SUNDAYS

The sons of Korah are responsible for this psalm, and a few more to follow this one. We know from 2 Chronicles 20:19 that the sons of Korah were an important piece of the singers in Israel, but we also read in 1 Chronicles 9:17-19 that some were also temple stewards, so some literally dwelled in the temple. This adds an interesting point of view to this psalm. Listen to some of the language used when describing the dwelling place of the Lord. It is lovely. It is blessed. The psalmist says that even the sparrow finds a home with the Lord. Remeber in Matthew 10 when Jesus states that even the sparrow lacks nothing? I wonder if Jesus had this psalm in mind when He said that. There is a longing that the psalmist has about the house of the Lord because that is where the Lord is. We should always be longing to be in the presence of the Lord. That's what he says in verse 10 (a very well known verse) when the psalmist says that one day in His courts is better than 1,000 elsewhere. This is a celbratory and encouraging psalm, guiding us towards seeking the presence of the Lord. It is there where we find joy (verse 2) and where we are made strong (verse 5). Notice I didn't say in a church building is where you find joy and strength, because the Lord is everywhere, and if you are a Christian, then He dwells inside you in the form of the Holy Spirit. Question is. Do we long for the presence of our Lord? 

#jesus #biblestudy

We come to the last psalm of Asaph with another community lament. This was a prayer for the voice of the people to be heard. This was not only a prayer against the enemies of Israel, but for the enemies of God. These enemies have conspired against Israel, and justice is being requested. According to Guzik, "some commentators connect this Psalm with 2 Chronicles 20:1-37 and the victory won in Jehoshaphat’s time. Others see the collection of 10 enemies set against Israel as not referring to one specific occasion, but to the constant danger of extermination Israel lived under – relevant in both the ancient and modern world." The 10 enemies he references is from verses 5-8, and the prayer against these enemies is for the Lord to handle them in the same manner as the time of the Judges (see Judges 4-7).  The most important verse here is found in verse 18. Here, Asaph states that the purpose of his prayer is not for revenge or hatred, but instead that they may know the Lord. How many of you noticed the contrast from verse 1 and verse 18? In verse 1, Asaph speaks to the Lord’s silence, and here in verse 18, His name will be known (or heard) all over the earth! Motive plays a large role in our prayers. Why do we pray for our enemies? Is it for vengeance? Or is it for Him to be known by them? Many of will have a hard time answering this question. It is natural for us to just want them to “leave us alone,” but the Lord wants them to desire Him, and that is what we should be praying for.  

#jesus #biblestudy

This is a short l, but impactful psalm. It really should act as a comfort for those who are weak and vulnerable. There is some interesting language that is used here, however. Particularly the word “god” is used to describe man in this psalm. Notice that in the English, it is lower case “g” which means it is not the Name of God that is being used. It’s really the word used for ruler, or judge. It seems that God Himself is speaking to the rulers of the earth. He places Himself above them (all will answer to Him) and tells them of those great responsibility to care for the sick, the weak, the fatherless and the hungry. He tells them that it is their duty as representatives of Himself to watch over and care for them, not to allow them to be taken advantage of from those who may be better off. For the church, this should be no surprise that the Lord will make a point of taking care of the less fortunate. In the books of the Law special consideration was given to the less fortunate. Jesus made it a point to help those that no one else would. And we see in the early Church that taking care of widows and orphans was part of the ministry of the church. It is important for us to focus in on a humble servant attitude that our Lord Jesus displayed. Notice that this psalm focuses us on providing a service and caring, rather than passing judgement to these people. It is the Lord’s duty to judge, so we are to focus on love and servitude. This is a good lesson for us today, as it seems that even within the church, there is a competition going on. If Christians focused more on others than on themselves, we could reach more people for Christ’s Kingdom. 

#jesus #biblestudy