Psalm 71: 1 – 24
Old is valuable
1 In You, O LORD, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame. 2 Deliver me in Your righteousness and cause me to escape; Incline Your ear to me, and save me. 3 Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress. 4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. 5 For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth. 6 By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You. 7 I have become as a wonder to many, but You are my strong refuge. 8 Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day. 9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails. 10 For my enemies speak against me; And those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together, 11 Saying, “God has forsaken him; Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.” 12 O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! 13 Let them be confounded and consumed who are adversaries of my life; Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor who seek my hurt. 14 But I will hope continually and will praise You yet more and more. 15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits. 16 I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only. 17 O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works. 18 Now also when I am old and gray headed, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come. 19 Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? 20 You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth. 21 You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side. 22 Also with the lute I will praise You—And Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. 23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, and my soul, which You have redeemed. 24 My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long; For they are confounded, for they are brought to shame who seek my hurt.
I was looking on the internet and came across things that were old and worth a lot of money. I want to share with you some of these items and if you are like me your mom or someone else in your family probably threw away.
So, here are some items I think you can relate that one time in your life you probably had and now is gone.
. Beanie Babies
The plush collectable toys that were popular in the 1990s have massive resale value on sites like Ebay, especially if the tag is still attached and the item is in mint condition. Some of the limited-edition toys have sold for up to half a million dollars online. For example, one of the original Beanie Babies.
I think I spotted some of them in a Dollar store. If you have some of the rare ones they are worth up to $500,000
. Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely-Hearts Club Vinyl Record
If you've hung onto this popular 1967 record from The Beatles, you could be in luck. The resale value of the album on vinyl can go for up to $290,500—although most sell for a couple hundred dollars.
. Baseball Cards
When pegging the value of baseball cards, the general rule is that the older they are, the more they are worth. There are a lot of nuances that determine a card's worth though, so if you've come across a hoard of old cards, it's worth getting them appraised. Based on variables like condition, player, and year, a card can be sold online for thousands of dollars.
. Comic Books
Of course, as with anything, rare comic books hold more value than common editions. In fact, a rare copy could be worth millions. But don't fret: More common books could still make you hundreds. Not too bad.
. Coin Banks
They might hold your pocket change, but old banks hiding out in your home might be worth a lot more. Though a simple piggy bank might not get you far, if you have something with a mechanical feature, you could be in luck. The Mechanical Bank Collectors of America have been seeking out these contraptions since 1958. What it's worth: Up to $2,500
. Outdated Electronics
It's all about keeping up with technology for most people, but don't go throwing out your old gadgets. There's a huge market for phones, computers, radios, video game systems (and video games, too), or even vintage toasters. In 2015, a woman threw away an Apple I computer valued at $200,000.
. Guitars and Other Instruments
If you're storing any old musical pieces, better dust them off. Instruments, especially guitars, kept in good condition are worth a fortune. Gibson or Martin guitars from the 1960s or earlier are selling for thousands. What it's worth: Up to $33,000
. Lamps
The lamp you inherited that just didn't fit in with the rest of the room can possibly score you a wad of dough. Handel, Pairpoint, and Fulper are just a few of the brands that collectors are looking for. Pro tip: Sometimes even just having the base is enough What it's worth: Up to $45,000
. Lunch Boxes
Still holding on to your old lunch box? Boxes featuring The Beatles, The Jetsons, and even Rambo can score a lot of cash. What it's worth: Up to $3,100
. Postcards
As is the case with most of this list, the value of an old postcard depends on how old it is, how rare it is, and what condition it's in. A postcard from 1840 sold at auction in London in 2002 for $50,000.
. VHS Tapes
The VCR days are long behind us, but you may want to hunt down those old VHS tapes. Unpopular movies that never made the leap to DVD or digital are the ones to look out for (especially in the horror genre). Movies that have been banned or deemed controversial (like Disney's Song of the South) also go for a high price. What it's worth: Up to $50,000
I could go on, but I think that I shared enough to grab your attention. For a lesson in life is that things that grow old or somehow, we feel are useless we discard. This happens to people also.
Therefore verse 9 spoke to my heart. “9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails.”
Unusually for the Book of Psalms we have here a Psalm which has no heading and is anonymous. It is in fact a miscellany of fragments from other Psalms put together to aid in worship. But as so often in the Psalms, the Psalmist is in trouble and seeking refuge in God. It is a reminder that the godly life is not always an easy one.
The Psalmist is clearly an old man who has served God faithfully all his days in the most trying of circumstances. Because of his faithfulness to God he has aroused many antagonists, and now because he is old and defenseless they think to bring him down and destroy him. But he is confident that God will watch over him and will deliver him so that he can sing to God of His triumphs.
These opening verses are taken from Psalm 31.1-3. They are a cry for deliverance because he is trusting YHWH to be his refuge. He sees YHWH as his inhabitable rock and fortress, a place of safety to which he can continually resort.
1 In You, O LORD, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame.
He assures YHWH, his covenant God, that it is in Him that he has taken refuge. That his trust for deliverance is in Him. And it is on these grounds, not those of his own deserving, that he anticipates YHWH’s response, as he asks that YHWH will never allow him to be put to shame. YHWH has invited him into the covenant, he has responded, and thus he expects covenant protection. ‘
2 Deliver me in Your righteousness and cause me to escape; Incline Your ear to me and save me.
His certainty that he will be heard is based on what he knows of God’s righteousness. A righteous God cannot fail those to whom He is covenanted, it would be to cast doubt on His righteousness. But he is aware also that because YHWH The God Of Israel, Is righteous, He saves for a righteous purpose. Thus, he recognizes that he too must be intent on following righteousness if he is to be rescued. And it is on those grounds that he says, ‘bow down your ear to me and save me’.
We are reminded of the Psalmist’s words elsewhere, ‘if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me’ (66.18). We cannot depend on God’s delivering righteousness unless our own desire is to be righteous.
3 Be my strong refuge, to which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress.
He calls on YHWH to be his cliff top fortress home to which he can continually resort, a rock which he can inhabit, for he knows that YHWH has given command to save him. Such a rocky fortress guarantees his security. The ‘commandment’ is His word which always accomplishes what He pleases (Isaiah 55.11). So, the Psalmist knows that his life is under God’s powerful control.
His confident dependence on God arises from his lifetime experience. God has been his trust and his hope from his youth, He understands that he has been held up even from the womb. For it was the Sovereign Lord YHWH who had taken him from his mother’s bowels.
4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man
The Psalmist was clearly undergoing rough treatment, as all God’s true prophets did, and was facing up to unrighteous and harsh men. Life was not easy. So he prayed that God would deliver him out of their hand.
It is an assurance that when we are being harshly treated because we are Christians we too can call on God for rescue.
5 For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth. 6 By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You.
These verses are based on Psalm 22.9-10. He gives the grounds for his assurance that God will hear him. It is because his hope is solidly in God, in Whom he has trusted from his youth. He looks back in his life and sees how God has been his stay, even from the womb. His life experience has resulted in his giving God continual praise. A lifetime of trusting in God, and experiencing His continual care, provides him with a firm foundation for present confidence.
7 I have become as a wonder to many, but You are my strong refuge. 8 Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day.
‘I am as a wonder to many’ reflects at how people wonder at what he suffered (verse 11).
We are reminded of how our Lord Jesus Christ was also held in dishonor by the religious leaders of His day. The truly righteous are rarely honored, except among the righteous. But his experience gave him the confidence to say, in spite of what men thought, and in spite of what he went through, ‘You are my strong refuge’. He knew that God had not turned against him.
As a consequence, he promised that his mouth would continually be filled with God’s praise, and with words which honored Him all day.
The Psalmist is aware that he has powerful enemies, and that when he grows old he could be an easy prey to them. So, he prays that their attitude and intentions may rather rebound upon themselves.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails.
He is concerned that when he grows old he will have no defense against the attacks of his enemies, and he calls on God not to forsake him then, or cast him off when his strength fails. His enemies are clearly longstanding and powerful, and waiting for a chance to get at him. He has been very influential in standing firm for God’s truth and that, having been unable to attack him while he was in his prime, they are awaiting their opportunity for revenge.
10 For my enemies speak against me; And those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together, 11 Saying, “God has forsaken him; Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.”
His adversaries see the time of his old age as a time when he is vulnerable. And now that he has reached it they are discussing together and taking counsel together, for they want his life. Their view is that God has now forsaken him (he has lost his influence and is vulnerable), with the result that they can pursue him and take him because there is no one to defend him.
12 O God do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!
We learn that the confidence of the Psalmist is wholly in God, and he calls on Him to be close to him and to speedily help him.
13 Let them be confounded and consumed who are adversaries of my life; Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor who seek my hurt.
He prays that those who want his life, and those who seek his hurt and to shame him, might themselves be put to shame, and be consumed, being covered in shame and dishonor.
He has no intention of allowing his adversaries to prevent him from speaking out to the glory of God. He promises God that he will do it all day, and will even declare God’s might to the next generation.
14 But I will hope continually and will praise You yet more and more.
The hope that he speaks of is a confident hope. There is no doubt in it. It is simply that he is looking into the future. He assures God that his expectation of receiving help from God will be continuous, and that therefore he will praise Him more and more.
15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits.
He not only expects to benefit from God’s righteousness and salvation but assures Him that he will declare it all day. ‘Righteousness’ refers to God acting righteously in delivering the righteous and leading them into more righteousness.
He declares that he has lost count of God’s Lord’s deliverances. They have been so many that he has been unable to number them. This is the constant experience of the people of God, who are also aware that He is acting in righteous deliverance even when they are least aware of it.
16 I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
So, he promises that he will come to the people with the mighty acts of God, and proclaim His might saving activity, and only His. For the truth is that true divine saving activity comes from YHWH alone. He will give glory to no other.
17 O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
God has taught him from his youth upwards, which is why up to this point he has declared His wonderful works. He has dedicated himself to the expression of the glory of God as revealed in His saving activity.
18 Now also when I am old and gray headed, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.
He prays that that even though he is now old and grey-headed God will continue to teach him and watch over him, and will not forsake him. This is not because he has any doubt of the fact but simply with the aim of expressing his total dependence on God. For he is expectant that God will protect him so that he can declare His might, strength and greatness to the next generation, to everyone who is to come. As a servant of God who has been faithful to Him through the difficult years, he is determined to be faithful to the end.
He has declared God’s strength and God’s might, and now he centers on His heavenly righteousness. He Is a God Who has done great things, but above all He has done them in righteousness. There is nothing irregular about His activities. In this He is unique. He shows His people many and sore troubles (His arm of chastening), but in the end He will raise them up and deliver them. And in his own case he prays that God will lift him up and restore his status (position of greatness) and will comfort him and make him strong.
19 Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You?
He indicates that God Is supremely righteous and totally formidable. He Is a God Whose righteousness reaches to the very heights of heaven, supreme above all others, so that earthly righteousness pales before Him, being a mere shadow of the real thing, satisfactory on earth but not standing up to the searchlight of heaven.
And through that righteousness God has done great things, so that what He has done is incomparable. He acts in both righteousness and power, so that all that He does is right, and because of His power, is fully accomplished.
20 You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
One of His greatest things is yet to be, when He will restore His true people and make them live again. Israel had certainly experienced many and sore troubles, and so always have God’s true people (the Israel within Israel - Romans 9.6).
21 You shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
And this hope of resurrection spurs him on to hope for restoration in this life as well. Thus, he asks God to ‘increase his greatness’. He is not asking God to make him great, but simply to lift him out of his lowly state and restore his life and status, thereby ‘increasing his greatness’. And he sees this as accomplished by God turning again to him and being his comforter.
In his certainty that God will answer him, and will confound his adversaries, the Psalmist bursts into praise. He knows that he is in God’s hands and cannot therefore be brought down.
22 Also with the lute I will praise You—And Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel.
He declares that he will praise God on stringed instruments, that is the psaltery and harp, and especially so because He is wholly true in both action and word. He is totally reliable. And He Is so because He Is the Holy One of Israel, Yahweh God. As the Holy One He inhabits eternity, distinct and unique in being and in righteousness. And yet it is as the Holy One that He revives the hearts and spirits of the contrite (Isaiah 57.15).
23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, and my soul, which You have redeemed. 24 My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long; For they are confounded, for they are brought to shame who seek my hurt.
He assures God that his lips and his whole being will shout for joy and sing praises to Him, because God has delivered him at a cost (redeemed him). He little realized how great the cost. His tongue will tell of His righteous deliverance all day long. His whole life will be full of praise to God.
His continual praise will arise from the fact that God has put to shame and confounded his enemies who seek his hurt. Having brought the situation to God he is happy that he can leave it in His hands with the confidence that He will watch over him and deliver him from all who are against him.
