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Psalm 101

The Psalmist’s Profession of Uprightness

This psalm is a statement of faith. It’s the way David lived. He lays down the footsteps in which Jesus followed and which He expanded. It’s the path we should follow. Through psalms like this, we have been given “the mind of Christ.”

1 Cor 2:16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.

Having access to the mind of Christ, let us plant His thoughts in our minds that we might think like He thinks.

Further to that point, let us listen to these words as coming from the lips of Jesus:

Is 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
Is 55:9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

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Ps 81:13 “Oh that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!

In order to change the way we behave, Jesus Christ seeks first to change the way we think…to the way He thinks.

Ps 101:1 – “lovingkindness“

Ps 101:2 – If I cannot walk within my house in the integrity of my heart, how will I be able to walk anywhere else in it? (Walking in the Spirit and Not in the Flesh)

Ps 101:3 – There are a lot of people “setting worthless things before their eyes.” That is what makes them “fall away.” I must not let “the grip” of worthless things take hold of me!

Ps 101:5 – This psalm and the entire Old Testament were written in old covenant times. We who live in new covenant times don’t want to “destroy” such persons, but we can and should part company with them.

Rom 16:17 Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.
Rom 16:18 For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

Ps 101:8 – Every day is a mini-lifetime. Every morning is a fresh start. Let us begin it with the Bible and prayer.

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Psalm 102

Prayer of an Afflicted Man for Mercy on Himself and on Zion

Ps 102:12 – The New Testament puts a finer point on this verse – as it does on practically all Old Testament verses.

Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Ps 102:13 – Jesus indeed “arose” and had compassion on the Zion above while the Zion below was crushed (in 70 AD by the Roman army). (Jerusalem)

Ps 102:18 – This is us!

Ps 102:25-27 – In the beginning of his letter to the Hebrews, Paul quotes this passage (from the Septuagint).

Heb 1:8 But of the Son He says,
“YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER,
AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.
Heb 1:9 “YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS;
THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU
WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS.”
Heb 1:10 And,
“YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH,
AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;
Heb 1:11 THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN;
AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT,
Heb 1:12 AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP;
LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED.
BUT YOU ARE THE SAME,
AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END.”

The context of the Ps 102:25-27 quote is that Paul is using it to help his readers (Jews who believe in Jesus) distinguish Messiah from all the other angels of God. (Remember that Jesus was revealed as a man in the Gospels, then as a heavenly being who had been with God from the beginning, and finally as God Himself at the second coming.)

The Old Testament quote Paul gives just before Ps 102:25-27 is Ps 45:6-7. (You can find the BSN notes Psalm 45 here.) As you can see above, in Ps 45 Jesus (the Messiah) is called “God” and in Ps 102 He is called “Lord.” In his first chapter – and throughout the entire letter – Paul is exhorting his fellow believing Jews to recognize that the Messiah is more important than they realize – that Jesus must be an even greater focus for them than they have previously made Him. Paul is using the Old Testament to make his point; there was no New Testament at that time. Even if there had been, it still would have been important to make the point from Scriptures that were written before Jesus was born. Jesus is the only great man of history for whom a biography was written before He was even conceived in the womb of His mother. It’s one of the many reasons He deserves human attention.

Ps 102:28 – We men have an obligation to fulfill this verse – to pass on the teaching of the Lord from our generation to the next.

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Psalm 103

Praise for the Lord’s Mercies

Ps 103:1 – “His holy name” is Jesus Christ – the name He made for Himself.

Ps 103:2 – Who takes a job but ignores the employee benefits that come with it?

Ps 103:3 – There’s a connection between forgiveness and healing…and therefore between sin and disease.

Luke 5:30 The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?”
Luke 5:31 And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.
Luke 5:32 “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

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Matt 9:1 Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the sea and came to His own city.
Matt 9:2 And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”
Matt 9:3 And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.”
Matt 9:4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?
Matt 9:5 “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’?
Matt 9:6 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”–then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.”
Matt 9:7 And he got up and went home.
Matt 9:8 But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Ps 103:4 – “lovingkindness“

Ps 103:6 – Did Jesus not “perform righteous deeds and judgments for all who were oppressed”?

Acts 10:38 “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Ps 103:7 – And they have been written down for our instruction.

Rom 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

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1 Cor 10:11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction…

Ps 103:8 – “lovingkindness“

Ps 103:11 – “lovingkindness“

Ps 103:13 – If Jesus is the Lord, then isn’t He the one who is “having compassion on His children just as a father does”?

Ps 103:14 – He knows it because He’s lived within one of these “frames.”

Heb 2:14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
Heb 2:15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

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Heb 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Ps 103:17 – “lovingkindness“

Ps 103:18 – “covenant“

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The next two psalms – 104 and 105 – are like a pair of salt and pepper shakers. They’re different, but they definitely belong together. The first focuses on God as our Creator; the second focuses on Him as our Redeemer.

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Psalm 104

The Lord’s Care over All His Works

The Lord is both our Creator and our Redeemer. Some psalms extol His role of Redeemer by calling attention to His deeds of redemption accomplished through history – such as Israel’s exodus from Egypt by Moses. Other psalms – like this one – extol His role as Creator by calling attention to universe and how He maintains it for our benefit. Since the 19th century, modern science has sought to exclude God from consideration in the study of nature. We must reject secularism and the darkness it brings to life. We can use psalms like this one as weapons in that battle. (As for psalms about God in His role as Redeemer, see the next one.)

Ps 104.4 – In the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, he seeks to make a clear distinction between Jesus and angels – that is, between the Son of God and all the other sons of God.

Heb 1:6 And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says,
“AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.”
Heb 1:7 And of the angels He says,
“WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS,
AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE.”

In Heb 1:6, Paul is quoting Ps 97:7. Then in Heb 1:7, he quotes Ps 104:4. He’s quoting both of these verses from the Septuagint. In both Hebrew and Greek, the word for “angel” is also translated as “messenger” – it’s the choice of the translators as to whether to use “angel” or “messenger.” In this case, the NASB translator chose “messengers” for the Old Testament passage in Hebrew (Ps 104:4) and “angels” for the New Testament and Septuagint passage (Heb 1:7). We should see the terms as synonymous.

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Psalm 105

The Lord’s Wonderful Works in Behalf of Israel

Psalm 104 extolled God as our Creator; Psalm 105 extols Him as our Redeemer. (If you don’t recall the beginning notes on Psalm 104 about this distinction between Creator and Redeemer, scroll above.)

Ps 105:8-11 – “covenant“

Ps 105:15 – His “prophets” are “anointed” with the Holy Spirit. See also Anointed/Messiah/Christ/King.

Ps 105:23 – The “land of Ham” is synonymous with “Egypt”. Ham was one of the three sons of Noah (Gen 5:32) and the land that came to be called Egypt is where he and his descendants settled.

Ps 105:27 – See note on verse 23 above about “the land of Ham.”

Ps 105:45 – God’s purpose in giving Israel the land of Canaan was so that Israel could keep His law. Otherwise, they were no better than the Canaanites.

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Psalm 106

Israel’s Rebelliousness and the Lord’s Deliverances

Psalm 106 reads like as a continuation of Psalm 105. That is, both psalms focus on God as Redeemer, with Psalm 105 mainly describing God’s redemptive deeds for Israel while they were in, and on their way out of, Egypt…and Psalm 106 carrying on the narrative, mainly describing the redemptive acts of God that took place after this – that is, while Israel was in the wilderness and then in the land of Canaan.

Ps 106:2 – “lovingkindness“

Ps 106:22 – The “land of Ham” is synonymous with “Egypt”. Ham was one of the three sons of Noah (Gen 5:32) and the land that came to be called Egypt is where he and his descendants settled.

Ps 106:45 – “covenant“ ***** “lovingkindness“

Ps 106:47 – “Your holy name” is Jesus Christ – the name He made for Himself.

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Psalm 107

The Lord Delivers Men from Manifold Troubles

Ps 107:1 – A refrain of this verse occurs four times in this psalm: verses 8, 15, 21, and 31. The Lord’s “lovingkindness“ is featured in all five of these verses, and also in the final verse of the psalm: verse 43.

Ps 107:8 – This is the first of four refrains of this psalm’s first verse. ***** “lovingkindness“

Ps 107:15 – This is the second of four refrains of this psalm’s first verse. ***** “lovingkindness“

Ps 107:20 – See BSN note on Gen 37:23-24 about Joseph being thrown in a pit by his brothers. ***** This verse prophesies the coming of the Word of God who “heals” us and “delivers us from our destructions.”

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2 He was in the beginning with God.

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Luke 1:1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us,
Luke 1:2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word,

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Rev 19:13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

Ps 107:21 – This is the third of four refrains of this psalm’s first verse. ***** “lovingkindness“

Ps 107:31 – This is the fourth of four refrains of this psalm’s first verse. ***** “lovingkindness“

Ps 107:43 – “lovingkindness“

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Psalm 108

God Praised and Supplicated to Give Victory

Ps 108:3 – This verse, of course, had meaning for its context at the time it was written, but to “sing praises to You among the nations” would come to its fullness through Jesus Christ.

Matt 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Matt 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Matt 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Ps 108:4 – “lovingkindness“ ***** “truth“

Ps 108:5 – As in verse 3, the fullness of this verse is seen in what God did through Jesus Christ.

Phil 2:9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
Phil 2:10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Phil 2:11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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Psalm 109

Vengeance Invoked upon Adversaries

This psalm will show up on most lists of messianic psalms. There are multiple ways that it speaks of Messiah – whether directly or indirectly. One of the indirect ways that it applies to the Messiah is by its references to the accuser and betrayer of Messiah. The psalm is, in effect, a prayer offered by Messiah – and the Judas type gets mentioned in the process (such as in Ps 109:8). It is a prayer of great trust in God. No man who trusts God this much feels tempted to take revenge into his own hands.

Ps 109:2-5 – Is is clear that this is the way Jesus thought about His enemies – right down to the point of praying for them.

Matt 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’
Matt 5:44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Matt 5:45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Ps 109:2 – Jesus’ trial certainly fulfilled these words.

Matt 26:59 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death.
Matt 26:60 They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward…

Ps 109:4 – Messiah, like David, would pray even for His enemies.

Luke 23:34 But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”…

How much more then should we pray for our enemies!

Ps 109:6 – This verse kicks off a long string of curses Judas brought on himself when he plotted against God’s man. Ps 109:8 was just one of them.

Ps 109:8 – As for the first part of this verse (“Let his days be few”), Judas Iscariot took care of that fulfillment himself. Peter and the apostles saw in the rest of this verse, as they also saw in Ps 69:25, other consequences of the traitor’s behavior that gave them guidance in how they should deal with the reduction in their ranks. (Acts 1:20 = Ps 69:25 + Ps 109:8)

Acts 1:15 At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said,
Acts 1:16 “Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.
Acts 1:17 “For he was counted among us and received his share in this ministry.”
Acts 1:18 (Now this man acquired a field with the price of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.
Acts 1:19 And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
Acts 1:20 “For it is written in the book of Psalms,
‘LET HIS HOMESTEAD BE MADE DESOLATE,
AND LET NO ONE DWELL IN IT’; and,
‘LET ANOTHER MAN TAKE HIS OFFICE.’
Acts 1:21 “Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us–
Acts 1:22 beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us–one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

It was clear from Ps 109 that there was to be no reconciliation with someone who had behaved as Judas had – at least not that would lead back to him being restored as an apostle. I do not believe anyone – including Judas Iscariot – is excluded from everyone going to heaven, but it would be another thing altogether to say that he should have been kept on as an apostle.

Ps 109:12 – “lovingkindness“

Ps 109:16 – “lovingkindness“

Ps 109:21 – “lovingkindness“

Ps 109:24-25 – This foreshadows Jesus hanging on the cross. As for “wag the head,” this phrase appears also in Psalm 22:7 and is quoted in the New Testament accounts of Jesus on the cross, fulfilling these psalms.

Matt 27:39 And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads
Matt 27:40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

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Mark 15:29 Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,
Mark 15:30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”

Ps 109:26 – “lovingkindness“

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Psalm 110

The Lord Gives Dominion to the King

Ps 110:1 – This psalm – especially its first verse, and most especially its phrase “Sit at My right hand” – is quoted or otherwise referenced by the New Testament more than any other Old Testament passage – at least twenty times! (BSN: NT References to Ps 110:1)This psalm was widely considered messianic by Jews even before anyone was identifying Jesus as the Messiah – yet Jesus Himself demonstrated that even people who understood it as messianic couldn’t explain it. Notice how the following exchange ends.

Matt 22:41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question:
Matt 22:42 “What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.”
Matt 22:43 He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying,
Matt 22:44 ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD,
“SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,
UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET“‘?
Matt 22:45 “If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?”
Matt 22:46 No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.

We who live after the resurrection can understand this riddle. Normally, a son would be subordinate to a father (ancestor), but in this case David would be addressing his descendant as a superior (“Lord”). How could such a thing be? First and foremost because Jesus would be the firstborn from the dead and therefore David’s elder in resurrection life, but also because Jesus existed before David in the first place – that is, He existed in heaven before David was born (Jn 8:58).

***** When Jesus was on trial before the Jewish authorities, the verdict was reach in the following exchange.

Mark 14:60 The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?”
Mark 14:61 But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”
Mark 14:62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.”
Mark 14:63 Tearing his clothes, the high priest *said, “What further need do we have of witnesses?
Mark 14:64 “You have heard the blasphemy; how does it seem to you?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

Jesus is quoting two scriptures here: Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13. The first speaks of the destination to which Jesus’ ascension into heaven took Him, and the second refers to His Second Coming.

***** Re: “Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet,” see Josh 10:24-25 and accompanying BSN note.

Ps 110:4 – As for this psalms’ reference to Melchizedek, Paul is the only New Testament writer who addresses. He does so in his letter to the Hebrews, and does so extensively (Heb 5:6, 9-10; 6:19-20; 7:1-28). You can see the BSN notes on it here.

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Psalm 111

The Lord Praised for His Goodness

Ps 111:1 – Jesus Christ is “the Lord” we “praise” and “give thanks to.” The “company of the upright” and “the assembly” in which we do these things includes the long list of worthies identified in Paul’s letter to the Hebrews just before he referred to them collectively in the following manner.

Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus Himself had said that in the kingdom of God we would be united with those who had seen Him from afar…but who had waited patiently on His coming for our sakes.

Matt 8:11 “I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven;
Matt 8:12 but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

And Paul confirmed that our citizenship is in the Zion above, not the one on earth…and that we have seats at the table with the likes of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This then is the “company of the upright” and “the assembly” in which we “praise” and “give thanks to” the one we all call “the Lord.” Further to that point…

Phil 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven…

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Eph 2:6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Therefore, we worship not in an earthly tabernacle but in the Spirit of God.

Phil 3:3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,

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John 4:23 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

In this first verse, we have therefore been given the context for the rest of the psalm.

Ps 111:2 – Because Jesus Christ is the Lord, let us view this verse and all that follow it in this psalm as referring to the works of Christ as cataloged in the Gospels, as well as all the works of creation that produced in the universe in which we dwell.

Ps 111:5 – “covenant“

Ps 111:9 – “covenant“ ***** “Holy and awesome” is the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ps 111:10 – The “fear of” (which is to say reverence for) the humble carpenter from Galilee “is the beginning of wisdom.” And a “good understanding have all those who do” the red letters of the New Testament, as understood in the context of all the black letters of both testaments of the Bible.

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Psalm 112

Prosperity of the One Who Fears the Lord

Ps 112:1 – When you read this psalm, keep firmly in your mind that Jesus is “the Lord” it is describing and you are to be “the man” it is describing. If you do this, meaning will come popping out of the rest of the words in the psalm. This is, of course, the way Jesus wants us to read all such psalms. He followed them to victory, and He wants us to do the same.

Ps 112:9 – Here is how Paul uses this verse in his second letter to the Corinthian believers. The context is that he is addressing the subject of generosity them.

2 Cor 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
2 Cor 9:9 as it is written,
“HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR,
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER.”
2 Cor 9:10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;
2 Cor 9:11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

Paul’s point is that as God is generous, so we should be generous. Our point is to follow the example of the most generous man who ever lived. His life was a gift to others; ours can be, too.

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Psalm 113

The Lord Exalts the Humble

Ps 113:6 – This verse is the key to the whole psalm. We know that Jesus is Lord because the New Testament declares Him to be so. And we also know from His teaching that as Lord, He fulfills the Old Testament – which would include this psalm. In the Sermon on the Mount, He said:

Matt 5:17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

Therefore, the “humbling” spoken of in this verse refers to God’s visitation to this earth as Jesus of Nazareth. This incarnation was a fulfillment of what had been foreshadowed in what was said to Abraham about Sodom and Gomorrah.

Gen 18:20 And the LORD said, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.
Gen 18:21 “I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

Indeed, Jesus came down and saw up close and personally that Jerusalem had become Sodom – just as America has now, too. In such cases, judgment cannot be far off. Nevertheless, He “humbles Himself” to warn us because He loves us.

Ps 113:9 – Another sign of our times is how absurd this statement sounds to far too many women these days. Yet I have seen the Lord accomplish this in a woman’s life, and it is a wondrous thing to behold.

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Psalm 114

God’s Deliverance of Israel from Egypt

In the flesh, this psalm speaks of history – what God did for the descendants of Abraham through Moses and Joshua. In the spirit, this psalm prophesied of what we read about in the New Testament – especially in the book of Acts. That is, through Jesus Christ, Israel became a spiritual nation – what was called the church. That word “church” meant “called out ones,” an “assembly,” a “congregation” of believers separated from unbelievers. When the kingdom of God finally came at the close of the biblical age in the late 1st century, this psalm became relevant to every succeeding generation. This is because each generation of the kingdom must respond to the King’s call…or else it will slip back into the tyranny of sin.

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Psalm 115

Heathen Idols Contrasted with the Lord

Psalm 115 and Psalm 135 are very much alike. See notes on Psalm 135 farther below for points of comparison.

It is tempting to think that idolatry was brought to an end by Jesus Christ, but the last sentence of the apostle John’s letter suggests otherwise.

1 John 5:21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

It is also tempting to think that secularism, whatever its flaws, at least doesn’t promote idolatry. But this, too, is a false hope. Secularism actually multiplies idols – exponentially! This is because secularism is a worldview that acknowledges no beings greater than human beings. That means, as of the current moment, that there are a minimum of almost 8 billion idols before we start counting all the others. And since secularism is the prevailing orthodoxy of the modern world, let us read this psalm fully aware of the peril that surrounds us. We are like Paul in Athens.

Acts 17:16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.
Acts 17:17 So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.
Acts 17:18 And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, “What would this idle babbler wish to say?” Others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,”–because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.
Acts 17:19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming?
Acts 17:20 “For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean.”
Acts 17:21 (Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)
Acts 17:22 So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.
Acts 17:23 “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.
Acts 17:24 “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;
Acts 17:25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;
Acts 17:26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,
Acts 17:27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
Acts 17:28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’
Acts 17:29 “Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.
Acts 17:30 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent,
Acts 17:31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

Ps 115:1 – “lovingkindness“ ***** “truth“

Ps 115:3 – The Lord “does whatever He pleases.” This thought matches with the one in Ps 135:6.

Ps 115:4-8 – These thoughts match closely with those in Ps 135:15-18.

Ps 115:9-10 – This exhortation to Israel and the priesthood aligns with a similar exhortation to Israel and the Levites in Ps 135:19-20.

Ps 115:15 – One of the key lessons that Jesus taught His apostles during the 40 days between His resurrection from the dead and His ascension into heaven (The 40-Day Bible Study of Jesus the Messiah) was that He had been the one through whom God had made the heavens and the earth. Therefore, since He was from His ascension into heaven onward declared to be “Lord,” this verse fits Him perfectly.

Ps 115:16 – The Lord Jesus is, of course, doing a far better job managing the heavens than we are managing things down here – but through all he has given us shouldn’t we be at least closing the gap in some measurable way? Are disciples not to become like their teacher? Are slaves not to become like their master?

Ps 115:17 – Be sure to view verses like this in spiritual terms. Not everyone who praises the Lord Jesus is spiritually alive, for there are always hypocrites in the earth. But there’s no way someone who loves Jesus can stay mum about Him indefinitely.

Ps 115:18 – The next psalm is like a first installment on this commitment.

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Psalm 116

Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death

Ps 116:3 – “Sheol“

Ps 116:5 – As for “Gracious,” see grace.

Ps 116:7 – Which would we rather have – a restless soul or a soul at rest?

Ps 116:9 – To “walk before the Lord” is to walk in the spirit and not in the flesh.

Ps 116:10 – Paul quotes the first half of this verse from the Septuagint to make the point that the faith he preached was not a departure from the Old Testament, but rather an affirmation of it.

2 Cor 4:13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,” we also believe, therefore we also speak,
2 Cor 4:14 knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.

Ps 116:18-19 – The notes above on Ps 111:1 are relevant to this passage as well.

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Psalm 117

A Psalm of Praise

This psalm is the shortest chapter in the Bible. (Psalm 119 is the longest.)

Ps 117:1 – Paul uses this verse in a string of Old Testament verses that prophetically confirm that God intended all along for the Gentiles to share fully with the Jews in all the benefits that would come with Messiah (Christ).

Rom 15:7 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.
Rom 15:8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers,
Rom 15:9 and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written,
“THEREFORE I WILL GIVE PRAISE TO YOU AMONG THE GENTILES,
AND I WILL SING TO YOUR NAME.”
Rom 15:10 Again he says,
“REJOICE, O GENTILES, WITH HIS PEOPLE.”
Rom 15:11 And again,
“PRAISE THE LORD ALL YOU GENTILES,
AND LET ALL THE PEOPLES PRAISE HIM.”
Rom 15:12 Again Isaiah says,
“THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE,
AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES,
IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE.”
Rom 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Note that “the nations” = “the Gentiles.”

Ps 117:2 – “lovingkindness“ ***** “truth“

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Psalm 118

Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Saving Goodness

Ps 118:1-4 – “lovingkindness“

Ps 118:5 – Can’t you hear Jesus saying this to describe how He was raised from the dead and made to sit at the right hand of God?

Ps 118:6 – Paul quotes this verse as translated in the Septuagint.

Heb 13:5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,”
Heb 13:6 so that we confidently say,
“THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID.
WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”

Ps 118:17 – Hear Jesus declaring His faith when He knew He was going to be murdered.

Ps 118:18 – It only looked like Jesus had been given over to death.

Ps 118:22-23 – This couplet – in whole or in part – is quoted prominently and repeatedly in the New Testament. Specifically, it is found in Matt 21; Mark 12; Luke 20; Acts 4; Eph 2, and 1 Pet 2. Its appearances in Matthew, Mark, and Luke are similar, so I will only present one of those three here.

Matt 21:42 Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,
‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone;
THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD,
AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES‘?
Matt 21:43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.
Matt 21:44 “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

Jesus is speaking this to Israel’s chief priests and elders who were publicly opposing Him in Jerusalem the week He died. They fit the description of “the builders” because they are the religious leaders of the Jewish nation at this time. They have “rejected” Jesus and will soon implore the Roman government to crucify Him. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and ascension into to heaven will make Him “the chief corner stone” of what God had long planned to build – a new creation.

Having heard Jesus say what you see Him saying above, and having been a student with the other disciples in Jesus’ 40-Day Bible Study between His resurrection and ascension, the apostle Peter then declares this same passage from Ps 118 to the same Jewish leaders about two months later.

Acts 4:5 On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem;
Acts 4:6 and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent.
Acts 4:7 When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”
Acts 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people,
Acts 4:9 if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well,
Acts 4:10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead–by this name this man stands here before you in good health.
Acts 4:11 “He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone.
Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Jesus had implied to these religious leaders that He was the cornerstone but Peter declares it explicitly and boldly – because it was no longer mere prophecy. It was now history as well.

Apparently, Peter never lost his appreciation for the answer to the riddle of Ps 118:22 because he made reference to it again in one of his letters, as you see below.

1 Pet 2:4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
1 Pet 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
1 Pet 2:6 For this is contained in Scripture:
“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone,
AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
1 Pet 2:7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
“THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,”
1 Pet 2:8 and,
“A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.

You can see from the context that Peter has sandwiched his quotation of Ps 118:22 between two other quotations about stones and such. They are both from the prophet Isaiah – the first from Is 28:16 and the other from Is 8:14. The way these three verses are arrayed visually demonstrates the linking or interlocking nature of Old Testament prophecy. Each prophet prophesied in part.

1 Cor 13:9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part;

Like a jigsaw puzzle, it was when all the interlocking pieces were put together in the right way that the full portrait of Messiah could be seen and appreciated.

The apostle Paul also makes use of this cornerstone imagery from Ps 118 in his letter to the Ephesian believers.

Eph 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,
Eph 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,
Eph 2:21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,
Eph 2:22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

In all these quotations of Ps 118:22(-23), the central thrust is that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. Not even God is the cornerstone – Jesus Christ is. But that’s okay for God because He was – and is – in Jesus Christ. God wore Jesus of Nazareth like an astronaut wears a space suit.

Ps 118:25-26 – This is another couplet from Ps 118 that is – either in whole or part – prominently featured in the New Testament: Matt 21:9; 23:39; Mark 11:9-10; Lk 13:35; 19:38; John 12:13.

Verse 25 is the source of the word “Hosanna” which is Aramaic (see that link for a brief explanation of how “Hosanna” comes from this verse) and associated with Palm Sunday – the day Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem amidst expectations of Messiah that later that week would turn into cries of “Crucify Him!”

John 12:12 On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
John 12:13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.”

Verse 26 was a declaration that God had sent a person, and such a declaration would certainly be made of God’s Messiah. The passage from the Gospel of John above indicates that this large crowd in Jerusalem believed that Jesus’ coming to Jerusalem at this time was God’s doing. The following passage from the Gospel of Matthew, recording something Jesus said to Israel’s religious elite that same week, indicates that they did not share the view of that crowd.

Matt 23:37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
Matt 23:38 “Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!
Matt 23:39 “For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'”

Thus the views of Israel’s elite and its common folk were in contradiction with each other. It was the view of the rich and powerful that would prevail that week. Preservation of the status quo was far more desirable to them than whatever change this popular Galilean peasant might bring. They would win the battle that week, but lose the war, for the city and power structure they were trying to preserve would be burned to the ground within a generation. (Jesus died in 33 AD and the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and scattered Israel in 70 AD.

Ps 118:27 – Who is the Lord? The New Testament leaves no doubt, getting readers of the Bible another step closer to recognizing that Jesus was God made flesh. Thus does Jesus “fulfill” (Matt 5:17) “The Lord is God.”

Matt 5:17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

Ps 118:29 – “lovingkindness“

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Psalm 119

Meditations and Prayers Relating to the Law of God

This is the longest chapter in the Bible. (Psalm 117 is the shortest.) This psalm consists of 22 stanzas – corresponding to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each stanza consists of eight verses, with each verse beginning with the same Hebrew letter – doing this one stanza for each of the 22 letters. This structure is obviously a mnemonic device to help with memorization of the psalm’s contents.

Almost every verse in the psalm is about the word of God, with various synonyms or related terms used for “word” being used throughout. For example, notice how the words “law,” “testimonies,” “ways,” “precepts,” “statutes,” and “commandments” are used in the first stanza, usually following the form of “the _______ of the Lord,” or “His _______,” or “Your _______.” Other terms used elsewhere in the psalm are “judgments,” “truth,” and “ordinances.” Only three verses do not use at least one of these ten words (verses 90, 122, and 132). The entire 176 verses of this psalm comprise an ode to the word of the Lord – just the kind of song a Bible lover sings!

This way of structuring this psalm is what is called acrostic. Psalm 119 is not the only example of an acrostic in the Bible – just the most prominent because of its length. Acrostics are hard for us to recognize because translators usually don’t find it easy to take what is acrostic in the source language and reproduce it in the target language. For other acrostics in Scripture, see Hebrew Acrostics.

When we think of the word of the Lord, let us think of the Bible’s red letters most of all. The Bible’s black letters are no less the word of God, because they are from His prophets and apostles. But words directly from the Lord’s own lips ought to be our starting point and ought to give context to the rest.

This psalm is best read slowly and reflectively. Some of its greatest benefits will not come as you are reading it, but rather on those occasions when one of its verses comes to your mind with additional insight that you did not previously have. That’s the Holy Spirit at work in you.

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Psalm 120

Prayer for Deliverance from the Treacherous

Jesus was a man of peace (verse 7) upon whom war was declared by liars (verse2). That war continued after His death by persecution of those who follow Him. That war is still ongoing in the 21st century because He still has followers and there are still liars in the world intent on snuffing out His light. May we not contribute toward their success.

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Psalm 121

The Lord the Keeper of Israel

Cain deflected blame for the murder of his brother with a straw man question.

Gen 4:9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

No one was asking Cain to be Abel’s keeper. The Lord alone could fill that role. So why did the Lord not stop Cain from killing his brother? So that Abel would have the eternal honor of being a type of Him who was to come. Again, God did not will that Cain kill Abel; He gave freedom that Cain abused, but that God used for good.

Back to the subject of a keeper. The Lord is our keeper. He gives us breath. He brings us into the world and brings us out of it. He makes the final decision of when we’re born and when we die. If Peter dies by crucifixion but John dies at a ripe old age, who are we to question either outcome? Our assignment is like theirs – to follow Him.

John 21:17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.
John 21:18 “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.”
John 21:19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”
John 21:20 Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”
John 21:21 So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?”
John 21:22 Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”
John 21:23 Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”
John 21:24 This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

The Lord was guarding Peter’s every step until it was his time to die. He was guarding Peter’s steps just as much as He was guarding John’s. King Herod was all set to kill Peter, assigning four squads of soldiers keep him bound in jail until the day of his execution, but the Lord foiled Herod’s plan because it was not time for Peter to go. Only when it was Peter’s time, many years later in Rome, did the Lord let his enemies finish him off. Peter then went into the same wing of the hall of fame where Abel and so many others were honored. John also has a place of honor appropriate to his role. We each serve the Lord in whatever way is most useful to His purposes.

Since the Lord is keeping your every step until it’s your time to go, take all your remaining steps in such a way that you can hold your head up when you get to heaven. In other words, take this psalm deeply to heart. The same Lord who spoke to Peter and John in the passage above is “the LORD” of this psalm for us – and of all the other psalms.

This psalm and Psalm 124 complement each other – both emphasizing the Lord’s active involvement in our lives.

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Psalm 122

Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem

For those of us who live in the reverential awareness of Jesus Christ, this psalm is a reminder of the Jerusalem we enter every time we pray and that we enter permanently on the day of our death. The notes on Psalm 111:1 above apply to this psalm as well.

Ps 122:6-8 – Since the name “Jerusalem” comes from the Hebrew word for peace (“shalom”), “to pray for the peace of Jerusalem” is to pray that it would be true to its name. That the earthly Jerusalem is a shadow of the heavenly Jerusalem, therefore, is to communicate that the Jerusalem above is a city of peace. This implies that we fin rest there from the warfare we find on earth.

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Psalm 123

Prayer for the Lord’s Help

This psalm fits well with these two parables from Jesus. I will show you the key point of linkage below.

Luke 11:5 Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves;
Luke 11:6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;
Luke 11:7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’
Luke 11:8 “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
Luke 11:9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Luke 11:10 “For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.
Luke 11:11 “Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?
Luke 11:12 “Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?
Luke 11:13 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

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Luke 18:1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,
Luke 18:2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man.
Luke 18:3 “There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’
Luke 18:4 “For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,
Luke 18:5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'”
Luke 18:6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said;
Luke 18:7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?
Luke 18:8 “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

The key word in this psalm that links the entire psalm to these two parables is the word “until” in the second verse. That is, the petitioner is being exhorted to ask as long as it takes for the answer to be received. This concept of “until” is found in both of Jesus’ parables.

Ps 123:1 – “You” in this psalm was the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses for David and Jesus. For us it is Jesus. As for “enthroned in the heavens,”

Heb 7:26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;

Ps 123:2 – As for “Until,” see the note at the beginning of this psalm. ***** “gracious“

Ps 123:3 – “gracious“

Ps 123:4 – “soul“

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Psalm 124

Praise for Rescue from Enemies

This psalm makes very much the same point as Psalm 121 did, but by looking backward into time. In other words, Psalm 121 is about how the Lord is keeping and will keep us; whereas this psalm is more about how the Lord has kept us. The Lord is thus giving multiple ways to establish and fortify a conviction that He is our keeper. (Note that it is not necessary for the literal word “keep” or “keeper” be in Psalm 124 as they are in Psalm 121 for all this to be true.)

Ps 124:4-5 – “soul“

Ps 124:7 – “soul“

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Psalm 125

The Lord Surrounds His People

This psalm highlights the truth that the Lord’s support of our endeavors in life is tied to the righteousness we practice. He does not support evil.

Matt 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
Matt 7:22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
Matt 7:23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
Matt 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Matt 7:25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
Matt 7:26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
Matt 7:27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell–and great was its fall.”

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Psalm 126

Thanksgiving for Return from Captivity

The context for this psalm is the Babylonian Captivity and the Diaspora.

Ps 126:1-3 – This is speaking of the end of the 70-year period of captivity when Jews like Ezra and Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem from Babylon.

Ps 126:5-6 – A farmer can be laughing or crying when he plants his seeds – it makes no difference in the harvest. At harvest time, no one will ask “What kind of mood was the farmer in at planting time? We should never let our feelings get in the way of doing good deeds. Satan can’t stop a harvest; he can only tempt us to give up planting. Mood swings don’t affect our harvest unless we let them dissuade us from planting.

Gal 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
Gal 6:8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Gal 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

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Psalm 127

Prosperity Comes from the Lord

This can be considered a family man’s psalm. It speaks to the Lord’s involvement in the building and protection of a successful family.

1 Cor 3:6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.

The husband plants and the wife waters, but it is God causing the growth. As with children, so with the teaching of those children. The father and mother both teach the children the ways of the Lord, but it is God who causes spiritual growth in the children. We are co-laborers with Him in the building and protection of our families. We are not in this thing alone!

Ps 127:2 – We do not have to watch the crops to make them grow. God makes them grow whether we’re awake or asleep.

Mark 4:26 And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;
Mark 4:27 and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows–how, he himself does not know.
Mark 4:28 “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.
Mark 4:29 “But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Not only do we not have to watch the crops to make them grow, watching them too much makes us worry that they might not be growing. (Trying watching grass grow and see what sort of fulfillment you find.) A good farmer watches his crops, but not obsessively. Treat your children as you would like to be treated and God will do the rest in raising your children to maturity. No one can become a parent without having achieved the prerequisite of being a child first. God designed things this way so that we could know what things are like on their end and treat them as we wish we were treated. The children haven’t been through our side of it, but we have been through theirs. This puts us in the best position to decide b because we know both sides of the equation. Our decision-making doesn’t have to be perfect. We just have to be wise, firm, and compassionate.

Ps 127:4-5 – Too many adults see children as baggage rather than as weapons that can be used against the evil in the world. Take the long view: you take twenty years to draw back the bowstring before releasing the arrow on the enemy.

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Psalm 128

Blessedness of the Fear of the Lord

This psalm fits well with the previous one. Both are about the family. Psalm 127 gives the military view while Psalm 128 gives the civilian side of things. Being a father is like being the farmer who also has to be a soldier in order to protect his farm. As an analogy, think of the farmers that served under George Washington in the war for American independence. Similarly, leading a family involves many peaceful activities but also many engagements with the enemies of our souls and of our children’s souls. We’ve got to seek the wisdom to know when to use a hoe as a farm implement and when to wield it as a weapon to defend our families and our crops that feed them.

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Psalm 129

Prayer for the Overthrow of Zion’s Enemies

Jesus certainly faced persecution throughout His public ministry, so this psalm prophesies well of His sufferings at their hands. This psalm is also a good reminder that it’s not our place to hold our persecutors to account. That’s the Lord’s place, and He will not shirk His responsibilities in that regard.

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Psalm 130

Hope in the Lord’s Forgiving Love

Ps 130:3 – No one knows more about our sins than He does. If He should turn against us, who would there be to defend us?

Ps 130:4 – I love that it’s His forgiveness that allows us to revere Him as we should. In other words, I love that the starting point of our relationship with Him is not our righteousness but rather His mercy (compassion, lovingkindness).

Ps 130:5-6 – His word is what restores our souls.

Ps 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul…

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James 1:21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

Ps 130:7-8 – “lovingkindness”

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Psalm 131

Childlike Trust in the Lord

I go to this psalm a lot. It’s a life preserver. Here are some related verses I recall along with it for maximum impact.

1 Kin 3:7 “Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.

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Ps 94:19 When my anxious thoughts multiply within me,
Your consolations delight my soul.

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1 Pet 2:1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
1 Pet 2:2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
1 Pet 2:3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

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Psalm 132

Prayer for the Lord’s Blessing upon the Sanctuary

Ps 132:11 – This is the promise God made to David through the prophet Nathan in 2 Samuel 7. Peter quotes it from this verse on the day of Pentecost when he is publicly proclaiming the resurrection and ascension of Jesus…and that matters like this are fulfillments of what the prophets had promised of Messiah.

Acts 2:29 “Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
Acts 2:30 “And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE,
Acts 2:31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY.
Acts 2:32 “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.
Acts 2:33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.
Acts 2:34 “For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:
‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD,
“SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,
Acts 2:35 UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.”‘
Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ–this Jesus whom you crucified.”

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Psalm 133

The Excellency of Brotherly Unity

Too few modern American families have experienced the peace and unity God desires a family to enjoy. Many seem to have given up hope of having any true peace and unity in their homes. This psalm is a rallying cry to such a family life. Through Jesus Christ, it can be achieved…maintained…and grown. The Bible – including the book of Psalms – will help you get there.

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Psalm 134

Greetings of Night Watchers

Night watchmen are naturally eager for the morning to come.

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Psalm 135

Praise the Lord’s Wonderful Works. Vanity of Idols.

Psalm 115 and Psalm 135 are similar in subject matter, perspective, and even some specific wording (see note on verses 15-18 below). The general theme of both psalms is that those in the house of the Lord should meditate on the worthiness of the Lord, especially as contrasted with the unworthiness and uselessness of idols. For more on idols, see the notes on Ps 115 above.

In both Psalm 115 and 135 we should understand that the old covenant focus of the house of the Lord being a separate place where the people of the Lord gather no longer applies. Rather, every house should be the house of the Lord – every family His dwelling place. We have died to ourselves and our life is now His.

2 Cor 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
2 Cor 5:15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

Thus the new covenant gives a new dimension of meaning to the house of the Lord. Our house is now His house.

Josh 24:15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Under the old covenant, the families went to the house of the Lord; under the new covenant, the Lord comes to each family.

Acts 3:19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
Acts 3:20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,
Acts 3:21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
Acts 3:22 “Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you.
Acts 3:23 ‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’
Acts 3:24 “And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days.
Acts 3:25 “It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.’
Acts 3:26 “For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”

I have made bold the key words for our current focus on this passage: “restoration,” and “families.” The chief end of the new covenant was to restore creation to its original order, but fortified with the revelation of God’s nature (character) through Jesus Christ. Under the old covenant there was a tabernacle and then a temple, but these were only temporary structures. The permanent solution was to rejoin the union between God, man, and woman – the nucleus of family.

Modern secular society misses the point of all this, thinking, as a result of the sexual revolution, that mutual consent is the only requirement of righteous sex. That actually is true except for the glaring fact that they remove God from the list of those who must consent. Modern secular society think it’s only the man and the woman who must consent, but that’s not enough. God must consent, too, and He’s made His directions for sex quite easy to understand: one man plus one woman for one lifetime. He doesn’t consent to sex outside of marriage; He doesn’t consent to homosexuality. He doesn’t consent to any perversion of righteous sex as He has defined it.

In the run-up the to the second coming, when the kingdom of God would be fully established, believers still congregated but the temple no longer mattered. Once the kingdom arrived, congregations of believers mattered less – especially where men were capable of leading their families in the ways of Messiah. This is all the more the case today when the Scriptures are so accessible to everyone everywhere all the time. Never has the Bible been as accessible as it is today.

Therefore, Psalms 115 and 135 should be read and applied to family life. We should treat our homes as if they are the temple of the Lord.

Ps 101:2 I will give heed to the blameless way.
When will You come to me?
I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.

Ps 135:1-3 – As the priests and worshipers in the temple would exhort each other in this fashion, so family members can exhort each other in the same fashion. This is because family is the building block of human civilization…by the Lord’s design.

Ps 135:6 – The Lord does “whatever He pleases.” This thought matches the thought in Ps 115:3. ***** We, on the other hand, cannot do “whatever we please.” We are not that powerful. And we certainly can’t go everywhere, much less be everywhere. If He who can do all these things is for us, who can be against us?

Ps 135:8-14 – The Lord certainly made a name for Himself through Israel’s doings from Egypt to Canaan and in between. How much more then has He made a name for Himself through Jesus Christ and His doings from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth!

Ps 135:15-18 – These four verses match pretty closely the five verses in Ps 115:4-8. Both passages detail how idols are portrayed as possessing senses they do not have: such as sight and hearing. Both passages conclude with the observation that people who make or trust them will become like them: that is, senseless.

Ps 135:19-20 – This exhortation to Israel and the Levites has a parallel in Ps 115:9-10.

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Psalm 136

Thanks for the Lord’s Goodness to Israel

In ancient times, copies of the Scriptures were kept on scrolls and those scrolls were usually kept at the temple (and the tabernacle prior to that) and the synagogues. At these places, the people would hear the Scriptures read. Therefore, they did not have to know how to read in order to know what the Scriptures said. Since they weren’t usually going to have a copy of the Scriptures when they went back home, they needed to remember all that they could. One of the ways they helped themselves remember was by group recitation. One form of group recitation was antiphonal. This psalm would be a good example of that. The reader could speak or chant or sing the first half of the verse and the congregation could respond with “For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” And so they would go through the whole psalm antiphonally.

In the example above, there are actually two memory aids being employed: 1) chanting or singing, which makes words easier to recall than merely speaking them, and 2) antiphonal expressions engaging every person in the room and producing a collective as well as individual memories of the experience. The alternation could be between reader and congregation, men and women, adults and children, one side of the room and the other, and so on.

In this psalm, the single line that is repeated most often is the main point of the whole psalm: “His lovingkindness is everlasting.” That’s the essence of what’s being taught; all other lines in the psalm are reinforcing and building on that thought. Antiphony is just one example of how ancient cultures were wise in the ways of teaching and disseminating knowledge throughout a culture…regardless of literacy rates. For an example of another memory aid, see Psalm 119 which is acrostic.

Ps 136:10 – When reading a difficult verse like this, we have to remember that the Egyptians brought this fate on themselves through Pharaoh’s intransigence. Also see note on Ps 137:9.

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Psalm 137

An Experience of the Captivity

The context for this psalm is the Babylonian Captivity. The psalm uses the cities of Jerusalem and Babylon to contrast a godly culture with an ungodly one. It was bad enough when a godly people lived in the midst of ungodly people – such as when Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had to sojourn in the land of the Canaanites. But things were much worse when godly people had to live under the tyranny of ungodly people – such as the Israelites in Egypt before Moses, and the Jews in Babylon during the 70 years of captivity.

Subjugation to Babylon was even worse than subjugation to Egypt because, like the prodigal son (Luke 15), the Jews had to live with the fact that they had brought this fate on themselves. That is, they had freedom but then squandered it with “loose living” (Luke 15:13). While enslaved in Egypt, they could blame the Egyptians for enslaving them, but in the Babylonian Captivity they could only blame themselves. Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon could never have conquered Israel if Israel had not repeatedly violated God’s covenant. We in America are also having to live with the bitter knowledge that we have brought our demise on ourselves. And we don’t know how long our captivity will be. We didn’t even have to be moved out of the country to be subjugated.

Ps 137:9 – This is one of those difficult Bible passages to read, especially for visual thinkers. (Another is Ps 136:10.) The first thing we have to remember is that we wouldn’t be as sensitive to such images if it weren’t for Jesus Christ. Western Civilization, because He is at its root, has softened human brutality. The second thing to remember is that, again because of Jesus Christ, everyone is going to heaven. The third thing to remember is that the metaphor is intended to convey the idea of not allowing an evil culture to replicate itself. The world doesn’t need more Cain’s.

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Psalm 138

Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Favor

Ps 138:2 – “lovingkindness“ ***** “truth“ ***** As for “You have magnified Your word according to all Your name,” I have not found this expression easy to comprehend. However, Bible Gateway tracks about 60 different English translations. What is consistent with all of them is that God’s word and His name are very important. Hence the URL of this book is www.jesuschristandthebible.info.

Ps 138:3 – May this be your experience every day through a PDT. There is nothing so wonderfully exhilarating as the Lord “making you bold with strength in your soul.” It does not have to be an infrequent experience! See also verse 7 below.

Ps 138:6 – Do you feel distant from God? Humbling yourself is the path back to Him.

Ps 138:7 – This dynamic can work in tandem with the one described in verse 3 above.

Ps 138:8 – As in farming, we only have a part to play – the Lord will do the rest. ***** “lovingkindness“

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Psalm 139

God’s Omnipresence and Omniscience

Ps 139:1-12 – The Lord knows David – inside and out. The size of the file He has on David is beyond David’s ability to imagine. Jesus picked up where David left off. That is, Jesus embraced all that this psalm taught and added His insight to it.

Luke 12:6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.
Luke 12:7 “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

Do we think Jesus has any less data on us than was kept on David?

Ps 139:13-16 – Besides knowing everything about us, He created us. That’s how He knows so much about us. I’m talking about Jesus specifically.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2 He was in the beginning with God.
John 1:3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

And Paul agrees. In multiple letters, using multiply expressions, he made this point.

1 Cor 8:5 For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords,
1 Cor 8:6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

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Col 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Col 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created through Him and for Him.

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Heb 1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
Heb 1:2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

Ps 139-17-18 – If David thought this when the Bible was only half the size it is now, what would he think now?!

Ps 139:19-22 – David knows that God loves righteousness; therefore, David loves righteousness. This is how God came to say that David was a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22;1 Sam 13:14). David sought to think like God.

Ps 139:23-24 – David held nothing back when he submitted himself to the Lord. We shouldn’t hold our hearts back from Him either.

Heb 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

We can’t hide from Him, so why should we even try?

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Psalm 140

Prayer for Protection against the Wicked

Ps 140:3 – In the passage below from Paul’s letter to the Romans, the all caps letters are quotations from the Old Testament. In addition to showing you where Paul’s quotation of Ps 140:3 fits in, I also give you to the location of the other OT verses in brackets.

Rom 3:9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;
Rom 3:10 as it is written,
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
Rom 3:11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
Rom 3:12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” [Rom 3:10-12 is from Ps 14:1-3; 53:1-3]
Rom 3:13 “THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,
WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,” [from Ps 5:9]
“THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS“; [from Ps 140:3]
Rom 3:14 “WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”; [Ps 10:7]
Rom 3:15 “THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
Rom 3:16 DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
Rom 3:17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.” [Rom 3:15-17 is taken from Is 59:7-8]
Rom 3:18 “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.” [Ps 36:1]

You can see that Paul is pulling heavily from the Psalms in this part of his letter to Rome. This is a mixed congregation (Jews and Gentiles) to which he is writing, so presumably he is choosing scriptures which should be recognizable to both groups. Note also that he introduces all the quotes with no more than “as it is written.” No mention of “Psalms” or “Isaiah”…and certainly no chapter and verse numbers since they did not exist at the time he wrote. I say all this to help keep in our minds that all the believers we read about in the New Testament saw the Old Testament as a complete Bible – sufficient for all their needs. What a bonus we have in the New Testament! (But then that’s our consolation prize for not having the apostles themselves.)

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Psalm 141

An Evening Prayer for Sanctification and Protection

Ps 141:2 – This verse presages the transition from old covenant to new covenant. That is, “incense” in the old covenant was a metaphor for “prayer” in the new covenant. When the new covenant was revealed through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, the apostles began making these connections for the increasing numbers of disciples.

Heb 13:15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
Heb 13:16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Under the new covenant we are sacrificing ourselves instead of animals. We are living sacrifices, spiritual sacrifices.

Rom 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

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1 Pet 2:4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
1 Pet 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

David was a man whose heart was ready for the new covenant, but it wouldn’t come for a thousand more years. Still, he wrote in ways that help us as well as they helped his contemporaries.

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Psalm 142

Prayer for Help in Trouble

The preface to this psalm says it refers to “when he was in the cave.” This is the time before David became king, when he was being hunted down by King Saul and had to stay in hiding most of the time.

Ps 142:4 – The “soul“ is the seat of human experience – that place where our thoughts and feelings come together. As a man’s soul goes, so goes his life, because his soul is where he experiences life. The well-being of the soul is a theme throughout the Psalms. In this particular psalm, David’s soul is suffering greatly. He is seeking relief from the difficult circumstances around him; his hope is that God’s help with his circumstances will bring relief to his soul.

Ps 142:7 – As for “soul,” see note above on verse 4.

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Psalm 143

Prayer for Deliverance and Guidance

Ps 143:3 – “soul“

Ps 143:6 – “soul“

Ps 143:8 – “lovingkindness” ***** “soul“ ***** As for “Teach me the way in which I should walk,” let us remember this:

John 8:31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
John 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Ps 143:10 – “Your good Spirit” is the Holy Spirit.

John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

Ps 143:11 – “soul“

Ps 143:12 – “lovingkindness” ***** “soul“

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Psalm 144

Prayer for Rescue and Prosperity

Ps 144:1 – It’s obvious that David saw the Lord as being just as involved in his military maneuvers as involved in his prayers. This is consistent with what John the Baptist told soldiers who came to him for advice about repentance.

Luke 3:14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.”

John the Baptist did not tell the soldiers that they had to resign from the military. Just because the kingdom of God doesn’t advance by arms doesn’t mean other kingdoms don’t need them. Earthly kingdoms must be protected with earthly armies; the kingdom of God is spiritual and, by contrast, it protected spiritually. I say all this because many people seem to think that Jesus came to bring non-violence to the world as if He were Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King. Those men led political kingdoms but Jesus leads a spiritual kingdom. There is such a thing as political warfare; there is also such a thing as spiritual warfare. Just because Jesus didn’t fight physically doesn’t mean He doesn’t fight. My main point in all this is that no soldier or police officer has to lay down his arms to follow Jesus. We just have to fight physical battles physically and spiritual battles spiritually.

Ps 144:2 – “lovingkindness“

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Psalm 145

The Lord Extolled for His Goodness

Ps 145:1 – Is Jesus a king? This is something Pontius Pilate brought up with Jesus.

John 18:33 Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
John 18:34 Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?”
John 18:35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?”
John 18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”
John 18:37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
John 18:38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in Him.
John 18:39 “But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus is the king of the kingdom of God. Therefore, when we say “my God, O King” according to Ps 145:1 we are speaking to Jesus. He is the king and there can’t be more than one king at a time. The Father was king until the Son took over, by which time He Himself had become a Father, too.

Ps 145:4 – Each generation grows up hearing about the experiences previous generations have had with the Lord, and then has its own experiences, which it then tells to the new rising generation. The result should be that with each succeeding generation another layer of evidence of God’s faithfulness is laid atop the testimony of the Bible to assure us that we are wise to trust His counsel and keep His commandments.

Ps 145:8 – “gracious“ ***** “lovingkindness“

Ps 145:11 – Notice that the “glory” and “kingdom” and “power” of the Lord that are spoken of in this verse are also spoken of in the prayer that the Lord gave us.

Matt 6:9 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Matt 6:10 ‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Matt 6:11 ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
Matt 6:12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matt 6:13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’

Where do we think Jesus got all His ideas if not from the Old Testament?

Ps 145:14 – Notice how this verse foreshadows what would be revealed through Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament.

1 Cor 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

See the similarity?

Ps 145:15-16 – Ps 123 (only four verses long) is a slightly longer expression of a thought similar to this one.

Ps 145:17-19 – This serves well as a description of the kinds of things we see Jesus doing in the four Gospels.

Ps 145:20 – As for the Lord “keeping” us, see Psalms 121 and 124 for fuller expressions of this idea.

Ps 145:21 – “His holy name” is Jesus Christ.

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The last five psalms in the book of Psalms begin with the three-word expression “Praise the Lord.” We have seen this expression many times in this book already. Six previous psalms have begun this way: 106, 111, 112, 113, 117, and 135. The phrase is used about three dozen times total in the book. The final psalm of the book closes by making the statement twice. It is obviously a theme of the book…and the exclamation point added at the end.

Though none of the last five psalms are explicitly ascribed to David, it seems clear that the spirit of praise seen throughout the book, and especially in the last five psalms, springs from the unique kind of heart this man had for the Lord. We celebrate most what we value the most. David clearly valued the Lord, and he led his nation to do the same. It is our privilege to follow in those steps.

The last five psalms can almost be viewed as one extended psalm with five installments.

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Psalm 146

The Lord an Abundant Helper

Ps 146:1 – “soul“

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Psalm 147

Praise for Jerusalem’s Restoration and Prosperity

Ps 147:11 – “lovingkindness”

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Psalm 148

The Whole Creation Invoked to Praise the Lord

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Psalm 149

Israel Invoked to Praise the Lord

Ps 149:4 – What the servants of King Ahasuerus did for Esther (Esther 2) is an earthly analogy for this spiritual reality. The Lord accepts us as we are, but has no intention of leaving us as we are.

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Psalm 150

A Psalm of Praise

The book of Psalms ends with a bang. The word “praise” appears three times in the first verse and twice in every succeeding verse. When David was a boy shepherding his father’s flock, he played his harp in the field as he praised the Lord. However, when he became king, David formed an orchestra of musical instruments to accompany his praise. After all, as king it was his heavenly father’s flock he was tending. That deserved a bigger band!

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