Click here to read PSALM 94 in poetic form.
Background
Psalm 94 is the fifth in the Numbers Book of the Psalms, which goes to Psalm 106. God’s rest is a major theme of these 17 Psalms, and this specific Psalm is a heartfelt prayer and request for God to help against the wicked. This prophesies that even though the Messiah will be under great attack, God’s comforts will delight his soul. God will be his defense and cut off his enemies.
Structure
(Verses 1,2) Request for God’s just vengeance upon the proud
(Verses 3-7) Works of the wicked, who think God does not know
(Verses 8-15) God does know, and He gives victory and rest to His people
(Verses 16-21) Workers of iniquity gather against the righteous
(Verses 22,23) God bringing just vengeance upon the proud
Key Scriptures
Verse 9—”He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?” Saying that God “planted” the ear is anatomically accurate. The inner ear includes the cochlea, a spiral structure “planted” deep within the head and is used for hearing. It converts sound (pressure) patterns from the outer ear into electrochemical impulses, and these are passed on to the brain by the auditory nerve. Saying that God “formed” or molded the eye is also accurate physiologically. The human eye is actually two sections that are “molded” together. The front part includes the cornea, iris and lens. The cornea is transparent and curved. It is connected to the larger back part, that includes the vitreous, retina, choroid, and sclera.
Verse 11—”The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.” This is quoted in I Corinthians 3:20: “And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.” The context there is that the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God. It is in Christ that we have God’s true wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30).
Verse 14—”For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.” This is quoted in Romans 11:2: “God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.” The context is that anyone—of Israel or the nations—can be saved through Jesus Christ, the redeemer of all men.
FOR FURTHER STUDY
All 150 of The Psalms in Poetic Form are available from Amazon in a book, either Large Print or a smaller Bedside Reader. Also available for free with a Kindle Unlimited membership. Enjoy!
The entire blog series is now available in the publication The Psalms: Background & Structure with Key Scriptures Explained.
