You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth.
9 Gather ['acaph] not my soul [nephesh] with sinners [chatta'], nor
my life [chay] with bloody [dam] men ['enowsh]: KJV-Interlinear
9 Do not
take my soul away along with sinners, Nor my life with men of bloodshed, NASB
My soul, refers to the person of the individual believer. It refers to me as a person. It refers to you as a person. It distinguishes you as a believer in Christ, as a separate and independent and autonomous person, unique in this world.
One of the many objectives for your spiritual life is to be set apart from the masses of humanity that do not have or don’t pursue their relationship with God.
The phrases, along with sinners, and with men of bloodshed, are idioms, phrases where David is asking God to exclude him from these groups of people. To not number him among them. To not include him in the dealings and manners of life that are common to society and the world in general.
As we saw the other day in our study in Isaiah, there are basically two classes of people within the human race. First there are unbelievers, which makes up the largest group. Second, there are believers, or those who have believed in the Savior who is Jesus Christ.
And among believers there are at least three subgroups. The first and largest group, is of believers who are saved because they have believed in Christ, but they don’t pursue their spiritual life, remaining spiritual infants or babies, never growing up, and never accomplishing life as God intended for them.
The second group, within the class of believers, includes those that learn some doctrine, know some truth, and attain some form of spiritual growth, but are more or less fickle and inconsistent within their spiritual lives.
The third group, is the smallest group which includes those believers who have pursued their spiritual life by means of instruction and learning, and have attained the highest level within their spiritual life, which is spiritual maturity. It is this group of believers who pursue their spiritual knowledge and understanding and wisdom, no matter what the circumstances of their life might be.
Within the history of the human race, there are those people who make a difference, and those people who do not.
And making a difference in human history has everything to do with the function of the spiritual life in history, and nothing to do with human discovery, or human invention, or human ingenuity. Many discoverers and inventors and leaders of history have been unbelievers. They did not accomplish anything on their own except by way of the grace of God, who put them into history at a time of God’s choosing, not theirs.
No person chooses the time in which they will be born into history. God alone makes that decision.
Within the class of humanity that has and will believe in Christ, the same principle of inclusion in history applies, however, believers have additional opportunities that are potentially available to them, also by the grace of God.
Unfortunately, most believers choose wrong and never discover those opportunities.
Therefore, there are people in history who make a difference, which means a difference that counts not on a temporary basis but on a forever basis. And their lives have extraordinary meaning and purpose during their life in history.
And then there are people who are nothing more than historical filler. They become a part of the swirling effect of the world and the jungle of life, and of society in general, with nothing to add to eternity.
All of the discoveries and inventions of man, certainly have tendencies toward conveniences and perhaps higher qualities of life in this world. But those conveniences or higher qualities are only temporary, and are only as good as long as a person is alive in this world. They do not carry over into the next life.
The only thing that carries over into the next life is your salvation, and the spiritual content of your soul.
The things and gadgets of this life do not advance into the next life.
The only way to have meaning and purpose in your life, in this life, is to advance in your spiritual life. And the only way to advance in your spiritual life, is to learn Bible doctrine. And learning Bible doctrine is a lifelong commitment that does not end while you are in this life.
Spiritually immature people, remain in their immaturity, because they have no commitment, no desire, no drive to better themselves in Gods eyes. They are only satisfied with how they see themselves, or how other people see them in life.
Spiritually mature people, have a commitment and a desire and a drive that lasts their entire life, and never ends.
In this Psalm, the desire is to not be numbered among those who would be historical filler. But rather be numbered among those who will be historical successes, both now and forever.
And the remarkable thing is, that each and every person has the opportunity to be the success. But unfortunately most do not pursue that opportunity.
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