|
by
Doug Ward |
On the week before Ascension Day in May, our congregation sang a song that
combined two familiar melodies. The song began with a bit of "For Unto Us
a Child is Born" from Handel's Messiah. It then shifted to a section from
the contemporary tune "Open the Eyes of My Heart." This hybrid evoked
Jesus as the promised Messiah who rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and
then sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
The
idea of splicing together two existing songs to form a new combination is not a
recent innovation. In fact, there are examples going back to King David, the
Bible's most famous songwriter. One of them is Psalm 108, which brings together
parts of Psalms 57 and 60.
When
young David slew the giant Goliath, the adulation he received aroused the
jealousy and ire of King Saul, who then sought to kill him. While on the run
David wrote Psalm 57, in which he cried out for help and praised the faithful
God who had always protected him.
After
David ascended the throne, his kingdom faced attacks from neighboring states.
He wrote Psalm 60 during a difficult military campaign, presenting the prayers
of the king and his subjects for help and favor in battle. He also recorded a
divine response in which God declared his sovereignty over the nations and gave
assurance that his will would be accomplished through his people.
Later
in his life David brought together the most upbeat portions of Psalms 57 60 to
form a new composition that became Psalm 108. He begins Psalm 108 with
exuberant praise and thanks from Psalm 57:7-11. "I will give thanks to
you, O Lord, among the peoples," David declares. "I will sing praises
to you among the nations."
Much
had happened in David's life since the days when he was fleeing from Saul. God
had promised that he would be with David's son Solomon and future kings from
David's dynasty, and that ultimately one of those kings would rule forever (2
Samuel 7:13-16). David had so much for which to be thankful, and he would have
been thinking of those things when he constructed Psalm 108. The old words from
Psalm 57 had taken on additional meaning for him in the intervening years.
David
then added the prayers and their answers from Psalm 60:5-12 to complete Psalm
108. Years earlier the people of Israel had sought God's help for David's
forces as they went into battle. Now David prayed for those who would come
after him, confident that the One who had been his Shepherd would also guide
future kings.
Ever
since David's time many have sung Psalm 108, thanking the King of the Universe
for his faithful love and praying for salvation through the Messiah, the
ultimate King from the line of David. The old words have renewed meaning for
each generation.
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On 22 Jun 2026, 13:02.
