Cross Refs in 81st Psalm

Psalm 81:2 - Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

Psalm = a psalm to be sung.

Psaltery = a stringed instrument for melody.

Harp = a stringed instrument for spiritual songs, such as the songs to drive away the evil spirit from Saul, I Samuel 16:23.

All the elements here of Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19: psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, singing, with emphasis on melody.

Psalm 81:12 - So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

Compare Romans 1:24, 26; II Thessalonians 2:11-12.

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Psalms chapters 78, 79, 80 Notes

Note at Psalm 78:1-8 - God's Plan: Pass it On! Either (1) Multi-generational faithfulness; or (2) Break the cycle of unfaithfulness for the next generations ("Change your family tree.")

Psalm 79:9 - Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name....

Note: God's help and forgiveness are always for His own glory. So Psalm 79:10; Psalm 79:13; Psalm 23:3; Psalm 115:1; Isaiah 43:21; Isaiah 48:9; Jeremiah 14:7, 21; Ephesians 1:6;

Appropriate heading for Psalm 80: "Prayer for the nation."

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72nd Psalm a Prophecy of Christ

Note at Psalm 72 - This prayer of David for his son Solomon is a prophecy. Every verse was partially fulfilled by Solomon. But every verse is completely fulfilld in David's son Jesus Christ.

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Reaction to Persecution - 71st Psalm

The theme throughout the 71st Psalm: "Reaction to persecution: Trust, Praise and Serve God!"

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Daily Benefits & Notes in 68th Psalm

Psalm 68:5 - A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

Cross refs: Psalm 10:14; Psalm 10:18; Psalm 146:9; Jeremiah 49:11; Hosea 14:3; Exodus 22:22-24; Deuteronomy 10:18; Proverbs 15:25.

Psalm 68:6a - God setteth the solitary in families....

Even into the New Testament family of God! John 1:12; I John 3:1; I Corinthians 12:13; I Corinthians 12:18; Ephesians 1:6; Ephesians 2:6; Ephesians 2:12-14; Ephesians 2:19-22; Ephesians 3:14-15; Ephesians 4:4-6.

Psalm 68:19 - Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

He daily loadeth us with benefits! Amen! Hitch up the wagon of prayer every morning, back it up to God's loading dock and simply ask Him in faith for your daily load of benefits!

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The Lord Will Not Hear Me

Psalm 66:18 - If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

UNCONFESSED SIN HINDERS PRAYER. Cross refs: Proverbs 28:9; Isaiah 1:15; James 4:3; I Peter 3:7.

THE REMEDY: I John 1:9; I John 3:21-22.

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God's Providence in Daily Affairs, 65th Psalm

In my Bible notes I sometimes place a heading over a chapter or a passage. At Psalm 65, I have placed, "God's Providence in Daily Affairs."

Jehovah is not the impersonal, unattached, uninvolved god of the Greeks or Deists, but a personal God Who is concerned with our daily welfare. "Give us this day our daily bread," we can pray in confidence.

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He Only Is My Rock

Psalm 62:2 & Psalm 62:6 - He only is my rock....

Jehovah God is the only "rock", here & Psalm 18:2; Deuteronomy 32:30-31. But Jesus is also the rock, Romans 9:33; I Corinthians 10:1-4; I Peter 2:4-8.

If God is the only rock and Jesus is also the rock, then Jesus is God!

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I Will Not Fear What Flesh Can Do

Psalm 56:4 - In God will I praise his word, in God have I put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

"I will not fear what flesh can do..." Cross refs: Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:4-5; Psalm 118:6; Proverbs 28:25; Isaiah 31:3; Jeremiah 1:8; Acts 20:24; Philippians 1:28; Hebrews 13:6; I Peter 3:14; Revelation 2:10.

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"As for Me" - Notes in 52nd through 55th Psalm

Psalm 52 - Important to read the Psalm's heading - To the chief Musician, Maschil ("Instruction"), A Psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech.

For this account, I Samuel 21 and 22.

NOTE: Psalm 52 is about those who are God-fearing and those who are not.

Psalm 52:5 - God shall likewise destroy thee for ever....

Cross references: Galatians 6:7-8; Hebrews 10:31.

Psalm 52:8 - But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God...

Cross reference: Psalm 1:3.

Psalm 53 NOTE: - A rephrase of Psalm 14.

Psalm 55 Notes:

Betrayal by a close friend or brother - Psalm 55:12-14.

Treachery by this brother - Psalm 55:20-21.

Psalm 55:16 - "AS FOR ME..." - Personal commitment despite others. See Joshua 24:15; II Timothy 3:13-14. "Though no one join me, still I will follow. No turning back. No turning back."

How to go on despite these hardships - Psalm 55:22, "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." Compare I Peter 5:7, "Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you."

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King David Confesses

In Psalm 51, important to read the Psalm's heading: To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

For this account, II Samuel chapter 11 (the sin) and 12 (the rebuke from Nathan).

This Psalm is a clear example of confession to repentance. From JFB Commentary: "The Psalm illustrates true repentance, in which are comprised conviction, confession, sorrow, prayer for mercy, and purposes of amendment, and it is accompanied by a lively faith."

Psalm 51:3 - For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Acknowledge - I John 1:9.

My sin is ever before me (that is, "I am painfully aware of my sin; it is on my mind as an abiding grief"), I John 1:8, 10. Romans 7:24.

Psalm 51:4 - Against thee, thee only, have I sinned.

Notice, people hurt or involved by David's sin: Uriah, Bathsheba, David's wife Michal, David's messengers (II Samuel 11:4), Joab, the nation of Israel as a whole. All affected.

But David is aware that none of these were sinned against as much as God Almighty was. Joseph said the same thing, Genesis 39:9. If we would focus on not sinning against God, we would not sin against others.

Psalm 51:10 - Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

A wonderful prayer in time of confession, for He shall "cleanse us from all unrighteousness" in our confession, I John 1:9. See Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:10.

Psalm 51:11 - Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

A prayer that no New Testament believer ever needs to utter, praise Jesus!

Psalm 51:17 - Blessed promise to claim when repentant! And a beautiful motivator to sincere repentance.

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The Heavens Shall Declare

Palm 50:6 - And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.

Cross references: Psalm 19:1; Psalm 97:6; Psalm 148:3-4; Romans 1:20.

This Is My Father's World:

Psalm 50:10-12 - For every beast of the forest is mine... the cattle... the fowls... the wild beasts of the field are mine... for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

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Even Unto Death

Psalm 48:14 - For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

Our Guide, Even Unto Death!

Cross references:

Job 13:15 - Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him...

Psalm 23:4 - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me...

Psalm 73:24 - Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

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Important References to Christ in 45th Psalm

Psalm 45:1 - My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

"A good matter" - the coming Kingdom of Christ!

Psalm 45:2 - Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

"Fairer than the children of men" - Matthew 17:2; John 1:14; Colossians 1:15-18; Hebrews 1:3-4.

"Grace is poured into thy lips" - Luke 4:22; John 7:46.

Psalm 45:3 - Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.

See Revelation 1:16, 19:15, 19:21.

Psalm 45:4 - And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.

See Revelation 19:11-15.

Psalm 45:6-7 - This is quoted in Hebrews 1:8-9 as the Father speaking to Christ; and the Father calls Christ "God," clearly Deity. See also Luke 1:32-33; Jeremiah 23:5-6.

Psalm 45:8 - All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.

See Matthew 2:11 (myrrh); John 19:39 (myrrh and aloes); Exodus 30:23-24 (myrrh and cassia for the holy annointing oil); various references throughout Song of Solomon for these on the Groom (figurative of Christ).

Psalm 45:10-11 - speaking of the Bride of Christ, the Church.

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We Are Killed All the Day Long

Psalm 44:22 - Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

Important cross reference: Romans 8:36, where Paul quotes to prove that Christians will suffer persecution and yet continue still in the love of God through Christ Jesus.

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Mine Own Familiar Friend

Psalm 41:9 - Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

Christ gives this as a prophecy of Himself and Judas Iscariot, the betrayor, John 13:8. As Christ gives it in the context of the footwashing at the Last Supper, it indicates that Judas partook of the Last Supper, contrary to the doctrine of Landmark Baptists and Baptist Briders who claim Judas departed before the ordinance was given.

By the way - and this is not a note for your Bible, just a side note related to this verse: The claim that Judas had already went out that night, after the meal but before the bread and cup were passed - this is one of the Landmark Baptists' and Baptist Briders' chief arguments for "closed communion" of local church members only. Visiting Christians (maybe from out of town or whatever) are not allowed to partake in those churches. I am not necessarily against practicing closed communion, but this argument in favor of it falls flat. Judas was present at the institution of the Lord's Table; the Gospel of Luke is clear on that (Luke 22:19-21) and this prophecy, quoted by the Lord Jesus in context, also indicates it.

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Jesus Speaks in 40th Psalm

Psalm 40:1 - I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

Keyword: "Patiently." Not just "wait upon the Lord," but patiently!

Jesus Christ Speaks - Psalm 40:6-8 - Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

This is Messiah speaking to the Father, as quoted in Hebrews 10:5-10, to give Himself as sacrifice and put an end to the animal sacrifice. In the Old Testament Greek text, "mine ears hast thou opened" is given differently as "a body hast thou prepared me," as later quoted in Hebrews, a stunning prophecy of Christ's coming in the flesh to offer Himself as sacrifice.

Psalm 40:9 - I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.

Application: "Whether they believe in You or not, You know I have told them." And so Ezekiel 3:19.

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Sermon Outline and Notes in 37th Psalm

1. PROVIDENCE OF GOD - The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD. - Psalm 37:23a.


2. PLEASURE OF GOD - and he delighteth in his way. - Psalm 37:23b.


3. PATIENCE OF GOD - Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. - Psalm 37:24.

Above sermon outline from unknown source, marked in my old Bible. May be my own, but I doubt it.

Psalm 37:39-40 - But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD... because they trust in him.

Salvation is "by grace through faith" (Ephesians 2:8-9) in the Old Testament too. Even salvation from trouble and enemies, as here. All of God's blessings to us are by His grace and come in proportion to our faith.

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The Great Angel Camp-Out

Psalm 34:7 - The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

What a wonderful promise! Elisha rested in it, II Kings 6:17; as did Jerusalem in a siege, II Kings 19:35; and Daniel in the Lions' Den, Daniel 6:22. Missionaries in heathen lands have given testimony that the violent tribes fear to attack the camp, for they see the angels protecting. See testimony of John G. Paton in the Hebrides islands, as well as others.

Important cross refs: Psalm 91:11; Matthew 18:10; Hebrews 1:13-14.

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The Right Time to Get Right With God

Psalm 32:5-6 - I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

The time to get right with God is before your sin or anything else brings calamity. Example: 9-11-2001 brought a "spiritual revival" in the U.S. that lasted till about 10-11-2001. What if there had been true and lasting revival prior?

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