TEACHING NOTES Introduction As our town recovers from yet another powerful hurricane, it seems fitting to focus our hearts on being thankful. Today, we’re going to study a short Psalm that is all about calling out to God in the midst of trouble and praising Him for hearing and answering our prayers. This prayer is meant to remind us of God’s faithfulness and our need to always be grateful. ‌ Psalm 138:1–3 1 I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your Name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your Name and your Word. 3 On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. ‌ Thanks with my whole heart = The Hebrew word for “give thanks” here is od, which means “to praise, confess.” The Hebrew phrase for “whole heart” is kal libbi, which means “with all one’s inner self, with all attention, with all determination.” Similar to Psalm 103:1 “Bless the LORD, O my soul” this psalm is teaching us to be thankful from the inside out. Why? Because your inner self is who you really are and where our deepest struggles exist. ‌ Before the gods I sing praise = The Bible mentions other gods through its pages. The Hebrew word for gods is elohim, which simply means “spiritual beings.” These other gods were created by God (Yahweh) to be His servants and partners in His creation. However, many of them rebelled and led humans to worship and serve them instead of Yahweh God. These other gods led humans to into injustice, immorality, and destruction (Ps. 82). The ancient Greek translation (Septuagint) of Psalm 96:5 says, “For all the gods of the nations are demons, but the Lord made the heavens.” Therefore, Psalm 138:1 is about praising and thanking God in the demon’s faces to let them know who you worship and to whom you belong. ‌ Bow down = Heb. haweh - bow down, prostrate, become low. This shows humility and submission to God. We will see later in verse 6 why it is important for us become “lowly” before God. ‌ Thanks to your Name = In the Bible, names have meaning that communicate attributes and purpose. The name of our Creator is YHWH or Yahweh, which literally means “the one who brings into being” or “the Creator.” ‌ Steadfast love = Heb. hesed - loyal, faithful, good, gracious. The Bible does not describe God’s love for us as simply a feeling. God’s love is described as a list of verbs that tell us HOW He loves us. God’s love for us is most often described as loyalty and faithfulness. ‌ Faithfulness = Heb. emet - trustworthy, constant, reliable, true. ‌ Name and Word exalted above all things = This Psalm teaches us to put God’s Name and God’s Word “above all things.” God’s Name (Yahweh) is His identity as our Creator. In Genesis 1 God speaks to create the world. His “Word” is the active agent of creation. This is why John 1:1-3 refers to Jesus as “the Word” who “was with God, and the Word was God” and “all things were made through him” and “in him was life.” This prayer is teaching us put our Creator and His Son at the highest level of our hearts and minds. One of the most common struggles with prayer is being distracted by all the other things in your mind. This prayer teaches us to exalt or elevate God’s character/identity and His Word to the front/top of everything else. ‌ My strength of soul increased = If we do what the Psalm is teaching us in prayer, we will find that our inner strength will increase. This Hebrew phrase can also be translated, “you magnify my inner strength.” ‌ Psalm 138:4–6 4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth, 5 and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD. 6 For though the LORD is high above, he regards the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. ‌ All the kings shall give you thanks = The imperfect sense of the verb “shall give” indicates that this is unfolding over time. The kingdom of God is unfolding or progressing toward a time when all kings and authorities on earth will bow to their Creator. In Isaiah 45:23 God says, “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.” (Paul quotes this in Rom. 14:11) And Paul writes in Philippians 2:9–11 “9 Therefore God has highly exalted him [Jesus] and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” ‌ Great is the glory = The “glory of the LORD” is about God’s radiant and powerful presence. No ruler, king, devil, or demon can withstand the power and presence of God. The fact that God’s power Spirit dwells in us should remind us that no enemy of God’s people has a chance. ‌ He regards the lowly = Remember, this Psalm began with bowing down or becoming “lowly” before God (Ps. 138:2). The Hebrew word for “regards” here is yireh or ra’ah, which means “to see, to understand, to reveal.” Our God sees, understands, and reveals Himself to the lowly. This idea is similar to the name that Hagar called God— “El Roi” or “the God who sees me” (Gen. 16:13). Hagar was the lowly servant of Sarah and Abraham. The pagan gods were known as the gods of the powerful and of those of high status. But the Bible describes Yahweh as the God of the lowly. ‌ The proud he knows from afar = While God sees, understands, and reveals Himself to the lowly, “the proud he knows from afar.” In other words, God gets close to the lowly/humble and distances Himself from the proud. God “regards” (Heb. ra’ah) the lowly, but the proud He “knows” (Heb. yadah - notices) at a distance. ‌ Psalm 138:7–8 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. 8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. ‌ I walk in the midst of trouble = The Hebrew word for “midst” here is qereb, which means “inner parts.” The word for “trouble” is sarah, which means “distress, anxiety, need.” Therefore, this line could be translated, “Though I live with inner anxiety.” David wrote a similar line in Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” ‌ You preserve my life = God preserves your life in the midst of trouble by protecting us from the wrath of your enemies. Just as David said in Psalm 23:4 “I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” This prayer is teaching us to remember that God is with us and our enemies (both physical and spiritual) are held back by God’s own hand. ‌ Your right hand delivers me = The Hebrew word for “delivers” here is yasha, which means “to save, rescue, deliver from bondage.” Another form of this Hebrew word is yeshua, meaning “salvation.” The New Testament tells us that Jesus (Heb. Yeshua) is seated at the right hand of God the Father on the throne in heaven (Matt. 26:64; Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 8:1; 12:2). David knew centuries before Jesus came that salvation comes from God’s right hand. ‌ Fulfill his purpose for me = The Hebrew word for “fulfill” is gamar, which means “to bring to the end or complete.” Every believer is on a journey toward being “conformed to the image of God’s Son” (Rom. 8:29). Paul also tells us in Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” This prayer reminds us that God has a plan for us no matter what is currently happening. What we are dealing with right now is a temporary season of our journey. ‌ Steadfast love endures forever = David gives us the reason that God will fulfill His purpose for us—because God faithfully loves us eternally. God’s love and goodness for us does not change. There is nothing we can do that will make God stop loving us. Even if we turn away from God, He will continue to chase us down and lead us back. ‌ Do not forsake the work = The ESV translates this phrase to sound more like a request, but it may actually be a statement. This line could be literally translated, “the works of your hands you will not abandon.” This sounds similar to a quote from Jesus in Hebrews 13:5 “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” This prayer reminds us that God is always present and will never abandon us. ‌ How Psalm 138 Guides Prayer: Praying Psalm 138 reminds us to be thankful at all times for the faithful goodness of God. ‌ 1. Make a list 2. Pray the Psalm 3. Thank the LORD ‌ How to Respond Prayer: Ask God to reveal what needs to change. Repentance: Agree with God and repent of sin. Worship: Thank God for what He is doing in you. Communion: Take Christ in and renew faithfulness.