Psalm 4:1

1. Hear me when I call Oh God of my righteousness, You have enlarged me when I was in distress, have mercy upon me and hear my prayer.

• Intended to accompany Psalm 3, Psalm 4 is known as an evening Psalm. Content and timing are closely related.

• On top it says "To the chief musician on neginoth. (smiting, bounding, beating).


• On Neginoth means on string or hand instruments played only by hand such as harps or cymbals (nowadays, guitars or drums).


• The Jewish church needed instruments to help express their joy for their joy was so great.


• The intent of only using the hand to play was to display their heart intent that they themselves would be instruments in the hand of God.

• David is once again pleading to God and confidently reminds God that he has heped him in the past.


• Prayer is the greatest and most personal and powerful treausre of Heaven made available to us.

• 'Heaven and earth, and all the elements, obey and minister to the hands that are often lifted up to heaven in earnest prayer.' - Robert Leighton, Archbishop of Glasgow, 1611-1684.

• David got it, firstly speak to God and then to men.
• Often we speak before asking God and end up acting first, thinking later.

• God constructed prayer to be a pleasant labour, the key by which the treasury of heaven can be accessed.

• 'For everything that happened in Davids life became prayer, became the occasion for listening to and answering God. Nothing in Davids life was left lying around on the surface, he took everything to heart, interiorized it and welcomed it in Gods name, for Gods work.' - Eugene Petersen

* ??? If your prayers were documented on earth, and chronicled as a life portrait for you... an insight into who you are when no one's looking..., what would they reveal about how you view God?

• Maybe it's time to start to thank God first... then take time to listen... then make your requests known.

* God is calling us to prayer. Make it ap rioority. You cannot separate worship and prayer.

*'Prayer...is reversed thunder.' - George Herbert

Psalm 3: 7-8 Notes

7. Arise O Lord! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.
8. From the Lord comes deliverance. May blessing be on your people...

• 'Rise Oh God... SAVE ME!!', it's a cry of desperation. A prayer asking God to reveal His manifest presence and saving power.
• In the original King James version it says, 'Arise Oh Lord, Save Me Oh My God, For THOU HAST!!' The Psalmist shows great confidence that His God would deliver him because he was warranted by past experiences.

• A way of building great expectation is by writing down things God has done and delivered you from.
• Remind yourself that your TRUST (confidence) is in the name of the Lord.

• Striking the enemies, breaking their teeth is God smiting the enemy. A break to a cheekbone of an animal, means you totally disarm it!!

• Verse 8 is beautifully concluded stating the Lord alone who saves and blesses. When it feels like the WHOLE world were against you, like all evil rises against you, IT IS THE LORD WHO SAVES!
• His realization that he would continue to be blessed initially came, birthed in pain and trouble. It found its way from HELP TO THANKS.

• 'Psalm language is not careful about offending our sensibilities, its genius is its complete disclosure of the human spirit as it makes response to the revealing God. Given the mess things are in, it will not be surprising that some unpleasant matters have to be spoken, and spoken in the language of prayer is, most emphatically, human language- it is not angel talk.' - Eugene H. Peterson

• Lastly, again, SELAH is the punctuation used to close the Psalmists thoughts. Victory is coming, therefore, re-tune your instruments!!

Psalm 3:1-6 Notes

1. O Lord how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
2. Many are saying of me, God will not deliver him
3. But you are a shield around me, O Lord, You bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
4. To the Lord, I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy hill
5. I lie down and sleep, I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
6. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.

• Psalm 3 was written when David was on the run, fleeing from an army governed by his son, Absalom.
• First prayer in the Psalms.
• the language of prayer originates in the midst of trouble. Humanity recognizing their only hope is in His God.
• Praying with faith, expectation, no worries on how it appears or sounds, with passion and truth, are the prayers recorded in Psalms.

• David starts of overwhelmed by fear which is what the enemy tries to do to us, blind us with fear and unbelief.
• The attack was coming from his son. When the hit comes from the outside its easier to deal with. When it comes from the inside, someone close, the sting is almost unbearable.
• At the end of verse 2 the mood changes.
• The word SELAH appears before verse 3.
• SELAH - is a musical pause (depending on the definition of who's teaching it). Closest explanation would be to pause, rest, observe, meditate, before moving on.
• After this 'pause' David has a new-found confidence in his shield (God).
• Originally shield signifies MUCH more than a shield. It is a protection that surrounded a man entirely; above, beneath, around, within and without!

• The Israelites remind David of his past failures but the TRUTH drowned out their words.
• Praise, like Prayer, changes things.
• Some theologians say when you read the word SELAH, 'lift up the mood, sing more loudly, pitch the tune to a higher key, there is victory coming.'

• We read that Davids sleep was sweet (peace of God). He trusts, is confident that the hand of the Lord is upon him. He will be triumphant.

Before you open your mouth to confess how hard life may be... pause, re-tune your instrument... and speak the truth, over your facts! SELAH

Psalm 2: 7-12 Notes

7. I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, "you are my Son; today I have become your Father.
8. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.
9. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery."
10. Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.
12. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

• Reminds us that true wisdom lies in obeying Christ, that power and authority does not come through title and position but through yielded lives. (Eph. 1:21).

8. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.

• In the King James, the word nations reads as "heathens."
• In these times of war we must remind ourselves that the Word clearly states what the inheritance consists of, but also of the Lords readiness to GIVE it to us.
• In times of war pray and believe verse 8.
• "When you sense fear rising up or insecurity trying to overwhelm you... Pray & Praise... Instruct your heart in the daylight so that it may instruct you well at night." - Darlene Zschech

9. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.

• Iron rod indicates how weighty, severe, describing the force of God coming against earthly kingdoms plotting against the Holy one, dashing (smashing) into pieces. Not intended to bruise but to break.

10. Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.

• The Word is the ultimate book of wisdom.
• The gospel is the teacher of the greatest, THE great should never forget this.

11. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.

• Fear & Rejoice sounds like: Sour & Sweet, Lemon & Sugar
• Fear = as in reverence, in awe
• Rejoicing and trembling = joy filled at His mercy and grace. That this righteous judge loved enough to give us all that He could through the cross.
• "God mingles joy with fear, that fear may not be lavish." - Thomas Watson, 1660

12. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

• Embrace Him, depend upon Him in all you do, in all you are. don't be ashamed of loving Christ. Delight His heart 'lest He be angry.'
• All who put their trust in Him will be blessed. The first and last word of Psalm 1 and Psalm 2: BLESSED, as in the Beautitude in Matthew.

God's world is not only larger than anything represented by media, Presidents, Kings... stock exchange... but GOD'S WORLD CONTAINS THEM.

Psalm 2: 1-6 Notes continued

3. Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their chords from us.

• Seeing the love and guidance of God as constraint, totally restrictive, rather than as freedom, life, grace and hope, is built on an incorrect understanding of the heart of God towards His people and an incorrect understanding of God's character.
• Look at what it says in Matthew 11:28-30.

4. The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. (Sits in the heavens... meaning exalted above all).

5. Then He rebukes them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath...

• All human effort to overthrow the King of All is futile.
• This scripture is a great example of how to laugh at the plans against God.

* Paragraph by William S. Plumer written in 1867: Of thirty Roman emperors, governors of provinces, and others high in office, who distinguished themselves by their zeal and bitterness in persecuting the early Christians, one became speedily deranged after some atrocious cruelty, one was slain by his own son, one became blind, the eyes of one started out of his head, one was drowned, one was strangled, one died in a miserable captivity, one died of so loathsome a disease that several of his physicians were put to death because they could not abide the stench that filled his room, two committed suicide, a third attempted it, but had to call for help to finish the work, five were assassinated by their own people or servants, five others died the most miserable and excruciating deaths, several of them having an untold complication of disease, and eight were killed in battle, or after being taken prisoners. Among these was Julian the apostate. In the days of his prosperity he is said to have pointed his dagger to heaven defying the Son of God, whom he commonly called the Galilean. But when he was wounded in battle, he saw that all was over with him, and he gathered up his clotted blood, and threw it into the air, exclaiming, 'Thou has conquered, O thou Galilean.'

• Many have tried to come against God but the mighty are about to show the power of the One who is above all others.

6. I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.

• God is declaring the Royal position, authority announced and declared, from everlasting to everlasting, His unshakable throne, kingdom.
• his Holy Hill, Mt. Zion, is heavens counterpart on earth.
• All plots of hell and earth are of little value for Jesus reigns by his Father's ordination.
• We can trust in the name of the Lord as He literally does hold the earth, His church, Your life, Your circumstance and Your dreams, in the palm of His hand.

Psalm 2:1-6 Notes

Psalm 2:1-6
1. Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?
2. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
3. "Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us."
4. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.
5. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure:
6. "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion."

1. Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?

• The word rage denotes pride and aggressiveness.
• In Greek it is linked to ahorse that neighs and then rushes straight into battle.
• It is a fruit of rebellion by both the people and leaders.

2. The 'kings' of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, (... or take their stand), against the Lord and against His Anointed saying... (forgetting that we always remain under authority to God Himself).

• SET describes that it is not just rage but seated-hatred.
• 'ad the rulers take counsel together' - they don't go into warfare with foolish haste but with skillfull determination and delberation.

* Think 'Perfect Storm' as a picture of the heathen raging, the roaring seas, tossed to and fro, restless and quite often imposing.

* During the 1850's numerous monumental pillars were raised (some in Spain), which still remain, bearing inscriptions such as:

• In honour of the name of Christian being extinguished!
• For having everywhere abolished the superstition of Christ, and for having extended the worship of the gods...

• Like Herod plotting against Christ, trying to kill off the future of Christiandom.
• Psalm 1 is a contrast between the righteous man and the sinner. Psalm 2 is a contrast between tumultuous disobedience of a Godless word and a certain exaltation of the righteous son of God.

Psalm 1:3

3. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit IN SEASON, his leaf also SHALL NOT wither, and whatsoever he does SHALL prosper.

Notes:

• When it says 'our leaves' it is referring to our physical signs of life.
• When trees have a lack of rain and adequate water, they are stressed at their root system. The trees begin to feel instability.
• We must stay watered, with our roots firmly planted in Him.
• Since He is strong and the one who is in us, then our leaf will not wither.
• Instability is not the language of prayer of praise.
• Our hope and trust is in the unwavering, immovable Word of God.
• The Word encourages us to be strong when facing opposition.
• If we are not prospering we need to look at where we are planted, make the changes, and we shall prosper.

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At times when we talk about rivers of water flowing through the church we are referring to the Holy Spirit moving within us.

Before Jesus left to be with the Father He said that he would send "the comforter" to be with us when He left. He sent the Spirit to guide us, that we may understand His word. By understanding, meditating on His word we begin to know our God and begin to have an intimate relationship with Him as we praise Him.

In our walk with Christ we begin to see the truth for He is the truth, "I am the way, the truth, and the life..." As He is holding on to us we are being planted in the truth which is the Word of God. As we are planted in the Word it doesn't matter what opposition may come our way, even through the fire we will come out triumphant because our trust is in Him, in the promise of His word.

When we trust on His promises, trusting that He holds our lives in His hands, we can be assured that we will be prospered. Like it says in Matthew that if He provides food, clothing, and shelter for the birds, how much more is He not going to give us being His children. One thing we must understand though, is that He will not prosper us when we want to be prospered. He will prosper us in big ways on His timing for His timing is perfect.

For God to do great things in our lives, to prosper us in big ways, we must be patient for His time, and in that time of waiting not let our leaf wither but water them with the promise of His word.

Psalm 1:2

2a. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night.

a) Why is there delight in the law of the Lord?
b) Why must we meditate day and night on it?
c) How does this help my worship?

a) Laws are created to prevent us from doing things that will hurt us, things that will bring some sort of negative consequence to our lives. These consequences may be fines, accidents, jail time, etc.

God created laws so that we will not have to suffer, so that we would not have to learn things the hard way and suffer the pains of not obeying His word.

His law are one way we are shown mercy from God, in a sense. He does not want us to suffer so He has left His laws as guidelines for our lives.

Our delight is in the law of the Lord because we know for what purpose He created them. God wants us to take advantage of the life He's given us to its fullest. He wants us to enjoy this life the way He meant it, without remorse or regrets, a life filled with joy.

Does this mean we'll never feel pain by following the law of the Lord? No, of course we will, it's part f our human nature. What this means is that we will delight in His law because during time of pain His law will guide us. It will guide us, it will guide our spirit and our soul into finding, enjoying, the joy which He has bestowed upon us through the Redeemer in the toughest of situations.

b) God says that His people suffer for their lack of knowledge.

We must meditate night and day on His law because it is what will guide us throughout our lives to live the life planned for us. Meditating on it will also help us get to know the God we serve and give us a glimpse of His character. His law, His word is the food to our soul that will enrich en us, filling us with wisdom and knowledge to live fruitful lives for the Glory of His name.

c) This helps our worship because will have a better understanding to whom we are singing to. We will have a better understanding to what moves Gods' heart, what touches His heart. This in turn, when we are worshipping will help us, along with the anointing He has bestowed upon us, so that our song of praise may reach His throne and be a delightful fragrance before Him. Along with this it will teach us, guide us, onto how God wants us to serve His church and lead them into His worship.

Psalm 1:1 continued...

1b. or stand in the way of sinners...

We were brought here to be the light of the world. To stand up, be different, unique from those out in the world.

a) What is "standing in the way of sinners?"
b) How does this affect our worship leading?

a) To 'stand in the way of sinners' is to act like 'sinners'. This means continuing the lifestyle we were living before coming to Christ. This includes clubbing, drinking, using profanity, etc. By continuing in that lifestyle is like saying, "my needs come before God's plan for me. I come first and will continue to satisfy my needs with no regard to what God wants me to be doing."

Sometimes people continue to act the same because they think that by doing so they'll "infiltrate" the outside world and get others to come to Christ. Lets not kid ourselves, this does not work. What this causes is criticism, which is why we hear some people say that Christians are hypocrites, because some show one face in Church and another one outside. We become deceivers.

b) This affects our worship because we have been given a position of leading, being singers, musicians, pastors, teachers, etc. We have been given a task to lead, to teach others and that is a great privilege. A privilege that comes with responsibilities because others are looking up to us.

If we are in any type of position, even that of just being a Christian, we are responsible for representing, for showing to the world the power in the blood and name of Jesus Christ. His power to transform the most wretched and break with the worst of habits.

If we purposely continue to live a lifestyle as the sinners do we are taking in vain Christs' sacrifice. We are giving false testimony to the power, grace, mercy and love of the God we serve.

'Standing in the way of sinners' affects our worship because we are giving false testimony of the God we are praising to. Which means that the songs of praise that come out of our mouth are empty for we are not living what we are preaching.

What makes us so unique is that by living the lifestyle God meant for us to live we stay away from those criticisms that call us hypocrites. Even greater than that is that we begin to live a lifestyle of victory, a lifestyle that leads to eternal life.

Why would we want to be like the world, act like the world acts when that lifestyle leads to death. A death in this world and beyond. It's as if we're saying, "I want to imitate a life that will lead to my eternal damnation."

Psalm 1:1

1a. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked..."

a) How can this be connected to worship?
b) How does the counsel of the wicked affect our songs of praise?
c) What is the "counsel of the wicked" in our worship?

a) If we are walking in the counsel of the wicked then we are not worshipping in truth. We will catch ourselves distorting the truth to fit our needs instead of the will of God.

b) The counself of the wicked affect our songs of praise in that we are no longer praising God in spirit and in truth. We develop a hidden agenda for praising God. It no longer is a song of praise of gratitude and joy for what He has done in our lives but a song of praise in which we seek to fulfill a selfish need.

c) The counsel of the wicked is to show off, to show just how good we are as singers, as musicians, etc. Probably if they see just how good you are they will promote you to a higher position.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be in a higher position than we are at but when that becomes the sole purpose for giving our best then we are in trouble because we are putting God aside, putting our focus on Him to the side. By doing so we no longer worship in spirit and in truth because we are focusing on giving our best so other may see us instead of the one who deserves to be seen, the one who we should be reflecting, Jesus Christ.

The counsel of the wicked can come in any form. It can be thoughts of self-glory that the enemy may try to instill in our hearts. It can be our own minds trying to give God absolutely the best that we become so technical that we cannot be sensible to the Holy Spirit and listen to how and what will work to leading His people into worship.

When leading people into worship our focus must be on God and on allowing ourselves to become sensible to the Holy Spirit that we may be guided on how to lead His people into worship. Staying away from the counsel of the wicked, which at times can be oneself, is easy when we put our sole focus on God and that what we're doing is a way of expressing our gratitude and joy for all that He's done in our lives. Just the fact that He is the living God gives us a reason to worship. We also must remember that God has given us the privilege of being choir members, musicians, worship leaders, the Levites of our time if you think about it. He has placed in our hands the great privilege of serving His people, being the anointed ones He will use to lead His church into His worship.

Psalm 1:1-3 - Notes

*I use Darlene Zschech's messages on her website as a study guide to my biblical study.

Psalm 1:1-3
1. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night.
3. He is like a tree planted by the streams of water which yield its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither, whatever he does prospers.

1) If you want to be blessed do not walk in the counsel of the ungodly.

• Schemes - if something is in secret run, it is usually a problem.
• Everything in God is always out in the light.

'Or stand in the way of sinners..'

• Praising God in Church and once out going clubbing, dancing, getting into the wrong conversation, etc.

'Sit in the seat of mockers...'

• People that want to tear down to build themselves up.
• Lowest level of promotion is scoffing and mocking (i.e. "O man, they should have done better than that").

2) "He meditates day and night..." <-- key word

• It means he dwells on, he ponders, he contemplates, he pictures.
• Also means to plan.
• By meditating on His word we find that our plans are His plans because we have put Him first.

3) "yields its fruit in season" <-- key phrase

• There are those who have been serving God for a long time and are waiting for their season.
• When a fruit is picked up before it's ripe its either bitter or tastes like nothing.
• We must run from sin, secrecy, bad habits, bad stance, bad language, from things that do not represent the hand of God on our lives.
• In season, in Gods time, the fruit of our life will be sweet and flavour all it comes into contact with.
• When trying to operate out of God's time we have to strive and struggle.
• When our season comes there will be an ease, a flavour that does good things.
• Often in ministry, people who have gone out before their due season, just leave a trail of bitter, disillusioned people behind them and that is not the will of God.