Psalms 11-15
All of the following psalms are laments written by David. However, the laments are because of different reasons.
READ PSALM 11. This particular lament of only seven verses by David is a cry for help for justice. It is actually an answer to them who tell him to flee to the mountain for fear of the wicked. First, David outlines what the wicked will do. Then he asks what the righteous will do. You might be familiar with verse 4a when the psalmist says, "The Lord is in his holy temple."
In other words, David assures the people that God is in control. He finds security in three attributes of God:
----1. His sovereignty (verse 4)
----2. His omniscience (verse 5)
----3. His justice and righteousness (verses 5-7).
Psalms 12
READ PSALM 12. This lament of eight verses includes a prayer for deliverance from David's personal enemies. The prayer comes to the end in verses 7 and 8 for protection from those whose words are made up of flattery and insincerity.
The problems:
The godly seems to be disappearing (12:11).
Everyone is lying to each other (12:2-4).
The purity:
David realizes that the Lord's promises are pure and trustworthy (12:6).
The protection:
David trusts that the Lord is aware of the situation and will defend the godly (12:5, 7-8).
Psalms 13
READ PSALM 13. This lament is similar to the previous one where David prays for deliverance from his enemies. He feels isolated from the Lord and he needs to be vindicated. He again finds rest in God's unfailing love.
Four times David asks the Lord, "How long?" in verses 1 and 2.
David makes two requests in verses 3 and 4.
In verses 7 and 8, David praises the Lord for his unfailing love.
Psalms 14
READ PSALM 14. This is another lament by David. He bemoans the fact that everyone has turned away from God. He says God opposes the wicked, and he calls on God to rescue His people.
The short psalm is divided into two parts:
---- 1. God and the foolish (14:1-5)
---- 2. God and the favored (14:6-7)
According to verse 1, the foolish say, "There is no God." They are corrupt and evil. They devour the righteous. They do not pray to the Lord, and no one seeks God (verses 1-4).
The psalmist concludes that God's judgment will someday overwhelm the wicked (14:5). On the other hand, God watches over His people (14:6). The psalm ends with David's request for God to rescue His people (14:7).
Psalms 15
READ PSALM 15. Even though this is also a lament, David describes the behavior of those who truly worship the Lord. He begins the short psalm of only five verses with a question just as he did in Psalm 13. However, it is a different question: "Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?"
Then he itemizes the positive behavior of those who worship the Lord (15:2 and 4). Finally, he itemizes the negative behavior of those who refuse to worship the Lord (15:3 and 5).
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