Previously on Bible Book Club
In Psalms 9-16, we covered psalms about protection in times of trouble, frustration with God’s silence, cultural and moral collapse, deception and lies, waiting when it hurts emotionally or physically, frustration with an unbeliever, our relationship with God, and hope for an eternal relationship with God.
Psalm 17: A Cry for God to See Your Heart
Have you ever felt like nothing you do is ever enough? It’s a crushing sadness. A pressure in your heart like someone is stepping on it. Psalm 17 is a psalm for when you need God to show you He loves you.
Psalm 17
A prayer of David.
1 Hear me, Lord, my plea is just;
listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer—
it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2 Let my vindication come from you;
may your eyes see what is right.3 Though you probe my heart,
though you examine me at night and test me,
you will find that I have planned no evil;
my mouth has not transgressed.
4 Though people tried to bribe me,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
through what your lips have commanded.
5 My steps have held to your paths;
my feet have not stumbled.6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
7 Show me the wonders of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.10 They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a fierce lion crouching in cover.13 Rise up, Lord, confront them, bring them down;
with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
14 By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
from those of this world whose reward is in this life.
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
may their children gorge themselves on it,
and may there be leftovers for their little ones.15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.
What is Psalm 17 about?
Psalm 17 is about feeling unseen and unloved. First, note that the superscription of Psalm 17 is “a prayer of David.”
How many Psalms are explicitly titled as actual prayers?
There are only five psalms that are titled as actual prayers. Since most of the psalms contain prayers, it is curious that they are specific about it. And no one knows why. It somehow makes this psalm seem even more personal. The phrase “apple of your eye” adds to the prayer’s intimate tenderness.
What does the phrase “apple of your eye” mean in Hebrew?
In Hebrew, the phrase ishyon bat ayin means “the little man of the eye.” When you look closely into someone’s eye, you see a tiny reflection of yourself. David wants to be so close to God that he can see himself reflected.
David wants to know that he is seen and protected by God. He wants to be so precious to God, as the eyes are to us, that God will guard him instinctively. It is thought that David wrote this prayer when he was under Saul. If so, we can understand his hurt. David is God’s anointed, but he feels ineffective. No matter what he does for Saul, it isn’t enough. In fact, every battle David wins for Israel makes his relationship with Saul worse. Saul’s jealousy grows, and he hates David more and more. David is young and is known as a man after God’s heart.
According to historical context, why does David write Psalm 17?
David saw Saul as God’s anointed king and wanted to please him. Saul wanted to kill David, and that likely crushed David’s heart. In this psalm, David cries out to God with emotion. Why do his enemies pursue him? He has been faithful to Saul and to God.
Why isn’t God intervening? Is God not pleased with him? If David is God’s anointed, the apple of God’s eye, why can’t he see or feel God’s love and favor? I have been there. Have you?
If you are struggling to feel the love of God, to know that He sees your heart, this prayer will remind you that you are precious to God. You are enough. In fact, you are the apple of His eye.
A Prayer for God to See Your Faithfulness and Protect You
6 I call on you, my God; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
3 Though you probe my heart, you will find that I have planned no evil
5 My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings7 Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.
This next psalm is both a thanksgiving and a royal psalm.
Psalm 18: Thanks for Deliverance from an Enemy
Enemies come in many forms. They can be physical, relational, circumstantial, psychological, or spiritual. God is with us as we face every single one.
Psalm 18
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I love you, Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies. 4 The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. 5 The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. 7 The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. 8 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. 9 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. 10 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—the dark rain clouds of the sky. 12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. 13 The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. 14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them.15 The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, Lord, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. 19 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. 21
For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I am not guilty of turning from my God. 22 All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. 23 I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. 24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, 26 to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd. 27 You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. 28 You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. 29 With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. 31 For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? 32 It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. 33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. 34 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35 You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great. 36 You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. 38 I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet. 39 You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me. 40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes. 41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—to the Lord, but he did not answer. 42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust; I trampled them like mud in the streets. 43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations. People I did not know now serve me, 44 foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me. 45 They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.
46 The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! 47 He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me, 48 who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from a violent man you rescued me. 49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name.
50 He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing love to his anointed, to David and to his descendants forever.
What is Psalm 18 about?
Psalm 18 is about relief and gratitude. It is a royal victory psalm. David is praising God for delivering Israel. The phrases in this psalm are among my favorites for beginning prayer with adoration of God. Phrases like verse 2.
Psalm 18:2 2 You Lord are my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, my salvation, my stronghold.
When we begin praying with praise or adoration, it reminds us of who God is and what he has done for us. If you have never prayed starting with adoration, our ACTS Prayer Guide is a simple way to grow closer to God in prayer.
What does the ACTS prayer acronym stand for in Psalm 18?
The ACTS prayer acronym stands for Adoration-Confession-Thanksgiving-Supplication. If you have just come through a battle of some sort, you can express your relief and gratitude with David’s words from Psalm 18.
A Prayer of Thanks for Deliverance from Every Enemy
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock,
in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
6 In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
Psalm 19: Praise for God’s Creation and God’s Word
This psalm of praise is in the top 20 of all psalms. In fact, C.S. Lewis thought it was the greatest.
Psalm 19
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. 11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.’
What is Psalm 19 about?
Psalm 19 is about the wonder of God’s Creation and His Word.
What are the two books of God described in Psalm 19?
Psalm 19 is essentially about two “books” God has written for us: creation and God’s Word. Verses 1-6 teach us God exists, and His glory is visible in the beauty of creation. Verses 7-14 teach us how we should exist, and His Word is our precious, sweet guide.
One book God wrote for our eyes and the other for our mind, both for the heart. Both have the same author, but two different ways of speaking to us. One written in stars, one written in Scripture.
- Creation: The sky and sun declare God’s glory without any words, so all the world can see God in creation.
- God’s Word (the Torah): Declares how to live in many words so all the world can hear God’s Word through the Great Commission.
Bible Bender
A Bible bender for me was this: recall, in our overview of Psalms, we discussed how the Psalms were used as a tool to teach the Israelites the Torah? Each of the five books of the Psalms had a Torah counterpart.
Which Old Testament book does Book 1 of the Psalms echo?
Book 1 of Psalms echoes Genesis throughout. It is a book about Creation and man. God made everything: creation. God speaks to man: His Word. Psalm 19 does that exact same pairing, but all in one song. And then it ends with this:
Psalm 19:14 14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.’
It’s as if David is pondering the wonder of creation, then his mind drifts to the wonder of God’s Word for man in this world. Finally, his thoughts land quietly on himself, and the wonder of his relationship with God, and his heart stops. It is too wonderful for words. All he can say is what he hopes will be true. That the words he speaks and the meditation of his heart, which express what his words can’t, will please God.
Verse 14 is the front-runner for the theme verse for the entire book of Psalms. Other candidates include:
Psalm 1:1-2 1 “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked... but whose delight is in the law of the Lord.”
Psalm 150:6 6 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
Maybe we will throw out that question on Instagram and take a vote. My vote is 19:14 because pleasing God, or finding favor, is a Bible theme favorite of mine.
Bible Bender
One more Bible Bender fun fact. In Season 1, Episode 2 of the Bible Book Club, we discussed the words of the astronauts of Apollo 8, the first men ever to see the Earth from space on Christmas Eve 1968. Their response was to read the creation story from Genesis 1, because no one but God could have created such beauty in the vast, dark emptiness of the universe.
Recently, Artemis II was on its way past the Moon on Easter. A reporter reminded the crew of Apollo 8’s Christmas message and asked if they had a message for Easter. Victor Glover responded with this from Artemis II:
- Looking back at the beauty of creation... one of the really important personal perspectives that I have up here is I can really see Earth... And... when I read the Bible, and I look at all of the amazing things that were done for us who were created, it’s that—you have this amazing place. You guys are talking to us because we’re in a spaceship really far from Earth, but you’re on a spaceship called Earth that was created to give us a place to live in the universe in the cosmos.
- As we continue to unlock the mystery of the cosmos, I’d like to remind you of one of the most important mysteries there on Earth, and that’s love. Christ said in response to what was the greatest command, that it was to love God with all that you are. And he also, being a great teacher, said the second is equal to it, and that is to love your neighbor as yourself.
God’s word about God’s creation from the mouth of a man who holds a bachelor’s degree and three master’s degrees. A man who got to see the world suspended in the universe and believes it is created by God for us.
What Bible verse was carried into space on the Artemis II mission?
Psalm 19:1-2 was on a handwritten note carried into space on the Artemis II.
Psalm 19:1-2 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
This mission was particularly historic as the crew traveled 252,760 miles from Earth, the farthest from Earth that any man has ever gone. But it seems that for both the crew of Apollo and Artemis, the distance from Earth brought them closer to God. Perhaps their perspective of Earth can do the same for us. If we can’t find the words to express our praise for all God has done for us in creating the world and giving us His Word, we can pray the whole Psalm 19 or these highlights:
A Prayer of Praise for God’s Creation and His Word
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.10 They are more precious than gold, they are sweeter than honey,
11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.’
The last two psalms we’ll explore are 20 and 21, the royal or messianic psalms. Royal psalms tell a story of how God works through the king. The king could be an earthly king or the prophesied Messiah. These two psalms go together. One is a prayer before the battle, and the other is praise after the battle was won.
Psalm 20: A Petition for the Battle Ahead
This psalm is an intercession for anyone facing a difficult challenge, one that will be a fight of some sort.
Psalm 20
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. 2 May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. 3 May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. 4 May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. 5 May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
6 Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 8 They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. 9 Lord, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!
What is Psalm 20 about?
Psalm 20 is about asking God for victory in a crisis. This psalm is super straightforward and applicable to so many things in life, because so many life situations can have battles we must fight.
- Finances
- Health
- Parenting
- Marriage
- Sometimes just getting to work in traffic is a battle worth applying this psalm to!
The psalm points us to the king. In this psalm, it is an earthly king. In our case, it’s Jesus. When we are in difficult situations, we are to follow the King, give Him control, and fight as He directs. We look to the King because our success is tied to Him. Jesus said it this way:
John 15:5 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Apart from Jesus, we cannot be victorious. In all we do, if we graft ourselves to the King, we will be able to shout for joy over our victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. There is a temptation, however, to trust in weapons of our own making rather than God. The psalm addresses this temptation in verse 7:
Psalm 20:7 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
In the ancient Near East, chariots and horses were the height of military technology. The ultimate symbols of power and speed.
What does the biblical phrase “trust in chariots and horses” mean?
To “trust in chariots and horses” meant to rely on your own strength, your resources, your alliances, or your strategic planning to ensure victory and safety. It didn’t work for Egypt. They chased Israel with over 600 chariots right into the Red Sea.
Moses put the proper battle mindset into the law in Deuteronomy 20:
Deuteronomy 20:1-4 1 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. 4 For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”
What are the chariots of today; the things we trust more than God?
The chariots of today are basically anything you trust in more than God. There are many: wealth, professional credentials, data and predictive analytics, influence and social media, political alliances, and academic achievements. And how about just plain old grinding it out or hard work?
The bottom line is: if any or all of the above were taken away tomorrow, would you feel lost? Without hope? If so, you are relying on the chariots you control rather than on God.
Hopefully, you are not currently in a crisis, but if you know someone facing a battle that needs confidence and a prayer of hope, this one is for you to share.
A Prayer of Intercession for Victory Over a Battle
1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
4 May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
9 Lord, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!
Psalm 21: A Celebration for the Battle Won
Psalm 21
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give!
2 You have granted him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. 3 You came to greet him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head. 4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him— length of days, for ever and ever. 5 Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty. 6 Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence. 7 For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.
8 Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes. 9 When you appear for battle, you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace. The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and his fire will consume them. 10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind. 11 Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed. 12 You will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow.
13 Be exalted in your strength, Lord; we will sing and praise your might.
What is Psalm 21 about?
Psalm 21 is about celebrating a victory. It is a royal psalm, a thanksgiving psalm, and a praise psalm all rolled into one. It opens and closes with a praise for the strength God gave them to overcome their enemy.
When we read these songs, we hear them in David’s voice, but he was just the first. The kings after him sang these psalms, and in the end, they point to the Messiah, Jesus, who will sing this victory song as the final fulfillment of prophecy.
What is the difference between Psalm 20 and Psalm 21?
If Psalm 20 is the prayer before the battle, Psalm 21 is the celebration after, and you really can’t have one without the other. The tie between them is found in verse 7:
Psalm 21:7 7 “For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High, he shall not be moved.”
What is the meaning of the Hebrew word Hesed in Psalm 21?
The Hebrew word for steadfast love is hesed, and it means covenant faithfulness. Psalm 21 shows us that the victory isn’t just military. David is blessed with life, honor, and joy, not just a win on a battlefield. The real point of why the king won isn’t his own strategy or strength, or even his prayer. It is God’s hesed.
In the Psalms, God’s action of hesed is what helps David and the kings survive the battle. In the New Testament, God’s action of hesed is the gift of His Son. Everything Jesus does, from his life and death to His resurrection, is the ultimate guarantee that God’s faithful covenant love for us is eternal. If you believe in Jesus Christ, then you have already overcome the greatest battle of all: the one against the wages of sin and death! Celebrate that victory with this prayer to Jesus, our King.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving and Praise for Victory
1 The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give!
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him— length of days, for ever and ever.
5 Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.13 Be exalted in your strength, Lord; we will sing and praise your might.
In our next psalms, we will cover the psalm that consistently ranks number one out of 150 psalms.
New Psalms Playlist Song
- “God of Wonders” (from the first part of Psalm 19) by Third Day
- “Let the Words of My Mouth” (Psalm 19) by Fernando Ortega
Listen to the entire Psalms Playlist on Apple Music or Spotify.
Group Discussion Questions for Psalms 17-21
- David felt unseen and unloved by God, even while doing everything right. Have you ever been in a season where your faithfulness seemed invisible to God and everyone around you? How did that shape the way you prayed?
- Psalm 19 describes two ways God speaks to us: through creation and through His Word. Which one draws you closer to God more naturally, and how could you lean into that even more?
- Psalm 20 warns against trusting in chariots and horses. What are the “chariots” in your life right now, such as resources, credentials, or strategies that you’re tempted to trust more than God?
