Book 1, Psalms 1-41
Prepared for Psalms Group, August 9, 2020
Overfamiliarity may rob these two vibrant psalms of creation of their energy, their ability to describe and create experiences of the glory of God in God’s creation. May the Holy Spirit fill us and the words of these psalms with Life-giving grace as we read, reflect on, and receive these hymnic psalms as spiritual nourishment.
Prepared for Psalms Group on Sunday, July 19, 2020
“Comfort Even When There Is No Assurance” is the title of Marva Dawn’s chapter on Psalm 39 in I’m Lonely, Lord—HOW LONG? To introduce this psalm, she shares a friend’s statement of trust in God: “I just believe that God is still in control and that he will bring good out of all things.” The friend, as it turns out, is a quadriplegic who was paralyzed by an automobile accident. (Dawn, p. 139)
Prepared for Psalms Group meeting on July 12, 2020
Here is a printable PDF file for our meeting. The text is below if you prefer to access it online.
Psalm 30 is an individual’s song of thanksgiving. It tells the story of going into trouble and coming out of trouble.
Psalm 30 narrates the person’s story of assurance and confidence morphing into self-sufficiency and conceit. Then the loss of self-sufficient well-being (prosperity, health) brings disorientation that resembles death. From the depths of the pit of despair at both his deathly circumstances and his own arrogance and complacency, the humbled psalmist cries to YHWH for mercy and help.
The King of Glory Is Our God
The King of Glory
This is temple entrance liturgy.
Ro. 8:1-11
Note that the verse numbering in the New Coverdale version below differs from the ESV.
A Psalm of David.
24
Domini est terra
1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, *
the compass of the world and those who dwell therein.
2 For he has founded it upon the seas *
and established it upon the rivers of the deep.
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord ? *
Or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, *
and who has not set his mind upon vanity, nor sworn to deceive his neighbor.
5 He shall receive blessing from the Lord *
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is the generation of those who seek him, *
even of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
7 Lift up your heads, O you gates, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors; *
and the King of glory shall come in.
8 “Who is the King of glory?” *
“It is the Lord, strong and mighty, even the Lord, mighty in battle.”
9 Lift up your heads, O you gates, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors; *
and the King of glory shall come in.
10 “Who is the King of glory?” *
“The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.”
Wise The Rule of God Through His King
The King Rejoices in the LORD’s Strength
This is a royal psalm and a psalm of thanksgiving.
These are psalms in which the Davidic king is the central figure. The king’s authority comes from God, and his task is to rule as God’s representative in the kingdom on earth. Since he is God’s representative on earth, the enemies of God oppose him. These psalms find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ when “He will come again to judge the living and the dead.” (The Apostles’ Creed, BCP, p. 96)
Examples: Psalms 2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 101, 110, 144
These psalms/songs praise God in response to an event of deliverance already experienced. They are songs sung by people who, after a time of waiting, have experienced the goodness of God in the everyday world. These songs come from ordinary individuals, the king (royal), or the believing community.
Examples: Psalms 30, 32, 34, 65, 67, 92, 107, 116, 124, 138 and others
Phil. 2:5-11
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
21
Domine, in virtute tua
1 The King shall rejoice in your strength, O Lord; *
exceedingly glad shall he be of your salvation.
2 You have given him his heart’s desire, *
and have not denied him the request of his lips.
3 For you shall meet him with the blessings of goodness, *
and shall set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him: *
length of days, for ever and ever.
5 His honor is great because of your salvation; *
glory and majesty shall you lay upon him.
6 For you shall give him everlasting felicity *
and make him glad with the joy of your countenance.
7 For the King puts his trust in the Lord, *
and because of the mercy of the Most High, he shall not be moved.
8 All your enemies shall feel your hand; *
your right hand shall find those who hate you.
9 You shall make them like a fiery oven in the time of your wrath; *
the Lord shall destroy them in his displeasure, and the fire shall consume them.
10 Their offspring you shall root out of the earth, *
and their seed from among the children of men.
11 For they intended evil against you, *
and imagined wicked schemes, which they are not able to perform.
12Therefore you shall put them to flight, *
and the strings of your bow you shall aim at their faces.
13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your own strength; *
so we will sing and praise your power.
The Glory of the Creator and of Man
How Majestic Is Your Name
This is a hymn.
Hymns extol the glory and greatness of God as it is revealed in nature and history, and particularly in Israels’s history. Hymns praise God in general terms for his power and faithfulness as creator of the cosmos, ruler of history, and creator/redeemer of Israel to bring blessing to all the world. Israel’s hymns stress God’s active involvement in the life story of Israel. Hymns typically demonstrate motives for worshipping and praising God. A clear example is Psalm 117, the shortest psalm, just two verses:
1 O praise the Lord, all you nations; *
praise him, all you peoples.
2 For (= Hebrew ki) great is his loving-kindness towards us, *
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Praise the Lord.
Hymns were used for exuberant worship in the temple and the synagogue. The people of God before the Incarnation invite us to celebrate and praise with them in hope of the kingdom of God and his Messiah. Hymns, like all psalms, show Christians how to praise God who has acted in creation, in revelation, and in redemption, and who is acting decisively in establishing his kingdom on earth. They do not ask anything; they simply rejoice in God’s presence.
Examples: Psalms 8, 19:1-6, 33, 66:1-12, 100, 103, 104, 145-150, and others
Ro. 11:33-36
To the choirmaster: According to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.
8
Domine, Dominus noster
1 O Lord our Governor, how excellent is your Name in all the world; *
you have set your glory above the heavens!
2 Out of the mouth of babes and infants you have ordained strength, because of your enemies, *
that you might still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens, even the works of your fingers, *
the moon and the stars, which you have ordained,
4 What is man, that you are mindful of him, *
the son of man, that you visit him?
5 You made him little lower than the angels, *
to crown him with glory and honor.
6 You made him to have dominion over the works of your hands,*
and you have put all things in subjection under his feet:
7 All sheep and oxen, *
even the beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, *
and whatsoever walks through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord our Governor, *
how excellent is your Name in all the world!
Psalm 35 is a lament psalm of angry complaint. Trouble seems close by, hatred is growing, and trust in God is wavering. Maybe you can relate to a person in a badly deteriorating situation—you or others you have known or heard about, now or in the past.
God’s Blessings in Adversity
O LORD, Be Gracious to Me
This is an individual lament.
More than 1/3 of the Psalms fall into the category of complaints to God in situations of limitation or threat. These laments were a form of prayer and praise based on the conviction that God is concerned about people and answers the human cry in ways surpassing human expectation or understanding. Israel’s laments out of distress were a way of praising God even when he seemed absent. The faith of the psalmists is founded on the good news that God intervenes in desperate situations to help those who are distressed. The psalmists share a deep confidence that God is compassionate, concerned, hearing his people and involved with them; God is faithful and trustworthy. A lament is an outcry to God from a responsive heart. Laments came from individuals or from the community.
Examples: Psalms 3-5, 22, 27:7-14, 42, 51, 69, 90, 130, 137 and many others
James 1:23-25; 4:17
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
41
Beatus qui intelligit
1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor and needy; *
the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble.
2 The Lord preserves him and keeps him alive, that he may be blessed upon earth, *
and delivers him not over to the will of his enemies.
3 The Lord comforts him when he lies sick upon his bed, *
and restores him from his bed of sickness.
4 I said, “Lord, be merciful to me; *
heal my soul, for I have sinned against you.”
5 My enemies speak evil of me: *
“When shall he die, and his name perish?”
6 And if anyone comes to see me, he speaks empty words; *
his heart conceives falsehood within him, and when he goes forth, he tells it.
7 All my enemies whisper together against me; *
even against me are they devising evil:
8 “A deadly thing has taken hold of him, *
and now that he lies down, he will rise up no more.”
9 Indeed, even my own familiar friend, whom I trusted, who also ate of my bread, *
has lifted up his heel against me.
10But be merciful to me, O Lord; *
raise me up again, and I shall repay them.
11By this I know you favor me, *
that my enemy does not triumph over me.
12And when I am in health, you uphold me, *
and shall set me before your face for ever.
13Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, *
world without end. Amen.
The Joyful Experience and Expectation of Salvation
My Help and My Deliverer
This psalm has two literary types:
These psalms/songs praise God in response to an event of deliverance already experienced. They are songs sung by people who, after a time of waiting, have experienced the goodness of God in the everyday world. These songs come from ordinary individuals, the king (royal), or the believing community.
Examples: Psalms 30, 32, 34, 65, 67, 92, 107, 116, 124, 138 and others
More than 1/3 of the Psalms fall into the category of complaints to God in situations of limitation or threat. These laments were a form of prayer and praise based on the conviction that God is concerned about people and answers the human cry in ways surpassing human expectation or understanding. Israel’s laments out of distress were a way of praising God even when he seemed absent. The faith of the psalmists is founded on the good news that God intervenes in desperate situations to help those who are distressed. The psalmists share a deep confidence that God is compassionate, concerned, hearing his people and involved with them; God is faithful and trustworthy. A lament is an outcry to God from a responsive heart. Laments came from individuals or from the community.
Examples: Psalms 3-5, 22, 27:7-14, 42, 51, 69, 90, 130, 137 and many others
1 John 4:1-19
Note that the verse numbering in the New Coverdale version below differs from the ESV.
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
40
Expectans expectavi
1 I waited patiently for the Lord, *
and he inclined to me, and heard my call.
2 He brought me out of the horrible pit, out of the mire and clay; *
he set my feet upon the rock, and secured my footing.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth, *
a song of thanksgiving unto our God.
4 Many shall see and fear, *
and shall put their trust in the Lord.
5 Blessed is the man who has set his hope in the Lord, *
and has not turned to the proud, or to those who go about lying.
6 O Lord my God, great are the wondrous works which you have done, and also your thoughts toward us; *
there is none who can be compared with you.
7 If I should declare them and speak of them, *
they would be more than I am able to express.
8 Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, *
but my ears you have opened.
9 Burnt offerings and sin offerings you have not required, *
and so I said, “Behold, I come;
10 In the volume of the book it is written of me, that I delight to do your will, O my God; *
indeed, your law is within my heart.”
11 I have declared your righteousness in the great congregation; *
behold, I will not restrain my lips, O Lord, and that you know.
12 I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart; *
my talk has been of your truth and of your salvation.
13 I have not concealed your loving mercy and truth *
from the great congregation.
14 Withdraw not your mercy from me, O Lord; *
let your loving-kindness and your truth always preserve me.
15 For innumerable troubles have encompassed me; my sins have taken such hold of me that I am not able to look up; *
indeed, they are more in number than the hairs of my head, and my heart has utterly failed me.
16 O Lord, let it be your pleasure to deliver me; *
make haste, O Lord, to help me.
17 Let them be ashamed and confounded who seek after my soul to destroy it; *
let them be driven backward and rebuked who wish me evil.
18 Let them be desolate and rewarded with shame *
who say to me, “Aha, Aha.”
19 Let all those who seek you be joyful and glad in you; *
and let those who love your salvation say always, “The Lord be praised.”
20 As for me, I am poor and needy, *
but the Lord cares for me.
21 You are my helper and deliverer; *
do not tarry, O my God.
A Stranger to Life and an Alien With God
What Is the Measure of My Days?
This is an individual lament.
More than 1/3 of the Psalms fall into the category of complaints to God in situations of limitation or threat. These laments were a form of prayer and praise based on the conviction that God is concerned about people and answers the human cry in ways surpassing human expectation or understanding. Israel’s laments out of distress were a way of praising God even when he seemed absent. The faith of the psalmists is founded on the good news that God intervenes in desperate situations to help those who are distressed. The psalmists share a deep confidence that God is compassionate, concerned, hearing his people and involved with them; God is faithful and trustworthy. A lament is an outcry to God from a responsive heart. Laments came from individuals or from the community.
Examples: Psalms 3-5, 22, 27:7-14, 42, 51, 69, 90, 130, 137 and many others
James 4:7-17
Note that the verse numbering in the New Coverdale version below differs from the ESV.
To the choirmaster: to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
39
Dixi, Custodiam
1 I said, “I will take heed to my ways, *
that I may not offend with my tongue.
2 I will keep my mouth as with a bridle *
while the ungodly are in my sight.”
3 I held my tongue and spoke nothing; *
I kept silence, even from good words; but it was pain and grief to me.
4 My heart was hot within me, and while I was thus pondering the fire kindled, *
and at the last I spoke with my tongue:
5 “Lord, let me know my end and the number of my days, *
that I may learn how short my life is.
6 Behold, you have made my days as a span in length, *
and my age is even as nothing before you; and truly, everyone living is but a breath.
7 For everyone walks about as a shadow, and disquiets himself in vain; *
he heaps up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them.
8 And now, Lord, what is my hope? *
Truly, my hope is in you.
9 Deliver me from all my offenses, *
and make me not a taunt of the foolish.
10 I became mute and opened not my mouth, *
for it was you that brought it to pass.
11Take your affliction from me; *
I am consumed by the blows of your heavy hand.
12 When you, with rebukes, chasten someone for sin, you consume what is dear to him, like a moth eating a garment; *
everyone therefore is but vanity.
13 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and with your ears consider my cry; *
hold not your peace at my tears.
14For I am a stranger with you, *
and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.
15O turn your gaze from me, that I may again be glad, *
before I go away to be seen no more.”