Psalm 143:5
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I consider the work of Your hands.
I remember the days of old
The psalmist begins by invoking a sense of nostalgia and reflection. The Hebrew word for "remember" is "zakar," which implies not just recalling but actively bringing to mind with intention and purpose. This act of remembering is a spiritual discipline, encouraging believers to reflect on God's past faithfulness. The "days of old" refers to the history of God's people, the mighty acts He performed, and His covenantal faithfulness. This phrase invites us to consider the rich tapestry of biblical history, from the creation narrative to the patriarchs, the Exodus, and the establishment of Israel. It is a call to ground our faith in the historical acts of God, which serve as a foundation for trust in His future promises.

I meditate on all Your works
The word "meditate" comes from the Hebrew "hagah," which means to ponder, muse, or consider deeply. This is not a passive activity but an active engagement of the mind and heart with the works of God. The psalmist is not merely recalling God's deeds but is deeply contemplating their significance and implications. "All Your works" encompasses the entirety of God's actions, both in creation and in the history of salvation. This meditation is an act of worship, recognizing God's sovereignty, wisdom, and power. It encourages believers to take time to reflect on how God's works reveal His character and His ongoing involvement in the world.

I consider the work of Your hands
To "consider" is to give careful thought and attention, derived from the Hebrew "siach," which implies a deep, thoughtful reflection. The "work of Your hands" is a poetic expression that highlights God's personal involvement in creation and history. It suggests craftsmanship, intentionality, and care. This phrase invites believers to see the world as a reflection of God's glory and to recognize His providence in the details of life. It is a call to acknowledge that everything around us is a testament to God's creative power and His sustaining grace. By considering the work of God's hands, we are led to a deeper appreciation of His majesty and a greater trust in His purposes.

Persons / Places / Events
1. David
Traditionally attributed as the author of Psalm 143, David is expressing his reliance on God during a time of distress.

2. The Days of Old
Refers to the historical acts of God in the history of Israel, which David recalls to find comfort and strength.

3. God's Works
Encompasses the creation and the mighty acts God performed for His people, which David meditates upon.

4. The Work of God's Hands
This phrase highlights God's creative power and providence, reminding believers of His sovereignty.

5. Meditation
An act of deep reflection and contemplation, which is a spiritual discipline encouraged throughout Scripture.
Teaching Points
The Power of Remembrance
Reflecting on God's past faithfulness can strengthen our faith in present trials.

Meditation as a Spiritual Discipline
Regular meditation on God's works can deepen our relationship with Him and enhance our spiritual growth.

Recognizing God's Sovereignty
By considering the work of God's hands, we acknowledge His control and creativity in our lives and the world.

Encouragement in Trials
Remembering God's past deliverances can provide hope and encouragement during difficult times.

Developing a Grateful Heart
Reflecting on God's works fosters gratitude and worship, shifting our focus from our problems to His greatness.
Bible Study Questions
1. How can recalling "the days of old" and God's past works help you in your current life situation?

2. What are some practical ways you can incorporate meditation on God's works into your daily routine?

3. How does recognizing the "work of God's hands" influence your understanding of His role in your life?

4. Can you identify a time when remembering God's past faithfulness helped you through a difficult period? How did it impact your faith?

5. How do other scriptures, such as Philippians 4:8 or Hebrews 13:8, complement the message of Psalm 143:5 in your personal spiritual journey?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 77:11-12
Similar to Psalm 143:5, this passage emphasizes remembering and meditating on God's past deeds, reinforcing the importance of recalling God's faithfulness.

Deuteronomy 32:7
Encourages remembering the days of old and considering the years of many generations, which aligns with the theme of recalling God's historical acts.

Philippians 4:8
While not directly related, this verse encourages believers to think on things that are true and praiseworthy, akin to meditating on God's works.

Isaiah 64:8
Refers to God as the potter and us as the clay, which connects to the idea of considering the work of God's hands.

Hebrews 13:8
Reminds us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, which can be a source of comfort when meditating on God's consistent nature.
Delight in God's WorksHugh Black.Psalm 143:5
God's Works to be Appreciated, for They Declare HimPsalm 143:5
ReflectionG. J. Zollikofer, D. D.Psalm 143:5
Remembrance of the PastJas. Stewart.Psalm 143:5
The Ministry of MemoryHomilistPsalm 143:5
A Complaint and a PrayerC. Short Psalm 143:1-12
A Penitential Soul in PrayerDavid Thomas, D. D.Psalm 143:1-12
Prayer IllustratedNewman Hall, LL. B.Psalm 143:1-12
The Cry of the Overwhelmed SpiritS. Conway Psalm 143:1-12
God Our First Hope and Our LastR. Tuck Psalm 143:5, 6
People
David, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Acts, Ago, Consider, Contemplate, Doings, Early, Giving, Hands, Hast, Meditate, Meditated, Mind, Muse, Past, Remember, Remembered, Works, Wrought
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 143:5

     1265   hand of God
     4963   past, the
     5191   thought
     5831   depression
     8166   theology
     8662   meditation
     8724   doubt, dealing with

Psalm 143:5-6

     6746   sanctification, means and results
     8164   spirituality

Library
The Prayer of Prayers
'Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art my God! Thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.'--PSALM cxliii. 10. These two clauses mean substantially the same thing. The Psalmist's longings are expressed in the first of them in plain words, and in the second in a figure. 'To do God's will' is to be in 'the land of uprightness.' That phrase, in its literal application, means a stretch of level country, and hence is naturally employed as an emblem of a moral or religious condition. A life
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Third Rule to be Added Is: that He who Comes into the Presence Of...
The third rule to be added is: that he who comes into the presence of God to pray must divest himself of all vainglorious thoughts, lay aside all idea of worth; in short, discard all self-confidence, humbly giving God the whole glory, lest by arrogating anything, however little, to himself, vain pride cause him to turn away his face. Of this submission, which casts down all haughtiness, we have numerous examples in the servants of God. The holier they are, the more humbly they prostrate themselves
John Calvin—Of Prayer--A Perpetual Exercise of Faith

Earnest Supplication, under Trials of Faith. --Ps. cxliii.
Earnest Supplication, under Trials of Faith.--Ps. cxliii. Hear me, O Lord! in my distress, Hear me in truth and righteousness; For, at Thy bar of judgment tried, None living can be justified. Lord! I have foes without, within, The world, the flesh, indwelling sin, Life's daily ills, temptation's power, And Satan roaring to devour. These, these, my fainting soul surround, My strength is smitten to the ground; Like those long dead, beneath their weight, Crush'd is my heart, and desolate. Yet in
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and Hymns

Tell Me, O Thou whom My Soul Loveth, Where Thou Feedest, Where Thou Reposest at Midday, Lest I Should Begin to Wander after the Flocks of Thy Companions.
O Thou whom my soul loveth! exclaims this poor affianced one, thus obliged to leave the sweet employment within, to be engaged about external matters of the lowest description; O Thou, whom I love so much the more as I find my love more thwarted; ah, show me where Thou feedest Thy flocks, and with what food Thou satisfiest the souls that are so blessed as to be under Thy care! We know that when Thou wert upon earth, Thy meat and drink was to do the will of Thy Father (John iv. 34), and now Thy meat
Madame Guyon—Song of Songs of Solomon

The Law Given, not to Retain a People for Itself, but to Keep Alive the Hope of Salvation in Christ Until his Advent.
1. The whole system of religion delivered by the hand of Moses, in many ways pointed to Christ. This exemplified in the case of sacrifices, ablutions, and an endless series of ceremonies. This proved, 1. By the declared purpose of God; 2. By the nature of the ceremonies themselves; 3. From the nature of God; 4. From the grace offered to the Jews; 5. From the consecration of the priests. 2. Proof continued. 6. From a consideration of the kingdom erected in the family of David. 7. From the end of the
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Tests of Love to God
LET us test ourselves impartially whether we are in the number of those that love God. For the deciding of this, as our love will be best seen by the fruits of it, I shall lay down fourteen signs, or fruits, of love to God, and it concerns us to search carefully whether any of these fruits grow in our garden. 1. The first fruit of love is the musing of the mind upon God. He who is in love, his thoughts are ever upon the object. He who loves God is ravished and transported with the contemplation of
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

Of Having Confidence in God when Evil Words are Cast at Us
"My Son, stand fast and believe in Me. For what are words but words? They fly through the air, but they bruise no stone. If thou are guilty, think how thou wouldst gladly amend thyself; if thou knowest nothing against thyself, consider that thou wilt gladly bear this for God's sake. It is little enough that thou sometimes hast to bear hard words, for thou art not yet able to bear hard blows. And wherefore do such trivial matters go to thine heart, except that thou art yet carnal, and regardest
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

Concerning the Sacrament of Penance
In this third part I shall speak of the sacrament of penance. By the tracts and disputations which I have published on this subject I have given offence to very many, and have amply expressed my own opinions. I must now briefly repeat these statements, in order to unveil the tyranny which attacks us on this point as unsparingly as in the sacrament of the bread. In these two sacraments gain and lucre find a place, and therefore the avarice of the shepherds has raged to an incredible extent against
Martin Luther—First Principles of the Reformation

The Early Life of Malachy. Having Been Admitted to Holy Orders He Associates with Malchus
[Sidenote: 1095.] 1. Our Malachy, born in Ireland,[134] of a barbarous people, was brought up there, and there received his education. But from the barbarism of his birth he contracted no taint, any more than the fishes of the sea from their native salt. But how delightful to reflect, that uncultured barbarism should have produced for us so worthy[135] a fellow-citizen with the saints and member of the household of God.[136] He who brings honey out of the rock and oil out of the flinty rock[137]
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

The Man after God's Own Heart
"A man after mine own heart, who shall fulfil all my will."--ACTS xiii. 22. A BIBLE STUDY ON THE IDEAL OF A CHRISTIAN LIFE No man can be making much of his life who has not a very definite conception of what he is living for. And if you ask, at random, a dozen men what is the end of their life, you will be surprised to find how few have formed to themselves more than the most dim idea. The question of the summum bonum has ever been the most difficult for the human mind to grasp. What shall a man
Henry Drummond—The Ideal Life

Its Meaning
Deliverance from the condemning sentence of the Divine Law is the fundamental blessing in Divine salvation: so long as we continue under the curse, we can neither be holy nor happy. But as to the precise nature of that deliverance, as to exactly what it consists of, as to the ground on which it is obtained, and as to the means whereby it is secured, much confusion now obtains. Most of the errors which have been prevalent on this subject arose from the lack of a clear view of the thing itself, and
Arthur W. Pink—The Doctrine of Justification

Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits Derived from It.
1. A general summary of what is contained in the previous part of the work. A transition to the doctrine of prayer. Its connection with the subject of faith. 2. Prayer defined. Its necessity and use. 3. Objection, that prayer seems useless, because God already knows our wants. Answer, from the institution and end of prayer. Confirmation by example. Its necessity and propriety. Perpetually reminds us of our duty, and leads to meditation on divine providence. Conclusion. Prayer a most useful exercise.
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Work of Jesus Christ as an Advocate,
CLEARLY EXPLAINED, AND LARGELY IMPROVED, FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL BELIEVERS. 1 John 2:1--"And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." By JOHN BUNYAN, Author of "The Pilgrim's Progress." London: Printed for Dorman Newman, at the King's Arms, in the Poultry, 1689. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This is one of the most interesting of Bunyan's treatises, to edit which required the Bible at my right hand, and a law dictionary on my left. It was very frequently republished;
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Question of the Contemplative Life
I. Is the Contemplative Life wholly confined to the Intellect, or does the Will enter into it? S. Thomas, On the Beatific Vision, I., xii. 7 ad 3m II. Do the Moral Virtues pertain to the Contemplative Life? S. Augustine, Of the City of God, xix. 19 III. Does the Contemplative Life comprise many Acts? S. Augustine, Of the Perfection of Human Righteousness, viii. 18 " Ep., cxxx. ad probam IV. Does the Contemplative Life consist solely in the Contemplation of God, or in the Consideration
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

A Treatise on Good Works
I. We ought first to know that there are no good works except those which God has commanded, even as there is no sin except that which God has forbidden. Therefore whoever wishes to know and to do good works needs nothing else than to know God's commandments. Thus Christ says, Matthew xix, "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." And when the young man asks Him, Matthew xix, what he shall do that he may inherit eternal life, Christ sets before him naught else but the Ten Commandments.
Dr. Martin Luther—A Treatise on Good Works

The Beginning of Justification. In what Sense Progressive.
1. Men either idolatrous, profane, hypocritical, or regenerate. 1. Idolaters void of righteousness, full of unrighteousness, and hence in the sight of God altogether wretched and undone. 2. Still a great difference in the characters of men. This difference manifested. 1. In the gifts of God. 2. In the distinction between honorable and base. 3. In the blessings of he present life. 3. All human virtue, how praiseworthy soever it may appear, is corrupted. 1. By impurity of heart. 2. By the absence of
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Second Great Group of Parables.
(Probably in Peræa.) Subdivision G. Concerning Offenses, Faith, and Service. ^C Luke XVII. 1-10. ^c 1 And he said unto the disciples [Jesus here ceases to speak to the Pharisees, and begins a new series of sayings addressed to the disciples, which sayings are, however, pertinent to the occasion, and not wholly disconnected with what he has just been saying], It is impossible [in a world where Pharisees abound, etc.--I. Cor. xi. 19] but that occasions of stumbling should come; but woe unto him,
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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