Source: http://www.zionbiblechurch.net/our-daily-walk-in-2015/archives/06-2015
Timestamp: 2019-04-18 15:37:44+00:00

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Reading through the final 5 Psalm today a song kept running through my head. In fact, as I read through the Psalm this entire month, this song kept running through my head. “Mercy Me” are modern day psalmist who songs do much of the same thing that the original Psalms did for the people of God. They help express themselves in a variety of life’s circumstances. They help keep the person better connected to God through worship. And they help lead us into reflection and meditation of all that God has done and will do for us, His chosen people. So I want to share the lyrics today of this Mercy Me song, called All of Creation. It is one of their more famous songs, so read through the lyrics, think about many of the Psalm we read this past month and if it helps go search the song online and listen to it again with the music background. I pray you have been transformed this past month reading through the book of Psalm. Now onto Proverbs.
Psalm 142 is a lament Psalm dealing with despair, facing loss, and have emotions that bring no hope in life. The “cave” referred to in the heading is probably that of Adullam to which David retired when obliged to leave the land of Achish the Philistine. This is the last of the thirteen “maskil” or didactic psalms. It has two divisions: (1) the psalmist’s desperate condition (vv. 1–4); and (2) his determined confidence (vv. 5–7).
1–2. David resolves to seek relief by laying his distress before Yahweh. He will cry “aloud,” not merely in silent prayer. Such vocalization of distress gives relief to pent up feelings and expression of the intensity of the distress.
3–4. Yahweh knows David’s peril and loneliness, even if he has no human sympathizers. David’s spirit faints within him. He is in despair, but his comfort is that Yahweh knows the course which he must take, and the perils which beset him from treacherous enemies. On his right hand, where any protector would be standing, there is no one to take up his cause.
5–6. In the past David had cried out to God. He still continues to do so. God is his “refuge” and “portion” in the land of the living. He is confident that he will not die but live to declare the words of the Lord.
7. He now has been brought low. His persecutors were stronger than he. He is imprisoned, as it were, in distress. He prays that he may be released from that prison. Then he will praise Yahweh’s name. Then the righteous—the loyal worshipers of Yahweh—will gather round him to share in his thanksgivings. He is confident that God will deal most bountifully with him. And I love how the Psalm ends with the goodness of God even in despair. God is good and that is all I know many times.
Psalm 131 is a trust in God Psalm. It stresses the virtue of humility and was designed to get the worshipper in the right frame of attitude on their way to the Temple for worship that is why it is called a song of ascent. The imagery “small child is quiet with its mother” (131:2) suggests one who is happy and secure, having gone through the difficult weaning process. Such is the psalmist’s condition after being weaned from a desire for status. The psalmist testified to the tranquility of the one trusting God and exhorted others to trust as well. Here is the outline of the 3 small but powerful verses. Read this Psalm over and over again today and memorize it, if you are able.
A. He is not haughty (131:1).
B. He is still and quiet (131:2).
Psalm 124 is a thanksgiving Psalm. A thanksgiving Psalm is a song of praise to Yahweh for His covenant faithfulness and gratitude for His care in life. This is the type of Psalm we will be looking at this coming Sunday, so I thought it would be good to take a closer look today at the type. Whereas Psalm 138 (this Sunday’s Psalm) is a more general over view thanksgiving, Psalm 124 is a personal very specific thank you to God. Thanksgiving is a vital part of the Christian life. How can a redeemed saint of God go a day without feeling gratitude for the covenant God Yahweh who saved them on the cross and is saving them daily thought the power of the Spirit? It is like the first line of Psalm 124, “If the LORD had not been on our side”. Here is an outline to help us think more critically about this Psalm and find the gratitude in our own lives.
These verses lay out the, what if. This group of verses show the cry for deliverance that the people had for God. Whether it was the Philistines, the Assyrians, or another people group, the chosen people of God realized they were under siege and outnumbered by evil forces and if God had not saved them they would have been lost. This is still very true for us today as the people of God. “Oh but for the grace of God I”, I would have been lost and dying and going to hell in my own daily sin.
These verses are the testimony to God for what He did. If God had not been for us, we would have been lost. But God, was for us, so we escaped and were saved. The only help we could have found was in the LORD and He found us and saved us. Today, as the church, we are living testimonies to God and His saving work.
This simple verse is the praise and shout to God in thanksgiving. Praise God, He saved me. Praise God, without Him I was lost. Praise God for His protection and care. Praise God for His blessing and grace. Praise God for being God. As Heaven is already proclaiming to God, “Holy, Holy, Holy” praise be to the King of the Universe, who cares enough for me to save me.
What a way to start the second half of the Bible. As I stated yesterday Psalm 118 is the middle of the Bible, so Psalm 119 is the start of the second half. Reading through the Psalm today, it could not be helped to hear the psalmist thoughts, cries, prayers, confidence, and use of God’s Word. This Psalm is a great reminder to us. This Psalm lays out every reason for us to read God’s Word and take stock in it. This Psalm lays out every reason we should and are reading the Bible this year. So, I thought it would be good today, in honor of the great Word of God, to list some important theological words for us to consider about the Bible. Each one of these words is true about the Bible and is helpful for our faith in understanding and strength in the Word of God.
Authority: The power the Bible possesses, having been issued from Creator God, for which it “ought to be believed and obeyed”.
Autographs: The original texts of the biblical books as they were issued from the hands of the original writers.
Canon: The authoritative list of inspired biblical books. This means rule or measuring stick.
Inerrancy: The position that the Bible affirms no falsehood or wrong of any sort, that is, “it is without fault or error in all that it teaches, in matters of history, science, and faith”.
Infallibility: The position that the Bible cannot err or make a mistake and that it “is completely trustworthy as a guide to salvation and the life of faith and will not fail in accomplishing its purposes”.
Necessity: Refers to mankind’s need for God’s special revelation in the Scriptures in order to obtain knowledge of the gospel and the plan of salvation.
Scripture: From the Latin word meaning “writings” which referred to sacred texts.
Special revelation: The things that God makes know about Himself, apart from nature and conscience (general revelation). This revelation is 99.9% of the time found in the Scripture, because they deal with Christ and the plan for Salvation.
Sufficiency: All that is needed to know and believe regarding salvation and what pleases God, are found only in the Bible.
Verbal, plenary inspiration: God controlled the very writing the Bible down to the choice of word and syllable, not just the overarching themes.
Congratulations! If you have been reading the Bible with us from January 1, then today marks a big time milestone. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, while Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible. Psalm 118 is important, sandwiched in between both the longest and shortest chapters in the Bible because 118 marks the exact middle of the Bible. So, when the reading today finished after Psalm 118, it means that less than half of the Bible is left. The reading is on the downhill. Congratulations for reading half of the Bible so far this year. Here are a few verses for us to remind us why we should be reading the Bible and remind us why we are reading the Bible this year.
-Your statutes (commands or words) are my delight; they are my counselors.
-Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.
-All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.
Psalm 110 is my favorite Psalm in all of Scripture. This is the most quote Psalm in the Bible and is used by almost every New Testament Author in one form or another. This Psalm is a royal celebration Psalm that was used in the life of Israel in celebration of King David. But this Psalms plays much more importance in the life of God’s people in its prophetic use for another greeter King. Psalm 110 pointed toward another King who would be above David; this King, Jesus the Messiah, would stand between David and God the Father. This psalm is an important Old Testament passage for the book of Hebrews (Heb. 1:3, 13; 5:6; 7:17, 21; 10:13). Psalm 110 was also a crucial Old Testament passage for Peter on the Day of Pentecost for showing that the greater Son of David, Jesus, had to ascend to the right hand of God (Acts 2:34–36). Jesus used Psalm 110:1 to prove his deity to the questioning Pharisees (Matt. 22:41–45). The “Lord” refers to God the Father, while “my Lord” refers to the second person of the Trinity, Jesus the Son (110:1). The rule of Christ will be culminated in the millennial kingdom (110:2). God’s believing people will rally around the Messiah in recognition of his lordship and rule (110:3). The metaphor “the morning dew” (110:3) refers to the freshness and vitality of those who will serve God. Like Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18), Christ holds both offices of king and priest (Heb. 7:1–28). The battle scene described in Psalm 110:5–6 will take place at Christ’s second coming (Zech. 14:1–15; Rev. 19:11–21). Here is a quick outline of this amazing song.
I. He Is God (110:1).
B. The promise (110:1): The Father assures the Son that his enemies will be humbled.
II. He Is a King (110:2–3).
A. The place of his reign (110:2): It will extend from Jerusalem.
B. The power of his reign (110:3): People will serve God willingly.
III. He Is a Priest (110:4).
A. The oath (110:4): The Father vows to establish his Son’s priesthood.
B. The order (110:4): It is after the order of Melchizedek.
IV. He Is a Judge (110:6): He will punish the nations.
V. He Is a Victorious Warrior (110:5, 6–7): God is nearby and will protect his people.
This psalm is often known as the ‘Jubilate’, which is Latin for ‘O be joyful’. It is one of the most popular and often-used psalms for public worship. Here is an invitation to the whole earth (not just separate ‘lands’) to offer a great shout of joy to the Lord, and to enter his presence, singing with uninhibited joy! It may originally have been a psalm for bringing a thank-offering. The joyful shout is that of a crowd offering loyalty and welcome to a king. It is not to be given lightly, as it implies a total commitment. The people of Israel shouted in such a way when Saul became their king (1 Samuel 10:24). It is a fanfare of human hearts and voices. This is a psalm of vast and eternal perspective. God has made us and we belong to him. We are his people, his sheep. His love and purpose cover the whole context of our lives, both now and forever. To worship this God is also to serve him with our whole self (Romans 12:1). Knowing that the Lord is God is a sure foundation for our praise. We are secure in his creation and saving love. We are sure of his welcome. We belong to him. It is because God has made us and he welcomes us that we can come into his presence with such confidence and praise. The courts are the courts of the temple, where nothing unholy is allowed—and yet we may enter. This is God’s house, his place—and we can come in! Finally, the psalmist realizes that this privilege is ongoing. God’s nature doesn’t change, so his goodness will continue. His love will last forever. This invitation to acknowledge him is to all people, in every place and age. Here is the simple small outline of the chapter.
I. God Is the Song v. 1-2 -We are his singers.
II. God Is the Creator v. 3-We are his creation.
III. God Is the Shepherd v. 3-We are his sheep.
IV. God Is the Blessed One v. 4-We are his blessed ones.
V. God Is Love v. 5-We are his loved ones.
Psalm 93 is a short enthronement Psalm. This means that is stresses the place of God on His throne while being used in a royal King David celebration. This Psalm could be entitled; The King acclaimed. The affirmation of vs 1–2 moves into the picture of vs 3–4 and the solemn consequence for the Lord’s people vs 5; vs 1–2 work downwards from the securely enthroned Lord to the derivative security of the world he rules; vs 3–4 work upwards from the turbulence of earth’s ‘forces’ to the serene might of his exaltation. The earth is a safe place to live in because he reigns; and even when it is at its most turbulent he is still on the throne. Verse 1 emphasizes the Lord’s clothing: robed … robed … armed, ‘has girded himself’. As a motif, ‘clothing’ indicates character and intent (Jos. 5:13–15; Is. 59:16–18). The Lord wears the garb of royalty because he is, and intends to act as, king. Why the world is firmly established we are not told, but the fact that this truth is sandwiched between the Lord’s reign v.1 and his throne v. 2 speaks volumes. While he reigns earth remains stable. Verses 3–4 use the restless seas to portray all the forces of destruction and hostility in the created order—whether violent storms themselves, or the turbulence of nations (Ps. 2) or even (as pagans thought) the ceaseless warfare of spiritual forces of chaos against the Creator. No matter what the turbulence, the Lord on high is mighty. Verse 5 matches v. 2 in the structure of the psalm. There, God who is by nature eternal occupies his eternal throne; here the God who lives in his house among his people has spoken his unchanging word and makes holiness his unchanging requirement.
Psalms 88 is a tough read. Read over it again, if you get a chance and feel the full weight of what the psalmist is crying out to God. This is a lament Psalm but with a little different structure. This Psalm contains the address and complaint of a lament, it even contains the trust of a lament, which is harder to find in this Psalm. But this lament contains no real praise, assurance, or deliverance in it like a typical lament would. That is designed to catch our attention and give the Psalm much more weight to it. Did you feel the broken cries of distress from the writer? Here is the outline for the Psalm and I will also share a few more thoughts after the structure is given.
Here the speaker is calling on the covenant Yahweh title of God to save Him and here his prayer. He is calling God to not turn a deaf ear but to listen to the cries he is about to give.
Here the speaker is listing his troubles for Yahweh to hear. “My soul is full of trouble” or my soul is broken and in full distress. “My life draws near the grace” or the speaker is saying I am about to die. In this list of complaints death and being cut off from the care of God is a big theme that is brought out numerous times in these 3 verses.
Here the speaker is recognizing that God has brought him to the place he is in. “You have out me’, “Your wrath”, and “You have taken” is the speakers way of telling God, look, I am in this situation because you have placed me here, I know it is hard, painful, and I am being broken, but I trust in your placing me here.
Here the speaker is wondering how, if he would die, God would get the praise He deserves. The speaker is unsure how God’s love would be declared in his death and how the righteousness of God will be made know around the world, if he would die.
The speaker ends his Psalm with staking more complaints to God and telling Yahweh how much pain he is in. Look at the last night, even all of the friends and loved ones have abandoned the speaker and he is utterly alone in darkness. And look also where the speaker says that much of what he is feeling right now is because of the wrath of God.
OK, there is the structure and outline of the Psalm. Did you feel the weight of it? Did you feel the pain and brokenness of the speaker? If you can now, read it a 3rd time but this final time, read it in light of Jesus and the Cross. Feel the weight even more now. The speaker could very well be Jesus on the cross making an atonement for us (which is why this Psalm is prophetic). I pray this Psalm gives you a new light on what Jesus did for you. Because all the questions and pain were answered by that atonement for you, so that you would never have to cry this Psalm to God as the speaker.

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