In today’s section, we read psalms 109-134, so we read both the longest and the shortest chapters in the bible in quick succession.
Here are some of my thoughts.
There were a series of verses that seem prophetic of Jesus and some are quoted in the New Testament (109:4,6; 110:1; 118:22,26; 119:99; 130:8; 132:11)
Today we see these names for God
Our helper (115:9,10,11; 119:114)
Our shield (115:9,10,11; 119:114)
Our strength (118:14)
Our song (118:14)
Ps 109 (a prayer for deliverance) – v4 is an example of what Jesus experienced “I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations / even as I am praying for them!” v30-31 “But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord, / praising him to everyone. / For he stands beside the needy, / ready to save them from those who condemn them.”
Ps 110 (praise the God who judges) – v1 cf Heb 1:13; v4 cf Heb 7:21. v3 “your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew” is a good reminder that we a reliant on God from day to day.
Ps 111 (praise the God who loves his people) – v2-3 “How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! / All who delight in him should ponder them. / Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. / His righteousness never fails.” v7 “All he does is just and good, / and all his commandments are trustworthy.” v9 “He has paid a full ransom for his people. / He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. / What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!”
Ps 112 (praise the God who looks after the godly) – v4 “Light shines in the darkness for the godly. / They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.” v9 is a real challenge to me: yes, this is what I want, but at what cost, and how do I arrive there – what is my focus?
Ps 113 (praise God the glorious one) – v7 was also 1 Sa 2:7 “He lifts the poor from the dust / and the needy from the garbage dump. / He sets them among princes, / even the princes of his own people! / He gives the childless woman a family, / making her a happy mother.”
Ps 114 (how mighty is God) – I love the description here in v3 “The Red Sea saw them coming and hurried out of their way! / The water of the Jordan River turned away.”
Ps 115 (praise God, our helper and shield) – v1 “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, / but to your name goes all the glory / for your unfailing love and faithfulness.” v11 “All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord! / He is your helper and your shield.” v16 “The heavens belong to the Lord, / but he has given the earth to all humanity.”
Ps 116 (praise the God who saves) – v5-6 “How kind the Lord is! How good he is! / So merciful, this God of ours! / The Lord protects those of childlike faith.” v12 “What can I offer the Lord / for all he has done for me?”
Ps 117 (praise the God of unfailing love) – v2 “he loves us with unfailing love; / the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.”
Ps 118 (praise the triumphant God) – v7-8 “Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. / I will look in triumph at those who hate me. / It is better to take refuge in the Lord / than to trust in people.” v17 “will not die; instead, I will live / to tell what the Lord has done.” v22 cf 1 Pet 2:7; v26 cf Mk 11:9. v29 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! / His faithful love endures forever.”
Ps 119 (thank God for his word which is light and life) – the basic theme of this psalm is how the psalmist wants to know and obey God’s word with his whole being. It is a prayer of longing to know God’s law more, because of the effect it has. Some of the connections are interesting – v7 “As I learn your righteous regulations, / I will thank you by living as I should!” This is how we show our thanks to God, by living in obedience. v9 “How can a young person stay pure? / By obeying your word.” v29 “Keep me from lying to myself”. v36-37 “Give me an eagerness for your laws / rather than a love for money! / Turn my eyes from worthless things, / and give me life through your word.” v46 “I will speak to kings (and MEPs!) about your laws, / and I will not be ashamed.” v61 – those who are firmly rooted in the word can resist the blandishments of sin. v68 “You are good and do only good.” Suffering in itself is not good, but God can work good through it v71 “My suffering was good for me, / for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.” v78 cf Rom 12:19, in that we should concentrate on leading godly lives, and leave the judgement of others to God. v89-91 are a reminder of the timeless nature of God. v99 cf Lk 2:47 (Jesus at the Temple when 12 years old). v104-105 “Your commandments give me understanding; / no wonder I hate every false way of life. / Your word is a lamp to guide my feet / and a light for my path.” v131 cf 42:1. v136, 158 – do we have this sense of anguish and hurt when people reject God? v143 “As pressure and stress bear down on me, / I find joy in your commands.” v151”but you are near, O Lord.” v162 “I rejoice in your word / like one who discovers a great treasure.” And then it ends with a prayer, v176 “I have wandered away like a lost sheep; / come and find me, / for I have not forgotten your commands.”
Ps 120-134 are psalms that people sang as they went up to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the festivals, hence the name the Song of Ascent.
Ps 120 (prayer for God’s peace) – v1 “I took my troubles to the Lord; / I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.”
Ps 121 (praise the God who keeps us safe) - v3 “He will not let you stumble; / the one who watches over you will not slumber.” v8 “The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, / both now and forever.”
Ps 122 (pray for the peace of Jerusalem) – v6 “Pray for peace in Jerusalem. / May all who love this city prosper.”
Ps 123 (a prayer waiting on the Lord) – v2 “We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy, / just as servants keep their eyes on their master, / as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.”
Ps 124 (praise the God who rescues us) – v1 “What if the Lord had not been on our side?”
Ps 125 (prayer for God’s justice) – v4 “O Lord, do good to those who are good, / whose hearts are in tune with you.”
Ps 126 (praise the God who restores our fortunes) – v2 “And the other nations said, / “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.””
Ps 127 (trust in God) – v1 “Unless the Lord builds a house, / the work of the builders is wasted. / Unless the Lord protects a city, / guarding it with sentries will do no good.”
Ps 128 (praise the God who makes us prosper) – v3 “Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, / flourishing within your home. / Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees / as they sit around your table.”
Ps 129 (prayer for judgement on those who despise God’s people) – v4 “But the Lord is good; / he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly.”
Ps 130 (trust in God alone) – v3-4 “Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, / who, O Lord, could ever survive? / But you offer forgiveness, / that we might learn to fear you.” V8 cf Lk 1:68
Ps 131 (have a right view of God) –v1 is a living out of Deut 29:29 “Lord, my heart is not proud; / my eyes are not haughty. / I don’t concern myself with matters too great / or too awesome for me to grasp. / Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself.”
Ps 132 (prayer for God to remember his promise to David) – v11 “The Lord swore an oath to David / with a promise he will never take back: / “I will place one of your descendants / on your throne.” v17-18 “Here I will increase the power of David; / my anointed one will be a light for my people. / I will clothe his enemies with shame, / but he will be a glorious king.”
Ps 133 (live in unity) – v3 “And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, / even life everlasting.”
Ps 134 (praise God) – v3 “May the Lord, who made heaven and earth, / bless you from Jerusalem.”
No comments:
Post a Comment