My reading this week made a connection between the method of interpretation and the authority of Scripture. The reason why some choose “reader response” as a hermeneutical method of scripture rather than “authorial intent” is because they do not want the authority of God’s Word on its divinely inspired terms. They want the meaning of scripture in human terms to suit personal interests.
Reader response is reading the Bible to suit what you want it to say and mean. Authorial intent rests upon what the Biblical authors intended by the Spirit in terms of meaning and principles (patriarchs, kings, sages, prophets, apostles, etc.). The tension is reminiscent of making something “in your own image” vs. accepting scripture as God’s revealed and authoritative word. Even further, the Bible is authoritative only to the extent people agree with it (i.e., it is not authoritative to those engaged in Reader Response).
Key gems in our reading distill these assembled facts: Those who refuse to acknowledge the Bible’s authority will not experience spiritual transformation by the Spirit and the Word. The Bible inherently possesses authority regardless of whether or not the church or individual recognizes it. The ontological ground of the text’s authority is not the same as the epistemic acceptance of the text’s authority. God’s act of inspiration grounds the Bible’s status as God’s revelation. God speaks through the Word whether people recognize or accept its authority or not and it is for this reason that contemporary agendas will never gain control over theology.
The weight of authority comes from a source of authority by revelation as God’s self-witness (e.g., fulfillment of prophecy, miracles, promises, judgments, etc.). This stands as warranted belief in the face of a multitude of defeater claims.
There is a difference between “what it meant” and “what it means.” “What it meant” leads to “what it means” as a matter of coherent principle where implications follow the intent and not what a reader surmises. Especially to form preferred outcomes according to biases stemming from cultural contexts. Moreover, it is possible to treasure biblical principles more than the Bible itself.
There are numerous meta-details around the poetry of Scripture, especially throughout the Psalms. An analysis of facts and details around the structure and background of poetry from a historical, theological, and literary perspective offers a deeper and more comprehensive view of ancient biblical literature and worship.
Themes of Psalms
A. The Sovereign God
The God of Creation (Ps 33, 74, 89, 95, 104, 135, 136, 147, 148)
The God of Israel (Ps 105, 106)
The God of the Nations (Ps 33)
The God who will establish His Rule upon the Earth
B. The People of God – the Righteous; the Enemies of God – the Wicked
C. God’s Attributes Known to His People (Ps 100, 107)
The wicked borrows and does not pay back, But the righteous is gracious and gives.
Ps 37:21, Ps 1:6, Prov 10:1, 2, 4, 7
Synthetic Parallelism
God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
Ps 46:1, Ps 3:4, 29:1, 95:3, Eccl 11:1
Climactic Parallelism
In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed.
Ps 22:4-5
Emblematic Parallelism
As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God.
Ps 41, Ps 42:1, Ps 103:13
Formal (Catch-All)
“But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”
Ps 2:6, others
Rhythm of Thought – Types of Hebrew Parallelism
Rhythm of Sound – Types of Hebrew Poetry
Name
Definition
References
Acrostic
Text stanzas begin with a new letter of the Hebrew alphabet and continue sequentially until completion. A memory device.
The same sound begins with different words through the text.
Ps 122:6
Assonance
The end of each line is a sound alike.
Ps 119:29
Paronomasia
A play on words as written and read – Mispat (justice) vs Mispah (bloodshed)
Is 5:7
Onomatopeia
A word that sounds like what it is describing.
Ps 81:7
Inclusion
A line of text is repeated again in the same text.
Ps 118:1, 29
Rhythm of Sound – Types of Hebrew Poetry
Messianic Psalms
Instance
Messianic Description
Psalm
Fulfillment
1
God declares Jesus to be His Son.
Ps. 2:7
Matt. 3:17
2
All things will be put under Jesus’ feet.
Ps. 8:6
Heb. 2:8
3
Jesus will be resurrected from the dead.
Ps. 16:10
Mark 16:6-7
4
God will forsake Jesus in His hour of need.
Ps. 22:1
Matt. 27:46
5
Jesus will be scorned and mocked.
Ps. 22:7-8
Luke 23:35
6
Jesus’ hands and feet will be pierced.
Ps. 22:16
John 20:25-27
7
Others will gamble for Jesus’s clothing.
Ps. 22:18
Matt. 27:35-36
8
Not one of Jesus’ bones will be broken.
Ps. 34:20
John 19:32-33, 36
9
Jesus will be accused by false witnesses.
Ps. 35:11
Mark 14:57
10
Jesus will be hated without a cause.
Ps. 35:19
John 15:25
11
Jesus will come to do God’s will.
Ps. 40:7-8
Heb. 10:7
12
Jesus will be betrayed by a friend.
Ps. 41:9
Luke 22:47
13
Jesus’s throne will last forever.
Ps. 45:6
Heb 1:8
14
Jesus will ascend to God’s right hand.
Ps. 68:18
Mark 16:19
15
Zeal for God’s house will consume Jesus.
Ps. 69:9
John 2:17
16
Jesus will be given vinegar and gall to drink.
Ps. 69:21
Matt. 27:34
17
Jesus will be a worldwide king.
Ps. 72:1-19
Rev. 19:11-20:6
18
Jesus will pray for His enemies
Ps. 109:4
Luke 23:34
19
Jesus’ betrayer’s place will be filled by another.
Ps. 109:8
Acts 1:20
20
Jesus’ enemies will be made subject to Him.
Ps. 110:1
Matt. 22:44
21
Jesus will be a priest like Melchizedek.
Ps. 110:4
Heb. 5:6
22
Jesus will be the chief cornerstone.
Ps. 118:22
Matt. 21:42
23
Jesus will come in the name of the Lord.
Ps. 118:26
Matt. 21:91
Messianic Psalms
Interpretive History of Psalms
A. Writings – Individual and Freestanding
Psalms separately inspired and valued as:
Prophetic
Instructive
Allegorical
Historical-Grammatical
B. Worship – For Choirs and Others
C. Compilations – Scrolls, Codices or Books
Ancient Development of Psalms
The process of origination of the Psalms followed (1) individual personal development (2) giving of the Psalms to the Levites for temple worship (later synagogues), and (3) for collection to the book or compilation.
Each psalm originated as a separate piece of individual original work among the political and cultic leaders of Israel (Levites). The political leaders of Israel include Moses, David, and Solomon, and the cultic leaders include Asaph, the sons of Korah, Heman, and Ethan among them all.
After the Psalms were given to the Israelites for public worship in the temple, they were arranged in collection for retrieval and use. The origination of the Psalms was not collected in chronological order, theme, or by the author. They were collected and arranged with editorial intent. The words were retained, but the accompanying music detail was lost.
Psalm Order Formation by Intent
Hebrew Terms of Intent:
Zakar
Yadah
Halel
Meaning:
Remembrance
Acknowledgment
Praise
Idea:
A plea to God we are in trouble
Acknowledgment of answered prayer
Exaltation to God for who He is
Type:
Dirge: Lament (Psalms of Disorientation)
Gratitude: Declared Praise (Psalms of Reorientation)
Hymn: Descriptive Praise (Psalms of Orientation)
Psalm Order Formation by Intent
Psalm Order Formation by Type
The Laments (Psalms of Disorientation)
The Declaratives (Psalms of Reorientation)
The Descriptives (Psalms of Orientation)
Components:
Address Lament Confession of Trust Petition Vow to Praise or Declarative Praise of God
Components:
Proclamation to Praise God Summary Statement Report of Deliverance Praise of God
Components:
Call to Praise Cause of Praise Renewed Call to Praise
Songs to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument. Psalmoi (Greek) or Tehillim (Hebrew) to mean songs of praise or interest to the reader or listener. My personal prayers while reading through the Books of Psalms.
Book One
Chapter
Context
Response
Psalm 1
The Righteous and the Wicked Contrasted
LORD, you alone are completely righteous and You are my everlasting source of righteousness.
Psalm 2
The Reign of the LORD’S Anointed
LORD Jesus, You are the all-powerful and ultimate ruler of all, and I praise You for Your authority, wisdom, and reign.
Psalm 3
Morning Prayer of Trust in God
LORD Jesus, You are my shield and my rock and there is salvation by no other name than Yours.
Psalm 4
Evening Prayer of Trust in God
Holy Spirit, Your presence is what I desire to worship You, LORD, for who You are when I draw near to You.
Psalm 5
Prayer for Protection from the Wicked
LORD, I trust in You to lead me in Your way to keep me safe as you are my refuge.
Psalm 6
Prayer for Mercy in Time of Trouble
LORD, let not my iniquities keep me from You while I plea for your mercy and forgiveness.
Psalm 7
The LORD Implored to Defend the Psalmist against the Wicked
LORD, you have sustained me all these years and it is my continuous heart of repentance that I offer to You.
Psalm 8
The LORD’S Glory and Man’s Dignity
LORD, how awesome is the work of Your hands to bring to existence the Universe and all that exists.
Psalm 9
A Psalm of Thanksgiving for God’s Justice
LORD, let the people of all nationalities see Your glory and what You have made and decreed.
Psalm 10
A Prayer for the Overthrow of the Wicked
LORD, let not the wicked prevail and lend Your strength to the afflicted who trust in You.
Psalm 11
The LORD a Refuge and Defense
LORD, as you hate the wicked and violent, let Your compassion be the source of refuge for those who are Yours.
Psalm 12
God, a Helper against the Treacherous
LORD, while many have abandoned You and Your ways, remember me, and deliver me to safety as I trust in Your word.
Psalm 13
Prayer for Help in Trouble
LORD, while at times I grow distant, may Your steadfast love cause me to rejoice in Your salvation.
Psalm 14
Folly and Wickedness of Men
LORD, You cannot abide those who deny You exist while You restore the fortunes of Your people.
Psalm 15
Description of a Citizen of Zion
LORD, You dwell with those who walk blamelessly before You by the power of Your Spirit.
Psalm 16
The LORD the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death
LORD Jesus, Your defeat over death and Your resurrection is astonishing and I confess as my testimony that You are God.
Psalm 17
Prayer for Protection against Oppressors
LORD, as I call upon You day-by-day, deliver me of any wickedness within me and let my praise please You.
Psalm 18
The LORD Praised for Giving Deliverance
LORD, You are the source of my security and significance while my identity and whole being rests in You.
Psalm 19
The Works and the Word of God
LORD, never let Your word depart from my heart and mind as I worship and honor you throughout all my days.
Psalm 20
Prayer for Victory over Enemies
LORD, as I bear Your name, let it be both in voice and deed that I remember all You’ve spoken in Your word.
Psalm 21
Praise for Deliverance
LORD, I exalt You over all authorities and powers that reside on the Earth for all time.
Psalm 22
A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise
LORD Jesus, You are worthy of all power and authority as the lamb who was slain for the redemption of the world.
Psalm 23
The LORD, the Psalmist’s Shepherd
LORD, Your goodness and mercy are a comfort to me as I seek You and dwell in Your house forever.
Psalm 24
The King of Glory Entering Zion
LORD, You are the King of glory, and it is You in whom I delight.
Psalm 25
Prayer for Protection, Guidance and Pardon
LORD, I am completely reliant upon You to guide my decisions and the course of this life You have given to me.
Psalm 26
Protestation of Integrity and Prayer for Protection
LORD, You are my focus, and I will proclaim You, and serve You as my delight all my days.
Psalm 27
A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God
LORD, if not You in my life, then nothing as You are the One I desire above all else.
Psalm 28
A Prayer for Help, and Praise for Its Answer
LORD, you are the refuge of Your anointed, and those who trust in You rejoice!
Psalm 29
The Voice of the LORD in the Storm
LORD, Your voice is full of power, majesty, and splendor as it speaks of Your glory and holiness.
Psalm 30
Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death
LORD, my heart sings of your mercy and abundant forgiveness that I would tell others of your love, kindness, and faithfulness!
Psalm 31
A Psalm of Complaint and of Praise
LORD, as I age and become drained of vitality and strength by wear and decay, I place into Your hands my entire being.
Psalm 32
The blessedness of Forgiveness and of Trust in God
LORD, You are my hiding place as my sins are covered and my transgressions are forgiven.
Psalm 33
Praise to the Creator and Preserver
LORD, by the guidance of Your word, in spirit and truth, I worship You as Your abundant love is steadfast and my continued delight.
Psalm 34
The LORD, a Provider, and Deliverer
LORD, the presence of Your Spirit overflowing within and over the pages of Your Word testifies to my spirit Your goodness.
Psalm 35
Prayer for Rescue from Enemies
LORD, You are Great and above all, and I trust You to go before me during trials and encounters of heavy burden.
Psalm 36
The wickedness of Men and Lovingkindness of God
LORD, Your steadfast love is new every morning and it stands as an example of the love You have empowered me to give to people when it sometimes isn’t so easy.
Psalm 37
Security of Those Who Trust in the LORD, and Insecurity of the Wicked
LORD, You have demonstrated again and again that when I delight in You, You, in turn, give me the desires of my heart and help make my steps sure and straight.
Psalm 38
Prayer of a Suffering Penitent
LORD, while on my knees and face to the floor before You, You know my heart and my day-by-day desperate prayers of deliverance and repentance from the sins that I despise.
Psalm 39
The Vanity of Life
LORD, PLEASE hear the complaint of my distress for permanent sanctification as I desire to walk by the Spirit and continuously bear the fruit You desire.
Psalm 40
God Sustains His Servant
LORD, while the pressures and evils of this world clamor for my attention and interest, I remember Your work of faithfulness and mercy as You are my ever-present help and deliverer.
Psalm 41
The Psalmist in Sickness Complains of Enemies and False Friends
LORD, I confess I have greatly sinned against You and others, and yet by Your grace, I trust in You for forgiveness and cleansing You have done.
Book Two
Chapter
Context
Response
Psalm 42
Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile
LORD, even as some who are known by your name are contentious and contradictory, let Your grace and peace rest upon me as I seek Your truth.
Psalm 43
Prayer for Deliverance
LORD God, my hope is in You even while some within the household of faith are in turmoil and live in a spirit of error.
Psalm 44
Former Deliverances and Present Troubles
LORD, You are my ever-present and constant source of help and confidence.
Psalm 45
A Song Celebrating the King’s Marriage
LORD, You are my delight, and I worship You and honor You as my everlasting and glorious King.
Psalm 46
God the Refuge of His People
LORD, be forever exalted among the nations as You are our eternal rock and high tower worthy of all glory, praise, and honor.
Psalm 47
God the King of the Earth
My LORD Most High, Your reign and seat of power over all Heaven and Earth is filled with righteousness and praise.
Psalm 48
The Beauty and Glory of Zion
LORD, Your steadfast love is abundant while You dwell in our hearts by Your Holy Spirit.
Psalm 49
The Folly of Trusting in Riches
LORD, even in times of fear and anxiety, I will attend my heart, mind, soul, and strength to You and Your Kingdom as You are worthy of all praise and glory.
Psalm 50
God the Judge of the Righteous and the Wicked
LORD, as my thought life is my biggest problem, I will trust in Your righteous judgments and discipline as I desire to be close to You always.
Psalm 51
A Contrite Sinner’s Prayer for Pardon
LORD, I have sinned against You innumerable times, yet I trust you and desire to please You in repentance as I love You and want to serve You all the days You have given to me.
Psalm 52
Futility of Boastful Wickedness
LORD, all that I have is Yours, and it is Your steadfast love that I will always trust.
Psalm 53
Folly and Wickedness of Men
LORD, I ask for Your continued presence and protection all my days as I seek You and call upon You as my God who I love and worship.
Psalm 54
Prayer for Defense Against Enemies
LORD, hear my prayer and uphold my life to glorify You and serve Your Kingdom in every way that You desire as I trust and obey You in truth.
Psalm 55
Prayer for the Destruction of the Treacherous
LORD, yet while in distress about society today, I trust in You as You are Just, and I am assured and confident that You are at work in Your Kingdom.
Psalm 56
Supplication for Deliverance and Grateful Trust in God
LORD, as You know my pleas for deliverance from besetting sin and obstinate selfish interest, I have faith in You, and I trust You for what You’re doing to transform my heart.
Psalm 57
Prayer for Rescue from Persecutors
LORD, awaken my spirit to produce a love that I wish to live in full all my days before You.
Psalm 58
Prayer for the Punishment of the Wicked
LORD, Your judgments upon the wicked are righteous, and I rejoice in Your acts of justice.
Psalm 59
Prayer for the Deliverance from Enemies
LORD, deliver me from the enemy of sin as I trust You to permanently remove corrupt desires that set a distance between us.
Psalm 60
Lament Over Defeat in Battle, and Prayer for Help
LORD, my courage originates from You as You are my shield and my defense.
Psalm 61
Confidence in God’s Protection
LORD, appoint Your steadfast love and guidance over those who are shepherds of Your word.
Psalm 62
God Alone a Refuge From Treachering and Oppression
LORD, You are my safety and security, and You are the source of my significance while I trust you for fulfillment and nourishment; Your word is my lamp and my guide.
Psalm 63
The Thirsting Soul Satisfied in God
LORD, while adversaries of Your kingdom are contentious and critical, I will trust in You and Your word for instruction and truth by Your Spirit.
Psalm 64
Prayer for Deliverance From Secret Enemies
LORD, keep my heart and mind from the deceptive and wicked influences of evil people who appear well-meaning and of “goodwill.”
Psalm 65
God’s Abundant Favor to Earth and Man
LORD, forgiveness, restoration, and salvation are made possible through Your Son so that You are glorified and given all due honor and praise.
Psalm 66
Praise for God’s Mighty Deeds and For His Answer to Prayer
LORD, You have given me the ability to perceive by the sense within me You have designed, and with these faculties, I choose to see and hear You, and learn Your ways and praise You.
Psalm 67
The Nations Exhorted to Praise God
LORD, the nations are under Your rule and subject to honor You and confess before You that You are LORD and Creator of Heaven and Earth.
Psalm 68
The God of Sinai and of the Sanctuary
LORD, may You be blessed by your graciousness and peace upon Your people who are known by Your name.
Psalm 69
A Cry of Distress and Imprecation on Adversaries
LORD, may Your name be magnified through my life, conduct, and character as You are faithful and my anchor during times of trouble.
Psalm 70
Prayer for Help Against Persecutors
LORD, be promptly attentive to my pleas for your presence so that I would be delivered of anything and everything that might offend You.
Psalm 71
Prayer of an Old Man for Deliverance
LORD, it is my prayer that the fruits of the Spirit would reign within me as I age according to Your will.
Psalm 72
The Reign of the Righteous King
LORD Jesus, may I model Your heart for the needy, the poor, and the oppressed as You are my treasure and everlasting perfect King.
Book Three
Chapter
Context
Response
Psalm 73
God is My Strength and Portion Forever
LORD, You alone possess the words of eternal life and salvation, and You are my refuge in who I trust to guide me with Your counsel and Spirit.
Psalm 74
Arise, O God, Defend Your Cause
LORD God, call to remembrance how I have trusted You and delighted in You where You were at work in my heart and soul for your glory and good pleasure.
Psalm 75
God Will Judge with Equity
LORD, Your judgments are righteous and just as You lift up and redeem some while holding down and casting aside others.
Psalm 76
Who Can Stand Before You?
LORD, You are awesome and wonderous; who can stand before You and Your majestic glory?
Psalm 77
In the Day of Trouble I Seek the Lord
LORD, without You, life is desolate and unfruitful, yet I remember Your work in my heart and spirit to love and worship You to honor and praise You all my days.
Psalm 78
Tell the Coming Generation
My LORD Most High, deliver me with permanent repentance that I would not offend You by repeat offenses. Please pierce my heart to change it where I would delight in You more than any other thing that I would want or desire.
Psalm 79
How Long, O LORD?
LORD, deliver me from any and all competing interests that would draw me away from You. My desire is to be holy, pure, and righteous as You are, and as You are the God of salvation, I trust in You for the work of Your compassion.
Psalm 80
Restore Us, O God
LORD, save and restore me from my lapses in attention and sincere devotion. My desire is with You, but I ask You to cleanse and sustain me as my spirit is nourished by Your steadfast love.
Psalm 81
Oh, That My People Would Listen to Me
LORD, I call to You from within my mind and soul to transform my heart and fill me with Your Spirit. You alone are my delight and satisfaction.
Psalm 82
Rescue the Weak and Needy
LORD, I am in awe of Your pronouncements of justice among those who were appointed to govern and judge the nations. Let Your heart for justice and compassion be seared into my heart and mind as I want to be marked and indwelled by Your righteousness and holiness.
Psalm 83
O God, Do Not Keep Silence
LORD, You are great and most fearsome over all the nations and across all generations for all time!
Psalm 84
My Soul Longs for the Courts of the LORD
LORD of Hosts, I trust in You, and I am ever grateful to appear before You in Your presence. Accept my worship and prayer as I honor You all the days of my life.
Psalm 85
Revive Us Again
LORD, let me not turn back to the folly of my old ways as You are faithful. Keep me from temptation and stumbling as I offer You my prayers and devotion.
Psalm 86
Great Is Your Steadfast Love
LORD, even in the face of my repeated sin which I despise, I lift up my soul to You. Hear my pleas for Your mercies and grace for sanctification. Let Your Spirit remind me each day of Your ways and to fear Your name.
Psalm 87
Glorious Things of You Are Spoken
LORD, it is entirely pleasing that You would love to dwell among Your people!
Psalm 88
I Cry Out Day and Night Before You
LORD, every day my prayers are offered to You in adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication, where I am calling to You for peace and right relationship with You. Please hear my prayers and answer me in Your abundant mercy and kindness.
Psalm 89
I Will Sing of the Steadfast Love of the LORD
LORD, how abundant are Your mercies and faithfulness as You are awesome and worthy of praise and exaltation. Your steadfast love for David and Your people proves to me Your faithfulness, and Your works of salvation give me hope.
Book Four
Chapter
Context
Response
Psalm 90
From Everlasting to Everlasting
LORD, the prayer of Your servant Moses is a delight as he is faithful and loyal to You and Your name. Let me bear the heart of Moses and the heart of David by what I learn in Your Word. You are generous and satisfying as I seek to know You through Your faithfulness to who You have appointed as leaders of Your people.
Psalm 91
My Refuge and My Fortress
LORD, the beauty of Your Word in this Psalm is unmatched by words uttered by human voice. For many years I have dwelled in Your Word, and by Your Spirit, I have been in Your keeping. I delight in Your dwelling places and where You would want me to be, where You would want me to go, and what You would want me to do. LORD, never let me forsake You and make Your keeping of my soul permanent as I seek You and abide in You.
Psalm 92
How Great Are Your Works
LORD, as I worship You and give offerings at Your church I attend, let this time and effort bear fruit as righteousness grows among members to glorify You.
Psalm 93
The LORD Reigns
LORD, as You reign in the hearts of Your people, let everyone see and understand how awesome and powerful You are. To see Your glory and holiness and proclaim Your goodness and trustworthy ways.
Psalm 94
The LORD Will Not Forsake His People
LORD, how long will You permit people to mock and profane Your Imago Dei in the name of modern “social justice”? Let Your justice and care for the impoverished, fatherless, abused, and oppressed grow in the hearts of Your people.
Psalm 95
Let Us Sing Songs of Praise
LORD, in joy, overflowing, I praise You and worship You. You are my peace and rest as I adore You because of who You are and by all Your wonderful attributes.
Psalm 96
Worship in the Splendor of Holiness
LORD, You reign over all the Earth, and You are worshiped by all Your people as creation testifies of Your goodness.
Psalm 97
The LORD’S Power and Dominion
LORD, I give thanks to Your holy name, and I rejoice in You. You are most high exalted over of creation and far above all elohim.
Psalm 98
Sing Praise to the King
LORD, Your judgments upon the nations are righteous, and Your steadfast love and faithfulness upon Your people bring praises to my lips. I rejoice in You by song and adoration as You are my everlasting confidence and peace.
Psalm 99
The LORD is Holy
LORD, You are holy, holy, holy as You are great and exalted above all Your creation and all nations!
Psalm 100
Give Thanks to the LORD
LORD, Your enduring love, which began from before Your creation, is steadfast and faithful.
Psalm 101
Remembering God’s Love
LORD, let Your people and appointed leaders be subject to Your wisdom according to Your truth and righteousness.
Psalm 102
A Prayer for Help
LORD, when I am in distress and circumstances seem hopeless, and without any viable way through hardship, You are there and bring me through. You are able to deliver Your people and Your creation through difficulties and disasters because You are God and in total control.
Psalm 103
Praise God, who Forgives
LORD bless You as your kingdom rules over all and as Your authority is set over all of the heavens and the Earth.
Psalm 104
Praise God, who Creates
LORD God, by Your will, You created everything, and by Your will, they are sustained. How incomprehensible are Your ways, and how marvelous are Your power and glory.
Psalm 105
Thanksgiving for God’s Deliverance
LORD God, I thank You for Your faithfulness to Your covenant across all generations. Your covenant fulfilled through Jesus, where the new covenant of Your kingdom lives on for Your glory is my joy and delight.
Psalm 106
The Unfaithfulness of God’s People
LORD God, I thank You for Your faithfulness to Your covenant across all generations. Your covenant fulfilled through Jesus, where the new covenant of Your kingdom lives on for Your glory is my joy and delight.
Book Five
Chapter
Context
Response
Psalm 107
Let the Redeemed of the LORD Say So
LORD, Thank You for Your steadfast love as it is wonderous and everlasting. By Your steadfast love Your people are delivered.
Psalm 108
With God We Shall Do Valiantly
LORD as I praise and worship You, I am moved and heartened as I desire to obey You with all my mind, heart, and strength.
Psalm 109
Help Me, O LORD My God
LORD, please be merciful to me as I have sinned in attitude, thought, and mind against Your people who are willfully disobedient against Your word. Please forgive me as I work to live out the fruits of the Spirit in gentleness, kindness, and grace.
Psalm 110
Sit at My Right Hand
LORD Jesus, it is awesome to consider who You are and Your authority over all of creation. You are the eternal High Priest and King of kings as our Messianic mediator between God and humanity.
Psalm 111
Great Are the LORD’s Works
LORD, thank You that You have given us Your word to learn of who You are, what You have done and what You are doing.
Psalm 112
The Righteous Will Never Be Moved
LORD, while Your word says that perfect love casts out all fear, I am in awe of Your fearsome power, knowledge, and presence.
Psalm 113
Who Is like the LORD Our God?
LORD, let me be humbled to witness Your glory as Your power and work are revealed throughout creation.
Psalm 114
Tremble at the Presence of the Lord
LORD, just as You have delivered Your people from captivity thousands of years ago, please deliver Your people from indifference, corruption, and their own spiritual preferences against Your interests.
Psalm 115
To Your Name Give Glory
LORD, much of what is produced in Your church is about money and status, as compared to Your instructions and glory. My heart and mind rests in You and as You have given abundant grace to Your people, that is my desire, too.
Psalm 116
I Love the LORD
LORD, You are gracious and righteous, and my gratitude belongs to You for who You are and what You have done through Your Son and the work of creation.
Psalm 117
The LORD’s Faithfulness Endures Forever
LORD, as Your lovingkindness is great and Your truth is everlasting, let all the nations praise and exalt You above all else.
Psalm 118
His Steadfast Love Endures Forever
LORD, as isolation, rejection, and enmity of people in Your church become pressed against me, and one another, my confidence stands in You and Your word as an anchor.
Psalm 119
Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet
LORD, Your Word lights my path before me as Your truth and instructions are a delight to my soul. Your Word is pleasing, and the source of nourishment needed to glorify You and dwell in Your truth. By Your Spirit, teach me Your Word as it was originated and intended for Your purposes and good pleasure.
Psalm 120
Deliver Me, O LORD
LORD, I confess that at times my word is terse and abrasive from unwanted emotions or circumstances that have become contentious. Please help me to guard my tongue from deception and error where dishonor or indifference gets in between us, or those we love.
Psalm 121
My Help Comes from the LORD
LORD, I trust You to keep my heart and soul directed to Your ways and Your interests all my life.
Psalm 122
Let Us Go to the House of the LORD
LORD, let my worship be directed to You and just for what You have done for me. I want to be in worship where Your holiness and beauty is cherished and admired without sensational allure or mere emotional entanglement.
Psalm 123
Our Eyes Look to the LORD Our God
Non nisi te, Domine.
Psalm 124
Our Help Is in the Name of the LORD
LORD, I am susceptible to worldly influences that direct my attention away from the path of sanctification You have set before me. As you have directed my steps in life, I trust You to bring me to completion as Your workmanship.
Psalm 125
The LORD Surrounds His People
LORD, it is You alone I trust for my security and significance. It is not my desire to derive my sense of self-worth or value from anything other than who You say that I am. You are my prize and the treasure that I long to have. Please let Your Spirit keep my heart and mind directed toward You even in the face of towering obstacles.
Psalm 126
Restore Our Fortunes, O LORD
LORD, I am available for the work You see fit in which I could honor and serve You. Bring me to people and ministry that is for Your kingdom as suitable to Your interests.
Psalm 127
Unless the LORD Builds the House
LORD, You provide the resources necessary for Your people to dwell in You. As the birds of the air are cared for, and the lilies of the field are arrayed in beauty, warmth, and sunlight, You care for Your children because You love them.
Psalm 128
Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the LORD
LORD, the lived and labor of this household belongs to You, and it is my desire that we honor You in obedience and by the fruit of the Spirit.
Psalm 129
They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth
LORD, I respect, admire, support, and defend Your people of modern Israel as I love Your people of ancient times even during their times of tribulation and alienation.
Psalm 130
My Soul Waits for the Lord
LORD, I do hope in Your word and my soul waits for You to dwell in Your lovingkindness. Thank you for Your lovingkindness, forgiveness, and renewal that I could stand before You.
Psalm 131
I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul
LORD, how You guide me and where You take me is where I want to be. Even with persistent worldly pressures, and desires of the flesh, I will trust in You for my present and my future as You have guided me and kept my soul with You in the past.
Psalm 132
The LORD Has Chosen Zion
Father God, thank You for Your Son who makes it possible to love and honor You with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. Thank You for Your servant, David who You love, and for Your promises fulfilled down through the ages as You are faithful.
Psalm 133
When Brothers Dwell in Unity
LORD, You are the origin of unity in truth. In You there is peace through You where the unity of Your people is found by what we accept as truth in what we understand and conclude about how existence, creation, and social order really is.
Psalm 134
Come, Bless the LORD
LORD, as blessings come from You, we bless You by praising You. Your blessings are abundant and beyond measure, as You bring to Your people the capacity to receive and give due honor and praise to You for Your glory.
Psalm 135
Your Name, O LORD, Endures Forever
LORD, You provide all that we need as You are good and above all gods, all pleasures, and anything above creation itself. I treasure You for the good that You have done and Your Son for what He is doing.
Psalm 136
His Steadfast Love Endures Forever
LORD, for the numerous works You have done for Your people, Your presence and power are undeniable and praiseworthy.
Psalm 137
How Shall We Sing the LORD’s Song?
LORD, as You have permitted the captivity of Your people to Babylon, I am reminded of the times of spiritual exile I have endured over the course of life. Help me to learn from those seasons of dryness where I am fully confident in You and Your sovereignty.
Psalm 138
Give Thanks to the LORD
LORD God, I do not want to set anything before You or above You. LORD, transform my heart will full and lasting repentance and obedience where I am able to walk according to the Spirit, according to Your will.
Psalm 139
Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me and lead me in the everlasting way.
Psalm 140
Deliver Me, O LORD, from Evil Men
LORD, Your servant David serves as a model for me as praises and prayers are offered to You. When hardships from others are upon me, I will recount Your promises about maintaining my desire, will, and efforts to follow You and obey.
Psalm 141
Give Ear to My Voice
LORD, be merciful to me a sinner. The root of my unacceptable thoughts and words is my heart that needs regeneration and renewal. As I call out to You in repentance, please guard my heart that I would not think or speak in ways displeasing to You.
Psalm 142
You Are My Refuge
LORD, in our distress we reach out to You for mercy and deliverance. We at times become afraid because of what hardships and circumstances are upon us. We wish to avoid pain and suffering, and so we call to You even when our motives are not pure. Please be merciful to us who are unable to pray, praise, and petition correctly out of proper reasons to love and obey You.
Psalm 143
My Soul Thirsts for You
LORD, the urgency of restored fellowship with You by Your Spirit is heavy on the heart and mind as I reach out to You in prayer for cleansing, deliverance, and sanctification. Let my prayers be heard and answer them according to my plea, so that I would not ever offend You.
Psalm 144
My Rock and My Fortress
LORD, Your ever-present help is needed before, during, and after times of conflict with personal temptations, pressures, and interpersonal struggles. Let my voice be heard and anticipate what is needed for my continued and lasting work of devotion.
Psalm 145
Great Is the LORD
LORD, the best part of following You is Knowing You for who You are. You are my joy and my righteousness and my heart’s desire is to know You, LORD. I want to be found in You as I belong to You. You are my treasured possession, my peace, and I am nothing without You.
Psalm 146
Put Not Your Trust in Princes
LORD, it isn’t enough that my thoughts and words praise You and honor You. My desire is that my actions and conduct reflect Your grace and presence in my life. Let my life be a living sacrifice acceptable to You by what I do for those whom You love.
Psalm 147
He Heals the Brokenhearted
LORD, the power You have demonstrated since the beginning has been made evident by historical records from antiquity. Even today and until the new Heaven and Earth, You are at work to bring together Your interests and purposes for the nations and mankind.
Psalm 148
Praise the Name of the LORD
LORD, how wonderful is the splendor and magnificence of Your creative work. When I look to the mountains, I see You there. When I look to the stars and galaxies, I see You there. In my limited capacity to understand You and Your ways, I worship You.
Psalm 149
Sing to the LORD a New Song
LORD, as I sing and play my instruments of praise, may they be an acceptable offering to You. Bring to my heart more time and energy to commit the music I play in honor to You for worship and praise pleasing to You and Your people.
Psalm 150
Let Everything Praise the LORD
LORD God, may my offerings of praise, worship, confession, lament, and adoration be acceptable and pleasing to You. Let the accumulation of all my lifetime praises be as fruit that is well-pleasing and a blessing to You. I praise You and love You.
While the reader of the book of Job is presented with extraordinary hardships placed upon a blameless servant of God (Job 1:8), it becomes apparent that suffering can have a transcendent meaning and purpose that is not readily grasped. From a careful and thorough understanding of the Job text, we are presented with a poetic narrative that describes Job’s encounter with a spiritual adversary. From among the “sons of God” (benê’ hā’ ělō·hîm’) who appeared before Yahweh God, the satan figure in the narrative challenged the morally excellent state of Job in contradiction to how pleased God was with him. The formation of the presence and spectacle of imposed suffering upon the innocent outside of personal responsibility or external natural causes is an alarming theological possibility from a historical perspective.
What is suffering and what causes it?
Job’s antagonistic challengers Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, and Elihu, bring to mind the possibility of what causes for suffering arises from sin or lifestyles of disorder and unwise conduct. Even while Job was falsely charged as guilty of such causes, the underlying consistent premise among them indicates a more narrow validity of what the false accusations were. Throughout scripture, we observe numerous occurrences of suffering as an outcome of evil behaviors as a matter of course. In contrast to the absence of evil thoughts, words, or deeds of Job, Scripture is replete with mistakes, errors in judgment, and outright defiance that led to various levels of undue or unwanted misery. Consider the cause-and-effect relationships that exist between evil and suffering among the numerous stories of the Bible that serve as a source of wisdom for its readers.
From before the fall of mankind, the presence of evil in the universe exposed susceptible humanity to suffering. To eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was to disposition humanity toward perpetual suffering as a consequence of its defiance against Yahweh. When the “serpent” (hā nā·ḥāš) contradicted Yahweh at the garden of Eden to beguile Eve (Gen 3:4), prior to the fall of humanity, there existed a precedent form of disorder within creation that in turn set the environment for participative human suffering. Disorder and evil that entered creation was a betrayal of Yahweh as Creator and separation or alienation, was to propagate for thousands of years with its corresponding expression as human suffering and misery. With violations of the Edenic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants, through the New Covenant toward today among believers and unbelievers alike, people are subject to the effects of suffering that arise from spiritual conflict and natural causes, including corporate, generational, or personal sin.
To define human suffering is to understand the experience as pain or distress, both physical and emotional.1 As to the ultimate cause of sin, Genesis 3:14-19 explicitly details the historical root background that explains the fall of humanity. However, suffering doesn’t necessarily stem from particular sins (Job 1:1, Jn 9:1-3, Job 5:6-7, Rom 5:12-14). As demonstrated in the New Testament, Jesus’ healing of the man born blind casts into a clear understanding that it was not a particular sin of the person suffering (or his parents) who would be responsible for the hardship. Moreover, the author of Romans makes clear that the presence of sin was in the world before the Mosaic law was delivered and sin is not counted where there is no law. Specifically, while suffering certainly existed since the fall and as a consequence of sin, suffering wasn’t recognized as an outcome of a particular sin as prohibited and condemned by a corresponding law or covenant stipulation.
Aside from human wickedness, suffering also results from calamity, adversity, or mishap. Examples include accidents (2 Sam 4:4, 2 Kings, 1:2, Luke 13:4), sickness (Gen 48:1, Ps 42:10; Matt 8:6), hunger and want (Job 30:3, Isa 29:6, Matt 25:42-43), and disasters (Isa 29:6, Matt 24:7, Acts 27:18-20). There are numerous sources of suffering that originate from the fallen nature of creation, too. Such as aging (2 Sam 19:34-35, Ps 17:9, Ecc 12:1), bereavement (Gen 23:1-2, Job 1:18-19, Jas 1:27), anxiety (Prov 12:25, Deut 28:65-67, Lk 21:26), foolishness (Ps 107:17, Prov 10:1, Jdg 11:34-36), satanic activity (Job 2:6-7, 1 Jn 5:19, Rev 2:10), demonic possession/oppression (Matt 8:28, Matt 12:22, Matt 15:22), and God’s will (Jn 9:3, Eph 1:11) all to serve as scriptural examples to contemplate, mitigate, or ease the gravity of suffering.
Why is suffering a pervasive condition throughout humanity?
The German philosopher Leibniz (1646-1716) originated the term “theodicy”2 in 1710 to form an understanding of evil in the world that is not in conflict with the goodness of God. Leibniz asserted that the presence of evil in the world with the goodness of God is “the best of all possible worlds.”3 The inference of the theodicy about the best of all possible worlds, with suffering, brings attention to the sovereignty of God as a way to recognize Him as Creator with trust and confidence from His created beings about His purposes and intentions.
With the abundance and growth of evil and sin as a function of increased populations, moral decay, and the presence of spiritual darkness over societies and nations (Eph 6:12), there exists an increased and widespread effect of suffering notwithstanding the various other causes outlined above.
Where does suffering come from and where does it go?
In the discourse between Job and his accusers, it is evident there is a common cause that gives reason to those who suffer. The consistent premise among those who call Job to repent includes the presence of wickedness to explain why there is misery, loss, pain, and agony. As an assumption universally applied to those who undergo unexplained suffering, there must be a reason for its existence among the guilty. Notwithstanding natural or supernatural causes, the presence of suffering correlates to the presence of sin where the unwise can falsely conclude adverse judgment through natural, social, or unwanted personal outcomes. The voices of false accusations against Job from among his friends add to the suffering and contribute to the pressure that he would prove out the satan’s assail against God and curse Him to His face (Job 1:11).
Justice dispensed from wrongdoing often appears in the form of consequences that bear upon people in the form of adversity, hardship, or suffering. Intuitively, through life experiences, the notion of “what goes around comes around” makes for a type of resolution to injustice, wickedness, and evil that cannot stand. Even after Job’s confession and repentance (Job 42), Yahweh rebuked Job’s friends and informed them that His servant Job would pray for them to dismiss their folly (Job 42:8). Moreover, to dissipate the anger of Yahweh (Job 42:7), they were directly instructed to offer up burnt offerings of seven bulls and seven rams. Justice served in the form of sacrifices for sinful and unwise words against Job provided an escape from suffering, but there was still a loss of life and the cost of assets as a type of restitution.
Who does suffering affect? Who endures suffering and who causes it?
As Christ suffered, believers are expected to suffer too (Mk 13:13, Mt 10:17, Lk 12:16-17). It is the cost of godliness (Heb 12:11, Isa 38:17, Jn 15:2), and it is a condition of service to the body of Christ (Col 1:24, 2 Cor 4:10, Acts 9:16). The innocent are prepared for heaven through suffering (2 Cor 4:16-5:4) as they trust God for endurance as He sustains them (Ps 55:22-23, Ps 56:3-4, Ps 59:16). There are numerous references to God’s response to suffering, including deliverance of the afflicted (Job 42:10-12, Ps 34:19, Rev 7:16).
As Jesus spoke of the provisional grace of God upon the good and evil alike (Matt 5:45), His anger remains present upon the wicked who are among the suffering and afflicted (Ps 11:5, Ps 59:8, Ezek 36:6-7, Hab 2:9-12). Moreover, historically, and eschatologically, the judgment of God rests upon the wicked (Mal 3:5, Ex 3:19-20, Ps 73:16-18, Amos 1:3, Jas 2:13, 1 Pet 4:18, Rev 18:6-7).
How does suffering have a bearing on people, and our relationship with God?
As suffering implies physical and emotional distress, it at times accompanies initial or continuing pain, discomfort, anguish, anxiety, and other bodily or mental disorders that affect the well-being of individuals. In such a way, the person undergoing suffering is affected to include those in an immediate or more far-reaching sphere of influence. The weight of suffering affects the person and his surroundings to cascade to friends, family, coworkers, the community, and even further. There are wrong answers along the course of suffering (Job 4:7, Jn 9:2-3, Ezek 18:25). Adverse reactions include resentment (Job 2:9-10), terror (Job 23:13-15), strife (Job 40:2), envy (Ps 73:3), or disillusionment (Ps 73:13) as compared to a proper frame of mind or disposition. For example, submission to the interests and will of God can bring peace (Job 1:21, 2:9-10) and reverence (Matt 10:28).
How to respond in wisdom to the presence of suffering
As a conscious decision in response to personal suffering, numerous scriptural answers bear out the wisdom of God as given by examples in His word.
Share the burden of those who are subjected to medical hardships, poverty, incarceration, grieving, and insurmountable loss that brings despair. Galatians 6:2 advises us to bear the burden of others, and 1 Peter 4:12-19 leads us to enjoin our sufferings with Christ.
Live in empathy and of shared mind as we are urged to persevere and weep with those who weep (Rom 12:12-16).
Refrain from following the examples of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar (Job’s friends). They were in error about assumptions and the causes or conditions of those subjected to suffering due to no immediate fault of their own.
Recognize that sovereign causes, the presence of evil, and personal consequences can involve mercy and grace as we are instructed to pray for those in affliction.
Draw close to God in humility (Jas 4:8) and let the adversity bring you and those you love to close unity with God and His intentions for your work, life, and spiritual well-being.
Citations
1 Martin H. Manser, Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies (London: Martin Manser, 2009). 2 G. W. F. Leibniz, Essais de Théodicée sur la bonté de Dieu, la liberté de l’homme et l’origine du mal (Paris: Garnier-Flammarion, 1969). 3 Craig G. Bartholomew and Ryan P. O’Dowd, Old Testament Wisdom Literature: A Theological Introduction (Downers Grove, IL; Nottingham: IVP Academic; Apollos, 2011), 158.
Short OT book (eight chapters) containing only poetry. Its beautiful poetic passages describe the many dimensions of human love; there is little in this book that is explicitly religious. In addition to the popular title, the book is sometimes referred to as the “Song of Songs”; this is the most literal translation of the short title of the book in the original language and means “the best of all possible songs.” Some writers also entitle the book “Canticles”; this title is based on the name of the Latin version of the book, Canticum Canticorum.1
Song of Solomon 1: The bride of the king extols her desire and love.
Song of Solomon 2: Bride and bridegroom speak of devotion and intimacy toward one another.
Song of Solomon 3: The bride delights in her bridegroom as the king arrives for the wedding.
Song of Solomon 4: The bridegroom delights in his bride and her beauty.
Song of Solomon 5: The wedding ceremony of the bride, bridegroom, and guests.
Song of Solomon 6: Women, young women, and the groom praise the bride.
Song of Solomon 7: Expressions of intimacy between bride and bridegroom.
Song of Solomon 8: The bride and bridegroom share a strong desire for one another.
_____________________
1 Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Song of Solomon,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1978.
Ecclesiastes, Book of. OT book of wisdom literature. Ecclesiastes is philosophical in character, posing deep questions about the meaning and nature of human existence. “Ecclesiastes” is the Greek title for the book and has come into English from the Septuagint (Greek translation of the OT). In keeping with an early Jewish practice of adopting the first few words of a book as the title, the Hebrew title of Ecclesiastes is “The Words of Qoheleth, the Son of David, King in Jerusalem.” It is also known simply as “Qoheleth.”
The term “Qoheleth” is the author’s title for himself throughout the book (Ecc 1:1, 2, 12; 7:27; 12:8–10). It is the Hebrew participial form of a verb meaning “to assemble,” and thus it seems to designate one who speaks in an assembly. The word has often been translated “the preacher” in English. Because of the philosophical nature of the book, however, the title possibly indicates the author’s function or station as a leader in the community of wise men.1
Ecclesiastes 1: All is pointless and vanity, even the pursuit of wisdom.
Ecclesiastes 2: Self-indulgence, extravagance, and hard work are pointless and vain.
Ecclesiastes 3: The purposes of timing, life, and works of the righteous as they are gifts from God.
Ecclesiastes 4: The futility and vanity of human reason without Godly wisdom.
Ecclesiastes 5: Wisdom by the fear of God is of far greater worth than wealth and honor.
Ecclesiastes 6: Life and the ability to enjoy it is a gift from God.
Ecclesiastes 7: Reject folly and evils of the world to consider the works of God and practice wisdom.
Ecclesiastes 8: Those who do well, and fear God are those who abide by His commands.
Ecclesiastes 9: Live well and in wisdom as life is short and everyone dies.
Ecclesiastes 10: Principles of wisdom and folly.
Ecclesiastes 11: Preparing for the future and old age.
Ecclesiastes 12: Remember God, fear Him, and keep His commandments. ____________________
1Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Ecclesiastes, Book Of,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 651.
Principles gleaned from the book of Proverbs that include many words of wisdom that give meaning to a life of understanding and righteousness.
Proverbs 1: The value of discernment and instruction is in wisdom for correction and reproof.
Proverbs 2: There is safety and security in the pursuit of wisdom as we cherish it and incline our hearts to understanding, discernment, and upright behaviors.
Proverbs 3: Wisdom rewards those to seek to understand it and live by it. Trust in the LORD first and foremost and not what we understand by default consideration. Put the LORD first with all our heart and lean on Him for understanding.
Proverbs 4: Do not forsake the words of wisdom and instruction. Instead, treasure wisdom and understanding as it comes from parents and wise elders who are a source of watchful guidance.
Proverbs 5: Do not spurn reproof or hate instruction in favor of the adulteress or lady folly. Instead, be satisfied with the wife of your youth and do not become entangled in the trappings of sin.
Proverbs 6: Shun laziness, be diligent, and do not forsake the wisdom and instruction of your parents. Keep yourself from the allure of adultery and adhere to discipline and wisdom as a way of life.
Proverbs 7: The seductions of lust that feed a desire for intimacy with an adulterer will lead to certain destruction. The lusts of the flesh that betrays a covenant obligation are self-destruction that forfeits one’s life.
Proverbs 8: The way of wisdom is to fear God, hate evil, and seek understanding. Take heed to instruction and discretion rooted in wisdom for blessing and well-being.
Proverbs 9: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and to know God is to understand His ways. Lady folly is a dissipation of life and ultimately leads to death.
Proverbs 10: Words of the wise and the foolish are indicators of character, identity, and status before God and others.
Proverbs 11: The righteous, generous, gracious, and wise person is antithetical to the wicked who squander their lives who suffer hardship and loss.
Proverbs 12: The righteous and the wicked are opposites where the weight of the righteous is far greater for the good of himself and others, and the weight of the wicked is troublesome, crippling, and fraught with terror.
Proverbs 13: The ways of the righteous are fruitful, disciplined, peaceful, and reverent, while the ways of the wicked are wasteful, disgusting, insolent, and full of strife.
Proverbs 14: The many upright ways of the righteous are a repudiation of the wicked who is senseless and leads a life of ruin.
Proverbs 15: It isn’t just a character difference between those who abide in wisdom and righteousness and those who do not. The routine and intentional actions of the wicked, both large and small, are often disgraceful, senseless, and deceptive.
Proverbs 16: While the proud of heart is an abomination to the LORD, there is a wide range of corresponding wicked behaviors that are immersed in perversion, strife, slander, and violence. By comparison, a righteous and humble spirit before the LORD is pleasing and delightful.
Proverbs 17: The wicked and foolish of mind cannot stand the words of the righteous and wise. The mind of the wicked returns evil and senselessness for good. The good coming from those who are righteous and pursue wisdom.
Proverbs 18: How the foolish speak, communicate verbally, or online gives sufficient cause for the righteous and wise to dismiss or avoid engagement and dialog. They inevitably become their own undoing and lead to their own demise.
Proverbs 19: The priorities of the foolish and wicked are reckless or driven by evil motives, while the priorities of the wise and righteous lead to understanding, discipline, and peace.
Proverbs 20: How the righteous and wise live is an anathema to the wicked and foolish. On the issues of life, one is repulsive to the other.
Proverbs 21: The sovereignty of God permits for a time the soul of the wicked to crave evil. The evil of the wicked offers no mercy to others. It is the proud heart, the look of arrogance, inclinations, and dispositions of the wicked that reveal them.
Proverbs 22: The everyday path of the perverse person is distant and rejected by the righteous and wise who carry out lives of honor and gracious conduct.
Proverbs 23: The foolish despise wise words from the diligent and wise. If a foolish and wicked person is listening, expect contentiousness. So, it is better to avoid high-risk hostilities that could arise from the unwise and wicked person who speaks from a perverse or reprobate mind.
Proverbs 24: It is better to value wisdom, understanding, and instruction than to be envious of wicked people who are continuously talking about trouble and devising schemes of evil.
Proverbs 25: Seeking one’s own glory from platitudes of self-interest is dishonorable and isn’t good. To chase glory continuously is a form of spiritual gluttony that brings repulsive outcomes.
Proverbs 26: Never underestimate the potential harms caused by the stratospheric error of foolish people who reject wisdom by incoherent thought, consistently flawed rationale, and wicked motives.
Proverbs 27: The desires of man are never fully sated as there is no such thing as complete fulfillment apart from God.
Proverbs 28: The contrast between good and evil is apparent by the motives and conduct of people. From the wicked to the poor and oppressed, or from the rich, righteous, faithful, and miserly, there are pronounced differences that point to disaster and destruction or peace and stability.
Proverbs 29: The righteous are concerned about injustices among oppressed and exploited people, whereas the wicked are the oppressors themselves who are indifferent and even at times hostile to people in general.
Proverbs 30: The magnificent Creator God and His Son have names who are worthy of worship as they are known and glorified forever.
Proverbs 31: A valiant woman of God is to be praised and valued far above riches just as lady wisdom is to be treasured above all precious gems of exceeding value.
This week I finished reading “Awake O Harp” by William Varner. It is a devotional commentary on the Psalms and highly instructive about the meaning and application of the ancient songs and poetry of antiquity. The book offers numerous practical thoughts about what Psalms are about and how they practically apply to us today. From an exegetically valid method of interpretation, life principles for worship, and our everyday walk are offered to prayerfully think through and bring into continued focus. I’ve learned an immense wealth of useful knowledge from this time well-spent. The book covers all 150 Psalms along with various historical and literary detail that is topical exposure for additional study (e.g. Kidner Psalms Vols 1 & 2; Estes, Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms; IVP, Dictionary of the Old Testament Wisdom, Poetry & Writings). It is about 387-pages in length.
In poetic and unique literary form, the Psalms are for praise and worship meant for the accompaniment of music. It was written for ancient Israel as a collection of songs for praise in corporate worship in the temple and synagogues or personal worship as suitable. There are numerous principles at work within the book of Psalms. As a reader explores the content of the 150 chapters throughout the Old Testament text, there is a breadth and depth of meaning made evident as a unique form of genre pertaining to the value of Scripture. The Psalms appear within the New Testament further out in time from when they were individually authored eventually formed within codices down through the ages.
Scope
The Psalms are multigenerational. The Psalms span across generations from the time of Moses to down through the time of King David’s offspring and probably further out in time as numerous Psalm authorship is unknown. The genealogical reach and cultural context of the written work of Psalms are transferrable to all nationalities today who seek to praise and worship God in their native setting.
Formation
There are four types of parallelism that are within Psalms. They’re given technical names to describe the different types where it becomes easy to detect the type of poetic expression presented within a respective Psalm. Namely, these types are Synonymous, Antithetical, Synthetic, Emblematic, Formal, and Climactic Parallelism. These forms of poetry are distinct in their rhythm and formation of meaning to aid in memorization and evoke thought for contrast, reinforcement, polemics, and to drive a point home.
Structure
The structure of the various books, chapters, passages, and verses in Psalms correlate to the forms of poetic parallelism. Either as acrostics, inclusio, chiastic expressions of thought, or otherwise, each chapter is a free-standing self-evident way of worship and praise to glorify our beloved Most High. Each Psalm can be recited as a song to sing through corporate or personal worship, separate from the others without concern of contradiction or error.
Interpretation
There are various methods by which Psalms are read. They have interpretive value as a prophetic source of study, and they are thoroughly instructive for literary or grammatical understanding. They bear significant allegorical and historical weight for purposes of investigative research concerning matters of antiquity.
Categories
There are numerous categories of the Psalms by which they are recognized and ordered by their substantive meaning. Namely, Psalms fit eight specific types or categories as a reader seeks to identify how to view what an author intended. To list these Psalms, there are Pilgrimage, Wisdom, Lament, Thanksgiving, Imprecatory, Praise, Royal, and Messianic categories, where they’re grouped or collected for practical or spiritual use and application.
Authorship
While all Scripture is inspired by God, the authors of the Psalms span across numerous individuals. The perspective of individual contributions to Scripture often correlates to historical contexts that appear within Samuel, the Torah, and even the New Testament pertaining to Jesus’ life and mission. Reading these Psalms by the author given, if available, provides us an intertextual path to gain better depth about what principles apply to us today.
Theology
Generally speaking, the book of Psalms is not an extensive treatise of theological subject matter to derive a cross-section of Church doctrines. It is a compilation of relational theology between Israel and God, and for us today, between each other and before God as a matter of enduring principle.
Divisions
At a macro-level, the book of Psalms (aka the Psalter) is sub-partitioned as five separate books contained within it. Books 1 through 5 spanning through the Psalms provide to us a way of viewing and understanding Scripture as sections that correlate to the five books of the Torah. So, aside from any physical partitioning, the themes of each book offer a sectional perspective around Genesis (Book 1, Ps. 1-14), Exodus (Book 2, Ps. 42-72); Leviticus (Book 3, Ps. 73-89); Numbers (Book 4, Ps. 90-106); and Deuteronomy (Book 5, Ps. 107-150). If these divisional sections were ordered within an ancient Israelite hymnal, they might be grouped by each correlated theme. And therefore, of transferable for practical use toward worship, contemplation, benediction, or prayer today.
Prophecy
There are 23 messianic Psalms in the Old Testament written to produce prophesies up for fulfillment by the Son of God in due time. Looking back in time from what the New Testament authors wrote in the gospels, Acts, Hebrews, and Revelation, modern readers have a definitive way to validate the identity of Jesus as the Jewish Messiah and Christ over all nations. As a way to worship God for the mission of Christ, soteriological value, and the redemptive work of Jesus, one only needs to look as far as the Psalms and corresponding fulfillment many generations later as recorded in the New Testament.
If in the event there are vacant thoughts about how to pray in adoration of YHWH, it is very useful to prepare for yourself a list of attributes supported by Scripture. Here is an example range of terms of adoration that are suggested to begin from. This is a listing I prepared years ago on a multicolor sheet for ease of recall. Speak these out, or dwell upon these in thought to reinforce your knowledge of wonderful God and who He is. — You might copy this list to gather ideas about what to exalt YHWH God about.
Today, 09/04/2021, I completed another read-through of the Bible. This time the English Standard Version (ESV).
The effort began in September 2017 and I sought to read it through with meticulous attention to word-by-word detail. The whole duration was day-by-day with missing maybe 10% or so of the days between. That is, about 90% of the time, I read each day straight through from NT to OT in chronological sequence. It took 4-years of consistent study.
By necessity, some areas were read more than once and enormous lasting life changes happened along the way. Since I began, my father passed away, I joined and left a company, joined another company, completed two years of Bible college, with one more year to go, sold two houses in California, built one house in Arizona. This period was also through a global pandemic where people I know have passed away from COVID-19. Various other changes have transpired, but overall I am thoroughly grateful for having been able to read through God’s word to completion. That is, at least of the English text.
While making my way through the Bible, I rarely used audio to accompany the reading. Probably less than 20-chapters overall scattered throughout various books. I used a marking system that is color-coordinated and I will continue to use the same system for additional reading as well. Readings usually occurred in the mornings, but there were stretches in the evenings too. Usually never in the afternoon. Daily reading sessions ranged from a few hours to 20 or 30-minutes.
If a word appeared that I didn’t recognize, I looked up the Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic translation. I often compared various additional side-by-side translations of words and sentences to validate a reading. The notes I made were largely interpretive from personal observations, or hermeneutics coursework I’ve completed. Many cross-references were made along with written out historical facts, or meta-details applied to the text as well. People, places, and things that carried some weight would be drawn out in the notes too.
The scripture text itself is the ESV Bible, Heirloom Wide Margin Reference Edition. I chose this version because of the even margins on both the left and right of each page. The top and bottom margins are not as even, but still wide enough for notes and markings. The pens I used were Sakura Pigma Micron 005 fine tips that come in red, blue, black, brown, green, orange, purple, and pink. Along the way, I consumed 4-packs of these pens. They don’t bleed through the thin pages of this Bible. The yellow highlighter is a Gel marker by Thornton’s Office Supplies. It isn’t ink-based, so it doesn’t bleed through either. The gel wrinkles the pages as it dries on each sheet, but it has lasted for years so far. Its marking retention is acceptable and expected to remain for many years to follow.
Below is a video that gives a sense of what the work looked like. It was time well spent as it is and was a source of nourishment that cannot be found anywhere else.
Today I finished reading through this textbook that is an overview of the New Testament books Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, Jude, 1 John, 2, John, and 3 John. Some sections I read through more than once and each NT letter was read twice in preparation for the time in the textbook. It’s a survey of Hebrews and the General Epistles written by Karen Jobes. The book is organized into four major parts:
Part 1: Hebrews: The Book of Better Things Part 2: Letters from Jesus’ Brothers Part 3: Letters from Peter Part 4: Letters from John
The breadth and depth of the book are significant as the text traverses the various subjects of interest. It serves as an introduction and analysis of the NT text as the topically relevant subject matter is presented to the first-century Church throughout Palestine and Asia Minor. There are sparse common threads across the letters, such as Christology, Soteriology, and Heresy in the early Church. The book recognizes and covers the various writings directed to people who comprised the Church, and it addresses disputes and contentions that were emergent at the time.
The text itself is 450-pages in length without including the glossary that comes with the text. Along with the companion digital lectures that accompany the book, it is a fantastic standing reference to the Church’s letters. It is also valuable to get a digital copy from Logos for ease of search and retrieval for citation and research purposes. It is a highly visual textbook with images, quotes, questions, and “going further” reference materials.
I believe the textbook belongs on the bookshelf of every serious student of the New Testament.
