Category Old Testament

Jun 21 2013

Psalms 92 – How Great Are Your Works!

English: Palm Tree in Sundankottai,Tamilnadu,India

English: Palm Tree in Sundankottai,Tamilnadu,India (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The superscription of this psalm proclaims it to be “a song for the Sabbath,” which indeed means it is most appropriate for praise and worship to the Lord.  It is a song which while praising the mighty works of the lord, acknowledges the pleasure and joy that worshiping him brings to the hearts of the righteous (verse 4).  The text rightly says that this is something that the fool (unbeliever) simply cannot understand (verse 6), and is to be pitied for it.

The horn in verse 10 is a symbol of power, stature and prosperity; and relates to the grace and generosity of the lord toward His servant.  The psalmist proclaims that the enemies of the Lord will perish, and notes that the righteous will “flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”  The significant statement on this (verse 23) is that they are”planted” in the house of the Lord (worship), but they flourish in the “courts of our God” (in His divine presence).

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Jun 20 2013

Job 23 – Where Is God?

gavelIn spite of the harshness of Eliphaz’s last speech, Job chooses to ignore it. Perhaps he had grown weary of the effort.  That seems to be the case with Bildad and Zophar, as they have become silent.  Instead, Job returns to voicing his wish to lay his case out to God – so sure was he that he is innocent of grievous sin.  Note that Job does not consider himself to be without sin at all.  He simply is convicted that he is innocent enough that his judge (God) would acquit him of whatever sins are imagined against him.

But though he remains steadfast in his belief that he has not departed from the words of the Lord, his fear of God is fierce, and the last few lines are the most poetic of the chapter:

Therefore I am terrified at his presence;
when I consider, I am in dread of him.
God has made my heart faint;
the Almighty has terrified me;
yet I am not silenced because of the darkness,
nor because thick darkness covers my face.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Jun 19 2013

Psalms 123, 79 – Help us, O God!

These two psalms are community laments.  It is hard to judge which one sounds the most desperate.  Psalm 123 seems to be  written at a time when the shame of God’s people before others is at a height, which may indicate a time long into the period of captivity.  The pleas for mercy from God are mixed with the picture of a servant to to his master for comfort.

Temple domePsalm 79 has the air of having been written just following a great defeat of the magnitude of Jerusalem’s destruction before captivity.  There is still some incredulity at the wanton destruction and the defilement of house of the Lord, not to mention the bloody massacre of friends and family members.  The cries from God’s people are not just for mercy for the “sheep of His pasture,” but for vengeance:

“Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
be known among the nations before our eyes!
Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!
Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors
the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!”

 

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  

Jun 18 2013

Proverbs 10:3 – Nourishment

“The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.”

Passover_feastAt first reading, this verse may seem to be about physical nourishment as in food.  But it seems clear that  it relates more correctly to the hunger for righteousness, as in the beatitude of Matthew 5:6 (“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied”).  The Lord will fulfill that need for the righteous, just as he will not withhold wisdom from those who ask for it (James 1:5).  But as the text states, He will thwart the craving of the wicked.  This may not mean that evil never finds its way, but God will not give those who seek it any aid in doing so.

This translation, however, does not preclude the other interpretation stated above.  We should well remember Jesus’ words of comfort in  Matthew 6:25 – “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Jun 17 2013

Psalms 91 – My Refuge and My Fortress

Moses_003Psalm 91 is generally considered to be another psalm of Moses; and even Spurgeon (who almost always ascribes authorship of all psalms to David) concedes the possibility.  Satan misapplied a quotation of verses 11-12 in one of his temptations of Jesus (see Luke 4:10-11) – “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”

This psalm speaks to the care and protection that children of God enjoy under his watch, an example of which is from verse 10 – “no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.”  This does not mean that Christians are exempt from any misfortune or harm in this life.  It simply means that under God’s watchful care, the faithful will be safely delivered through every situation, even that of death, safely into His loving arms. Consider verses 7-8:

A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.

This, along with the language of verses 3-6 (deliverance from “the snare of the fowler” and pestilence – and, in verse 10, plague), lend credence to Mosaic authorship, as well as explain the perspective. In the time of God’s judgment on man, those who “dwell in His shelter” have nothing to fear, for He is their refuge and fortress.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Jun 16 2013

Deuteronomy – “Second Law?” Well, Not Exactly……

English: Moses Pleading with Israel, as in Deu...

English: Moses Pleading with Israel, as in Deuteronomy 6:1-15, illustration from a Bible card published 1907 by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jesus quoted more from Deuteronomy than any other book, and it is in fact the most quoted in all of the New Testament.  The Hebrew title of the fifth Book of Law (Deuteronomy) is “Eleh ha-devarim” or “Elleh haddebarim” which means “these are the words” or more simply “the Words.”  The English title comes from the Greek “Deuteronomion” which means “second law” or, more appropriately, “a repetition of the law.”

But the name is thought likely to be the result of a mistranslation of the phrase in Deuteronomy 17:18 “copy of this law.”  In actuality, the book stresses that it is the preaching of Moses, on the plains of Moab, of the original law given at Sinai (Deuteronomy 4:44-45).  Sinai is referred to often in Deuteronomy as “Horeb.” Ok, so we are admittedly splitting hairs here, but the distinction seems important.

In verse 2, the statement about Horeb being 11 days journey from Kadesh-Barnea, is followed in verse 3 by the fact that Moses is speaking to them in the fortieth year.  This really serves to accentuate the point of how much time has been wasted, which is exactly why Moses is preaching these sermons to them before they enter Canaan to complete the journey that God has ordained for them.

The first speech (from Deuteronomy 1:6-4:43) begins with the recounting of their failure 40 years ago.  The purpose of the ensuing history is to focus them on the land and the task at hand, as well as to stress the importance for them to fully put their trust in the Lord this time – unlike what their parents had done.

The first part of Moses second speech (Deuteronomy 4:44-11:32) begins with some recounting of points of the covenant with the Lord, and a reprisal of the Ten Commandments.  But just as importantly, it contains some of the strongest warnings about the importance of complete obedience to the Lord’s commands, particularly where their conquests of Canaan are concerned.  When told to “devote them all to destruction,” the warning is explained in detail as to what consequences will result from failure to do so (Deuteronomy 7).  This also prompts further warnings against inter-marrying with the godless people in the land.  Warnings against idolatry are punctuated with a reminder of the failure of the golden calf incident of Exodus 32.  The second part of this long speech (Deuteronomy 12:1-26:19) deals with more specific points of the covenant, proper worship and observance of the Feasts, “clean” and “unclean” animals, justice, and marriage.

Moses’ third speech (Deuteronomy 27-28) deals with blessings and curses (consequences of keeping versus not keeping their part of the covenant’s requirements), and more specific details concerning their treatment of each other, sexual morality, treatment of their fellow-man and dealings with other nations.  The dire consequences of the “curses” are emphasized in great specific detail that foreshadows the fate of the captivity and destruction that will come to pass in the Book of Kings.  The second part of this speech (Deuteronomy 29-30) underscores the importance of Israel’s acceptance of, and adherence to, the covenant – as well as a reminder of their tendency to “forget” about their dependence on the Lord.

English: The Death of Moses, as in Deuteronomy...

English: The Death of Moses, as in Deuteronomy 34:1-12, illustration from a Bible card published 1907 by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The remainder of the book focuses on the naming of Joshua as successor to Moses, his commissioning, as well that of the writing of the law (Deuteronomy 31:1-29).  That is followed by the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 31:30-32:47), Moses’ final blessing and farewell (Deuteronomy 32:48-33:29), and finally his death (Deuteronomy 34).

/Bob’s boy
___________________
image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Jun 14 2013

Psalm 90 – From Everlasting to Everlasting

Psalm 90 begins Book 4 of the Book of Psalms.  It is one of four psalms classified as penitential in this book – the other three being 91, 94, and 101.  The superscription says it is “a prayer of Moses, a man of God.”  This is disputed by some commentators mainly because of verse 10, which says “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty,” while Moses lived to be 120.

Wilderness through which the Israelites crossed on their way to the Promised Land.

Wilderness through which the Israelites crossed on their way to the Promised Land.

But that argument is completely without merit.  First of all, after the great flood, God Himself said that man’s years would be 120 (Genesis 6:3).  That of course was not intended to be an exact hard and fast number, and certainly at the upper end of the scale, especially as more degeneration in the genome came to pass. We hear of people over 110 even today, even though 70 -80 is certainly a more realistic expectation.  Secondly, although Aaron also lived to be over 100, most of the young men 30 -40 years old died after 40 years of the wandering. Moses, obviously not dead when he wrote the psalm, was speaking in general terms.

Now that we’ve spoken our mind on that matter, verse 10 is certainly not the point of this psalm, however.  The psalmist begins with noting the timelessness of the Lord, (“from everlasting to everlasting you are God”).   It is in verse 4 that a misunderstanding of the text leads some to try to count the days of Genesis 1 as being possibly eons of time “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.”  Not only does this ignore the context of the verse, but it also ignores the fact that every other occurrence of the word for “day” in Scripture that is connected to a number is most certainly a 24 hour period. A thousand years are not a significant amount to God, certainly. But the same does not apply to us.

The point of this poetic passage is to note the brevity of man’s life compared to the ageless God and His creation.  And the plea is for the favor of the Lord, and the gift of wisdom to make the best use of the years that we have by being in His service.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Jun 13 2013

Job 22 – Can a man be profitable to God?

Job_007Chapter 22 begins what is known as the third cycle of speeches in the Book of Job, and this chapter contains Eliphaz’s last attempt at breaking Job’s resolve to claim his innocence.  By now, Zophar has apparently dropped out of the argument, and Bildad will begin another short variance in position during this cycle.  But it is Eliphaz who, here in this chapter, launches the most vicious attack yet.  Interestingly enough, all three men by their attacks on Job, have sincerely believed that they were defending God by doing so.

But Eliphaz, unable to think of any way to “put Job in his place” by any other means, resorts to wildly false accusation using nothing more than an imagination fueled by jealousy and vindictiveness.  It is truly shameful and tasteless, but clearly this locomotive is mercifully expelling its last bit of steam, and all four will sit back and wonder at their own positions throughout the previous debates.  Job’s “friends” will have the most to consider in that respect.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Jun 12 2013

Psalm 77 – Has God Forgotten?

This psalm has been seen both as a national (or community) lament and a personal lament.  It is appropriate for both because the underlying question is the same in either case – “has God abandoned me?”  The psalmist raises the questions not disrespectfully, but in genuine wonder and distress.  The problem is not an uncommon one for any of us.  How do we deal with the doubt that can come over us when there are times in lives that result in grave trouble or great sorrow?

crying_002No matter whether the trials are from illness, loss of a loved one, loneliness, or any kind of suffering at all, how do we come to terms with the pain and suffering we feel and reconcile those feelings with a loving, just, and gracious God? When the trials continue for long periods of time with seemingly no relief, do we not have the same questions of God that this psalmist has?  (“Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” “Has His steadfast love ceased forever?” “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?”)

The devil uses those feelings to bring our doubts to their fullest heights in the hope that our faith will ultimately fail.  Little by little (or sometimes a lot by a lot) he tries to wear us down and bring doubt to our Christian hearts.  There is no reason to suppose that God is offended by the questions.  We already have the answers after all.  God is love – His love never ceases.

He cannot forget to be gracious because His grace is everlasting.  Repeatedly, the Scriptures tell us that “The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression” (Numbers 14:18).  Remember Psalm 27:14: “Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage” – and again, verse 14 of this chapter “You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples.”

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Jun 11 2013

Proverbs 31 – The Excellent Wife

Proverbs 31’s superscription states that the psalmist was one King Lemeul.  There have been found no written records of any such king, but that does not necessarily preclude him from having been a king of some state.  There are some who claim that Lemeul was Bathsheba’s pet name for Solomon, but there is nothing to substantiate that claim.

godly womenVerses 1-9 are the mother’s words to the king, admonishing him not to ruin his reign with the self-indulgence of wanton sex and strong drink, as other kings not so wise have done. Instead, she instructs him further, a great king should see that those who are poor and in need of care are attended to properly – a truly excellent king.

The words of the chapter beginning in verse 10 are a most fitting conclusion for the Book of Proverbs.  So much of the written words in the book have been concerned with the evils of wicked women – prostitutes, bad wives, etc.  Now this writer goes into great detail praising the virtues of a truly excellent woman.

It reads like a laundry list of admirable qualities, but it would be a most unfair mistake to take it as a recipe for determining the goodness or worth of any woman.  Rather it is best to consider the qualities as those that any good woman should seek in their lives.  No woman (or man) is going to be that good at all things all of the time. These verses are an acrostic poem that runs the alphabet with a list of the traits of an “excellent woman.” She cares for those who need her – her family, and she also cares about those who are poor and in need. Notice verse 23 is the only one in the poem about the woman’s husband. He is known at the gates, as he sits among the elders of the land. The man would himself be a worthy man for sure, but a large part of why he is successful is because of his wife.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy
___________________
some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog.  All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility.  When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.  For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.