Life And Death

  David Like The Beast

“For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?”

 Psalms  6:5

“Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.”

Psalms 31:17

  “Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?  

  They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;  

  None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:  

  (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)  

  That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.  

  For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.  

  Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.  

  Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.  

  This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.  

  Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.  

  But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.  

  Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;  

  For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.  

  Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.  

  He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.  

Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.”  

Psalms 49:5-20

  “Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.  

  Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?  

Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?  

  Psalms 88:10-12

  “Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?  

What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.” 

Psalms 89:47, 48

 Music in a Cave

     My soul is among lions; and I lie even among them that are set on fire. Psalm 57:4.    

     “Oh, how precious is the sweet influence of the Spirit of God as it comes to depressed or despairing souls, encouraging the fainthearted, strengthening the feeble, and imparting courage and help to the tried servants of the Lord! Oh, what a God is ours, who deals gently with the erring and manifests His patience and tenderness in adversity, and when we are overwhelmed with some great sorrow!  

     Every failure on the part of the children of God is due to their lack of faith. When shadows encompass the soul, when we want light and guidance, we must look up: there is light beyond the darkness. David ought not to have distrusted God for one moment. He had cause for trusting in Him; he was the Lord's anointed, and in the midst of danger he had been protected by the angels of God; he had been armed with courage to do wonderful things; and if he had but removed his mind from the distressing situation in which he was placed and had thought of God's power and majesty, he would have been at peace even in the midst of the shadows of death. . . .  

     Among the mountains of Judah, David sought refuge from the pursuit of Saul. He made good his escape to the cave of Adullam, a place that, with a small force, could be held against a large army. "And when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him." . . .  

     In the cave of Adullam the family were united in sympathy and affection. The son of Jesse could make melody with voice and harp as he sang, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1). He had tasted the bitterness of distrust on the part of his own brothers; and the harmony that had taken the place of discord brought joy to the exile's heart. It was here that David composed the fifty-seventh psalm.”  

CC 166