Psalm 116

Love for the Lord for What He has Done

Psalm 116 is a part of the Egyptian Hallel and is a psalm of individual thanksgiving.  David recounts his deliverance by the Lord, and vows to praise Him publicly before all of His people.  The psalmist recounts a time of great distress and danger, which almost drove him to despair - but he made application to God in that distress.  He records his experience of God's goodness to him and answer to his prayer. 

 Have you ever felt that level of despair in your own life, with the heaviness of that recorded by David?  Do you ever think God doesn't hear you?  Remember verse 1:

Don't you love that truth!

We are reminded again in verse 6 of how God loves the humble! The psalmist uses the word "simple" - meaning sincere, upright, and without guile. 

The Lord preserves the simple;

I was brought low, and He saved me.~ Ps. 116:6

Even though he was king and the most powerful man in all of Israel, he recognized his "state" before the Lord and did not think too highly of himself.  May we all learn from David's example!

 A famous, and often-quoted verse in Psalm 116 is verse 15:

My Bible notes that 'precious' refers to costly, indicating that the life of the saint is valuable.  Of course our God would consider a life for whom the blood of His Son was spilt to be quite precious indeed!

Those who are redeemed with precious blood are so dear to God that even their deaths are precious to him.
~ Spurgeon

In verse 11, David admits that he has sinned with his tongue - he spoke in haste.  How many times have we regretted words spoken "off the cuff," before we had taken time to calm our spirits and speak with controlled emotions!  Spurgeon comments:

It is much better to be quiet when our spirit is disturbed and hasty, for it is so much easier to say than to unsay; we may repent of our words, but we cannot so recall them as to undo the mischief they have done. If even David had to eat his own words, when he spoke in a hurry, none of us can trust our tongue without a bridle.

Consider verse 12 in your own life:

What shall I render to the Lord

For all His benefits toward me?

What God wants most from His children is obedience - the outward actions of the trust in our hearts.  Our acts of obedience are visible affirmations that God's word can be trusted  . . . that we can obey in faith that God knows what He is doing.  Have you ever heard that saying:

God said it

I believe it

That settles it!

May we render obedience to the Lord, and like David, offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call upon His name. 

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God hears my voice and my supplication
• God is gracious, righteous, merciful
• God preserves the simple
• God has dealt bountifully with me
• The death off His saints is precious to God
• The Lord is due my thanksgiving

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord that He hears my voice and my supplication; that He inclines His ear to me
• I bless God that He preserves the simple - that I don't have to "impress" Him
• I bless the Lord that He has dealt bountifully with me
• I praise God that death of His children is precious to Him - for they are ushered immediately into His presence
• I praise God that I can call upon His name  . . as long as I live!

PRAYER: - I love this thought expressed by Ruth Harms Calkin - it seems to me like a modern-day expression of something David might have penned during one of these low points in his life:

The End of the Rope

O dear God

I feel as though I am clinging

To a rough, swinging rope.

Beneath me there is only emptiness.

My hands are bruised and bleeding.

There is no possible way

For me to tie a knot

At the end of the rope

And hang on.

O God, please help me.

Frightened child,

Just let go.

I'll catch you.



Psalm 115

To God Alone be the Glory

The title of this psalm reminds me of this famous song by Andrae Crouch.  It was sung at Dave's & my wedding by Charles Heinz.

My Tribute

         ~ Andrae Crouch

How can I say thanks

for the things You have done for me?

Things so undeserved,

yet You gave to prove Your love for me;

the voices of a million angels

could not express my gratitude.

All that I am and ever hope to be,

I owe it all to Thee.

To God be the glory,

to God be the glory,

to God be the glory

for the things He has done

With His blood He has saved me,

with His power He has raised me;

to God be the glory

for the things He has done.



Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,

But to Your name give glory.

                                   ~ Ps. 115:1

In Psalm 115, we are reminded by the psalmist to give glory to God and not ourselves nor to idols.

Come lift your voice

to Heaven's high throne

And glory give

To God alone!

~ James Boice

Our God is in heaven,
He does whatever pleases Him.
~ Ps. 115:3





Do you ask where He is?  He is at the beginning and end of everything, and not far from any of us! 

~ Matthew Henry

This psalm mentions idols and the futility of trusting in them.  Do you see yourself in these verses?  Where do you place your trust, other than in the God of Heaven?  Money?  IRA?  Relationships?  Children?  Status?  Job?  Ask God to show you "idols" in your life today.

They have hands, but they do not handle;
Feet they have, but they do not walk;
Nor do they mutter through their throat.
Those who made them are like them,
So is everyone who trusts in them.
~ Ps. 115:7-8

Regarding verses 7 & 8, my Bible notes:

To trust in an idol is to become like it - powerless and false!

As a mother, verse 14 is near & dear to my heart:

May the Lord give you increase more and more,

You and your children.

~ Ps. 115:14

Regarding this, Spurgeon makes this note:

Let parents seek more grace for themselves for the sake of their children.

(a) That the children may be more influenced by their example

(b) That the parents' prayers may be more prevalent on their children's behalf

(c) That their children may be more blessed for their sakes

They who do not praise God here will not praise Him hereafter; they who praise God in this life will praise Him forever more.  ~ C.H. Spurgeon

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God is due glory, because of His mercy and truth
• God is in Heaven - He has not moved!
• God does whatever pleases Him
• God is our help and shield
• The Lord is mindful of us
• The Lord will bless all who fear Him, both great and small
• The heavens are the Lord's

 HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS  PSALM:

• I praise the Lord that He is mindful of someone as wicked as I; that I will be blessed by Him
• I praise the Lord that I can trust my children to His care

PRAYER:

     To Your name I give glory, O God Most High, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.  I bless You that You are in Heaven, on Your throne, immovable.  No matter the circumstances here on earth, You remain on Your throne, ever-mindful of Your children. 

     How my heart praises You that You are mindful of me . . . how I rejoice that You have made me Your child, and for the blessings You have bestowed on me.  I pray for my own children, that You will be mindful of them and pour Your blessings into their lives.  Will You grant to them a hunger & thirst for righteousness, and may they follow Your voice and walk in obedience to You all the days of their lives. 

     Be my help and shield; may I never look to another or fill my life with false idols.  Keep my eyes & mind alert to the things I put above You, that I may repent and trust only in You. 

     I will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore - praise the Lord!  In Jesus' name ~ Amen





Psalm 114

In Praise for the Exodus

Psalm 114 is the second psalm of the Egyptian Hallel and a hymn of praise to God who delivered Israel from Egypt in the Exodus.

Matthew Henry makes this observance:

The deliverance of Israel out of Egypt gave birth to their church and nation.  In this psalm it is celebrated in lively strains of praise; it was fitly therefore made a part of the great Hallelujah, or song or praise, which the Jews were wont to sing at the close of the Passover-supper.  It must never be forgotten: 

• That they were brought of slavery
• That God set up His tabernacle among them
• That the sea and Jordan were divided before them
• That the earth shook at the giving of the law when God came down at Mt. Sinai
• That God gave them water out of the rock, which followed them through the dry and sandy deserts

The mountains skipped like rams.

~ Ps. 114:4

Possibly referred to the quaking of Mt. Sinai



Moses brings water out of the rock for the children
of Israel



 "Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink.  For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ."         ~ I Cor. 10:1-5

The same God who provided for those He rescued from Egypt provides equally for the new Israel. As they drank from the rock, so we drink from the Rock of Christ. As they ate the bread of God, so we do the same of the Bread of Life, Jesus Himself.

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God set His heart on the children of Israel
• God delivers His people

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord that He has seen fit to make me one of His chosen ones as well. 

PRAYER: by F.B. Meyer

     Heavenly Father!  You kill and make alive; You bring down to the grave and bring up; You raise up the poor from the dust and lift the needy from despair, to make them sit in heavenly places and inherit the throne of God.  Glory to You, O Most High!

Psalm 113

The Condescending Grace of God

When I survey the wondrous Cross

On which the Prince of Glory died

My richest gain I count but loss

And pour contempt on all my pride 

~ Isaac Watts

 Psalm 113 is the first of 6 psalms (113 – 118) known as the “Egyptian Hallel” (Egyptian Praise).  Psalms 113 and 114 were customarily sung before the Passover Meal, and 115 – 118 were sung after it. 

The call to offer praise in verses 1-3 precedes a recital of the characteristics of God that are worthy of that praise.

 During the first Passover, God helped the children of Israel escape slavery from the Egyptians by inflicting 10 plagues upon the land of Egypt.  The 10^th and worst of the plagues was the slaughter of the first-born of every household.  The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of the spring lamb – and in seeing this, the spirit of the Lord “passed over” these homes and did not visit them with death.

 This was a sign to come of the Messiah – that His blood was shed for us so that God’s wrath will “pass over” those who believe in Christ and we will not be ultimately destroyed.

For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment; I am the Lord.  Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are.  And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.   ~Exodus 12:12-13

  

For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

 ~I Cor. 5:7

As we reflect on this Easter Sunday and praise our God for providing His sacrificial lamb for us so that His cup of wrath will “pass over” us and we can enter into His presence clothed in the righteousness of Christ, let us claim with the words of the psalmist in verse 3

The Lord’s name is to be praised!

I love verses 5 & 6 :

Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high,

And humbles Himself to behold

The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?

If it be such condescension for God to behold things in Heaven and earth, what an amazing condescension was it for the Son of God to come from Heaven to earth and take our nature upon Him, that He might seek and save those that were lost! 

 ~ Matthew Henry

I have two very favorite hymns – below is one of them:

How Deep the Father’s love for Us

~ Stuart Townend

How deep the Father’s love for us

How vast, beyond all measure

That He would give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure!

How great the pain of searing loss

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the Chosen One

Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

What should I gain from His reward

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• The Lord’s name is to be blessed forevermore
• The Lord is high above all nations
• The Lord dwells on high
• The Lord humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth
• The Lord is with the poor and needy

 HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

I bless the Lord that He humbled Himself to behold me – that He raised me out of the dust and lifted me out of the ash heap . . . and that I that I will one day be seated in the heavenly places with the Prince of Glory at His table – the Lord’s name is to be praised!

 PRAYER: by Ruth Harms Calkin

It was early dawn, Lord

And I was looking for You.

Looking

Looking

And weeping.

Within the dismal tomb

I searched

I called

I waited

But nowhere could I find You.

Then through the gray

There came a vibrant voice:

He’s risen!

He’s alive!

Rush toward joy!

You’ll find Him everywhere

Outside the tomb –

But never, never there.

Startled and amazed

I left the tomb

To walk the path of praise –

Then looking up

I saw You by my side

And all of life became

An Easter morn.

Psalm 112

The Blessings of Those Who Fear God

Psalm 112 begins with the same "Hallelujah" as Psalm 111.  It reiterates the message of Psalm 111 - of how much it is our wisdom to fear God and do His commandments.  The psalm ends with good and evil set before us, the blessing and the curse. 

The psalmist begins with a call to praise God, and then turns to those who fear and serve the Lord - noting that they are a blessed people owing entirely to the grace of God.  Matthew Henry notes those whom the psalmist pronounces as blessed:

1. They stand in awe of God and have a constant reverence for His majesty and a deference to His will
2. They are called the upright, and deal faithfully both with God and man
3. They are both just and kind in all their dealings
4. They shall be blessed of God - they shall prosper, and especially their souls shall prosper
5. They shall have comfort in affliction
6. They shall have wisdom for the management of all their concerns



Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness.
~ Ps. 112:4

My Bible notes that the righteous man is characterized by his sense of divine guidance, as well as by his generosity.  In addition, it is noted that those who fear the Lord will have their share in the common calamities of human life, but when they 'sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to them.' (Mic. 7:8)

Regarding verse 3, we obviously know that not all Christians are millionaires.  Many are not financially well-off at all.  So what does it mean, "wealth and riches will be in his house"?  Matthew Henry notes:

They shall be blessed with outward prosperity as far as is good for them.  But, which is much better, is that they shall be blessed with spiritual blessings, which are true riches. 

Grace is better than gold, for it will outlast it.

He will not be afraid of evil tidings;

His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

~ Ps. 112:7

Trusting in the Lord is the best and surest way of fixing and establishing the heart. 

The fixedness of the heart is a sovereign remedy against the disquieting fear of bad news. 

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God is worthy of our praise
• God is worthy of our trust
• Committing our lives to God will cause His children to lead lives that are "other" than those of the world:  full of grace, compassion, righteous living, generous spirit, unshakable faith, a steadfast heart

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord that, through His power, I can be 'different.'  I can be transformed, by His Holy Spirit, into an upright person, gracious and full of compassion & righteousness. 
• I praise the Lord that because I trust in Him, my heart can be steadfast and established; unafraid

PRAYER:

God of creation, You formed us out of the dust of the earth and breathed life into us.  By Your Spirit, breathe new life into us.  Lead us to life eternal by the mighty love of Jesus Christ, who suffered on the cross and was raised from the dead.  You lifted Him to glory, where with outstretched arms, He welcomes the world with His strong embrace of salvation.  In His holy name we pray ~ Amen

 - Presbyterian Church



Psalm 111



Praise for God's Tender Care

will sing my Maker’s praises and in Him most joyful be,

For in all things I see traces of His tender love to me.

~ Paul Gerhardt

 Psalm 111 is also entitled "Hallelujah - Praise the Lord!"  It is a hymn in praise of God, and it is written in an "acrostic" form having 22 lines, with each succeeding line beginning with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  We will see this again in expanded form when we study Psalm 119.

Biblical scholars believe that Psalm 111 was penned by David for the services of the church during their solemn feasts.  Through it, the psalmist exhorts us to praise God

1. by setting himself as an example for us
2. by furnishing us with matter for praise from the works of God
3. and he recommends the holy fear of God and a conscientious obedience to His commands as the most acceptable way of praising God.  

Item #3 is very good food for thought, isn't it?  How well does my daily Christian walk reflect praise to God?

I will praise the Lord with my whole heart.
~ Ps. 111:1

He has made His wonderful works to be remembered. . .
He has declared to His people the power of His works.
~ Ps. 111:4,6

   

Matthew Henry notes that God's works are great like Himself; there is nothing in them that is mean or trifling

God works are the products of infinite wisdom and power

Psalm 111 is only 10 short verses, but holds such wondrous truths!  It
speaks of

• God's wonderful works
• His faithfulness to His covenant with His people
•  the surety, truth and uprightness of His precepts
• His redemption for His people

At the reading of this psalm, there is no other action than to praise His holy and awesome name!

We see once again the "fear of the Lord" mentioned - Ps. 111:10 is a well-known verse:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.

~ Ps. 111:10

 As my Bible notes and we've seen in prior discussions, fear of the Lord is reverence and awe before Him.  True religion is a life that expresses its accountability to God.  This awareness of accountability to God is seen as the foundation of wisdom.

Men can never begin to be wise until they begin to fear God.

Where the fear of the Lord rules in the heart there will be a constant conscientious care to keep His commandments.   ~ Matthew Henry

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God is worthy of our praise - with our whole hearts
• God works are great, wonderful, powerful, everlasting
• The works of God's hands are truth and justice
• God's precepts are sure, everlasting, and done in truth and uprightness
• God is our Redeemer
• God is ever-mindful of His covenant and has commanded it forever
• Holy and awesome is His name!
• The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom

 HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:
On this Good Friday, how fitting to meditate upon a psalm that is full of praise to God!  May our hearts reflect on this day and the event that occurred over 2,000 years ago . . . and remember that it was the covenant God made with His people - to be their Redeemer - that He sent His Son to die for our sins.  As verse 9 says, He has sent redemption to His people.  By Christ's death on the cross and resurrection.  His praise endures forever!

PRAYER:

Christ Jesus, You hung upon a cross and died for us

So that we might live for You.

Your body was broken and Your blood shed

So that we might be healed and made whole.

You were faithful unto death 

So that we might be faithful unto life.

Your last command was that we might love one another,

One family together from every tribe and nation,

A new creation united through Your sacrifice,

Redeemed by Your blood

Healed by Your love

United by Your covenant of peace

In Your death may we find life

~ Christine Sine

Psalm 110

The Coming of the Priest-King-Judge

Psalm 110 is the one most frequently quoted or alluded to in the New Testament.  It is a psalm of Christ's Resurrection, Ascension, and Session in glory.  What a perfect week to meditate on the beautiful truths of this psalm, as we approach the celebration of Easter this Sunday!  Glorious things are spoken here of Christ.  He existed in glory as the eternal Son of God, and is superior to all earthly kings.

This psalm is one of the fullest and most compendious prophecies of the person and offices of Christ in the whole Old Testament.    ~ Charles Spurgeon

This psalm has been well designated the crown of all the Psalms, of which Martin Luther says that it is worthy to be 'overlaid with precious jewels.' Luther further states, regarding verse 5

a well spring, -- nay, a treasury of all Christian doctrines, understanding, wisdom, and comfort, richer and fuller than any other passage of Holy Writ.

Verse 1 is a famous verse, and is spoken of again by Jesus Himself in Matthew 22:44-45-

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, "What do you think about the Messiah?  Whose son is He?"
"The son of David," they replied.
He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call him 'Lord,' saying:
     'The LORD said to my Lord,
     Sit at My right hand
     Until I put your enemies beneath Your feet"?
If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his son?"

No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.

Spurgeon comments on this fabulous discourse:

The LORD said unto thy Lord. -- Jehovah said unto my Adonai: David in spirit heard the solemn voice of Jehovah speaking to the Messiah from of old. What wonderful intercourse there has been between the Father and the Son!

Though David was a firm believer in the Unity of the Godhead, he yet spiritually discerns the two persons, distinguishes between them, and perceives that in the second he has a peculiar interest, for he calls him "my Lord." This expresses the Psalmist's reverence, his obedience, his believing appropriation, and his joy in Christ.

It is well to have clear views of the mutual relations of the persons of the blessed Trinity; indeed, the knowledge of these truths is essential for our comfort and growth in grace. There is a manifest distinction in the divine persons, since one speaks to another; yet the Godhead is one.

In verse 4, the King is identified as a perpetual priest "according to the order of Melchizedek."  The name Melchizedek means "Righteousness is my king."  Melchizedek is Biblically identified as the King of Salem and priest of God Most High. Thus, Psalm 110 is telling us that Jesus' High Priesthood is more ancient and superior to the Levitical high priesthood. 

For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.
~ I Cor. 15:25

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:
There is so much to learn in this psalm.  We could much more than one day meditating on and studying the truths of this psalm - I encourage you to further your understanding by spending more time on Psalm 110. 

• Our Messiah is David's Lord. 
• Jesus is constituted a sovereign Lord by the counsel and decree of God Himself
• Christ will have a kingdom established in this world
• Christ will overcome His enemies
• Our Lord Jesus is God's minister to us, our Advocate with God, and a Mediator between God and man

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord that He is my great High Priest, my Advocate, my Sovereign Lord, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, And He shall reign forever and ever, Hallelujah!

 PRAYER: another beautiful prayer by pastor Scotty Smith on this day in Holy Week:

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, “What do you think about the Christ?” Matthew 22:41

     Dear Lord Jesus, it’s Thursday of Holy Week. The question You directed to Pharisees en route to the cross, You still put before us. “What do you think about the Christ?”  There’s no more important question for us to wrestle throughout our lives. No other question has the power to disrupt us and delight us like this one.

     What  do I think about You, Lord Jesus? Who do I think You are? You are God and I’m a mere man. I would despair if You were anything less and I get weary of trying to be more. You are the creator, sustainer and restorer of all things. You don’t just care about my soul, You care about everything You have made. One day You will return to finish making all things new.

     Lord Jesus, I honor You as the promised Messiah—the one who fulfills every promise the Father has made. You as the second Adam—our substitute in death and in life. You lived a life of perfect obedience for us and You exhausted God’s judgment that stood against us. You are our complete forgiveness and our perfect righteousness before the Father. Nothing will every separate us from Your love. I humbly and confidently stake my life and my death upon what You’ve done for us.

     Lord Jesus, there’s so much more to who You are, and eternity will be a perpetual discovery of the inexhaustible riches found in You. But this particular holy week, I’m especially comforted to know You are always thinking about us. It’s what You think about us that makes all the difference to me.

     We are in Your heart and on Your mind all the time. You are always praying for us and advocating for us before the Father. You greatly delight in us and You will never be ashamed of us. Indeed, You know us the best and You love us the most. With fresh gratitude and knee-buckling awe, we worship and adore You on this Thursday of Holy Week.  So very Amen, we pray, in Your name-above-all-names name.