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Text: Psalm 39
Song given to Jeduthun to put to music. The significance is seen in 2 Chronicles 35:15 And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; Jeduthun is also one of the chief musicians. So this psalm is not just a song to sing, but is evidently a prayer David would like answered (39:12).
Notice verse 5, 6, 11, 12, and 13 because these verses describe the theme of this psalm as understanding the vitality of the LORD for the vanity of man. Without God’s hands man is still dust. Without God’s breath of life, man is a corpse.
Man’s best is vanity (vss 1-5)
- Best man has to offer in this world does not change the course of this world.
- Best man has to offer in this world will not prevent him from being gone tomorrow.
- Best man has to offer in this world will not keep him from being forgotten.
- My days as an handbreadth in verse 5 makes me think the palm readers took it literally and missed the point. If they were honest they’d take a look at your palm instead of saying you’ll live a long prosperous life, they’d say like Jacob few and evil will be the days of your life.
- The companion verse for this psalm is James 4:13-17-
- That means if you know to do good today, but say I’ll get it done tomorrow, you’ve presumed that you have tomorrow to do good and forgotten how quick your life goes. How many things are you putting off today because you believe you have tomorrow? You say, I’ll stop this sin tomorrow. You say, I’ll start serving the Lord tomorrow. You say, I’ll start praying more tomorrow. You say, I’ll start reading my Bible tomorrow.
- Look at Hebrews 3:7-15.
All men are vanity (vss 6-11)
- Solomon in Ecclesiastes, all of man’s endeavors are vain. (God’s endeavors are the only lasting value.)
- All under the curse from which there is no escape in this world.
- Men needs to be reminded that his own strength is so fragile that it can be consumed with a stroke, and eaten away by a little moth.
God’s strength in vanity (vss 12-13)
- David says this present world is not my home. I’m a stranger and a sojourner here.
- Hebrews 11:13-16
- 1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
- Back to James 4:13-17. Haven’t you got somethings you know you ought to start doing? Don’t you have somethings you know you ought to stop doing?
- 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
