Psalm 70
With a few minor changes, this is a duplicate of 40:13–16.
Psalm 71
139:13–16). Hope doesn't end with retirement (vv. 5, 15)! (See 1 Tim. 1:1; Col. 1:27; Heb. 6:18–19; 1 Peter 1:3.) The word portent means a sign or wonder, a special display of God's power, such as the plagues of Egypt. Sometimes the Lord selected special people to be signs to the nation (Isa. 8:18; Zech. 3:8), and sometimes those portents were messengers of warning (Deut. 28:45–48). Paul saw himself and the other apostles as "portents" to honor the Lord and shame the worldly believers (1 Cor. 4:8–13). The writer of this psalm must have been a high-profile person because people knew him well and saw the things that happened to him. Apparently he had endured many troubles during his life but didn't falter or deny the Lord. His entire life was a wonder, a testimony to others of the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord (vv. 20–21). His enemies were sure the Lord would forsake him, but he was sure the Lord would never forsake him (Heb. 13:5). His enemies tried to bring reproach on him, but he trusted the Lord to uphold him and to turn their reproach back upon them.
PSALM 71
The psalm is anonymous, written by a believer who had enemies and needed the Lord's help and protection (vv. 4, 10, 13, 24). He was probably past middle age and was greatly concerned about the burdens of old age (vv. 9, 18). He wanted to end well. From birth he had been sustained by the Lord (v. 6), and in his youth he had been taught by the Lord (v. 17). He may have been one of the many temple musicians assigned to praise God in the sanctuary day and night (vv. 22–24; 134:1). Whoever he was, he made four affirmations about the Lord and the help He gives to those who call on Him and trust Him.
"The Lord Helps Me Now" (vv. 1–4) The first three verses are adapted from 31:1–3, a perfectly legitimate practice among psalmists. This writer borrowed from 22, 31, 35, and 40, to name just a few of his sources. On verse 1, see 7:1; 11:1; 16:1; 22:5; 25:2, 20; and 3l:17. (On the image of the rock, see 18:2.) If the author was indeed a temple musician, his mind and heart would have been filled with the psalms that he had sung in the sanctuary day after day. He asked the Lord to protect and deliver him so that he might remain true to the faith and not be ashamed (1 John 2:28). During the decadent years of the kingdom of Judah, some of the rulers promoted worshipping idols along with the worship of Jehovah and pressured the Levites to compromise. The writer didn't want to run away and hide from life but receive the strength needed to face life with its challenges. The Lord was his habitation (90:1) and his help. "Righteousness" is mentioned five times in the psalm (vv. 2, 15, 16, 19, 24) and refers not only to one of God's attributes but also to His faithfulness in keeping His word. A righteous God is active in helping His people in their times of need. He issues the command and the deed is done (v. 3; 33:9; 44:4; 68:28). His people can always come to Him (v. 3; Heb. 10:19–25), always praise Him (vv. 6, 8, 15, 24), and always hope in Him (v. 14). He never fails. Perhaps verse 4 describes evil people who exploited the poor and helpless, which could include the Levites, who had no inheritance in Israel but lived by the gifts of God's people (Deut. 10:8–9; Num. 18:20–24). They served from age twenty-five to age fifty (Num. 8:23–26), so perhaps our psalmist was approaching retirement age and was concerned about his future.
"The Lord Will Help Me in the Future" (vv. 14–21)
The psalmist looked to the future and moved from "Thou art my hope" (v. 8) to "I will hope continually" (v. 14; see 36:5; 47:10). The future is secure when Jesus is your Lord. The word translated "hope" in verse 14 means a long and patient waiting in spite of delays and disappointments. If we trust God, then the trials of life will work for us and not against us and will lead to glory (2 Cor. 4:16–18; Rom. 5:1–5). We admire the psalmist's "But as for me" in verse 14 (niv, nasb) because it reveals his courage and commitment. Others may drift with the crowd and deny the Lord, but he would continue to be faithful and bear witness of God's mercies. He couldn't begin to measure or count the Lord's righteous acts or "deeds of salvation" (v. 15 AB), but he would never stop praising the Lord, especially in old age. Why? Because he wanted to tell the next generation what the Lord could do for them (v. 18; see 48:13; 78:4, 6; 79:13; 102:18; 145:4; 2 Tim. 2:2). He was even certain that death would not separate him from his God (vv. 19–21). Some believe that the phrase "depths of the earth" is a metaphor for the troubles he had experienced ("buried under trouble"), but his trials were pictured in verses 1–2 as floods of water. Also, some texts read "us" instead of "me," which could refer to the future "resurrection" and restoration of the nation of Israel (80:3, 19; 85:4; Ezek. 37). Perhaps both personal (16:8–11; 17:15; 49:15) and national resurrection are involved. No matter what his enemies had said about him, the day would come when God would honor him and reward him.
"The Lord Helped Me in the Past" (vv. 5–13) When you are discouraged and worried, look back and count your blessings. Remind yourself of the faithfulness of the Lord. Like Samuel, erect your own "Ebenezer" and say, "Thus far the Lord has helped us" (1 Sam. 7:12 nasb). From conception to birth, and from birth to young manhood, the Lord had been with the psalmist, and He was not about to abandon him now or in his old age (22:9–10; 37:25; 92:14;
"The Lord Be Praised for His Help!" (vv. 22–24)
The writer was a poet, a singer, and an instrumentalist, and he used all his gifts to praise the Lord. The divine name "Holy One of Israel" is used thirty times