"I Was a Fool When Times Were Good" - Psalm 30

May 09, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 30

A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple.
1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
    and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
    and you have healed me.
3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
    you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.
6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
    “I shall never be moved.”
7 By your favor, O Lord,
    you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
    I was dismayed.
8 To you, O Lord, I cry,
    and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
9 “What profit is there in my death,
    if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
    O Lord, be my helper!”
11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
    you have loosed my sackcloth
    and clothed me with gladness,
12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

The structure of the psalm is simple, its two outbursts of praise flanking the confession in verses 6-10 of overconfidence and its dire results. David’s unaffected delight at being restores shines through every word, quite undimmed by time.—Derek Kidner

A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple.
1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
    and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
    and you have healed me.
3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
    you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.

“For you have drawn me up”—it’s the same word for drawing water from a well.

6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
    “I shall never be moved.”
7 By your favor, O Lord,
    you made my mountain stand strong;
you hid your face;
    I was dismayed.
8 To you, O Lord, I cry,
    and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
9 “What profit is there in my death,
    if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
    O Lord, be my helper!”

David has been foolish because he boasted in good times that nothing bad would happen: “I shall never be moved.”

Then, when bad times came, he realized that he needed the Lord more than ever.

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
    you have loosed my sackcloth
    and clothed me with gladness,
12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

David is PUMPED! The Lord has been faithful, and he knows he didn’t deserve it.

What about you?

You Just Need to Understand This One Word - Psalm 29

May 08, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 29

A Psalm of David
1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord, over many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
    and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
    the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
    and strips the forests bare,
    and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
    the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
11 May the Lord give strength to his people!
    May the Lord bless his people with peace!

This psalm requires you to understand one Hebrew word, and then the whole psalm opens up. It’s the word “qol,” [pronounced “coal”] which in Hebrew means “voice” or “sounds” or “thunder.” When you read “voice” in our English translation, it could also be translated “sound” or “thunder;” in Psalm 29 the psalmist is playing with those resonances.

In fact, it might be fun to read through Psalm 29 and say “qol” every time you read “voice.”

The psalm is a meditation on the power of God as experienced in a thunderstorm, as it blows in from the Mediterranean!

A Psalm of David.
1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

The psalmist reminds the spiritual beings—we usually call them “angels”—that only God is the source of glory and strength, and not any other created being.

3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord, over many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The psalmist imagines a thunderstorm moving inland from the Mediterranean Sea, thundering over the waters.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.

Lebanon is in the north of Israel, and was known for its mountains and its great cedar trees. Mount Sirion (also called Mount Hermon in the Bible) is north of the Sea of Galilee and is the tallest mountain in Israel. The psalmist imagines the voice of the Lord causing the mountain itself to skip like an adolescent animal.

7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
    the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
    and strips the forests bare,
    and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

The psalmist imagines God’s words as lightning, streaking through the storm-filled sky.

10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
11 May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!

God is in control of even the waters of chaos!

And then the psalmist says something amazing:

Do you know what the effect is on the people of God of the mighty strength of God?

PEACE.

God’s strength gives his people peace.

Strength & Shield - Psalm 28

May 07, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 28

Of David.
1 To you, O Lord, I call;
    my rock, be not deaf to me,
lest, if you be silent to me,
    I become like those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,
    when I cry to you for help,
when I lift up my hands
    toward your most holy sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me off with the wicked,
    with the workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors
    while evil is in their hearts.
4 Give to them according to their work
    and according to the evil of their deeds;
give to them according to the work of their hands;
    render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord
    or the work of his hands,
he will tear them down and build them up no more.
6 Blessed be the Lord!
    For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
    and with my song I give thanks to him.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people;
    he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
    Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

Of David.
1 To you, O Lord, I call;
my rock, be not deaf to me,
lest, if you be silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.

The psalmist knows that if the Lord doesn’t save him, he has no hope.

(“The pit” is a Hebrew metaphor for death.)

2 Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy,
    when I cry to you for help,
when I lift up my hands
    toward your most holy sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me off with the wicked,
    with the workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors
    while evil is in their hearts.
4 Give to them according to their work
    and according to the evil of their deeds;
give to them according to the work of their hands;
    render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord
    or the work of his hands,
he will tear them down and build them up no more.

Verse 3 is such a condemnation of the wicked:

who speak peace with their neighbors
while evil is in their hearts.

But, the psalmist reminds himself that God sees all that happens and will one day judge all things perfectly.

6 Blessed be the Lord!
    For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
    and with my song I give thanks to him.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people;
    he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
    Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

I like the final image of the Lord as a Good Shepherd, carrying a needy sheep under his arm.

Why Should I Fear? - Psalm 27

May 06, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 27

Of David.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me
    to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
    it is they who stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
    yet I will be confident.
4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will lift me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be lifted up
    above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
    be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
9     Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
    O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
    but the Lord will take me in.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on a level path
    because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
    for false witnesses have risen against me,
    and they breathe out violence.
13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

Amen.

Take 5 minutes to sit still, breathe, and listen to “Psalm 27 (One Thing)” by Shane and Shane:

Plaintiff, not Defendant! - Psalm 26

May 05, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 26

Of David.
1 Vindicate me, O Lord,
    for I have walked in my integrity,
    and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
    test my heart and my mind.
3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
    and I walk in your faithfulness.
4 I do not sit with men of falsehood,
    nor do I consort with hypocrites.
5 I hate the assembly of evildoers,
    and I will not sit with the wicked.
6 I wash my hands in innocence
    and go around your altar, O Lord,
7 proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
    and telling all your wondrous deeds.
8 O Lord, I love the habitation of your house
    and the place where your glory dwells.
9 Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
    nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 in whose hands are evil devices,
    and whose right hands are full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
    redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on level ground;
    in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.

The psalmists talk about judgement all the time, and they seem to actually want to be judged!

C.S. Lewis has an excellent explanation for why this is—be sure to read the whole excerpt:

The ancient Jews, like ourselves, think of God’s judgement in terms of an earthly court of justice. The difference is that the Christian pictures the case to be tried as a criminal case with himself in the dock; the Jew pictures it as a civil case with himself as the plaintiff. The one hopes for acquittal, or rather for pardon; the other hopes for a resounding triumph with heavy damages. Hence he prays “judge my quarrel”, or “avenge my cause” (35, 23). And though, as I said a minute ago, Our Lord in the parable of the Sheep and the Goats painted the characteristically Christian picture, in another place He is very characteristically Jewish. Notice what He means by “an unjust judge”. By those words most of us would mean someone like Judge Jeffreys or the creatures who sat on the benches of German tribunals during the Nazi régime: someone who bullies witnesses and jurymen in order to convict, and then savagely to punish, innocent men. Once again, we are thinking of a criminal trial. We hope we shall never appear in the dock before such a judge. But the Unjust Judge in the parable is quite a different character. There is no danger of appearing in his court against your will: the difficulty is the opposite—to get into it. It is clearly a civil action. The poor woman (Luke 18, 18, 5) has had her little strip of land—room for a pigsty or a henrun—taken away from her by a richer and more powerful neighbour (nowadays it would be Town-Planners or some11other “Body”). And she knows she has a perfectly watertight case. If once she could get it into court and have it tried by the laws of the land, she would be bound to get that strip back. But no one will listen to her, she can’t get it tried. No wonder she is anxious for “judgement”.
Behind this lies an age-old and almost world-wide experience which we have been spared. In most places and times it has been very difficult for the “small man” to get his case heard. The judge (and, doubtless, one or two of his underlings) has to be bribed. If you can’t afford to “oil his palm” your case will never reach court. Our judges do not receive bribes. (We probably take this blessing too much for granted; it will not remain with us automatically). We need not therefore be surprised if the Psalms, and the Prophets, are full of the longing for judgement, and regard the announcement that “judgement” is coming as good news. Hundreds and thousands of people who have been stripped of all they possess and who have the right entirely on their side will at last be heard. Of course they are not afraid of judgement. They know their case is unanswerable —if only it could be heard. When God comes to judge, at last it will.
- C.S. Lewis, Reflection on the Psalms

A Prayer for Suffering People - Psalm 25

May 04, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 25

Of David.
1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust;
    let me not be put to shame;
    let not my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
    they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all the day long.
6 Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
    for they have been from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your steadfast love remember me,
    for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
8 Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right,
    and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
11 For your name's sake, O Lord,
    pardon my guilt, for it is great.
12 Who is the man who fears the Lord?
    Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
13 His soul shall abide in well-being,
    and his offspring shall inherit the land.
14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
    and he makes known to them his covenant.
15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
    for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
    bring me out of my distresses.
18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,
    and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider how many are my foes,
    and with what violent hatred they hate me.
20 Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
    Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
    for I wait for you.
22 Redeem Israel, O God,
    out of all his troubles.

“This prayer is a model for those who suffer, particularly at the hands of others, to call on God to help them. It expresses a fundamental trust that God will indeed answer the prayer, in spite of the supplicant’s acknowledgement of sin. It speaks of an eagerness to learn more from God and to grow in relationship with him, based on the covenant.”—Tremper Longman

The Return of the Warrior God - Psalm 24

May 03, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 24

A Psalm of David.
1 The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,
    the world and those who dwell therein,
2 for he has founded it upon the seas
    and established it upon the rivers.
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
    And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not lift up his soul to what is false
    and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the Lord
    and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty,
    the Lord, mighty in battle!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And lift them up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord of hosts,
    he is the King of glory! Selah

Remember Raiders of the Lost Ark? The Nazis want to get their hands on the Ark of the Covenant so that they will be victorious in battle, and only Indiana Jones stands in their way.

In real life, however, the Israelites did march into battle behind the Ark of the Covenant, and it seems that Psalm Twenty-Four was used as the victorious armies of Israel brought the Ark back up Mount Zion to the Temple—it is an entrance liturgy.

It’s a great psalm!

Of David. A psalm.

Like most of the psalms, Psalm 24 was used for hundreds of years in Israelite worship. So, though it comes from the time of David (before the Temple was built), it also clearly references the physical building of the Temple on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. A later poet must have adapted David’s original poem for use in Temple worship.

1 The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
2 for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.

The claim is total: every square inch belongs to the Lord, because he made it all.

The Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper put it this way: “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’”

Remember that the Israelites pictured Creation beginning with the waters of chaos, out of which the Lord brings order and life, which is what the psalmist is talking about in verse 2.

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
    And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not lift up his soul to what is false
    and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the Lord
    and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah

If this Lord—who made everything—is present in the Temple on Mount Zion in Jerusalem (“the hill of the Lord”), then how could anyone possibly come close to him? The psalmist says that the people who should approach the Temple are ones who are morally upright.

7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty,
    the Lord, mighty in battle!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
    And lift them up, O ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord of hosts,
    he is the King of glory! Selah

Now the perspective shifts to a procession entering the Temple gates.

The priest at the head of the procession shouts: “You gates, lift up your heads and be proud!”

The priest who is inside the Temple gates replies: “Who is the King that’s entering?”

The call and response continues until we know the answer:

“The Lord of hosts!”

(Remember, “hosts” is just an old-fashioned word for “armies.”)

P.S. There is a great hymn based on this psalm: “Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates.” [Hymn starts at the 1:00 minute mark.]

If You Memorize Only One Psalm, It Should Be Psalm 23

May 02, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 23

A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2     He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3     He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

In nearly every hospital room and deathbed I’ve ever visited, I’ve recited the words of the Twenty-Third Psalm. I’ve found there is great value in the memorization of scripture, and I’d like to challenge you to learn this psalm by heart. Are you in?

P.S. “Psalm 23” by Shane and Shane.

P.P.S. “House of God Forever” by Jon Foreman.

He Has Done It - Psalm 22

May 01, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 22

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
    and by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy,
    enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our fathers trusted;
    they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried and were rescued;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
    they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
    you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
10 On you was I cast from my birth,
    and from my mother's womb you have been my God.
11 Be not far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is none to help.
12 Many bulls encompass me;
    strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 they open wide their mouths at me,
    like a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
    it is melted within my breast;
15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
    and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
    you lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs encompass me;
    a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
17 I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.
19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
    O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of the dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
    and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred
    the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
    but has heard, when he cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
    my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
    May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    shall worship before you.
28 For kingship belongs to the Lord,
    and he rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
    even the one who could not keep himself alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him;
    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
    that he has done it.

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.

The psalmist feels totally alone.

If God were good, then surely he’d hear my prayers and respond.

And yet, complete silence from the Almighty.

(This is the psalm that Jesus prays on the Cross.)

3 Yet you are holy,
   enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our fathers trusted;
   they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried and were rescued;
   in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

I’ve been taught since my boyhood that you are good, and how you answered the prayers of my ancestors.

6 But I am a worm and not a man,
   scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
   they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

And yet, despite what I’ve been taught, I am here in great suffering and pain.

Worse, the people around me are ridiculing me for my trust in you, Lord.

9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
   you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
10 On you was I cast from my birth,
    and from my mother's womb you have been my God.
11 Be not far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is none to help.
12 Many bulls encompass me;
    strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 they open wide their mouths at me,
    like a ravening and roaring lion.

(Bashan was a place known for the hardiness of its cattle.)

14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;

Complete and utter terror, with no strength left to face your enemies or to stand strong.

15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
    and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
    you lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs encompass me;
    a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
17 I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.

These lines are just extraordinary, when you consider that Jesus was pierced in hands and feet, and that the Roman soldiers cast lots for his clothing. And this is the psalm from which Jesus quotes on the cross! Can you imagine what he was thinking?

19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
    O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of the dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
    and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred
    the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
    but has heard, when he cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
    my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
    May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    shall worship before you.
28 For kingship belongs to the Lord,
    and he rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
    before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
    even the one who could not keep himself alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him;
    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
    that he has done it.

The psalm, which has been so desperate and despairing, suddenly turns, and the psalmist speaks of how the Lord actually has delivered him! He is no longer speaking from a place of terror, but of grateful amazement at God’s salvation.

And I love the final verses:

30 Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.

Yes. He has done it. Amen.

What begins as a psalm of absolute despair, here ends as a psalm of deliverance and victory.

Good Friday has become Easter.

And all the people said, “Amen!”

"The King Rejoices in the Lord's Strength" - Psalm 21

April 30, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 21

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices,
    and in your salvation how greatly he exults!
2 You have given him his heart's desire
    and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
3 For you meet him with rich blessings;
    you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
4 He asked life of you; you gave it to him,
    length of days forever and ever.
5 His glory is great through your salvation;
    splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
6 For you make him most blessed forever;
    you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord,
    and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.
8 Your hand will find out all your enemies;
    your right hand will find out those who hate you.
9 You will make them as a blazing oven
    when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
    and fire will consume them.
10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
    and their offspring from among the children of man.
11 Though they plan evil against you,
    though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.
12 For you will put them to flight;
    you will aim at their faces with your bows.
13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
    We will sing and praise your power.

I love this opening line of the Twenty-First Psalm:

O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices!

Like yesterday’s psalm, Psalm 21 is also a royal psalm—a prayer for the king.

Can you imagine the Israelite army, dressed for battle, singing and shouting these words? What a thrilling sight that must have been.

Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power.

AMEN.

The Ultimate Greeting Card - Psalm 20

April 29, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 20

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
  May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
  and give you support from Zion!
3 May he remember all your offerings
  and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah
4 May he grant you your heart's desire
  and fulfill all your plans!
5 May we shout for joy over your salvation,
  and in the name of our God set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!
6 Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
  he will answer him from his holy heaven
  with the saving might of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
  but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They collapse and fall,
  but we rise and stand upright.
9 O Lord, save the king!
  May he answer us when we call.

This psalm was a royal psalm, a pre-battle prayer for the king. The first part is addressed to the king directly, and the 2nd part is about the king.

It’s stirring to think of Israelite warriors beating their shields, braiding their fierce beards, and boldly singing out this psalm before going to battle against the Philistines.

So I mean no disrespect when I say that this psalm strikes me as the ultimate source of greeting card best wishes. That is, so many of the lines would be just perfect to use when writing a note or sending a card to someone. To cite just one example (but be sure to read the whole thing—it’s great!):

May he grant you your heart's desire
and fulfill all your plans!

AMEN.

C.S. Lewis Called this the Perfect Psalm - Psalm 19

April 28, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 19

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
    whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5  which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
    and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
    and its circuit to the end of them,
    and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
    and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors?
    Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
    let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
    and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in your sight,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Looking at the skies, it’s as if they are filled with writing that is telling us about the glory of the Lord. All day and all night, you can read ‘GLORY’ written there, even though nothing is actually ‘written’ there. But, no matter where you go, you can still see the message.

In particular, the sun is glorious. It’s like he is a strong man waking up after his wedding day, and he delights to run his race and show his strength as he makes his way from East to West every day. Imagine a man coming out of his tent, stretching his shoulders and rejoicing at the new day.

And the heat of the sun is felt EVERYWHERE, searing every inch that is exposed to it, searching every crevice with its heat. Imagine the noonday heat of the sun in the desert, where there is no place to hide from its burning.

You know, that’s what the teaching of the Lord is like! It is pure and clean and bright. It makes things clear and shows them beautiful.

The law of the Lord is golden like sunlight and golden and sweet like honey.

The law’s light burns into me and shows me the things I had tried to hide.

Lord, please burn up anything dark and rotting in me, and make me clean!

--Psalm 19, AFV

(the Andrew Forrest version)

The Warrior - Psalm 18

April 27, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 18

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who addressed the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death encompassed me;
    the torrents of destruction assailed me;
5 the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry to him reached his ears.
7 Then the earth reeled and rocked;
    the foundations also of the mountains trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
8 Smoke went up from his nostrils,
    and devouring fire from his mouth;
    glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9 He bowed the heavens and came down;
    thick darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,
    thick clouds dark with water.
12 Out of the brightness before him
    hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
    and the Most High uttered his voice,
    hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;
    he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
15 Then the channels of the sea were seen,
    and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord,
    at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
16 He sent from on high, he took me;
    he drew me out of many waters.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
    for they were too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out into a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
20 The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;
    according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his rules were before me,
    and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23 I was blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from my guilt.
24 So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
26 with the purified you show yourself pure;
    and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
27 For you save a humble people,
    but the haughty eyes you bring down.
28 For it is you who light my lamp;
    the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
29 For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can leap over a wall.
30 This God—his way is perfect;
    the word of the Lord proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God, but the Lord?
    And who is a rock, except our God?—
32 the God who equipped me with strength
    and made my way blameless.
33 He made my feet like the feet of a deer
    and set me secure on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand supported me,
    and your gentleness made me great.
36 You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
    and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
    they fell under my feet.
39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
    and those who hated me I destroyed.
41 They cried for help, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
42 I beat them fine as dust before the wind;
    I cast them out like the mire of the streets.
43 You delivered me from strife with the people;
    you made me the head of the nations;
    people whom I had not known served me.
44 As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
    foreigners came cringing to me.
45 Foreigners lost heart
    and came trembling out of their fortresses.
46 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be the God of my salvation—
47 the God who gave me vengeance
    and subdued peoples under me,
48 who rescued me from my enemies;
    yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from the man of violence.
49 For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
    and sing to your name.
50 Great salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
    to David and his offspring forever.

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who addressed the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

David spent years living as an outlaw in the wilderness being hunted by Saul. Though Samuel had anointed David king of Israel, it was a long time before that became a reality. This psalm is repeated virtually word for word in 2 Samuel 22, and it is the summary song of David’s life—he faced difficulties, but the Lord delivered him.

1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

In the striking list of metaphors David uses for the Lord, the sense is that God is like his mountain stronghold. David spent much of his time on the run among the rocks and cliffs of the Judean wilderness.

“The horn of my salvation” is a common way of speaking of strength—imagine a bull’s horns—and David is saying that the Lord is the source of his power. All of these metaphors are martial in their meaning.

These first 3 verses summarize the psalm: the Lord has saved me and been the source of my strength. When I called to him, he answered. The rest of the psalm will describe things in greater detail.

4 The cords of death encompassed me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
5 the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.

It’s like death itself was trying to pull him under, entangling him and dragging him into its open maw; it was like a great flood was trying to carry him below. (Water was terrifying for the Israelites—they were not a seafaring people—and floodwaters are a common image of death and chaos and destruction in the psalms.)

6 In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.

But the Lord heard David’s prayers in the Temple!

7 Then the earth reeled and rocked;
    the foundations also of the mountains trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
8 Smoke went up from his nostrils,
    and devouring fire from his mouth;
    glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9 He bowed the heavens and came down;
    thick darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,
    thick clouds dark with water.
12 Out of the brightness before him
    hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
    and the Most High uttered his voice,
    hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;
    he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.
15 Then the channels of the sea were seen,
    and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O Lord,
    at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

Ever been through a thunderstorm of great power? The house shakes and rattles as the storm moves overhead. There are few experiences in life in which you sense raw power in the way you do through a thunderstorm.

When the Lord hears David’s cries for help, his power rolls in like a thunderstorm! The winds are so great that even “the channels of the sea were seen”—i.e., the waters are pushed back and the sea floor exposed.

One quick point: a cherub was the most terrifying mythical animal that the people of the ancient middle east could imagine. They were pictured are guarding entrance to the divine. After the Fall, e.g., the Lord places cherubs (plural “cherubim”) at the entrance to the Garden of Eden, preventing Adam and Eve from returning.

16 He sent from on high, he took me;
    he drew me out of many waters.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
    for they were too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out into a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

The Lord places David in a “broad place”. Makes me think of the “green pastures” and “still waters” of Psalm 23.

20 The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;
    according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his rules were before me,
    and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23 I was blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from my guilt.
24 So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

David knows he has been faithful, and he trusts the Lord’s promise: be faithful to me, and you will be blessed.

25 With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
26 with the purified you show yourself pure;
    and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
27 For you save a humble people,
    but the haughty eyes you bring down.

David knows that the wicked and arrogant will get what they deserve.

28 For it is you who light my lamp;
the Lord my God lightens my darkness.

The Lord shows him the way, even in darkness.

29 For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can leap over a wall.
30 This God—his way is perfect;
    the word of the Lord proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God, but the Lord?
    And who is a rock, except our God?—
32 the God who equipped me with strength
    and made my way blameless.
33 He made my feet like the feet of a deer
    and set me secure on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand supported me,
    and your gentleness made me great.
36 You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
    and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
    they fell under my feet.
39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
    and those who hated me I destroyed.
41 They cried for help, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
42 I beat them fine as dust before the wind;
    I cast them out like the mire of the streets.
43 You delivered me from strife with the people;
    you made me the head of the nations;
    people whom I had not known served me.
44 As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
    foreigners came cringing to me.
45 Foreigners lost heart
    and came trembling out of their fortresses.
46 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be the God of my salvation—
47 the God who gave me vengeance
    and subdued peoples under me,
48 who rescued me from my enemies;
    yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from the man of violence.

David knows that the source of any masculine strength or martial prowess he has is the Lord. He uses image after image—a sure-footed deer on a cliff, strong fingers to bend a bow, great leaps—to exult in the strength the Lord has given him.

It’s a song of victory in battle—”I thrust them through”—filled with violent images, and throughout, David understands that the Lord is the source of his victories.

Reading this psalm, I am reminded of Whitman’s great line, which is how I imagine David exulting in the Lord’s victory:

“I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.”— Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

49 For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
    and sing to your name.
50 Great salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
    to David and his offspring forever.

The word “anointed” is the Hebrew word Messiah.

On the one hand, this is the great summary psalm of King David’s life: the Lord delivered me from mine enemies and gave me strength and victory.

On the other hand, this is a Messianic psalm—it’s about the ultimate King and Warrior, Jesus. He was pulled down into death, but the Father raised him up in the power of the Spirit and gave him victory over the Enemy. AMEN.

(Go back again and read through the psalm with Jesus as the protagonist. Powerful.)

When People Are Lying About You - Psalm 17

April 26, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 17

A Prayer of David.
1 Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry!
    Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!
2 From your presence let my vindication come!
    Let your eyes behold the right!
3 You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,
    you have tested me, and you will find nothing;
    I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
4 With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips
    I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held fast to your paths;
    my feet have not slipped.
6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
    incline your ear to me; hear my words.
7 Wondrously show your steadfast love,
    O Savior of those who seek refuge
    from their adversaries at your right hand.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
    hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who do me violence,
    my deadly enemies who surround me.
10 They close their hearts to pity;
    with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
11 They have now surrounded our steps;
    they set their eyes to cast us to the ground.
12 He is like a lion eager to tear,
    as a young lion lurking in ambush.
13 Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him!
    Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
14 from men by your hand, O Lord,
    from men of the world whose portion is in this life.
You fill their womb with treasure;
    they are satisfied with children,
    and they leave their abundance to their infants.
15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
    when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

Psalm 17 is a great psalm to pray if folks are lying about you and trying to hurt you with falsehoods. The psalmist knows he is innocent, but he still needs the Lord to fight for him and vindicate him. Sooner or later in life, you will be in that same situation—when you are, pray this psalm.

Feeling GREAT - Psalm 16

April 25, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 16

A Miktam of David.
1 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
   I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
   in whom is all my delight.
4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
   their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
   or take their names on my lips.
5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
   you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
   indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
   in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
   because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
   my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
   or let your holy one see corruption.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
  in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

A miktam of David.

We don’t know what a “Miktam” is.

1 Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

A refuge is a fortress, a stronghold. What does it mean that God is a “refuge”? It means that no matter where you are, God can be a fortress for you.

2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
    I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
    in whom is all my delight.
4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
    their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
    or take their names on my lips.
5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
    you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

The psalmist uses the metaphor of receiving land as an inheritance to describe his blessings from the Lord. It’s like he’s received an excellent piece of property, with all the boundary “lines” being exactly where he would want them to be.

7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
    my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
    or let your holy one see corruption.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

The Lord is leading the psalmist and gives him guidance day and night. Even death is not to be feared—“Sheol” is the Hebrew name for the place of the dead. (Incidentally, the early Christian writers of the New Testament seized on v. 10 and saw in it a clear prophecy about the Resurrection of Jesus.)

This is a beautiful psalm of confidence and joy, which I think is well-expressed in this video of the Shane and Shane song “Psalm 16 (Fullness of Joy).”

Don't forget to check out our other channel, God's Promises, for encouraging scripture videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt65yUYMcgVfVHfA3n9RNfg/about...

Great Short Description of Integrity - Psalm 15

April 24, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 15

A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?
    Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
    and speaks truth in his heart;
3 who does not slander with his tongue
    and does no evil to his neighbor,
    nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
    but who honors those who fear the Lord;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 who does not put out his money at interest
    and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.

After King David recovers the Ark of the Covenant from the Philistines, he eventually moves it to Jerusalem and sets it on Mount Zion, building a tent—the Tabernacle—over it. (You can read about it in 2 Samuel 6.). Later, his son King Solomon builds the Temple in the same spot.

Psalm 15 is about what it means to enter into the Tabernacle/Temple; it’s a description of integrity.

My favorite part?

A person of integrity is so honest that he is the type of person who

“swears to his own hurt and does not change.”

I also like the closing line:

“The person who does these things shall never be moved.”

The Practical Atheist - Psalm 14

April 23, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 14

To the choirmaster. Of David.
1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
    there is none who does good.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,
    to see if there are any who understand,
    who seek after God.
3 They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
    there is none who does good,
    not even one.
4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers
    who eat up my people as they eat bread
    and do not call upon the Lord?
5 There they are in great terror,
    for God is with the generation of the righteous.
6 You would shame the plans of the poor,
    but the Lord is his refuge.
7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
    When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,
    let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.

The practical atheist is not so much a person who flat-out rejects the idea of God, but rather a person who lives as if God doesn’t exist. It is that sort of person the psalmist calls a “fool” in Psalm 14.

For the director of music. Of David.
1 The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.

Because the fools don’t believe God will hold them to account, they behave in wicked ways.

2 The Lord looks down from heaven
    on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
    any who seek God.
3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
    there is no one who does good,
    not even one.
4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?

The Lord is searching for faithful people in the midst of a faithless generation—don’t these foolish people know that nothing is hidden from the Lord?

They devour my people as though eating bread;
    they never call on the Lord.
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
    for God is present in the company of the righteous.
6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
    but the Lord is their refuge.

People are being eaten up by the wicked, but God has not abandoned the poor and vulnerable—He is with them.

7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Zion is the little mountain on which the Temple was built in Jerusalem, and the Israelites liked to think of it as the Lord’s particular place. Jacob was the Old Testament patriarch who was renamed Israel; thereafter, the entire nation of the Israelites was often called “Jacob” or “Israel”. Nearly all the psalms end, like this one, on a note of hope.

Be hopeful today! The Lord sees.

How Long, Lord? - Psalm 13

April 22, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 13

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

The psalmist feels utterly alone—no one to counsel him, no one to encourage him. Worst of all, his enemies are thriving while he is suffering.

3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

If the Lord doesn’t quickly respond, the psalmist won’t be able to persevere much longer and his enemies will gloat over his destruction.

5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Though there are more psalms of lament than psalms of joy—a fact which teaches us something important about the nature of life on this blue planet—almost all the psalms end on a note of confidence and joy. The psalmist knows that the Lord is faithful forever, and that those who put their trust in him will not be disappointed.

How can you rejoice today, right in the midst of your difficulties?

Where Have All the Decent People Gone? - Psalm 12

April 21, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 12

To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.
1 Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone;
    for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
2 Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;
    with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
    the tongue that makes great boasts,
4 those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail,
    our lips are with us; who is master over us?”
5 “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,
    I will now arise,” says the Lord;
    “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”
6 The words of the Lord are pure words,
    like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
    purified seven times.
7 You, O Lord, will keep them;
    you will guard us from this generation forever.
8 On every side the wicked prowl,
    as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

“Where have all the decent people gone?” That’s the question David is asking as Psalm 12 opens, and the rest of the psalm is his way of dealing with the problem.

To the choirmaster: according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.

Remember, though many of the psalms were clearly used in Israelite worship, there are many musical terms we do not understand, and “The Sheminith” is one such example.

1 Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone;
for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.

Where are all the decent people? That’s what the psalmist is asking here. This psalm is 3,000 years old, and as current as this morning’s headlines. Some things never change.

2 Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;
with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

Part of the problem is just a general dishonesty between people, says the psalmist.

3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
the tongue that makes great boasts,
4 those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail,
our lips are with us; who is master over us?”

People are also arrogant and believe that they will never be held accountable for their lies. The psalmist wants the Lord to cut off their lips! See, the psalms give us language for every emotion! Remember—we pray through our emotions when we read the psalms.

5 “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,
I will now arise,” says the Lord;
“I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”

But, the psalmist knows that the sufferings of the vulnerable are not being ignored by the Lord. God will act on their behalf!

6 The words of the Lord are pure words,
like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.

The psalmist has confidence because of what the Lord has said, and compares the Lord’s words to purified silver—both beautiful and 100% genuine. I love this verse, and underlined it in my Psalms book this morning.

7 You, O Lord, will keep them;
you will guard us from this generation forever.
8 On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

Despite the wickedness that prowls around the decent people, the Lord will keep them safe.

"I'm Not a Bird" - Psalm 11

April 20, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 11

1 In the Lord I take refuge;
how can you say to my soul,
“Flee like a bird to your mountain,
2 for behold, the wicked bend the bow;
   they have fitted their arrow to the string
   to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;
3 if the foundations are destroyed,
   what can the righteous do?”
4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
   the Lord's throne is in heaven;
   his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.
5 The Lord tests the righteous,
   but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
6 Let him rain coals on the wicked;
   fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the Lord is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds;
   the upright shall behold his face.

The psalmist is indignant: “I trust in God—stop telling me to fly away like a bird!”

1 In the Lord I take refuge.
    How then can you say to me:
    “Flee like a bird to your mountain.
2 For look, the wicked bend their bows;
    they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
    at the upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are being destroyed,
    what can the righteous do?”

The psalmist reminds himself that the Lord is still King and still on duty, and that the wicked will be punished. (He clearly alludes to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.)

4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
    the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
    his eyes examine them.
5 The Lord examines the righteous,
    but the wicked, those who love violence,
    he hates with a passion.
6 On the wicked he will rain
    fiery coals and burning sulfur;
    a scorching wind will be their lot.

I like the ending of Psalm 11—the Lord is good, and those who trust him will be rewarded.

7 For the Lord is righteous,
he loves justice;
the upright will see his face.