Psalm 121 contains “the pilgrim’s promise” for us today as we journey through life toward heaven. The promise is this—the Lord is our help and keeper, whatever life brings our way. Like its companions in Psalms 120–134, Psalm 121 is “A Song of Ascents,” a song sung while ascending to Jerusalem for one of the… Read More »
Psalm 110:1 holds more references in the New Testament than any other verse from the Old Testament. The New Testament quotes it five times and alludes to it sixteen times by either referring to Jesus’ position at the Father’s right hand or to Jesus’ waiting to conquer His enemies.1 The New Testament quotes Psalm 110:4… Read More »
Thanksgiving comes every year, and giving thanks to God is a standard privilege of the Christian life. It is our obedience: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). It is also a way to glorify God—notice the parallelism in Psalm 86:12: “I… Read More »
David wrote Psalm 138 to thank the Lord for His help to him as Israel’s king. The following is a section-by-section summary of David’s thoughts, applied to us today. We learn from him that we must… First, give thanks to the Lord (Psalm 138:1–3). David begins by giving thanks to the Lord from his whole… Read More »
In our teen Sunday School class, my husband has been teaching on how to read and understand the various types of Psalms. The past two weeks we have looked at the lament psalms. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the verb lament in three ways: 1) to mourn aloud; 2) to express sorrow, mourning, or regret for,… Read More »
Psalm 84 holds a special place in the heart of many. Christians have come to worship and commented with the words of Psalm 84:10: “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness”… Read More »
Psalm 124 is a psalm of corporate thanksgiving, a psalm that instructs us how to thank God together. This psalm also instructs us as to one of the ways for how to thank God as well.1 The psalm was written after having escaped some enemies, perhaps in battle, and assuming the superscription’s accuracy, David was… Read More »
Psalm 23 has been precious to the saints throughout the ages. It gives comfort in the midst of death, and it strengthens our delight and trust in the Lord because He is our Shepherd. Its author is David who knew the Lord as Jacob did, “the God who has been my shepherd all my life… Read More »
Psalm 82:1 states, “God has taken his place in the divine council,” a line parallel in thought to the next: “in the midst of the gods he holds judgment” (ESV). The divine council is made up of the gods. These gods are charged with injustice and partiality (Ps 82:2–4) and lacking the knowledge and understanding… Read More »
A Focus on Psalms 57 psalms use the Hebrew word mizmôr, a word that describes a song sung with stringed accompaniment. The Greek equivalent is psalmos, which was chosen to describe the collection of the Psalms as a whole. The Hebrew title, however, would be tehillîm, “Book of Praises.” The Psalms were written, collected, and… Read More »