Digging Deeper Days
Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
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The Questions
1) What does it mean to be “brought up from Sheol” or spared from “the Pit?”
2) What should our response be to the Lord’s rescue?
3) What is the favor of the Lord?
Psalm 30:1-12
I will exalt you, Lord, because you have lifted me up and have not allowed my enemies to triumph over me.
2 Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you healed me.
3 Lord, you brought me up from Sheol; you spared me from among those going down to the Pit.
4 Sing to the Lord, you his faithful ones, and praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.
6 When I was secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”
7 Lord, when you showed your favor, you made me stand like a strong mountain; when you hid your face, I was terrified.
8 Lord, I called to you; I sought favor from my Lord:
9 “What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your truth?
10 Lord, listen and be gracious to me; Lord, be my helper.”
11 You turned my lament into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
12 so that I can sing to you and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
Original Intent
1) What does it mean to be “brought up from Sheol” or spared from “the Pit?”
According to Albert Barnes, the word Sheol means grave or “the region of the dead; the underworld which is entered through the grave.” King David uses this word in Psalm 30:3 when he sings, “Lord, you brought me up from Sheol; you spared me from among those going down to the Pit.” Albert Barnes also notes the “word pit here means the same as the grave.” David rejoices that God delivered him from Sheol and the Pit. Author David Guzik points out, “we don’t know if David here described what we might call a near-death experience or if it would be more like a narrow escape from death. Either way, in his life as a soldier and leader, he had more than one time when death was near, and God rescued his soul from death.” David makes sure to memorialize the Lord’s goodness to him in a song which is sung at the dedication of his palace (Enduring Word Bible Commentary) He had been delivered from the jaws of death, and he wanted to “Sing to the Lord!” (Psalm 30:4)
2) What should our response be to the Lord’s rescue?
In Psalm 30:1, David extols the Lord for lifting him up and rescuing him from his enemies. Author Samuel Chandler points out that the Hebrew verb, dalah, “is used in its original meaning, to denote the reciprocating motion of the buckets of a well; one descending as the other rises, and vice versa; and it is here applied, with admirable propriety, to point out the various reciprocations and changes of David’s fortunes, as described in this psalm. . .” Indeed, David does describe many other times the Lord has rescued him in Psalm 30. In verse 2, David says he called out to God for help and He healed him. In Psalm 30:3, David says the Lord brought him up from Sheol and spared him from the Pit. In Psalm 30:11, David notes how God turned his mourning into dancing. Each time that God provides rescue, David has the same response. He praises God and gives Him the glory. Throughout Psalm 30, David exalts the Lord, sings to the Lord, praises His name, vows to sing and not be silent, and to praise the Lord forever. Author David Guzik points out that David praises the Lord because “He knew his security and status were the work of God. It wasn’t as if God did it all as David sat passively; he was a man of energy and action. Nevertheless, it was God’s work far more than his own.” David Guzik further argues that “God worked in David’s life so He would bring Himself glory and appropriate praise. Though it clearly benefited David, it was primarily for God’s own glory He did this.” Whenever God rescued David from trouble, David responded with praise so God would get the glory.
3) What is the favor of the Lord?
One Messianic Jewish author explains how the “word favor in Hebrew is hen. . . It comes from the word to pardon: l’hon. When you hen someone, you grant favor to a prisoner and cancel his punishment.” According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, favor “means gaining approval, acceptance, or special benefits or blessings. There is also a close association among favor, grace, and mercy, which are sometimes used to translate the same Hebrew and Greek words (such as hen and charis.”) In Psalm 30:5, King David speaks about the favor of the Lord when he writes, “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor, a lifetime.” David suggests that God’s favor is God’s pleasure, or the opposite of God’s anger. David also discusses God’s favor when he writes in Psalm 30:7, “Lord, when you showed your favor, you made me stand like a strong mountain; when you hid your face, I was terrified”. Here, David asserts that God’s favor brings strength and the opposite of favor is God hiding his face. The good news according to Ron Cantor is, “the instant you put your faith in Yeshua, God turned His face towards you. You found favor in His eyes.” Having God’s favor, or His acceptance and blessings, is a gift granted only to those who trust in the Lord.
Everyday Application
1) What does it mean to be “brought up from Sheol” or spared from “the Pit?”
I love the song “Still Rolling Stones” by Lauren Daigle. In this song, she expresses what the psalmist, David, proclaimed in Psalm 30:3. He sang, “Lord, you brought me up from Sheol; you spared me from among those going down to the Pit.” Lauren Daigle sings it this way:
Out of the shadows
Bound for the gallows
A dead man walking
Till love came calling. . .
Six feet under
I thought it was over
An answer to prayer
The voice of a Savior
I cannot express it musically, or even lyrically, but I have felt that same joy and relief at being rescued by my Savior when I was as good as dead. Before I trusted in Jesus as my Savior, my sins were leading me to the grave, as everyone’s sins do (Romans 6:23) By the grace of God, I have not been a “dead man walking” for over 40 years now! Some days are easy; many are not, but each day is filled with God’s grace and love and the joy of living a life redeemed by the blood of Jesus. That freedom in Christ is something to sing about!
2) What should our response be to the Lord’s rescue?
Asking for help is hard for me. Unless it is reading a map or reaching something up high, I usually muster what’s needed to get the job done. But sometimes (usually when I find myself in a real mess), I cry out for God’s help. Without His intervention and deliverance, I would be headed for the Pit like David in Psalm 30:3. God always comes to my rescue. Kyle Idleman tells us the Psalms “reference God as a rescuer about thirty times!“ Psalm 34:19 declares, “One who is righteous has many adversities, but the Lord rescues him from them all.” Sometimes God swoops in and delivers me. Sometimes He sits with me as I deal with the fallout of my actions. Sometimes He holds me while the storm rages, but He always takes my pain and problems and works them out for my good. (Romans 8:28) However He chooses to help me, my response is to praise Him and give Him glory. Psalm 40:2-3 says, “He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and they will trust in the Lord.” After David’s deliverance, the Lord put a song of praise in his mouth. David even used praise as an argument in favor of protecting his life: “What gain is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your truth?” (Psalm 30:9) David knew one reason the Lord rescues is so we will give Him glory and draw others to also find their rescue in the Lord. So, if you are in need of rescue today, know that God is a gracious and loving Savior. His sacrifice of love is the ultimate rescue from death, and His ongoing love provides daily deliverance. Rejoice with me today that God provides rescue!
3) What is the favor of the Lord?
When I was in 3rd grade, we had a new student several weeks into the first quarter. The little girl had been in the middle of an art project at her old school, and she brought it with her to work on. My teacher was kind, but she was also strict and no-nonsense, so I was shocked she let the girl work on the project during class time. When something went wrong with her creation and the girl burst into tears, I expected the teacher to demand she pull it together and act like a 3rd grader, not a kindergartener. But she just put her arm around the girl, spoke reassuringly, and let her go to the nurse’s office to get a drink and calm down. I have always remembered the care and grace the teacher took with this nervous, scared girl. Her kindness was the key to that girl settling in to our class. This is how I picture the favor of God in my life. When I least expect it or deserve it, God pours out His favor on me, wrapping me in His acceptance and showering me with His blessings. Author David Mathis points out that while God often chooses to lavish His people with His favor, there are also certain daily habits that attract God’s favor. Mathis argues that what “sends our roots deepest, truly grows us up in Christ, and produces lasting spiritual maturity, streams from the ordinary and unspectacular paths of fellowship, prayer, and Bible intake in its many forms.” We can be grateful for God’s unexpected favor, and we can also seek His favor by prayer, fellowship with the saints, and studying the Word of God.
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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!
1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!
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Why Dig Deeper?
Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.
In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!
Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.
Study Tools
We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
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