Psalm 140:5-13  “Preserve me from the violent man” Part 2

[Study Aired December 26, 2019}

Psa 140:5  The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah. 
Psa 140:6  I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD. 
Psa 140:7  O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. 
Psa 140:8  Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah. 
Psa 140:9  As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them. 
Psa 140:10  Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again. 
Psa 140:11  Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him. 
Psa 140:12  I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor. 
Psa 140:13  Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence. 

Last week we took some time laying the groundwork for our reflection on the absolute need for this wrestling match which goes on in our heavens that is not against flesh and blood but against the powers and principalities that Christ is far higher than and that we can overcome through him. We looked at a couple of chapters in the book of Revelation to confirm the words here in Psalm 140 regarding the wicked and violent man who is purposed to “overthrow my goings” within and without.

This week we will look at the remaining verses of this psalm which show us so vividly just how we do overcome that beast within and without, through Christ our hope and joy and crown of rejoicing.

Rev 13:4  And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

1Th 2:19  For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

Psa 140:5  The proud^H1343 have hid^H2934 a snare^H6341 for me, and cords^H2256; they have spread a net^H7568 by the wayside^{H3027 H4570}; they have set^H7896 gins^H4170 for me. Selah. 

God is the one who allows the proud to hide a snare for me, and cords; and a net by the wayside; and they who have “set gins^H4170 for me” is said to be none other than the work of God (Amo 3:3-8) Who knows our every thought and what must happen to each of us in order to continue to overcome the pride of life, as He keeps us abased in His service (Php 2:13) so we can be exalted in due time. Right to the very last breath of our life this is what God expects of Christ’s bride who is bidden to this great wedding (Mat 23:12, Luk 17:10, Luk 14:10).

Amo 3:3  Can two walk together, except they be agreed? [Christ and his bride]

[Reading on we see what it is that God uses to keep the body of Christ healthy, walking together and in spiritual agreement]

Amo 3:4  Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?
Amo 3:5  Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin^H4170 is for him? shall one take up a snareH6341 from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?

[Christ is the one who puts the gin^H4170 in our life and blows the trumpet, the seals the trumpets and the vials in our life so we can enter into the temple (Rev 15:8)]

Amo 3:6  Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?.

[Christ and his Christ are that lion and the prey that is taken is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and our pride filled hearts that he who is in us is greater than (1Jn 4:4). The “bird” that falls in a snare upon the earth is Christ and His Christ, the two doves that are granted to overcome the gin^H4170 and the snare^H6341 by learning obedience by the things that we suffer in this life (Heb 5:8, Heb 12:6)]

Amo 3:7  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Amo 3:8  The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

[The secret, His secret, God is revealing to Christ’s body today is confirming and assuring us that you are that blessed man that God is humbling today through judgment (2Sa 12:10) that is foreshadowed by the example of the prophets who had to patiently endure so much for our sakes as we will for the world’s sake and for each other today. Through Christ we will be more than conquerors (Rom 8:37) learning the fear of the Lord and being given the power to encourage and comfort each other through prophecy Jas 5:11,  1Co 10:11, 1Pe 1:12, Col 1:24, “who can but prophesy?” Rev 11:3, 1Co 14:3, Joh 13:35].

“The proudH1343 have hid a snare for me” within, for the day of evil within me (Isa 63:17, Pro 16:4), and again it is the Lord who made us marred (proud) in His hand (Jer 18:4) for His creative workmanship that was purposed to be humbled, and crushed (Job 40:11-12) and in need of crying out to our safe haven, Jesus Christ (Psa 107:28-30), who can and will redeem us from this corrupt body of sinful flesh (Joh 8:36, 1Co 15:22).

Job 40:11  Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud^H1343, and abase him.
Job 40:12  Look on every one that is proud^H1343, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.

Psa 107:28  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:29  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psa 107:30  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Our trials, our being “overtaken in a fault” as explained with these descriptive words in this verse of our study “a snare^H6341 for me, and cords^H2256; they have set^H7896 gins^H4170 for me“, is caused of God so we can “restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” as we grow in love and faith so we can “cover a multitude of sin” in “the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (1Co 13:4-5, Psa 32:1-2, 1Pe 4:8, Jas 5:19-20). There is a long season in this life when we are snared by sin and can’t make war with the beast, and God has called His people out of sin (Rev 18:4) so we can be trained up to become saviors (Oba 1:21) who will be like Christ (1Jn 4:17) being able to fulfill these verses for others: (Joh 8:36, 1Ti 4:16).

Gal 6:1  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Pro 6:1  My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,
Pro 6:2  Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
Pro 6:3  Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.
Pro 6:4  Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
Pro 6:5  Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

[God causes these snares and gins for our good knowing we must fall seven complete times (Pro 24:16) and God willing we won’t despise his goodness that leads us unto repentance through this process of judgement Rom 2:4, Amo 3:5, Pro 3:11]

Joh 8:36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

1Ti 4:16  Take heed unto thyself (Gal 6:1), and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Psa 140:6  I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplicationsH8469, O LORD. 

It is through the fervent prayers of the saints that availeth much (Jas 5:16) that God will “hear the voice of my supplications^H8469, O LORD“. We are a many-membered body, and if one member suffers, we all suffer with that member and make supplications for each other that avail much (1Co 12:26).

Jas 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

1Co 12:26  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

God has created the right conditions so we learn to wash each other’s feet with the water of the word which proceeds from our mouth that strengthens us so we can walk circumspectly in this age, redeeming the times in which we live for the days are evil (Eph 5:16, Psa 90:10-14).

Eph 5:16  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (Isa 63:17, Pro 16:4)

Psa 90:10  The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Psa 90:11  Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
Psa 90:12  So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Psa 90:13  Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
Psa 90:14  O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Here are some scriptures which bring out this point of how God hears “the voice of my supplications, O LORD” through each other and for each other. Starting with (Col 1:24). We should get a strong sense as we look at these entries below of what is needed in order for our prayers, our supplications, to be effective. As Christ’s body, it can be no different than what it was for what caused Christ to cry out and be heard in that he feared God (Heb 5:7-8, 1Jn 4:17).

Heb 5:7  Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

There is a sense of pleading that comes out in these verses with the word ‘supplications’^H8469 in it, a humility that is formed through suffering telling us we need to ask and seek and knock, and beseech our Father that we “may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luk 21:35-36). We must be that importuning widow who persists in prayer (Luk 18:1-8), as Christ who was our example persisted in prayer unto the shedding of blood. It was in His anguish that He prayed more fervently, and it will be in our anguish, in our midnight hours, that our lamps will have been trimmed through anguish, and our fervent prayers will avail much, to the saving of our souls (Luk 22:40-46).

Luk 21:35  For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
Luk 21:36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Luk 18:5  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

Luk 22:40  And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
Luk 22:41  And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
Luk 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Luk 22:43  And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
Luk 22:44  And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Luk 22:45  And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,
Luk 22:46  And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

H8469   Total KJV Occurrences: 18

supplications, 17

2Ch_6:21, Job_41:3, Psa_28:2, Psa_28:6, Psa_31:22, Psa_86:6, Psa_130:1-2 (2), Psa_140:6, Psa_143:1, Jer_3:21, Jer_31:9, Dan_9:3, Dan_9:17-18 (2), Dan_9:23, Zec_12:10

intreaties, 1  Pro_18:23

“Preserve me from the violent man” is what Christ was accomplishing by praying fervently, and that violent man in this instance was Judas and the mob which came up against Christ. We know Judas represents the man of perdition within us who will be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming as an angel strengthens us, that angel representing what we do for each other through this life to strengthen each other in our sojourn in the Lord (Luk 22:43, Php 1:19, Eph 4:16).

Luk 22:43  And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

Php 1:19  For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Psa 140:7  O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. 
Psa 140:8  Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah. 
Psa 140:9  As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them. 

These three verses contrast the mind of Christ that God gives his people so He can be “the strength of my salvation” expressed with these words “thou hast covered my head in the day of battle” as opposed to “the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them” which applies to our outward enemies as well as our own iniquities that will chasten us “let the mischief of their own lips cover them” (Jer 2:19).

Jer 2:19  Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

It is only our Lord who can “grant not…the desires of the wicked” reminding us that the only way we can overcome the beast within us is through Christ who will “further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah“. The mischief of our lips must be purged with the fiery coals of God’s word spoken of in Isaiah representing the fiery trials God’s elect must endure as we are sanctified by that word (1Pe 4:12-13, Joh 17:17) so we cease from sinning (Isa 6:7, 1Pe 4:1).

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Isa 6:7  And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

God’s glory is being revealed through our trials, and being partakers of Christ’s suffering is something that we are assured of by our Lord himself, that we will be able to endure and so that gives us great reason to rejoice always and again I say rejoice.

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Php 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Mat 20:23  And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

Psa 140:10  Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again. 
Psa 140:11  Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.

In order for us to endure to the end, we must see that these verses (Psa 140:10-11) apply to us, to that first marred vessel which must be completely destroyed and made anew as described in Malachi 4:1. These verses in Malachi and Psalms reveal the work God must do in our heavens if we are going to “grow up as calves of the stall” who have received the “healing in his wings” that is granted to those who “fear my name”. Fearing God’s name is just another way of saying obeying His commandments. To do so is only possible by the love of God being shed abroad in our hearts (Mal 4:2, Joh 14:15, Rom 5:5)

Psa 140:12  I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor. 
Psa 140:13  Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

We are not blessed to “dwell in thy presence” for just any reason, but rather so we can go on to fulfill the rest of these verses found in Malachi as the body of Christ which will bring healing to all the nations of the world (Mal 4:3-5). That is how “the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor“: it will be through the elect who will have the honour of turning “the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Mal 4:6).

Is there a chance we won’t fulfill what God has ordained for us to do? Of course there is not, but we know that proclaiming the gospel and being a watchman of the Lord (Eze 3:3-11, Eze 33:3-21) does not preclude that the hearts of the fathers will be turned to the children, and the children to the fathers immediately. Rather, this event of Elijah typifies what God’s people will do during the typical thousand year period (Rev 20:6), making every opportunity possible for people to come to know the Lord, but in the end witnessing to all of God’s creation that only Christ can be Christ (Rom 8:9) and that without true conversion, the end of the prophecy will also need to be fulfilled which says “lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” which is what will happen when Satan is loosed for a little season and Gog and Magog come up against the camp of the saints coming from the four corners of the world (representing the entire unconverted mind of mankind that is still against Christ and His Christ).

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

This last section of our study reminds us that the way God preserves us from the violent man is to first seek the occasion against our flesh which shows us we are the man (2Sa 12:7), and if God is dealing with us in this age then that judgment which comes upon us will completely destroy that violent man as described in Malachi 4:1, which is the greatest honour and blessing that could ever come upon us in this life, being given the privilege to be among the first who learn to trust God by putting off our flesh (Eph 1:12-14).

2Sa 12:7  And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

Mal 4:1  For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. (Isa 63:17, Pro 16:4)

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.