Living Stream Ministry

I. DAVID’S CONCEPTS CONCERNING A GODLY LIFE
IN PSALMS 3—7

As we have pointed out, Psalms 3—7 show us David’s concepts concerning a godly life. I use the word godly because it is my quotation from Psalm 4:3. David’s concepts of such a godly life in Psalms 3—7 are in comparison with His inspired praise of the excellency of Christ in Psalm 8.

A. These Five Psalms
Being Written by David in His Flight
from His Son Absalom’s Rebellion

These five psalms were written by David in his flight from his son Absalom’s rebellion, which was the outcome of David’s sins of murder and robbing another of his wife (Psa. 3 title).

B. David, Who Appreciated
the Law with Its Keeper in Psalm 1,
Murdering Uriah and Robbing Him of His Wife

David, who appreciated the law with its keeper in Psalm 1, murdered Uriah and robbed him of his wife (2 Sam. 11:14-27). In Psalm 1 he highly uplifted and exalted the law with its keeper. In his great sin, however, he broke all the last five commandments, which require men to have virtues expressing God’s divine attributes. Did David, the one who wrote Psalm 1, keep the law? I do not believe that many readers of the Psalms ever thought about this. They agreed with David’s exaltation of the law in Psalm 1. They never thought that Psalm 1 was wrong in treasuring and uplifting the law.

The greatest teacher in the New Testament, Paul, told us that no flesh can be justified by keeping the law (Gal. 2:16; 3:11). It is impossible for fallen man to keep the law. Asking man to keep the law is like asking a crippled bird to fly from Los Angeles to New York. Romans 8:3 says that the law cannot do what God requires because it is weak through the flesh. The law is good in its nature (Rom. 7:12), but the law cannot give us life (Gal. 3:21); it cannot impart the very dynamic power, life power, organic power, into us.

David appreciated the law in Psalm 1, but he committed murder, fornication, stealing, lying, and coveting against the law. Eventually, he was fleeing from his rebellious son. Because David committed murder and fornication, God chastised him through his son’s rebellion. His children became a mess. Among them, there were also murder and fornication. If we see this picture, we will be convinced not to treasure and uplift the law. We should not appreciate the law. The more we appreciate the law, the more we will commit something against the law.

(Life-Study of Psalms, Chapter 4, by Witness Lee)