A Song of Praise. Davidic.
The final six psalms of the book of Psalms are about one thing: Praising God. The other five songs are entitled “hallelu-yah” which means, “Praise Yahweh.” Every line of these psalms are either describing God, describing His great deeds or are a command to give praise to God.
I will extol You, my God the King.
And bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You
And praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is Yahweh and much praised.
And His greatness is unsearchable.
This section is stating two facts: First, God is great. This means not just that He is important, but that He is immeasurably important. No one is next to Him in greatness and power. Secondly, God deserves the honor due to His greatness. Even as an ancient king was praised for His greatness, surely the King of the Universe deserves even greater praise. All that He did, all that He is should be spoken well of without ceasing.
Generation to generation will praise your deeds
And acclaim your heroic acts.
The glorious splendor of Your majesty
And your miraculous deeds I will relate.
People will speak of your mighty awesome deeds
And I will tell of your greatness
They will spread the reputation of your abundant goodness
And celebrate your righteousness.
This section is prophetic. It is speaking toward the future, announcing that there will never be a generation that will forget Yahweh, that His deeds will be told eternally. Amazingly enough, this prophecy has been fulfilled in a very complete way. God’s deeds of the past, and His deeds today are the greater part of the stories that are told today. In every church, in every synagogue, in every mosque, God’s deeds are being spoken. Not only his acts of the past, but his miracles of the present. God’s fame continues on eternally.
Yahweh is gracious and merciful
Slow to anger and great in faithful love.
Yahweh is good to all
And His mercy is over all his deeds.
All your works will praise You, Yahweh
And your faithful will bless you.
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
And tell of Your might
To make known to the people your mighty deeds
And the glory of your kingship.
In the ancient times God showed himself to Moses and he spoke the first two verses of this stanza. It is not God’s power by which He wishes to be remembered. It is not His justice. Rather it is His mercy and grace and forgiveness. That is the reputation God wishes in the world. We should remember how powerful God is and how He hates oppression. But even more than that, we should remember God’s deeds of mercy, of kindness and how He turns away from judgment. He wants us to remember how He delivered the children of Israel from slavery, how He brought them across the Red Sea, how He fed the five thousand, how He healed masses from illness, how He forgave even his worst enemies, such as Ahab. God’s mercies should be praise first and foremost.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom
And your dominion prevails through all generations.
Yahweh sustains all who fall
And raises up those who are bent down.
They eyes of all look to You expectantly
And You give them their food on time.
You open your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
God’s power is great. He is a king and His rule will never end. He will rule for eternity. But God does not use His authority over the world to prop himself up or to support the strong. Rather, He looks to the weak and the frail, even the smallest animal. He does not forget a one to feed them, to help them live. God’s main work in sustaining creation is to feed and populate, and this He does without ceasing, every creature on earth.
Yahweh is righteous in all His ways
And faithful in all His deeds.
Yahweh is near to all who call to Him
To all who call to Him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him,
And He hears their cry and delivers them.
Yahweh keeps watch over all who love Him
But the wicked He will destroy.
Finally, God wishes to be remembered for His faithfulness. This means, first of all, that His deeds are true to his merciful nature. Secondly, God is always keeping his promises. If God promises judgment, then at a single repentance He will forget it. But if God makes a promise of mercy or blessing, He never forgets it for as long as the heavens and earth remain. God will never take away a blessing He has promised for eternity. God will always have a human in charge of the earth. God will never destroy the whole of humanity again. God will always bless the children of Abraham. God will always have a king in the line of David. God will always offer people a chance at forgiveness through commitment to the Lord Jesus. These promises will never change, never be overcome in wrath.
My mouth will speak the praise of Yahweh
And all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.
All living things praise God, whether they want to or not. They all enjoy that which He gave them, from food to sexual pleasure. They all honor Him in their living. They all follow the basic instructions he gave their bodies. And in the end, every living human will verbally confess their praise to Yahweh, the God of gods, the King of kings. It is our responsibility now to praise Him for who He is so that we might gain the blessing now.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Psalm 139-- God the Stalker
For the Leader. Davidic. A Psalm
One of the most important questions in this psalm is Who is speaking? We know who is being addressed: God. But is the psalmist speaking as a person who has been especially chosen by God, such as David or Jeremiah who have a special task appointed to them from God? Is the psalmist speaking for all who are of God’s people? Is the psalmist speaking of all humanity? Or is the psalmist speaking of all creation, because God has knowledge and care for us all? The psalm does not answer that question. What we need to understand is that the psalmist is expressing a feeling of the care and attention of God on his person, and often we feel that way as well. Jesus said that God gives his care and attention to all animals, but especially to those who are chosen by God (Matthew 6:26). So we can use this psalm to express our feelings of God’s love for us as well.
Yahweh you have examined me and know me
You know my sitting and my rising.
You discern my thoughts from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down.
You are familiar with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue
But that You, Yahweh, know it fully.
From rear to front you hemmed me in
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too lofty for me,
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
God understands the psalmist fully and completely. There is nothing about us that God does not understand and focus on. Every word, every direction of life, every thought—God is there and is aware of it, before we are. In a sense, God’s love is smothering—we can’t get away from it to get a little breathing room. But it doesn’t matter because if we lost the love of God, we would be like an infant without her mother—completely lost and at bay.
Where can I go from Your spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I soar to the heaven, You are there,
Should I bed down in Sheol, You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn
If I come to dwell in the remotest part of the sea
Even there Your hand will lead me
And your right hand takes hold of me.
If I say, “The darkness will envelope me
And the night will be light for me.”
Even the darkness is not dark to You
And the night is as bright as day
The darkness is as the light.
Perhaps the psalmist was feeling smothered, because he talks about the attempt to run and hide from God. We might all want to do this, especially when we are doing something displeasing to Him. We might try to run from God, go where God cannot be. The problem with this is that we cannot. God is wherever we would choose to hide from Him. Sometimes we might think that we have hidden from God, like a rhino who thinks that if he can’t see someone that the one can’t see it. Of course, we can’t hide from God, no matter how much we would like to. God is always there, always watching, always caring, despite the fact that we may not want Him to.
For it was you who formed my inner being
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I give thanks to you,
For I am fearfully and wonderfully made
Your deeds are amazing,
And my soul knows this well.
My bones were not concealed from You
When I was shaped unseen
Knitted together in the nethermost parts of the earth
Your eyes beheld my unformed limbs
They were all written in your book
The full number of days in which they were formed
When as yet there was not one of them.
God created every part of us. We might not like all of our parts or understand why God gave us one part over another. But the fact is, God made us for a reason. We may not like the reason He made us the way He did. We may prefer that He made us in a different way, for a different purpose. But God made us who we are because He cares for us. He pours loving attention on us, from the womb.
How precious are Your thoughts O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they outnumber the sand.
I am preoccupied with them, even to my arising.
This passage summarizes the whole intention of the psalmist. God thinks about us so much because He loves us. He is like a new lover who is obsessed with thinking of his love. God is like a father who can’t stop thinking about his infant child. He can’t stop thinking about us. And these thoughts display His care, His love for us.
If you would only slay the wicked, O God!
And you men of bloodshed, away from me!
You who speak to deceive
Your enemies pervert You to blasphemy
Surely those who hate you, Yahweh, I hate
And with those who rise up against you, I contend.
I hate them with a full hatred
For me they have become enemies.
Then the psalmist gets to his point. “So, God, if you really care about me so much, why do you let me suffer so much? I’ve got bad guys here and they want to kill me. Why doesn’t God take care of them?” These enemies are not just enemies of the psalmist, but enemies of God. The psalmist stands up for God, because of His care for him.
Search me, O God and know my heart
Try me and know my thoughts
And see if I have any grievous way
And lead me in the everlasting way.
Yet the psalmist perhaps realizes that his thoughts against his enemies are unworthy. He recognizes that he is human as well and so has at times failed God. So the psalmist begs God to not only know him, but to test his thoughts. “God, look in my head and see if there is anything opposed to you in there.” And the final prayer is asking God to change the thoughts from evil to God’s way.
One of the most important questions in this psalm is Who is speaking? We know who is being addressed: God. But is the psalmist speaking as a person who has been especially chosen by God, such as David or Jeremiah who have a special task appointed to them from God? Is the psalmist speaking for all who are of God’s people? Is the psalmist speaking of all humanity? Or is the psalmist speaking of all creation, because God has knowledge and care for us all? The psalm does not answer that question. What we need to understand is that the psalmist is expressing a feeling of the care and attention of God on his person, and often we feel that way as well. Jesus said that God gives his care and attention to all animals, but especially to those who are chosen by God (Matthew 6:26). So we can use this psalm to express our feelings of God’s love for us as well.
Yahweh you have examined me and know me
You know my sitting and my rising.
You discern my thoughts from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down.
You are familiar with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue
But that You, Yahweh, know it fully.
From rear to front you hemmed me in
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too lofty for me,
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
God understands the psalmist fully and completely. There is nothing about us that God does not understand and focus on. Every word, every direction of life, every thought—God is there and is aware of it, before we are. In a sense, God’s love is smothering—we can’t get away from it to get a little breathing room. But it doesn’t matter because if we lost the love of God, we would be like an infant without her mother—completely lost and at bay.
Where can I go from Your spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I soar to the heaven, You are there,
Should I bed down in Sheol, You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn
If I come to dwell in the remotest part of the sea
Even there Your hand will lead me
And your right hand takes hold of me.
If I say, “The darkness will envelope me
And the night will be light for me.”
Even the darkness is not dark to You
And the night is as bright as day
The darkness is as the light.
Perhaps the psalmist was feeling smothered, because he talks about the attempt to run and hide from God. We might all want to do this, especially when we are doing something displeasing to Him. We might try to run from God, go where God cannot be. The problem with this is that we cannot. God is wherever we would choose to hide from Him. Sometimes we might think that we have hidden from God, like a rhino who thinks that if he can’t see someone that the one can’t see it. Of course, we can’t hide from God, no matter how much we would like to. God is always there, always watching, always caring, despite the fact that we may not want Him to.
For it was you who formed my inner being
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I give thanks to you,
For I am fearfully and wonderfully made
Your deeds are amazing,
And my soul knows this well.
My bones were not concealed from You
When I was shaped unseen
Knitted together in the nethermost parts of the earth
Your eyes beheld my unformed limbs
They were all written in your book
The full number of days in which they were formed
When as yet there was not one of them.
God created every part of us. We might not like all of our parts or understand why God gave us one part over another. But the fact is, God made us for a reason. We may not like the reason He made us the way He did. We may prefer that He made us in a different way, for a different purpose. But God made us who we are because He cares for us. He pours loving attention on us, from the womb.
How precious are Your thoughts O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they outnumber the sand.
I am preoccupied with them, even to my arising.
This passage summarizes the whole intention of the psalmist. God thinks about us so much because He loves us. He is like a new lover who is obsessed with thinking of his love. God is like a father who can’t stop thinking about his infant child. He can’t stop thinking about us. And these thoughts display His care, His love for us.
If you would only slay the wicked, O God!
And you men of bloodshed, away from me!
You who speak to deceive
Your enemies pervert You to blasphemy
Surely those who hate you, Yahweh, I hate
And with those who rise up against you, I contend.
I hate them with a full hatred
For me they have become enemies.
Then the psalmist gets to his point. “So, God, if you really care about me so much, why do you let me suffer so much? I’ve got bad guys here and they want to kill me. Why doesn’t God take care of them?” These enemies are not just enemies of the psalmist, but enemies of God. The psalmist stands up for God, because of His care for him.
Search me, O God and know my heart
Try me and know my thoughts
And see if I have any grievous way
And lead me in the everlasting way.
Yet the psalmist perhaps realizes that his thoughts against his enemies are unworthy. He recognizes that he is human as well and so has at times failed God. So the psalmist begs God to not only know him, but to test his thoughts. “God, look in my head and see if there is anything opposed to you in there.” And the final prayer is asking God to change the thoughts from evil to God’s way.
Psalm 131-- Lean On Me
A song of Ascents. Davidic.
Yahweh, my heart is not proud
Nor my eyes haughty.
And I do not involve myself in ambitious matters
Or things too amazing for me.
I have determined to become serene
And quieted my soul
As a child weaned of its mother
My soul is like a weaned child within me.
O Israel, hope in Yahweh
From this time and forever
More and More and More and More and…As human beings we are never satisfied. What we have is never enough. It must be something in the human psyche that insists that we aren’t satisfied, we don’t yet have what we need. We just need a little more. A little more justice, a little more peace, a little more stuff, a little more respect, a little more food, a little more love, a little more authority, a little more wealth. We say we need this because we figure we will be satisfied if we get just a little more. But we never are. Every time we get a little more, we always are looking for the next little more.
Screw ups
But when we get a little more, then, more often than not, we screw up what we get. If we get a little more money, we use it on our greed or addiction. If we get a little more stuff, it just clutters up our living space. If we get a little more authority, we abuse it and hurt others. If we get a little more respect, we assume that we deserved it to begin with and so disrespect those who don’t give it to us. It isn’t because we want to screw things up. It just happens that way.
This psalm is a commitment to stop the cycle of get, screw it up, so get more only to screw it up again. This psalm says, “Okay, I’ve had enough. I chose to be content with what I have.” This psalm isn’t a sermon, nor is it a claim that everyone should be like this. It is a simple prayer for simplicity.
Climbing The Ladder
The psalmist prays against pride. Pride, in the ancient world, wasn’t so much an attitude of being more important than one is, but it was a striving for a higher position than what one has. Pride could be seeking to be wealthy, or seeking to be powerful or seeking to be more famous than one is. This does not mean that one could not receive from others more wealth or power—one could be humble and obtain wealth or power from another source, as long as one was not seeking for oneself. Pride is the grasping of power or wealth on one’s own, whether one deserves it or not.
The psalmist is separating himself from pride, from grasping, from personal ambition. He is determining that he will not seek more. He sees his own weakness, and how the world is full of things that he cannot grasp, cannot control. So he will let God control things and he will not try to take the reigns himself.
Peace of Mind
Instead, he devotes himself to quietness and humility. This is not the same as being silent. One may be boldly speaking justice, yet be quiet in one’s soul. This is a picture of contentment, of repose. It does not depend on one’s circumstances. One of the best examples of humility is Joseph. He was sold into slavery, thrown into jail, yet in all things he trusted that God was leading him. In the end, Joseph ended up being the ruler of Egypt and the savior of the world at that time. But he did nothing to achieve that position. Rather, he remained quiet and faithful to God.
Daddy!
The psalmist uses the image of a child trusting in his parent. This is not an infant, nor is it a grade school child. Rather it is a preschooler, a child who can walk and do things, but is still completely dependent on her parent. This is the kind of life the psalmist seeks. A life of dependence, of reliance on God’s power. God is the one who has great power, and will meet the needs of those under his care.
Life of A Nation
Finally, the psalmist calls out to all the people of God, all the people in His kingdom. He says that a life of humility and trust is the kind of attitude we should all have. This is the lifestyle of eternity, this is the life which all of God’s people will be dependent on, forever. So we might as well practice it now!
“Now you’re climbing to the top of the company ladder
Hope it doesn’t take too long
Don’t you see they’ll come a day when it doesn’t matter
See a day when you’ll be gone?
I understand about indecision
But I don’t care if I get behind
People living in competition
All I want is to have my peace of mind”
Yahweh, my heart is not proud
Nor my eyes haughty.
And I do not involve myself in ambitious matters
Or things too amazing for me.
I have determined to become serene
And quieted my soul
As a child weaned of its mother
My soul is like a weaned child within me.
O Israel, hope in Yahweh
From this time and forever
More and More and More and More and…As human beings we are never satisfied. What we have is never enough. It must be something in the human psyche that insists that we aren’t satisfied, we don’t yet have what we need. We just need a little more. A little more justice, a little more peace, a little more stuff, a little more respect, a little more food, a little more love, a little more authority, a little more wealth. We say we need this because we figure we will be satisfied if we get just a little more. But we never are. Every time we get a little more, we always are looking for the next little more.
Screw ups
But when we get a little more, then, more often than not, we screw up what we get. If we get a little more money, we use it on our greed or addiction. If we get a little more stuff, it just clutters up our living space. If we get a little more authority, we abuse it and hurt others. If we get a little more respect, we assume that we deserved it to begin with and so disrespect those who don’t give it to us. It isn’t because we want to screw things up. It just happens that way.
This psalm is a commitment to stop the cycle of get, screw it up, so get more only to screw it up again. This psalm says, “Okay, I’ve had enough. I chose to be content with what I have.” This psalm isn’t a sermon, nor is it a claim that everyone should be like this. It is a simple prayer for simplicity.
Climbing The Ladder
The psalmist prays against pride. Pride, in the ancient world, wasn’t so much an attitude of being more important than one is, but it was a striving for a higher position than what one has. Pride could be seeking to be wealthy, or seeking to be powerful or seeking to be more famous than one is. This does not mean that one could not receive from others more wealth or power—one could be humble and obtain wealth or power from another source, as long as one was not seeking for oneself. Pride is the grasping of power or wealth on one’s own, whether one deserves it or not.
The psalmist is separating himself from pride, from grasping, from personal ambition. He is determining that he will not seek more. He sees his own weakness, and how the world is full of things that he cannot grasp, cannot control. So he will let God control things and he will not try to take the reigns himself.
Peace of Mind
Instead, he devotes himself to quietness and humility. This is not the same as being silent. One may be boldly speaking justice, yet be quiet in one’s soul. This is a picture of contentment, of repose. It does not depend on one’s circumstances. One of the best examples of humility is Joseph. He was sold into slavery, thrown into jail, yet in all things he trusted that God was leading him. In the end, Joseph ended up being the ruler of Egypt and the savior of the world at that time. But he did nothing to achieve that position. Rather, he remained quiet and faithful to God.
Daddy!
The psalmist uses the image of a child trusting in his parent. This is not an infant, nor is it a grade school child. Rather it is a preschooler, a child who can walk and do things, but is still completely dependent on her parent. This is the kind of life the psalmist seeks. A life of dependence, of reliance on God’s power. God is the one who has great power, and will meet the needs of those under his care.
Life of A Nation
Finally, the psalmist calls out to all the people of God, all the people in His kingdom. He says that a life of humility and trust is the kind of attitude we should all have. This is the lifestyle of eternity, this is the life which all of God’s people will be dependent on, forever. So we might as well practice it now!
“Now you’re climbing to the top of the company ladder
Hope it doesn’t take too long
Don’t you see they’ll come a day when it doesn’t matter
See a day when you’ll be gone?
I understand about indecision
But I don’t care if I get behind
People living in competition
All I want is to have my peace of mind”
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Plugging In-- Psalm 119:34-40
And You Expect Me To Read This?
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and so, of course, it is also the longest psalm. It is 176 verses with 22 sections, eight verses in each section. Each section is dedicated to a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and every line in the section, all 16, begins with that letter of the alphabet. On top of this, every line says something different about God’s law or word. This is a very focused poem and an excellent structure.
Of course, it is difficult to read. It is VERY long and it seems very repetitive. And it is just about impossible to preach, due to its length. But we can look at a single section, one section that is very significant to me, dedicated to the Hebrew letter He, and see what it says to us.
Guide me by, O Yahweh, the way of your statutes
And I will keep it as the end.
Give me understanding that I might treasure your teaching
And keep it with all of my heart.
Guide me in the path of your commands
For I deeply desire it.
Direct my heart to your testimonies
And not to unjust gain
Avert my eyes from looking at worthless things.
Direct my life in your paths.
Fulfill your word to your worshipper
That he might revere you.
Turn away the reproach which I dread
For your ordinances are good.
See, I have yearned for your precepts
Keep me alive through your righteousness.
What Are We Talking About?
God’s word is a writing, a listing of God’s guidance for humanity, especially the people who are called by His name. It is God’s speech, written down by humans, filled with how God, the creator of all people should live. It isn’t just a bunch of rules and stories, but as a whole it describes a way of life, a lifestyle in which God’s people are distinct from any other people on earth, and which they can continue to commune with God.
What the Bible Actually Does
God’s word is an important ingredient in living before God. Other peoples seek God’s will through divination or tarot cards or horoscopes. But God’s people have His word, which never changes. It communicates clearly a way of life we are to live, a constant connection with God. It points out that which is evil and will cause us to be destroyed. It also directs us to a positive life, how we can have a purposeful existence. It directs us in the proper worship of God, a way in which He is pleased. And it also offers promises to us, should we live this life that God directs us in.
Empowering the Word
As good and as helpful as God’s word is, it is incomplete in and of itself. The fact is, when God’s word is mixed with human frailty then all we get is a mess. We convince ourselves that God’s word is incomplete, or that it doesn’t really understand our situation that we are in. We convince ourselves that it doesn’t say what it really says. We tell ourselves that the word is too difficult for us to really live out. Or we try to fulfill His promises, only to find out that we fail in that, too. How do we get out of this cycle?
Through God’s power. God wants to help us, and He wants us to live out His word. Not because He’s a control freak, but because He actually wants what’s best for us and for those around us. So He empowers our connection to His word. He strengthens us to live out the word. He brings us to His word to help us know that it is the way to His heart. He helps us understand His word, when we want to avoid it or misinterpret it. But most of all, He will keep his promises, when we can’t. It is not our job to fulfill His promises, but His. And if we wait on Him, he will do it.
The Good Life
For the power of God to live out His word, the psalmist gains great blessings. The psalmist avoids a worthless, meaningless life. His eyes want him to focus on his desires and his heart wants him to seek out comforts that are unrighteous, but God’s word and God’s power helps him avoid all that. Instead, he is able to live a life of obedience. Such a life doesn’t seem very attractive, until we see that God’s full power and love and blessing support a life of obedience. The one who lives according to God’s will is kept alive by God and his deepest desires are met. God transforms his desires to reflect His word and those desires are granted, satisfied completely.
Connecting To The Power Source
So what do we need to do to obtain such a life? How can we be completely satisfied in our lives? How do we have such communion with God and His word that we can be content? The secret of it is found in the psalm although it is never stated plainly. In the He passage, we must note, that every verse is a prayer. This is actually the action of the obedient one to keep him in God’s good graces, to receive of God’s blessing. To obtain the satisfaction of God, satisfaction in God, then we must ask. We must persevere in prayer, seeking God’s life. We will not obtain it today, or perhaps tomorrow. But continuing prayer will do its work when yoga, meditation, bible reading, going to church and going through other rituals will not. Because prayer is connecting to power. One can have a microwave and the microwave will do many great things to help our lives. But only if we have a place to plug it is. God’s word is like that—we have and opportunity for a great, satisfying life in God, but if we do not connect to our Power Source, then we will never obtain anything except frustration.
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and so, of course, it is also the longest psalm. It is 176 verses with 22 sections, eight verses in each section. Each section is dedicated to a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and every line in the section, all 16, begins with that letter of the alphabet. On top of this, every line says something different about God’s law or word. This is a very focused poem and an excellent structure.
Of course, it is difficult to read. It is VERY long and it seems very repetitive. And it is just about impossible to preach, due to its length. But we can look at a single section, one section that is very significant to me, dedicated to the Hebrew letter He, and see what it says to us.
Guide me by, O Yahweh, the way of your statutes
And I will keep it as the end.
Give me understanding that I might treasure your teaching
And keep it with all of my heart.
Guide me in the path of your commands
For I deeply desire it.
Direct my heart to your testimonies
And not to unjust gain
Avert my eyes from looking at worthless things.
Direct my life in your paths.
Fulfill your word to your worshipper
That he might revere you.
Turn away the reproach which I dread
For your ordinances are good.
See, I have yearned for your precepts
Keep me alive through your righteousness.
What Are We Talking About?
God’s word is a writing, a listing of God’s guidance for humanity, especially the people who are called by His name. It is God’s speech, written down by humans, filled with how God, the creator of all people should live. It isn’t just a bunch of rules and stories, but as a whole it describes a way of life, a lifestyle in which God’s people are distinct from any other people on earth, and which they can continue to commune with God.
What the Bible Actually Does
God’s word is an important ingredient in living before God. Other peoples seek God’s will through divination or tarot cards or horoscopes. But God’s people have His word, which never changes. It communicates clearly a way of life we are to live, a constant connection with God. It points out that which is evil and will cause us to be destroyed. It also directs us to a positive life, how we can have a purposeful existence. It directs us in the proper worship of God, a way in which He is pleased. And it also offers promises to us, should we live this life that God directs us in.
Empowering the Word
As good and as helpful as God’s word is, it is incomplete in and of itself. The fact is, when God’s word is mixed with human frailty then all we get is a mess. We convince ourselves that God’s word is incomplete, or that it doesn’t really understand our situation that we are in. We convince ourselves that it doesn’t say what it really says. We tell ourselves that the word is too difficult for us to really live out. Or we try to fulfill His promises, only to find out that we fail in that, too. How do we get out of this cycle?
Through God’s power. God wants to help us, and He wants us to live out His word. Not because He’s a control freak, but because He actually wants what’s best for us and for those around us. So He empowers our connection to His word. He strengthens us to live out the word. He brings us to His word to help us know that it is the way to His heart. He helps us understand His word, when we want to avoid it or misinterpret it. But most of all, He will keep his promises, when we can’t. It is not our job to fulfill His promises, but His. And if we wait on Him, he will do it.
The Good Life
For the power of God to live out His word, the psalmist gains great blessings. The psalmist avoids a worthless, meaningless life. His eyes want him to focus on his desires and his heart wants him to seek out comforts that are unrighteous, but God’s word and God’s power helps him avoid all that. Instead, he is able to live a life of obedience. Such a life doesn’t seem very attractive, until we see that God’s full power and love and blessing support a life of obedience. The one who lives according to God’s will is kept alive by God and his deepest desires are met. God transforms his desires to reflect His word and those desires are granted, satisfied completely.
Connecting To The Power Source
So what do we need to do to obtain such a life? How can we be completely satisfied in our lives? How do we have such communion with God and His word that we can be content? The secret of it is found in the psalm although it is never stated plainly. In the He passage, we must note, that every verse is a prayer. This is actually the action of the obedient one to keep him in God’s good graces, to receive of God’s blessing. To obtain the satisfaction of God, satisfaction in God, then we must ask. We must persevere in prayer, seeking God’s life. We will not obtain it today, or perhaps tomorrow. But continuing prayer will do its work when yoga, meditation, bible reading, going to church and going through other rituals will not. Because prayer is connecting to power. One can have a microwave and the microwave will do many great things to help our lives. But only if we have a place to plug it is. God’s word is like that—we have and opportunity for a great, satisfying life in God, but if we do not connect to our Power Source, then we will never obtain anything except frustration.
The Last Emperor-- Psalm 110
A Davidic Psalm
This is one of the most controversial Psalms in the Bible, mostly due to Jesus’ interpretation of it. Jesus had an exchange with the leaders of the Jewish nation that went like this:
"How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself said in the Holy Spirit, 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET."' David himself calls Him 'Lord'; so in what sense is He his son?" (Mark 12:35-37). Jesus specifically says that Psalm 110 was written by David, although the internal story of the psalm doesn’t indicate that. The idea that Jesus has of this psalm is that David is writing about the Messiah who is not really the so-called “son of David” because a father cannot call a son “lord’. Rather, Jesus says, the messiah is the “son of man” as in Daniel, who is greater than David because David does not himself sit at God’s right hand.
In understanding this psalm, it is clear that it is talking about God support of His King in battle. It could be speaking of any Davidic king, but it is certainly commonly understood to be concerning the Messiah.
Yahweh says to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
Until I make your enemies your footstool."
Yahweh will extend the scepter of your strength from Zion
"Rule in the midst of your enemies."
This is often translated in the confusing manner, “the LORD said to my Lord…” But since the first word is actually God’s name, YHWH, it makes more sense read as that. God is speaking to the king of Israel and promising him that all of his enemies would be defeated. In the meantime, God promises, the king of God would sit at Yahweh’s right hand and so, literally, be God’s “right hand man”. This is the position of co-rule with God himself. It is, more specifically, the position of emperor or “king of kings” where one ruler is placed above all other rulers. Thus, the Messiah is, more than anything else, the emperor of the world, ruling alongside God.
For God to “extend the scepter” is to expand the rule of the emperor over all of his enemies, thus any nation that attempts to take over the people of God.
Your people give themselves willingly on the day your army mobilizes,
From the womb they have arrayed in holy splendor
At dawn, your youth are you as the dew
This verse is very difficult to translate, having many terms that are vague and the metaphorical understanding of “dew” and “womb” is hard to understand. I believe that this passage is speaking of the devotion of the army of the emperor to his kingship. From birth they are prepared to fight to defend their nation against their enemies. The soldiers cover the battlefield as the dew covers the grass.
Yahweh has sworn and will not change his mind
"You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek."
God appoints the emperor not only as king, but also as a priest. The priesthood position is inherent in the fact that the emperor sits at God’s right hand. The priest is an intercessor for the people so that they may be heard by God. But this emperor needs no priest, since he already has God’s ear anytime he wants.
The reference to Melchizedek is to Genesis 14, where Abraham, after assaulting a large army, is blessed by the king of Salem (later Jerusalem) who is also a priest. Here, the psalmist says that the king of Jerusalem is both a king and a priest, apart from the Levitical priesthood that also rules over God’s people. So the psalmist is not denying the Levitical priesthood, but is saying that the emperor has his own kind of priesthood, one in connection to kingship of Jerusalem.
The Lord is at your right hand
He crushes kings in the day of his wrath.
He will judge among the nations
With an abundance of corpses.
He will shatter the chiefs over a wide area.
This is a pretty graphic description of God’s war against the enemies of the emperor. God is the one who does the fighting, here, and it is God who defeats the armies that come against Jerusalem. The kings of the enemies will be defeated and their armies will all be destroyed.
He will drink from the stream on the way
Therefore he will lift up his head.
This is also a pretty subtle metaphor. After the battle, God walks away from the battlefield, drink from the stream and lift up his head. Both of these are symbols of victory. And God, ultimately is the one who becomes Lord over the enemies. Yes, God does it for the sake of the emperor, but God gains the glory and the power.
There are two messages of this psalm:
a. God is the only king over His people and
b. The Messiah is God’s emperor who is always able to pray to God without a mediator
This is one of the most controversial Psalms in the Bible, mostly due to Jesus’ interpretation of it. Jesus had an exchange with the leaders of the Jewish nation that went like this:
"How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself said in the Holy Spirit, 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET."' David himself calls Him 'Lord'; so in what sense is He his son?" (Mark 12:35-37). Jesus specifically says that Psalm 110 was written by David, although the internal story of the psalm doesn’t indicate that. The idea that Jesus has of this psalm is that David is writing about the Messiah who is not really the so-called “son of David” because a father cannot call a son “lord’. Rather, Jesus says, the messiah is the “son of man” as in Daniel, who is greater than David because David does not himself sit at God’s right hand.
In understanding this psalm, it is clear that it is talking about God support of His King in battle. It could be speaking of any Davidic king, but it is certainly commonly understood to be concerning the Messiah.
Yahweh says to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
Until I make your enemies your footstool."
Yahweh will extend the scepter of your strength from Zion
"Rule in the midst of your enemies."
This is often translated in the confusing manner, “the LORD said to my Lord…” But since the first word is actually God’s name, YHWH, it makes more sense read as that. God is speaking to the king of Israel and promising him that all of his enemies would be defeated. In the meantime, God promises, the king of God would sit at Yahweh’s right hand and so, literally, be God’s “right hand man”. This is the position of co-rule with God himself. It is, more specifically, the position of emperor or “king of kings” where one ruler is placed above all other rulers. Thus, the Messiah is, more than anything else, the emperor of the world, ruling alongside God.
For God to “extend the scepter” is to expand the rule of the emperor over all of his enemies, thus any nation that attempts to take over the people of God.
Your people give themselves willingly on the day your army mobilizes,
From the womb they have arrayed in holy splendor
At dawn, your youth are you as the dew
This verse is very difficult to translate, having many terms that are vague and the metaphorical understanding of “dew” and “womb” is hard to understand. I believe that this passage is speaking of the devotion of the army of the emperor to his kingship. From birth they are prepared to fight to defend their nation against their enemies. The soldiers cover the battlefield as the dew covers the grass.
Yahweh has sworn and will not change his mind
"You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek."
God appoints the emperor not only as king, but also as a priest. The priesthood position is inherent in the fact that the emperor sits at God’s right hand. The priest is an intercessor for the people so that they may be heard by God. But this emperor needs no priest, since he already has God’s ear anytime he wants.
The reference to Melchizedek is to Genesis 14, where Abraham, after assaulting a large army, is blessed by the king of Salem (later Jerusalem) who is also a priest. Here, the psalmist says that the king of Jerusalem is both a king and a priest, apart from the Levitical priesthood that also rules over God’s people. So the psalmist is not denying the Levitical priesthood, but is saying that the emperor has his own kind of priesthood, one in connection to kingship of Jerusalem.
The Lord is at your right hand
He crushes kings in the day of his wrath.
He will judge among the nations
With an abundance of corpses.
He will shatter the chiefs over a wide area.
This is a pretty graphic description of God’s war against the enemies of the emperor. God is the one who does the fighting, here, and it is God who defeats the armies that come against Jerusalem. The kings of the enemies will be defeated and their armies will all be destroyed.
He will drink from the stream on the way
Therefore he will lift up his head.
This is also a pretty subtle metaphor. After the battle, God walks away from the battlefield, drink from the stream and lift up his head. Both of these are symbols of victory. And God, ultimately is the one who becomes Lord over the enemies. Yes, God does it for the sake of the emperor, but God gains the glory and the power.
There are two messages of this psalm:
a. God is the only king over His people and
b. The Messiah is God’s emperor who is always able to pray to God without a mediator
Redemption Songs-- Psalm 107
This psalm has no superscription, so we don’t know who wrote it, or in what style. Some think that the psalm was written in the exile period in Babylon, but this is not known. This psalm is very structured, having an introduction, a conclusion and four body stanzas, each giving a different story revolving around the same pattern.
Give thanks to Yahweh for He is good
For his faithful mercy is forever.
Let the redeemed of Yahweh say so
Whom He redeemed from the hand of the enemy
And gathered from the lands
From the east and from the west
From the north and from the south.
This introductory stanza is a general statement which gives a summary of the point of the psalm. God is very merciful to his people and he delivers them from their enemies, which in the psalm is usually described as trials they are facing. The action the psalmist calls us to is to publicly give thanks to Yahweh, which is a statement repeated many times in the psalm.
1. They went astray in the wilderness
Treading in desolation
They found no settled city
Hungry and thirsty
Their soul fainted within them.
They cried out to Yahweh in their trouble
He rescued them from their plights.
He guided them by a straight way
To go to a settled city
Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his faithful mercy
And for His wonderful works to the sons of men.
For He has satisfied the thirsty soul;
The hungry He filled with good things.
2. Some sat in deepest darkness
In the shadow of death
Shackled in torturous irons
Because they had rebelled against the words of God
And spurned the counsel of the Most High
He humbled their heart through suffering labor
They stumbled with no one to help.
They cried out to Yahweh in their trouble;
He rescued them from their plights.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death
And tore away their shackles.
Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his faithful love
And for his wonders to the sons of men.
For He shattered the doors of bronze
And split the bars of iron.
3. Fools were afflicted because of their evil way
And suffered because of their iniquities.
Their soul loathed all food
They reached the gates of death
They cried out to Yahweh in their trouble;
He rescued them from their distresses.
He sent His word and healed them
And delivered them from their death pit.
Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his faithful love;
And for his wonders to the sons of men.
Let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices
And recount his deeds with shouts of joy.
4. Some went down to the sea in ships
Doing business on mighty waters.
They have seen the deeds of Yahweh
And his wonders in the deep.
He commanded and raised a stormy wind
And lifted high the waves
Mounting to the heavens
Then they plunged to the depths
They melted in terror in their misery.
They reeled and staggered like a drunk;
Their skill was for naught.
They cried out to Yahweh in their trouble
And he rescued them from their plights.
He stilled the storm to a whisper
So that the waves became silent.
They rejoiced that they quieted
So He guided them to their desired port.
Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his faithful mercy
And for his wonders to the sons of men.
Let them exalt Him in the congregation of the people
And praise Him in the council of elders.
This four-fold process is given four times in the psalm.
1. Some people are in trouble. Usually it was due to their own fault—they rebelled against God or they were involved in a risky business venture. But they found themselves in danger of their lives. Very strong language is used here—they are starving or they are in a terrible prison, or they are isolated in the wilderness or they are trapped in a storm at sea.
2. The same sentence is given in each stanza—that they cried out to Yahweh in their trouble. This is a simple prayer in the midst of distress, recognizing that God is the only one who can deliver them.
3. In response to that cry, Yahweh does an act to deliver them. The details differ, but usually the same language to describe the trouble is reversed to describe the deliverance. They end up in the opposite situation than they were in.
4. Finally, there is a command for them to thank Yahweh. They thank him for His chesed—his mercy on his people, and for his power in doing things no one else can do. In the final stanza the delivered are told to praise God in the gathering of God’s people.
Four is a number of completeness, and so the four stories are supposed to give a cycle of deliverance of Yahweh. Ultimately, what is communicated is that this works for anyone, in any situation like these.
He turns rivers into a wilderness
And the springs of water into a thirsty ground.
A fruitful land into a salt waste
Because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
He turns the wilderness into a pool of water,
And parched land into springs of water.
There he settles the hungry
And they establish a city for dwelling.
They sow fields and plant vineyards
They gather a fruitful harvest.
He blesses them and they multiply greatly.
And their cattle he does not decrease.
When they are diminished and brought low
Because of oppression, trouble and sorrow
He pours contempt upon rulers
And makes them wander in a pathless waste.
He lifts high the needy from affliction
And makes their families numerous like flocks
The upright see it and rejoice
And all unrighteousness stops it's mouth.
Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things,
And they will consider the faithful mercy of Yahweh.
The final stanza is a general one about God’s actions. God punishes the wicked and those who oppress the poor, but the needy who cry out to Him, God takes their difficulties and burdens and turns them on their head. He provides for their needs, gives them a community to live in, protects them. Finally, there is a statement for how to meditate on this theology. The righteous, the psalmist says, should recognize this pattern and take joy in it. The wicked should just be quiet because they will be judged in this patter. But the wise should pay attention to this pattern, and act in accordance with God’s mercy on the needy.
Give thanks to Yahweh for He is good
For his faithful mercy is forever.
Let the redeemed of Yahweh say so
Whom He redeemed from the hand of the enemy
And gathered from the lands
From the east and from the west
From the north and from the south.
This introductory stanza is a general statement which gives a summary of the point of the psalm. God is very merciful to his people and he delivers them from their enemies, which in the psalm is usually described as trials they are facing. The action the psalmist calls us to is to publicly give thanks to Yahweh, which is a statement repeated many times in the psalm.
1. They went astray in the wilderness
Treading in desolation
They found no settled city
Hungry and thirsty
Their soul fainted within them.
They cried out to Yahweh in their trouble
He rescued them from their plights.
He guided them by a straight way
To go to a settled city
Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his faithful mercy
And for His wonderful works to the sons of men.
For He has satisfied the thirsty soul;
The hungry He filled with good things.
2. Some sat in deepest darkness
In the shadow of death
Shackled in torturous irons
Because they had rebelled against the words of God
And spurned the counsel of the Most High
He humbled their heart through suffering labor
They stumbled with no one to help.
They cried out to Yahweh in their trouble;
He rescued them from their plights.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death
And tore away their shackles.
Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his faithful love
And for his wonders to the sons of men.
For He shattered the doors of bronze
And split the bars of iron.
3. Fools were afflicted because of their evil way
And suffered because of their iniquities.
Their soul loathed all food
They reached the gates of death
They cried out to Yahweh in their trouble;
He rescued them from their distresses.
He sent His word and healed them
And delivered them from their death pit.
Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his faithful love;
And for his wonders to the sons of men.
Let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices
And recount his deeds with shouts of joy.
4. Some went down to the sea in ships
Doing business on mighty waters.
They have seen the deeds of Yahweh
And his wonders in the deep.
He commanded and raised a stormy wind
And lifted high the waves
Mounting to the heavens
Then they plunged to the depths
They melted in terror in their misery.
They reeled and staggered like a drunk;
Their skill was for naught.
They cried out to Yahweh in their trouble
And he rescued them from their plights.
He stilled the storm to a whisper
So that the waves became silent.
They rejoiced that they quieted
So He guided them to their desired port.
Let them give thanks to Yahweh for his faithful mercy
And for his wonders to the sons of men.
Let them exalt Him in the congregation of the people
And praise Him in the council of elders.
This four-fold process is given four times in the psalm.
1. Some people are in trouble. Usually it was due to their own fault—they rebelled against God or they were involved in a risky business venture. But they found themselves in danger of their lives. Very strong language is used here—they are starving or they are in a terrible prison, or they are isolated in the wilderness or they are trapped in a storm at sea.
2. The same sentence is given in each stanza—that they cried out to Yahweh in their trouble. This is a simple prayer in the midst of distress, recognizing that God is the only one who can deliver them.
3. In response to that cry, Yahweh does an act to deliver them. The details differ, but usually the same language to describe the trouble is reversed to describe the deliverance. They end up in the opposite situation than they were in.
4. Finally, there is a command for them to thank Yahweh. They thank him for His chesed—his mercy on his people, and for his power in doing things no one else can do. In the final stanza the delivered are told to praise God in the gathering of God’s people.
Four is a number of completeness, and so the four stories are supposed to give a cycle of deliverance of Yahweh. Ultimately, what is communicated is that this works for anyone, in any situation like these.
He turns rivers into a wilderness
And the springs of water into a thirsty ground.
A fruitful land into a salt waste
Because of the wickedness of its inhabitants.
He turns the wilderness into a pool of water,
And parched land into springs of water.
There he settles the hungry
And they establish a city for dwelling.
They sow fields and plant vineyards
They gather a fruitful harvest.
He blesses them and they multiply greatly.
And their cattle he does not decrease.
When they are diminished and brought low
Because of oppression, trouble and sorrow
He pours contempt upon rulers
And makes them wander in a pathless waste.
He lifts high the needy from affliction
And makes their families numerous like flocks
The upright see it and rejoice
And all unrighteousness stops it's mouth.
Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things,
And they will consider the faithful mercy of Yahweh.
The final stanza is a general one about God’s actions. God punishes the wicked and those who oppress the poor, but the needy who cry out to Him, God takes their difficulties and burdens and turns them on their head. He provides for their needs, gives them a community to live in, protects them. Finally, there is a statement for how to meditate on this theology. The righteous, the psalmist says, should recognize this pattern and take joy in it. The wicked should just be quiet because they will be judged in this patter. But the wise should pay attention to this pattern, and act in accordance with God’s mercy on the needy.
The Most Powerful Element in the Universe-- Psalm 103
Bless Yahweh, O my soul
And all that is within me, bless His holy name
Bless Yahweh, O my soul
And forget none of His benefits
To bless God is to offer Him positive speech. We do this from our minds, but when the psalmist speaks of one’s “soul” he is not speaking just of the unseen part. Rather, the Hebrew word “soul” is usually used to speak of the whole self, including one’s body. So one is to give praise and honor to God, not just with one’s mind, but one’s whole being—mind, body, emotions and actions. But to do this, we must not forget who He is. It does us no good to speak good things about a God who does not exist, or to love a different god with the same name. So the rest of the psalm reminds us who God is, what He has done and why we give him praise.
He who forgives your iniquities
Who heals all your diseases
Who redeems your life from the pit
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion
Who satisfies your years with good things
So your youth is renewed like the eagle.
First of all, Yahweh is the god of redemption. This means that he delivers us from evil in our lives. The first evil he delivers us from is ourselves—our own wicked acts which we regret. As a display of this forgiveness, he takes away the judgment of sickness. Then, Yahweh delivers us from humiliation. Perhaps He does not take away the shame visited upon us by other humans, but if we serve Him truly, then He will honor us Himself with love and mercy. He will never forget us, or forget to honor us, as long as we honor Him with our whole selves. Lastly, even as we age, Yahweh delivers us from our bodies weaknesses. We may falter, but God within us is strong and gives us strength when we need it, gives us hope when we have failed.
Yahweh does righteous acts
And judgments supporting the oppressed.
He has made his ways known to Moses
His deeds to the sons of Israel
Yahweh is compassionate and gracious
Slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.
He will not always fight with us
Nor will He keep his anger forever.
Then the psalmist reminds us of what Yahweh has done in the past. He reminds us of Yahweh’s actions supporting the poor. That when the whole world was against people, Yahweh supported them. He was the one who did not forget Joseph in jail when he was falsely accused. He was the one who heard Hagar in the wilderness when her son was dying of thirst. He was the one who delivered the children of Israel from slavery under the most powerful nation on earth. He was the one who saved his people from oppressive regimes and attacking armies. So He will help the poor today.
But the psalmist also reminds us that Yahweh is a teacher. He teaches history and morality and law. He informs Moses of what is right and true. And He reminds His people of what he has done through His word. But his most important teaching to Moses, the psalmist reminds us, is the teaching of his true nature. Yahweh spoke to Moses, as Moses was hidden behind a rock, informing Moses that He is a God of mercy and kindness of graciousness and faithfulness. Yahweh is not a precarious God, who says something one day and changes his mind the next. Rather, Yahweh keeps all of his good promises and always remembers his people in love.
Yes, his people sin, they fight against their god at times, they hate, steal, murder and oppress the poor. But as they repent, Yahweh always forgives. God has no desire to fight, to argue with his people, to offer terrible pronouncements. So as soon as His people are on the right track, He forgives and sets his anger aside. He is slow to anger and sets it aside quickly.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth
So great is his faithful love toward those who fear Him.
He knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are dust.
As for humans, their days are like grass
As a wildflower, so is human glory.
When the wind blows over it, it is gone
And its place is known no longer.
Yahweh knows full well that we are not made of the stuff of the spirit. We are weak, helpless against our hormones, pleasures, pains and desires. We are washed from thing to thing, desire to desire, as foam floating upon the ocean’s waves. And most of all, we are fearful. And that which we fear most is our frailty, our humiliation, our death. We do all we do to remain in perpetuity, to be remembered, to make a mark upon this world, upon which we remain for but the briefest moment.
But the faithful love of Yahweh is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him
And His righteousness to children's children.
To those who keep his covenant.
And remember his precepts to do them.
Yahweh’s love, is the opposite, however, to our mortal frame. We are but dust in the wind, but Yahweh’s love for us is stronger than the pyramids, it is a monument more lasting than the mountains. When the sea is dried up and the earth is cast into the sun, God’s love for us will remain. All that we do for ourselves will fade in a mere few years, perhaps a century. But God’s remembrance of what we have done for Him will never end. And if we live for Him, we will remain with that remembrance.
Yahweh has established His throne in the heavens
And his rule is over all.
Bless Yahweh, you his angels
Mighty in strength
Who perform His word
Obeying the voice of his word
Bless Yahweh all you his hosts
You who serve Him doing his will
Bless Yahweh, all you works of His
In all places of dominion
Bless Yahweh, O my soul
Yahweh is the king of the universe, and His love is the most powerful element in the universe. So if we have that love, through our faithfulness meeting His faithfulness, then we have that power within ourselves.
That power is so great, that we can command the gods. “Praise Yahweh” the psalmist commands the angels of heaven. Yes, the merest glance of one of them could break the psalmist in half—but he is confident in Yahweh’s love. So he commands them, “Honor your commander!” It is not enough, the psalmist says, to obey God, we must take time to honor Him as well. Obedience is wonderful, but we need to give respect to God’s name. We must give thanks for what He has done. We must recognize and laud his perfect character, his love.
And all that is within me, bless His holy name
Bless Yahweh, O my soul
And forget none of His benefits
To bless God is to offer Him positive speech. We do this from our minds, but when the psalmist speaks of one’s “soul” he is not speaking just of the unseen part. Rather, the Hebrew word “soul” is usually used to speak of the whole self, including one’s body. So one is to give praise and honor to God, not just with one’s mind, but one’s whole being—mind, body, emotions and actions. But to do this, we must not forget who He is. It does us no good to speak good things about a God who does not exist, or to love a different god with the same name. So the rest of the psalm reminds us who God is, what He has done and why we give him praise.
He who forgives your iniquities
Who heals all your diseases
Who redeems your life from the pit
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion
Who satisfies your years with good things
So your youth is renewed like the eagle.
First of all, Yahweh is the god of redemption. This means that he delivers us from evil in our lives. The first evil he delivers us from is ourselves—our own wicked acts which we regret. As a display of this forgiveness, he takes away the judgment of sickness. Then, Yahweh delivers us from humiliation. Perhaps He does not take away the shame visited upon us by other humans, but if we serve Him truly, then He will honor us Himself with love and mercy. He will never forget us, or forget to honor us, as long as we honor Him with our whole selves. Lastly, even as we age, Yahweh delivers us from our bodies weaknesses. We may falter, but God within us is strong and gives us strength when we need it, gives us hope when we have failed.
Yahweh does righteous acts
And judgments supporting the oppressed.
He has made his ways known to Moses
His deeds to the sons of Israel
Yahweh is compassionate and gracious
Slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.
He will not always fight with us
Nor will He keep his anger forever.
Then the psalmist reminds us of what Yahweh has done in the past. He reminds us of Yahweh’s actions supporting the poor. That when the whole world was against people, Yahweh supported them. He was the one who did not forget Joseph in jail when he was falsely accused. He was the one who heard Hagar in the wilderness when her son was dying of thirst. He was the one who delivered the children of Israel from slavery under the most powerful nation on earth. He was the one who saved his people from oppressive regimes and attacking armies. So He will help the poor today.
But the psalmist also reminds us that Yahweh is a teacher. He teaches history and morality and law. He informs Moses of what is right and true. And He reminds His people of what he has done through His word. But his most important teaching to Moses, the psalmist reminds us, is the teaching of his true nature. Yahweh spoke to Moses, as Moses was hidden behind a rock, informing Moses that He is a God of mercy and kindness of graciousness and faithfulness. Yahweh is not a precarious God, who says something one day and changes his mind the next. Rather, Yahweh keeps all of his good promises and always remembers his people in love.
Yes, his people sin, they fight against their god at times, they hate, steal, murder and oppress the poor. But as they repent, Yahweh always forgives. God has no desire to fight, to argue with his people, to offer terrible pronouncements. So as soon as His people are on the right track, He forgives and sets his anger aside. He is slow to anger and sets it aside quickly.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth
So great is his faithful love toward those who fear Him.
He knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are dust.
As for humans, their days are like grass
As a wildflower, so is human glory.
When the wind blows over it, it is gone
And its place is known no longer.
Yahweh knows full well that we are not made of the stuff of the spirit. We are weak, helpless against our hormones, pleasures, pains and desires. We are washed from thing to thing, desire to desire, as foam floating upon the ocean’s waves. And most of all, we are fearful. And that which we fear most is our frailty, our humiliation, our death. We do all we do to remain in perpetuity, to be remembered, to make a mark upon this world, upon which we remain for but the briefest moment.
But the faithful love of Yahweh is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him
And His righteousness to children's children.
To those who keep his covenant.
And remember his precepts to do them.
Yahweh’s love, is the opposite, however, to our mortal frame. We are but dust in the wind, but Yahweh’s love for us is stronger than the pyramids, it is a monument more lasting than the mountains. When the sea is dried up and the earth is cast into the sun, God’s love for us will remain. All that we do for ourselves will fade in a mere few years, perhaps a century. But God’s remembrance of what we have done for Him will never end. And if we live for Him, we will remain with that remembrance.
Yahweh has established His throne in the heavens
And his rule is over all.
Bless Yahweh, you his angels
Mighty in strength
Who perform His word
Obeying the voice of his word
Bless Yahweh all you his hosts
You who serve Him doing his will
Bless Yahweh, all you works of His
In all places of dominion
Bless Yahweh, O my soul
Yahweh is the king of the universe, and His love is the most powerful element in the universe. So if we have that love, through our faithfulness meeting His faithfulness, then we have that power within ourselves.
That power is so great, that we can command the gods. “Praise Yahweh” the psalmist commands the angels of heaven. Yes, the merest glance of one of them could break the psalmist in half—but he is confident in Yahweh’s love. So he commands them, “Honor your commander!” It is not enough, the psalmist says, to obey God, we must take time to honor Him as well. Obedience is wonderful, but we need to give respect to God’s name. We must give thanks for what He has done. We must recognize and laud his perfect character, his love.
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