Glory is a term that only relates to who God is. In the Book of Hebrews the term effulgence reflects another character of God – the ability to shine brightly. A similar description is the state of looking very beautiful or being full of goodness. God dazzles us and our breath is taken away with the beauty of His goodness. Nothing outshines God’s glory. I think this is the failure in satan. He cannot compare so has to make darkness and the absence of God’s glory look attractive in dark ways. Fear the trick of seeing light where there is none. Only God emits glory. Psalm 57 asks God to, “Let your glory be all over the earth”. The intro to several of these is, ‘A Maskil of David’. Some psalms are called maskil, meaning, ‘enlightened’ or ‘wise’ saying because they impart wisdom. These are teaching psalms vs psalms of lament.
Psalm 52 – The steadfast love of God endures… Some men love evil more than good,…God will uproot you from the land of the living….See the man who would not make God his refuge,…I will thank God forever, because He has done it.
Psalm 53 – There is none who does good…The fool says in his heart, “There is no God”….Do any understand and seek after God?…God puts them to shame, for He has rejected them. (For Israel) – Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of His people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.
Psalm 54 – The Lord upholds my life…Oh God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth….God is the upholder of my life.
Psalm 55 – Cast your burden on the Lord…Answer me,…I am restless in my complaint and I moan,…For they drop trouble upon me,…Horror overwhelms me,…Oh, that I had wings like a dove to fly away and be at rest,…I would lodge in the wilderness,…For it is my equal, my companion, my familiar friend who taunts me,…But I call to God, and the Lord will save me…I utter my complaint and moan,…MY COMPANION VIOLATED HIS COVENANT….The Lord will never permit the righteous to be moved….Men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. (I identify with this one a a single person and also I tend to moan. I’m surprised that the really failed humans do not live as long. Maybe our best health habit is faithfulness?)
Psalm 56 – In God I trust…Man tramples on me;…in God I trust; I shall not be afraid….Put my tears in your bottle….This I know, that God is for me….in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?…For you have delivered my feet from falling, THAT (here is the reason for deliverance) I may walk before God in the light of life.
GLORY Psalm 57 – Let your glory be all over the earth…My soul is in the midst of lions;…Awake, my glory!…I will sing praises to you among the nations….(Evangelism) – Let your glory be all over the earth. (GLORY GLORY GLORY)
Psalm 58 – God Who judges the earth…Let evil men be like the snail that dissolves into slime,…(did they put salt on their slugs?)…For surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Psalm 59 – Deliver me from my enemies (David’s frequent message)…Save me from bloodthirsty men….Rouse yourself to punish all the nations (as God is seeking His own, He sees and sorts His sheep from the goats who choose themselves and their way vs their Creator and God – the goats howl like dogs)…Let them be trapped in their pride….For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.
