Fit for the Future (Psalm 30)

Fit for the Future (Psalm 30)

None of us knows what the future holds. But in Psalm 30, David tells us we can be fit for whatever the future brings.

We can tell David was fit for the future by the dedication of this song. He wrote it for the dedication of the Temple. But if you remember, David was not allowed to build the Temple. GOD told David that because he had so much blood on his hands it was not fitting for him to build the Temple but his son, Solomon would build it. That way the House of GOD would have its foundations in peace. Solomon’s name literally means “Peace.” But we also know that although he could not build it, David made all of the preparations for the Temple, from the designs to what should go into it and yes, even the song to be sung on the day he would not live to see, when it was fully built and dedicated. David’s song was written in faith for a day in the future after his death for a building not yet built by a son who was only a child but who David had faith GOD would make king after him, as GOD had promised.

Being a song, David’s psalm makes one point and repeats it several ways. That point is asking GOD to be saved from death, and specifically Hell. The idea was that the future belongs to GOD, including the future after death. Yes, this can be taken figuratively as saved out of trouble. But as we will see it is literal as well.

First David praises GOD for saving him in the past from the grave of death and the traps his enemies have dug for him to fall into.

Then David calls upon all who believe in GOD and trust in Him to praise Him. Here we’re spanning time as if we have one foot on one side of a ditch in this life and the other on the other side of the ditch of death into the afterlife. We are to remember GOD’s Holiness and praise Him for it. We’re told that GOD’s anger is only for a moment, a blink of an eye, but when we are forgiven and accepted by Him we’re refreshed with new Life. And the sense is eternal, constantly refreshing Life. The holy ones David calls to praise GOD are the forgiven both on this side of life and in eternity. He emphasizes this point by saying that weeping might last for the quick moment of the night (on this side of the ditch of death) but we’ll be shouting with joy on the other side.

David repeats this theme saying in his pride of living his own way he thought he was secure in what he had built for himself. Then he contrasts the mountain of his wealth with GOD making him a mountain of strength only after taking all he thought had made him strong away. He repented and cried out to GOD for forgiveness and to be saved from the pit. Here the word is not just grave but corruption and destruction, not a peaceful death but the suggestion of Hell.

Then we’re back to the refrain of praise, for GOD saving David and changing his mourning over his sins to dancing with joy for forgiveness. Again, the sense is that the mourning was short but the dancing of joy is not just for now but the future, forever.

We get a sense of the Book of Revelation here. There we are told by The Apostle John who is far in David’s future of a time far in our future. On that Day when JESUS Christ is revealed to all creation as King of Kings and LORD of LORDS. Those who ask JESUS to forgive us for not living His Way and accept His death and resurrection as payment for our sins will rise from death to eternal Life in Him. He will change our being sad over our sins to rejoicing and dancing in His Presence and change our funeral clothes for party clothes. Then, like David’s concluding verse, all of those made holy through forgiveness will be glorified. We will sing praises to GOD, our GOD, forever.

David wrote a song that showed he was fit for the future. He was prepared for a temple that was not yet built to be dedicated. He was ready for a child not yet grown to be king. He was ready for a future where, forgiven by GOD he would praise Him forever.

We have a clearer knowledge than David. The Messiah he looked forward to we know as JESUS. And through forgiveness in His Name we can confess and be clean, repent and rejoice and be fit for the future. We can live this life with joy in every circumstance then, carried over the ditch of Death by Christ Himself, be glorified and praise Him forever.