Devotional Short Note to Psalm 30: Scholars
were totally confused about the title of this Psalm. They could not understand
how the dedication of his palace, or Solomon’s Temple or the site selected for
the Temple could be brought into scope here. They could not see a dedication
for the site selection.
E. W. Hengstenberg, who was the Gerhard
Hasel of Berlin University since 1825, but writing on Psalm 30 in 1842 made
some comments on the Psalm that was echoed later by Alfred Edersheim and a
handful years later when Ellen White browsed through Edersheim, she also used
here and there the same “jargon” that both men were using. Utilizing sources is
the way all of us operate. When something is true, the Holy Spirit will use it
to compose His own work. Hengstenberg sees behind this Psalm, 2 Samuel 24 and 1
Chronicles 21. Hengstenberg collected his jargon in turn also from the source
all three shared: these chapters in the Bible or the Word of God.
Ellen White described David’s unfaithful
numbering sinful act in Patriarch and Prophets written in 1890 on pages 746-749
and Alfred Edersheim discussed the same issues in Volume V of his Bible History
in (1876-1887), pages 38-39. Plagiarism by Ellen White? No. Just a word here
and there and the same thoughts also in the Word of God. David’s sin in Psalm
30:7 is described by Hengstenberg as “pride”. By Edersheim later as “pride” and
“ambition” and Ellen White also said “It was pride and ambition that prompted
this action of the king”. Psalm 30:7 says: “And I had said in my security, ‘I
shall not [Phoenician loanword showing the bad influence of cross-culturalism
on him] be moved’. Hengstenberg and Edersheim
said nothing about it but Ellen White indicated that “intercourse with heathen
peoples led to a desire to follow their national customs and kindled ambition
for worldly greatness . . . they cared rather for their standing among other
nations” (EGW Patriarch and Prophets 73). The Phoenician negative particle is
used by David to show that he was involved in what Ellen White is pointing out
here. Many scholars missed it. The Spirit of God is always correct.
David started numbering the people and
Edersheim wrote a few years before Ellen White: “Remonstrance having been vain
. . .” and Ellen White wrote: “they [people] did not look with favor upon David’s
plan for so greatly extending the military service . . .The proposed enrollment
caused much dissatisfaction”.
Psalm 30:12b is talking about a “sackcloth”
and so is 1Chronicles 21:16 and this is mentioned by Edersheim (38) but also by
Ellen White in PP 748.
An interesting connecting between Ellen
White and Alfred Edersheim is that the Holy Spirit chose to agree that the site
David selected for his altar after this bitter experience that he brought upon
himself, is actually Mount Moriah or the place where Abraham was to offer
Isaac.
Whereas Edersheim says the angel was “just
above Mount Moriah” Ellen White says “He stood upon Mount Moriah”. According to
both texts: 2 Samuel 24:15 and 1 Chronicles 21:15 Ellen White is more literally
correct to the Hebrew text than Edersheim. The preposition `im means “with” and
not “above”. Above would be `al. For the angel to stand with the site (White
and original Hebrew) is different than to stand above the site (Edersheim).
One last item about a difference in
number of years of the punishment of pestilence/famine (7 years in 2 Samuel 24:13
as opposed to 3 years of pestilence/famine in 1 Chronicles 21:12). Is it a
contradiction? No. This is how it happened: III was three and III III was six
but
Some thought that David in this Psalm is
singing this song at the Dedication of the future Temple site, which happen to
be where he erected the altar after his sin. David is happy because the Lord
has raised him up (Psalm 30:2a). It is connected to a sickness since in Psalm
30:3 he talks about healing that he received. He almost died and because God
healed him, he was saved from a soul that was to disintegrate in the Sheol
(Psalm 30:4). He was kept alive by God not to go to the pit. He asked the
people to sing together with him and give thanks. He said: “And give thanks to
the memory of His Holy One”. It Christ that they must remember, the Son of God.
David did sin since in Psalm 30:6a he mentioned about the “anger” of God that “is
but for a moment”. God was angry with him but then changed again. It means that
he sinned and Hengstenberg is correct that this sin is related to the numbering
display of fame that David was involved in in 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicle 21. “His
anger is in a moment, a life in His favor” (very literal translation) (Psalm
30:6a-b).
He said that one may weep during the
night but in the morning comes joy (Psalm 30:6c-d) and that is what David did
when he regretted what he did. Says Ellen White: “The numbering was not
finished when David was convicted of his sin” (EGW PP 747). Says Edersheim of
the same: “and the royal order itself resulted before the territory of Benjamin
was reached. For already David’s conscience was alive to guilt which he had incurred”
(Edersheim Vol V: 38).
He thanked the Lord for establishing his
mountain as a stronghold (Psalm 30:8). It is possible that this was also
connected to his false security about himself. People sometimes sin but still
call on the name of the Lord as their help. God hid His face in Psalm 30:8b and
the same can be found in 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicle 21 when he did the
numbering. The pestilence came (see 2 Samuel 24) and “I was affrighted” (Psalm
30:8b).
He called upon the Lord asking God what
value praise to God will have if he dies (Psalm 30:10a-b). It substantiates the
fact that death is a sleep in which no part of the body or soul is alive or
existing to praise God.
God answered his prayer and turned his
mourning into dancing. He was mourning and in sackcloth. He also dressed in
sackcloth in 1 Chronicles 21:16 after his sin. He wanted this turning of God to
him so that he can sing praises to God and not be silent. He wishes to give
thanks to the Lord forever (Psalm 13b). It is a future verbal form so that it
may mean that he contemplates that when God takes him one day to heaven to also
live there, he will forever give thanks to the Lord. III [with a line through the middle] was seven. The scribe copying
thought he saw III [actually 3] as III [seven with a line through the
middle].