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Those in the world who are unsaved and under the judgement of God are headed for eternal damnation unless they repent. The world does not want to hear this. So when the true gospel is silenced and some are led into a false notion that they are saved and no longer headed for hell, unbelievers will rejoice and make themselves merry. This is the nature of many of the "ear-tickling" gospels today to leave out judgement and the fact that Christianity comes with heavy afflictions and carrying a cross of ones own. There is rejoicing because there is much trust in their church as well. Membership is growing, bigger and bigger funds are established for new buildings and so forth.
The mention of sending gifts to one another does not forbid Christians from doing so. This is just a way of expressing thanks. However here in a methaphorical sense it most likely refers to spiritual gifts and the sharing of visions, tounges, healings and other supernatural nonsense that is un-Christian.
But thanks be to God for His wonderful truth and salavation revealed to us through His Word.
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Psalm 101 identifies with the believers profession of uprightness before our LORD.
Note the beauty of the first verse wherein the Psalmist declares that his song is about mercy and judgement. These characteristics of course find themselves altogether perfected in our LORD Jesus Christ.
"What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem." (Song of Solomon 5:9-16).
Christ is altogether lovely and He is merciful while bringing perfect justice in His judgements.
Now notice in verse 2 the inspired Psalmist teaches us that he will: "behave myself wisely in a perfect way". This is the human attribute of being a Christian; that is, to strive through grace to follow Christ's example in such things as mercy and justice. Our eyes must always be fixed upon Jesus, at the minimum as much as we possible can through His mercies and undeserved favor bestowed upon each of us. This is the nature of "behaving" in Christ as we find the word behave in verse 2.
We know from the incident with Bathsheba that David did not always behave wisely, but by God's kindness he was led to repentance. By grace, David came a long way back from the lows of his life when he lusted after Bathsheba and killed her husband. But he also behaved in a wise manner prior to the incident with Bathsheba and he was "accepted" for his gracious and wise behaviour. Apparently, somewhere down the road, his guard fell and his wise behaviour. I believe that this serves as a lesson to us that we must continually pray and ask God to give us the grace that we may behave in a wise manner and plead to the LORD for help in following and doing His good will:
"And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle. And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants." (1 Samuel 18:1-5).
Note in verse 3 of Psalm 101 that the word wicked comes from the original Hebrew word "l[ylb" from which we get the word "Belial". It means that which is perverse and void of any good; in other words someone or something worthless. The word came to be used of satan in the New Testament:
"O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" (2 Corinthians 6:11-15).
Here in Psalm 101 it is used in contrast to the "perfect heart" (vs. 2c).
Now in verse 3, the inspired Psamist declares and sets for us an example that "I hate the work of them that turn aside". The phrase "them that turn aside" translates into one word in the original Hebrew, and that is "setim" and seems to mean "apostates" or "revolters against truth", such we read of in Hebrews 6:1-10. Literally the phrase would read: "the works of revolters". So the theme here doesn't so much shift from the Psalmists private to public observations as it serves as a warning to us to avoid the works of apostates; even in ways such as critical review and is supported by the preceding statement verse 3a where the declaration is "I will set no wicked (literally worthless) thing before my eyes".
So as you can see there is much to be learned in this Psalm just from a brief look at these first few verses.
I will close this weeks notes with verse 4 of Psalm 101, it speaks for itself and is a good summary of the first paragraph of the Psalm as well as important teaching to note for our own character in Christ:
A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person. - Psalm 101:4.
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