Psalm 138
WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?
Why should we pray? Well, for starters, Jesus taught us to pray. In Luke 18:1 He said, we “ought always to pray and not lose heart.” James 5:13: “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” So, we are clearly told in scripture that we are to pray. But WHY pray? Does God really need our prayers to help Him to run the universe? Does He really need our input? Does He really need our suggestions? I thought about this and I am just being honest – If He knows already my need, does He really need anything that I have to say? Won’t His will be done whether I pray about it or not? These are the kinds of things I thought about. God is a big God and He knows all the needs. You say, “Why should we pray?” Well, Psalm 138 will help answer that question and give you a different perspective on prayer than you have seen before.
[During class I gave a lengthy introduction to a book written by one of my seminary professors, Dr. Ronald Allen, entitled “And I Will Praise Him: A Guide to Worship in the Psalms.” Some of the material used in this lesson came from Dr. Allen’s book.]
A little bit about Psalm 138… It is a very short psalm, 8 verses. But it has three distinct parts. We are going to look at them that way. In v 1-3 David praises God in the first person. He says, “I give You thanks,” “I sing Your praise.” Personal. In v 4-6 David looks ahead to the future, when there will be a praise of God by all the kings of the earth – “They shall sing of the ways of the Lord.” And then in v 7-8 he wraps it up with a reflection of his own walk with the Lord and how he depends on God through his daily communication in prayer.
As Psalm 138 begins, David praises God for answering one of his prayers…
READ Psalm 138:1
“I give You thanks, O LORD with my whole heart.” Dr. Allen’s interpretation of the original Hebrew here is, “I acknowledge You with all my heart.” For David, the idea of thanking and praising God involves him giving public acknowledgement about what God has done. In the Jewish culture of the Old Testament, one would give thanks to God (or to other people) and the way they would do it is by telling the various people they came in contact with about what God did (or what this person did). That is how you gave thanks. So, you would give thanks to God by telling others what God has done.
In David’s case, and we will see this as we unpack these verses, he is expressing to others what God did in this particular prayer request. And through his public expression, Yahweh’s name is praised. It is made known. Now, I want you to think about it for a minute --- how will people know what God is doing or has done in your life unless you share it with them? So, it is pretty important. You know, God is working, but we are not going to know about it unless you tell us.
And so, David is doing this with his “whole heart” he says in v 1. With his whole being is the idea. In Psalm 103, which is my favorite psalm, it begins with these words: “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!” And that is the idea here.
At the end of this verse he says, “before the gods [little “g”] I sing Your praise.” You need to understand where David is coming from. In David’s time, Israel was surrounded by several pagan nations. All worshipped many “gods.” These people were very polytheistic. Idolatry was rampant and it threatened the religious life of Israel. If you have read the history of Israel (Old Testament) you know that they did over time slip into idolatry further and further. The people of God forsook the one true God. By the way, God knew that they would do this which is why He told them when they went into the land of Canaan initially to wipe out all the people. He knew that the Israelites’ hearts would be seduced by other gods. But, of course, they failed to do that and the result was that they would worship false gods like Baal (Canaanites), Ashteroth (Sidonians), Chemosh (Moabites), and Milcom (Ammonites). The people of Israel worshipped those gods and God judged them severely for it.
So, here in this verse, David, being aware of what is going on in the pagan nations, is asserting a frontal attack on the paganism that he sees all around him. David feels emboldened by the power that his God has expressed through an answer to prayer, to declare, to sing praises to God before his enemies and before their false gods.
READ Psalm 138:2
A lot of Bible scholars have had problems with the word “temple” here because they say, “Well, David is writing this psalm and the temple had not been built yet. So, maybe this psalm was not written by David. Maybe it was written later.” Don’t get bogged down with that word because the word “temple” is a reference to the place where the people would gather for worship. Obviously in David’s time the temple (as we know it) had not been built. So, they had the tabernacle, which at one time was a portable tent that they carried around. At this time, it was housed permanently in Jerusalem. And it was the place where the people would gather for worship.
David not only sings God’s praises and tells of God’s goodness to those godless pagan peoples that are all around him, like we see in v1; but in v 2 he also praises God in the house of the Lord as he worships with God’s people.
As David shares with others what God is doing in his life, we should also. We should seize every opportunity that we have to share what God is doing in our life. Hey, it is an opportunity to witness, right? We should tell others what a great God we have, we serve. We do that here in the church and among our class, yes. But also, when you are out and about, in the workplace, in the marketplace, when you go to get your hair done, whatever.
[One class member shared an important insight: “God’s holy temple could be wherever God is. So that is where David would submit himself.”]
The last part of v 2, “for you have exalted above all things Your name and Your word.” Interpreters of this passage have had just a wonderful time trying to figure it out. They struggle with this verse quite frankly. Some interpretations, such as the Septuagint, seem to suggest that God’s word is being exalted even above His name, even above His character, and that cannot be. We love God’s word. But it is not above God Himself. In God’s word we see God. He is revealed to us. We see His works, and His character, and His promises, and all these other things. And that is great. But that does not replace God Himself. So, we do not worship the Bible.
Dr. Allen suggests, and I think that he is correct here, that “Your word” in this particular verse is not a reference to the Scriptures as a whole, but refers to God’s specific answer to David’s prayer, which comes in verse 3. You have all heard the expression, “I got a word from the Lord,” right? It is talking about something specifically that the Lord revealed to you either through personal experience, or He showed you something, or He guided you to do something. And so, you say, “I received a word from the Lord.”
God’s answer to David’s prayer taught David more about God than he knew before. Now, we are never told in this psalm what David’s prayer request was. He never says. But v 3 is the prayer. All we know is that David called out to God (he prayed), and then God answered him.
READ Psalm 138:3
Whatever the answer was to whatever the prayer request was, it caused David to be strengthened within. It emboldened David. It gave him more courage. I think (from looking ahead in the psalm) it had something to do with David winning a battle against one of his enemies. We don’t know for sure but that would be a strong possibility. David had an experience in which he called out to God in a time of great distress, trial, whatever; he had an issue that he needed God’s help with, and God answered David’s prayer. And the answer provided David with his newfound strength and courage. And this prompted David then to declare to those around him what God had done in his life.
The result of David’s prayer was that God answered him. And then, David declared what God had done and he gave God the honor and glory that He deserved. So, prayer brings us to the praise of God as we see God at work in our life in that particular situation. We can learn much about God through the study of God’s word, yes. But then we can learn much about God experientially through these things that we go through.
Dr. Allen says this: “If prayer is the root and praise is the flower, we cannot expect much of a bouquet if the roots are dry and ill-nourished [he is talking about our prayer life]. But when we sink our roots of prayer deeply, we should soon expect brilliant flowers of praise. It is the most natural thing in the world to give God praise when He has overwhelmed us by an answer to our prayer.”
[Class comments included that in v 3 God answers our prayer on the day we call out to Him. It might be that we do not see clearly God’s answer right away. But on the day that we call out to God, on the day we pray, we can be assured that He is already at work. One class member quoted his seminary professor who often prayed, “Lord, close a door that no man can open and open a door that no man can close.” This is the clearest way of finding peace in our relationship with the Father’s will.]
David now shifts gears in v 4-6…
READ Psalm 138:4-6
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David speaks of a future time when all kings will experience what he has just experienced (giving God praise). V 4-5 are not David’s wishful thinking or his optimism – hope for a brighter future. He looks around and he sees the world for what it is. We can look around our world and see it for what it is. The only time this is going to happen is when Jesus is ruling and reigning on the earth (when He comes again). It is hard for us to imagine all the kings of the earth, all the leaders of the earth giving God thanks. We look around at some of our world’s leaders like Kim Jong-un of North Korea. It is hard for us to imagine him or Vladimir Putin of Russia or Ali Khamenei of Iran, any of these men, doing that – singing praises to God! So, it is something future. It is going to happen. It will happen during the millennial kingdom when Jesus sits on the throne. And when that is happening, all the kings of the earth will join in praise to the glory of God. So, with Jesus on the throne, all the national leaders that are under Him will be learning His ways and walking in His paths. They will see God at work and they will sing His praises. And they will be like David has been doing in this psalm and praising God’s name.
[One class member viewed this psalm as a challenge to all other authorities other than Yahweh. God is even now sovereign over ALL other gods, over the entire earth. The psalmist is literally throwing the gauntlet down and challenging all those other so-called “gods” and denying that they have any real authority. There is only ONE true God. This psalm calls all of us to re-embrace the absolute sovereignty of God, not only of our lives, our family’s lives, but of the entire earth. Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.”]
V 6, if you just read it and did not know where it was (in the Bible), you might think that it was one of the proverbs. It sounds like something you would read in the book of Proverbs – “For though the LORD is high, He regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar.” Well, it IS a proverb. It is a wise saying by David. It might have even been a popular saying in his time. What David says here is profound. Our great and mighty God with limitless glory, all power and authority – He “regards the lowly.” He regards the humble, the poor in spirit. Jesus, in fact, taught in The Beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” That is something God takes notice of. James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud but He gives grace to the humble.” Proverbs 3:34 tells us that “to the humble He gives favor.” So, this is one of the great paradoxes in the Bible. The humble, the contrite in heart, the lowly of spirit are actually closer to God than are the proud, those who elevate and exalt themselves.
I think about somebody like Paul. When Paul gives his credentials in scripture (see Philippians 3:5-6), he talks about being “a Pharisee of Pharisees” (Acts 23:6) and all the things he did in the name of God. He was very prideful and a very important guy and he did all this for God. But then, it took God to humble Paul, to literally put him flat on his back, blind him and to get a hold of his life. Paul is completely humbled and he can say later in 2 Corinthians 10:17, “Let the one who boasts, boast only in the Lord.” Not in himself.
So, why is David saying this (about all the kings of the earth giving thanks to the LORD)? Because the kings of the earth are exalted. These are men in important positions. They have people around them reinforcing how important they are. They act like they are the most important people in the world. Some of these leaders think about themselves as God. They have exalted themselves like Lucifer. But, from God’s perspective, He regards the lowly. The way God sees people is what is important.
In the Messianic kingdom, as these world leaders humble themselves under the authority of Jesus, then they will be able to see God’s mighty hand at work. They will turn away from how important they are and recognize how big God is.
[One class member reminded us of Philippians 2:6-8 and how Jesus humbled Himself by submitting to His Father’s will. He remarked that “submission is the glory of obedience.”]
David now closes this psalm with a look at his own personal life…
READ Psalm 138:7-8
“You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,” v 7. David’s prayer had something to do with his enemies. He recalls how God delivered him from his enemies.
Look at your own life. You may have an experience where God answered your prayer and maybe even in an amazing way. Maybe it was a way you were not expecting, like David here. But just because God answered one of your prayers – and it might have been in an extraordinary way – it does not mean that all of our prayer concerns are behind us. There are more on the way, aren’t there? That is life.
The prayer sheet (that our class has) is an example of this. I guarantee you that three or four months from now, that list will look completely different. There will be new requests. There will be some requests taken off the list as God answers the prayers. It may not be the way we wanted Him to, but He answered the prayer. As God answers prayers we have a praise sheet. We are going to put all the answered prayers on a praise sheet. Come Thanksgiving, we are going to pass out the praise sheet. You are going to see what God did in this class throughout the year. It is going to amaze you. “Wow, He did that? That is just from this class! Wow!” New requests will take their place. Many of the requests you don’t even have a hint they are going to come yet. We are constantly going to have these issues – sickness and concerns and distresses; things weighing heavy on our hearts that we go to the Lord about.
David is building on his past experiences with God. As God answers David’s prayers, it builds his confidence in God. As he takes another request before God, he remembers what God did in the past, how God came through, how He answered. And he trusts God. You trust God and He comes through and you trust Him more. You believe God and he comes through and you believe Him more. Your faith is strengthened. Each time our prayers are answered we are encouraged to keep on praying.
Now, v 8, “The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me.” Dr. Allen says that this is the Old Testament expression of the New Testament faith. And he talks about Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” So, here is David. He had these requests for deliverance from his enemies. God had given him the victory over his enemies. He had preserved his life. David knew that God had a purpose for him. And, as David reminds us in v 8, God WILL fulfill His purpose for us.
David closes out Psalm 138, his prayer, with a request to the Lord, his new prayer request, which is, “Do not forsake the work of Your hands.” The idea here is, “Lord, finish what You started in me. Your purpose is going to be fulfilled.” And that sounds a lot like Philippians 1:6: “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
So, you really have good New Testament theology in this psalm, don’t you? So, why pray? Psalm 138 teaches us that the purpose of prayer is to glorify our great God. That is your one take-away from this lesson.
We have a real need. So, we go to God. We lay out that need before Him. And we ask Him to help us, to guide us with it. Then, even in ways we do not expect, He answers our prayer. He meets our needs. He provides an answer to our prayer. That produces within us, deep within our very being, a desire to let other people know what God did, to acknowledge Him. We give glory to His name, to honor Him. And we do that through our declaration of praise to Him.
[One class member stated that David’s whole life praised the Lord, not just his words.]
It is not like David was perfect either. We know all about his faults. But even in his sins, we see how God moved in David’s heart to ask for forgiveness. So, David’s life teaches us a lot. Even when we go through some dark moments in our life, there IS forgiveness, if we go to the Lord and ask Him. Another New Testament theology, right?
Psalm 138 – sing the chorus “Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me…”
Bless the Lord, Oh my soul
And all that is within me
Bless His holy name
He has done great things
He has done great things
He has done great things
Bless His holy name
Bless the Lord, Oh my soul
And all that is within me
Bless His holy name