"Dead Man Walking"

"To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David." I love these introductions; they really get the brain juices flowing! Here we have yet another unknown word, "Muthlabben"; although with this word, there is a meaning, it's just that no one knows what that meaning really applies to. The meaning of the word is death; which could refer to the death of Goliath, or to that of Absalom; or maybe to the death and destruction of all the enemies listed within this Psalm. But; I like to dance around the edges, so for me, I will attribute the meaning towards that which I feel David was feeling as he wrote this Psalm; and I am going to go with 'Dead Man Walking'. If you have ever been around someone who is about to be put to death, especially if that person is a Christian, then you can relate to what I am talking about. There is really nothing that you can do or say to that person which will upset them, because they have mentally prepared themselves to be dead already; therefore, anything which is stirred up in their life prior to that actual death, is nothing more than noise between them and the destination. As I was reading this Psalm, I got a sense of David giving thanks for God's justice in advance of the actual justice being given; although David has listed instances where God has provided justice, these are but examples of what God has done; thereby giving reference of God's working things out in previous situations; making giving thanks something that is based upon knowledge of God's mighty hand in such matters. In the context of what I believe this Psalm is about, that word "Muthlabben" might be better translated as unto death; a translation that some have said does not fit the context; yet, there are always more ways than one to view God's Holy Word. I look at God's Word as a prism, where the actual meanings of what is being said depend on the application, and the Light of His Word is reflected in many different directions, depending on how it is being looked upon, and the application that is being used. With that; what this word "Muthlabben" could represent, is an illustration of what we are in the world around us; as in, that we are dead to the world. David saw Jesus coming; therefore, his view of what was to be given was based upon the hope of that which was to come; other than that, he never really lacked any of the things that we look back upon: the sacrifice given, the victory won, the risen King; all of which David had foreknowledge into, and believed to be the hope of his salvation. Paul gives us this illustration within Colossians 3:1-3, whereby he says, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on the things above, not on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." Therefore, if you really think about it, there is nothing that this world can do to us, seeing that we really are dead already to the things of this world; and the only way that we can let it have any affect upon us, is if our affection is on the things of this world, and not on the things above. Much like the one who is about to die; who has his affection set on what is ahead, and if he is looking forward to being with Christ, then there is peace and joy within his heart; yet, as soon as he places his affection upon the things of this world, then there is a longing for the things which will be missed...