Psalm 57 Complete Jewish Bible
57 (0) For the leader. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” By David, a mikhtam, when he fled from Sha’ul into the cave:
2 (1) Show me favor, God, show me favor;
for in you I have taken refuge.
Yes, I will find refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the storms have passed.
3 (2) I call to God, the Most High,
to God, who is accomplishing his purpose for me.
4 (3) He will send from heaven and save me
when those who would trample me down mock me. (Selah)
God will send his grace and his truth.
5 (4) I am surrounded by lions,
I am lying down among people breathing fire,
men whose teeth are spears and arrows
and their tongues sharp-edged swords.
6 (5) Be exalted, God, above heaven!
May your glory be over all the earth!
7 (6) They prepared a snare for my feet,
but I am bending over [to avoid it].
They dug a pit ahead of me,
but they fell into it themselves. (Selah)
8 (7) My heart is steadfast, God, steadfast.
I will sing and make music.
9 (8) Awake, my glory! Awake, lyre and lute!
I will awaken the dawn.
10 (9) I will thank you, Adonai, among the peoples;
I will make music to you among the nations.
11 (10) For your grace is great, all the way to heaven,
and your truth, all the way to the skies.
12 (11) Be exalted, God, above heaven!
May your glory be over all the earth!
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
King David, begins to capture the majestic glory of God’s indescribable love.
David is emphatically declaring that God is awesome in every way, but many things can cloud or dull our grasp of God’s glory.
Its helpful to hear David’s poetic words, often serving as themes in Christian songs, to regain our wonder about God.
We are gifted differently but similarly need to reach out, stretch far beyond as far as we can our imagination, abilities to describe God’s majestic love better.
Three words highlight the indescribable love of God described by David:
Immeasurable,
Priceless,
Unimaginable.
Immeasurable Love
God’s love is “great to the heavens.”
What does this mean?
Since we have not yet actually found, verified the actual edge of the universe, its measurements remain beyond our capacity.
The “edge of the universe” usually means the boundary of the observable universe, which is limited by how far light has traveled since the universe began.
Its radius is about 46.5 billion light-years, so anything farther away lies beyond what we can observe from Earth.
Is There an Edge?
There is no edge to the universe.
Current scientific understanding suggests the universe is infinite and flat, extending endlessly in all directions.
This means that it does not have a boundary or an endpoint.
The extent of the immeasurable heavens describes the greatness of God’s love.
Paul says,
“17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19).
God’s love surpasses knowledge.
These words penned by David aren’t a poetry or imagination class assignment but a truth-telling record.
God’s love displays itself in practical, helpful ways, stirring David pen to use extraordinary words to capture some semblance of God’s magnificent love.
Priceless Love (Undeserving)
For David, the incalculable skies served as the best instrument to describe the incredible kindness of God. He witnessed God’s abundant blessings in his life despite the foolish steps and decisions of his past.
Paul proves man’s guilt before God when referring to Abraham and David in Romans 4:6-8, establishing salvation is by grace through faith—not through works,
“Just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works (6).”
Jesus knew our experiencing God’s extreme mercy leads to a deeply grateful heart for those that have been forgiven much.
“For this reason I say to you, her sins,
which are many, have been forgiven,
for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little,
loves little” (Luke 7:47).
We are unable, unfit to describe God’s love for us in Christ adequately, but He has knit our hearts to Him, being forgiven and accepted as His sons (John 1:12)!
In our desperate circumstances, God’s love in Christ becomes invaluable to us.
Unimaginable Love
Verse 10 is a marvelous description of God’s inexpressible love, but verse 11 extends far beyond that!
Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Your glory be above all the earth.
David proclaims God’s love reaches to the heavens in verse 10, but in verse 11, he testifies to God’s praise and to His glory being raised even higher—far far above the heavens and the earth.
With our spectacular telescopes and satellites, we can peer far into the heavens, and though far above the earth, it is not above the heavens.
God’s praise and God’s glory radiate like the majestic lights we see lighting the glorious heavens, exquisite garments, rightly befitting our magnificent God.
Conclusion
Psalm 57 relates a difficult time in David’s life when he, no doubt, felt forsaken and unworthy of God’s help.
Amazingly, however, God stepped into David’s stressful circumstances and freed him from his pursuers, no doubt including King Saul’s tedious pursuit.
When David discovered God’s willingness to help him even when he had failed so catastrophically, he found the place of Shalom, and recorded this wonderful Psalm, calling all of us, with him, to reach beyond what we thought possible, to find discover, explore God’s extreme love, giving us the occasion to exalt Him.
Romans 5:1-5 Common English Bible
Therefore, we have peace with God
5 Therefore, since we have been made righteous through his faithfulness,[a] we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand through him, and we boast in the hope of God’s glory. 3 But not only that! We even take pride in our problems, because we know that trouble produces endurance, 4 endurance produces character, and character produces hope. 5 This hope doesn’t put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Suggested Discussion Questions on God’s Indescribable Love
- Read through Psalm 57:10-11 again and state which word seems to pop out to you. Why? If needed, stay reflecting on these verses until some word becomes personal to you.
- What does lovingkindness mean (NASB)?
- Consider David’s experience in Psalm 57 and elsewhere and pick out two situations where God manifested His great love to David.
- What does it mean that God’s “lovingkindness is great to the heaven?”
- List some adjectives or phrases that you use to describe great circumstances.
- Lovingkindness touches on the meaning of mercy. How did David experience mercy (read through Psalm 57 if necessary)?
- Describe a situation where you were very appreciative of God’s forgiving mercy shown through Christ.
- Do your best to rewrite verse 11 in your own words. You might combine it with some situation where God revealed His extreme grace to you.
- Close in prayer, expressing your gratitude and adoration of God
In the name of God, the Father and God the So and God the Holy Spirit ….
29 You, divine beings! Give to the Lord—
give to the Lord glory and power!
2 Give to the Lord the glory due his name!
Bow down to the Lord in holy splendor!
3 The Lord’s voice is over the waters;
the glorious God thunders;
the Lord is over the mighty waters.
4 The Lord’s voice is strong;
the Lord’s voice is majestic.
5 The Lord’s voice breaks cedar trees—
yes, the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon jump around like a young bull,
makes Sirion jump around like a young wild ox.
7 The Lord’s voice unleashes fiery flames;
8 the Lord’s voice shakes the wilderness—
yes, the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The Lord’s voice convulses the oaks,
strips the forests bare,
but in his temple everyone shouts, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the floodwaters;
the Lord sits enthroned—king forever!
11 Let the Lord give strength to his people!
Let the Lord bless his people with peace!
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 