This verse illustrates “unselfish” prayer at its best!

And it is the “acme,” the very “mountain peak,” of this beautiful Psalm as well.

“Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.” Psalm 28:9

This is no longer David praying about himself, at least not just himself.

He asks now for “all” God’s people!

“Save” (in Hebrew “yasha”) here is framed as an imperative verb. The prayer virtually “insists” on being answered! With “save” meaning “to be preserved” or “to be delivered.” Lord, protect Thy people!

The noun for “people” is “am,” suggesting one’s own crowd! Kinsfolk!

And “bless” (in Hebrew “barak”) means to “come down, kneel down” beside a needy child! To love and comfort! To encourage onward!

The very idea of us being God’s “inheritance” is astounding! I understand God being our “Inheritance!” But God “treasuring” us? We then are His property!

The third of this single verse’s four requests is that God would “feed” His children! Like a Shepherd! “Raah” literally is the word for “pasture.” Tending a flock! Allowing them to luxuriously graze on nourishing, green grass!

And “to lift up” translates “nasa,” meaning “to pick up and carry” somewhere!

Sounds like the Lord is being sought to do “all” for Judah!

To meet her every need!

“Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.”

Pray this for your local Church!

For your family!

And while I was sitting here writing this Lesson … I was longing for someone to pray such for me. For us as we travel and preach God’s precious Word.

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

The whole Psalm (Psalm 28) only contains 9 verses. And today, focusing on a verse each morning, we have reached the penultimate verse (next to last). Latin does stay with you, some words anyway! (Where “paene” means “almost.” And “ultimus” means “last.”)

“The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.” Psalm 28:8

The first question I had was, “The Lord is WHOSE strength?”

“The LORD is their strength ….”

The possessive pronoun “their,” being plural, means “the people of Israel.” I largely base that conclusion on the next verse of the Psalm. “Lord, save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.”

The noun for “people” is “am” in Hebrew, most often indicating one’s own people, compatriots. Fellow citizens! Twice in the King James Bible it is rendered “folk” or “folks!”

The noun “strength” is “oz” again. It has already occurred in the Psalm back in verse 7, just one verse ago. It means “hardened” power, the ability “to overcome” in battle!

God gives the victory!

As in First John 5:4. “And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

But God is not only the Deliverer for His people overall … but to their leader as well!

“He (still the Lord) is the saving strength of his anointed.”

The term “anointed” is “mashiyach,” the word “messiah” when transliterated. It locally means the “King” in ancient Jewish culture. A King who was also called their “shepherd.”

But do keep in mind that the Real Messiah of Israel is NOT David or Solomon or any other earthly monarch. It is the Lord Jesus CHRIST, that last Name being the equivalent of “Messiah!”

The noun “strength” in this clause is “maoz,” meaning “a place of safety, protection or refuge!” Three times the word is translated “fortress” in the Old Testament! Once it is “rock!”

And the word “saving” is “yeshuah,” essentially “delivering, rescuing, prospering!”

Wow!

Psalm 28 has become a “victory” Poem!

David was about to die back in verse 1. “Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.” Remember that “pit” can mean “grave” here. A “dungeon” of depression, too!

Now … the Lord is the King’s “saving strength!”

So many of the Psalms reflect this pattern.

Starting “low” … but ending “high!”

Dear reader today, ask the Lord … trust the Lord … to be your Strength as well!

Then like Paul you will be able to say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13 is the reference.

Amen!

“The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.”

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

 

 

We are studying Psalm 28, verse by verse.

But verse 7 is so “full,” I must give it more commentary.

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” Psalm 28:7

The fundamental thrust of the verse states the Character of God, but only in part of course. “The Lord is my strength and my shield,” says David the Psalmist.

Then come four “results” of this Truth being applied!

David “trusts” this great God.

David thus receives “help” from Him, from the Lord.

Consequently David “rejoices.”

And then begins “to sing!”

To sing “praise” to His “Strength and Shield.”

Let’s notice the results of learning God’s Essence, His Attributes.

The second “half” of the verse again, as David wrote it. “My heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”

The verb “trusted” is “batach” in Hebrew. It means “to feel so secure” in a Person that one “looses all fear, apprehension, distraction!” Once in the King James Bible “batach”is even translated “careless,” without worry! “To have complete confidence” in someone!

The verb “am helped” is “azar,” in the passive voice obviously. David does not help himself, God helps him! And “azar” means “to provide succour.” But what is “succour?” It is a word derived from the Latin verb “currure,” meaning “to run!” This kind of “help” pictures God Himself running to the side of the one in need! Wow!

To “rejoice” employs the verb “alaz,” rare in the Old Testament, appearing only 16 times in total. It means “to exult.” (In Latin again, “salire” means “to leap!” And “ex” in front of it makes the term mean “to leap up!”) That is, to be jubilant. One lexicon says “to triumph!” Another scholar writes: “This is the kind of emotion of joy which finds expression in singing and shouting.” Loudly demonstrative!

Finally “to praise” selects the familiar verb “yadah.” This word is translated “to give thanks” 32 times in the Old Testament! It literally means “to shoot” (“to hurl, to loft upward”) thoughts of worship Heavenward, to the Lord Himself!

These four “results” being true, being accurate descriptions of David’s realizing how GREAT God truly is … maybe each of us should also study the Being of God, learn of His Person, His Qualities!

Indeed He is many things to us in addition to Strength and Shield!

So many it takes the whole Bible (66 Books consisting of 1,189 chapters, exactly 31,102 verses) to tell it all! Yes, He is that much God!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

 

The 7th verse of Psalm 28 is longer than both its predecessor and successor. We may need to study it for two days. It is, at least in part, a “cause and effect” sequence.

Let me show you.

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” Psalm 28:7

The “Cause” is our great God: “He is my Strength and my Shield.”

The “effect” is both active and passive: “Therefore I trust in Him, and am helped by Him!”

In fact, two more “effects” follow really: “My heart greatly rejoices!” And … “I praise Him in song.”

Wow!

This is how we should live then … since God is so Faithful!

Since God is Such an amazing Strength and Shield!

The noun “strength” is spelled “oz” in Hebrew, pronounced “oze.” It is derived from “azaz,” suggesting “strong” in the sense of combat, having already won the victory!

And “shield” is “magen” in Hebrew, a large (surrounding one’s body) protective covering for the front of an advancing soldier! This is NOT the smaller hand-held defensive weapon of New Testament days.

Sounds like God is able!

Almighty!

Omnipotent!

Add to both these nouns the possessive ending “iy” (which both Strength and Shield have in this Text) … and this awesome God becomes “personal!”

He is MY Strength!

He is MY Shield!

No wonder David is so thrilled.

So much so that he is resolved to … trust God. To greatly rejoice. And to sing the praises of such a Creator and Redeemer!

Now tomorrow, the Lord willing, we shall look at David’s responses more fully.

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” Psalm 28:7

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

 

It’s happened to all Christians who pray. At least I think so. That “peace” that comes, often to some and occasionally to others, peace that a prayer has been “heard” and will be “answered!”

This assurance certainly is emphasized in today’s verse, today’s lesson.

In our continuing journey through Psalm 28.

David wrote:

“Blessed be the LORD, because He hath heard the voice of my supplications.”

The Lord has “heard!”

The verb used here is “shama,” in an “active” voice and “perfect” tense form. It means God has indeed heard but will keep hearing as well!

The “shama” verb is so strong that it’s occasionally (81 times in the Bible) translated “obey!” God obeying David? Meeting the King’s needs to that extent!

And the noun “supplications” is interesting. I would have thought it just meant “requests.” But really “tachanun” means more. It means “favorable, kind, gracious” things, that’s what David is petitioning of God! The root noun here is “chanan,” the key Old Testament word for “mercy!”

Wow!

Even when praying “against” the wicked, somehow in David’s godly mind his prayer was shrouded in thoughts of “kindness” for the people of God!

Prayer asked.

Then answered.

So what’s next?

An exclamation, “Blessed be the Lord!”

The verb “blessed” is “barak” in Hebrew, at heart meaning “to kneel!” David is “praising” God for His Goodness. Also here “barak” is a passive participle. God is being blessed by his people!

This is a verb of worship.

“Blessed be the LORD, because He hath heard the voice of my supplications.”

Really today we have learned God “hears” prayer … and can communicate the assurance that said prayer has been answered!

And we have learned that the most successful prayers are to be “set” in tones of “grace and mercy and kindness.”

Then we learned that prayer, especially when answered, should be an impetus for us to worship Almighty God! From Whom all blessings flow!

This has already been a good day!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell