Psalms

Psalm 96 – Worship

Now is the time for worship in Spirit and in truth. These are the words of Jesus in John 4:23. The word, “now” is of paramount importance, because it is eschatological. In other words, Jesus through his coming has ushered in a new age of the Spirit, where people can worship in Spirit and in [...]


Psalm 21 – Security and Strength

It is hard to remember that in the end it is not about us. It is even harder to say, as John the Baptist said in John 3:30: “he must increase and I must decrease.” Human pride and desire for recognition contend. What is also odd is the tension of wanting glory without the responsibilities [...]


Psalm 16 – Back to the “Basics”

Often Christians, in my opinion and myself included, look for esoteric knowledge or something new in an effort to grow in Christian maturity. The heart behind this is noble and commendable, but in some ways it is misdirected. What we may view as basic truths are not basic at all. These truths are profound and [...]


Psalm 36 – Two Ways

Amazon.com Widgets Psalm 36 juxtaposes two modes of living: the way of sin and the way of righteousness. Whenever these two ways are juxtaposed, the contrast is stark and the logical conclusion is that the way of righteousness is far better. When we consider the way of sin, there is no fear of God (36:1), [...]


Exodus 25-27; Philippians 1, Psalm 90 – Partnership and Presence

Amazon.com Widgets Partnership and presence are the two words that resonate in these texts. When it comes to partnership, we see that God gives instructions to Moses to have a collection for the building of the tabernacle. From every person whose heart is moved, there is to be a collection of precious materials – gold, [...]


Psalm 114 – Retelling Israel’s History

Reading through the Psalms this time around has been exhilarating. I particularly found interesting, the way the psalmist views Israel’s history. His point of view contains: the retelling of history, theological reflection, and present application for him and his readers. For the psalmist, Israel’s past is not merely intellectual curiosity but food for daily living [...]


Psalm 112 – Spiritual Capital

If we give a close shave to Psalm 112 with Occam’s razor, then we can say: the one who fears the Lord and delights in the commands of God will not only be steady and enriched, but also have descendants who are blessed as well. If we focus on the later point, blessings can be [...]


Psalm 103 – Forgetting and Remebering

Forgetfulness is to be human. I realize this in two ways. First, I am getting older and for the life of me sometimes I cannot remember what I did a few days ago, or which movies I watched, or whom I met. At times it can be quite embarrassing. I have stories to share.  Second, [...]


Psalm 86 – What does it mean to be godly?

I love insightful and concise formulations of theological truth. Psalm 86:2 is such a formulation. The psalmist prays: “Preserve my soul, for I am a godly man; O you my God, save your servant who trusts in you.” Two observations: First, the most startling element in this verse is the self-designation of the author as [...]


Psalm 73 – Nearness is our good

What an honest Psalm. The psalmist confesses that he almost came close to stumbling. He was filled with envy, consternation, and even anger as the saw the prosperity of the wicked and their easy life. (Ps. 73:3-4) He writes: They are not in trouble like other men, nor are they plagued like mankind. Therefore pride [...]


Psalm 37 – Doing Justice

As I see it, the best apologetic for seeking justice in our world as Christians comes from verses like Psalm 37:27-28. “Depart from evil and do good So you will abide forever. For the Lord loves justice And does not forsake his godly ones; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the Wicked will [...]


Psalm 33 – Hope

What does it mean to hope in God? This might seem like a simple question, but I think it is deceptively so. What does hoping in God look like in the modern west? What are some good examples? I am not going to pretend to know all the answers, but I think Psalm 33 offers [...]


Psalm 10-14 – Justice and Judgment

For a number of psalms (10-14), the psalmist laments the wickedness in the world. For instance, the unrighteous do not acknowledge God (10:4), plot against the powerless (10:3), are filled with pride (10:6), lurk for prey (10:8-11), speak falsehood (12:2), and flatter with a double heart (12:3). Does not this sound like much of our [...]


Psalm 1 – Counsel

Psalm 1 is simple yet profound. Meditation in the counsel of God and a life conformed to it will bring blessing. A life that deviates from it and pursues after wickedness will find ultimate failure. The principles are simple. Herein also lies our problem. A realistic assessment of our churches will show that a majority [...]


Psalm 94 – Can we sing the psalms?

Do we think God thoughts after him? Are we in line with his character? One way to answer this question is to ask whether we can sing the psalms. If the psalms resonate with us, then it is a good indication that our understanding of God is not just a projection of our culture and [...]