PSALMS LESSON 113
 
     We will pick up the lesson in Psalms 109:14 "Let the iniquity of
his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his
mother be blotted out."

     In the previous lesson we had been studying about David desiring
the just punishments for these evil people. We had said that God
really did not need suggestions from David. This above is just a
statement of what really happens. God does not forget the sins that
are not under the blood of the Lamb.

     Psalms 109:15 "Let them be before the LORD continually, that he
may cut off the memory of them from the earth."

     This is a wish of David's that this family will not be able to
continue. This is saying, don't let them have children and
grandchildren to carry on their evil deeds.

     Psalms 109:16 "Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but
persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken
in heart."

     It seems that this evil person showed no mercy for others and
does not deserve  any mercy to be shown to him. This man was so evil
that he even got pleasure in doing terrible things to those who could
not help themselves.

     Psalms 109:17 "As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as
he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him."

     David is saying, let him reap what he has sown. David is just
asking justice for this man. We have discussed so many times, that
what comes from our mouth is what we really are, because it comes from
the heart. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. This
man is evil to the core. His inner most being is full of cursing.  Let
the words of his mouth speak out against himself. What he speaks on
others, let it be in his life.

     Psalms 109:18 "As he clothed himself with cursing like as with
his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil
into his bones."

     Cursing once in a while is bad, but it seems, this evil person
here curses all the time. The fact that it clothes him like a garment
means that every word he utters includes cursing. He is surrounded by
it. This man is so evil that even his bones and bowels are full, as
well. A person who loves and worships God will have rivers of living
waters flowing from their inner most being. This, evil, cursing, man
has death coming from his inner most being.

     Psalms 109:19 "Let it be unto him as the garment [which] covereth
him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually."

     The believers in the LORD are clothed in the robe of
righteousness. This evil man is clothed in sin. He is even tied down
with it. He is wrapped in it as a girdle. Thank goodness, his sin is
out for all to see.

     Psalms 109:20 "[Let] this [be] the reward of mine adversaries
from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul."

     We see a summation here by David of all the sin in this evil
person. Again, David is saying to God, You take vengeance on him for
me. As we said earlier, it is a very dangerous thing to speak against
the servant of God. The servant will not take vengeance, but God will
take vengeance in behalf of his servant.

     Psalms 109:21 "But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's
sake: because thy mercy [is] good, deliver thou me."

     David has finally gotten his eyes off this evil person and is
asking for God's help. God will deliver His own. Notice in the verse
above, that David is not asking favors in his own name. He asks favors
in the {thy name's sake}. Have mercy upon me and lift me above all of
this, is the cry of David.

     Psalms 109:22 "For I [am] poor and needy, and my heart is wounded
within me."

     Now we all know that David was not poor as to having material
things. He is speaking of the things of the spirit here. David was
just about to die of a broken heart, and that is what he is asking for
help with. Many of us know what it is to have a wounded spirit.
Usually guilt causes us to have a broken spirit. The first step to
forgiveness is having a broken heart for what we have done.
Forgiveness is soon in coming when this is our condition.

     Psalms 109:23 "I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am
tossed up and down as the locust."

     The long persecution that David had encountered had left him
tossed to and fro. At this point, David felt as if all hope of getting
back where he wanted to be was fading fast away.

     Psalms 109:24 "My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh
faileth of fatness."

     This means that the prayers David had been sending heavenward are
very serious prayers. Fasting shows you mean business with God. It
seems that David had fasted for an extended length of time. His
strength was gone. He had actually lost a great deal of weight from
this extended fast.

     Psalms 109:25 "I became also a reproach unto them: [when] they
looked upon me they shaked their heads."

     It appears that they had been ridiculing David for his fasting
and prayer. They had been reminding him that all this fasting and
prayer was not getting an answer. Since they did not believe in God
themselves, they thought what David was doing was foolish.

     Psalms 109:26 "Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy
mercy:"

     The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Notice, that David calls Him {my God}. David is not asking for justice
for himself, but mercy. Great is the mercy of the LORD to those who
love Him.

     Psalms 109:27 "That they may know that this [is] thy hand; [that]
thou, LORD, hast done it."

     David wants this answer to his prayer to be evident to these
unbelievers, so they will know that God is a God of forgiveness. He
not only wants the prayer answered, but for there to be no doubt in
any one's mind who answered the prayer. Secret miracles are great, but
those that are evident to the unsaved world can bring many to
salvation.

     Psalms 109:28 "Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise,
let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice."

     David is saying here, let them go ahead and curse him, as long as
God blesses him. David does not even want the blessing of this evil
one. He wants God's blessings. When the prayer is answered and David
is rejoicing, then these evil ones will be ashamed of themselves.

     Psalms 109:29 "Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and
let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle."

     For those of unbelief to see a miracle is very confusing. This
would, also, bring shame to them, as well, because they had said God
did not exist. If He did not exist, how did He answer this prayer?
They are now consumed with confusion and have no idea what to believe.
They have been proved wrong, now what do they do?

     Psalms 109:30 "I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea,
I will praise him among the multitude."

     David will not keep silent about this. He will open his mouth
wide and praise the LORD to all who will listen. Romans 10:10 "For
with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation." It is not good to be a silent
Christian. We must praise out loud the mighty works of God.

     Psalms 109:31 "For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor,
to save [him] from those that condemn his soul."

     Spiritual blessings come through the right side. God upholds
those who are His. He helps the poor and pleads the case of the
condemned that believe in Him. Jesus is our advocate with the Father.
                             Questions 113

1.  Let the iniquity of his __________ be remembered with the LORD.
2.  David is saying, cut off the __________ of them from the earth.
3.  Why did David not want these evil ones to have children and
    grandchildren?
4.  Who had this evil man not shown mercy to?
5.  The evil man loved _________.
6.  Where does cursing originate?
7.  Out of the abundance of the ________, the mouth speaketh.
8.  What was this evil man clothed with?
9.  In contrast to this evil one, what do believers have flowing from
    their inner being?
10. This _____ man is clothed in sin.
11. What is a summation of David's feelings toward this evil one?
12. It is a very dangerous thing to speak evil of whom?
13. The favors that David is asking, is in whose name?
14. In verse 22, David says he is _____ and _______.
15. Is this speaking of material things?
16. What usually causes a broken spirit?
17. David said he was tossed up and down as a __________.
18. What had caused David's knees to be weak?
19. How long had he fasted?
20. When they looked on David, what did they do?
21. Why did they believe what David was doing was foolish?
22. Save me according to ___ mercy.
23. The effectual _____ _____ of a righteous man availeth much.
24. What does David want in addition to the answer of his prayer?
25. Miracles that are evident to the world can bring ___________.
26. David says, let them go ahead and curse me, but you God, do what?
27. In verse 29, David says let his adversaries be clothed with what?
28. Quote Romans chapter 10 verse 10.
29. He shall stand at the right hand of the _______.
30. Jesus is our _________ with the Father.