Category Old Testament

Nov 8 2013

Psalm 18:25-50 – His Way Is Perfect

David, King Over All Israel, as in 2 Samuel 5:...

David, King Over All Israel, as in 2 Samuel 5:1-12, illustration from a Bible card published 1896 by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In this second half of Psalm 18, David continues singing God’s praises for being a just and merciful God, and specifically for care and help He has given David. In verse 29, the phrase “and by my God I can leap over a wall” may refer to David’s victory over the stronghold of the Jebusites at Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 5:6-10.  Verses 31-45 continue in that line of thought, as David recounts his military victories, his leadership, and his prowess as a warrior.

But he does not do so in a boastful manner. Instead, he rightly gives all the credit and glory to God, where it belongs. In verse 34, he says that “He trains my hands for war.” In verses 39-40:

For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.
You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
and those who hated me I destroyed

Verse 46 continues the words that now are the lyrics for the popular hymn “I Will Call Upon the Lord” (which began in verse 3): “the Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation.” In verse 49, David writes: “for this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing to your name.” This verse is also written in 2 Samuel 22:50, and Paul sites them in Romans 15:9-12, as he explains that it was always God’s plan to include the Gentiles as the children of God through the Davidic line in Jesus Christ. To this point, verse 50 ties up the entire chapter into a succinct summary:

Great salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his offspring forever

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.  

Nov 7 2013

Job 38:1-21 – The Lord Answers Job

A whirlwind in the ancient territory of Galatia, or modern Ankara, Turkey

A whirlwind in the ancient territory of Galatia, or modern Ankara, Turkey

Because of the length of chapter 38, we will examine it in two parts – the first of which in this blog will be verses 1-21. All throughout the book, Job has been requesting an audience with God, in order to plead his case. And God comes abruptly to him in this chapter. The first verse starts out -with “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:…” But it is the second verse that is the source of some debate.

The second verse reads “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” At first reading, it appears that in that sentence, He is referring to Job, and that seems to be the majority opinion. But some good arguments have been made that God is actually referring to the words of Elihu. As one commentator wrote, assigning these words to Job is a direct contradiction of Job 42:7-8, which clearly states that Job has spoken correctly of God. The debate goes on, and there are merits to both arguments (although some have even questioned the authenticity of the Elihu speeches, alleging that they were not part of the original text. We flatly reject that suggestion).

Arguments on both sides of this question are compelling, and although we lean toward the position that the Lord was indeed addressing Elihu, we must confess uncertainty. In the end, despite some truth, Elihu just got too much wrong (see previous posts on Chapters 35 and 37). Either way, the lessons of chapter 38 are the same, so the point is largely academic. That Elihu’s speeches add value to the book, is a concept we support for reasons listed in previous posts on those chapters.

earth003The Lord begins His dialog with Job, asking in several different ways where Job was when he gave birth to the universe, and what Job understands about the undertaking. Some take the statements about the earth’s foundation, where its “bases” were sunk, and the cornerstone being laid (verse 6) to mean that the Bible is assuming the world is flat. But like much of the “Wisdom Literature” the Book of Job is full of imagery; and like any poetry, one should consider that when studying these verses. Written long before mankind in general knew the word was round, many passages in the Bible demonstrate that God’s word was far ahead scientifically. For examples of passages about a round earth, see Job 26:10 and Isaiah 40:22.

Verse 7 speaks of the “sons of God” shouting for joy when God created the world. For this term, we can refer back to Job 1:6, which makes the same reference. See this previous post about chapter one for our comments about that. Keep in mind also that there is much we would like to know about many things not of this world, such as angels and demons, cherubim and seraphim, and urum and thummin that the Bible does not fully explain. God has His own reasons for what is included in the Scriptures and what is not. Such explanation is not necessary for salvation and instruction in same.

At first look at the remaining verse leading to verse 21, we may think that we know much more about some of those things than they did in Job’s time. But verse 17 reminds us that we know nothing about the experience of such things as death, and the state of our awareness in the immediate time afterward:

“Have you entered into the springs of the sea,
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
Declare, if you know all this.”

When we take up this chapter again, we will begin at verse 22.

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.

Nov 6 2013

Psalm 89:1-26 – You Rule the Raging of the Sea

We will take up the first half of this rather long psalm today through verse 26. It is a community lament that many scholars attribute to the time after the fall of Jerusalem and the capture of king Jehoiachin. There is nothing in the text that this blogger can see to really confirm that, and a time that late for the writing of the entire psalm seems somewhat problematic. Adam Clarke suggested that a better translation would have been that it was for “the instruction of Ethan the Ezrahite.” So, the writer certainly could have adapted an earlier song of Ethan’s for this psalm.

 

English: The Harlot of Jericho and the Two Spi...

English: The Harlot of Jericho and the Two Spies, c. 1896-1902, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot (French, 1836-1902) or follower, gouache on board, 9 1/16 x 6 5/8 in. (23.1 x 16.9 cm), at the Jewish Museum, New York (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

We have stated before that the superscriptions at some of the Bible’s headings are not of the inspired word, and in many cases their application can be considered dubious. Still, those of a factual, rather than an interpretative nature have proven to be pretty reliable over time. In this superscription, the “maskil” is stated to be of “Ethan the Ezrahite.” He was probably a musician for corporate worship, and is probably the same one that is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2:5-6, and certainly the same as mentioned in 1 Kings 4:29-31, where it was said of Solomon that he was wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite. Pretty impressive to have your wisdom compared to that of Solomon.

 

The chapter begins with praise for the steadfast love and faithfulness of the Lord to His people and to the promises He made to David (verses 1-4). Verses 5-13 are beautiful poetry offering praise to the mighty power of God over all things. “Rahab” in verse 10 does not refer to the woman who helped the Israelite spies in Joshua 2. It is a term that is ascribed to Egypt (and to monsters of the sea); and if one substitutes the work Egypt for Rahab in that verse, it makes sense.

 

Verses 14-18 praise God for being the strength and glory of His people. Verses 18-26 exalt God for choosing David, giving him strength and might over his enemies, and making the point that just as God had said that David was a man after His own heart, David would be faithful to the Lord, as shown in verse 26 below. It is very much a celebration of the throne and the line of David. But as we will see when we pick the chapter back up, there is more. Of David, it refers to God as saying (very much in the manner in which David wrote):

 

He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father,
my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’

 

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.  

 

Nov 5 2013

Proverbs 25 – Having Your Fill

English: A hive of Apis dorsata (giant honey b...

English: A hive of Apis dorsata (giant honey bees) I photographed whilst in Mt Abu, India. This hive was situated right next to a glass window of a building enabling me to get close enough. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Bee hive honey bee colony swarm Verse 16 conveys an idea that is certainly not very pleasant, and we might wonder what it is that Solomon may be getting at exactly:

 

If you have found honey, eat only enough for you,
lest you have your fill of it and vomit it

 

But verse 17 makes the meaning clearer:

 

Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house,
lest he have his fill of you and hate you

 

Too much of a good thing – even something we enjoy very much – is often bad for us. Likewise, too much time in the company of friends can end up in strife and bitterness. But Solomon’s warning goes beyond honey, neighbors, and friends. When we find something we really enjoy, it is easy to become obsessive about it to some degree. This is more true of some people than others.

 

It is important for God’s people to remember what things are most important in the Lord’s kingdom, and not be carried away with diversion, pleasure, and entertainment to the detriment of those things that are of the most importance. When we allow that to happen, those things become our idols. honey bees and hives and honeycommbs

 

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.

 

Nov 4 2013

Psalm 149 – The Lord Takes Pleasure In His People

Psalm 149 is another of the “Hallelujah Psalms” that begin and end with the phrase “Praise the Lord!” In the first verse of this one, the psalmist speaks of singing “a new song.” This is a familiar phrase throughout the psalms. For example, we find it in Psalm 33:1-3, Psalm 96:1, and Psalm 98:1. But what does it really mean? The best explanation we have heard is that it does not simply refer to a newly composed song, but to a call to sing in response to a new blessing given by the Lord to His people.

Mount Zion, Aceldama, Akeldama, or Hakeldamia, the Field of Blood.

Mount Zion, Aceldama, Akeldama, or Hakeldamia, the Field of Blood.

Verse 4 states that “the Lord takes pleasure in His people,” meaning that those who serve Him are certainly favored by the Lord. And the verse adds that He “adorns the humble with salvation,” which means that He blesses those who come to Him with their hearts in the right place – not arrogantly, boastful, or presumptuously.  The rest of the psalm expands on verse 5’s exhortation for the godly to exult in joy because of God’s power and might – even over those who may have great earthly power; and it praises Him again for His justice, which is “honor for all his godly ones.”

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.  

Nov 3 2013

The Vision of Obadiah (Minor Prophets Part 4)

Mountains of Edom rise abruptly out of the desert landscarpe forming a natural barrier against attack

Mountains of Edom rise abruptly out of the desert landscarpe forming a natural barrier against attack

Consisting of one chapter with 21 verses, Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament. The superscription calls it the “Vision of Obadiah.” The subject of the book, made very clear from the start, is Edom. The nation of Edom was fathered by Jacob’s brother, Esau, as detailed in Genesis 36, so they were actually relatives of the Israelites. Deuteronomy 2 tells us that God had given the Edomites Mount Seir and the mountain land around it for them to live in, which goes to explain a bit about  verse 3’s description of them and their false sense of security:

The pride of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rock,
in your lofty dwelling,
who say in your heart,
“Who will bring me down to the ground?”

Dating this book is not difficult. Verse 11 speaks of the fall of Jerusalem as a past event, and the fall of Edom itself as a future event. The former event was in 586 B.C., and Babylon took Edom down in 553 B.C. – a span of about 33 years. So the book was probably written during the first half of the Babylonian exile.   In 586, when Israel was being attacked, the Edomites who were the brother nation of Israel, joined in (instead of assisting them), as they were hoping to gain favor with Babylon. They brutalized them, plundered Jerusalem, and even thwarted the escape of those who would flee the destruction. This book foretells God’s vengeance on them for their part in the persecution of God’s people. It certainly answers the plea of Psalm 137:7.

Though the message is that those who oppose God and His people will get their just judgment (verse 15), the book ends with the promise of restoration for His covenant people and the promise of the kingdom (verses 19-21).

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

 

Nov 1 2013

Psalm 18:1-24 – I Call Upon the Lord

cherubim_002We are breaking this relatively long psalm up into two sections, and so we will cover verses 1-24 in this blog. Occasionally there is some disagreement among scholars as to the author of certain psalms. But with Psalm 18, there can be no doubt. The psalm is also found in 2 Samuel 22. In fact, even most of the superscription is contained in verses 1-2 of that passage practically word for word:

“And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said…”

This is one of the “royal psalm,” and it shows God’s faithfulness to his people by giving them the Davidic monarchy, and keeping him safe through many dangers. The hymn “I will call upon the Lord” is taken from this psalm. Consider verse 3: “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”

Though there are few differences between this psalm and the passage in 2 Samuel 22, the distinction is in context. The latter is David’s personal prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God for His deliverance of him. Psalm 18 is the adaptation of it to a song that the whole congregation can sing to give thanks for the line of David, and to pray for the faithfulness and strength of the heirs to his throne.

The words of the first half of psalm, when referring to God’s deliverance of David, convey imagery of God rushing to the rescue of His anointed one like an angry and powerful protector, arriving on winged transport with swiftness of speed. His voice like thunder, flinging fire and hailstones, the picture of a powerful and protective God is painted in such a way as to instill awe, reverence and gratitude for the swiftness of action with which God acts to protect His righteous.

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.  

Oct 31 2013

Job 37 – By the Breath of God

waterfall_003Chapter 37 brings the conclusion of Elihu’s speech, and (thankfully, one might say) the end of the speeches of all of Job’s companions. Like in the last chapter, Elihu has much to say about God and about His power that are appropriate in their awe for God, but not so in the context of the situation.

Again, Elihu uses his knowledge of the world (so fond is he of using examples of the weather, one would think he might be some sort of teacher) to attempt to validate his assessment of Job’s guilt. Although, God will in the next chapter pick up some of Elihu’s ideas in His questioning of Job, one should not take that to signify God’s approval of Elihu’s speech. It is, however, beautiful poetry; and it provides great imagery and material for prayer, as well as praise to God, as shown in this snip from verses 10-13:

By the breath of God ice is given,
and the broad waters are frozen fast.
He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
the clouds scatter his lightning.

They turn around and around by his guidance,
to accomplish all that he commands them
on the face of the habitable world.
Whether for correction or for his land
or for love, he causes it to happen

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.

Oct 30 2013

Psalm 143 – I Stretch Out My Hands To You

Absalom

Absalom (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

This psalm of David is one of  those which are referred to as “the penitentials.” It still has all the elements of a lament, however, and as such it is clear that it was one written during his flight from Jerusalem during Absalom’s rebellion. The penance in his prayer is far too deep and genuine to be of the time of Saul’s persecution. Franz Delitzsch wrote of this psalm that it:

 

“is certainly composed as coming out of the situation of David who was persecuted by Absalom; and it is distinguished from those of the time of Saul’s persecution by the psalmist’s deep melancholy, founded upon the penitential sorrow of David’s consciousness of his own guilt.”

 

David is paying the price for his sin with Bathsheba, and his atrocious murder of his loyal friend, Uriah the Hittite – of which Nathan warned him to be prepared for in 2 Samuel 12:7-12.  Psalm 143 is another great model of prayer for us today. In the midst of praying for his deliverance, David also prays not only for deliverance, but for strength to serve God better:

 

Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
on level ground!

For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life!
In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!

 

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.  

 

Oct 29 2013

Proverbs 24:19-34 – Build Your House

preparing02The first reading of verse 27 of Proverbs 24 can be a little puzzling:

Prepare your work outside;
get everything ready for yourself in the field,
and after that build your house.

Wouldn’t even someone living in a farming community want to build a place to live while they are working the field? Some commentaries on the subject suggest that some of the meaning is actually lost in translation, and that a better interpretation would be “build up your house.”

At any rate, the meaning seems to be more related to the preparation one is making for his future. the practical advice and custom of working to accumulate some measure of wealth before proposing marriage fits this very well. But the principle applies to just about anything in this life. One must do their due diligence to prepare for the future in all things, including having children. Humans are one of the few species that seem to forget about “making their nest” first.

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.