Psalm 92 – “A Song for the Sabbath”

    Psalm 92 is a psalm about worship, a song for the Sabbath. We have these ideas associated with the Sabbath from the Law of Moses: rest, sacrifices, and remembering creation and redemption (from Egypt). Keep those ideas in mind as we study this psalm, a “song for the Sabbath day.” This is the only place (the superscription) where the word “Sabbath” is found in the book of psalms.

IT IS GOOD TO WORSHIP (92:1-3):

    Look at the verbs in this paragraph. They each continue the idea (worded as infinitives) expressed in the first few words of the psalm – “It is good…”

    Verse 1a – “to give thanks to the Lord.”

    Verse 1b – “to sing praises to your name, O Most High.”

    Verse 2a – “to declare your lovingkindness in the morning.” This is the Hebrew word (hesed) that means God’s loyalty, His steadfast dedication to His people.

    Verse 2b – “to declare your faithfulness by night.” “Faithfulness” is God’s reliability. His dependability.

    Verse 3 – There is no question that Israel worshiped God with mechanical instruments of music.

REASONS FOR WORSHIP (92:4-5):

    This strophe is associated with the first strophe in that this strophe gives us the reason for worship. The nature of God was mentioned in verse 2: His lovingkindness and His faithfulness. Here, the reason for worship is given as His works.

    Can we not stop and meditate on what God has done for us, that makes us glad, and that inspires us to worship, give thanks, sing praises, and declare His awesome nature?

IN THE MDDILE OF PERSECUTION (92:6-7):

    This whole second stanza portrays this worship as occurring in the midst of persecution from enemies, from those around the psalmist who do not wish him well. References to the enemies run through this whole stanza, connecting these verses together (6-11). But, interspersed here are thoughts directed back to God who provides safety, refuge, and support.

THE WICKED ARE GOD’S ENEMIES  (92:8-9):

    Verse 8 begins with a strong contrast, “But you, O Lord, are on high forever.” God is beyond this world in the sense that He is not touched by its wickedness. He is not contaminated by its evil. But He seeks to help and save those who are faithful to Him.

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    Please observe the uses of words that describe moral evil or sin – “wicked, iniquity (vs 7), “iniquity” (vs 9), and “evildoers” (vs 11) – and how they are used interchangeably with “enemies” and “foes.” The point is, if someone is committing sin, if someone is doing wickedness, then he/she is a foe, an enemy of the God of heaven. That’s why he/she needs reconciliation through Jesus Christ.

THE RIGHTEOUS WILL BE EXALTED (92:10-11):

    First, please observe that the verb “exalted” here in verse 10 comes from the same root word as the word “high” in verse 8. The Lord reigns “on high” (vs 8) and He will “exalt” us to Him if we stay faithful, when the time is right.

    The psalmist is able to give thanks to God in worship (vs 1) and sing praises to him and declare to others God’s lovingkindness and faithfulness (vs 2), yes, even to be glad and sing for joy (vs 4), despite being persecuted, pursued, and surrounded by his enemies!

THE RIGHTEOUS WILL BE STABLE (92:12-13):

    Verses 12 and 15 have similar words to begin and end this stanza: “righteous” and “unrighteousness.”

    In contrast to the “senseless” man and “stupid” man who does not understand that the wicked are going to be destroyed, the “righteous” man (vs 12) is going to flourish  like the palm tree. He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon (cf. Psalm 1).

    Where does the “righteous” man flourish? Verse 13 says he is planted “in the house of the Lord.” Why is it “good to worship” (vs 1)? Because you flourish in the house of the Lord! It is in worship that you are constantly reminded of who you are, why you are here, what you are supposed to be doing, and where you are destined! That’s why worship is good for the soul!

    William Temple wrote: “The world can be saved by one thing and that is worship. For to worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God. That’s what worship does for us.”

THE RIGHTEOUS WORSHIP (92:14-15):

    These blessings extend far into the future and deep into the spiritual life.

    God will always do the right thing, He is faithful; here pictured metaphorically as a rock. There is nothing sinful or deceptive in God: “There is no unrighteousness in Him.” We can always trust Him. So, we ought to be thankful and worship Him.

    God is loving, kind, faithful and upright. It is good to thank Him, sing praises to Him, and declare His nature and His works to all those around us.

–Paul Holland

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