A Small, Quiet Act of Integrity

August 25, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

MATTHEW 1:18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

I’ve always found v. 19 to be a quietly moving line: “And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.” That decision of Joseph was a small, selfless act of kindness on which the fate of the world turned—if he had made a public spectacle of Mary, then history would have been different and the Jesus story might not have happened.

Don’t underestimate the importance of a small, unnoticed act of selfless kindness today. Who knows what hangs in the balance?

P.S. The act of naming a child is de facto adoption, so when Joseph— per the angel’s instructions—calls the child “Jesus” he is adopting him into the Davidic line.

Psalm 138

1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
    before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
    my strength of soul you increased.
4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
    for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
    for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
    but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands.

An important Hebrew word occurs several times in this psalm, a word we transliterate into English as hesed. It’s difficult to translate into English, but it means something like “covenant-faithfulness and steadfast kindness and commitment.” In our translation above, it is translated as “steadfast love.” (In some older English translations it is translated as “loving-kindness.”)

Hesed is a key biblical characteristic of the Lord. God can be trusted because he demonstrates hesed over and over.

Remind yourself today: God can be trusted!

There Is No Such Thing As An Ordinary Life

August 24, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

MATTHEW 1:12-17

12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

What the genealogy of Jesus does is show us something very important: it shows that Jesus came from a particular people in a particular part of the world. Jesus was Jewish, a son of Abraham, an Israelite. This point cannot be overstated: God chose one particular family to be his means to save the world, and when the time was right, God came as a baby in a particular manger in Bethlehem. God uses the ordinary realities of everyday life as part of his ultimate plan. This means that God wants to use your ordinary decisions today as part of his plan. Either you are working with God, or against him. Which will it be today?

P.S. Note how Matthew breaks the pattern “X was the father of Y, Y was the father of Z” when he gets to Joseph and Mary—he is setting us up for the miracle of the Virgin Birth.

Psalm 137

1 By the waters of Babylon,
    there we sat down and wept,
    when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows there
    we hung up our lyres.
3 For there our captors
    required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
    “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 How shall we sing the Lord's song
    in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
    let my right hand forget its skill!
6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
    if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
    above my highest joy!
7 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
    the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare,
    down to its foundations!”
8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed,
    blessed shall he be who repays you
    with what you have done to us!
9 Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
    and dashes them against the rock!

In 586 BC, the Babylonia Empire razed Jerusalem to the ground and removed its people into exile in Babylon, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Psalm 137 comes from the time immediately following that cataclysm; it closes with what is perhaps the nastiest verse in the entire Bible.

1 By the waters of Babylon,
there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.

Unsurprisingly, the exiles first action upon arriving in Babylon (between “the rivers”) is to lay down and weep.

2 On the willows there
    we hung up our lyres.
3 For there our captors
    required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
    “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

Willow trees grow alongside rivers, and when the exiles arrived their oppressors taunted them to “sing about Zion!” It wasn’t just that Zion had been their home; it was that Zion was the home of the Temple, the Lord’s “house.” Did the Babylonian victory mean that the Babylonian god was stronger than the Lord?

And so the Israelite exiles resisted and hung up their harps and refused to sing.

4 How shall we sing the Lord's song
in a foreign land?

This is the central question of exile, isn’t it? How can we stay faithful even when it looks like we’ve been abandoned by God?

5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
    let my right hand forget its skill!
6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
    if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
    above my highest joy!

And so the psalmist declares: if I forget from where I came, then let my hand cease to work and my mouth cease to speak.

7 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare,
down to its foundations!”

Edom was an historic enemy of Israel, located to the south and east of the Dead Sea (in present day Jordan). We don’t know to what v. 7 is specifically referring, but it seems the Edomites rejoiced over Jerusalem’s fall, and the psalmist wants to be sure they receive punishment for their gloating.

8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed,
blessed shall he be who repays you
with what you have done to us!

The prophets had said that the Lord would use Babylon to punish Israel, but that Babylon would itself subsequently be punished for its wickedness. The psalmist says that whoever punishes Babylon will be blessed! (Historical note—Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC, not even 50 years later.)

The Nastiest Verse in the Bible?

And then we come to the nastiest verse in the entire Bible. After the psalmist sings of his misery at living in Babylonian captivity, he closes his psalm:

9 Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
and dashes them against the rock!

The psalmist pronounces blessing on anyone who beats out the brains of Babylonian babies. Presumably, he is saying this in a language the Babylonians don’t understand, as a bitter ironic response to the Babylonian guards’ taunts that the Israelites “sing”.

What do we do with that kind of language?

Let us not clutch our pearls and imagine ourselves to be so much above such emotions. It is literally unimaginable for us to consider what it would be like to have your city razed, women raped, children killed, and to be carried off into exile.

The psalms are our prayers to God. Because honesty in prayer is so important, there are times when are prayers to God will disclose just how evil are some of the thoughts of our hearts.

If we keep these sorts of emotions in, they will still be there, festering. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

Evil produces evil. Babylonian wickedness provokes Israelite hatred. This is one of the many reasons our evil actions toward others are so dangerous—they provoke them to hate me, thereby doubling injuring them, both body and soul.

The only way out of this trap is grace, and the only way out of the evil of the world is Jesus. Jesus died for his enemies, thereby showing us what God is like.

It seems counterintuitive, but the more we consistently pray our true emotions and read scripture, the more the Spirit will conform us into Christ’s image.

The Failures of David and His Sons

August 23, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

MATTHEW 1:6B-11

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

Remember that Jesus is introduced to us in v.1 as “son of David.” He is the fulfillment of David’s royal line, the promised King who will deliver God’s people. Which is a good thing, because the history of David and his sons is one of (almost) complete failure. The descendants of David on the throne in Jerusalem break God’s law and lead the people into idolatry and even (at times) human sacrifice! (See 2 Kings 16:2-4, e.g.)

Matthew makes a point of reminding us that King David himself was an adulterer and a murderer:

David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah [1:6].

Great art shows more than it tells, and the Bible is great art. Propaganda hits you over the head, but art makes you use your head. Look at how elegantly Matthew causes us to remember the moral failings of Israel’s greatest king, David, without coming out and saying so directly—he expects us to know the story and draw the accurate conclusion.

If you know the story, you’ll know that David committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband Uriah murdered. It’s a shameful story (see 2 Samuel 11), but the story of David’s descendants isn’t any better, and ultimately their failures lead to the Babylonian conquest in 586 BC.

But God is faithful to his promises, and the story doesn’t end there.

Today, the temptation is to believe that we can extrapolate from our current circumstances how the future will occur. But God is working in history in surprising ways, and The End will be good. Don’t be discouraged!

NOTE: We have been reading through the psalms, and until we get to Psalm 150, I’m going to keep posting at the bottom of each Matthew post daily commentary on that day’s psalm. If you’re read this far, you are an over-achiever.

Psalm 136

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 to him who by understanding made the heavens,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 to him who made the great lights,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 to him who struck down great kings,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed mighty kings,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to Israel his servant,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 he who gives food to all flesh,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.

Psalm 136 is obviously a call-and-response song from Israel, with the leader working through the song and the congregation singing the refrain “for his steadfast love endures forever.” It’s fun to imagine the ancient Israelites singing this back and forth at the top of their lungs!

THE SCANDALOUS HISTORY OF THE FAMILY OF JESUS

August 22, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

MATTHEW 1:2-6A

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.

The reason modern Bible readers find genealogies so boring is because we read them the wrong way. We read them as if they are there just to give us a family tree, but for the biblical authors, genealogies are theological statements, and each name is a hyperlink1 meant to evoke the complicated stories and lessons that each name signifies. Our problem is that we don’t know the biblical story well enough to get the hyperlinks. (The only solution to our ignorance is just to start reading the Bible!)

For example, Matthew mentions the names Judah and Tamar in the genealogy of Jesus. The reference is to a truly scandalous story whereby Judah fathers twin boys with his daughter-in-law Tamar who is posing as a roadside prostitute! (Read it in Genesis 38.) Why would Matthew mention such an outrageous story?

Matthew is deliberately reminding us of the long, morally convoluted history of Israel so as to show us both that Jesus will save his people from their sins and show us that there is nothing that God can’t use for his purposes.

Nothing.

P.S. The entire genealogy works like that. Here’s a great article from Bible Project that goes into some detail about the names Matthew mentions: bibleproject.com/articles/jesus-genealogies/.

Psalm 135

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord,
    give praise, O servants of the Lord,
2 who stand in the house of the Lord,
    in the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
    sing to his name, for it is pleasant!
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
    Israel as his own possession.
5 For I know that the Lord is great,
    and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
    in heaven and on earth,
    in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
    who makes lightnings for the rain
    and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
    both of man and of beast;
9 who in your midst, O Egypt,
    sent signs and wonders
    against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 who struck down many nations
    and killed mighty kings,
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
    and Og, king of Bashan,
    and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and gave their land as a heritage,
    a heritage to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
    your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people
    and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but do not speak;
    they have eyes, but do not see;
17 they have ears, but do not hear,
    nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them become like them,
    so do all who trust in them.
19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
    O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
    You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
    he who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the Lord!

It’s part of our national identity—forget the past, and look ahead. Almost all of our ancestors came from over the oceans (whether by choice or not) and made a new life in this country, and so Americans have been a forward-looking people, cut off from our past by thousands of miles of grey water. But the digital age in which we live is even more relentlessly-focused on an eternal NOW than were ages past: there’s no past and not really any future—just NOW.

The problem is that humans were not made to live disconnected to our past, because each of us is a product of the world that’s come before us. We will never be able to understand ourselves if we don’t acknowledge that we came from the past. One of the reasons modern man is so unhappy is because he is disconnected from his historical roots.

The Israelites knew this truth—they knew they lost a connection to the past at their peril. And so they sang songs to remind themselves—and teach their children—of who they are, from whence they came, and of whose they are.

Because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, someone like me—who comes from the pagan peoples of northwestern Europe—has been adopted into Israel. Which means that Israel’s stories are now my stories.

Which means Psalm 135 is my family’s song!

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord,
    give praise, O servants of the Lord,
2 who stand in the house of the Lord,
    in the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
    sing to his name, for it is pleasant!
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
    Israel as his own possession.

The Lord chose “Jacob” and “Israel” for himself, not because they deserved it, but because of the so-called scandal of particularity—that the One God would use one family—that of Abraham—and through that family would bring blessing to the whole world.

The church is the New Israel, and we are blessed so that we can be a blessing to everyone.

5 For I know that the Lord is great,
    and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
    in heaven and on earth,
    in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
    who makes lightnings for the rain
    and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

“Whatever the Lord pleases, he does….” How great is that?!

Pray BOLDLY today—nothing can stop the Lord Almighty.

8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
    both of man and of beast;
9 who in your midst, O Egypt,
    sent signs and wonders
    against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 who struck down many nations
    and killed mighty kings,
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
    and Og, king of Bashan,
    and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and gave their land as a heritage,
    a heritage to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
    your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people
    and have compassion on his servants.

Israel could never forget Egyptian slavery or the difficult journey to the Promised Land. There was opposition, yes—”Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan”—but by the mighty hand of God, Israel prevailed.

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but do not speak;
    they have eyes, but do not see;
17 they have ears, but do not hear,
    nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them become like them,
    so do all who trust in them.

There but for the grace of God go I. If it weren’t for God’s grace, I could think that sex and money and power are gods, and I could give my life to them. Thanks be to God I know who the Creator is and am blessed to live my life for a worthy purpose!

19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
    O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
    You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
    he who dwells in Jerusalem!
Praise the Lord!

AMEN!

It's All About Jesus

August 21, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

The Gospel of Matthew is a priceless treasure, a masterpiece, a work of beauty, mystery, and incendiary power. It is without question one of the most influential documents in the history of the world, perhaps the most influential document in the history of the world. This Gospel has been pored over by candlelight, smuggled into prisons, and stored in the memories of people who wanted to learn more about one extraordinary man, Jesus of Nazareth.

The claim that Matthew’s Gospel makes about Jesus is explosive: that Jesus is Israel’s Messiah, that the God of Israel has come to save his people (and through them the whole world) in the person of Jesus, and that Jesus’s Crucifixion and Resurrection has permanently defeated death and evil.

This Gospel opens with a genealogy that connects Jesus to the long line of Abraham, thereby showing that the entire Old Testament has led to Jesus, who is the fulfilment and culmination of Israel’s story, and it ends with the Risen Jesus commanding his followers to go to the entire world to teach other people to obey and follow him.

Matthew set all this down in his Gospel for exactly that reason: so we could understand, obey, and follow after Jesus.

Matthew 1:1

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Matthew begins by giving us a one-sentence overview of the entire book that will follow.

The word here translated in the English Standard Version [ESV]
as “genealogy” is the Greek word genesis, which means “origins” or “beginnings.” Jesus’s story really begins way back at the beginning, with Abraham. To Abraham God gave a promise and said that through Abraham, all the people on earth would be blessed (see Genesis 12:1-3). Finally, thousands of years later, that promise is coming to fulfillment. By telling us that Jesus is the son of Abraham, Matthew is telling is that Jesus is the culmination of Israel’s story. This means that the entire Old Testament has been leading up to Jesus. The first key to understanding Matthew is to see everything about Jesus as connected to and fulfilling the Old Testament story. Or, to put it another way, the entire Old Testament story was always about Jesus, and the entire story of Israel is now embodied in Jesus.

But not only is Jesus the fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham, we also learn that the way Jesus will bring blessing to the entire world is by fulfilling God’s promise to King David; God promised David that

16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever. [2 Samuel 7]

The Israelites held onto the hope that a king from the line of David would come and deliver them from all their enemies and troubles.

David was king in Jerusalem around 1000 BC, and over the long centuries after his death, his descendants on the throne failed to live up to God’s covenant promises. As a result of their failures and the idolatry of God’s people, in 586 BC the Babylonians came and conquered Jerusalem. Israel ceased to be an independent kingdom, and the line of David went underground. But the line continued and ultimately led to Joseph, the (adopted) father of Jesus.

Jesus, then, is the culmination of Israel’s story and the long-awaited king from the line of David who would deliver his people.

With one sentence, Matthew sets us up for all that will follow.

Let’s GO.

Psalm 134

A Song of Ascents.
1 Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
    who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place
    and bless the Lord!
3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
    he who made heaven and earth!

A Good Verse to Add to Text to Someone Today - Psalm 134

This is a quick little psalm, and I think the final verse is a perfect blessing to send to someone:

May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth!

Did You Know that Unity Is One of God’s Highest Values? - Psalm 133

August 20, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 133

A Song of Ascents.
1  Behold, how good and pleasant it is
    when brothers dwell in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil on the head,
    running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
    running down on the collar of his robes!
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
    which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
    life forevermore.

Psalm 133 is about the beauty of unity among God’s people.

Unity among God’s people, says the psalmist, is like luxuriant oil on the head (in the ancient world, it was a good thing and a sign of prosperity to be anointed with oil). It’s like the life-giving dew that gathers on Mount Hermon, north of the sea of Galilee, and gives water to Israel.

SOME SIMPLE WAYS TO MAINTAIN UNITY AND FIGHT OFF HATE

Pray for friends who vote differently than you.

Pray for political figures by name.

Avoid social media as much as possible—it will just get you riled up.

Remember:

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

In other words, loving the people who are wrong is more important than being right!

The Danger of Overconfidence - Psalm 132

August 19, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 132

A Song of Ascents.
1  Remember, O Lord, in David's favor,
    all the hardships he endured,
2 how he swore to the Lord
    and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “I will not enter my house
    or get into my bed,
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
    or slumber to my eyelids,
5 until I find a place for the Lord,
    a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
    we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;
    let us worship at his footstool!”
8 Arise, O Lord, and go to your resting place,
    you and the ark of your might.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
    and let your saints shout for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
    do not turn away the face of your anointed one.
11 The Lord swore to David a sure oath
    from which he will not turn back:
“One of the sons of your body
    I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
    and my testimonies that I shall teach them,
their sons also forever
    shall sit on your throne.”
13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
    he has desired it for his dwelling place:
14 “This is my resting place forever;
    here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provisions;
    I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation,
    and her saints will shout for joy.
17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David;
    I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
    but on him his crown will shine.”

Psalm 132 is about the Israelites’ confidence in the Lord’s commitment to Jerusalem generally and David’s line specifically. That’s good, and the Lord was committed to Jerusalem and David.

The problem is that the Israelites then behaved as if God’s grace toward them came without any expectations. They thought, “We can behave however we want—worship foreign gods, even practice child sacrifice—and the Lord won’t punish us, because we’re the Chosen People.”

That’s a dangerous way to live. Yes, the grace of the Lord is inexhaustible, but God’s grace doesn’t mean we will be exempt from the consequences of our unrepentant actions.

What do you need to turn away from today?

The Sweetest Psalm in the Scripture? - Psalm 131

August 18, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 131

A Song of Ascents.
1  O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
    my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
    too great and too marvelous for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, hope in the Lord
    from this time forth and forevermore.

I think Psalm 131 might be the sweetest psalm in the scripture.

The imagery is simple:

I’m not allowing my mind to wander into fears or worries, and I’m not trying to be somewhere else—I’m just totally present and totally calm. In fact, I’m like a little child, sleeping on his mother.

I’m trusting the Lord, and things are going to be okay.

When’s the last time you had that sense of calm?

SOME HOUSEKEEPING:

Matthew begins on Monday!

Starting on Monday, 8/21, we will begin reading through the Gospel of Matthew. Each particular day’s passage is short—less than 5 minutes. I’ve divided Matthew into 3 parts, and Part 1 runs for 4 weeks. The Part 1 books are out now. Asburians can pick them up at church this week.

Live out of town but want a book?

Email Sandie Tomlinson ASAP and she’ll mail you however many copies you want. If you live in Dallas, please let Sandie know—we’ll arrange a central pick-up spot in the M Streets (East Dallas) for East Dallas folks.

WHAT ABOUT THE PSALMS?

All along, I’ve intended the psalms daily reading to be something that carries on, indefinitely, from now until forever: one psalm a day, every day—when you reach Psalm 150, start all over again the next day with Psalm 1. There is a simplicity and a clarity to that plan that’s been helpful to me the past 4 years I’ve been doing it.

So, we’ll keep reading through the psalms every day. BUT, once we get to the end of this batch of psalms, I won’t be posting daily commentary on them. The Matthew reading plan will overlap with the Psalms for a couple of weeks, and I’ll just post that day’s psalm at the bottom of my Matthew commentary.

More Than Watchmen Wait for the Morning - Psalm 130

August 17, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 130

A Song of Ascents.
1  Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2  O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
    to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
    O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
    that you may be feared.
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
    and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
    more than watchmen for the morning,
    more than watchmen for the morning.
7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
    For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
    and with him is plentiful redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel
    from all his iniquities.

Cape Cod has historically been a ships’ graveyard because of its treacherous shoals and currents, and just beyond view at the left of the picture is Chatham Light, which flashes forth day and night to warn ships of approaching danger.

Can you imagine being the lookout on a ship in the black of night, scanning the horizon for the light, desperate to know if you are approaching an unseen, underwater danger?

Can you imagine how desperate you’d be for dawn to come?

Imagine being a soldier at war, in a foxhole, hearing the movements of an approaching enemy but unable to see. How desperate would you be for light to dawn?

In the ancient times, watchmen kept watch on the city’s walls, ready to sound the alarm and rouse the city at the sight of approaching danger.

How desperate must the watchmen have felt in the midnight watches for dawn to come?

This is the image the psalmist plays with in Psalm 130:

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
    and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
    more than watchmen for the morning,
    more than watchmen for the morning.

“More than watchmen wait for the morning, so desperate is my soul for the Lord.”

What if the people of God across our country felt that kind of desperation today for the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and communities?

P.S. I’ve always liked this praise song from 20 years ago, and I really like the Shane and Shane version that they recently released.

“Lord, I’m desperate for you….”

How to Become Anti-Fragile - Psalm 129

August 16, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 129

A Song of Ascents.
1  “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”—
    let Israel now say—
2 “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,
    yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my back;
    they made long their furrows.”
4 The Lord is righteous;
    he has cut the cords of the wicked.
5 May all who hate Zion
    be put to shame and turned backward!
6 Let them be like the grass on the housetops,
    which withers before it grows up,
7 with which the reaper does not fill his hand
    nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
8 nor do those who pass by say,
    “The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
    We bless you in the name of the Lord!”

Remember, these “Songs of Ascents” are the songs that the Israelite pilgrims would sing as they made their way up to Jerusalem every year for the big festivals. The boy Jesus certainly sang these with his family.

Think about how singing something like this would shape a child for life!

Something antifragile is something that not only withstands hardship but actually thrives as a result of hardship.

(Americans are not antifragile these days.)

Psalm 129
A Song of Ascents
1 “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”—
    let Israel now say—
2 “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,
    yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my back;
    they made long their furrows.”

So, the Israelites taught their kids to SING that, though they had been sorely oppressed by their enemies— “they plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows”—they were not defeated.

They acknowledge difficulty—they sing about it!—but they all tell themselves they’ve not been defeated.

Can you imagine singing that your whole life? Can you imagine how antifragile that would make you?

The psalm closes with a defiant statement that God will defeat Israel’s enemies:

4 The Lord is righteous;
    he has cut the cords of the wicked.
5 May all who hate Zion
    be put to shame and turned backward!
6 Let them be like the grass on the housetops,
    which withers before it grows up,
7 with which the reaper does not fill his hand
    nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
8 nor do those who pass by say,
    “The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
    We bless you in the name of the Lord!”

It strikes me that this is EXACTLY the kind of music we need to be singing and memorizing these days. We need to be reminded that God’s people will ultimately be vindicated, and that all evil purposes (and those who adopt evil purposes) will be defeated and thwarted.

What do you think?

Stop Overthinking It - Psalm 128

August 15, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 128

A Song of Ascents.
1 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
    who walks in his ways!
2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
    you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
    within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
    around your table.
4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
    who fears the Lord.
5 The Lord bless you from Zion!
    May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
    all the days of your life!
6 May you see your children's children!
    Peace be upon Israel!

Stop over-thinking it!

Psalm 128 reminds us again of the Bible’s clear teaching:

obedience leads to blessing.

Stop over-thinking it. Where do you need to be obedient today?

P.S. Isn’t it interesting that the images the psalmist uses to illustrate blessing are all domestic? We get it totally BACKWARDS—we think the primary form of prosperity is OUTSIDE the home, whereas the Bible sees prosperity’s ultimate form to be domestic harmony and abundance.

Some Housekeeping:

Want One of our new matthew books?

Starting on Monday, 8/21, we will begin reading through the Gospel of Matthew. Each particular day’s passage is short—less than 5 minutes). I’ve divided Matthew into 3 parts, and Part 1 runs for 4 weeks. The Part 1 books are out now. Asburians can pick them up at church this week.

Live out of town but want a book?

Email Sandie Tomlinson ASAP and she’ll mail you however many copies you want. If you live in Dallas, please let Sandie know—we’ll arrange a central pick-up spot in the M Streets (East Dallas) for East Dallas folks.

what about the psalms?

It’s a Waste of Time to Do This – Psalm 127

August 14, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Some Housekeeping:

Want One of our new matthew books?

Live out of town but want a book?

what about the psalms?

Clear as mud?

Now, back to our program.

It’s a Waste of Time to Do This

Psalm 127

A Song of Ascents.
1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
    and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
    for he gives to his beloved sleep.
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
    the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
    are the children of one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man
    who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

SONGS OF ASCENTS=ROADTRIP MUSIC

Psalms 120-134 each have the same superscription: “A Song of Ascents”. These psalms were sung by the Israelite pilgrims as they made they way “up” to the Temple Mount for the big religious festivals every year. (To the Israelites, you always go “up” to Jerusalem, even if you are coming from a higher elevation. Mount Zion was spiritually the highest point on earth, so to speak.) So, these psalms were roadtrip music.

No doubt the boy Jesus sang these songs as he made the 3-week journey from the Galilee to Jerusalem every year!

What are you listening to as you make your journey through life? With what are you filling your thoughts?

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.
127 Unless the Lord builds the house,
    those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
    and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
    for he gives to his beloved sleep.

The Lord is the ultimate source of all strength and success, and unless we are building on his principles, what we are doing will be both exhausting and ephemeral.

A good question to ask yourself today:

In what areas of my life am I exhausted or feeling as if my actions never amount to anything? Whatever areas you name are good indicators that you are not working with the Lord, and therefore you are working in vain.

What would it look like for you to partner with the Holy Spirit today in whatever it is you are doing?

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
    the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
    are the children of one's youth.
5 Blessed is the man
    who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

The psalm switches to speaking of legacy and the importance of family. And though the obvious and immediate sense is of literal, biological children, I think the psalm also applies to all of us who are building up and building for the next generation—spiritual parents, so to speak.

Family is How We Fight.

Building up and building for the next generation is a form of strength.

P.S. The gate (v. 5) was the part of an ancient city where important discussions and trials and conversations took place. So, a person who is building up and building for the next generation can feel secure wherever he goes.

I Have This Psalm Memorized - Psalm 126

August 13, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 126

A Song of Ascents.
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us;
    we are glad.
4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
    like streams in the Negeb!
5 Those who sow in tears
    shall reap with shouts of joy!
6 He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him.

For some reason, I memorized this psalm 20 years ago, and it’s still one of my favorites. It moves from sorrow to hope and ends with an image of rejoicing.

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.

The psalmist remembers a time when God rescued Israel (“Zion” here represents all of Israel—a metonymy) and reversed its situation—its “fortunes” were restored.

2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”

That reversal was like a dream, and the people laughed and shouted with joy while the surrounding nations saw it and knew that God had done it.

3 The Lord has done great things for us;
we are glad.

The Israelites know that God has been faithful, and they are grateful.

But the current situation is bleak:

4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like streams in the Negeb!

Whatever the situation is, the Israelites are praying for deliverance again.

The Negeb is the dry desert in the southern part of Israel, and the image is of God sending life-giving water into the deathly conditions.

And then the psalm closes with one of the most beautiful images of hope in the entire Bible!

5 Those who sow in tears
    shall reap with shouts of joy!
6 He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him.

People who are moving forward by building for the future—sowing seed, so to speak—may feel desperate and in tears today.

But one day they will gather in the harvest with shouts of joy!

A man who goes out weeping will come running home with his arms filled with the sheaves of the harvest.

Be hopeful today!

From Andrew—Glad to be Back! Psalm 125

August 12, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 125

A Song of Ascents.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
    which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
    so the Lord surrounds his people,
    from this time forth and forevermore.
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
    on the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous stretch out
    their hands to do wrong.
4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
    and to those who are upright in their hearts!
5 But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
    the Lord will lead away with evildoers!
    Peace be upon Israel!

This is my first time writing Psalms commentary in over a month—I’m glad to be back! Kevin Watson filled in for me over the summer, which was a huge help.

Jerusalem is located in the hill country of Judea; Mount Zion is the name of the little mountain (more accurately, a hill) in Jerusalem on which the Temple was built. There are other higher hills around Jerusalem—like the Mount of Olives, e.g.—but in the biblical imagination Zion is the highest mountain in the world, because it was a place where heaven met earth, just like Eden. So, Mount Zion is more than just a topographical feature—it has theological and eternal significance.

This simple little psalm imagines that choosing to trust God makes you as immovable as a mountain.

Now, how can that be? Does choosing to trust somehow protect you from harm, like some kind of magic amulet that will ward off trouble? No, trusting God makes you immovable not because nothing bad will befall you but because God will always vindicate those who trust in him and prove that they were ultimately wise to do so. I hope this doesn’t sound crass, but God is a sure bet—he always wins.

What anxiety do you feel today? How is it related to a lack of trust in God?

“If It Had Not Been The Lord” – Psalm 124

August 11, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 124

A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—
    let Israel now say—
2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side
    when people rose up against us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive,
    when their anger was kindled against us;
4 then the flood would have swept us away,
    the torrent would have gone over us;
5 then over us would have gone
    the raging waters.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
    who has not given us
    as prey to their teeth!
7 We have escaped like a bird
    from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
    and we have escaped!
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE: Today’s commentary is by Dr. Kevin Watson, who has moved 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. THANK YOU KEVIN!
You folks are stuck with me again, starting TOMORROW. Can’t wait.

-Andrew

Psalm 124 calls to mind a handful of the countless ways the Lord has been on the side of his people.

if it had not been the Lord who was on our side
when people rose up against us,
then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us; (v. 2-3)

But the Lord was on our side!

And because God was on our side

We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped! (7)

This is a lovely image.

The gospel reminds us that we have all been caught like a bird in the snare of sin. As Paul reminds us in Romans, “None is righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10)

But the Lord breaks the snare. By the grace of God, through the work of Jesus Christ, we have escaped from our bondage to sin. We have been rescued!

If it had not been for the Lord who was on our side, we would be lost.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth. (v. 8)

Till He Has Mercy Upon Us – Psalm 123

August 10, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

NOTE: This is the last week of commentary by Dr. Kevin Watson, who has moved 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. I’m going to resume writing commentary starting with Psalm 125, this coming Saturday!

—Andrew

Psalm 123

A Song of Ascents.
1 To you I lift up my eyes,
    O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
2 Behold, as the eyes of servants
    look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
    to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
    till he has mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
    for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4 Our soul has had more than enough
    of the scorn of those who are at ease,
    of the contempt of the proud.

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

Psalm 123 is a short but piercing prayer to God for mercy.

To you I lift up my eyes,
     O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
Behold, as the eyes of servants
     look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
     to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
     till he has mercy upon us. (v.1-2)

Tremper Longman III helps unpack the meaning of this Psalm:

The psalmist adopts an attitude of humility before God, the divine Master, as he hopes for help in the midst of persecution. He submits himself to God in order to be free from the oppressor (Moody 2013: 52-53). Perhaps the most striking aspect of the gospel is that Jesus himself takes on the role of a servant on our behalf, washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17). Paul calls on Christians to adopt the same attitude as Christ:

            who, being in very nature God,
                        did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
            rather, he made himself nothing
                        by taking the very nature of a servant,
                        being made in human likeness.
            And being found in appearance as a man,
                        he humbled himself
                        by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8)

Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
     for we have had more than enough of contempt.
Our soul has had more than enough
     of the scorn of those who are at ease,
     of the contempt of the proud. (v.3-4)

The pain and suffering brought on by contempt and scorn directed at the psalmist are described.

The psalmists hope for mercy comes not from those who pour out contempt and scorn. Rather, it comes from the Lord alone.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus until you receive his comfort and consolation. Even when we are hurt by others, it is the mercy of Jesus Christ we need to receive in order to experience healing and wholeness.

Where do you need the Lord to have mercy on you right now? Ask him for mercy now.

Eager to Worship – Psalm 122

August 09, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 122

A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 I was glad when they said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2 Our feet have been standing
    within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem—built as a city
    that is bound firmly together,
4 to which the tribes go up,
    the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
    to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 There thrones for judgment were set,
    the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
    “May they be secure who love you!
7 Peace be within your walls
    and security within your towers!”
8 For my brothers and companions' sake
    I will say, “Peace be within you!”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your good.

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE: This is the last week of commentary by Dr. Kevin Watson, who has moved 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. I’m going to resume writing commentary starting with Psalm 125, this coming Saturday!

—Andrew

It is easy to see how Psalm 122 would fit into the understanding of the “Songs of Ascent” as written and sung on pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship.

I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”

Can you imagine a literal pilgrimage, where you had spent days walking from your hometown to Jerusalem for a major feast where people were gathering from across the region?

The excitement would build as you got close to the city and it came in to view, a city on a hill.

What would it look like for you to view going to worship this week as a pilgrimage? Where your excitement to join together with brothers and sisters in Christ to worship God together built throughout the week?

How would it change your experience of worship if everyone else brought the same expectation and excitement to gather back together again?

Try it this week!

Help Comes From The Lord – Psalm 121

August 08, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 121

A Song of Ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore.

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE: This is the last week of commentary by Dr. Kevin Watson, who recently moved 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. I’m going to resume writing commentary starting with Psalm 125, this coming Saturday!

—Andrew

Some of the psalms we have read are categorized as psalm of lament because they confront God with the psalmist’s suffering and God’s silence and inaction.

In contrast, today’s psalm is a song of unwavering confidence that God is the one who helps us.

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
    the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
    nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
    he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
    your going out and your coming in
    from this time forth and forevermore.

Depending on the details of your current circumstances, some parts of the Psalter may resonate more than others.

Part of the magnificence of the Book of Psalms is how comprehensive they are in speaking to the wide range of human experience and emotions, particularly as we journey through the life of faith.

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

Amen and thanks be to God!

Psalms of Ascent – Psalm 120

August 07, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 120

A Song of Ascents.
1 In my distress I called to the Lord,
    and he answered me.
2 Deliver me, O Lord,
    from lying lips,
    from a deceitful tongue.
3 What shall be given to you,
    and what more shall be done to you,
    you deceitful tongue?
4 A warrior's sharp arrows,
    with glowing coals of the broom tree!
5 Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech,
    that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
6 Too long have I had my dwelling
    among those who hate peace.
7 I am for peace,
    but when I speak, they are for war!

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE: I’m looking forward to getting back to writing for you soon! This is the last week of commentary by Dr. Kevin Watson, who has moved 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. I’m going to resume writing commentary starting with Psalm 125, this coming Saturday!

—Andrew

Psalms 120 – 134 are a group of Psalms known as the psalms of ascent, in part because each of them contains the introduction “A song of ascents.”

We are not exactly sure what this phrase means. There are several possibilities that lead many scholars to an educated guess:

Tremper Longman III offers a helpful summary:

The history of interpretation has produced quite a variety of explanations. Some have taken it to mean a spiritual ascent (Augustine), while others believe it refers to a rising musical pitch (Calvin), and still others suggest that the ascent is a physical one that involves some kind of upward movement….

In our opinion, the most persuasive view is that the songs were sung while pilgrims made the journey to Jerusalem from outlying areas in order to worship at the temple there, particularly during one of the great annual festivals. Of course, the trip to the temple on Zion in Jerusalem, would involve not only a physical journey, but also a spiritual one, since Jerusalem was the place where heaven met earth.

Why do you think Psalm 120 would have been the first of the “songs of ascent”?

Praising the Law from A to Z – Psalm 119

August 06, 2023 by Andrew Forrest in Bible

Psalm 119

Aleph
1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
    who walk in the law of the Lord!
2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
    who seek him with their whole heart,
3 who also do no wrong,
    but walk in his ways!
4 You have commanded your precepts
    to be kept diligently.
5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast
    in keeping your statutes!
6 Then I shall not be put to shame,
    having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart,
    when I learn your righteous rules.
8 I will keep your statutes;
    do not utterly forsake me!
Beth
9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
    By guarding it according to your word.
10 With my whole heart I seek you;
    let me not wander from your commandments!
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
    that I might not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O Lord;
    teach me your statutes!
13 With my lips I declare
    all the rules of your mouth.
14 In the way of your testimonies I delight
    as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on your precepts
    and fix my eyes on your ways.
16 I will delight in your statutes;
    I will not forget your word.
Gimel
17 Deal bountifully with your servant,
    that I may live and keep your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold
    wondrous things out of your law.
19 I am a sojourner on the earth;
    hide not your commandments from me!
20 My soul is consumed with longing
    for your rules at all times.
21 You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,
    who wander from your commandments.
22 Take away from me scorn and contempt,
    for I have kept your testimonies.
23 Even though princes sit plotting against me,
    your servant will meditate on your statutes.
24 Your testimonies are my delight;
    they are my counselors.
Daleth
25 My soul clings to the dust;
    give me life according to your word!
26 When I told of my ways, you answered me;
    teach me your statutes!
27 Make me understand the way of your precepts,
    and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
28 My soul melts away for sorrow;
    strengthen me according to your word!
29 Put false ways far from me
    and graciously teach me your law!
30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
    I set your rules before me.
31 I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;
    let me not be put to shame!
32 I will run in the way of your commandments
    when you enlarge my heart!
He
33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;
    and I will keep it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
    and observe it with my whole heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commandments,
    for I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart to your testimonies,
    and not to selfish gain!
37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
    and give me life in your ways.
38 Confirm to your servant your promise,
    that you may be feared.
39 Turn away the reproach that I dread,
    for your rules are good.
40 Behold, I long for your precepts;
    in your righteousness give me life!
Waw
41 Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord,
    your salvation according to your promise;
42 then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me,
    for I trust in your word.
43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
    for my hope is in your rules.
44 I will keep your law continually,
    forever and ever,
45 and I shall walk in a wide place,
    for I have sought your precepts.
46 I will also speak of your testimonies before kings
    and shall not be put to shame,
47 for I find my delight in your commandments,
    which I love.
48 I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,
    and I will meditate on your statutes.
Zayin
49 Remember your word to your servant,
    in which you have made me hope.
50 This is my comfort in my affliction,
    that your promise gives me life.
51 The insolent utterly deride me,
    but I do not turn away from your law.
52 When I think of your rules from of old,
    I take comfort, O Lord.
53 Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,
    who forsake your law.
54 Your statutes have been my songs
    in the house of my sojourning.
55 I remember your name in the night, O Lord,
    and keep your law.
56 This blessing has fallen to me,
    that I have kept your precepts.
Heth
57 The Lord is my portion;
    I promise to keep your words.
58 I entreat your favor with all my heart;
    be gracious to me according to your promise.
59 When I think on my ways,
    I turn my feet to your testimonies;
60 I hasten and do not delay
    to keep your commandments.
61 Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,
    I do not forget your law.
62 At midnight I rise to praise you,
    because of your righteous rules.
63 I am a companion of all who fear you,
    of those who keep your precepts.
64 The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love;
    teach me your statutes!
Teth
65 You have dealt well with your servant,
    O Lord, according to your word.
66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
    for I believe in your commandments.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
    but now I keep your word.
68 You are good and do good;
    teach me your statutes.
69 The insolent smear me with lies,
    but with my whole heart I keep your precepts;
70 their heart is unfeeling like fat,
    but I delight in your law.
71 It is good for me that I was afflicted,
    that I might learn your statutes.
72 The law of your mouth is better to me
    than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Yodh
73 Your hands have made and fashioned me;
    give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
74 Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
    because I have hoped in your word.
75 I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous,
    and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
76 Let your steadfast love comfort me
    according to your promise to your servant.
77 Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;
    for your law is my delight.
78 Let the insolent be put to shame,
    because they have wronged me with falsehood;
    as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.
79 Let those who fear you turn to me,
    that they may know your testimonies.
80 May my heart be blameless in your statutes,
    that I may not be put to shame!
Kaph
81 My soul longs for your salvation;
    I hope in your word.
82 My eyes long for your promise;
    I ask, “When will you comfort me?”
83 For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,
    yet I have not forgotten your statutes.
84 How long must your servant endure?
    When will you judge those who persecute me?
85 The insolent have dug pitfalls for me;
    they do not live according to your law.
86 All your commandments are sure;
    they persecute me with falsehood; help me!
87 They have almost made an end of me on earth,
    but I have not forsaken your precepts.
88 In your steadfast love give me life,
    that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth.
Lamedh
89 Forever, O Lord, your word
    is firmly fixed in the heavens.
90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
    you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
91 By your appointment they stand this day,
    for all things are your servants.
92 If your law had not been my delight,
    I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget your precepts,
    for by them you have given me life.
94 I am yours; save me,
    for I have sought your precepts.
95 The wicked lie in wait to destroy me,
    but I consider your testimonies.
96 I have seen a limit to all perfection,
    but your commandment is exceedingly broad.
Mem
97 Oh how I love your law!
    It is my meditation all the day.
98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
    for it is ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
    for your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the aged,
    for I keep your precepts.
101 I hold back my feet from every evil way,
    in order to keep your word.
102 I do not turn aside from your rules,
    for you have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
    sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through your precepts I get understanding;
    therefore I hate every false way.
Nun
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path.
106 I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
    to keep your righteous rules.
107 I am severely afflicted;
    give me life, O Lord, according to your word!
108 Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O Lord,
    and teach me your rules.
109 I hold my life in my hand continually,
    but I do not forget your law.
110 The wicked have laid a snare for me,
    but I do not stray from your precepts.
111 Your testimonies are my heritage forever,
    for they are the joy of my heart.
112 I incline my heart to perform your statutes
    forever, to the end.
Samekh
113 I hate the double-minded,
    but I love your law.
114 You are my hiding place and my shield;
    I hope in your word.
115 Depart from me, you evildoers,
    that I may keep the commandments of my God.
116 Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,
    and let me not be put to shame in my hope!
117 Hold me up, that I may be safe
    and have regard for your statutes continually!
118 You spurn all who go astray from your statutes,
    for their cunning is in vain.
119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross,
    therefore I love your testimonies.
120 My flesh trembles for fear of you,
    and I am afraid of your judgments.
Ayin
121 I have done what is just and right;
    do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Give your servant a pledge of good;
    let not the insolent oppress me.
123 My eyes long for your salvation
    and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
124 Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,
    and teach me your statutes.
125 I am your servant; give me understanding,
    that I may know your testimonies!
126 It is time for the Lord to act,
    for your law has been broken.
127 Therefore I love your commandments
    above gold, above fine gold.
128 Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right;
    I hate every false way.
Pe
129 Your testimonies are wonderful;
    therefore my soul keeps them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light;
    it imparts understanding to the simple.
131 I open my mouth and pant,
    because I long for your commandments.
132 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    as is your way with those who love your name.
133 Keep steady my steps according to your promise,
    and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
134 Redeem me from man's oppression,
    that I may keep your precepts.
135 Make your face shine upon your servant,
    and teach me your statutes.
136 My eyes shed streams of tears,
    because people do not keep your law.
Tsadhe
137 Righteous are you, O Lord,
    and right are your rules.
138 You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness
    and in all faithfulness.
139 My zeal consumes me,
    because my foes forget your words.
140 Your promise is well tried,
    and your servant loves it.
141 I am small and despised,
    yet I do not forget your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is righteous forever,
    and your law is true.
143 Trouble and anguish have found me out,
    but your commandments are my delight.
144 Your testimonies are righteous forever;
    give me understanding that I may live.
Qoph
145 With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord!
    I will keep your statutes.
146 I call to you; save me,
    that I may observe your testimonies.
147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
    I hope in your words.
148 My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,
    that I may meditate on your promise.
149 Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;
    O Lord, according to your justice give me life.
150 They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose;
    they are far from your law.
151 But you are near, O Lord,
    and all your commandments are true.
152 Long have I known from your testimonies
    that you have founded them forever.
Resh
153 Look on my affliction and deliver me,
    for I do not forget your law.
154 Plead my cause and redeem me;
    give me life according to your promise!
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
    for they do not seek your statutes.
156 Great is your mercy, O Lord;
    give me life according to your rules.
157 Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
    but I do not swerve from your testimonies.
158 I look at the faithless with disgust,
    because they do not keep your commands.
159 Consider how I love your precepts!
    Give me life according to your steadfast love.
160 The sum of your word is truth,
    and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
Sin and Shin
161 Princes persecute me without cause,
    but my heart stands in awe of your words.
162 I rejoice at your word
    like one who finds great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood,
    but I love your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise you
    for your righteous rules.
165 Great peace have those who love your law;
    nothing can make them stumble.
166 I hope for your salvation, O Lord,
    and I do your commandments.
167 My soul keeps your testimonies;
    I love them exceedingly.
168 I keep your precepts and testimonies,
    for all my ways are before you.
Taw
169 Let my cry come before you, O Lord;
    give me understanding according to your word!
170 Let my plea come before you;
    deliver me according to your word.
171 My lips will pour forth praise,
    for you teach me your statutes.
172 My tongue will sing of your word,
    for all your commandments are right.
173 Let your hand be ready to help me,
    for I have chosen your precepts.
174 I long for your salvation, O Lord,
    and your law is my delight.
175 Let my soul live and praise you,
    and let your rules help me.
176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant,
    for I do not forget your commandments.

By Kevin M. Watson, Ph.D

NOTE: This is the last week of commentary from Dr. Kevin Watson, who has moved 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. I’m going to resume writing commentary starting with Psalm 125, this coming Saturday!

—Andrew

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Psalter. It is also the longest chapter in the entire Bible.

Like Psalm 111 and Psalm 112, Psalm 119 is an alphabetic acrostic.

Psalm 119, however, gives 8 verses to each letter of the Hebrew alphabet, giving majestic expression to its subject.

Psalm 119 begins:

Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord!

Organizing the poem as an alphabetic acrostic is not a silly ornamentation. Rather, it is an elegant and exhaustive expression of praise and thanksgiving for the law that the Lord has given to us.

Here is a one of many great verses from this gigantic psalm:

Consider how I love your precepts!
Give me life according to your steadfast love [hesed]. (v. 159)