Day #262

Sermon - Audio
Ezra 4-6 & Psalm 137 - Audio
Ezra 4-6 & Psalm 137 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Daily Reading: Ezra 4-6 & Psalm 137

Ezra 4

4.1 According to the Bible Knowledge commentary, “The enemies of Judah and Benjamin refer to the people living in Palestine since the time of the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 b.c. The Assyrian Empire, which conquered the 10 Northern tribes, deported some of the people away to Assyria and brought in other peoples to intermarry (2 Kings 17:23-24). This tactic prevented strong nationalistic uprisings in the conquered lands.” It would be a mistake to apply this circumstance to the present day Middle East (on that note, do not neglect that a large number of Palestinian Arabs are our brothers and sisters in Christ).

4.2-16 The “enemies” make 3 attempts to halt construction on the temple and city. 1) they offer their help, with likely intent to sidetrack the project. Even more seriously, this help could be seen as illegal, since permission to build was limited to the people of Judah (see Ezra 1). 2) Bribes to the city officials 3) a letter straight to the top: to the King of Persia.

Note: This digression in the narrative clearly comes out of chronological order since Darius' reign comes before Xerxes and Artaxerxes (in chapter 5 we once again return to the time of Darius). This snapshot from the future is not unusual for historical writers of the era, were chronology is of secondary importance to the point that is being made (the same happens in the order of events in the gospels). The From the New Bible Commentary. “The reason for this digression is clear enough. The writer has just recounted the rebuff of an offer of help. This apparently harsh decision was justified by these later events, when the groups concerned revealed their true colors as indeed ‘the enemies of Judah and Benjamin’ (1). Since this is only the first of many accounts of opposition to the work of God in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, it serves as a warning that there is a constant need for vigilance, and that opposition is best dealt with while it is still ‘outside’ rather than allowing it to gain a foothold within the community, where it could be even more destructive.”

Note2: Interestingly, verse 7 switches from Hebrew (the default language of the OT) to Aramaic (the diplomatic language of the NT).

4.21 Notice that in Artaxerxes reply, he does not close the door entirely on the rebuilding of Jerusalem, he simply puts it on hold allowing for the possibility of resuming the work (which does happen under the direction of Nehemiah)

Ezra 5

5.1-2 Two prominent prophets (Haggai and Zehcariah) come to encourage the people in the building project, which had been under opposition. Despite obstacles, the work of God must continue. Just because we face opposition, doesn't mean we give up.

What obstacles have been placed in your way of obedience toward God? What obstacles are in your way? And how has God removed those obstacles in the pas?

5.3-17 The struggle is not over for the Jews. Now Tattenai, governor of the trans-euphrates stand in their way. However, more importantly is that the “eye of God” was watching over them.

Do not forget that the eye of God also watches over you.

5.11 The people's respones to the governor's question, “Who do you think you are!?” is a brilliant one: “We are the servants of the God of Heaven and Earth.” That response has power. If any of you are struggling to find your identity: try that on for size!

Ezra 6

6.1-12 Twenty years after Cyrus made the decree, Darius reaffirms it and in fact strengthens it. He includes a threat to anyone who does not support the project. These texts readily affirm that God is in control of even political processes. While Darius is (for all intents and purposes) king of the known world, God is still sovereign over even him.

6.13-16 This rededication of the temple is highly reminiscent of the original dedication by King Solomon in 1 Kings 8.

6.19-22 Important to a restored Israel is a renewal of their festivals. They are reentering into full covenant obedience. Even more significant is that this first festival is the passover, which marks the Exodus from Egypt—the central salvation event. Even salvation in the New Testament is modeled after the exodus. Once again, the people of God celebrate a God who saves!

Psalm 137

This is one of the most famous Psalms in the Psalter...or should I say “infamous.” Verse 9 is a tough one to swallow—as it should be.

137.1-4 From the New Bible Commentary: “The unsung song. To the grieving exiles (1), memories were bitter and joy was consigned to the past. Deliberately so—for the captors demanded songs and joy. But the Lord’s songs are statements of truth and acts of worship, not items in a concert. Furthermore, there is a proper time for weeping. Life is not ceaseless joy. Also, the invitation to sing was a veiled invitation to settle down—you’re Babylonians now! But they could not forget or conform. They were in a foreign land.”

137.5-6 These verses are primarily about remembering where your citizenship. While it was true that we were created for this world (see Genesis 1) and that our final home is HERE (see Revelation 21-22), we should not forget that our citizenship is in heaven. Paul writes in Philippians 3.15, “Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. ^For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. ^But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

137.7-9 Now the really tricky part. How are we supposed to reconcile the words “Happy are those who seize your infants and dash them against the rocks” with Jesus words, “Love your enemies.” Christians have been wrestling with texts like these since the beginning. A few options to deal with these texts are as following.

1) The early Church put all of the Psalms on the lips of Jesus. These should not be seen as our personal prayers. This means that the imprecatory Psalms should be read as “war cries” of the Jesus. They are compatible with his judgment of evil; he incorporates these themes into the line of the Lord's Prayer: “Thy Kingdom Come.” As such these prayers are uttered only about the enemies of God, not our “personal” enemies out of vengeance. Furthermore we pray to God's glory and with the hope that through judgment they might be converted.

2) Some call them “man's defective prayers.” Even CS Lewis calls them “devilish.” Many more try to disassociate them from the mouth of God. These people call Psalms like this “pre Christian” or even “less Christian.” My professor called this a “Psalm-ectomy.” While this is the easy way out, it is quite dangerous (and even arrogant) for us to take the surgical knife to the Word of God, picking out which parts of the Bible we like and ignoring the parts we don't.

3) We can take Psalms like this on an individual basis and explain them metaphorically. For example, this Psalm would metaphorically be saying: we want to cut evil out at the root.

4) Here is another option in the form of a summary of a book by Eric Zenger, God of Vengeance. Zenger sets up the psalmist as victim and the “enemy” as oppressor (the shape of the imprecatory psalms typically include a cry for help, a rational that they are being oppressed, and then wish for the elimination for the source of their oppression). For Zenger, the physicality of these oppressors cannot be explained away as demonic. They hold individuals or specific groups and structures responsible for their oppression. Instead of taking personal revenge, the psalmists calls on God to be his/her rescuer (28) and sees it fitting that he should also work against these structures of oppression (33). Ultimately the appeal is to God's intervention on the basis of his justice. He reminds God that “my enemies are your enemies too!” Zenger implies that the problem is not with the Psalms themselves, but with us. We impose our own 21^st century cultural values on these Psalms. Furthermore, we have very little exposure to injustice and have disconnected ourselves with God's justice/judgment in the present. Instead, referencing Ratzinger, many contemporary Christians have reduced justice to moralism, forgetting God's commitment to restorative justice (64). Imprecatory Psalms are essentially cries for justice in response to the problem of evil. This justice can come at an individual level (the accused comes to know his sin), but will at least come at cosmic level (God is working to restore all things). The good news is that there is a difference between good and evil, justice and injustice. God is on the side of justice and is able to enforce it. The wrath of God has been misunderstood. God as avenger reflects God's personal response to injustice as savior to the oppressed, not an uncontrolled emotional act of revenge—either from God's action or the psalmist's plea (72). Today, we forget to cry for Jesus' swift return.

Summary #31

Weekly Summary
Jeremiah 23-40, Various 2 Chron/2 Kings & Psalm

So Aha

Day #231

Sermon - Audio
Jeremiah 38-40 & Psalm 74 & 79 - Audio
Jeremiah 38-40 & Psalm 74 & 79 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Jeremiah 38

v2-3 = Jeremiah tells the people to surrender to the Chaldeans and they will keep their lives. The officials and King Zedekiah think Jeremiah is undermining them and hurting the war effort by doing this, when actually the advice is sound and is the only thing that will save the people.

v6 = A cistern was a holding tank for water. The people would use it to gather water during the rainy season. The bottom of the cistern was disgusting because of all the trash/feces/etc that would fall into the cistern and go to the bottom. There is no food/water in it, so Jeremiah will starve.

Thought = Once again, look at where God's path has led Jeremiah.

Ebed-Melech rescues Jeremiah from the cistern.

v15 = King Zedekiah wants to know what Jeremiah has to say. Unfortunately Jeremiah keeps telling them time and time again, but people aren't listening. This time, King Z says he will listen and not kill Jeremiah.

v17-18 = Jeremiah tells King Z to surrender himself.

v19 = Zedekiah’s professed fear is of Jews who have already fled to the Babylonians. Perhaps he intends to suggest reprisals for poor treatment during the terrible hardships of siege. -WBC-

v25-28 = Jeremiah agreed to protect the king. See 37:21. the day that Jerusalem was taken. Babylon renewed the siege, as Jeremiah had promised (see 37:6–10), and eventually triumphed. ESVSB

Jeremiah 39

*Again, not in order, probably around 589BC.

*v4 = Zedekiah’s response to the end of the siege was predictable. As the Babylonians broke through the wall to the north, he and many of his retinue attempted to flee to the south. Holladay (2:292) suggests that Zedekiah was attempting to reach the protection of the Ammonite king on the other side of the Jordan. -WBC- He is captured.

*v6-7 = The punishment of Zedekiah is severe. He sees his sons executed/He is blinded. He didn't listen to Jeremiah's words from God.

*v8 = The promised destruction from Jeremiah comes to pass.

*v9-10 = The poorest people were left to run the land there.

*v11-14 = God makes sure that Jeremiah is watched over. Nebuchadnezzar takes care of him. Many people would have seen this and have become angry with Jeremiah.

*v16-18 = Ebed-melech will be spared because of His goodness towards God. For believing in Him and rescuing Jeremiah. This is in stark contrast to those who do not listen to God.

Q. So, are you listening (doing) as He speaks in the text?

Jeremiah 40

*This is in order from the last chapter.

*v2-5 = Nebuzaradan recognizes the truth of Jeremiah’s preaching about Jerusalem’s fall. As Nebuchadnezzar ordered (39:11–12), Nebuzaradan offered Jeremiah a choice of where to live and put him under Gedaliah’s protection. -ESVSB-

*v9 = Perhaps the soldiers wanted Gedaliah to lead a revolt. If so, they were disappointed. He gave them the same advice Jeremiah gave the exiles in 29:1–9. ESVSB

*v10 = The poor people now had things they didn't have before when the rich were oppressing them.

v13-14 = The Ammonites opposed Babylon (27:3) and would therefore oppose Gedaliah. The archaeological record confirms the existence of “Baalis, the king of the Ammonites” in the sixth century B.C. An Ammonite seal from this time reads, “Belonging to Baalis, king of the Ammonites.” An inscription from Tel el-Umeiri in Jordan on a seal impression of a high-court official says, “Milqom servant of Baalis.” -ESVBS-

Psalm 74

1-2 - The reason why the God has "cast them off" is because they have rejected His Word (Torah) and His Word through the prophets. The people have chosen death.

5 - This is the Babylonians, see Jer 46:22-23

4-8 - The Babylonians have destroyed the Sanctuary.

9-10 - There is no longer any prophets because God has taken His words from them (Amos 8:11)

11 - The right hand was seen as the one with might and power. The Psalmist is pleading with God to act in power.

12-17 - The Psalmist remembers God and speaks of where God has brought His people.

18-23 - The Psalmist reminds God, as if He needed to be, of the promises to His people and the crimes that are being committed against Him. Everyone wants God to vindicate by killing enemies, but God sends a Savior (His Son) to vindicate through a people by love/justice/righteousness.

Psalm 79

2 - It is a disgrace in the Eastern world to be left unburied/exposed.

3 - Judah was a sacrifice whose blood was poured out. In addition, blood defiles, as does a corpse. So the heathens have defiled Jerusalem not only by the simple act of entering God’s holy precinct (which according to some views was off–limits to them; see Lam. 1:10), but further by contaminating it with blood and corpses. -JSB-

5 - The Psalmist crys out for the end of this, How Long?!

8-10 - Finally, someone seems repentant. This is what God has desired from His people, and they have not turned.

10 - The nations see what is happening to God's people and they question where their God is.

11 - This is an interesting statement when thinking back to the Exodus, when God tells Moses that the peoples cries have come before Him. It's not as if God doesn't know or see what is happening. It's seemingly the only way His people will listen/repent.

13 - The Psalmist is being very optimistic here. I believe he wants to do this, but the people keep turning against God.

Summary #28

Weekly Summary
Isaiah 31-53, Various 2 Kings/Psalm

So Aha

Day #210

Sermon - Audio
2 Kings 18:9-19:37, Psalm 46, 80, & 135 - Audio
2 Kings 18:9-19:37, Psalm 46, 80, & 135 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

2 Kings 18

9-12 - This should have been a warning to Judah.

13-16 - Hezekiah had a lapse in faith. He felt that it was wiser to pay off the Assyrian king and become his subject than it was to trust God to defend Judah against this mighty king. He even went as far as stripping the temple.

17 - "Rabshakeh" is not a name, but a title - meaning "field commander" for the Assyrian army.

18-20 - As a prophet, Isaiah did everything he could to discourage Hezekiah and the leaders of Judah from putting their trust in Egypt (Isaiah 19:11-17, 20:1-6, 30:1-7). The Lord wanted Judah to trust Him instead of Egypt.

Hezekiah had decided to trust in man, not God.

21 - the Rabshakeh sees the folly in their alliance. God is using their enemy to rebuke them.

22-25 - the Rabshakeh knew they would say that they trust in the LORD then, but according to him the LORD told Assyria to go up against His people. This may or may not be true, but I'm sure Hezekiah didn't doubt it.

The 2,000 horses was a mockery of their army. He was making fun of them, basically stating that they have no chance in battle.

26-27 - The leaders of Judah ask the Assyrians to not speak in the native tongue, because the people will hear and know what is to come.

28-35 - The Rabshakeh doesn't listen and directly speaks to the people. He calls them to surrender for a better life. He calls them to not trust Hezekiah or the LORD. He tries to destroy any faith, trust, or hope that is left in them.

36-37 - The people stayed silent.

19

1-5 - Hezekiah runs to the LORD.

"The children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth." - Both the mother and children will die unless God steps in.

6-7 - Notice that Isaiah comes out with a direct word from the LORD. His credibility as a prophet is on the line. If he is wrong, the results are tragic.

Isaiah tells him, "Do not be afraid."

Judgment will be brought upon the Rabshakeh for challenging the LORD.

8-13 - So the Rabshakeh did go back to his land, but sent others to continually send fear into the people of Judah.

14-19 - Hezekiah had a wise and God-pleasing response.

20-21 - Notice it says, "Because you have prayed."

20-37 - Isaiah assures Hezekiah that his prayers have been heard. He also prophesies that for the sake of God’s covenant with David, the Assyrians will be prevented from ever entering Jerusalem and will go back home in defeat (vv. 20–34). Such proves to be the case, as the angel of the Lord strikes down tens of thousands of Assyrian soldiers in a famous rescue story (vv. 35–37). -ESVLB

Psalm 46

A mighty fortress [ Psalm 46 ]. This famous praise psalm falls neatly into three sections. The main theme is articulated three times (vv. 1, 7, 11) and consists of the certainty of God’s presence in troubling times. The central motif is a catalog of God’s acts of protection. The three main movements are as follows: God’s presence amid natural disaster (vv. 1–3); God’s miraculous protection of his holy city and, by metaphoric extension, his protection of his people in all times and places (vv. 4–7); God’s final assertion of his authority over warring nations (vv. 8–11). The imagery is continuously evocative and emotional. The poem instills the very calm that the poet asserts. An eschatological, end-times interpretation of the poem is appropriate, not only because of the terminal imagery in verses 8–9 but also in view of the natural upheaval in verses 2–3, reminiscent of the imagery of cataclysmic disruption of nature in the eschatological visions of the NT. -ESVLB-

God Will Be Exalted Among All Nations. God’s goal for his choosing of Zion is that out of it the word might go forth to the peoples of the whole world, bringing them all to live in godly peace with one another (Isa. 2:1–5). This will be the means by which he makes wars cease (Ps. 46:9). Since the address in v. 10, be still, and know, is plural, readers should imagine God speaking these words to the nations, among whom he will eventually be exalted. This is the meaning of the LORD of hosts being with his people (v. 11; cf. Matt. 28:20): he will indeed see to it that the mission of Gen. 12:1–3 is accomplished.

Psalm 80

Restore us, O God [ Psalm 80 ]. The standard motifs in this communal lament unfold as follows: introductory cry to God (vv. 1–2a); petition (vv. 2b–3); brief definition of the crisis (vv. 4–6); petition (v. 7); expanded portrayal of the crisis (vv. 8–13); petitions for restoration (vv. 14–19). The dominant motif is a wished-for return to a previous state of God’s favor on his chosen nation. The controlling image patterns are those of restoration and the nation as a vine planted by God.

3 - The refrain of the psalm is drawn from the high priestly blessing of Nm 6:22–27. If God’s face shines on the people—if He, their Shepherd (Ps 80:1), is gracious to them—they will be saved.

4-7 = How Long Will You Be Angry with Us? Now the psalm takes up the reason for the cry of distress, namely, God is angry with his people’s prayers (which implies that they have been unfaithful, cf. 74:1) and thus has brought sorrows upon them, especially that they have become an object of contention for their Gentile neighbors (cf. 79:4). As the next stanza will make clear, this is because these Gentiles have ravaged the land and people of Israel. Underlying this is the idea that faithful Israel ought to be the envy of the Gentiles, drawing them to the light by moral purity, social justice, and political stability (as in Psalm 79). Thus the current situation is a reversal of how things should be. -ESVSB-

9-17 - The pastoral imagery shifts to an agricultural metaphor in which Israel is a vine (cf. Isa. 5:1–7; Jer. 2:21; Ezek. 17:1–10), plucked from Egypt and planted in the Promised Land where it took root and flourished. But then God in His anger allowed its protecting wall to be breached, and the vine was destroyed by human and animal forces.

Psalm 135

Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good [ Psalm 135 ]. The standard motifs of praise unfold as follows: an opening call to praise, directed to either priests or worshipers at the temple (vv. 1–3); catalog of God’s praiseworthy acts and attributes in creation, judgment, and salvation (vv. 4–14), including an inserted address directly to God (v. 13); a foil to God’s greatness in the form of a satiric put-down of pagan idols (vv. 15–18); concluding call to praise God (vv. 19–21), giving the poem an envelope structure. -ESVLB-

1 - The psalm begins by calling the worshiping community to praise the LORD

1-7 - Reasons to praise.

8 - The poet skips to the last plague against Egypt, the one that finally convinced Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave.

19-21 - Let Everyone in Israel Bless the Lord! The only fitting response to such a great and lively God is for the various members of the worshiping company (the house of Israel, the house of Aaron, the house of Levi, and those who fear the LORD) to bless the LORD (cf. 115:9–11 and note; 118:2–4). The psalm closes as it began, Praise the LORD! ESVSB

Day #183

Sermon - Audio
Obadiah & Pslam 82-83 - Audio
Obadiah & Pslam 82-83 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

Obadiah

*It's a very short book with a large message. In fact, this commentary is longer than the book itself!

The book of Obadiah as a chapter in the master story: The master story of the Bible is the story of God’s acts of judgment and mercy toward the human race. The book of Obadiah zeroes in on those two actions of God. Because this prophetic book is directed to a non-Jewish nation, moreover, we are led to see that the Bible is not just for the Jews but for everyone. -ESVLB-

*The Hebrew name Obadiah means “Worshipper of Yahweh” or “Servant of Yahweh.” There are 13 “Obadiahs” in the Old Testament, and one of these most likely wrote the book.

*The book of Obadiah is written to Edom, a non-Jewish nation. These people do not follow after the One True God. The message makes much more sense when understanding this truth.

*Obadiah condemns the Edomites, who were descendants of Jacob’s brother Esau, for attacking the Judeans during the Babylonian crisis rather than assisting them. The Edomites took delight in bringing disaster to Jerusalem. They were hostile to God's people, and for this doom and destruction is prophesied for them.

*Even though Jerusalem fell for its unfaithfulness, and even though Edom was one of God’s tools for bringing judgment, the Lord has tied himself to his people and will punish those who hurt them. Quite the paradox!

*Warning: Obadiah is not a "happy" book. It is a book of judgment upon Edom.

1 - Obadiah states that this is coming from God, not himself. Speaking for God is not an easy job.

2 - "make you small...be utterly despised" = Edom's judgment will bring about a change in size and influence. The nation will be condemned by all other nations.

3 - Notice that it is pride that has led to Edom's fall.

3-4 - The people of Edom dwelt in the rocks - "you who live in the clefts of the rock." Their place and stature in which they lived went to their heads. Their hearts became prideful.

5-6 - When thieves come they usually leave some things behind, this will not be true of Edom...it will be pillaged.

See Malachi 1:3-4 = "And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever. "

5-9 - This is what is going to happen to Edom: robbed/pillaged (6), treason/deception(7), look stupid/made low (8-9). I warned you that this isn't going to be a "happy" book.

10-14 - The reason for this violence against Edom? Instead of aligning themselves with the tribe of Jacob, they became enemies of his. Edom spoke proudly of their fall, they rejoiced over it, they helped other enemies overtake them...Justice will be served.

Q. What is our response to people we see in trouble? Do we allow injustice to continue without stepping in? Do we rejoice over the poor, the weak, the broken's suffering? By doing nothing we do just that.

15-16 - What you have sowed, you shall reap even worse. The level of mercy shown by the people of Edom to Judah, will be shown to them...which is none.

17 - Obadiah wants Edom to know that Israel will surely rise again and be delivered. As for them...not so much. In 70AD Rome completely crushed the remaining Edomites...you won't find one today.

21 - "saviors" is "deliverers" - this is not to be confused with Jesus' title of Savior...He is the Great Savior/Deliverer. Obadiah is saying that no "saviors" will come to help Edom, but they will Israel.

Those appointed by God to deliver the people and bring just governance. The Lord has always been the King over the nations (v. 1), but here the prophet promises the future, definitive manifestation of God’s kingly rule from Mount Zion, i.e., Jerusalem. That end-time redemptive reign will be inaugurated by the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah (Matt. 12:28) and consummated at his coming in glory (Matt. 25:34). -ESVSB-

Psalm 82

God has taken his place in the divine council [ Psalm 82 ]. The underlying situation in the poem is the poet’s disillusionment with earthly rulership. The format in which this disillusionment is packaged is an imaginary divine council of gods in which God takes his preeminent place and from which he speaks (v. 1). The gods may be either supernatural powers or earthly rulers metaphorically called gods. The ensuing poem shuttles back and forth between statements from God and from the poet, as follows: God commands an unspecified audience (the gods?) to execute justice and compassion in society (vv. 2–4); the poet’s satiric put-down of misguided people, perhaps the same gods or rulers whom God has just addressed (v. 5); an unspecified voice (God’s?) divests the gods of their powers (vv. 6–7); the poet prays that God himself will compensate for the failure of the gods or rulers described earlier by coming as judge of the nations (v. 8). -ESVLB-

1 - Our God is bigger, Our God is stronger, Our God is higher than any other - "Our God" by C.Tomlin.

2 - The author wonders why God is not bringing justice upon the evil nations. This is a reminder to us today that just like before, his people await patiently for his justice in the world.

3/4 - Let the case of the poor/weak/broken be heard!

5 - The unwise people of the earth are not looking to God for guidance/wisdom/power.

6 - Sons of the Most High, members of God’s heavenly court. “Elyon” is an ancient Canaanite epithet, here applied to God (7:18 n.). -JSB-

8 - God is the only true judge that can bring about justice for his people.

Psalm 83

Let them perish in disgrace: a communal lament [ Psalm 83 ]. All lament psalms are occasional poems that refer to a specific situation in either the personal life of the poet or the public life of his nation. The occasion of this poem is a military threat against Israel by a coalition of enemies. A further context is the holy war motif in which Israel is God’s nation and the enemies of Israel are also the enemies of God. When faced with a national crisis, OT poets turned naturally to the lament psalm as the best literary form by which to express their feelings. The poem unfolds according to the following sequence: introductory cry to God to act (v. 1); description of the crisis (vv. 2–8); petition, which in this case is also an imprecation or calling down of a curse on the enemies (vv. 9–18). -ESVLB-

*The author returns to remember the entirety of God's story. He believes and knows that vindication is coming, but is desiring it sooner rather than later.

1 - "silence" - Quiet or "Cutting off"

Q. Have you ever felt like God is silent/quiet/or cut off from you while suffering, anguish, and injustice is all around you? When? How did He answer you?

2 - God's enemies are becoming prideful and boasting of their seeming victory over God's people.

3-5 - They are haters of God. They want Him and His people to not be remembered.

6-8 - The enemies are listed: Moab & the Hagrites, Gebal, Ammon, Amalek, Philistia/Tyre, Asshur/Children of Lot

9-11 - Remember the book of judges where God dealt harshly with each of these tribes, with the exception of En-dor. The psalmist is asking for the same justice to be brought.

13-15 - The psalmist is not ashamed of what he is asking. He asks for them to be set ablaze by a forest fire fanned into flame by God's windstorm.

Ending - I find this ending rather interesting. After the psalmist claims that he wants them set ablaze, we get a different sense that the confounding of the enemies’ plans will cause them to recognize God’s name and His supremacy over the earth. The psalmist believes that it is destruction and justice that will bring about this heart change.

Day #167

Sermon - Audio
Pslam 134 & 146-150 - Audio
Pslam 134 & 146-150 - Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

134

You servants who stand by night in the house of the Lord [ Psalm 134 ]. The function of this last song of ascents is to state concluding sentiments about the worship experience itself and to round out the fifteen songs of ascent on a note a closure. The first two verses may have been spoken as a liturgical recitation by departing worshipers to the priests as they left the temple, with a priest responding with the blessing stated in verse 3. The three lyric sentiments unfold as follows: a call for the “servants of the Lord” to bless God (v. 1); a command to lift up hands and bless God in the holy place (v. 2); a benediction conferring God’s blessing on worshipers (v. 3). -ESVLB-

1-2 = Call to the Temple Helpers to Bless the Lord. The psalm opens by calling a group described as the servants of the LORD to bless the LORD. The title “servants of the LORD” could refer to Israelites in general (as it seems to in 135:1); but since they are said to stand by night in the house of the LORD, it seems better to take these words as addressed to Levitical personnel, whether priests (1 Kings 8:10–11) or attendants from the non-priestly Levitical families (1 Chron. 9:33). The worshiping congregation calls on them to lift up their hands to the holy place and bless the LORD (cf. Ps. 28:2).

3 = These are formulae from elsewhere in this collection: see 128:5; 121:2; 124:8. Their juxtaposition emphasizes that a universal God is centered at Zion. The collection’s conclusion emphasizes Zion, a major theme of the Songs of Ascents, and also shows close connections with the conclusion of the following psalm (135:21). Perhaps an editor placed together psalms that shared certain similarities, or phrases moved from one psalm to an adjacent one, making the Psalter into a more coherent book.

146

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being [ Psalm 146 ]. The customary units of the praise psalm appear in the following order: call to praise (vv. 1–2); a foil to the praise of God in the form of dispraise of trusting in human rulers (vv. 3–4); catalog of God’s praiseworthy acts in creation and in behalf of the weak of the earth (vv. 5–10); repetition of the refrain that started the poem (last line). -ESVLB-

This Psalm praises God for an entire list of things that He does.

The history of the faith revealed in the Bible shows that these are not absolutes—He has not vindicated all who are oppressed, or fed all who are hungry, or given sight to all who are blind. But it is His intent to do all these things, and He will; the Bible affirms that all the promises of God will be fulfilled, if not in this life, surely in the life to come. Everything will be put right. But the fact is that God has done these things again and again, and His greatest fulfillment has been in the work of Christ (2 Co 1:20).

3-4 = Any man, even a king or prince, can not be relied upon because their life will eventually come to an end. See 1 Peter 1:24-25.

5-6 = Because of verses 3-4, people who put their trust in the LORD will be blessed. Our hearts will be fulfilled only when we surrender it to Him.

7-9 = Once again we see God's heart for the poor, oppressed, lowly, and broken.

Q. Do you have anguish over the same things God does? Why or Why Not?

10 = Because the LORD will reign forever, our response is Psalm 145:21 - "My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever."

Q. What does it look like to constantly be praising the LORD in every area of your life?

147

Great is our Lord [ Psalm 147 ]. Like many praise psalms, this one begins and ends with the formula “praise the Lord” (vv. 1, 20). Within this envelope, the poem alternates between commands to praise God (vv. 1, 7, 12) and catalogs of God’s praiseworthy acts (vv. 2–6, 8–11, 13–20). All three units of praise alternate between God’s acts in the human community and in nature. Whereas the first two units are generalized, extending to believers in all places and times, the focus of the third unit is specifically on OT Israel, as the call to praise already signals (v. 12) and as the concluding reference to God’s revelation highlights (vv. 19–20). As we near the end of the Psalter, it becomes obvious that the book is structured as moving toward a final crescendo of praise. -ESVLB-

1 = Singing and Praising our LORD is a good thing, not just something we do (a motion). It is actually fitting, because the overflow of our love for Him should result in praise. Our joy results in magnifying Him!

2 = This verse is most likely discussing the rebuilding of Jerusalem with the returned exiles in view from Neh 1.

3-6 = Attributes of God given here: Healer, Compassionate, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Sovereign, Just

8-9 = I'm reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 6: "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

10-11 = Love this principle since I'm not the quickest person :) - Those who survive are not necessarily the swiftest or most powerful, but those who fear the LORD (see esp. Prov. 21:31). Fear of the LORD, i.e., respect for God that leads to following His ways, is a major principle in wisdom teachings. -JSB-

13-20 = This is a description of God and His covenantal relationship with His people.

20 = Don't take this out of proper context. It's clear that God has chosen the nation of Israel as His people. However, we see throughout the Psalms and the rest of the Scripture that God's desire is to display His glory to the rest of the nations, so that, all will acknowledge Him, praise Him, thereby bringing glory to Him. They do not know His rules as of yet, but they will eventually.

148

Praise him, sun and moon: a nature poem [ Psalm 148 ]. This is the fifth nature poem in the Psalter. As in the other nature poems, the poet handles the material in such a way as to deflect the ultimate praise to God. The poem is a chain of doxologies (commands to praise God) and also a catalog of apostrophes (direct addresses to phenomena that are absent but treated as if they were present and could hear and respond). The poem’s arrangement is highly artistic. There are three general movements, as creatures are successively commanded to praise God “from the heavens” (vv. 1–5), “from the earth,” meaning nonhuman earthly creatures (vv. 7–10), and “all peoples” (vv. 11–13). Even though the third movement focuses on people rather than what we ordinarily think of as nature, in the biblical view people are part of nature. Twice the string of doxologies and apostrophes is interrupted as the poet states a reason for commanding creatures to praise God, beginning with the connective word for (vv. 5, 13). In the first of these two units, the poet offers God’s creation of the whole world as the reason for creatures to praise God (vv. 5–6). In the second motivatory section (vv. 13–14), addressed specifically to people, the proposed reason for praising God is his redemption of his people, as signaled by the word pattern of “raised up a horn,” “his people,” “all his saints,” “the people of Israel who are near to him.” -ESVLB-

Here we see that praise is not just found in singing, but that God's praise is happening all around us. Romans 1:20 says, "For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." & Psalm 19:1-5 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy."

Here are some things/areas where praise does, and must happen from:

2 - Heavens, Angels, etc.

3 - Sun, Moon, and Stars

4 - Heavens (universe) & Waters

7 - Sea Creatures

8 - "elements" - Fire, Hail, Snow, Wind, Rain

9 - Mountains, Hills, Trees

10 - Animals

11 - Authority

12 - Everyone!

13 - The key word here is, "alone"

14 - He raises the horn, meaning, the power, of His people of Israel. He has raised up victory for His people.

149

Let the godly exult [ Psalm 149 ]. The conventional motifs of the praise psalm unfold as follows: formal call to praise, including the command itself, the audience to whom the command is directed, and the modes of praise (vocal and instrumental music and dancing;vv. 1–3); the reason for the command, namely, the praiseworthy acts of God (v. 4); a return to the commands to praise (vv. 5–6); in an unexpected development, a call to wield weapons against the enemies of God (vv. 6–9). -ESVLB-

Psalm 148 recalls the benefits that the whole world will one day receive through God's work on behalf of the faithful in Israel, Psalm 149 end by calling to mind the expectation that the faithful will one day be God's agents of judgment through the world (1 Cor 6:2-3, Jude 14-15, Rev 19:14) - ESVSB-

3 - Dancing! Some people would not be too excited about this.

6-9 - I'm assuming you're asking WHAT?! Here's my explanation: In the hands of OT warriors, the sword was a literal weapon; in the hands of Christians, it is the Word of God (Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12). The praise of God, combined with the proclamation of the Word, make up the believers’ dual weapon in carrying out the Lord’s decree of judgment against evil authorities (Ps 149:7–9). This is another reason why one can't read the Bible in a completely literal sense.

150

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord [ Psalm 150 ]. Psalm 150 is to the Psalter what the climax of sound is at the end of an animated symphony performance. Its unique feature is that it consists entirely of the conventional call to praise. The variations on the theme are as follows: the command to praise (opening and closing lines); who must praise God, and where (v. 1); what God should be praised for (v. 2); the modes of praise, all of them musical instruments (vv. 3–5); a restatement of who should praise God (v. 6). -ESVLB-

1-6 = This seems to me like the most instrumental Psalm of them all. A huge party is happening and I want to be a part of it!

6 - Thinking of the song, "Let everything that, everything that, everything that has breath praise the LORD!"