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诗篇生命读经 · 第24篇

在神殿中享受神时，诗人从他们混杂情绪

The pious expressions of the psalmists uttered out of their complex sentiments
发出的虔诚发表
while enjoying God in His House
诗篇五十二至六十七篇（一）
PSALMS 52—67 (1)
1读经：诗篇五十二至五十七篇。
1Scripture Reading: Psa. 52—57
2诗篇里的神圣启示，关于基督的启示有一些站口。到目前为止，我们所看过最后的站口是四十五篇，在这之后就是六十八篇。在四十五篇和六十八篇之间，有二十二篇诗。如我们所看过的，四十六至四十八篇与城有关，四十九至五十一篇论到在基督里享受神的三类人。在我们来看诗篇六十八篇以前，我们需要经过十六篇诗，我们将有三篇信息专讲这些诗。诗篇五十二至六十七篇呈现给我们的是一个『沼泽』，就是我们很难经过的『泥泞』光景。然而，我们需要通过这十六篇诗。在本篇信息中，我们要来看五十二至五十七篇。这六篇诗为古代神的子民所宝贵，每篇诗都像『宝石』一样被看重；不然，这六篇诗不会包括在诗篇里。虽然有些人非常珍赏这些诗，但我发觉很难对其有深刻的印象。不仅如此，因为这些诗非常相像，我也发觉很难看出每篇之间如何不同。再者，很难点出其中谈论的是甚么。这里的情绪的确是强烈、纷杂、复杂的。所以，这些诗可视为诗人在神殿中享受神时，从他们混杂情绪中所发出的虔诚发表。现在我们逐一来看这些诗。
2With the divine revelation in the Psalms, there are stations for the revelation concerning Christ. The last of these stations which we have covered thus far is Psalm 45, and the next will be Psalm 68. Between Psalm 45 and Psalm 68 there are twenty-two psalms. As we have seen, Psalms 46—48 are concerned with the city, and Psalms 49—51 deal with three categories of persons regarding the enjoyment of God in Christ. Before we come to Psalm 68, we need to pass through sixteen psalms, and we will devote three messages to these psalms. Psalms 52—67 present us with a “marsh,” a kind of “muddy” situation that is hard for us to pass through. Nevertheless, we need to get through these sixteen psalms. In this message we will consider Psalms 52—57. These psalms were treasured by God’sp eople in ancient times, with each psalm being valued as a “gem.” Otherwise, these six psalms would not have been included in the book of the Psalms. Although some have highly appreciated these psalms, I find it difficult to be impressed with them. Furthermore, because these psalms are very much alike, I also find it difficult to see how each of them differs from the others. Moreover, it is hard to say what they talk about. The sentiment here is surely strong, mixed, and complex. Therefore, these psalms may be considered the pious expressions of the psalmists uttered out of their complex sentiments while enjoying God in His house. Let us now consider these psalms one by one
壹 诗人对恶人的定罪，和他在神殿中对神的享受
I. The psalmist’s condemnation of the evil man and the psalmist’s enjoyment of God in His House
3五十二篇的标题是这样：『以东人多益来告诉扫罗说，大卫到了亚希米勒家。那时，大卫作这训诲诗，交与歌咏指挥。』训诲诗一辞也许指明，这是一篇教导的诗。
3The superscription to Psalm 52 calls it “a Maschil of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, David has come to the house of Ahimelech.” The word “Maschil” may indicate that this is a psalm of instruction
4在这篇诗前七节，诗人定罪恶人；在末二节，诗人说到他在神殿中享受神。一诗人对恶人的定罪『勇士阿，你为何以作恶自夸？神的慈爱是常存的。』（1。）这勇士是谁？为甚么说到勇士之后，诗人立刻继续说到神的慈爱？这里似乎没有关联。在二至七节，诗人大卫似乎对这勇士满了仇恨。虽然大卫没有说，神要咒诅这人，他却说，『神也要拆毁你，直到永远；祂要把你拿去，从你的帐棚中将你抽出，从活人之地将你拔出。』（5。）这里大卫的话非常强烈。一个敬虔的人怎会就著一个逼迫他的人这样祷告？二诗人在神殿中对神的享受在八至九节大卫继续说，『至于我，就像神殿中青翠的橄榄树，永永远远信靠神的慈爱。我要称谢你，直到永远，因为你行了这事；我也要在你敬虔之人面前仰望你的名；这名本为美好。』大卫在神殿中既是青翠的，他既信靠神的慈爱，为甚么他仍需要这样强烈的就著这勇士祷告？我们该怎样思想大卫？我们读这样一篇诗之后，会继续认为他是完全属灵的么？我年轻时，对大卫评价很高，但研读圣经这么多年以后，我对他的珍赏减少了。一面，大卫在神殿中享受神，甚至是在神殿中青翠的橄榄树；另一面，他却在祷告中定罪恶人，说神要从活人之地将他拔出。大卫怎能享受神，同时又恨恶他的一个仇敌到极点？这种对仇敌的恨恶，搀杂著在神殿中享受神而对神的赞美，当然不是正确的。敬虔的人怎能在同一篇诗里，将对仇敌的恼恨与对神的赞美搀杂在一起？但这正是大卫在五十二篇所作的。
4In the first seven verses the psalmist condemns the evil man, and in the last two verses the psalmist speaks concerning his enjoyment of God in His house. A. The Psalmist’s Condemnation on the Evil Man “Why do you boast in evil, O mighty one? / God’s lovingkindness endures continually” (v. 1). Who is this mighty one? Why, after referring to the mighty man, does the psalmist immediately go on to speak of God’s lovingkindness? There seems to be no connection here. In verses 2 through 7 it appears that David, the psalmist, is full of hatred for this mighty one. Although David does not say that God will curse this one, he says, “God will likewise bring you down forever; / He will take you and pluck you up from your tent, / And uproot you from the land of the living” (v. 5). David’sword here is very strong. How could a godly man pray in such a way concerning one of his persecutors? B. The Psalmist’s Enjoyment of God in His House In verses 8 and 9 David continued, “But I, like a flourishing olive tree / In the house of God, / Trust in God’s lovingkindness / Forever and ever. / I will give You thanks forever, / For You have acted; / And I will hope in Your name in the presence of Your godly ones, / For it is good.” Since David was flourishing in God’sho use and since he trusted in God’s lovingkindness, why did he still need to pray so strongly regarding the mighty one? What should we think of David? After reading such a psalm as this, will we continue to consider him to be perfectly spiritual? When I was young, I appraised David highly, but after studying the Bible for so many years, my appreciation of him has decreased. On the one hand, David enjoyed God in His house, even as an olive tree flourishing in the dwelling of God; on the other hand, in his prayer he condemned the evil man, saying that God would uproot him from the land of the living. How could David at the same time enjoy God and hate one of his enemies to the uttermost? Surely this mixture of hate for an enemy and praise to God for His enjoyment of God in His house is not right. How could a godly man mix together hatred to his enemy and praise to God in the same psalm? This is what David did in Psalm 52.
贰 世人中没有一个人行善，但诗人要从神殿中的救恩里享受神
II. None among all the sons of men doing good, but the psalmist wanting to enjoy God in His salvation from his house
5五十三篇的标题说，『大卫的训诲诗，交与歌咏指挥，调用玛哈拉。』关于『玛哈拉』，原文意不详，或许指一种悲伤的调子。这篇教导的诗乃是写于大卫被外邦人攻击的时候。一世人中没有一个人行善一至五节告诉我们，世人中没有一个人行善。大卫在这里说，外邦人中没有一个人行善。这篇诗将所有的外邦人都推进『沟』里，却将犹太人高举到天上。
5The superscription to Psalm 5 3 says, “To the choir director: according to mahalath. A Maschil of David.” Concerning “mahalath,” the meaning of the Hebrew is obscure. It may refer to a kind of sad melody. This psalm of instruction refers to a time when David was being attacked by the Gentiles. A. None among All the Sons of Men Doing Good In verses 1 through 5 we are told that none among all the sons of men was doing good. Here David is saying that none among the Gentiles is doing good. This psalm puts all the Gentiles into a “ditch” and uplifts the Jews to heaven.
6一节说，『愚顽人心里说，没有神。他们都是败坏，行了可憎恶的事；没有一个人行善。』这节不是指犹太人，乃是指外邦人，这里的愚顽人是外邦人。保罗在罗马三章十至十二节引用这节，以及二至三节，乃是指所有的人。在四节大卫继续说，『作孽的没有知识么？他们吞吃我的百姓如同吃饭一样，他们并不求告神。』这里大卫似乎在说，这是神对外邦人说的话。
6Verse 1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, / There is no God. / They are corrupt and do abominable deeds; / There is none who does good.” This verse refers not to Jews but to Gentiles, and the fool here is a Gentile. Paul quoted this verse, along with verses 2 and 3 in Romans 3:10-12, referring to all men. In verse 4 David goes on to say, “Have they no knowledge, all who do iniquity, / Who devour my people as they would devour bread / And do not call upon God?” Here David seems to be saying that this is God’sword to the Gentiles
二 诗人要从神殿中的救恩里享受神
B. The Psalmist Wanting to Enjoy God in His Salvation from His House
7在六节我们看见，诗人要在神救回祂被掳的子民时，从神殿中的救恩里享受神。这节说，『但愿以色列的救恩从锡安而出！神救回祂被掳的子民时，雅各要欢腾，以色列要喜乐。』这里的救恩只是为著犹太人。参诗人在寻求有分于神的救助、
7In verse 6 we see that the psalmist wanted to enjoy God in His salvation from His house when God turned the captivity of His people. This verse says, “Oh that the salvation of Israel might come forth from Zion! / When God turns the captivity of His people, / Jacob will exult, Israel will rejoice.” The salvation here is only for the Jews. III. The psalmist asking God to annihilate his enemies
维持和拯救时，求神灭绝他的仇敌
while seeking to participate in God in His help, sustenance, and salvation
8诗篇五十四篇与诗篇五十二、五十三篇同类。这里诗人自己在寻求有分于享受神的救助、维持和拯救时，求神灭绝他的仇敌。我们很难相信一个神人竟能为这样的事祷告。
8Psalm 54 is in the same category as Psalms 52 and 53. Here the psalmist asked God to annihilate his enemies, while he himself was seeking to participate in the enjoyment of God in His help, sustenance, and salvation. It is hard to believe that a God-man could pray for such a thing
9在五十四篇一节诗人说，『神阿，求你以你的名救我，凭你的大能为我伸冤。』要向谁伸冤？照著诗人说，是向他的仇敌，就是向外邦人伸冤。
9In verse 1 the psalmist says, “O God, save me by Your name, / And execute judgment for me by Your might.” On whom was judgment to be executed? According to the psalmist, it was to be executed on his enemies, who were Gentiles
10二至三节继续说，『神阿，求你听我的祷告，留心听我口中的言语。因为外人起来攻击我，强暴人寻索我的性命；他们眼中没有神。』这里的外人是外邦人。外邦人眼中没有神，意思是他们不敬畏神。对他们而言，没有神。
10Verses 2 and 3 continue, “O God, hear my prayer; / Give ear to the words of my mouth. / For strangers have risen up against me, / And those who terrorize seek my soul; / They do not set God before them.” The strangers here are Gentiles. For the Gentiles not to set God before them means that they do not fear God. To them, there is no God.
11在四节诗人继续说，『看哪，神是帮助我的，主是在那些扶持我性命者之中的。』那些扶持诗人性命，帮助神拯救大卫者，必是犹太人。在五节，诗人为著灭绝他的仇敌祷告说，『祂将灾祸归于窥探我的人。求你凭你的信实灭绝他们。』诗人不是求主凭祂的信实怜悯他们，反而祷告求神灭绝他们。这不符合诗人大卫的属灵。在豫表基督是争战的得胜者上，大卫求神灭绝他的仇敌是正确的。但在他属灵的生活上，在他的属灵上，他恨恶他的仇敌，求神毁灭、灭绝他的仇敌，是全然不正确的。这违反神选民属灵生命的性质，甚至违反神在旧约箴言二十五章二十一至二十二节的圣言，就是使徒保罗在罗马十二章二十节所引用的。因此，我们无法承认大卫的属灵是完全的。然后诗人说，『我要把甘心祭献给你；耶和华阿，我要赞美你的名；这名本为美好。祂从一切的急难中，把我救出来。我的眼睛也看见了我仇敌遭报。』（诗五四6～7。）这是属灵人的祷告，或是人在天然观念里的发表？读这样的诗篇以后，我们还能尊敬大卫么？
11In verse 4 the psalmist goes on to say, “Behold, God is my help; / The Lord is among those who sustain my soul.” Those who sustained the psalmist’s soul, helping God to save David, must have been Jews. It is in verse 5 that the psalmist prays for the annihilation of his enemies, saying, “He will return the evil to those who lie in wait for me. / Annihilate them in Your faithfulness.” Instead of asking the Lord to have mercy on them in His faithfulness, the psalmist prays that God will annihilate them. This does not fit in with the psalmist David’s spirituality. In typifying Christ as the fighting victor, it is all right for David to ask God to annihilate his enemies. But in his spiritual living, in his spirituality, it is altogether not right for him to hate his enemies, to ask God to destroy, to annihilate, his enemies. This is against the nature of the spiritual life of God’s chosen people, and even against God’sho ly word in the Old Testament, Proverbs 25:21-22, quoted by the apostle Paul in Romans 12:20. Hence, we cannot admit that David’s spirituality is perfect. Then the psalmist says, “I will offer a freewill offering to You; / I will praise Your name, O Jehovah, for it is good. / For He has delivered me from all distress, / And my eye looks triumphantly upon my enemies” (vv. 6-7). Is this the prayer of a spiritual man, or is it the utterance of a man in his natural concept? After reading such a psalm, can we still hold David in high regard
12我已学知，要领会圣经实在不容易，尤其要对五十四篇这样的诗篇有正确的领会，更是不容易。我研读这事，受到达秘论诗篇时使用『情绪』一辞的帮助。达秘说，诗篇是圣徒『情绪』的发表。关于五十二至五十七篇，我要说，这里不仅仅有诗人的情绪，也有他们混杂的情绪，他们的情绪是纷杂的。信靠神的确是对的，五十四篇有一部分是大卫信靠神的发表。但我们怎能称义大卫在同一篇诗里，祷告神灭绝他的仇敌？他恨恶他们到一个地步，求神灭绝他们。我们必须承认，在这篇诗里有混杂，并且诗人的情绪是复杂的。
12I have learned that it is altogether not easy to understand the Bible. In particular, it is not easy to have the proper understanding of a psalm like Psalm 54. In studying this matter, I have been helped by John Nelson Darby’su se of the word sentiment in relation to the Psalms. Darby says that the Psalms are the expressions of the sentiments of the saints. Regarding Psalms 52— 57, I would say that here we have not merely the sentiments of the psalmists but their complex sentiments. Their sentiments are a matter of mixture. To trust in God is certainly right, and part of Psalm 54 is an expression of David’st rust in God. But how can we justify David’s praying, in the same psalm, for the annihilation of his enemies? He hated them to such an extent that he asked God to annihilate them. We must admit that in this psalm we have a mixture and that the sentiments of the psalmist are complex.
肆 诗人在仇敌欺压之下，求神对付他仇敌时，寻求经历神的救恩
IV. The psalmist seeking to experience God’ss alvation while, under the oppression of his enemy, asking God to deal with his enemy
13在五十五篇，诗人寻求经历神的救恩。同时，在仇敌欺压之下，他求神对付他的仇敌。
13In Psalm 55 the psalmist seeks to experience God’ss alvation. At the same time, being under the oppression of his enemy, he asks God to deal with his enemy
一 诗人寻求经历神的救恩
A. The Psalmist Seeking to Experience God’sS alvation
14一至二节、四至八节、十六至十八节上半、二十二节、和二十三节下半给我们看见，诗人在寻求经历神的救恩。二十二节这节『金句』说，『你要把你的重担卸给耶和华，祂必扶持你；祂永不叫义人动摇。』这节向我们保证，我们有神就是安全的，因为祂这扶持者不会允许任何事物动摇我们。你有任何重担么？你仍凭自己承担么？你需要把你的重担卸给耶和华，祂必扶持你。二诗人在仇敌欺压之下，
14Verses 1-2, 4-8, 16-18a, 22, and 23b show us that the psalmist is seeking to experience God’ss alvation. Verse 22, a “golden” verse, says, “Cast your burden upon Jehovah, / And He will support you; / He will never allow the righteous to be moved.” This verse assures us that with God we are safe, for He, the supporting One, will not allow anything to move us. Do you have any kind of burden, and are you still bearing it by yourself? You need to cast your burden upon Jehovah, and He will support you. B. The Psalmist, under the Oppression of His Enemy
基于善恶的原则，求神对付他的仇敌
Asking God to Deal with His Enemy Based on the Principle of Good and Evil
15诗人在仇敌欺压之下，求神对付他的仇敌。（3，9～15，18下～21，23上。）他的恳求不是基于怜悯和恩典的原则，乃是基于善恶的原则。他为著他仇敌的祷告，是基于善恶知识树的原则。
15While under the oppression of his enemy, the psalmist asked God to deal with his enemy (vv. 3, 9-15, 18b- 21, 23a). His request was based not on the principle of mercy and grace but rather on the principle of good and evil. His prayer regarding his enemy was based on the principle of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
三 豫言犹大出卖基督
C. Prophesying Concerning Judas’ Betraying of Christ
16十三节豫言犹大出卖基督。（参诗四一9，约十三18。）这指明在诗人虔诚的发表里，有关于基督消极方面的豫言，说到基督的仇敌，出卖基督的犹大。大卫豫表受苦的基督。在他关于遭受仇敌之苦，混杂情绪的虔诚发表里，他说出了这豫言，指明犹大出卖基督，乃是基督苦难的一部分。
16Verse 13 prophesies concerning Judas’ betraying of Christ (41:9; John 13:18). This indicates that in the pious expressions of the psalmist there was a prophecy concerning Christ on the negative side, considering Judas, who betrayed Christ, as His enemy. David was the type of the suffering Christ. In his pious expression of his complex sentiment concerning his suffering of his enemies, he uttered this prophecy here, indicating that Judas’ betrayal of Christ was a part of the sufferings of Christ
四 诗人在仇敌逼迫之下，回想他同别人在神殿中的享受
D. The Psalmist, under the Persecution of His Enemy, Recalling His Enjoyment with Others in the House of God
17诗人在仇敌的欺压和逼迫之下，回想他同群众在神殿中的享受。（诗五五14。）这也许指以色列人从前每年三次节期的享受。（出二三14～17。）
17While the psalmist was under the oppression and persecution of his enemy, he recalled his enjoyment of God with the throng in the house of God (Psa. 55:14). This may refer to the enjoyment of the festivals which the people of Israel used to have three times a year (Exo. 23:14-17
伍 诗人在信靠神并享受神拯救他脱离死亡和绊跌时，求神使他的仇敌堕落
V. The psalmist asking God to cast down his enemies, while trusting in God and enjoying God in His deliverance of him from death and stumbling
一 诗人求神使他的仇敌堕落
A. The Psalmist Asking God to Cast Down His Enemies
18『他们终日颠倒我的话；他们一切的心思，都是要害我。他们聚集，埋伏窥探我的脚踪，等候要害我的命。他们岂能因罪孽逃脱么？神阿，求你在怒中使众民堕落。』（诗五六5～7。）一面，诗人信靠神；另一面，他信靠神时，求神使他的仇敌堕落。我们许多人也作过同样的事。当我们祷告求主托住我们，扶持我们时，可能同时求祂对付困扰我们的人，也许那是我们的丈夫或妻子，或我们的室友。你没有这样祷告过么？有时我们里面确有这样的情绪，不过没有在祷告中实际向主说出来罢了。
18All day long they wrest my words; / All their thoughts are against me for evil. / They gather themselves; they lurk; / They watch my steps, / As they have waited to take my life. / Will there be deliverance for them in spite of their iniquity? / In anger cast down the peoples, O God” (Psa. 56:5-7). On the one hand, the psalmist trusted in God; on the other hand, while trusting in God, he asked God to cast down his enemies. Many of us have done this very thing. While we are praying that the Lord will uphold us and sustain us, we may ask Him to deal with someone who is bothering us, perhaps our husband or wife, or our roommate. Have you not had this kind of prayer? Sometimes we may have such a sentiment within us but may not actually utter it to the Lord in our prayer
二 诗人信靠神并享受神拯救他脱离死亡和绊跌
B. The Psalmist Trusting in God and Enjoying God in His Deliverance of Him from Death and Stumbling
19诗人信靠神并享受神拯救他脱离死亡和绊跌。（1～4，8～13。）在八节诗人说，『我几次流离，你都记数。求你把我眼泪装在你的皮袋里，这不都在你册子上么？』大卫说到他的眼泪和神的皮袋，这话也许是诗中的比喻，作为大卫在神那种眷顾之下的安慰。有些读者曾将大卫这里的话应用到自己身上，藉此得了安慰。陆诗人在信靠神并享受神的救恩、
19The psalmist trusted in God and enjoyed God in His deliverance of him from death and stumbling (vv. 1-4, 8-13). In verse 8 the psalmist says, “You have counted my wanderings. / Put my tears into Your bottle. / Are they not in Your book?” This word of David regarding his tears and God’s bottle may be a figure of speech in poetry as a comfort to himself under God’s kind of care. There might be some readers of this verse who have applied David’sword here to themselves and have been comforted by it. VI. The psalmist rejoicing at the misfortune of his enemies,
慈爱和信实时，因他仇敌的不幸而喜乐
while trusting in God and enjoying God in His salvation, lovingkindness, and faithfulness
20在五十七篇六节，诗人因他仇敌的不幸而喜乐甚至在祂信靠神并享受神的救恩、慈爱和信实时这样作。（1～5，7～11。）一面，他信靠神并享受祂；另一面，他乐于看见他的仇敌在受苦。
20In Psalm 5 7:6 the psalmist rejoiced at the misfortune of his enemies. The psalmist did this even while he was trusting in God and enjoying God in His salvation, lovingkindness, and faithfulness (vv. 1-5, 7-11). On the one hand, he trusted in God and enjoyed Him; on the other hand, he was happy to see that his enemies were suffering.
21读过这些诗篇以后我很困扰，因为这里没有暗示说，大卫从他在仇敌攻击之下所受的苦中学习了任何功课。这里没有指出大卫曾这样说：『神，为甚么扫罗在逼迫我？为甚么有些人在攻击我？主，我要知道原因，并且学功课。』我的点乃是：大卫在这些诗篇里的祷告，全然与新约里所教导的不同。例如，保罗因『肉体上的一根刺』（林后十二7）而受苦，他三次求过主，叫这刺离开他。（8。）至终，主对他说，『我的恩典彀你用的，因为我的能力，是在人的软弱上显得完全。』（9上。）主似乎对保罗说，『我不会把刺除去，我也不会作甚么来减少你的苦难。没有这根刺，你也许因著从我所得的启示，就骄傲自高。我要允许刺留著，使你有机会学习我的恩典彀你用的。』大卫若学了这种功课，他就不会祷告主灭绝他的仇敌。今天许多基督徒读诗篇时，丝毫不领悟学功课这件事。他们在这些诗篇里主要看见两件事：第一，大卫是良善的，他是忠信的，并且信靠主；第二，神是良善、信实的，垂听大卫并应允他。他们没有看见本篇信息所说各篇诗里所展现大卫的缺点和短处。大卫没有学习任何功课，或藉著神的怜悯和恩典对付他的缺点。他乃是祷告，他的仇敌要被抽出，从活人之地被拔出。我们读这些诗，需要就著自己的情况得著光照。毫无疑问，我们该信靠神。当然，祂要照著祂的慈爱和信实眷顾我们。但我们也需耍学习神管教的功课。我们需要找出我们在环境中受反对的原因，因这些反对乃是神的管教，以改正我们，破碎我们，并使我们降卑。我们不该祷告神压制别人；我们才是需要被神降卑并破碎的人。我们不该有几乎所有诗篇里所呈现的短处，就是没有学习神管教的功课。
21After reading these psalms, I am troubled that there is no hint here that David learned any lessons from his suffering under the attacks of his enemies. There is no indication that David said, “God, why is Saul persecuting me? Why are certain ones attacking me? Lord, I want to know the reason and learn the lesson.” My point is that David’spray ers in these psalms are altogether different from what is taught in the New Testament. For instance, when Paul was suffering from “a thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7), he entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from him (v. 8). Eventually, the Lord said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness” (v. 9a). The Lord seemed to be saying to Paul, “I will not take the thorn away, and I will not do anything to reduce your suffering. Without the thorn, you might be lifted up with pride because of the revelations you have received from Me. Also, I will allow the thorn to remain so that you may have the opportunity to learn that My grace is sufficient for you.” If David had learned this kind of lesson, he would not have prayed for the Lord to annihilate his enemies. Many of today’s Christian readers of the Psalms do not have any realization concerning the learning of lessons. Instead, they mainly see two things in these psalms: first, that David was good, that he was faithful and trusted in the Lord; second, that God was good and faithful in hearing David and in answering him. They do not see David’s defects and shortages displayed in each of the psalms covered in this message. David did not learn any lessons or deal with his defects by God’s mercy and grace. Instead, he prayed that his enemy would be plucked up and uprooted from the land of the living. In our reading of these psalms, we need to receive enlightenment regarding our own situation. No doubt, we should trust in God. Surely He will take care of us according to His lovingkindness and faithfulness. But we also need to learn the lessons of God’s discipline. We need to find out the reason for the oppositions against us in our environment, for they are God’s discipline to correct us, to break us, and to bring us down. We should not pray that God would put others down; we are the ones who need to be brought down and broken by God. We should not have the shortage, displayed in nearly all the psalms, of being devoid of learning the lessons of God’s discipline