Celebrating God’s Judgment – Psalm 98

July 16, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 98

1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
    to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
    with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
    let the hills sing for joy together
9 before the Lord, for he comes
    to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
    and the peoples with equity.

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE: Today’s commentary is by Dr. Kevin Watson, who is coming to Tulsa to become the Director of Academic Growth and Formation at the Tulsa Extension Site for Asbury Theological Seminary, as well as joining our staff at Asbury Church as Scholar-in-Residence. I wrote a post announcing and explaining this move.-Andrew

Psalm 98 begins with a call to praise God.

1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
    to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.

As the psalm continues, the celebration intensifies.

First, additional instruments are added to accompany and increase the volume of the sung praises to God.

Second, all of creation joins in singing praise to the Lord. The sea roars. The rivers clap their hands. The hills sing for joy together.

Why all this praise and rejoicing?

Because the Lord “comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.”

When you think of God’s judgment, does it cause you to respond in praise and worship? Does it cause you to rejoice and celebrate?

Psalm 98 pushes us to think of how much we trust God. Do we today celebrate God’s judgment? Do we dance and sing when we think of what we now call “judgment day”? Do we trust God to judge with equity all the peoples of the earth? Can we really join in the celebration in loud voices? The celebration here is not trite. We are called to celebrate God’s judgment on us and on the world. Ellen Davis reminds us, “Judgment is the positive and passionate assertion of God’s will for the world, beginning with the deep foundation of God’s rule in the human heart; therefore, it gives no quarter to deception and self-delusion.” Praise of God and God’s judgment is the ultimate in trust, for it places us squarely in need of salvation. - Beth Tanner

So, do you trust God?

Lord, increase our faith!

Why It Is Good News that God Is in Control – Psalm 97

July 15, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 97

1 The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;
    let the many coastlands be glad!
2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
    and burns up his adversaries all around.
4 His lightnings light up the world;
    the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
    before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    and all the peoples see his glory.
7 All worshipers of images are put to shame,
    who make their boast in worthless idols;
    worship him, all you gods!
8 Zion hears and is glad,
    and the daughters of Judah rejoice,
    because of your judgments, O Lord.
9 For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;
    you are exalted far above all gods.
10 O you who love the Lord, hate evil!
    He preserves the lives of his saints;
    he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is sown for the righteous,
    and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
    and give thanks to his holy name!

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

Yesterday’s psalm, Psalm 96, directs the reader to “Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” (v. 10).

Psalm 97, today’s psalm, simply begins by stating, “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice.” No exhortation to tell others that God reigns is needed. It is simply stated as truth. The direction to the reader this time is for the earth to respond to the reality that God reigns by rejoicing.

Why is it good news that God is in control?

The rest of Psalm 97 tells us:

2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
    and burns up his adversaries all around.
4 His lightnings light up the world;
    the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
    before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    and all the peoples see his glory.
7 All worshipers of images are put to shame,
    who make their boast in worthless idols;
    worship him, all you gods!
8 Zion hears and is glad,
    and the daughters of Judah rejoice,
    because of your judgments, O Lord.
9 For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;
    you are exalted far above all gods.
10 O you who love the Lord, hate evil!
    He preserves the lives of his saints;
    he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light is sown for the righteous,
    and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
    and give thanks to his holy name!

Did you notice the way in which God’s reign is particularly good news for those who love the Lord?

O you who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the lives of his saints;
He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
And give thanks to his holy name! (v. 10-12)

Amen!

Ascribe To The Lord The Glory Due His Name – Psalm 96

July 14, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 96

1. Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
    tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
    he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth!
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
    Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
    he will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
    let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the Lord, for he comes,
    for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth!

Psalm 96 starts off with a call for all the earth to sing to God.

The call to worship continues:

Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!

Verses 4-6 begin to give the rationale for this call to worship:

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

We should sing to the Lord, bless God’s name, tell of God’s salvation, and declare his glory among all nations because God is great!

Psalm 96 forthrightly tells the truth that all other gods are worthless idols. The Triune God alone is rightly to be praised. He alone is worthy of worship.

Verses 7-8 use the word “ascribe” three times. What does it mean to “Ascribe to the Lord”?

Beth Tanner, once again, is helpful:

The word translated as ascribe in vv. 7-8b is much more complex in Hebrew. It appears only in imperative form as a call to act (Gen. 11:3, 4, 7; Exod. 1:10), as a command to give, spoken in desperation (Gen. 30:1; 47:15), and as an order to choose to select wisely (Deut. 1:13; Josh. 18:4). All three meanings may be intended here. It is certainly a call to act, and by means of its grammar it is a call to give the Lord the praise due God’s glory and strength.

The focus then turns outward to the nations:

Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the Lord, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness. (v. 10-13)

God is in charge. He is coming to judge the world. His judgment will be right. The psalmist rejoices that God will judge the world because God is good, and God is faithful.

Where are you yearning to see God’s justice expressed in your life today?

Meribah and Massah – Psalm 95

July 13, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 95

1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3 For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
    the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
7 For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    and the sheep of his hand.
Today, if you hear his voice,
8  do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
    as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
9 when your fathers put me to the test
    and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
10 For forty years I loathed that generation
    and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
    and they have not known my ways.”
11 Therefore I swore in my wrath,
    “They shall not enter my rest.”

I might categorize Psalm 95 as a feel-good psalm if it ended with the first part of verse 7.

It is a great call to worship God.

1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3 For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
    the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
7 For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    and the sheep of his hand.

But then comes a warning at the end of verse 7:

Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
when your fathers put me to the test
and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.

What is going on here?

A good reference Bible will point you to Exodus 17, the story where the people of Israel complain (again), and God tells Moses the strike the rock at Horeb and water will come out of it. Moses does this, and God provides water. Exodus 17:7 says:

And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Massah means testing. Meribah means quarreling.

In v. 7-9 God is the one who reminds the worshipping community, amid their joyous worship, of their past when they tested God and quarreled with the Lord in the wilderness. The warning is jarring and stern:

For forty years I loathed that generation
and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
and they have not known my ways.”
Therefore I swore in my wrath,
“They shall not enter my rest.” (v. 10-11)

And there the Psalm ends.

Beth Tanner provides insight:

We can make God so angry that worship is an abomination (Amos 5:18-25). This is not a nice word to hear, but it is true. This psalm leaves people who are anticipating a festival, and indeed whose festival had already begun with the shouts in vv. 1-2, on their knees contemplating the sins of past generations that serve as a warning to them. “Is the praise honest and real?” is the question this psalm asks as the party begins. “Do you really know what you are doing?” “Are you really prepared to encounter God’s face?” The questions for these ancient ones should also be ours. Worship, full-voiced praise-filled worship, requires an understanding of the serious nature of that praise, for as one encounters all of these enthronement songs, God is praised for being the Judge and Controller of the creation and all the peoples. The praise of God cannot be taken lightly, and so the congregation is left here on their knees to understand just that.

He Who Planted The Ear – Psalm 94

July 12, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 94

1 O Lord, God of vengeance,
    O God of vengeance, shine forth!
2 Rise up, O judge of the earth;
    repay to the proud what they deserve!
3 O Lord, how long shall the wicked,
    how long shall the wicked exult?
4 They pour out their arrogant words;
    all the evildoers boast.
5 They crush your people, O Lord,
    and afflict your heritage.
6 They kill the widow and the sojourner,
    and murder the fatherless;
7 and they say, “The Lord does not see;
    the God of Jacob does not perceive.”
8 Understand, O dullest of the people!
    Fools, when will you be wise?
9 He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
He who formed the eye, does he not see?
10 He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?
He who teaches man knowledge—
11 the Lord—knows the thoughts of man,
    that they are but a breath.
12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord,
    and whom you teach out of your law,
13 to give him rest from days of trouble,
    until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not forsake his people;
    he will not abandon his heritage;
15 for justice will return to the righteous,
    and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who rises up for me against the wicked?
    Who stands up for me against evildoers?
17 If the Lord had not been my help,
    my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.
18 When I thought, “My foot slips,”
    your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
19 When the cares of my heart are many,
    your consolations cheer my soul.
20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you,
    those who frame injustice by statute?
21 They band together against the life of the righteous
    and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord has become my stronghold,
    and my God the rock of my refuge.
23 He will bring back on them their iniquity
    and wipe them out for their wickedness;
    the Lord our God will wipe them out.

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

This Psalm begins with a cry for God to move and judge the earth, bringing justice to the wicked. In the middle, the psalmist wrestles with the way the wicked seem to be “getting away with it.”

There is also a warning to those who do evil:

He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
He who formed the eye, does he not see?
He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? (v.9-10)

God hears. God sees. God will rebuke injustice.

It takes courage and honesty to pray like this when you are experiencing betrayal or defeat at the hands of enemies:

O Lord, God of vengeance,
O God of vengeance, shine forth!
Rise up, O judge of the earth;
repay the proud what they deserve! (v. 1-2)

Psalm 94 ends in confidence that God will bring justice:

He will bring back on them their iniquity
and wipe them out for their wickedness;
the Lord our God will wipe them out. (v. 23)

God Is in Control – Psalm 93

July 11, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 93

1. The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty;
    the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
2 Your throne is established from of old;
    you are from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
    the floods have lifted up their voice;
    the floods lift up their roaring.
4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
    mightier than the waves of the sea,
    the Lord on high is mighty!
5 Your decrees are very trustworthy;
    holiness befits your house,
    O Lord, forevermore.

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

The beginning of Psalm 93 contains a crucial affirmation that is at the heart of the Christian faith.

The Lord reigns.

No matter what may seem to be the case from the vantage point of our temporary and limited perspective, God is in charge. God’s plans and purposes will be accomplished.

As Pastor Andrew has elegantly put it:

In the End, everything will be okay;
If it’s not okay, then it’s not the End;
And if it’s not the End, the Lord still has work for us to do.”

It Is Good to Give Thanks to the Lord – Psalm 92

July 10, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 92

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath.
1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
    to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
    and your faithfulness by night,
3 to the music of the lute and the harp,
    to the melody of the lyre.
4 For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
    at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
5 How great are your works, O Lord!
    Your thoughts are very deep!
6 The stupid man cannot know;
    the fool cannot understand this:
7 that though the wicked sprout like grass
    and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever;
8  but you, O Lord, are on high forever.
9 For behold, your enemies, O Lord,
    for behold, your enemies shall perish;
   all evildoers shall be scattered.
10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
     you have poured over me fresh oil.
11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
    my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.
12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree
    and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the Lord;
     they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They still bear fruit in old age;
     they are ever full of sap and green,
15 to declare that the Lord is upright;
    he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

I love Tremper Longman’s commentary on the first three verses of Psalm 92:

The psalmist encourages the people of God to worship the Lord by pointing out how good it is to praise him. It is good because it is right, since praise is fitting to God, whose nature and actions call for it. His love (or covenant loyalty; hesed) and his faithfulness to his relationship with his people are the grounds on which they worship him. It is good because it feels right, since we were created to praise him. The psalmist envisions this praise accompanied by instrumental music, as it surely was in the sanctuary.

4 For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
    at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
5 How great are your works, O Lord!
    Your thoughts are very deep!
6 The stupid man cannot know;
    the fool cannot understand this:
7 that though the wicked sprout like grass
    and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever;
8  but you, O Lord, are on high forever.
9 For behold, your enemies, O Lord,
    for behold, your enemies shall perish;
   all evildoers shall be scattered.
10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
     you have poured over me fresh oil.
11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
    my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.

Sometimes it seems that wicked people prosper while the righteous suffer. This may seem to be the case with the limited perspective we have. But from the perspective of eternity, the wicked and evildoers are doomed to destruction forever. (v. 7)

In contrast to the wicked “sprouting like grass,” the righteous “flourish like the palm tree.” The seeming success of the wicked is temporary and unable to survive severe testing or drought. The flourishing of the righteous, however, is lasting and durable.

12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree
    and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the Lord;
     they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They still bear fruit in old age;
     they are ever full of sap and green,
15 to declare that the Lord is upright;
    he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Thanks be to God!

Protected – Psalm 91

July 09, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
    and see the recompense of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
    the Most High, who is my refuge—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
    no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
    the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
    I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE:

Today’s commentary is by Dr. Kevin Watson, who is coming to Tulsa to become the Director of Academic Growth and Formation at the Tulsa Extension Site for Asbury Theological Seminary, as well as joining our staff at Asbury Church as Scholar-in-Residence. I wrote a post announcing and explaining this move.-Andrew

I love this psalm!

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

The Christian life is about trust in the Triune God. We believe God will protect us, deliver us, defend us, and preserve our lives. In the midst of literal battle and spiritual warfare, God is the one in whom we put our trust.

Verses 1-13 are the people’s prayer to God. Pray this today:

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
    and see the recompense of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
    the Most High, who is my refuge—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
    no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
    the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

Verses 14-16 are God’s response. Read these words slowly. As you read them, imagine God the Father speaking them to you directly. You might even put your name in where you read the words “he” and “him.”

14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
    I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

Hearts of Wisdom – Psalm 90

July 08, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 90

A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
    in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You return man to dust
    and say, “Return, O children of man!”
4 For a thousand years in your sight
    are but as yesterday when it is past,
    or as a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
    like grass that is renewed in the morning:
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
    in the evening it fades and withers.
7 For we are brought to an end by your anger;
    by your wrath we are dismayed.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;
    we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 The years of our life are seventy,
    or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
    they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who considers the power of your anger,
    and your wrath according to the fear of you?
12 So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O Lord! How long?
    Have pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be shown to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands upon us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands!

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE:

Psalm 90 is the first psalm in Book IV, which goes through Psalm 106. Psalm 90 is a communal prayer for help during a prolonged period where they have experienced God’s anger and wrath (see verse 7).

Verses 9-12 offer a sobering reflection on our mortality.

The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
Yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away. (v.10)

Life is often experienced as an indescribably precious gift (like the birth of a baby).

But life can also be painful and difficult. And it can end with excruciating suddenness.

What is the best response?

I cannot come up with a better one than making verse 12 our own prayer:

So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Our awareness that our days our limited leads to making wise choices in the present. It can help us keep Jesus at the center of our lives.

Father, give us hearts of wisdom to follow you faithfully today. Amen.

You Have Done This – Psalm 89

July 07, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 89

A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
1 I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;
    with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
2 For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever;
    in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”
3 You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
    I have sworn to David my servant:
4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever,
    and build your throne for all generations.’” Selah
5 Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
    your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
6 For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
    Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord,
7 a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones,
    and awesome above all who are around him?
8 O Lord God of hosts,
    who is mighty as you are, O Lord,
    with your faithfulness all around you?
9 You rule the raging of the sea;
    when its waves rise, you still them.
10 You crushed Rahab like a carcass;
    you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11 The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours;
    the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.
12 The north and the south, you have created them;
    Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.
13 You have a mighty arm;
    strong is your hand, high your right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
    steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
15 Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,
    who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
16 who exult in your name all the day
    and in your righteousness are exalted.
17 For you are the glory of their strength;
    by your favor our horn is exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to the Lord,
    our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19 Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said:
    “I have granted help to one who is mighty;
    I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20 I have found David, my servant;
    with my holy oil I have anointed him,
21 so that my hand shall be established with him;
    my arm also shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not outwit him;
    the wicked shall not humble him.
23 I will crush his foes before him
    and strike down those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him,
    and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
25 I will set his hand on the sea
    and his right hand on the rivers.
26 He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father,
    my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’
27 And I will make him the firstborn,
    the highest of the kings of the earth.
28 My steadfast love I will keep for him forever,
    and my covenant will stand firm for him.
29 I will establish his offspring forever
    and his throne as the days of the heavens.
30 If his children forsake my law
    and do not walk according to my rules,
31 if they violate my statutes
    and do not keep my commandments,
32 then I will punish their transgression with the rod
    and their iniquity with stripes,
33 but I will not remove from him my steadfast love
    or be false to my faithfulness.
34 I will not violate my covenant
    or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness;
    I will not lie to David.
36 His offspring shall endure forever,
    his throne as long as the sun before me.
37 Like the moon it shall be established forever,
    a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah
38 But now you have cast off and rejected;
    you are full of wrath against your anointed.
39 You have renounced the covenant with your servant;
    you have defiled his crown in the dust.
40 You have breached all his walls;
    you have laid his strongholds in ruins.
41 All who pass by plunder him;
    he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
    you have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 You have also turned back the edge of his sword,
    and you have not made him stand in battle.
44 You have made his splendor to cease
    and cast his throne to the ground.
45 You have cut short the days of his youth;
    you have covered him with shame. Selah
46 How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
    How long will your wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember how short my time is!
    For what vanity you have created all the children of man!
48 What man can live and never see death?
    Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah
49 Lord, where is your steadfast love of old,
    which by your faithfulness you swore to David?
50 Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked,
    and how I bear in my heart the insults of all the many nations,
51 with which your enemies mock, O Lord,
    with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed.
52 Blessed be the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE:

The life of faith is ultimately about relationship with the living God. Psalm 89 illustrates the complexity we can experience in our faith journey.

Reread verses 1-18. Circle “you” and “your” every time you read it.

What is the psalmist saying about God in these verses?

God is described as faithful. God establishes a covenant with his chosen one. God’s wonders and faithfulness are praised in the “assembly of the holy ones.” (v. 5)

God is mighty. God rules. God crushes and scatters his enemies.

The heavens and earth and all that are in them are God’s.

God has a mighty arm.

God is righteous.

God is just.

God is love.

God’s love is steadfast.

People who exult in the name of God and in God’s righteousness are blessed.

Starting in verse 19, the psalmist quotes words God “spoke in a vision to your godly one.” As you read the words quoting God in verses 19-37 circle “I” every time you read it.

What does God say in these verses?

Here is part of the promise God has made to David:

My steadfast love I will keep for him forever,
and my covenant will stand firm for him.
I will establish his offspring forever
and his throne as the days of the heavens. (v. 28-29)

God pledges that even if David’s descendants forsake God and God’s law, they will be punished but God promises:

I will not remove from him my steadfast love
     or be false to my faithfulness.
I will not violate my covenant
     or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
Once for all I have sworn by my holiness;
     I will not lie to David.
His offspring shall endure forever,
     his throne as long as the sun before me.

(If you want more background, read 2 Samuel 7:4-17, which described God’s promise to David through the prophet Nathan.)

In verse 38 the voice returns to that of the psalmist. And now, instead of praising God for his faithfulness and might, the psalm turns to confrontation with God.

Circle every “you” in verses 38-51.

What is the psalmist saying about God in these verses?

It is quite different than in verses 1-18, is it not?

“You have cast off and rejected…

“You are full of wrath against your anointed.”

God is accused of renouncing the covenant he has made with his servant. He has defiled his crown. He has breached his walls, laid his strongholds in ruins.

Even worse, God has exalted the psalmist’s enemies. So, while he is experiencing rejection and ruin, the enemies are experiencing triumph and blessing.

God has “covered with shame” the one with whom he had made a covenant.

Verses 46-51 are a cry of desperation.

46 How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
    How long will your wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember how short my time is!
    For what vanity you have created all the children of man!
48 What man can live and never see death?
    Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah
49 Lord, where is your steadfast love of old,
    which by your faithfulness you swore to David?
50 Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked,
    and how I bear in my heart the insults of all the many nations,
51 with which your enemies mock, O Lord,
    with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed.

And then we get to the final line of Psalm 89, which does not fit the tone of what has just been said at all.

Blessed be the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.

What is going on here?

Most scholars believe that verse 52 was added by a later writer. One commentator sees verse 52 as not only an ending to Psalm 89, but a benediction for Book 3 of Psalms as a whole, as Psalm 89 marks the end of Book 3:

The blessing and the double Amen, like those of 41:13 and 72:19, end this Third Book of the Psalter, in which national suffering has played a large part, on a firm note of praise.

Though this psalm does not end with resolution of the extremely difficult circumstances described in it, hope is found because someone was able to come back and give a benediction.

God’s people were still in existence.

They had not been destroyed. We know this because one of them came back to end Book Three with fitting praise.

When You Have No Strength – Psalm 88

July 06, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 88

A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.
1 O Lord, God of my salvation,
    I cry out day and night before you.
2 Let my prayer come before you;
    incline your ear to my cry!
3 For my soul is full of troubles,
    and my life draws near to Sheol.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
    I am a man who has no strength,
5 like one set loose among the dead,
    like the slain that lie in the grave,
like those whom you remember no more,
    for they are cut off from your hand.
6 You have put me in the depths of the pit,
    in the regions dark and deep.
7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
    and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah
8 You have caused my companions to shun me;
    you have made me a horror to them.
I am shut in so that I cannot escape;
9     my eye grows dim through sorrow.
Every day I call upon you, O Lord;
    I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you work wonders for the dead?
    Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah
11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,
    or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Are your wonders known in the darkness,
    or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I, O Lord, cry to you;
    in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 O Lord, why do you cast my soul away?
    Why do you hide your face from me?
15 Afflicted and close to death from my youth up,
    I suffer your terrors; I am helpless.
16 Your wrath has swept over me;
    your dreadful assaults destroy me.
17 They surround me like a flood all day long;
    they close in on me together.
18 You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me;
    my companions have become darkness.

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE:

One of the values we are seeing again and again in the Psalms is that they teach us to pray through our emotions.

Psalm 88 begins:

O Lord, God of my salvation

The rest of the Psalm does not quite fit with this opening line, as it is the cry of someone who seems to feel hopelessly lost and cast off by God and their closest friends and family.

Psalms 88 and 89 stand together at the end of Book Three as the darkest place in the whole book of Psalms. Both are prayers for help, and both end without resolution. Psalm 88 is the cry of an individual who feels as if God has not only abandoned her, but that God has caused her situation in the first place. The psalm’s message is shocking to modern readers who are unaccustomed to the frankness of these ancient prayers for help. - Beth Tanner

Many of these lines are shocking, indeed. Can you imagine, for example, saying to the Lord:

You have put me in the depths of the pit,
In the regions dark and deep.
Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
And you overwhelm me with all your waves. (v. 6-7)

The blame for the suffering the psalmist is experiencing is laid squarely at the Lord’s feet.

Perhaps you know what it is like to be in this place, where the only honest prayer you could pray to the Lord would be along the lines of Psalm 88. It can be uncomfortable to be in relationship with people in this place. It is common for people to try to correct those who are suffering and instead of staying present with them, arguing with their flawed reasoning. (The Book of Job is filled with examples of this from Job’s friends.)

I love the way Beth Tanner describes what it says about God that these kinds of prayers are included in Scripture: “It … speaks of God, a God who is Creator and King of the Universe and who also does not condemn honest, painful conversation with the humans God created – and in that it may represent better than other texts the love that God has for us, these earthly creatures.”

When you find that you have no strength, let this psalm be your prayer.

Even in the posture of lament and complaint at what God has done and allowed to be done, there is nevertheless a posture of faith and desire for relationship with God.

Rahab? – Psalm 87

July 05, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 87

A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song.
1 On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
2 the Lord loves the gates of Zion
    more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
3 Glorious things of you are spoken,
    O city of God. Selah
4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
    behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush—
    “This one was born there,” they say.
5 And of Zion it shall be said,
    “This one and that one were born in her”;
    for the Most High himself will establish her.
6 The Lord records as he registers the peoples,
    “This one was born there.” Selah
7 Singers and dancers alike say,
    “All my springs are in you.”

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE:

Psalm 87 provides a great example of an important principle of studying the Bible. The first step in studying Scripture is to use the Bible itself to bring clarity to an obscure passage.

Look at verse 4:

Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
Behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush –

The reader would likely initially assume that Rahab refers to the woman in Joshua 2. But why would that woman be included in a list that otherwise refers to geographical places, not individual people?

You will find the answer in Isaiah 30:7. It reads:

Egypt’s help is worthless and empty;
therefore I have called her “Rahab who sits still.”

Rahab means Egypt in this context.

You cannot always solve interpretive challenges like this from reading Scripture. But it is often very helpful and is the best first step in Bible study.

Use the Bible to study the Bible!

Incline Your Ear, O Lord – Psalm 86

July 04, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 86

A Prayer of David.
1 Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
    for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am godly;
    save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God.
3 Be gracious to me, O Lord,
    for to you do I cry all the day.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant,
    for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
    abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
    listen to my plea for grace.
7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
    for you answer me.
8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
    nor are there any works like yours.
9 All the nations you have made shall come
    and worship before you, O Lord,
    and shall glorify your name.
10 For you are great and do wondrous things;
    you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
    that I may walk in your truth;
    unite my heart to fear your name.
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
    and I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your steadfast love toward me;
    you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, insolent men have risen up against me;
    a band of ruthless men seeks my life,
    and they do not set you before them.
15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me;
    give your strength to your servant,
    and save the son of your maidservant.
17 Show me a sign of your favor,
    that those who hate me may see and be put to shame
    because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE:

This is, in more senses than one, a lonely prayer of David, the only poem of his in the third book. Its form is simple, with an opening and closing supplication punctuated by a deliberate act of praise – deliberate, because the final verses reveal no abatement of the pressure, and no sign, as yet, of an answer.-Derek Kidner

Yes, the Lord Will Give What Is Good – Psalm 85

July 03, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 85

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1 Lord, you were favorable to your land;
    you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people;
    you covered all their sin. Selah
3 You withdrew all your wrath;
    you turned from your hot anger.
4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
    and put away your indignation toward us!
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
    Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again,
    that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.
8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
    for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
    but let them not turn back to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
    that glory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
    righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
    and righteousness looks down from the sky.
12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good,
    and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE:

This is a great time for us to pray Psalm 85. Will you pray these words with me today and make them your cry to God for Asbury Church?

1 Lord, you were favorable to your land;
    you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people;
    you covered all their sin. Selah
3 You withdrew all your wrath;
    you turned from your hot anger.
4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
    and put away your indignation toward us!
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
    Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again,
    that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.
8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
    for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
    but let them not turn back to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,
    that glory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
    righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
    and righteousness looks down from the sky.
12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good,
    and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him

Let’s GO!

Going to God – Psalm 84

July 02, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE:

Psalm 84

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, faints
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
    to the living God.
3 Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
    my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
    ever singing your praise! Selah
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
6 As they go through the Valley of Baca
    they make it a place of springs;
    the early rain also covers it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength;
    each one appears before God in Zion.
8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
    give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
9 Behold our shield, O God;
    look on the face of your anointed!
10 For a day in your courts is better
    than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
    from those who walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you!

This marks a significant departure from many of the Psalms we have recently read. It starts right out of the gate with praise and adoration of God.

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, faints
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
    to the living God.

Like the cry for God to defeat his enemies in Psalm 83, this Psalm is best thought of as a communal prayer, likely even a song sung on pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

In ancient Israel, a visit to the temple in Jerusalem was a yearly occurrence at best. As a result, it was a special event, one worthy of song and celebration. Psalm 84 is a song believed to have been sung by those traveling to Jerusalem to participate in a great festival. The song is now placed next to the strident cry of Psalm 83 and provides a vision of a nation restored. The songs of Asaph have finished, and it appears that the songs of Korah mark a more positive note.-Beth Tanner

Notice the attributes that make someone blessed:

Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
Ever singing your praise! (v.4)
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
In whose heart are the highways to Zion. (v.5)
Blessed is the one who trusts in you! (v.12)

Beth Tanner again: Since the beginning of Book Three at Psalm 73, the prayers have mostly expressed sorrow and pain at the strained relationship between God and the people. There has been little movement, as the people remain stuck and God seems distant. Psalm 84 declares the impasse over. The people sing and travel and celebrate God’s presence. Just as in my grandparent’s generation, this movement creates anticipation and the feeling that something special is about to happen. It reminds us that we too should seek Zion and look with anticipation to the times when we can move forward and worship the Lord.

How to Pray for God’s Help Against Enemies – Psalm 83

July 01, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE:

Psalm 83

A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, do not keep silence;
    do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
2 For behold, your enemies make an uproar;
    those who hate you have raised their heads.
3 They lay crafty plans against your people;
    they consult together against your treasured ones.
4 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
    let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”
5 For they conspire with one accord;
    against you they make a covenant—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
    Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
    Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Asshur also has joined them;
    they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah
9 Do to them as you did to Midian,
    as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
10 who were destroyed at En-dor,
    who became dung for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
    all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves
    of the pastures of God.”
13 O my God, make them like whirling dust,
    like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest,
    as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so may you pursue them with your tempest
    and terrify them with your hurricane!
16 Fill their faces with shame,
    that they may seek your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
    let them perish in disgrace,
18 that they may know that you alone,
    whose name is the Lord,
    are the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 83 desires to rouse God from his aloof silence and come to Israel’s aid as they are threatened by hostile enemy forces. Israel’s enemies are God’s enemies in this psalm, and God should make his presence known by destroying those who are trying to destroy his people. Christians too, as individuals and sometimes as a community, come under threat, and Psalm 83 can be a model prayer for God’s help. Many feel uncomfortable with the psalm because it expresses a desire to destroy the enemy…. However, the imprecations are a way of turning our anger over to God. After all, the psalmist is not asking God for resources to do it on his own, but rather is petitioning God, who can decide himself how he should act. In other words, the psalmist is acting in the spirit of Romans 12:19: ‘Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. - Tremper Longman III

In the midst of the cry for God to destroy those who are harming God’s people, verse 16 is fascinating. Did you notice it?

Fill their faces with shame,
That they may seek your name, O Lord.

What is this prayer ultimately asking God to do? Reread verses 16-18 to find out!

Head of the Divine Council – Psalm 82

June 30, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE:

Psalm 82

A Psalm of Asaph.
1 God has taken his place in the divine council;
    in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
2 “How long will you judge unjustly
    and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
    maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
    they walk about in darkness;
    all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 I said, “You are gods,
    sons of the Most High, all of you;
7 nevertheless, like men you shall die,
    and fall like any prince.”
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth;
    for you shall inherit all the nations!

This Psalm starts with an arresting image:

God has taken his place in the divine council;
In the midst of the gods he holds judgment.

Our God, the Lord God Almighty, is the one true God. He alone sits at the head of the divine council and sits in judgment over everything in creation. This Psalm even asserts God as in charge of all lower case “gods.” God is at the head of every table!

The Psalm closes with a Prayer for God to rise up and judge the earth:

Arise, O God, judge the earth;
For you shall inherit all the nations!

One scholar has argued that this last clause should be translated, “for thou dost pass all nations through thy sieve.” What a beautiful image! God the Father is sifting the nations, removing everything that is not good, holy, and righteous.

God will put everything to rights, as N. T. Wright has put it. Justice is coming because God is in charge and he is Lord of all creation.

God’s Side of the Story – Psalm 81

June 29, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

commentary by Kevin Watson, Ph.D.

Psalm 81

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. Of Asaph.
1 Sing aloud to God our strength;
    shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
2 Raise a song; sound the tambourine,
    the sweet lyre with the harp.
3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
    at the full moon, on our feast day.
4 For it is a statute for Israel,
    a rule of the God of Jacob.
5 He made it a decree in Joseph
    when he went out over the land of Egypt.
I hear a language I had not known:
6 “I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
    your hands were freed from the basket.
7 In distress you called, and I delivered you;
    I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
    I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
    O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
9 There shall be no strange god among you;
    you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
10 I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
    Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 “But my people did not listen to my voice;
    Israel would not submit to me.
12 So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
    to follow their own counsels.
13 Oh, that my people would listen to me,
    that Israel would walk in my ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies
    and turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him,
    and their fate would last forever.
16 But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
    and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

This Psalm startled me! I want to pause to note that here because that is one of the things a prayerful reading of the Psalms will do from time to time. The honesty and variety of perspectives that are offered for different seasons of the soul can jar us when we read one that seems to give words to where we find ourselves.

But that is not what startled me about Psalm 81.

v. 1-5b (up to “when he went out over the land of Egypt.”)

Psalm 81 begins with joyous celebration.

Sing aloud to God our strength;
Should for joy to the God of Jacob!

This marks a significant shift from the previous Psalms we’ve been praying.

But then there is a dramatic shift at the end of verse 5 that carries through the rest of Psalm.

I hear a language I had not known:
‘I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
     Your hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I delivered you…
Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
     O Israel, if you would but listen to me!...
But my people did not listen to my voice;
     Israel would not submit to me.
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
     To follow their own counsels.

Several of the most recent Psalms we’ve been praying have been heart-rending cries for God to look, to see, to turn his face toward us. They express the agony of feeling that God is absent or uncaring in the midst of suffering.

Psalm 81 flips the script and at the end of verse 5 we are confronted with God’s perspective.

It is God, the Lord himself, who is in agony over his people’s faithlessness. Their unwillingness to listen. To submit to the creator of the heavens and the earth.

Listen to this cry from God:

Oh, that my people would listen to me,
   That Israel would walk in my ways!
I would soon subdue their enemies
     And turn my hand against their foes.
Those who hate the Lord would cringe toward him,
     And their fate would last forever.
But he would feed you with the finest of wheat,
     And with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.

This Psalm is startling reminder of what is obvious: We have a relationship with God. And that means that God has a perspective on our relationship with him.

Ask God if there is something he has been trying to say to you that you haven’t been willing to hear. Wait a moment in the Father’s presence. When he speaks, listen to his voice!

Let your face shine, that we may be saved! – Psalm 80

June 28, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

commentary by Kevin Watson, Ph.D.

Psalm 80

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Testimony. Of Asaph, a Psalm.
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.
2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,
stir up your might
   and come to save us!
3 Restore us, O God;
   let your face shine, that we may be saved!
4 O Lord God of hosts,
   how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears
   and given them tears to drink in full measure.
6 You make us an object of contention for our neighbors,
   and our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts;
   let your face shine, that we may be saved!
8 You brought a vine out of Egypt;
   you drove out the nations and planted it.
9 You cleared the ground for it;
   it took deep root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
   the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 It sent out its branches to the sea
    and its shoots to the River.
12 Why then have you broken down its walls,
    so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
13 The boar from the forest ravages it,
    and all that move in the field feed on it.
14 Turn again, O God of hosts!
    Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
15 the stock that your right hand planted,
    and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.
16 They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down;
    may they perish at the rebuke of your face!
17 But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
    the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
18 Then we shall not turn back from you;
    give us life, and we will call upon your name!
19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts!
    Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

Teachers often say that repetition is a helpful tool in teaching and learning. You repeat what you most want students to understand or remember. Did you notice what was repeated in this Psalm?

Read it again and look for what is repeated:

Psalm 80

To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Testimony. Of Asaph, a Psalm.
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.
2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,
stir up your might
   and come to save us!
3 Restore us, O God;
   let your face shine, that we may be saved!
4 O Lord God of hosts,
   how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears
   and given them tears to drink in full measure.
6 You make us an object of contention for our neighbors,
   and our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts;
   let your face shine, that we may be saved!
8 You brought a vine out of Egypt;
   you drove out the nations and planted it.
9 You cleared the ground for it;
   it took deep root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
   the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 It sent out its branches to the sea
   and its shoots to the River.
12 Why then have you broken down its walls,
   so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
13 The boar from the forest ravages it,
   and all that move in the field feed on it.
14 Turn again, O God of hosts!
   Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
15 the stock that your right hand planted,
    and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.
16 They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down;
    may they perish at the rebuke of your face!
17 But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
    the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
18 Then we shall not turn back from you;
    give us life, and we will call upon your name!
19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts!
    Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

One verse, in particular, is used as a refrain in the Psalm (v 3, 7, and 19).

Restore us, O God;
Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

Each time the line is repeated, the reference to God is added to.

v. 3: Restore us, O God
v. 7 Restore us, O God of hosts
v. 19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts

The Psalmist is in agony, so much so that their diet is eating and drinking their tears. The language potently conveys the extent of their pain and suffering.

One of the most painful things in the midst of suffering is the sense of distance or separation from the Lord. And so, the Psalmist cries out to God, asking God to restore his presence. How?

Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

Did you notice verse 17?

Christians cannot help but think of Jesus Christ when we read of the prayer for God’s hand to be “on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!”

If you find yourself identifying with the suffering in this Psalm as you read it, pray it as your own. Ask from the depth of your pain for God the Father to restore you, to let his face shine on you, that you would experience his salvation afresh today.

If this is not you, who do you know who is suffering? Pray for God’s face to shine on them today.

They Put Out The King's Eyes - Psalm 79

June 27, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

As I mentioned last week, Dr. Kevin Watson will be filling in for me in this space for most of the rest of our daily psalm commentary through the summer. Today, however, you’re still stuck with me! —Andrew

Psalm 79

A Psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
    they have defiled your holy temple;
    they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have given the bodies of your servants
    to the birds of the heavens for food,
    the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water
    all around Jerusalem,
    and there was no one to bury them.
4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors,
    mocked and derided by those around us.
5 How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever?
    Will your jealousy burn like fire?
6 Pour out your anger on the nations
    that do not know you,
and on the kingdoms
    that do not call upon your name!
7 For they have devoured Jacob
    and laid waste his habitation.
8 Do not remember against us our former iniquities;
    let your compassion come speedily to meet us,
    for we are brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation,
    for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins,
    for your name's sake!
10 Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”
Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
    be known among the nations before our eyes!
11 Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
    according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!
12 Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors
    the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!
13 But we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
    will give thanks to you forever;
    from generation to generation we will recount your praise.

In 586 BC, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and carried off its citizens into exile. That event is the background to today’s psalm. You can read the account in 2 Kings 25, but be warned—it’s not for the faint of heart. The Babylonians even put out the king’s eyes!

Beth Tanner has a helpful comment:

“We all know the dual cries of desire for rescue from our situation mixed with desires for payback. This poem offers a look at the feelings surrounding loss and our very human desire to see those who gave the corpses of your servants as food for the birds to receive sevenfold what has been done to us. This psalm looks into the depths of our souls and tells it exactly as it is. We might think this is too “un-Christian,” for it tells of anger and a desire for revenge, but we too have had those feelings. But it also tells in a final quick burst another way of looking beyond fear and desire for retribution. It tells of praise and it encourages us, no matter how long it may take, to make praise the last word to God. It teaches that praise will eventually replace words of hurt and pain."