Psalms of Worship

One of my favorite praise songs from the 1970’s was based on Psalm 92:1-2; “It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name O Most High, to proclaim you love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.” If we take a closer look at these verses, we can see three groups of audiences who are listening to our praise.

First of all, I am listening. When I say, “it is good,” I am speaking to my own soul. I need to remind myself of my beliefs all the time. A man once said that we need to, “preach the gospel to ourselves.” I need to be reminded of the good news, that I am worse than I think I am. I am more selfish and think about my own good too often. I need to be rescued from my own self-centeredness. “It is good” to be reminded that it’s not about me.

Secondly, when I sing “ to make music to your name,” my creator and redeemer is listening. Look at these passages: “Your throne was established long ago, you are from all eternity” (Ch.93:2). “Your love has supported me” (Ch.94:18). “For you, O Lord, are the most high over all the earth, you are exalted far above all gods” (Ch.97:9). I am reminded of God’s character as I sing to him in worship. I am reminded that the story is all about Him and not about me. I am reminded that even though I am broken, He pursues my heart. At the cross, I was purchased and restored through faith. When I worship Him, I offer him the adoration and thanksgiving He deserves.

Lastly, we sing to “to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.” We are telling it to the world around us. Look at Psalm 98; “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.”

This word “salvation” is perhaps more comprehensive than the way it is used today. It included victory over enemies. Because there were always nations attacking, Israel saw God’s restoration for their physical lives. Salvation also included reconciliation between God and His people. He remembered his love and restored folks by His grace. It is a small wonder that we must sing to the Lord and remind ourselves, the nations, and our neighbors, of God’s goodness. So, what song is stuck in your head today? And whom are you singing it to?

Tips for Reading- (Interpretation tip # 17)

Note: This section is help for Bible Reading in general. It has been building throughout the year under the topics of Observation (what the Scripture says), Interpretation (what it means) and Application (what it means to your life). Feel free to look back over past weeks to get the whole picture.

This is our last tip from the interpretation category, but hopefully you will keep going back and trying to reuse the tips over and over again (I can’t remember them all so I will be doing the same!). One good resource, if you really want to get this down pat, is the book, “Living by the Book,” by Howard Hendricks, one of my favorite professors at Dallas Seminary. He really should get the credit for anything in these tips that is helpful.

Here are a couple more figures of speech to finish off this section of the Psalms. The first figure of speech we will address tends to be popular, and it is the metaphor. This is a comparison in which one thing represents another. For example, “You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14) Obviously, we are not the light, yet when our faces reflect God we are representing His light. A rhetorical question is another figure of speech used for emphasis. It is a question that requires no response because the answer is obvious. “In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 56:11). Paul uses this technique regularly in his arguments. Another way to emphasize the truth is to use a paradox. This is a statement that seems absurd, self-contradictory, or contradictory to logical thought. For example, Jesus said, “Whoever wished to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 16:25) Instead of just saying, “I will make it worth your while to follow me.” Jesus said it in such a way, that the truth is more compelling and picturesque. Continue looking for these figures of speech and I will see you next week, when we explore the book of worship for the New Testament, Hebrews.


Notes from David’s Journal

Please read Psalm 91 carefully! It's magnificent! It's one of my favorites. I'll say no more.

Psalm 100 holds a special place in my heart as well. As a child, the church my Dad pastored did a special children's program. Someone took a picture of me as a shepherd boy, dressed up like David. Perhaps it's because I share his name. Perhaps it's because Dad was the pastor. Anyway, I had to memorize the 100th Psalm (and the 23rd) and recite it as my picture came on the screen. It's truths still ring true in my heart today. We are to make a joyful noise to the Lord, everywhere! We are to serve the Lord with gladness. We are to enter His gates with constant thanksgiving. For our God is good and His mercies continue to every generation. I'll never forget these eternal truths I memorized that season of life. I hope you won't ever forget them either!

Passion Turns to Holiness

I performed a wedding for one of my former students last week. Don’t you just love seeing a couple so committed and the excitement that surrounds them and their families and friends? Can you picture the last wedding you were at where you felt that way?
Of course, you know they have a long way to go and it’s just beginning. They don’t even understand all they are committing to and how they will feel next week or a year from now, but the passion and a promise is a good occasion to start the marriage.

But there must be constant and continuing work on all things that develop character. I think the best description of a good marriage is to put two rocks in a bag and knock them together over and over until it is sand. This is a beautiful end result, but of course it’s the most difficult thing you will do in a normal life.

The scriptures describe our relationship with God much like a marriage. Starting with passion, like Psalm 84, “How lovely is your dwelling place O Lord Almighty. My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and flesh cry out for the living God.” And then continuing with a promise in verse 10, “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”

Good beginnings are followed by trials and testing. Psalm 88:1-3, “O Lord, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry. For my soul is full of trouble and my life draws near the grave.” We might wonder why life isn’t easier and why God doesn’t make it all smooth. Well, I don’t understand all that goes on, but I do know somehow God uses these times to make us more dependant on Him and to enrich our character and give us a heart to help others on the same journey.

I would like to add one last note on character development. Psalm 85:10-11 says, “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness spring forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.” This seems to imply that as we submit to the process of passion, promise and challenge, God creates holiness in us. It could be something that looks different on the outside and on the in. Conversely, if we bail out, we miss a lot of good things God has for us just around the corner. So our call today is to enjoy our love affair with the Savior whether we are in an exciting time or in a challenging time and He will bring good things into our heart.


Tips for Reading- (Interpretation tip # 16)

Note: This section is help for Bible Reading in general. It has been building throughout the year under the topics of Observation (what the Scripture says), Interpretation (what it means) and Application (what it means to your life). Feel free to look back over past weeks to get the whole picture.

We have two more weeks in the area of interpretation and then we will go onto application as we begin the book of Hebrews. We have started a series about knowing when to interpret the Scripture as a figure of speech. This week we will go over some of the actual figures of speech.

For example, when the words “as” or “like” are used, you can guess that it’s a simile: “He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water” (Psalm 1:3).

Or, if exaggeration is being used to say more than is literally meant that’s a Hyperbole: “I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to serve you” (2 Corinthians 11:8).

Anthropomorphism is when we attribute to God human features or actions. “The Lord’s hand is not so short that is cannot save; neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1).

If you give human characteristics to an inanimate object, or an animal it would be called Personification: “The moon will be abashed and sun ashamed” (Isaiah 2:23).

Now, you might be saying, this sounds a lot like school! But, it’s true the better reader you are, the better biblical student you can become. The scriptures are rich with insights and truths, and we are called to obey these life-giving words as faithfully as we can. I will give a few more figures of speech next week, but in the mean time keep looking for them in our reading this week and see if you can see how they help us understand deep truths.

Notes from David’s Journal

Psalms 89 and 90 are two Psalms not written by King David. Most of the Psalms were penned by the one after God's own heart, David, but not these two. Psalm 89 was written by someone named Ethan the Ezrahite. We know nothing about him. He was evidently associated with King David (see Psalm 89:35). Perhaps he even learned how to write psalms by watching or being taught by David! We don't really know. Yet, the psalm is a beautiful one. It's written claiming God's great mercy and grace. It speaks of his great faith in God. Enjoy reading it.

Psalm 90 was written by Moses, "the man of God.” It shows his deep and abiding faith and his trust in prayer. Notice in vs.10 that life expectancy in that day was around 70 years, perhaps 80 in some situations. Modern medical technology has advanced our years a decade, maybe two. But guess what? We'll still die! That's why we need eternal life in Jesus Christ. He came to rescue us from death and give us eternity with our Creator. Notice also in vs.17 Moses' prayer for success. Can we pray for success? Why not? As long as God receives the glory and we know it all comes from Him, go for it! After all, what's the alternative? Failure? God works through it, but success is more fun, especially when we know God and God alone gave it to us.

Psalms To Remember

In the movie, “Bourne Identity,” we find a federal agent, named Jason Bourne who has amnesia. You can tell he is tormented by it and has lost any idea of who he really is or how he fits into a bigger picture of life. Surely this has got to be one of the worst feelings of life, not knowing where you belong.

I think we can get a case of spiritual amnesia as well. It would imply forgetting who God is and what He has done for us, and, as a result, forgetting who we are in Christ. It is a very dangerous place to be. That’s why there is such an emphasis on remembering in the Scriptures. In Deuteronomy, which is most likely a sermon by Moses recalling all of the stories of God’s faithfulness, we are called to put a reminder on the doorposts of our houses. At the last supper Jesus instigated communion with the words “Do this in remembrance of me.” In fact, Dr. Jeff Neihaus, of Gordon Conwell Seminary stated recently that the entire Old Testament could be summarized by the word “remembrance.”

The Psalms we are reading this week also have the theme of remembrance. One of the most important things we can do is retell the wonderful things God has done. Asaph, in Psalm 77:11-12, states, “I will remember the deed of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.” Asaph later remembers some of the countless deeds of grace and power that have characterized God’s dealing with His people. He remembers the plagues, the Exodus, the crossing of the Red Sea; the way God led his people “by the hand of Moses and Aaron (vs. 13-20).”

Psalm 78:4 examines the idea of remembering in terms of who it should be passed on to when it states, “We will not hide them from their children, we will tell the next generation of the praise worthy deeds of the Lord.” We are to be remembering not only for our own spiritual growth, but also for our family’s, and in fact for the whole covenant body we belong to.

As Christians, we have even more to remember. We remember the long years that the people waited for the coming of the Messiah (maybe it works patience in us as we wait for answered prayer). We remember the Incarnation, the years of Jesus’ life and ministry. But, above all, we remember his death and resurrection. This leads us to trust as we remember how God has been faithful in the past, and will be faithful in our future. Maybe you could take some time this week to write down your story of God’s faithfulness. My sweet wife did this and she reads it to herself from time to time to remind her of God’s provisions.


Tips for Reading (Interpretation tip # 15)

Note: This section is help for Bible Reading in general. It has been building throughout the year under the topics of Observation (what the Scripture says), Interpretation (what it means) and Application (what it means to your life). Feel free to look back over past weeks to get the whole picture

Here’s another tip on figurative language (remember we started this series on allegories a few weeks ago?). It’s important to know when we should take commands literally or when we see figures of speech and to read them as such rather than trying to find “deeper meanings” that aren’t there.

This tip emphasizes making sure you use the figurative sense if a literal interpretation involves a contradiction of other Scripture. For example, when Jesus says, “it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of god” (Mark 10:25). He is not saying there is no salvation for rich folks. People have gone to great lengths to understand the picture given, but we can’t land on a teaching that contradicts the larger teaching of Scripture.

In this week’s reading, Psalm 77:7 says, “Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again?” It’s similar because we know through other scriptures that God is faithful to his people and does not condemn forever to be without Him, but at times when He is not answering our prayers the way we think He should, we feel this way. Again, you can see these figures of speech are everywhere in the Psalms. How many will you find this week?


Notes from David’s Journal

Psalm 82 is a powerful psalm that addresses God's concern for the poor and needy. He commands judges to make sure the oppressed are rightly treated in the court system. Yet there's also an admonition to all people to care for the oppressed and the poor. Every person who says they love God has a responsibility to fight for the needs of those who cannot fight for themselves. Psalm 82, among several others, reminds us of this responsibility. It's a good reminder for us all.

Finally, notice the psalm ends with the cry, "Arise, oh God!" That's always the psalmist cry when needing God to fight the battle for him (and us!). There are so many times we do not have the energy or strength to fight any longer. Our only help can come from the Lord, Maker of heaven and the earth. "Arise, oh God" is the believer's battle cry, asking for God's help in our lives. It's the realization we cannot fight any longer and the battle must belong to the Lord. It's a cry the poor often yell. It's one we too yell and especially should listen if we hear this cry come from the lips of the poor. Perhaps, just perhaps, we are the answer to their cry!

Psalms Pointing to God

I read a book this week on John Calvin’s theology of the Psalms. At the core, Calvin felt the key to the Psalms was to see them through God-centered lenses. This is “recognizing God as God” and not as an add-on to our lives, or someone to fit into our lives when we need Him. Calvin saw the Psalms teaching that God is to be the center of everything.

Calvin wrote: “Either God fashions man into his image, or sin leads a man to fashion God into what he wants. If the latter happens, the result is that man virtually worships himself by crediting to his own power what belongs to God’s power alone. If the former occurs, it is God’s grace forming man into the image of God. This can happened when a man recognizes God as God and renders to him alone all glory.”

I could have brought this up at anytime in our reading of the Psalms because this truth is central throughout. However, let’s look at the verses Calvin brings up from our reading this week to emphasize God’s supremacy.

I. Everything under God’s authority
Psalm 74:16 states, “The day is yours and yours also the night: you established the sun and the moon.” Calvin writes about this, “The Alternation of day and night shows that everything is dependant on the order which God has imposed upon it.” We breathe because life is a gift given to us. We enjoy family, friends, work, etc. as a gracious present from our Creator. In Psalm 75:3, God himself speaks of his own authority “when the earth and all it’s people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.”

II. God as a Pastor
Psalm 73:1 gives the picture of God as a caregiver. “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.” Calvin called the Lord the “pastor ecclesiae…” In other words, the one who cares especially for His called out people. Again, Calvin wrote, “He is the shepherd of the church, because he cares for and guides the faithful …by taking them under his fatherly protection.” Psalm 71:17 gives the same aspect of God’s caring, “since my youth you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.”

Again, the bottom line is who do we trust - ourselves and our power and reason? Do we trust our culture or Government or positions? Or, will we side with the Psalms and put our hearts in the hands of our maker? Calvin closes with this, “when men trust their own zeal, wisdom and toil, they usurp God’s exclusive right to glory for the well being of his people.” We have a call on our lives to trust God’s authority and His care as our “Pastor.”



Tips for Reading (Interpretation tip # 14)
Note: This section is help for Bible Reading in general. It has been building throughout the year under the topics of Observation (what the Scripture says), Interpretation (what it means) and Application (what it means to your life). Feel free to look back over past weeks to get the whole picture.

This is a perfect time to talk about reading Scriptures through lenses that picture God in the passages we are reading. Simply put, what is the passage saying about who God is and what he does? This can be incredibly revealing to the bigger picture of the story in the Bible. So, as you read this week ask yourself the questions and see what amazing insights God reveals about Himself.

Notes from David’s Journal

Psalm 73 is a wonderful psalm. Why do I think so? Because it expresses feelings all of us who love God feel at one time or another. David begins the psalm trying to understand why the wicked prosper. Haven't we all asked that question at one time or another? David even goes on to say this issue pushed his faith walk to the cliff! It was causing his feet to slip. In the Living Bible translation, David says, "and I was almost gone."
If the psalm ended there we'd feel depressed and hopeless. Gladly, it doesn't. In fact, spend some time looking at Psalm 73:25. That's where David ends. He returns to the house of the Lord where he hears this truth in vs. 25: "Who have I in heaven but You, oh Lord? There is nothing on earth that satisfies like You!"
There are many things on earth that confuse us, especially when the wicked prosper. But we cannot look at this visible world. We must forever look into the invisible, eternal world. There, and there alone, we find our comfort. There, and there alone, we will find our answers. It may be in eternity when we finally understand. But understand we will!