Psalm Chapter 140

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

Psalm 140:1 Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;
2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.
3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.
4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.
5 The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.

Violence is in our society nearly all the time and that is why God allows us to have governments that keep down crime and violence. We continually face these problems as long as sin is in the hearts of mankind.

Another kind of evil is what we face when we try to teach or live by God's word. There are those in every society that want to ignore God, rebel against God and mock those who serve God. This may be the evil that David is praying to God for help to overcome. Saul at times tried to destroy David out of jealousy, David's own son tried to overthrow David's reign. David may have been speaking to God about all these trials.

I've been reading about how the established church in the Middle Ages burned and killed those whose only crime was trying to translate God's word into a language that the common people could read. Satan didn't want us reading God's word so he planted fear into the hearts of the established church to kill those who tried to spread the word of God to others.

It's no different today. Only a few countries try to suppress God's word by prison and death but even in free countries like the United States; we have those that will sue to keep God's word out of the public schools. Satan does not want our children to hear the word of God and be saved. He knows they don't get the word at home in most cases so he has to make sure the teachers do not teach them at school.

He is even succeeded in duping us into allowing the false teaching of evolution instead of God's word. I understand even scientists are starting to doubt the possibility evolution being correct. I just wish they were brave enough to admit it publicly. Instead they allow whole nations to continue teaching this junk to little children because it is already an accepted fact.

Instead of persecution in the free world, we have abundance of pleasure, materialism, and entertainment to crowd out the word. I wonder at times how much the music, television and entertainment is drowning out the voice of God's Spirit trying to speak to us in these perilous times. We can't hear because we are so busy doing everything else that is actually nothing. Satan has little by little made us dull of hearing. What is considered normal now would have shocked my grandmother. God has not changed, we have.

We as yet don't have here in the United States anyone who will threaten our life over the gospel but we do have those that would forbid the word of God if they could. Some bibles have been changed so much that the original meaning is lost. Satan tries his best to get us away from the written word of God which is what God provided for us to keep us from being deceived. We can know all about God, His creation and His gift of eternal life through the written word. At one place God said that His word is above His own name.

Psalm 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

I see so much neglecting of the word today or taking the word lightly or using the word wrongfully that I can't stress enough the importance of returning to the authority of God's word for guidance in all things.

Jesus warned us to take heed that no man deceive us. The only thing that we have to guide us is the word and the Holy Spirit. the Holy Spirit will give us understanding of the word. Sometimes we must lay aside church tradition, tradition of men, philosophy of men and even what is socially acceptable and return to the study of the word for our leadership. Our lives, our souls, our eternity depends on it. We must not trust our eternal souls to anyone but God Himself.

We are to obey them that have rule over us as long as it doesn't conflict with God's word. We must love our pastors and support them but we cannot exalt them too high and feel that they can't make a mistake or look to them as our only source. We have the word of God and a good pastor will not be afraid of his congregation's comparing what he teaches to God's word. I invite anyone that reads these things I write and check it out by the word. In fact I would tremble with fear before God if I thought my words were taken without question. Who am I but just another human being trying to search out truth just like anyone else. I love God and would not want to say anything that was not true but that doesn't meant I'm not capable of it.

How much do we spend in God's word?

Psalm 140:6 I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.
7 O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.
9 As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
10 Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

These things will eventually happen to enemies of the gospel if they fail to repent. I notice that David's attitude toward enemies are different than Stephen in the book of Acts or Jesus as He was dying on the cross.

Acts 7:59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

This is the day of grace and mercy. This is the day of repenting and getting right with God before the time of mercy is closed.

In Revelations the attitude of the righteous changes though. There is a cry for vengeance as in the days of David.

Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

God does not always strive with men. In the days of before the flood Noah preached and warned until the Ark was built and the day of mercy was closed for those that perished in the flood. Now is the time to get right with God by turning from sin and turning to Christ. Don't wait until the door closes.

Psalm 140:11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

Those that speak evil, those that oppose righteousness, and those that hinder children from receiving the word of truth will be stopped.

Psalm 140:12 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.

As believers and fellow citizens of the earth we should always look out for and care for the poor. It grieves me to hear prosperity preachers exalt the rich and preach that we should give more to a preacher that is rich than one who is poor supposing that God is blessing the rich one. Not so. I look for the poorest to give to, not the richest.

The bible does not teach that we should despise the poor and assume he or she is lacking in faith. It teaches just the opposite. We better quit listening to this kind of stuff and get back to the word of God not just a few verses picked out to prove a false teaching. Jesus did not teach that we should strive for riches in this life. There are people that are very rich and do not even believe in Jesus or even God.

We also who are poor must not envy or covet what the rich has. Paul teaches us to be content and thankful for whatever we have and whatever state we are in. Both good and evil people are rich, both good and evil people are poor. We are to be thankful and share willingly whatever God blesses us with. I state willingly with emphasis because I'm not advocating any forced giving here. That has been tried and failed miserably. We can't force love, joy, giving and peace. It has to be done by God's spirit. God loves a cheerful giver, not one who gives out of necessity, out of guilt or to get something in return. DC

Psalm 140:13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

Psalm 141

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