of dwelling for continual resort; thou hast commanded to save me; for my rock (crag) and my fortress thou [art]. O my God, deliver me from the hand of the wicked, from the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. For thou [art] my hope, O Lord Jehovah, my confidence from my youth. On thee have I been stayed from the womb; from my mother's bowels thou didst take me out; of (in) thee [is] my praise continually. As a wonder I have been to many, and thou [art] my strong refuge. My mouth shall be filled with thy praise, thine honor, all the day. Cast me not off in the time of old age; when my strength faileth, forsake me not. For mine enemies speak against me, and those that watch for my soul consult together, saying, God hath forsaken him: pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver. O God, be not far from me; my God, hasten to my help. Ashamed, consumed, be the adversaries of my soul; covered with reproach and dishonor be those that seek evil to me. And for me, continually will I hope and will add to all thy praise. My mouth shall declare thy righteousness, all the day thy salvation; for I know not the numbers. I will go in the might of the Lord Jehovah; I will recall thy righteousness, thine only. O God, thou hast taught me from my youth, and hitherto do I show thy wondrous works. Yea, also until old age and gray hairs, O God, forsake me not, until I show thine arm to a generation, thy might to every one that is to come. And thy righteousness, O God, [is] very high, thou who hast done great things, O God, who [is] like thee? Thou who hast made us (or me) see many distresses and evils, wilt turn and make us live, and from the depths of the earth wilt turn and bring us up. Thou wilt increase my greatness and surround me with comfort. Also on my part I will thank thee with the psaltery, thy truth, O my God; I will sing psalms to thee with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. My lips shall exult when I sing praises to thee; and my soul which thou hast redeemed. My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day; for they shall be ashamed, for they shall be confounded, that seek evil to me” (vers. 1-24).
Psalm 72
“Of Solomon. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness, unto the king's son. He shall judge thy people with righteousness and thine afflicted with judgment. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the hills in righteousness. He will judge the afflicted of the people, he will save the sons of the needy one, and will crush the oppressors. They shall fear thee with the sun and before the moon through all generations. He shall come down as rain on mown grass, as showers a watering of the earth (or land). In his days shall a righteous one flourish, and much peace till the moon [be] no more. And he shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river unto the end of the earth. Before him shall bow down dwellers in the desert, and his enemies shall lick the dust. Kings of Tarshish and of the sea-coasts shall bring an offering; kings of Sheba and of Seba shall bring near a gift. Yea, all kings shall bow down before him; all the Gentiles shall serve him. For he shall deliver the needy that crieth and the afflicted that hath no helper. He will have pity on a poor and needy one, and the souls of the needy will he save. From fraud and from violence will he redeem their soul, and precious shall their blood be in his sight. And he shall live; and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba; and prayer shall be made for him continually: all the day shall he be blessed. There shall be abundance handful) of corn in the earth, on the top of the mountains: the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon; and they of the city shall flourish as the grass of the earth. His name shall be forever; before the sun shall his name be continued: and they shall bless themselves in him; all the Gentiles shall call him blessed. Blessed [be] Jehovah Elohim, the God of Israel alone doing wondrous things. And blessed [be] the name of his glory forever; and let all the earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen. The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended” (vers. 1-20).