Paul had been called to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. As more and more Gentiles became Christians, the Jewish believers (those who had believed on Jesus) began to be taught by some false teachers (called Judaizers) that believers in Jesus (Jews and Gentiles) should follow some of the Jewish traditions. Paul wrote this letter to the Galatian church to counter this belief. So why should they believe Paul rather than the Judaizers?
- Paul received his message directly from Jesus Christ. v. 12
- He had been a devout and religious Jew, even persecuting God's church. v. 13-14
- He had a special conversion on the Road to Damascus. vv. 15-16
- The other apostles (those who had lived during Jesus' lifetime on earth) had accepted him. v. 18-19
- Even some Christians who did know Paul personally rejoiced that he was now preaching the very faith he tried to destroy. v. 23
In this psalm David is deeply troubled because someone close to him had betrayed him. He asks God to hear his prayer, and then he tells God exactly how he feels.
- He is overwhelmed by his troubles. v. 2
- He is terrified. vv.4-5
- He wants to escape to a faraway place. vv. 6-8 "Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness. How quickly I would escape--far from this wild storm of hatred."
We know from vv. 12-14 that David is talking about a friend who has turned on him. He expresses that taunts from an enemy would be easier to take. Even Jesus was betrayed by one of His own disciples, Judas, so He understands.
Then, as always, David turns to God. "But I will call on God and the Lord will rescue me. Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice." v. 16-17 Apparently, it's good to keep asking--morning, noon, and night. "Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall." v. 22 Wow! What a promise!
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