Click here to read PSALM 30 in poetic form.
Background
The title of this Psalm includes: “A Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David.” This refers to David’s own house, not the Temple. It was common to dedicate a house as in Deuteronomy 20:5: “…What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it?” David built a “house” that included Jesus Christ in his bloodline. Jesus Christ is called the “root of David” in Revelation 5:5 and 22:16. The Messiah would spring forth as a branch from David’s line. Psalm 30 shows the Messiah’s thankfulness to God for raising him from the dead.
Structure
(Verse 1) Messiah praises the Lord
(Verses 2,3) Messiah cries to the Lord and is delivered from the grave
(Verses 4-7) Messiah encourages others to praise and thank the Lord for His goodness
(Verses 8-12) Messiah cries to the Lord and is delivered from the grave
(Verse 12) Messiah thanks the Lord
Key Scriptures
Verse 2—“I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.” Jesus Christ “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah “Surely he hath borne our griefs [sicknesses], and carried our sorrows [pains],” which was fulfilled by Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:17). Like David, Jesus Christ cried to God for healing when he needed it.
Verse 3—“thou hast brought up my soul from the grave.” God raised His Son, Jesus Christ, from the dead.
Verse 5—“weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” The night he was betrayed, Jesus Christ “prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44). But it was joy that kept him going—“who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2). The morning after Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead, the women who came to embalm him “departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy” (Matthew 28:8), and after seeing their risen lord, his disciples “returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Luke 24:52).
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.
