PSALM 41:1-3

We step this week into a study of a new Psalm.  The Psalm is the 41^st.  I want to look at this theme, “A Psalm With Meaning For Then And Now”.  David’s title was ‘To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David”.  Many of the Psalms have this title that tells they were not written in secret for to help only David but were given to the main choir leader at the temple to be sung at public worship.  This Psalm has three applications.  One is at the present time it is written to address David’s situation.  The second is to a future time when a greater than David would come, the Lord Jesus Christ.  The third has the application to us who we are ‘in Christ’ by way of supernatural birth from above.

            Let us look at verses 1-3 which says, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.” 

            I have called this section “The Poor In Spirit”.  In these verses we are continually reminded of God’s blessings upon His people. The word ‘blessed’ used in verse 1 means a happiness that cannot be touched by outward circumstances.  The word ‘blessed’ in verse 2 means above board, straightforward and balanced in ones view.

            In verse 1 of our study I see the ‘Benevolence Of The Blessed’.  Our Lord extends great happiness to the one who ‘considers’ the ‘poor’.  The word means to look at carefully, circumspect, and closely.  The word ‘poor’ means weak, thin, needy, feeble, lowly, empty, and hanging on by a thread.  Our Lord became poor that we through His poverty might be made rich.  He condescended to the poor in spirit and said they would be blessed with the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)  My, how our Lord blesses us when we are moved to help the poor.  I see the poor standing by the interstate exits and red lights with begging signs all over our country. I never know when He has placed them there to test my willingness to give without question.  The Lord promises in verse 1 to those who help the poor, He will (not might) deliver them in a time of trouble.    

            In verse 2 we are confronted with the ‘Blesser Of The Blessed’.  O how so many want a blessing today. Let me have the blesser and I will need no blessing. We are told in verse 2 that He ‘preserves’, ‘keeps’, and ‘delivers’.  The words ‘preserve’ and ‘keep’ are the same.  They mean to hedge about by allowing nothing to come near.   He has me and my life hedged about.  He will not allow me to be delivered over to my enemies.  The word ‘delivered’ means to be fitted in the eye socket.  I am the apple of His eye and the enemy cannot come near me.

            In verse 3 we see the ‘Bed Of The Blessed’. In times when we are laid aside upon the bed of sickness we can look to be strengthened by the Lord.  He is Jehovah Rapha, the God who is a healing doctor.  He tells us in verse 3 that He will attend the bed of our sickness.

            I tell you when I read the blessing our Lord bestowed upon them who help the poor I sure hate to pass them by.  Proverbs 14 says that He that hath mercy on the poor, will be blessed, and he that doth not honor the poor reproacheth his creator.  That, my friend, is a strong admonition to not pass by the poor.

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