Praise!
Six Studies in the Psalms by Peter J. Blackburn
Study 6 - Security (Psalm 27)
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Psalm 27
1 The LORD is my light and salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is the refuge of my life;
of whom then should I go in dread?
2 When evil doers close in on me to devour me,
it is my enemies, my assailants,
who stumble and fall.
1 The LORD is my light and salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is the refuge of my life;
of whom then should I go in dread?
2 When evil doers close in on me to devour me,
it is my enemies, my assailants,
who stumble and fall.
3 If an army should encamp against me,
my heart would feel no fear;
if armed men should fall upon me,
even then I should be undismayed.
4 One thing I ask of the LORD,
one thing I seek:
that I may be constant in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For he will keep me safe beneath his roof
in the day of misfortune;
he will hide me under the cover of his tent;
he will raise me beyond reach of distress.
6 Now I can raise my head high
above the enemy all about me;
so will I acclaim him with sacrifice before his tent;
and sing a psalm of praise to the Lord.
my heart would feel no fear;
if armed men should fall upon me,
even then I should be undismayed.
4 One thing I ask of the LORD,
one thing I seek:
that I may be constant in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For he will keep me safe beneath his roof
in the day of misfortune;
he will hide me under the cover of his tent;
he will raise me beyond reach of distress.
6 Now I can raise my head high
above the enemy all about me;
so will I acclaim him with sacrifice before his tent;
and sing a psalm of praise to the Lord.
7 Hear, O LORD, when I call aloud;
show me favour and answer me.
8 'Come,' my heart has said,
'seek his face.'
I will seek your face, O LORD;
9 do not hide it from me,
nor in your anger turn away your servant,
whose help you have been.
10 Though my father and my mother forsake me,
The LORD will take me into his care.
11/12 Teach me your way, O LORD;
do not give me up to the greed of my enemies;
lead me by a level path
to escape my watchful foes;
liars stand up to give evidence against me,
breathing malice.
13 Well I know that I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
show me favour and answer me.
8 'Come,' my heart has said,
'seek his face.'
I will seek your face, O LORD;
9 do not hide it from me,
nor in your anger turn away your servant,
whose help you have been.
10 Though my father and my mother forsake me,
The LORD will take me into his care.
11/12 Teach me your way, O LORD;
do not give me up to the greed of my enemies;
lead me by a level path
to escape my watchful foes;
liars stand up to give evidence against me,
breathing malice.
13 Well I know that I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, take courage,
and wait for the LORD.
and wait for the LORD.
What is it saying?
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Are all the words and phrases clear to me? Do I understand what this Psalm meant when it was first written -
Jot down here any new thoughts, problems or questions, that have come to mind as you have read and thought about this Psalm. |
In the group, share what you have written before reading on.
There are hints in this Psalm that David may have written it during the time when he was being pursued by Saul. He is quite confident that the Lord brings him hope and gives him refuge (vv. 1-3).
But if David is "on the run", he knows his constant need for a more intimate relationship with the Lord. In v. 4 we sense a desire for a more stable and regular kind of life in which he could actually go to the sanctuary for worship. Note that worship includes "gazing upon the beauty of the Lord" and "seeking him". His deliverance is certain and he is already looking forward to being able to sing the Lord's praise in the sanctuary (v. 6).
Yet the pressure of his present situation is very real and David seeks the assurance of a speedy deliverance (vv. 7-12).
The concluding verses reaffirm the conviction that he will see the Lord's goodness (v. 13), but that he must "wait", "be strong", "take courage" (v. 14).
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Does the thought of the Lord as our "refuge" meaningfully express our need of God as Christians today?
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What about me?
For the words of the Psalmist of centuries ago to be a meaningful part of my praise, I need to think about my life today. Use these questions to help focus group sharing.
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Have I, as an individual or as a Christian, recently felt that others have been against me?
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If there was one thing I could ask of the Lord, what would I choose?
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Do I readily and quickly seek the Lord's help in time of trouble?
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How easy do I find it to believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord in my life day by day?
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"Be strong, take courage and wait for the Lord." What do these words say particularly to me in my life?
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Praise!
Work individually for ten minutes or so and write down your own Psalm based on our sharing of life together in the light of Psalm 27.
Now share with the whole group what you have written.
Then join together in praise using the words of Psalm 27.
Praise! Studies in the Psalms © Peter J. Blackburn 1977, 2000. Permission is given for this study to be copied in its entirety for group use. Courtesy advice of the use of these studies would be appreciated. Any other proposed use must have the written permission of the author. Email Peter Blackburn.
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