Psalm 104 – God be praised for His creative genius

Psalm 104 is a psalm written in praise of the Creator God. Much of its content praise Him for creation. We find the author making a quick call to his soul to bless the Lord before launching into exhorting the Majestic God and His creative genius. The Psalmist explodes into a glorious description of the Lord who created the earth and then established the earth, land and the sea. Using nature and the creative order, the Psalmist describes the attributes of God. He resolutely declares that this God is great. He is majestically clothed with honour. And His creation reveals how great He is. We are told that He covers Himself with light. While the glorious light can be seen, His person is hidden by the bright brilliance. No one can see Him. The sky spread out and forms the floor of His dwelling place and becomes the roof for us, His creation. His chamber or dwelling place is magnificently kept and upheld by the water in the firmament. The clouds are His chariots. He travels on the wings of the winds. And angels are His fiery messengers. The whole description is to tell us how awesome our creator God truly is.

Verses 5-9 describe the authority He possesses, while verses 10-23 speak of His goodness. He provides water for drinking, and habitation for the creatures of the air. He moisturizes the earth with the dew and the rain. He causes the grass to grow as food for the cattle. The herbs are cultivated by Him to serve men. While the cedar of Lebanon are nests for the birds, the fir trees are to house the storks. The luminaries in the sky are made to mark seasons and to distinguish day and night. The day would serve men and the night would serve the animals. This clearly suggests that man would work in the day while animals would seek their prey in the night. Verse 24 tells us that God’s wisdom can be seen through His works.  

In verses 25-30, the Psalmist talks about the providence of the Lord. The sustenance of all creatures including those in the sea came from Him. Every animal had its supply of food provided for by Him. He not only gave sea creatures their breath but also their food. He provides for all and sundry. The author then concluded with a call to everyone to praise the Lord like he did. This God should be praised day and night. Every person should rejoice and meditate on Him. He not only created all things but sustains all life. We must seek to glorify Him in all that we say and do!

Psalm 103 – Our God is worthy of praise

Psalm 103 was written by David, to praise the Lord for HIs mercies. Of all the Psalms written to praise God, this is probably the greatest and the best. David states the reasons why he praised God in the first five verses. And they are the very reasons why we should also praise Him. There are six positive things God had done for him as well as for us. He not only forgives our sin but also heals all our diseases. He redeems us from the pit and crowns us with loving kindness. Most of all, He satisfies our life with good things, and renews us so that we will be youthful. Just like an eagle that would go about the process of morphing when it has become old, so also will the Lord renew us in life! He wants to ensure that we will remain strong and vibrant. The whole intention of David here is to tell us how privileged we are to receive the benefits of God’s goodness. The blessings include spiritual and physical health. And they are life, strength and vitality.    

In verses 6-13, David describes the wonderful attributes of God in eight verses. He is compassionate, gracious, patient and merciful. His patience is seen in His dealing with our waywardness. He demonstrates His tolerance toward us despite how we, His people, have continually tested Him with our wilfulness. However, we must remember never to take His kindness for weakness, and take Him for granted. David tells us how vast His mercy and compassion are. Even in His dealing with our waywardness, He is patiently compassionate. The phrase ‘as far as the east is from the west’, is to tell us how vast His mercy is. And like a compassionate Father who takes pity on His children, so also God is compassionate with us, even though we would provoke Him so often.

Verses 14-16 show us how understanding God is with HIs people. He knows exactly our personal make up. He understands that we are made of flesh and clay, and how frail and fragile we really are. We human beings are like the flowers and grass of the field that could succumb and wilt in the harsh environment and circumstances of life, in this fallen world.  So in verse 17, David reminds us that God’s mercy is everlasting to those who fear and reverence Him. He will deal righteously with all His children and their posterity. The remaining verses are exhortation to remain faithful to God. We are to remember that He, the Sovereign Lord, keeps His covenant with us. David rounds up by calling on all creation, including God’s angels, to bless the Lord and keep His will. Most of all we should praise Him personally.  

We must remember that we are God’s favored people. And it’s a privilege He has given to us. As with all privileges we must cultivate responsibility in living our life. So let us live responsibly for His glory and never take His grace for granted. We must never forget to give thanks to Him for everything and in very circumstance. And let us respond to His goodness by giving Him praise in our every living moment!  

Psalm 102 – Suffering precedes the crown

Once again the author of this Psalm is not known. Obviously it is a Psalm where the afflicted, seeking relief, must turn and depend on God totally. The hope of changing the situation, the Psalmist proposed, would not come through God’s direct intervention, but just thinking about God’s consistent nature in dealing with the problems of men brought relief to his mind.  

Verse 1 starts with a petition to God to hear his prayer and cry for help, before describing the dire situation he was in from verses 3-11. He knew that only God could help before talking about God’s unchangeable nature in verses 12-22. The last segment from verses 23-28, this Psalmist spent a moment to contrast frail man and the immutable God.

This Psalm had been considered a prophecy that foretold Christ’s suffering and outcome. It was thought that verses 3-11 was describing Christ’s affliction. He felt not only physical pain but mental anguish. Then verses 12-22 described the outcome gained through Christ’s affliction. It was the perspective of the positive impact that the affliction of Christ would made on the nations and the people. Through the affliction He had borne, a community of yet unborn people would arise to praise Him. The church is that new community acquired through Christ. The last six verses then went on to describe God’s encouragement to Christ in response to His plea.

What we can glean from this Psalm is that like Christ, the crown we desire may be preceded by hardship and affliction. We must emulate Christ in our affliction to look up to God and seek His relief. Just as Christ had received promises of better things to come, we too can rest in the hope of God fulfilling the promise of better things to come. 

Psalm 101 – Living and leading uprightly

David wrote Psalm 101, describing his own aspiration as he exercised his leadership as king of Israel. Here David talked about his own commitment to his life and his work. He wanted to ensure the purest of integrity to himself, to his reign and to those who serve with him. While he talked about his own desire in this Psalm, what he wrote better describes King Jesus our Lord and His perfect reign. We know our Lord kept His personal life with integrity and purity, and at the same time exercised justice in all situations.

David’s intention would be well worth emulating. In the first verse, he already made known how he valued mercy and fairness, and would integrate them into his life. His desire was to walk uprightly and to ensure that he and his household lived in integrity. He was bent on being and doing what’s right before the Lord. He was not permitting anyone to influence him, and was determined not to have anything to do with those who were perverse. He would ensure that evil could never be a part of him.

In term of his reign and those who served in his court, he was very adamant that he would be uprightly scrupulous. Those with forward heart, a perverse spirit would not serve with him. A wicked person would never be in his circle and he would take out those who would secretly slander their neighbour. David would not tolerate any of his prideful official. He would rather surround himself with people who were faithful and righteous. All deceitful people will be thrust out of his service, even those who had the propensity to lie. No member of his family who exercised wickedness would he allow into the holy city.

How’s that for a leader? The world is in need of such a leader. We can see everything David described perfectly in Jesus our Lord and King. This Psalm dealt with many facets that we who want to be true to God and to ourselves must take heed. The call is to be upright, blameless, humble, and merciful. Bear in mind that a right desire is needed to drive our passion and stir our action in the right direction. Like David, let’s determine to start with the right desire for the Lord, and let it guide us into being, living and doing right for Him.           

Psalm 100 – Joyfully serve, praise and thank our Jehovah God

Psalm 100 is another of the 50 Psalms that had been written anonymously. While the title said it’s an exhortation for all men to praise God, it is however, also a song of thanksgiving. It was probably a liturgical Psalm that was used in the temple service to express praise and thanksgiving to God.

In this Psalm we see a call to all the earth to exhort and celebrate the LORD. Here we see two calls to rejoice in the LORD. Notice the word is spelled in capital letters because it is referring to Jehovah. In the first three verses, the Psalmist issue the first call for everyone on earth to joyfully shout to Jehovah, to serve Him gladly and to sing to Him. He provides three reasons to do so. Firstly it’s because He is God. Secondly, it is He who had made Israel His people. Contextually, the Psalmist is talking about Israel but by extension, we are also His people redeemed through Christ. So this call is for us too. Thirdly, it’s because He is our shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture.

In verses 4-5 we see the second issue or call to rejoice in Jehovah. Firstly, we are to come into His temple to thank Him. Then we are to enter His courts with praise.  Here again three reasons are given. It’s because Jehovah our God is good. It’s also because of His ever loving kindness and mercy. And it’s also because He is the epitome of truth, and His truth shall be faithful not 0nly for time but also for eternity.

If there’s anything the Psalmist wants us to know above all, it must be the fact that our Jehovah LORD deserves to be worshipped. This we must know, everything we do for His sake becomes an act of worship. Many a times we think that worship is something we do only in the Sunday service. His presence is available anywhere and anytime. And we need to know that everything we do for the rest of the week can also become an act of worship. Especially when we do so conscious of His presence to please Him and serve His purpose. This is what we must seek to do daily.      

Psalm 99 – Our God is a Holy God

Psalm 99 obviously talks about the Holy God, our Lord. He is enthroned far above all thrones and from there He manifests His holiness. His Holiness is one of the more prominent attributes of God. And He is said to be over the cherubim. God had three cherubim: Gabriel, Michael and Satan, or previously called Lucifer, who had rebelled and fallen. The Psalmist tells us that this God is higher than all of them. Furthermore, He is also above all the people of the earth. In this Psalm we are made aware not only of God’s greatness but also His justice and forgiveness.  

How should God’s creation respond to His holiness? Verse 1 says that the people should tremble. And the earth should bow before Him. Verse 3 says that all people should praise His great and awesome name. Verse 4 speaks about the holiness manifested in His coming judgment. He will promote righteous judgment with equity on the earth. Hence a proper response to Him is seen in verse 5.  Everyone, beginning from Israel, His chosen people and all the other people on earth must revel in the Lord, and come humbly to worship Him at His footstool. Truly, this Holy God is worthy of everyone’s worship.  

His holiness was revealed in His past dealings with Israel. He answered the prayers of Moses, Aaron and Samuel. Although they paid for their grave sins, Israel was forgiven. God dealt with them so that they could keep the testimonies and statutes He gave to them. He is a forgiving God. Verse 9 then tell us what we should do in response to His holiness. Israel, together with us His new community founded in Christ, must humble ourselves before Him to worship Him. His holy hills speaks of His presence. And as we come into His presence, we must resolve to worship Him and Him alone. The New Testament exhorts us to be like Him, to be holy even as He is holy. This is the condition set so that the holy God will then answer our prayers.  

Psalm 98 - In praise of the righteous Judge

In this Psalm the people of God, the earth and the whole world are urged to praise the Sovereign and Righteous Lord. The right hand and His holy arms, referred to here, are references to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is seated at the right hand of God the Father, for He came to execute the work of the Father, completing His mission and completed it victoriously. One day soon He will return to administer His righteous judgement of the world.

In verses 1-3 are five reasons why as His people, everyone on the earth and in the world should praise and worship Him. Firstly, it’s because He has won the victory for His people.  Secondly it’s because He has shown His salvation. Thirdly, it’s because He has made known His righteousness to all the nations. Fourthly, it’s because He had shown mercy and truth to Israel, His own people. Praise God that in Christ we have become His own. Finally, it’s because He has shown the salvation of His own before the world. 

Having exhorted all to praise and worship God, the Psalmist shows how all should come before Him. All should come before Him rejoicing. We should come rejoicing audibly with singing of songs and playing of instruments. In solitude we may remain quietly to listen attentively to Him, but in worship we must not remain silent but to loudly express and declare His praise. The seas, the rivers, and the mountains are all used to personify praises that is due to the Lord. Both the animate and non-animate worlds are created to praise the Lord. We His people have more reasons to praise Him. One very good reason is because He is the Righteous Judge, and He will be present with His people to execute His judgement with righteousness and fairness.

This Psalm anticipates the future. At Christ’s coming all this will become a reality. He, the Righteous Judge, will judge the world with righteousness and fairness. Meanwhile we who know Him must offer Him our worship and praise now. He really deserves it. Make it a point to worship Him daily. Praise the Lord!   

Psalm 97 – The right response to an awesome God

Psalm 97 began with a declaration of the reign of the Lord, then stated how people should respond to His reign. Obviously the right response to the reign of this Sovereign Lord is be glad and rejoice. Verses 2-3 provide the reason why we should respond with gladness and rejoicing. Firstly, it’s because God is awesome. The thick cloud that He is shrouded with tells us how awesome God truly is. Secondly, it’s because His reign is established on righteousness and justice. And thirdly it’s because He rules with power and holiness. And evil cannot remain in His presence. The fire that goes before Him signifies His wrath that consumes the evil and His enemies.   

Verses 3-9 tell us that the presence of God and his judgment are both awesome and fearsome at the same time. The fire, the lighting up of the world, the trembling of the earth and the melting of the mountain, are pictures of the impact of His presence. The Psalmist wants us to know how impactful the presence of God truly is. It can be literally be felt. And furthermore, heaven will declare His righteousness and earth will experience His glory. His character tells us that He will judge with fairness and equity. He is the most high, greatly exalted and enthroned far above all gods. There will be two experiences resulting from His judgments. The people who worship idols and graven images will be confounded while Zion, representing the people of God, will be gladdened.

The Psalmist ends from verses 10-12 with a call to all who love the Lord to hate evil, to rejoice in the Lord, and give thanks to Him. Notice how the Psalmist labels the people of God: they are identified as those who love the Lord. They are also described as the godly ones, the righteous ones and the upright in heart. God’s people can rejoice not only because He preserves them, but also He delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Besides, He also provides light so that His righteous one can travel in safety. It is fitting therefore to give thanks to the Lord, and to be glad and rejoice in Him. So rejoice and be glad! 

Psalm 96 – The call to worship the Lord, the Righteous Judge

In Psalm 96, the whole earth, especially the people of God, is summoned to praise and worship the Lord. Three calls are issued: Verses 1-3 and 7-10 are two calls to the earth to submit to the reign of the Lord. Verses 11-13, is a call to creation to praise the Lord. And in between these calls in verses 4-6, the Psalmist took time to describe the King. Though the people of God refers particularly to the nation of Israel, now believers, whom the Lord Jesus had bought and paid with a great price, are also included in the company of the redeemed. Hence this is a call to us as well. We must daily declare His glory, His works and His salvation to the world. Why must we do so? It’s because the Lord, whom we must proclaim, is worthy of our praise. He is greater than all gods, which essentially are idols. But the Lord whom we worship, on the other hand, is the maker of heaven. He is majestic and full of splendor. Strength and beauty are greatly manifested in His sanctuary.  

Anticipating world-wide worship of this glorious God, the Psalmist exhorts all families of the earth to ascribe glory and strength to the Lord. Each family must come with a gift as an offering to the Lord. All must come to worship Him in the beauty of holiness. He is to be honored with great awe. No one should be flippant with Him. We must learn not to take His presence and anointing for granted. Verse 10 particularly calls on the redeemed to witness to the heathen in the world. We are to proclaim that this Lord is reigning. He is the foundation of the world and He had firmly established order and peace in the world. It is He who will righteously judge the people of the world.

The last three verses bid everyone to rejoice before the Lord. Everyone must do so because the Lord, the Redeemer, has been scheduled to come bringing His righteous judgment to earth. At His final coming, all the earth will be relieved from the bondage of the curse that had held it. This Psalm anticipates the ultimate praise at the consummation of the age. When the Messiah’s reign is established, great joy shall fill the earth. This Psalm calls us to proclaim the goodness of the Lord constantly. As we live each day, let us also anticipate and declare what will soon to be, when our Lord comes to establish His everlasting Kingdom.    

Psalm 95 – An invitation to worship God and a warning against unbelief

Psalm 95 is yet another anonymous Psalm. Though the writer is not known, it was possibly written by David as a song to be sung during the Feast of the Booth or Tabernacle. This was a feast designed to commemorate God’s supernatural provision for His people during their journey through the wilderness. During the feast, the people would erect tents or booths and live in them for the duration of the feast.

Verses 1-7 constitute a call where the people collectively offer praise, worship and prayer to the Lord. Verse 1 opens with the invitation for all to come into the presence of God to worship Him. Worshippers are to come in an attitude and posture of humility. While the postures of physical bowing and kneeling are important, what’s more important are the attitude and posture of our hearts. Are we bowing and kneeling before Him there? Are we submitting our inner attitude and heart to Him? It is more important to demonstrate an inner spirit of reverence in our hearts to Him. We must also come before Him with thanksgiving, with joyful, jubilant and celebrative hearts with songs, and positively proclaim His goodness.

There are three reasons why we should come to God to praise, worship and pray.  Firstly, it’s because He deserves it. He is the Rock of our salvation, our foundation, security, refuge and protection in life. And He is our enthroned King who is higher and more glorious than all “so called” gods. He is also the Creator God and the One who sustains us, His creation. Secondly it’s because we are His people. Notice we are referred to as the sheep of His pasture. He provides for all our growth. Thirdly it’s because if we don’t, we may drift away in disobedience and be destroyed. 

Verses 7b-11 contain the segment where the priest or the leader leading the worship would issue the warning to the people against hardening their hearts in unbelief. Using the experience of the wilful disobedience of the people of Israel in their wilderness journey into the Promised Land, the warning is given to all not to emulate their stubborn behavior. We, today’s believers, must not emulate the posture they adopted, and the pattern of behavior they cultivated. This is to avoid the penalty they received.  This warning implies that though we may be redeemed, we still do have the tendency to harden our heart in unbelief. Take this as a call not to disregard God’s Word but to instead yield obediently to Him every time He guides and directs us through it. Remember to respond positively to God. We must also remember not to procrastinate in our response but to show willingness by responding immediately. Know for sure that today God is still speaking to us through every circumstance in every moment of life. Be attentive and listen well! 

Psalm 94 – The righteous can never lose

Psalm 94 is another one of the 50 anonymously written Psalms. It clearly is a reminder that ultimately the righteous will be delivered and the wicked dealt with. In verses 1-2 we see an appeal for vengeance to Jehovah, the faithful and powerful God, to whom belongs all vengeance. He would certainly be the One to appeal to for He is the ultimate Judge of all the people of the earth.  

In verses 3-7 the wicked were being described. They seemed to be successful at administering their evil plot. They were malicious in their accusation over God’s people. They afflicted, slayed and murdered the poor and helpless and needy. These wicked were even nonchalant about oppressing the people of God. In verses 8-11, the wicked were seen as senseless people.  They were warned that God could hear and see, and He knew their wickedness. He would chasten them for their wickedness. God was well acquainted with the vain thoughts of these wicked men.

Verses 12-15 see the righteous being encouraged. They were assured that God would teach and chasten them. And He would also grant them their rest. They would neither be cast off nor forsaken. In fact through His judgement they would become righteous and would maintain that righteous state. The past mercies of God were acknowledged in verses 16-19. He was with them to deal with their evil doers that came against them, and also kept them from the grave. He kept them from stumbling and consoled them in their anxiety. The last few verses show that with God as their backing, nothing could ever take them down. God would deal with all the opponents and ensure that they have their just dessert.  

This Psalm sets out to show that ultimately, the wicked can never win and the righteous can never lose. No matter how long it takes to endure, those who trust the Lord must persevere. The deliverance and victory of God will prevail. Christians should not lose heart despite the opposition. God is faithful. He knows how much we can endure. He will provide the means of relief. We can trust Him.   

Psalm 93 – The Lord reigns supreme

The author of Psalm 93 is not mentioned. But the content tells us that this is about the majestic God we worship. It talks about God’s Sovereign reign. Clearly, this is talking about the reign of God through His Messiah. Verses 1-2 describe the glorious character of that King. In verses 3-4 we see His character revealed in nature. In verse 5, we are told of HIs presence in the temple, His dwelling place.  

In verse 1, the Psalmist describes the Sovereignty of the Lord. Firstly, notice that the word LORD is in capital letters. He is talking about God, known as Jehovah. Rightly speaking, He is Yahweh, the covenant keeping God. He not only just reigns, but he reigns in majesty, meaning with dignity and splendour and magnificence. This Messiah King also reigns in strength, always doing what is right and appropriate. He also reigns with full authority. Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” It is that authority and power that He deploys to reign as King. It’s the only power that will bring stability and order. Verse 2 tells us that His throne is eternal. He had been there before time and will be here to reign, when time has ended and the earth shall be no more. His throne is forever and it shall be made visible ultimately.  There will never be any opposing power now or ever that can stand against our Sovereign King and Lord. The testimonies of the Word of God is sure and we are assured that His presence will be in His temple, His holy habitation.

Since the Lord’s reign is permanent. We His people who place our trust in Him will experience security. The waves of opposition may pound, seeking to bring destruction. But we know who is in control. He is none other than our Sovereign Lord who gave Himself for us. He is on the throne forever. There can be no safer place than being under His rule. What a safe haven!

Psalm 92 – Call to extol God in our every waking moment

Like the previous one, Psalm 92 was anonymously written. The title tells us that this is a song for the Sabbath day. It was probably a Psalm designated to be sung on the Sabbath day. More than a song to be sung on that specific day, it is an anticipation of the eternal Sabbath that every genuine believer of Christ will ultimately enjoy. In that eternal rest we will forever cease from striving, but forever singing in His eternal presence.   

The Psalm begins with a declaration of personal gratitude and praise to God, Most High, day and night. He tells God that he wants to declare His lovingkindness at the start of the day and speak of His faithfulness when the day is done. Besides, he also would worship and extol Him with instruments such as a harp, lyre and lute. This is a good thing that believers must emulate. To come to God with a heart of gratitude as we live each moment of every day. Just looking at the works of God’s hand left the Psalmist in awe. God’s thoughts are truly incomprehensible. This was probably why Paul in Ephesians 3:20-21 excitedly declared, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Then in verses 7-15 the Psalmist considers the plight of the wicked and the outcome of the people of God. The former will meet their ultimate end, while the latter will enjoy their ultimate reward. One group is doomed for destruction, the other will be ushered into God’s presence, strengthened like flourishing trees.        

What this Psalm tells us is that God is not only merciful but also faithful. His greatness can be seen in the works of creation. While He will deal with the wicked, He will strengthen and prosper His faithful people. This God is certainly good and there is no unrighteousness in Him. To be able to praise God is every believer’s privilege. Since we have this privilege than we should responsibly declare His goodness morning and night. We must do so on the Sabbath, but we must also do so each day of life. We must do so not only in private but also in public setting. Remember, He will abundantly provide for the needs of His faithful but will ruthlessly remove the deeds of the wicked. All of us who have been made glad by His redemptive acts are encouraged to praise and adore Him. We who have experienced His grace through the completed works of Christ at Calvary have more reasons to do so. Thus, we should do so ungrudgingly!

Psalm 91 – God, our sure refuge

Clearly Psalm 91 is about God being our divine protective hedge. We do not know who had written this Psalm. It is one of those that was anonymously written. However there are some people who believe that this was a prayer of Moses but we cannot say for sure. There are two parts to this Psalm. The first segment from verses 1-13 assures believers that God is faithful and will protect those who come under His protective hedge. The second section from verses 14-16 is presented as the voice of God. He tells us of His care for those who love and call upon Him. He will not only rescue believers from harm but will grant them long life and salvation.

This Psalm assumes that dangers surround everyone. But the difference between a believer of God and one who does not, is that the believer can enjoy divine protection. God invites us to place ourselves beneath His protective hedge. When a believer chooses to respond to that invitation and come under God and dwell underneath His wings, that person will find security. Though undefined, what is being described here seems like referring to a person in the midst of battle. Like it or not, there is a battle going on in our life. God wants to ensure that we will not be harmed in the battle of life. Paul tells us in Ephesian 6:12 that “…our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” The blessed assurance in this Psalm is that as children of God, nothing can harm us, so long as we stay underneath God’s granted protective covering.   

The evil one targets us all the time. If we stay tuned to God’s direction we will be aware of it. He tempts us, he places snares in our way to trip us. The Psalmist calls them snares of the fowler. We are exposed to the corruption of sin, referred to here as noisome pestilence. But in the array of dangers surrounding us, we can find great security in God. He wants to keep and preserve us from fear as we choose to live our life with His given wisdom. The Lord will also impart faith into our life that will keep us from the threatening fears of life. As His children, we have no reason to fear. He will guard us all the way. All these can only be experienced as we by faith deliberately choose to come to the Sovereign Lord who invites us to Himself.  So come without hesitation, and experience the comfort and security of His assurance!     

Psalm 90 – God’s eternalness and man’s transitory life

Psalm 90 is the oldest Psalm because it was written by Moses. It’s the only one that he had written and in it he implored God to be merciful to us, His people. This is the first Psalm in book four of the Psalms. It gives us three clear demarcations: (1) verses 1-2 describe God’s eternalness, (2) verses 3-12 describe man’s transitory life; (3) and verses 13-17, describe a plea for mercy.   

In verses 7-12, we see Moses’ recollection of God’s anger in the wilderness wandering. Hence we surmise that his prayer was essentially for the new generation of people that was born in the wilderness. Due to their disobedience, the old generation all perished in the wilderness. They were the generation that came out of Egypt who had hardened their hearts in rebellion. They did not obey God in spite of the many wonders God had granted them in their journey from Egypt and through the wilderness. Moses must have written this Psalm at the end of their 38 years of wandering, when the new generation was about to enter the Promised Land. By extension this prayer is also for all of us believers, who as frail human beings confined to live in this sin-cursed universe since the fall of Adam.

Moses began by talking about God. Unlike us created being, God existed before time. He had always been there. He is here now, and will be here even when the old earth is folded. Hence Moses said that He is God from everlasting to everlasting. From the lofty view of God, Moses then soberly described the plight of transient fallen men. Here the description of man and his experience is set in the backdrop of the eternalness of God. And in comparison with God, man’s existence is transient and brief. Unlike God, our one day is made up of 24 hours, whereas God’s is a thousand year. Our life is also compared to a watch in the night. In the Bible, a day is made up of four blocks of three-hour watches. Moses saw the span of man as only as short as just one watch i.e. a three hour span. Of course this is a hyperbole to prove a point. His implication is clear. If a thousand years is like a day, or a night-watch to God, then the length of a man’s life is certainly like a mist. He further said that man’s life is so small a smidgeon that it is easily swept away by a flood. Man’s temporal nature is also likened to a blade of grass, though it sprouts up anew each day, but withers and dies by evening.  

   

In verses 7-10, obviously Moses was referring to the wilderness wandering of the people. For forty years Moses saw death practically every day. He saw the whole generation perished in the wilderness under the fury of God’s anger. He knew how petrifying God’s wrath could be, that a whole generation of people should perish in the wilderness before Him. Certainly no one could be more qualified to talk about death than Moses. In this Psalm Moses hinted that the average life span of a person is about 70 years, or 80 years if he or she is stronger. But even while living that short duration, man’s life consists of labor and sorrow before he expires.

In verses 11-17 Moses then pleaded with God for wisdom for His people and to grant them another opportunity to do His work.  In this context he was asking for the opportunity to take the Promised Land. The take away from this Psalm is: that the only secure place in this evil world is found under the divine protective hedge of God. All of us are under the sentence of death since Adam’s fall. But now in Christ and His resurrection, we have an eternal refuge with God. We also need to be aware that time usually passes us by unobserved. We are often like sleeping man who is not aware of how quickly time passes us by. Be sure that the time that slipped us by can never be retrieved. So while waiting for the moment when we transit into our eternal home, we, like Moses, must seek the wisdom of God. We must ask that He will teach us to number our days aright, and help us make each day count. We want to be able to present before God a heart of wisdom! So let’s seize the day! 

Psalm 89 – God will never fail in His promises

Psalm 89 in a long poem. It closes book three of the Psalms, which started with Psalm 73.  The title tells us that this is a maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite, who was referred to 1 Chronicles 6:42 and 15:17, 19. This Psalm wrestles with God’s faithfulness to His promise.

 

The Psalmist began by declaring the lovingkindness and faithfulness of God, and then made reference to God’s Covenant with the house of David that was recorded in 2 Samuel 7:12-16. In that covenant God had promised prosperity to David’s line and that his throne would be established forever. In verses 3-4, the Psalmist particularly mentioned that covenant. And then in verses 5-38, he talked about the faithful God and His sovereign control. Truly there’s none like Him. God had decreed and established the Davidic throne forever. He promised faithfulness to His covenant with David. While He would punish David’s wayward children, He would never break His lovingkindness toward them, and David’s descendants shall always have the throne.  

 

Then when we come to verses 39-47, the Psalmist seemed to allege that God had forgotten His promise. The Davidic line was described as suffering reproach. Here is the Psalmist trying to make sense of God’s promise with the reality of the state of affairs the nation was in. It seemed incongruous that if God had promised to establish David’s line forever then why was their nation in such a devastated condition. The Davidic dominion was clearly described as in a state of disgrace and disarray. This led to the petition for God to remember His covenant. Despite the struggles, the Psalmist appropriately ended this Psalm with a doxology.

 

The Psalmist knew and declared the lovingkindness and faithfulness of God. He reiterated that God’s covenantal love would endure forever, and this great God certainly deserved to be praised. And He had wonderfully made a covenant to establish the throne of David forever. However, what did not make sense to him was the apparent neglect of the Davidic covenant. Why was the nation in such ravage? He then lamented and was left reeling in wonder. But wisely, he made a declaration of praise with the doxology in verse 52.       

 

Be sure that God is faithful despite our disappointment. His promises can never fail. From human perspective it may seem as if God had forgotten His promise. He never did and He never will. We must admit that we do not have the total perspective as God has. Even as people with limited perspective, we must concede that no one, whether on earth or in hell, can oppose the promises God had made and established in heaven in His eternal counsel. When we tenaciously trust God, He brings great relief and comfort despite the turmoil we may have to endure in the hardest of times. He is a promise keeping God. He may allow circumstances to happen to us that may seem incongruent with His goodness. But brace up, stay trusting and hopeful. In spite of how things may appear He will keep His word. You can count on it!

Psalm 88 - God is far too loving to be cruel

In the title, Psalm 88 tells us that it is designated to the sons of Korah. It’s called a song written to the choir director or the chief musician. The term “Mahalath Leannoth” was probably a tune that this song was set in or an instrument used to play this song. This is also a maskil of Heman of Ezrahite, who was a musician from the family of the Kohathites.

This is probably the saddest Psalm, one which lamented form start to end. In most Psalms we find a reprieve but not for this one. There is not a trace or an iota of hope.  The author could have experienced an unexplanable tragedy. To compound the sadness was the fact that the Psalmist had prayed and brought his case before the Lord, yet heaven seemed to be silent and unremitting. In verses 1-2, the Psalmist incessantly pleaded with God day and night. He had cried out asking God to incline His ear toward him but all, it seemed, to no avail. He lamented and described his condition in verses 3-9 and again in verses 15-18. In between these two laments, he expressed in a series of rhetorical questions that he could only praise Him while he was alive. He reckoned that death would end his capacity to praise Him.  In other words, his death would serve no purpose.

The Psalmist even revealed that from youth he had been afflicted. He lamented that God did not hear his appeal for good health. He had no clue why God did not hear his cries. Perhaps God was angry with him and he didn’t have a clue about where he had gone wrong. He knew no reason for God to be angry. But we do get a glimpse that despite his trouble and trials, the psalmist insistently came to God, indicating he continued to have an underlying trust in God.

Reading this Psalm can drive us into a state of melancholy. It has no intention to do that but to make known that even believers could have their low moments. Some troubles may even seem life long and unbearable. They are just death casting a shadow in our life.  Psalm 23 tells us that even then our Great Shepherd “...walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death.” No one can understand why certain hardship must be experienced, but God is too gracious and loving to be cruel, and too deep to explain Himself. But we will understand it by and by.  

Laura Story, the singer, wrote a song entitled Blessings, while her husband was battling brain tumour and hospitalized. Here’s what she said: “It's devastating when we don't see God's answers to our prayers. ‘We cry in anger when we cannot feel You (God) near.’ What if the very thing that is best for us isn't the same as what we're praying for? All the while, God hears each spoken need. He loves us way too much to give us lesser things. God is watching over always, directing every moment we experience. So if He isn't answering our prayers how we think He should, does that mean He isn't answering? Or could it be something else? Could it possibly be that He's really blessing us? But through it all, the pain reminds this heart that this is not our home.” We know our lives here on earth are only temporary and our real home is heaven. So, it’s possible that the pain has a purpose. “What if the trials of this life are His mercies in disguise?” 

Psalm 87 – Enjoying God’s presence

Psalm 87 is another Psalm of the sons of Korah. This is a prophetic Psalm speaking of the millennial reign of the Messiah. At that time, Zion, the city of God, will be a special place. It will be the centre piece of the universal kingdom of the Messiah. Gentile nations will be drawn there. And that city will be the source of new life in God’s eternal Kingdom.   

In the first three verses, this Psalm describes the glory of Zion, which encompasses Jerusalem and the group of mountains surrounding it. This is a city where God’s presence has been ascribed to.  It will be the centre piece of all the nations of the earth. We are told that it is the city that God loves more than any other city in the whole world, and had chosen it to be His dwelling place. Verses 4-6 tell us that the nations beginning from Rahab (likely to be referring to Egypt), Babylon, Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia, would become God’s people. Zion will be the mother of all the nations. God Himself will establish that city and make it the most prominent of all the cities of the earth. It would also be a joyful city where musicians and singers will make their joyful sound to the Lord. It will be the source of the joy of the whole earth.

More than a physical place, Mount Zion speaks of the presence of God. It is where we want to draw near. For when we come into God’s presence, we will find strength and fullness of joy. While the millennial rule of Christ is yet future, His presence can be felt daily and now. He promises that when we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. Why don’t we find time daily to draw near? We must because this is our privilege as citizens of heaven.    

Psalm 86 – Pray and connect with God

There are in total five prayer Psalms. They are Psalms 17, 86, 90, 102 and 142. David wrote three of them: Psalms 17, 86 and 142. Moses wrote Psalm 90. The author of Psalm 102 is anonymous. Psalm 86 shows us all the elements of a prayer. We find David skilfully interwoven praise, adoration and thanksgiving into his petition to God. He only made a brief mention of his enemies in verse 14.

David began with seeking God not only to hear him in verse 1, he also asked Him to preserve his soul and save him in verse 2. Knowing that God is merciful, he asked for mercy to be shown to him in verse 3. In verses 4-5, he asked God to cause him to rejoice. He plainly requested that God would hear his prayer in verses 6-10, and then asked to be taught in verse 11. In verses 11b-13, David petitioned God to give him ability in heart, soul and will to fear His name. Then he asked for mercy, and strength in verses 14-16 before he sought to be given a sign of God’s favor in verse 17.

Looking over the petitions that David had made in this Psalm, there are things that we can emulate when we approach God in prayer. Like him, we need to come humbly, relying on God’s goodness. Be confident that He will not bypass one who’s poor and needy. In saying that he is a godly man, David based on the fact that he was one of God’s covenant children and a favored one. Like him we are godly because of our righteous status in Christ. Our godliness is in the positional status made by Christ who had imputed His righteousness on us. However, this privilege comes with a responsibility. We must constantly seek to do what is pleasing to God by being godly in our conduct and practices in life.

Again like David we need to simply believe that God will help us. We must remain assured that there’s none like Him in compassion, graciousness or mercy. Let us be encouraged to come to God in prayer, even more so when we are in difficult moments. And our primary reason in seeking for God’s intervention is so that He will be glorified, and not so much for our selfish interest of self-comfort. While we are praying and seeking answers from God, we should also generously offer our praise, adoration and thanksgiving. In our routine activities, let us not seek to live in vain. Let us remember to make it a priority to call upon God and to commit ourselves to Him. And remember to praise Him!

Psalm 85 – We can trust God to forgive when we turn to Him

Psalm 85, written by the sons of Korah was addressed to the choir director.  Its content tell of a people who had been humiliated and yearning for restoration. They petitioned God seeking for His deliverance and wishing for the fulfilment of the promises He had made to them.  

Verses 1-3 state what God had done for them in the past. Israel was God’s chosen people. It was He who granted them favour and given them their land. He rescued them form their captivity, forgave their sins and ceased from being angry with them.  In their national humiliation, they again turned to God and sought His mercy. They asked for His anger to cease and for the nation to be revived. They also showed confidence that God would come their rescue and anticipated deliverance by Him.

This Psalm reminds us that when God forgives our sin, He covers it with His mercy. And though we may encounter times of hardship, we must never forget that He is still a merciful God. He will be the source of our joy and deliverance. God’s past dealings remind us that He is trustworthy and will forgive when we repent and show contrition. His mercy endures forever, and they are new every morning!

Psalm 84 – The blessed journey into God’s presence

Psalm 84 was written for the choir director on the Gittith, an obscure Hebrew term that very likely refers to a musical instrument or a musical cue. It suggests the mood to which the Psalm was to be performed. The sons of Korah were the descendants of Levi through Kohath. For a more detailed account of these musicians and gatekeepers in the temple of Jerusalem refer to 1 Chronicles 9:17-32. There is a feeling of jubilation in this Psalm. It portrays the emotion of a pilgrim making his way to the temple in Jerusalem. It tells us of the blessedness of three groups of people. Verses 1-4 talk about the blessedness of those who dwell in the temple; verses 5-7 announce the blessedness of those who come to the temple; and verses 8-12 tell of the blessedness of all who place their trust in the Lord.

The first four verses describe a yearning for God’s presence, a peaceful place where one could dwell securely. It’s a place where believers would find great joyful delight and peace. It would certainly be a blessed experience to camp there in His presence. Verses 5-7 than went on to describe the journey there. The word “Baca” in verse 6 refers to a shrub that thrives in the arid atmosphere of the desert. Pilgrims traveling to the city of God would have to go through the valley of Baca. It is a symbol of tough time or suffering. Yet the pilgrims endure it, learning to rejoice over them. It speaks of determinedly enduring the tough time in the spiritual journey. It speaks of the need to turn those tough moments into moments of rejoicing in the Lord. As people on a journey with God, we will encounter tough experiences, much like going through “the valleys of Baca.” Emulating the resilient pilgrims, we must stay focused and move on resolutely, turning suffering into joyful occasions of trust. In those tough moments we learn to lean on God. In Him we will find added strength and grace for the journey. And as we grow in His grace we become complete in Him.

Verse 8 teaches us to pray as we journey there. Once we enter His presence, we will experience total blessedness. We will discover that a day in His presence is better than a thousand elsewhere. Being a door keeper there, is better than being a king in the house of the wicked. Why? Because in God’s presence, He Himself will be our sun and shield, meaning He will be our light and our defender at the same time. There we will enjoy His grace and glory, and He will withhold no good things from us who love Him.  

It is a great blessing when God is our everlasting dwelling place. The journey we undertake to be there to experience more of God may be paved with obstacles. But we must joyfully scale them all. He will give us strength and grace on the journey. Once we are there, we will certainly enjoy the everlasting blessedness of peace and joy. Then we will realize that everything we give to attain it, is worth it all. It is a journey worth taking. Let’s do it!    

Psalm 83 – God’s help is one prayer away

Psalm 83 is yet another Psalm that Asaph had written. He was bemoaning the fact that the surrounding hostile nations had ganged together and became a threat to Israel. The confederacy of the hostile nations was bent on taking out Israel. They were haters of God, hence they naturally hated God’s covenant people as well.  The hostile nations were identified in verse 6-8.

In verse 1, Asaph began the Psalm by raising a petition to God to deal with that hostile confederacy. He pleaded with Him not to remain silent or passive concerning their plight. He remembered how God had intervened in their past and dealt with their enemies. Most of the recollection cited here were of how God had helped them during the time of the Judges. Firstly, God had raised Gideon to help them victoriously, and dealt with their problems that they had with the Midianites. The account is recorded in Judges 7 and 8. Then again in Judges 4, God gave them Barak and Deborah who defeated the might of Sisera, the captain in the army of King Jabin. As for Oreb and Zeeb, these were princes of Midian. Judges 7:25 tells us that they were destroyed by the men of Ephraim and their heads were cut off and brought to Gideon across the Jordan. Judges 8:1-21 give us details of how Zebah and Zalmunna, two Midianite Kings were dealt with by Gideon. In the light of what God had done for them in the past, the Psalmist requested that God will help them again to demolish their present enemies. Here Asaph was guarding the name of the Lord zealously. His desire was for Jehovah to be affirmed as the Supreme Ruler of the earth. 

As God’s people we are His precious ones. He will make it His business to protect us. The forces of darkness may be out to destroy the testimony of the church. But as God’s people we can trust the Lord and rely on Him. He had protected His people in the past. He can be trusted to protect us in our day and age. He is just one prayer away. He will come to our assistance if we trust and call on Him. This is our heritage as children of the Mighty God.   

Psalm 82 – Representing and reflecting God rightly

Psalm 82 is another Psalm written by Asaph to address the issue of unjust judges. The gods referred to in verse 6 were people who stood in the place of God, to represent Him before the people and to help them cope with their problems. Technically, they are the human judges who stood in God’s place to guide, counsel and help the people. Unfortunately they had totally misrepresented Him by their injustice. In verse 1, we see the true and righteous judge standing among them, observing and evaluating them. He saw how they had misjudged and mistreated the disadvantaged.

 In verses 2-5, God then made His assessment of these unjust judges. He questioned their ability to deal justly, for they were partial and did not deal justly with the wicked. They allowed the poor and needy to be exploited, and failed to come to their assistance. Their actions betrayed their knowledge and character. What they had done shown how little they understood God, hence they groped in darkness in their incapability to deal rightly. God’s verdict of these representatives of His are described in verses 6-7. They were there to reflect God and were delegated with power and authority to represent Him, but they had failed miserably. Hence like everyone else, they too would have to face the consequences of their failure. Verse 8 is a prayer, a petition for God Himself, the true owner of the earth, to take His place and judge. The Psalmist was certain that He would judge the earth with equity.

As representatives of Christ here in the community, what sort of a conclusion do we like our Lord to have about us? He is among us watching all that we do. The question to address is: As His representative, are we rightly reflecting Him? Have we reflected His justice and fairness or are have we shown the very opposite? We cannot make good impact with people when we poorly reflect Christ. It is needful for us to know Christ clearly, understand His compassion, and then treat people who cross our path the way He would have treated them. Remember, He also stands in our midst to evaluate us!    

Psalm 81 – God wants to bless us

Psalm 81 is another of Asaph’s Psalms. He addressed it to the choir director. The phrase “on the Gittith” also appeared in Psalm 8. This phrase, an obscure Hebrew term, was referring to a musical instrument or a musical cue. It signalled the mood to which the Psalm was to be performed. Psalm 81 finds its setting in the Feast of Trumpet. This is one of the seven feasts of Israel prescribed in the book of Leviticus. It was a feast observed on the first day of the seventh month of the Jewish religious year. On that day, trumpets would be blown throughout the land. These trumpets sound the call to the people of Israel to repentance. It was to prepare them for the forgiveness of their sins on the Day of Atonement, an event that would take place ten days after the Feast of Trumpet. Verse 4 tells us that the feast was a part of the statutes of Israel, prescribed by the God of Jacob.

Verses 1-5 is a call for the people to praise God. They were reminded of the institution of this feast when they were on their journey out of Egypt, the land of bondage.  Abruptly we see a prophetic element introduced in the last part of verse 5. Asaph said he heard a language he did not know. It could well be that at this point a prophet came forward to deliver an oracle from God from verses 6-16. The first part of the oracle told of God’s mighty and miraculous deliverance and provision for His people in the Exodus. Regretfully, the oracle also revealed how the ungrateful people of God resisted His goodness and refused to obey Him. Here we also see a desire of the Lord for total obedience. The Lord’s desires is to bless His people who are obedient to Him. Let’s be quick to hear the word of God but be even faster to obey and apply them to life.

We can see the heart of God clearly implied in verses 13-16. He has the best intention for His people. These verses remind us that God yearns to grant us victory in the negative experiences of life. Like it or not, the unpleasant experiences in life are often merely God’s signal to us to consider and draw near to Him. The heart of God is to provide sweetness to our life, and we can experience it through obedience to Him. This Psalm categorically tells us that God longs to bless us. He cannot do so when we choose to disobey Him. And He does when we do. So let’s be wise and choose to seek and obey Him!    

Psalm 80 – Divine discipline

Psalm 80 was another of Asaph’s Psalms written to the choir director and specifically addressed to Eduth. The word Shoshannim we said, when discussing Psalm 45, suggests how the song ought to be sung. It is the tune that this song is set to. Psalm 80 contains an appeal to God for the restoration of Israel. This prayer is divided into three parts, with each part followed by this refrain: “O Lord God of hosts, restore us….” This refrain is seen in verses 3-4, 7 and 19.

Verses 1-3 contain the first part of the prayer. Here God is addressed as the Shepherd of Israel, and as the Lord who was enthroned above the Ark of the Covenant. He was the One who led them in their journey. In their journey into the Promised Land, the three tribes were stationed immediately behind the Ark, in this marching order: Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. However, it was the Ark that led the journey. This is an expression of their desire for God to once again lead them. They knew that when God restored them and showed His favour there would be salvation.  

Verses 4-7 is the second part of the prayer. The author lamented asking how long will God be angry with His people. They felt the heat of God’s anger and His heavy hand upon them. Tears were their constant experience and their opponents took turns to reproach them. They became a laughing-stock to their enemies. Again the Psalmist petitioned for God’s face to shine on them and save them.

The third part of the prayer is seen in verses 8-19. Here Israel is referred to as the vine of God. A theme that the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and even Ezekiel talked about. We can read more about this theme in Isaiah 5:1-7, 27:2-6; Jeremiah 2:21, 12:10-11 and Ezekiel 17:5-10. Israel was God’s vine whom He graciously brought out of Egypt and planted in the Promised Land. He took care of them and cleared the enemies from the land. There they took root, flourished and eventually filled the whole land. As a nation they extended from the Mediterranean Sea to the River Euphrates. But they were rejected by God because they kept on sinning and rebelling against Him. They experienced the displeasure of God. His protective hedge over them was removed and they were bullied and taken advantage of by their enemies. The Psalmist then petitioned God to revisit them and restore them. He knew that unless God came to their rescue they would be without hope. Here He reminded God that they were His very own, and whom He had acquired for Himself. Hence they pleaded with Him to revive and restore their land. He knew that unless God’s face once again turned toward them, they would perish.  

This Psalm reminds us that while God is the Shepherd who leads us, we must never take His leadership and faithfulness for granted. Don’t expect His continual blessing when we choose to continue in the path of sin and rebellion. Unanswered prayer could often be traced to some secret indulgences that God wants us to deal with. No one can experience victory unless God’s favour is upon us, and there can be no breakthrough but for the grace of God. It can only happen when we ruthlessly deal the things in our life that are displeasing to God.