1 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Hey there, and welcome to another Prayer Through 2 00:00:07,780 --> 00:00:11,030 Speaker 1: the Psalms episode of the Praying Christian Women podcast. I 3 00:00:11,070 --> 00:00:14,329 Speaker 1: am Jamie, and I am very excited to bring to 4 00:00:14,850 --> 00:00:21,869 Speaker 1: you today Psalm 70. Psalm 70 is, interestingly, almost word 5 00:00:21,910 --> 00:00:26,209 Speaker 1: for word, but not quite, a repetition of several verses 6 00:00:26,690 --> 00:00:32,030 Speaker 1: in a previous psalm. So it's Psalm 40, verses 13 7 00:00:32,030 --> 00:00:33,530 Speaker 1: to 17. So if you want to look at them 8 00:00:33,570 --> 00:00:37,490 Speaker 1: in parallel, you can. But yeah, it's almost an exact 9 00:00:37,530 --> 00:00:42,210 Speaker 1: repetition of the final five verses of Psalm 40. And 10 00:00:42,670 --> 00:00:45,050 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure I mentioned that when we went over 11 00:00:45,090 --> 00:00:50,840 Speaker 1: Psalm 40. But Psalm 40 talks about remembering how God 12 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: had delivered them in the past and ends with an 13 00:00:54,380 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: urgent cry for help. Psalm 70 basically takes that closing 14 00:00:59,740 --> 00:01:03,610 Speaker 1: prayer for help And it turns it into a standalone psalm, 15 00:01:04,250 --> 00:01:06,470 Speaker 1: which is kind of like if you took just the 16 00:01:06,530 --> 00:01:12,300 Speaker 1: chorus of a song and just sang that. And to me, 17 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:16,459 Speaker 1: it kind of conveys this, let's just cut to the chase. 18 00:01:17,180 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 1: So I think there's real benefit in approaching God with like, 19 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:25,270 Speaker 1: I used to love the Acts version of prayer. I 20 00:01:25,330 --> 00:01:27,130 Speaker 1: still do. But I remember I used to do it 21 00:01:27,170 --> 00:01:29,930 Speaker 1: more regularly. We've done episodes on that where we talk 22 00:01:29,950 --> 00:01:35,730 Speaker 1: about it. You start with adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and then supplication, 23 00:01:35,790 --> 00:01:38,790 Speaker 1: which is like the asking. And there's something about that 24 00:01:38,910 --> 00:01:44,050 Speaker 1: format of prayer that feels less rude, if I'm being honest. 25 00:01:44,350 --> 00:01:46,270 Speaker 1: I feel like just coming to God and being like, God, 26 00:01:46,310 --> 00:01:50,490 Speaker 1: help right now. Typically, I don't have a lion chasing me, 27 00:01:51,050 --> 00:01:54,450 Speaker 1: so I don't need that. But sometimes we do have 28 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:59,550 Speaker 1: the theoretical or maybe in your case, physical lion chasing you. 29 00:02:00,050 --> 00:02:05,130 Speaker 1: When we have an urgent need, sometimes we need an 30 00:02:05,230 --> 00:02:08,410 Speaker 1: urgent prayer. And if we're borrowing prayers and borrowing Psalms, 31 00:02:09,050 --> 00:02:10,590 Speaker 1: this would be one if you just needed to cut 32 00:02:10,630 --> 00:02:14,500 Speaker 1: to the chase. So another interesting thing about this Psalm 33 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:19,139 Speaker 1: is in the first version of it in Psalm 40, 34 00:02:19,139 --> 00:02:23,540 Speaker 1: David had started with the Hebrew word that means to 35 00:02:23,580 --> 00:02:26,820 Speaker 1: be pleased or be willing. So it's kind of, be pleased, 36 00:02:26,980 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 1: O Lord, to deliver me. Whereas this urgent Psalm 70 37 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: leaves out the opening verb and it basically says, O God, 38 00:02:36,139 --> 00:02:40,540 Speaker 1: to deliver me. And another thing about this is the 39 00:02:40,580 --> 00:02:45,380 Speaker 1: word for God is changed. So Yahweh, which is the 40 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: personal Hebrew name or Jehovah, the personal Hebrew name for God, 41 00:02:52,060 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 1: for his people, the people of Israel, That is used 42 00:02:55,720 --> 00:03:00,180 Speaker 1: in Psalm 40, but in Psalm 70, the opening verse 43 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:04,900 Speaker 1: uses both. So I'll give you an example. So in 44 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:08,260 Speaker 1: the very beginning, verse one, it says,' O God, hasten 45 00:03:08,300 --> 00:03:11,100 Speaker 1: to deliver me.' O Lord, hasten to my help.' This 46 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:17,399 Speaker 1: is the Nazby 1995. That O God is Elohim, which 47 00:03:17,740 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: is a more general term for God, tends to be 48 00:03:22,620 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: used more in describing creator God or the God who 49 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:32,140 Speaker 1: brings order out of chaos, whereas O Lord is Yahweh 50 00:03:32,700 --> 00:03:35,300 Speaker 1: or Jehovah, however you want to pronounce it. And it 51 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:41,780 Speaker 1: is God's personal name to his people of Israel. And 52 00:03:42,260 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 1: so both are used here, which I think is really interesting. 53 00:03:46,300 --> 00:03:49,380 Speaker 1: Scholars differ and just kind of most of them just say, 54 00:03:49,420 --> 00:03:53,650 Speaker 1: we don't know why. I just wonder if the emphasis 55 00:03:53,970 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: on Elohim as the general gigantic God of not just Israel, 56 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 1: but the universal God of everything. I wonder if it's 57 00:04:05,100 --> 00:04:07,980 Speaker 1: for the benefit of people there who are not Hebrew. 58 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: I want during the singing of this, because it is 59 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:15,100 Speaker 1: probably a singing. It says for the choir director, a 60 00:04:15,100 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: Psalm of David for a memorial and it's prayer for 61 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:21,860 Speaker 1: help against persecutors. I just wonder if maybe it's kind 62 00:04:21,900 --> 00:04:26,460 Speaker 1: of more universally like giving a theological kind of encompassing, 63 00:04:27,140 --> 00:04:30,020 Speaker 1: like almost like offering a hand out to people who 64 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:32,660 Speaker 1: are there who need help from the universal. And I 65 00:04:32,700 --> 00:04:36,740 Speaker 1: don't mean universal in the theological sense of like all 66 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:39,539 Speaker 1: are saved. Jesus is not the only way. I do 67 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:43,510 Speaker 1: not mean that. What I mean universal is there's Yahweh 68 00:04:43,950 --> 00:04:47,469 Speaker 1: who specifically chose the people of Israel to to be 69 00:04:47,490 --> 00:04:50,370 Speaker 1: a blessing for all. Yahweh, Jehovah God, is the God 70 00:04:50,390 --> 00:04:53,310 Speaker 1: of everyone. He is the universal God. But when the 71 00:04:53,390 --> 00:04:56,989 Speaker 1: language doesn't use that personal Hebrew name, I just wonder 72 00:04:57,050 --> 00:05:01,229 Speaker 1: if somehow the people that were around, the people who 73 00:05:01,430 --> 00:05:05,380 Speaker 1: were foreigners, who were not the people of Israel, would 74 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:09,300 Speaker 1: maybe relate? I don't know. I'm not a theologian. I've 75 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 1: said this many times. So this is just a thought 76 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:15,969 Speaker 1: that I had. Some people think maybe It's shying away 77 00:05:16,010 --> 00:05:20,370 Speaker 1: from speaking the name Yahweh because there are a group 78 00:05:20,410 --> 00:05:23,570 Speaker 1: of Psalms in this general vicinity of a chunk of 79 00:05:23,610 --> 00:05:27,620 Speaker 1: Psalms that use Elohim a lot more. But they use 80 00:05:27,660 --> 00:05:33,280 Speaker 1: Jehovah or Yahweh in this beginning verse also. So I 81 00:05:33,300 --> 00:05:35,660 Speaker 1: don't think it's trying to get away from using Yahweh. 82 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: I almost wonder if it's saying, hey, this God that 83 00:05:39,100 --> 00:05:42,180 Speaker 1: brings order out of chaos, God from Genesis, the beginning, 84 00:05:42,740 --> 00:05:45,860 Speaker 1: in the beginning God, and then Yahweh. the God who 85 00:05:45,900 --> 00:05:48,580 Speaker 1: has now chosen his people and I'm one of them. Like, 86 00:05:48,980 --> 00:05:53,130 Speaker 1: help me. Kind of like acknowledging his two different qualities 87 00:05:53,170 --> 00:05:56,849 Speaker 1: of his character. I don't know. That's just a thought. Anyway, 88 00:05:57,210 --> 00:06:00,590 Speaker 1: this psalm is beautiful and it can be used in 89 00:06:01,170 --> 00:06:03,850 Speaker 1: times of need when you just need a, you know, 90 00:06:04,350 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: like get right to the point psalm to call for help. 91 00:06:08,140 --> 00:06:24,729 Speaker 1: So Let's pray. Father God, we praise you for all 92 00:06:24,750 --> 00:06:30,510 Speaker 1: of your attributes, for being Elohim, the creator God, who 93 00:06:30,550 --> 00:06:34,330 Speaker 1: brought this universe into existence from nothing. Just with the 94 00:06:34,370 --> 00:06:38,350 Speaker 1: sound of your voice, you spoke everything we see around 95 00:06:38,390 --> 00:06:41,130 Speaker 1: us into existence. And we praise you for being the 96 00:06:41,190 --> 00:06:48,330 Speaker 1: personal God who chooses, who's not just a distant, ancient entity. 97 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:51,130 Speaker 1: We praise you and thank you that we don't have 98 00:06:51,150 --> 00:06:53,409 Speaker 1: to pray to the universe. We don't have to pray 99 00:06:53,490 --> 00:06:57,410 Speaker 1: to a higher power. We can pray to a personal 100 00:06:57,450 --> 00:07:02,250 Speaker 1: God who has a name, Yahweh, who chose people to 101 00:07:02,290 --> 00:07:07,070 Speaker 1: represent a nation, not to be exclusive, but to bring 102 00:07:07,130 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: forth Jesus Christ, who opened the way for salvation for all, 103 00:07:13,070 --> 00:07:18,420 Speaker 1: for literally anyone who believes. Thank you for that gift. 104 00:07:19,210 --> 00:07:21,110 Speaker 1: We pray that you would bless the reading of your word. 105 00:07:22,010 --> 00:07:24,830 Speaker 1: We pray that you would speak to us through your 106 00:07:24,850 --> 00:07:28,230 Speaker 1: Holy Spirit and help us to really hear and see 107 00:07:28,270 --> 00:07:31,869 Speaker 1: what you want us to get out of it. In Jesus' name, amen. 108 00:07:33,870 --> 00:07:37,930 Speaker 1: All right, let's read our psalm. Psalm 70, prayer for 109 00:07:37,970 --> 00:07:41,940 Speaker 1: help against persecutors. For the choir director, a psalm of 110 00:07:41,950 --> 00:07:48,420 Speaker 1: David for a memorial. O God, Elohim, hasten to deliver me. 111 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:53,510 Speaker 1: O Lord, Yahweh, hasten to my help. Let those be 112 00:07:53,550 --> 00:07:57,530 Speaker 1: ashamed and humiliated who seek my life. Let those be 113 00:07:57,590 --> 00:08:01,110 Speaker 1: turned back and dishonored who delight in my hurt. Let 114 00:08:01,150 --> 00:08:04,790 Speaker 1: those be turned back because of their shame who say, Aha, aha. 115 00:08:05,430 --> 00:08:08,830 Speaker 1: So this is another imprecatory prayer for those enemies that 116 00:08:08,860 --> 00:08:12,140 Speaker 1: are coming against him or that lion who's chasing him. 117 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. 118 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:19,260 Speaker 1: And let those who love your salvation say continually, Let 119 00:08:19,340 --> 00:08:23,990 Speaker 1: God be magnified. Again, that's Elohim. But I am afflicted 120 00:08:24,050 --> 00:08:27,290 Speaker 1: and needy. Hasten to me, O God. You are my 121 00:08:27,350 --> 00:08:31,710 Speaker 1: help and my deliverer. O Lord, and that's Yahweh, do 122 00:08:31,770 --> 00:08:34,750 Speaker 1: not delay. So this brings in both of those words 123 00:08:34,830 --> 00:08:38,610 Speaker 1: for God. And it brings up the question, can we 124 00:08:38,650 --> 00:08:41,570 Speaker 1: hurry God? It makes me think of the persistent widow 125 00:08:42,270 --> 00:08:46,439 Speaker 1: who just keeps knocking, keeps asking. And I think this 126 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,900 Speaker 1: psalm gives us permission. We can ask. We can tell 127 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,500 Speaker 1: God that it feels like we need urgency. It feels 128 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: like we need help now. Kind of like last week, 129 00:08:55,900 --> 00:09:00,690 Speaker 1: Psalm 69, where the water was rising up to David's 130 00:09:00,770 --> 00:09:04,429 Speaker 1: neck and he kind of urgently needed God right at 131 00:09:04,450 --> 00:09:06,770 Speaker 1: that moment and trusted him to save him before he 132 00:09:06,830 --> 00:09:12,860 Speaker 1: was consumed. But this is a time when David is 133 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:17,780 Speaker 1: demonstrating that we are allowed to ask and to say, 134 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:23,310 Speaker 1: please come quickly. help me quickly, I'm dying, I'm drowning here. 135 00:09:24,250 --> 00:09:27,110 Speaker 1: So whatever you have going on in your life, the 136 00:09:27,150 --> 00:09:31,170 Speaker 1: temptation sometimes for me is to think, okay, it's demonstrating 137 00:09:31,210 --> 00:09:33,870 Speaker 1: a lack of faith in God to keep asking for 138 00:09:33,929 --> 00:09:37,390 Speaker 1: something that I feel like I'm in desperate need for. 139 00:09:38,150 --> 00:09:42,220 Speaker 1: But I think sometimes what happens is if we don't 140 00:09:42,340 --> 00:09:44,739 Speaker 1: keep going to God for things we're desperate for, our 141 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:48,140 Speaker 1: tendency might be to take things into our own hands 142 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:53,940 Speaker 1: And do things that, you know, think of Abram and Sarai. 143 00:09:54,830 --> 00:09:58,050 Speaker 1: And God promised a son. And it felt like time 144 00:09:58,090 --> 00:10:01,939 Speaker 1: was running out. And instead. of going to God and saying, Lord, 145 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:04,679 Speaker 1: give us a son, give us a son and relying 146 00:10:04,740 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 1: on him and trusting on him and continuing to ask, 147 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:10,839 Speaker 1: they took matters into their own hands. And I'm not 148 00:10:10,900 --> 00:10:13,220 Speaker 1: saying there's not a time for action and there's not 149 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:17,220 Speaker 1: time when God is silent so that we will move 150 00:10:17,260 --> 00:10:22,099 Speaker 1: forward and listen for the next steps. But going to 151 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:24,850 Speaker 1: God over and over is not a lack of faith. 152 00:10:24,900 --> 00:10:28,850 Speaker 1: That's what this tells us. Going to God and saying, 153 00:10:29,010 --> 00:10:31,870 Speaker 1: hurry God, I need you, is what he wants from 154 00:10:31,950 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: us when we're feeling desperate. Let's pray. God, we praise 155 00:10:36,500 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: you for being a God who hears. We thank you 156 00:10:40,460 --> 00:10:43,220 Speaker 1: that we can come to you when we're feeling desperate, 157 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:45,559 Speaker 1: that we don't have to scramble and try to take 158 00:10:45,620 --> 00:10:49,920 Speaker 1: matters into our own hands. Lord, we pray against the 159 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: temptation to try and work things in a way that 160 00:10:55,900 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: will make things happen or force things to happen that 161 00:10:59,059 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 1: weren't meant to yet. Give us patience. Help us to 162 00:11:01,820 --> 00:11:04,820 Speaker 1: wait on you and your perfect timing. And give us 163 00:11:04,900 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 1: wisdom to know when to act. Give us wisdom to 164 00:11:07,220 --> 00:11:10,370 Speaker 1: know when it's time to take a step of faith 165 00:11:10,570 --> 00:11:13,550 Speaker 1: and wait to hear that voice calling from behind us 166 00:11:14,550 --> 00:11:16,230 Speaker 1: that we should go to the right or to the left. 167 00:11:16,970 --> 00:11:19,740 Speaker 1: This is the way. Walk in it. We pray that 168 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:22,220 Speaker 1: our ears and our hearts would just be attuned to 169 00:11:22,260 --> 00:11:26,380 Speaker 1: your voice, that we would recognize you, that you would 170 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:32,209 Speaker 1: just drown out all of the other noise. In Jesus' name, amen. 171 00:11:36,210 --> 00:11:38,089 Speaker 1: We'd like to take just a quick second to thank 172 00:11:38,110 --> 00:11:40,510 Speaker 1: the team at Life Audio for their partnership with us 173 00:11:40,570 --> 00:11:44,170 Speaker 1: on the podcast. If you go to lifeaudio.com, you will 174 00:11:44,190 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 1: find dozens of other faith-centered podcasts in their network. They've 175 00:11:47,559 --> 00:11:51,350 Speaker 1: got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and so much more. 176 00:11:51,870 --> 00:11:52,890 Speaker 1: That's lifeaudio.com.