Psalms 144

Psalms 144:1

Psalm 144: The Happy PeopleAlthough this Psalm is largely made up of excerpts from other Psalms, it is not pieced together haphazardly. There is real continuity. 144:1, 2 First, David honors God as all he needs in the battles of life. It is the Lord who imparts skill and dexterity to him in his confrontations with the enemy. The LORD is his Rock, his lovingkindness, his fortress, his high tower, his deliverer, his shield, his refuge and his victory. What more could he need or desire? 144:3, 4 In the light of the greatness of God, man is utterly insignificant. It’s a wonder that God ever takes notice of him. He is as evanescent as a breath on a cold day, as transient as a passing shadow. This is true of all mankind, but perhaps David is thinking especially of his adversaries here. 144:5-8 This leads David to pray for the moment when the invincible God marches forth against His puny enemies. But how can you describe the arrival of the invisible God? The only way is by sketching out one of those majestic theophanies in which all nature is convulsed and the universe is shaken. The heavens . . . bow down as God descends. He touches the mountains and they become smoking volcanoes. Lightning rips across the sky like arrows from the Almighty. Then when the enemy has been thoroughly disorganized and repulsed, God reaches down and rescues David from the raging billows of trouble. He delivers him from the hand of foreign invaders who are inveterate liars, who raise their right hand to lie rather than to confirm the truth. 144:9-11 As a result of his rescue, the psalmist will sing a new song to the Lord. With the ten-stringed harp he will extol the One who rescued him from the deadly sword of the alien adversariesthese men who are habitual liars even when under oath to tell the truth. 144:12 When the king has been delivered from these subversive elements, then his kingdom will enjoy the ideal conditions described here. Actually these conditions will not be fully realized until the Lord returns, crushes all rebellion, and establishes His Millennial Reign. First, there will be the blessing of family vitality. The sons will be healthy, wholesome and handsome, like strong, vigorous plants. The girls will be statuesque and beautiful, like the sculptured pillars of a palace. 144:13-15 Then there will be agricultural abundance. The barns and silos will be filled with all kinds of grain and produce. The sheep will reproduce prolifically till there are herds of ten thousands in the fields. The cattle will bear without mishap, or it may mean that the oxen will be weighted down with immense loads. The expressions “no breaking in or going out” and “no outcry in our streets” may mean that the country will be free from foreign invaders, that there will be no forced migrations into exile, and no noisy demonstrations or riots in the streets. It is a picture of unparalleled happiness, the happiness that belongs to people who acknowledge Jehovah as their God.