Steve Webb 0:00 What he says is smoother than butter. Steve Webb 0:10 This is the Lifespring one year Bible coming to you from Riverside, California. And podcasting since 2004. I'm your og Godcaster. Steve Webb. This is the daily podcast where we're reading through the entire Bible in a year. It Psalms Wednesday, and we'll read chapters 54 through 56. The title of the episode is betrayed. We'll also have a time of praise and prayer requests before we read. Let's pray. Our gracious heavenly Father, we love you. We thank you for this time together. And I pray that as we read your word today, you would bless the reading. I pray this in Jesus name, amen. Okay, let's begin. Steve Webb 0:49 The title of Psalm 54 is to the chief musician with stringed instruments, a contemplation of David when the zoo fights went and said to Saul, is David not hiding with us? The zoo fights betrayed David to Saul twice. We read about these betrayals in First Samuel 23 and First Samuel 26. On both occasions, David was able to escape. This psalm probably refers to the episode in First Samuel 23. Very few Psalms give specific instructions like this one does, which says, with stringed instruments, and the Hebrew word for contemplation or mass kill might be better translated as instruction. Steve Webb 1:31 Psalms chapter 54. Oh God, deliver me by your name. vindicate me by Your power. Oh, God, listen to my prayer. Pay attention to what I say for foreigners attack me. ruthless men who do not respect God seek my life. Sailor. Look, God is my deliver. The Lord is among those who support me. May those who wait to ambush me be repaid for their evil as a demonstration of your faithfulness destroy them. With a free well offering I will sacrifice to you. I will give Thanks to your name, oh Lord, for it is good. Surely he rescues me from all trouble and I triumph over my enemies. Steve Webb 2:15 The title of Psalm 55 is to the chief musician with stringed instruments or contemplation of David there was a time in David's life when one of his sons Absalon tried to overthrow David his king during this rebellion one of David's most trusted men Ahithophel sided with Absalon this psalm seems to have been written during this period of David's life however, in verse 15 David calls to God to send his enemies to shield or hell when we know from other scriptures that David did not want harm to come to Absalon so it is possible that this psalm is about another time in David's life that we do not have record of. Steve Webb 2:56 Psalm chapter 55. Listen to my prayer, oh, God, do not hide yourself from what I ask, hear me and answer me. My thoughts troubled me and I have no peace because of the voice of those who hate me and the power of the sinful, for they bring trouble upon me. And in anger. They keep on having bad thoughts against me. My heart is in pain within me. The fears of death have come upon me. I've begun shaking with fear. Fear has power over me. And I say if only I had wings like a dove i would fly away and be at rest. Yes, I would go far away. I would live in the desert. I would hurry to my safe place away from the wild wind and storm. Mix them up. Oh Lord divide their tongues for I've seen fighting in trouble in the city. They go around on its walls day and night. Sin and wrongdoing are within it destroying powers are in the city. Trouble in lies never leave its streets, I would be able to take it if one who hates me. We're putting me to shame I could hide from him. It is not one who hates me who has put himself up against me. But it is You a man like myself, one who has God with me, my close friend we shared together and we walked with the people in the house of God. Let death take them by surprise. Let them go down alive to the grave for sin is with them where they live. As for me, I will call on God and the Lord will save me. I will cry out and complain in the evening and morning and noon and he will hear my voice. He will save my soul in peace from those who make war against me. For there are many who fight me. God sits on his throne forever. And he will hear them and bring trouble upon them because there has been no change in them. They do not fear the Lord. He goes against those who were at peace with him. He has broken his agreement. What he says is smoother than butter. But war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil yet they are raised swords. Give all your cares Have the Lord and He will give you strength. He will never let those who are right with Him be shaken. But you Oh God will bring the sinful down into the hole that destroys. Men who kill and lie will not live out half their days, but I will trust in you. Steve Webb 5:17 The title of Psalm 56 is to the chief musician, set to the silent dove in distant lands, the MC tam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gaff. Well, when it says set to the silent dove in distant lands, that's probably an instruction to sing this song to the tune of a song that was known at the time. And scholars don't know the precise meaning of the word MC Tam, it is possible that it refers to something made of gold. So in connection with a psalm, a victim might be a psalm so precious, that it was to be engraved in gold. And we read of David's capture by the Philistines in First Samuel 21 verses 10 through 15. This was a very difficult time for David when he was afraid and alone. He didn't know if he would survive. Steve Webb 6:06 Psalms chapter 56 Be gracious to me. Oh God, for man tramples on me. All day long and attacker oppresses me. My enemies trample on me all day long for many attacked me proudly. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you, in God whose word I praise in God I trust, I shall not be afraid. What can flash do to me? All day long, they injure my cause. All their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife, They lurk. They watch my steps as they have waited for my life. For their crime will they escape? In wrath cast down the peoples Oh God, you have kept count of my tossing things. Put my tears in your bottle? Are they not in your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call this I know that God is for me, in God whose word I praise in the Lord whose word I praise in God I trust I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? I must perform my vows to you Oh god, I will render thank offerings to you. For you have delivered my soul from death. Yes, my feet from falling that I may walk before God in the light of life. Steve Webb 7:26 Psalm 55 is a Psalm of David in which he had been greatly hurt by his enemies, especially one who had been a trusted friend and ally. Verses 12 through 14 Say I would be able to take it if one who hates me were putting me to shame I could hide from him. It is not one who hates me who has put himself up against me, but it is You a man like myself. One who has gone with me my close friend we shared together and we walked with the people in the house of God. Well my goodness this person is not identified in this song but it seems more than likely that it's a HIPAA fell who was a trusted counselor to David during AB salaams revolt against his father HIPAA fell deserted David and supported Absalon, not only did David have to deal with the heartbreak of his own son turning against him, but that of one who had given him counsel helped him and knew his idiosyncrasies, strengths and weaknesses. And then in verse 20, we read, He goes against those who were at peace with him. He has broken his agreement. What he says is smoother than butter. But war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are raised swords. Have you ever been betrayed by someone close to you, someone you trusted. It's a heartbreak unlike any other, but such as the condition of the human heart who can trust it. The first time it happened to me was when I was a young teenager, maybe 12 or 13 years old. I don't remember my exact age. But a friend of mine who lived a few doors down from me, someone with whom I've been friends with since about the fourth or fifth grade. He broke into our garage when my family and I were out of town on vacation. When we got home, I found that the tires on my mini bike had been stolen. And as it turned out, it was this friend and some other boys who had done the deed. I couldn't believe it. I was crushed and it took a long time to get over it. I couldn't trust him. I have forgiven him in the intervening years, but we never spoke again. But David does know who can be trusted in verse 22. He says, Give all your cares to the Lord and He will give you strength. He will never let those who are right with Him be shaken. Yes, the betrayal of a friend cuts deep, but we do have someone who will never let us down. Have you ever been betrayed by a friend? Let me know about it. Call the Lifespring family Hotline at plus 1951732 at 511 or comment at comment.lifespringmedia.com or email me at steve@lifespringmedia.com dot com Tomorrow will be poetry Thursday and we'll read job 37 and 38. Steve Webb 10:08 Today we have just one prayer request. Lifespring family Berean Sister Denise, who does the transcript correction for the show has been having muscle spasms in her leg, and it's making it difficult for her to get around. She asked if we would remember her in prayer. So let's pray. Our heavenly Father, even though David had some very difficult times when he didn't know whether he was going to survive, you are a shield and his protector. You had a plan for him, and you have a plan for us. As you work for David, you are our shield and protect you're just as you were for David. And we thank you for that. Nothing can happen to us that you don't allow. When we do have times of trouble. We know that you are in control, and there's peace and that knowledge, Lord, help us to rest in you even in the midst of trouble. I pray for those that are listening right now, Lord, that your Holy Spirit would give them the peace that passes all understanding if they've put their faith in Jesus. If they've not yet done that, Lord, I pray that You would speak to their heart that they would begin to realize the truth of who Jesus is your only begotten Son, the Messiah, the Savior, who gave himself so that any who believe in Him would be forgiven and born again. And now Lord, we pray for Denise father that you would take away the spasms in her leg that can be so painful and can make doing the things she needs to do so very hard. So we asked you to just help those muscles. Relax, Father, I pray for the Lifespring family now. Bless them. Help them to work closely with you each and every day. I pray these things in Jesus name, amen. Our next time of prayer will be Sunday. If you have anything that you would like the Lifespring family to pray with you about or if you have a praise that you'd like to share, just go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com dot com Steve Webb 12:06 Thanks to Sister Denise, Michael Haner, Scott Snider, Jason Paschall and Brittaney...the team. Today's show art is again by Scott Snider. And again, thank you, Scott. Until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb, thank you for inviting me into your day. Bye. Lifespringmedia.com slash supports Transcribed by https://otter.ai