Psalm 108
1 A song. A psalm of David.
My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. 2 Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. 3 I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.
4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth.
6 Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.
7 God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth. 8 Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my sceptre. 9 Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.” 10 Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies? 12 Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. 13 With God we shall gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.
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Psalm 108 – Is my heart ‘steadfast’?
(Verses 1-3) This psalm of David combines the same thoughts we have seen in Psalms 57 and 60. It is a good thing at times to repeat the same praises to God, as long as your heart is in it. A ‘steadfast’ heart is not ‘stuck fast’! One dictionary says ‘steadfast’ means ‘unwavering or determined in purpose, loyalty etc’. This psalm shows how a steadfast-hearted person thinks, behaves, believes and values God’s truth. Ask yourself as you read this psalm, ‘Am I really steadfast-hearted for God?’ If so, I too will sing with my soul spiritually, as well as with voice and instruments. I should praise God from first morning light. I will praise the LORD among the nations and peoples. I am not ashamed of Him.
(Verses 4-5) What causes David to praise with his steadfast heart? It is God’s great love and faithfulness, which are literally immeasurable. It causes him to seek God to be exalted, even ‘above the heavens’, and show His glory ‘over all the earth’.
(Verse 6) David’s steadfast heart comes from asking God to save and help with His all-powerful ‘right hand’ those who wish to worship God. He knows God delivers those He loves. We start to be steadfast when we ask the Lord Jesus Christ to save us from our sins and from Hell, and to help us to turn from those sins and receive Christ in our hearts. He will deliver us from the power of the devil and the downward drag of the world. Jesus took our place, our sins, and our punishment for them, when He died on the cross and was judged there for us by God the Father.
(Verses 7-10) As in Psalm 60:6-8, God’s people, along with David, regard Shechem, the Valley of Succoth, Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim and Judah as God’s and theirs. Moab, one traditional enemy, is seen only as their washbowl, which a lowly servant gives them. David will ‘toss [his] sandal’ on his continual foe, Edom, as a master will throw his dirty sandals to his servant to clean. He warns Philistia, an early and frequent foe of David, that Israel will conquer them with victory shouts. In short, if we know and praise our crucified, risen Lord and Saviour, we join with all His saved people. He is also over all who do not love or serve Him. He is the eternal Sovereign, Creator, Redeemer, and Judge.
(Verses 11-13) But David feels rejected by God, as he points to times of defeat by foes, probably caused by God’s people sinning against Him. So, David openly prays to God about it – a good example for us, if we lose ground through sin. He asks God to help them. Only God can help – not man. He knows that keeping close to God, will give them victory. We know that too.
