You, Only You, Have I Wronged - Psalm 51

You can't read through the Psalter without reflecting on this gem here.

Psalm 51 is used heavily in the liturgy, and given King David's awful spiral of lust, adultery, and murder, this Psalm gives us a vivid setting (2 Samuel 11-12) to contemplate how a man so great and after God's own heart went so wrong.

First off, notice how David quickly admits his multi-faceted wrong. He doesn't say, "Change my circumstances." He says, "Change me." He says this because his evil self, the natural self which doesn't have God's renewing Spirit, is conceived in sin and is rotten to the core.

Have Me Know, Yahweh, My End and The Measurement of My Days - Psalm 39

I don't have anything particularly profound to say about this Psalm, but when I read it yesterday and used it as my morning prayer it reminded me of this: I can't wait to immerse my own kids (future kids at this point) in the biblical texts and have them know the Psalter well.

There's so many good reasons that the Psalter has always been popular, but one is that there's a psalm, it seems, for every sentiment and every situation in life. How many young people today seriously contemplate their end? How many think about their death, and linked to that what or whom there hope is in?

What are other reasons you enjoy (or maybe don't enjoy!) the Psalter?

How Long? - Psalms 13 & 14

How long? A question any Christian has asks in times of trouble. What strikes me about Psalm 13 is that it's ok to ask God questions, to pour out what you're thinking. And I shouldn't say it's ok, but also good. David does it here in the Bible! I think of Jeremiah doing the same thing (Jeremiah 12:1-4, 20:7-10) during his hardships for the sake of following God's Word, and the saints awaiting justice in Revelation 6:9-11.

When we ask this, when we feel forgotten by God, we remember God's past mercy (חֶסֶד). And this gives us joy and confidence since we know that through it all, God's accomplishing his purposes. Think of David's hardships during the conspiracies of Absalom and Adonijah. It corrected David, showed him the consequence for sin, and prepared the throne to be passed on to Solomon who completed the construction of the temple. This Psalm is a prayer for patience and trust.

Yahweh, Your Throne Is In The Heavens - Psalms 11-12

Psalm 11 is so fitting when a Christian feels like society and its values are just dominating so hard that many feel like throwing in the towel. The center verse says, "Yahweh is in his holy temple. Yahweh, his throne is in the heavens." Remember, heaven is primarily seen as God's command center, and as our gracious and sovereign ruler, nothing escapes his attention as he is interested in what's going on below. I think of Hebrew 4:13. 


Psalm 12 has the theme of proud words versus pure words. There were so times in David's life for which this Psalm would've been quite appropriate. I think of the Ziphites while David was fleeing Saul (1 Samuel 23) or deceitful traitors like Ahithophel during Absalom's coup (2 Samuel 16-17). 


Smooth lies include times when we try rationalize or explain away sin saying, "Everybody's doing it." Or "it just feels right." And of course, God's Word is the antidote to such thoughts, and the Lord will protect and guard us as we guard and protect his Word. I imagine this Psalm was so appropriate, comforting, and treasured by the early Christians as they faced persecution form the sake of God's Word and confessing Jesus as Lord. 


I'm really enjoying making the Psalms the basis of my prayer life...it should've been obvious, but that's how it goes sometimes. 

Why, Yahweh, Do You Stand Far Off? - Psalms 10

As I said yesterday, this Psalm is closely linked to Psalm 9. He's complaining mostly about the prosperity of the wicked, and God's seeming indifference since nothing is done about it.

The Psalm starts out with the great, "why?" Why does injustice seem to reign? Why are the corrupt and jerks making the big bucks and I'm struggling to make an honest living? It's a fitting prayer or meditation for times when it seems that evil wins and good loses.

Yahweh Makes Himself Known By The Justice He Makes – Psalm 9

Many consider Psalm 9 and 10 to be one Psalm, or at least a two parter. Both, at least, have similar themes and verbiage, and perhaps a loose acrostic structure. However, the focus in 9 is thanking God for righteous judgement, whereas 10 is a prayer against wicked rulers.

So onto Psalm 9. It sort of picks up where 7 left off. Once again, God is the judge of the world who will vindicate his people by punishing evil. And we see here how David speaks of past judgements made to show the basis of his trust for future judgements. As opposed to many of David’s psalms, this one focuses more on Israel’s national enemies, it seems, than David’s personal ones. And any attempt to drive Israel from their land was an attack on God’s plan, and therefore an attack against God. This Psalm reminds me of the end of Moses’ song in Deuteronomy 32:40-43, or Romans 12:19 and Revelation 19:2. Revenge or repayment from a just and fair God is not evil. In fact, it reflects his holiness because he can’t leave sin unpunished.

Yahweh, our Lord. How Majestic is Your Name in all the Land! - Psalm 8

This Psalm is a calm interlude from the ones surrounding it which talk of the attacks and sufferings enemies are bringing.

We see the simple praise which God receives from even infants contrasted with the defiance of terrible people. Jesus quotes it in Matthew 21:16 to demonstrate the trust (or faith) infants and children have in him.

And this praise is for God’s creation in all its vast array (akin to Romans 1:20). It’s a very fitting Psalm for me today considering that yesterday at church for Trinity Sunday we focused on how in Creation God created humanity to bear his image, with the humility (8:4-5) and responsibility that this all entails in ruling over God’s world (8:6-9) in a benevolent way, the way Christ rules over the Church.

Save Me From All My Persecutors And Rescue Me - Psalm 7

First off, the heading. A Benjamite named Cush isn’t mentioned in the Bible. Maybe he was involved in one of the rebellions, or loyal to Saul? Maybe it’s a different name for Saul?

Psalm 7 has similar content to Psalm 6 (protecting from enemies), but the focus is significantly different. Psalm 6 has confession of guilt, but Psalm 7 talks of protesting innocence before people. David can do this because we see through the Psalm that God is a god of justice, and he will bring about justice. Paul, for example, speaks the same way in 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7. I think of Haman reaping what he sowed (Esther 7). And so this moves us to thank God for his justice (5:18)!

I think of how David had not done harm to Saul’s family, as was common when nations switched dynasties. David passed up chance after chance to kill Saul (1 Samuel 24, 26), he praised the people who buried Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 2:4-5), he punished those who murdered Ish-Bosheth (2 Samuel 4), and he welcomed and befriended Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9). I mean, look at 7:5. David is saying it’s wrong to plunder your enemy for no good reason.

But as for me, because of the greatness of your mercy I will come to your house - Psalms 5 & 6

This struck me with I began delving into this Psalm, God wants to empathize with us, and he CAN! He wants us to go to him with our struggles, our groans, our cries for help when no solutions or answers are in sight.

And this is especially interesting considering God’s holiness presented here. Holy in the Bible means, “set apart for a special purpose.” God is holy, so he can’t be around evil (5:4). This is why it’s only because of his mercy (5:7), that is, his undeserved favor that we can approach him (a love fully revealed in Jesus). And it’s in view of this mercy that God leads us to in turn lead a holy life (5:8)

It’s such a paradox. “God hates sinners, but he loves sinners.” And I love paradoxes (and things that are the same), and the Bible has a lot of them. This paradox is what Lutheran`s distinguish as “Law and Gospel” and is central to Lutheran theology (the picture in this post is a Cranach painting depicting Law and Gospel. You got to love medieval German art sometimes...).

Know that Yahweh has set apart the holy for himself! - Psalms 3 & 4

Both of these Psalms talk of God relieving his set apart people from their enemies, and both Psalms make very fitting and applicable evening prayers before going to bed, especially during times for Christians dealing with difficult people who are opposing God’s purposes.

Now, the setting of Psalm 3 is apparently during the attempted coup d'état of David’s son Absalom. The events surrounding this period are in roughly 2 Samuel 15-17, which sheds light on David’s feelings and the pressure facing him. David knows from God’s promise to establish his dynasty and have him rest with his fathers (2 Samuel 7) that this coup won’t succeed, right? This is why his confidence is in Yahweh to protect him and why he can boldly ask him to “Arise and rescue.” Yahweh is faithful to his promises. He is who he is (hence the name). This is why David can sleep secure, even if uncountable enemies surround him and seem to have the upper hand (as Absalom seemed to have had). 

Why Are the Nations Restless, and the People Muttering in Vain? - Psalm 2

The first two Psalms form such a fitting introduction to the whole series of Psalms. Psalm 1, of course, deals with your attitude toward God’s Word. This Psalm deals with your attitude towards God’s Anointed One, which is, of course, the meaning of the word Messiah and Christ (which come from Hebrew and Greek, respectively). Certain important and God-chosen figures in Israel such as prophets, priests, and kings were anointed when they were installed into office. Anointing meant having oil like olive oil poured over your head. This is akin to how for much of world history kings were crowned, or how knights in England are knighted with a sword by the queen (right?).

With the Psalms especially, it’s important for Christians to keep the different “Acts” of the Bible’s purposes in mind (see my page “About the Bible”). What I mean is, to understand them fully, you need to first ponder what it meant for the original audience. Only then can you fully appreciate and properly apply to the current time of the renewed covenant, and to Jesus the Messiah/Christ/Anointed One.

Yahweh Knows the Way of the Just - Psalm 1

I have to say, this has to be one of my favorite Psalms. Opening up to it for me is like entering Cedar Point, and checking out the large main map which is my guide for the park. These rides lead to fun, those rides lead to lame. Anyways...We had to memorize this Psalm for Hebrew class at Martin Luther College, and recite it to the class at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. The Hebrew is elegant, concise, and holds nothing back. And it’s very Jewish (not to say this Middle English here isn't, but...yea...). Now, you might be saying, “Duh, it’s in the Bible.” But let me explain.

It reminds me of the beginning the Didache, which is the earliest Christian “church order.” Jewish catechetical instruction (teaching-centered instruction) characteristically started off with two ways of life, one leading to death, the other to life. And the one you followed depended on your response to God’s Word. And so it is here. Now, of course here in the Psalms God’s Word is primarily his “Torah,” which means his instruction, which is something God has revealed. If anyone ever said meditation is a quirky “Buddhist” or “Eastern” thing, look no farther than Psalm 1:2. The Hebrew יֶהְגֶּ֗ה often refers to muttering…Now, I should say that meditation here is outward focused on God’s Word, and not our own feelings or thoughts.

I like how most translations say, “Blessed…” The Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible [though there is some Aramaic…]) uses the same word (Μακάριος) Jesus does in Matthew 5 in his so called “Beatitudes” to start off his Sermon on the Mount where he calls for Israel to be Israel. Quite woodenly literal the word אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי means “Happinesses of...”