Psalm 108 – A Steadfast Heart
The writer of Psalm 108 – a steadfast heart, claims his heart is steadfast, or fixed, confident in God. What does it mean to have a steadfast heart? Is your heart fixed on God?
Psalm 108
Most attribute Psalm 108 to David. Because his heart is steadfast, David makes music with his whole being. He awakens the dawn with music and praise of God.
“My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul.
Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples.” (1-3)
Why does he sing praises of God? Because of God’s great love and faithfulness.
“For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.” (4-5)
He then makes a plea to God to save those God loves: “Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.” (6)
Only God Can Save God’s People
David’s words of expansive praise give way to a plea for God to help, because human help is worthless.
“David understood that it was not for Israel to avoid fighting and passively see what God would do. Instead, they would fight, but fight through God. Their fighting through God would be brave and valiant, and in it they would see God tread down our enemies.” https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-108/
God responds to David’s pleas, asserting God’s dominion over all nations.
“God has spoken from his sanctuary: “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.
Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah is my scepter.
Moab is my washbasin, on Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph.” (7-9)
As one commentator states, “In a day when roads and paths were dirty and covered with refuse of all kinds, a person’s shoes were regarded with contempt. If God wanted to throw a dirty shoe over Edom as an expression of His contempt, He had the power and right to do it. With God’s power, David did conquer Edom (2 Samuel 8:14).
Both Moab and Edom were noted for their pride (Isaiah 16:6, Obadiah 1:3). Here God gives them places of humble service. “The picture of Moab coming with a washbasin for the warrior to wash his feet represents her subjugation to servant status.” (VanGemeren) https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-108/
Trust in God
Psalm 108 – a steadfast heart, ends in words of trust in God who gives Israel victory over its enemies.
“Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?
Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies?
Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless.
With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.” (10-13)
David repeats an essential principle – the impossible for human power, becomes possible with God.
“David had seen many brave men accomplish great things on the field of battle. Yet for David and for Israel, the help of man was not enough; indeed, it was useless. God’s help would lead them to victory.” (https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-108/ )
David’s steadfast heart remains fixed on God!
An Old Song with a New Context
In Psalm 108, David repeats the words of Psalm 57:7-11, and Psalm 60:5-12. Why repeat these words? This is not a new song but the repetition of an old song with a new context.
“The Holy Spirit is not so short of expressions that he needs to repeat himself, and the repetition cannot be meant merely to fill the book: there must be some intention in the arrangement of two former divine utterances in a new connection.” (Charles Spurgeon) https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-108/
D.P. Myers in his blog post, posits one reason for the duplication of these verses.
“Psalm 57 and Psalm 60 seem to be focused on the establishment of God’s earthly kingdom by the hand of one who would be his king here on earth. But I think the story is different in Psalm 108.
The words of Psalm 108, found in Book V, and the words of Psalms 57 and 60, found in Book II, do not mean the same thing, for standing between the loss of Book II’s hope (found in Book III) and the words of Psalm 108 (found in Book V), we find book IV, a book filled with praise for God’s steadfast love and his magnificent nature. It is almost as though the compilers of the Psalms wanted us to see that when Israel saw how their earthly hopes had been misplaced, they had to return to God to see that his love comes to them on his terms alone.” https://onthefoothills.com/psalm-108-double-meanings/
Psalm 108 calls us to trust in God alone.
What is a Steadfast Heart?
What does it mean to have a steadfast heart? The human heart often changes. Today’s fad is tomorrow’s relic. Like children, one moment we are elated, only to drop to depths of despair with a passing breeze. How quickly does “this is the best day ever,” transform into cries and tantrums in our childish hearts?
How do we maintain a steady, steadfast heartbeat?
By fixing our gaze on God. Only God is eternally new, eternally relevant. Through God we will do valiantly.
“What, then, is the meaning of this word? That God will overcome Edom? By no means. Rather that the people who are of fixed heart in God will themselves do the valiant deed, but that they will do it through Him. This is ever the way of victory.” (Morgan) https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-108/
Psalm 108 – A Steadfast Heart
Just as in Psalm 108, those who compiled the Psalms found reason to include verses from two older psalms into a new one with new meaning, God calls us to constantly find new meaning in eternal principles. In this case, the principle is that with God all things are possible.
Psalm 108 – a steadfast heart, reminds us that God calls us to have steadfast hearts, fixed on God. This is the way to victory.
Are your eyes fixed on God? If not, why not? What is in your way?
(For another take on this Psalm, see Psalm 108: Painting with a Brush of Thanksgiving.)
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
(Please note – in order to help ensure you receive email with link to new book, please add my email, patricia@patriciamrobertson.com to your contact list. Some servers are quick to send newsletters to spam or other boxes.)
Leave a Reply