Happy People Whose God is the Lord

Continuing a chronological Bible study:

(Psalm 144:1) (A Psalm of David) Blessed the Lord my strength who teaches my hands to war, my fingers to fight.

Psalm 144 begins with the same sentiments and even some of the very same words as Psalm 18 and David's song from 2 Samuel 22, so it is reasonable to think he may have composed it around the same time.  David began by praising the Lord whom he credited with being his strength and the one who brought him from a poor shepherd to be a valiant warrior and mighty conqueror. 

(2) My goodness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and in whom I trust, who subdues my people under me.

The Lord was everything to David!  Not only was He his strength, but his goodness; all good things come from the Lord, and in Him and by following His commandments, we can be good.  The Lord was David's fortress, his refuge and protection, and his high tower where the Lord lifted him up out of reach of his enemies.  He was his deliverer and his Savior, and His salvation and favor was a shield to him, protecting him from danger and evil.  He trusted in his Lord alone, not in men or princes (Psalm 118:8-9), the Lord who subdued his people under his reign, the Israelites and the surrounding nations who were tributaries to him.

(3) Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man that You make account of him?

This is a thought David had pondered before in Psalm 8.  He marveled that the Lord should take notice of one such insignificant person.  Even more incredible was that He should regard the eventual sons of man who would seem even more insignificant at the present time.

(4) Man is like vanity, his days like a shadow that passes away.

Man is utterly vain and empty, nothing, a shadow that has no substance that quickly and easily passes away, yet the Lord was mindful of him.

(5) Bow Your heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains and they shall smoke. (6) Cast forth lightning and scatter them; shoot out Your arrows and destroy them.

The heavens are subject to God's will.  He can bow them down and come in a dreadful force of nature with storm clouds, thunder, and lightning.  He can make the mountains smoke, and He can scatter and destroy men, specifically His enemies.

(7) Send Your hand from above; rid me and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children, (8) Whose mouth speaks vanity, and their right hand a hand of falsehood.

David prayed that the Lord send from heaven deliverance and rid him of his great afflictions and from the hand of foreigners and pagan nations who spoke only vain things, false things, things not real and true; they performed only deceits and falsehoods.

(9) I will sing a new song to You, O God; upon a psaltery, an instrument of ten strings, will I sing praises to You.

David determined to sing a new song to the Lord, a song specially composed for this occasion, expressing the special feelings appropriate for the divine goodness and mercy of the Lord.  He would play upon a psaltery of ten strings to sing praises to his Lord.

(10) He who gives salvation to kings, who delivers David His servant from the hurtful sword.

David would sing praises to the One who gave salvation to kings.  It is only by Him that kings were able to reign, and He had delivered David from being killed by his enemies to bring him to the throne of Israel.

(11) Rid me and deliver me from the hand of strange children whose mouth speaks vanity, and their right hand a right hand of falsehood.

David repeated his plea that God rid him and deliver him from the hand of foreigners and pagan nations who spoke only vain things and false things, and whose hands performed only deceits and falsehoods.

(12) That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth, that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.

David prayed these things not only for his sake, but for the sake of the nation, its people, and their children.  He desired that their sons might be like strong, well rooted young plants, which promised great things.  He desired that their daughters be strong and beautiful.

(13) Our garners may be full, affording all manner of store; our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets.

David prayed that their granaries always be full of every sort of produce or grain, and that their sheep herds increase to tens of thousands.

(14) Our oxen may be strong to labor, no breaking in nor going out, no complaining in our streets.

He prayed that their oxen be strong for all their needs, that there would be no enemies breaking in nor any of their people going out captive, and that the people would be content because there would be no famine, pestilence, violence, or oppression, to make them cry out and complain.

(15) Happy people who are in such a case, happy people whose God is the Lord.

Such blessings of the Lord produced happy people.  The people whose God is the Lord are happy people because His truth and His laws are the only way to blessings and life.  As the Lord said through Moses in Deuteronomy 30:19-20, "...I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live, that you may love the Lord your God, and that you may obey His voice, and that you may cleave to Him, for He is your life..."