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Psalm 51
A Contrite Sinner’s Prayer for Pardon
David wrote this psalm when Nathan the prophet had confronted him about his sin with Bathsheba. David’s sin with Bathsheba is recorded in 2 Sam 11; Nathan’s rebuke of David is recorded in 2 Sam 12. You will be able to repent from most of your sins with 1 John 1:9; but for some you will need this psalm. Let me explain. First, consider the efficiency of 1 John 1:9 in dealing with sin.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Of course, Psalm 51 is eighteen verses longer than this. The kind of sins that will require Psalm 51 are either really bad ones or else ones that are smaller but that keep nagging your conscience. 1 John 1:9 is a wash cloth and Psalm 51 is a scrub brush.
If you want another way to compare the two, consider this demonstration that Jesus gave:
John 13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
John 13:2 During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him,
John 13:3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God,
John 13:4 got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself.
John 13:5 Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.
John 13:6 So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?”
John 13:7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.”
John 13:8 Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
John 13:9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.”
John 13:10 Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”
John 13:11 For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”
Thus some sins can be dispensed with quickly and easily, others require a more comprehensive process. You will be glad to have Psalm 51 on hand for those times that you need it.
Ps 51:1 – The foundation of this prayer – that is, this psalm – is the Lord’s grace. See also lovingkindness, since that is the wellspring of the Lord’s grace.
Ps 51:4 – I take “Against You, You only” to mean “Against You, You especially” because even if David thought Bathsheba’s complicity meant he didn’t sin against her, he surely realized that he had sinned against her husband Uriah.
As for the remainder of the verse, Paul quotes it in his letter to the Romans.
Rom 3:4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written,
“THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS,
AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.“
Rom 3:5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.)
Rom 3:6 May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world?
Paul’s point is that our sins prove that God is righteous, for how can there be such a thing as unrighteousness unless there is a thing such as righteousness? And if men are unrighteous, who’s left to be righteous except God?
Ps 51:5 – We don’t have to be taught to sin; it comes naturally. Obviously, original sin is a thing.
Ps 51:6 – God desired this from the beginning, but only through Jesus Christ do we have the means to achieve it.
Ps 51:13 – Only when we’ve successfully repented of a sin can we righteously teach our children not to commit it. After all, Jesus said:
Matt 7:1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.
Matt 7:2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
Matt 7:3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
Matt 7:4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye?
Matt 7:5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
In an attempt to justify their sins, some people will quote Matt 7:1 out of context as if Jesus was saying we should have no views about what is right or wrong. But this is, of course, absurd. It would make us like the animals. Jesus’ point wasn’t that we should think a sin wasn’t a sin. Rather, His point was that we should overcome a sin before telling others to overcome it. And that is the point of Ps 51:13 as well.
Ps 51:14-17 – The whole point in grieving about sin is to find our way back to joy. God doesn’t want us to wallow in grief over our sins any more than He wants us to wallow in our sins. What He wants is for us to stop sinning – which is to do right instead of sinning. That is the essence of repentance: change. Positive behavioral change.
Ps 51:18-19 – The new covenant relieves us of having to sacrifice animals. Instead, we sacrifice our lives.
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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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.
We are made able to offer such “living” sacrifices by ceasing to live for ourselves and instead live for Jesus.
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.
This is such a simple switch to flip. Alas, it’s equally easy to flip back…and, alas again, many of us do. At this sign of trouble in your soul, check the setting on this switch.
As has been said by many, “The the problem with living sacrifices is that they keep crawling off the altar.”
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Psalm 52
Futility of Boastful Wickedness
The incident involving Doeg the Edomite and Ahimelech the priest that gave rise to this psalm is recorded in 1 Sam 21-22.
Ps 51:1-7 – David’s view of the kind of man he does not want to be.
Ps 51:8-9 – David’s view of the kind of man he wants to be.
As in Psalm 1, David portrays the righteous man as a fruitful tree.
As for the tree being “green,” consider this exchange Jesus had with some sympathetic women on His way to Golgotha to be crucified:
Luke 23:27 And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him.
Luke 23:28 But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
Luke 23:29 “For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’
Luke 23:30 “Then they will begin TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS, ‘FALL ON US,’ AND TO THE HILLS, ‘COVER US.’
Luke 23:31 “For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
In this case, the tree represents not a man but the nation. Jesus is pointing out that there is still life in Israel, for there were Jews – including these women – who believed in Him. But the time would come when the unbelieving Jews would drive all the believing ones out of Israel. At that point, the “tree” would be “dry” and therefore subject to burning – as Jerusalem literally was in 70 AD.
Whether it is a man or a nation, the tree can remain fruitful or it can become dry. Always stay close to the streams of water (Ps 1:3) so that right up until your last day on earth, you never go dry.
John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
John 7:38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
John 7:39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Thus the Holy Spirit is “the living water” we need for the tree that is us to remain green.
***** “lovingkindness“
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Psalm 53
Folly and Wickedness of Men
This psalm is almost identical to Psalm 14. See BSN notes there.
Ps 53:1-3 – These three verses are quoted in the New Testament. For more about this, see BSN notes on Ps 14:1-3.)
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Psalm 54
Prayer for Defense against Enemies
The incident that gave rise to David writing this psalm involved the Ziphites. They are mentioned as coming to Saul about David in 1 Sam 23:19 and 1 Samuel 26:1.
Jesus gave us the Lord’s prayer, but it seems clear that He built it out of pieces He found in the Old Testament – just like He built His entire worldview out of the Old Testament. In this psalm alone, we find several of His prayer’s building blocks.
- Verse 1 “Your name” – “Hallowed be Your name“
- Verse 2 “Your power” – “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever”
- Verse 6 – “Your name” – “Hallowed be Your name“
- Verse 7 – “delivered me from all trouble” – “Deliver us from evil“
Verse 2 even refers to this psalm as a “prayer.” All of Jesus’ ideas can be traced back to the Old Testament. But we could never find those ideas and put them together on our own as He did – we need Him to show us…every step of the way.
Col 1:17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
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Psalm 55
Prayer for the Destruction of the Treacherous
David was a king, and a king has many enemies. David counted on the Lord to protect him from his enemies. In this psalm we see how energetically he sought the Lord’s help in this regard.
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Psalm 56
Supplication for Deliverance and Grateful Trust in God
The incident that gave rise to this psalm from David is recorded in 1 Samuel 21:10-15.
Ps 56:3 – David is savvy in the ways of God: he lets his fears trigger his trust.
Ps 56:4 – It’s not just God’s existence that energizes us – it’s His word, which explains the world. And knowledge of His covenant with us comes through His word as well. It’s His covenant that makes us promises with practical benefits. For example…
Matt 6:25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Matt 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
Matt 6:27 “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
Matt 6:28 “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
Matt 6:29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
Matt 6:30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
Matt 6:31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’
Matt 6:32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
Matt 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Knowing that God exists is one thing, but His word is what gives us knowledge and confidence about the things He’s willing to do for us.
Ps 56:13 – To “walk before God” is to walk in the spirit.
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Psalm 57
Prayer for Rescue from Persecutors
There are two incidents involving caves that may have given rise to this psalm from David. They are mentioned in 1 Samuel 22:1 and 1 Samuel 24:3
Ps 57:1 – “gracious” (grace) ***** “soul“ ***** “And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge Until destruction passes by” is a word picture worth remembering. This is the way God protects us in this world. For example, He doesn’t eliminate hurricanes, but He gives the righteous reason to believe they’ll survive them.
1 Pet 4:18 AND IF IT IS WITH DIFFICULTY THAT THE RIGHTEOUS IS SAVED, WHAT WILL BECOME OF THE GODLESS MAN AND THE SINNER?
The Lord promises us deliverance from evil, not exemption from inconvenience.
Ps 57:4 – “…men, whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword” – What a vivid figure of speech!
Ps 57:5 – #FJOT
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.
Ps 57:6 – Like Haman when he tried to trap Mordecai in the book of Esther.
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Psalm 58
Prayer for the Punishment of the Wicked
There is something in a man that takes heart when he sees God doing justice, and that loses heart when he sees man doing injustice.
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Psalm 59
Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
The incident that gave rise to this psalm from David is recorded in 1 Sam 19:11-17.
Ps 59:1 – This will one day be our cry once we’re safely ensconced in heaven, out of the reach of demons on earth.
Ps 59:16 – “lovingkindness“
Ps 59:17 – “lovingkindness“
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Psalm 60
Lament over Defeat in Battle, and Prayer for Help
The incident that gave rise to this psalm from David is recorded in 2 Sam 8:3, 13 and in 1 Chr 18:3, 12.
Ps 60:7 – As for the phrase “Judah is my scepter,” it is an allusion to Judah’s role as the leader – a role that David was fulfilling as king, and that would ultimately be fulfilled by his descendant, the Messiah. For more, see Judah.
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Psalm 61
Confidence in God’s Protection
We do well to adopt David’s attitude toward God. David was king of Israel, but he did not lord it over men. Rather, he humbled himself before God.
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Psalm 62
God Alone a Refuge from Treachery and Oppression
Ps 62:1 – David is coming to God for the salvation of his soul. Salvation of the soul is not about securing an afterlife for ourselves, because God has already secured it for us (Everyone is going to heaven because of Jesus Christ). Rather, it is about a recurring process – at a minimum daily, and often more frequently than that. It is a repair process that we need for our souls. And that process is driven by listening for His word.
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.
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Ps 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul…
Ps 62:2 – “rock“
Ps 62:8 – “Pour out your heart before Him” – We see David pouring out his heart throughout the Psalms; he does not hold back. It is counter-intuitive that we should have to voice our thoughts to God because He knows them better than we do. Therefore, the purpose is not to inform God but to help us order our minds and concentrate on why we are before Him. He doesn’t need to hear us – we do.
Ps 62:12 – “lovingkindness“
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Psalm 63
The Thirsting Soul Satisfied in God
The incidents that gave rise to this psalm from David are mentioned in 1 Samuel 22:5 and 23:14.
Ps 63:1 – The thought here about water for a thirsty soul tracks with that in Ps 42:1-2, which adds in the analogy of a deer panting for water.
Ps 63:2 – Jesus took David’s focus on “Your power and Your glory” and made it part of the prayer He taught us. Jesus learned much about prayer from David’s example and then borrowed from that inheritance to build a new covenant prayer that would work all eternity.
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.]’
To give you a sense of how steeped Jesus was in the vocabulary of the Psalms, consider how often these two-word expressions occur in the book of Psalms:
- “Your name” – 48x
- “Your kingdom” – 4x
- “Your will” – 2x
- “Your power” – 11x
- “Your glory” – 7x
Of course, the underlying concepts occur even more often. For example, expressions like “the name of the Lord” and “His name” have the same meaning as “Your name” but don’t show up in the counts above. And so it is with His kingdom, will, power, and glory. This is but one of innumerable examples we have of how important the Old Testament was to Jesus. It was all the Bible He had, and the New Testament presents His teaching of the Old Testament. He used the Old Testament to teach the new covenant.
Ps 63:3 – “lovingkindness“
Ps 63:4 – “Your name” – See note on verse 2 above.
Ps 63:6 – If we wake up in the middle of the night, let us not merely toss and turn. Rather, let us toss and turn while meditating on His word.
Ps 63:7 – As for “in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy,” let us not be like those who have refused His offer of comfort:
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!’”
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Luke 13:34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!
Luke 13:35 “Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you will not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’”
The Lord wants to comfort us. We should let Him!
Ps 63:8 – We were made to “cling” to God. The fit was broken when our ancestors Adam and Eve sinned…but it was partially restored in God’s covenant with Abraham for Jews…and fully restored for Jews and Gentiles in Jesus Christ.
Ps 63:9 – This is Sheol (Hades) by another name: “the depths of the earth.”
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Psalm 64
Prayer for Deliverance from Secret Enemies
As a king, David faced the treachery that kingship attracts. As Shakespeare had one of his characters say, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” Jesus – as Messiah, who would be King of kings – would wear an even heavier crown and therefore face even more treachery. The Gospels repeatedly testify of the plots against Jesus from priests, scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and others. If this prayer was effective for David and Jesus, it will certainly work for us who face few enemies than they did.
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Psalm 65
God’s Abundant Favor to Earth and Man
Ps 65:2 – With regard to God being receptive to “prayer” from “all men,” a couple of centuries later, the prophet Isaiah carried forward this same idea (Is 56:7)…and Jesus quoted him (Mk 11:17) about eight centuries after that.
Mark 11:17 And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS‘? But you have made it a ROBBERS’ DEN.”
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Is 56:7 Even those I will bring to My holy mountain
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar;
For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
Since the second coming, the entirety of creation is the house of God through Jesus Christ…and thus prayer to God from “all men” is all the more welcome.
Ps 65:3 – If your “iniquities are prevailing against” you, go to Psalm 51 and the accompanying BSN notes above. Given all that Jesus has done, there is no good reason you should remain in the grip of unforgiven sin. The only sins that cannot be forgiven are the ones you won’t repent of.
Ps 65:8 – Isn’t it true that “They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of His signs”! And isn’t it a great way of putting it to say that He “makes the dawn and the sunset shout for joy”!
Ps 65:9 – Did not God “greatly enrich” the earth when He “visited” it as Jesus Christ? The Psalms had meaning before He came, but now they “overflow” with meaning!
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Psalm 66
Praise for God’s Mighty Deeds and for His Answer to Prayer
Ps 66:6 – This is a reference to Moses leading the Israelites through the Red Sea and, in the following generation, Joshua leading them through the Jordan River.
Ps 66:13-14 – Have we made promises to God we are not keeping? If so, it’s time to make that right.
Ps 66:16 – Paul said as much to King Agrippa.
Acts 26:27 “King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do.”
Acts 26:28 Agrippa replied to Paul, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.”
Acts 26:29 And Paul said, “I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains.”
Ps 66:18-19 – The man blind from birth that Jesus healed had obviously been paying attention when the Scriptures (including Ps 66:18) were read in the synagogue, for this was his view of the matter:
John 9:31 “We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.
Ps 66:20 – “lovingkindness“
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Psalm 67
The Nations Exhorted to Praise God
The Psalms were written during the time of ancient Israel, mainly when David and then Solomon was king. Think, therefore, of how this psalm would have been understood in that context. The nations surrounding Israel could be at peace with her and trade with her and learn about the one true God from her. David had subdued the nations around Israel through His military victories and then Solomon built up trade by initiating his many projects – including the temple and palace. Because of this, Israel’s status grew far beyond the surrounding nations – the queen of Sheba making a state visit to Jerusalem being a prominent example. Thus, Israel was a blessing to the Gentiles. In such a context, Psalm 67 made perfect sense – but, oh, how much more so in the context of Messiah’s reign! Israel was limited by what a nation can do, but Messiah is only limited by what God can do!
Ps 67:1 – This verse echoes the blessing God gave to Moses for Aaron to use when blessing the Israelites.
Num 6:24 The LORD bless you, and keep you;
Num 6:25 The LORD make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
Num 6:26 The LORD lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’
Ps 67:2 – The “way” of God was one thing in ancient Israel, but immeasurably more in Christ. In fact, Christianity was called the “Way” long before it was called Christianity.
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Psalm 68
The God of Sinai and of the Sanctuary
Ps 68:1 – This verse foreshadows the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Ps 68:18 – Paul is quoting Ps 68:18 in Eph 4:8 (BSN notes), but I’m giving it to you with the surrounding context to show how he is using this psalm as a reference point for what was going on in the New Testament generation.
Eph 4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
Eph 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,
Eph 4:3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Eph 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;
Eph 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Eph 4:6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
Eph 4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Eph 4:8 Therefore it says,
“WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH,
HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES,
AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.”
Eph 4:9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)
Eph 4:11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
Eph 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
Eph 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
Paul is saying to the Ephesians, in effect, “It says right here in Ps 68:18 that God has ascended (‘You have ascended on high’).” Paul then goes on to mention the “captives” who were “led captive.” These are human beings. We didn’t choose to die; we were captive to it, made mortal by the introduction of sin into the world through the sin of our ancestors Adam and Eve. Likewise, we did not choose to rise from the dead. As Satan took us captive into death, so Jesus takes us captive into life after death. Whose prisoner would you rather be?
There is much more to Eph 4 than the eighth verse which quotes Ps 68:18 and we cannot cover all that here. What we want to see is how Jesus taught the apostles to look at the Old Testament as a source of information about Messiah and the messsianic plan. ***** See related BSN note on Acts 26:18 regarding transition from Satan’s captivity to the Lord’s.
Ps 68:20 – The Lord Himself brought about the only permanent escape from death. (Everyone used to go to Sheol (Hades), but since the second coming, everyone goes to heaven.) ***** This verse has meaning on both a mundane and cosmic level. That is, we experience many escapes from death on earth – both literal and figurative – and then, at the end of our lives on earth, our greatest escape ever. But the greatest escape of all would have to be resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, accompanied within a generation by His Second Coming when all the contents of Sheol/Hades were emptied out and delivered to heaven, for this two-step display of divine power is the escape from death that made all others possible.
Ps 68:21 – In judgment of his role in Adam’s and Eve’s sin, the Lord promised the devil a head injury.
Gen 3:14 The LORD God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you will go,
And dust you will eat
All the days of your life;
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
Ps 68:22 – The “depths of the sea” is synonymous with Sheol (Hades). Indeed, the Lord brought them back” (that is, the dead) from Sheol. They are the “captives” that He “led captive” in verse 18 above (as well as in Eph 4:8, of course).
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Psalm 69
A Cry of Distress and Imprecation on Adversaries
Psalm 69 in one of the psalms that makes everyone’s list of messianic psalms. And it is one of the Old Testament chapters most frequently quoted in the New Testament.
Ps 69:4 – Jesus quotes this verse in John 15:25 below. Notice that Jesus says that the quote comes from “the Law.” Sometimes the Jews of His age referred to the Old Testament as “the Law and the Prophets and the Psalms,” sometimes as just “the Law and the Prophets” and sometimes just as “the Law.” Other times they might say “the Scriptures” or “the Prophets.” In other words, they didn’t always speak in technically precise terms. We can’t complain because we don’t either.
John 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
John 15:19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
John 15:20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
John 15:21 “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.
John 15:22 “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
John 15:23 “He who hates Me hates My Father also.
John 15:24 “If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well.
John 15:25 “But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.’
I gave you the long context so that the quotation would make more sense to you. The “They” who hated Him were the ones who had the greatest access to the Scriptures. They should have seen the signs that were present in those Scriptures. Men of God were not universally admired by their fellow Jews. By complaining that Jesus’ healings of blind, deaf, and crippled people should not have been performed on the sabbath was “straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel” (Matt 23:24).
I also wanted you to see that if they hated Him without a cause, they’ll hate you without a cause, too.
Ps 69:9 – The apostle John here quotes the first half of this verse.
John 2:13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
John 2:14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.
John 2:15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;
John 2:16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.”
John 2:17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.”
Paul quotes the second half of Ps 69:9.
Rom 15:1 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.
Rom 15:2 Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.
Rom 15:3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME.”
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.
Ps 69:21 – This verse made an impression on all the Gospel writers. Here are the various places they either quoted or alluded to the words of this verse.
Matt 27:33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull,
Matt 27:34 they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.
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Matt 27:48 Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink.
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Mark 15:22 Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull.
Mark 15:23 They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it.
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Mark 15:36 Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.”
Mark 15:37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last.
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Luke 23:36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine,
Luke 23:37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!”
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John 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.”
John 19:29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth.
John 19:30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
Ps 69:22-23 – Paul uses this passage to demonstrate how God was working in the nation of Israel at that time. He was saving those Jews who believed in Jesus, but leaving for judgment those who would not. Jews have always been like Gentiles in that some believe and others don’t. By 70 AD, most of the believing Jews had been driven out of Jerusalem by the unbelieving Jews and thus the Romans burned the city of unbelieving Jews while believing Jews were preserved by living elsewhere. In this case at least, persecution was getting believers out of the path of destruction. We should remember that.
Rom 11:5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.
Rom 11:6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
Rom 11:7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened;
Rom 11:8 just as it is written,
“GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR,
EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT,
DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.”
Rom 11:9 And David says,
“LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP,
AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM.
Rom 11:10 “LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT,
AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER.”
Ps 69:25 – In this case Peter points out that this verse has prophesied Judas Iscariot – in other words, not Messiah but rather the one who betrayed Messiah.
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.’
It is likely that the vast majority of the Old Testament passages, including the Psalms, that the apostles used in their early preaching about Messiah in heaven were brought to their attention by Jesus’ 40-day Bible study with them. After He ascended into heaven, they would gain more insights like these by revelations of the Holy Spirit. And this was exclusively the case with Paul who did not even become a believer until a year or two after the 40-day Bible study.
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Psalm 70
Prayer for Help against Persecutors
It is so easy to imagine Jesus praying this prayer that His ancestor David had left for Him. And it is also easy to see how God answered it. It can help us, too.
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Psalm 71
Prayer of an Old Man for Deliverance
Ps 71:3 – “rock“ as a type of Christ
Ps 71:10-11 – #FJOT It was with good reason that Jesus called His enemies a “brood of vipers” (Matt 3:7; 12:24; 23:33; Luke 3:7) because they always spoke and acted in concert. We do not find examples in the Gospels of brave individuals here and there standing up and speaking against Jesus. On the contrary, what we see over and over is groups coalescing and conspiring against Jesus – often behind His back. In the examples below I’ve put in bold print the relevant phrases. I’m not saying that these phrases are direct quotes of the Old Testament; rather they are examples of what Ps 71:10-11 and similar Old Testament passages foreshadowed about the conspiratorial way Messiah would be opposed.
Matt 26:3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas;
Matt 26:4 and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him.
Matt 26:5 But they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people.”
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Matt 26:57 Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.
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Matt 27:1 Now when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death;
Matt 27:2 and they bound Him, and led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate the governor.
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Mark 15:1 Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate.
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Luke 6:10 After looking around at them all, He said to him, “Stretch out your hand!” And he did so; and his hand was restored.
Luke 6:11 But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
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Luke 22:66 When it was day, the Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber…
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John 11:47 Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs.
John 11:48 “If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
John 11:49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,
John 11:50 nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”
John 11:51 Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,
John 11:52 and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
John 11:53 So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.
Not only was Jesus opposed by “broods of vipers,” those broods sought other vipers to join with them. Recall from the passages quoted above that the Jewish leaders sought to get Pontius Pilate join them against Jesus. Note also below how the coalition was broadened to include King Herod as well.
Luke 23:6 When Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.
Luke 23:7 And when he learned that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem at that time.
Luke 23:8 Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him.
Luke 23:9 And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing.
Luke 23:10 And the chief priests and the scribes were standing there, accusing Him vehemently.
Luke 23:11 And Herod with his soldiers, after treating Him with contempt and mocking Luke 23:12 Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other.
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Acts 4:24 And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM,
Acts 4:25 who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said,
‘WHY DID THE GENTILES RAGE,
AND THE PEOPLES DEVISE FUTILE THINGS?
Acts 4:26 ‘THE KINGS OF THE EARTH TOOK THEIR STAND,
AND THE RULERS WERE GATHERED TOGETHER
AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST HIS CHRIST.’
Acts 4:27 “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
Acts 4:28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.
As the Acts 4 quotation reminds us, peer pressure kept mounting until a critical mass of Jews and Gentiles had sufficient power to legally kill Jesus. The social contagion started with a cabal of Jewish religious elites, spread to secular authorities, and eventually enveloped the general population by working up the crowd until it was a bloodthirsty mob. The fact that Acts 4 is quoting Psalm 2 shows that God had foreseen this all along and built it into the messianic plan. Psalm 2 and Psalm 71 are not the only Old Testament passages which predict this social dimension to opposing Messiah – not by a long shot. It’s a theme throughout the Old Testament beginning with the tower of Babel (Gen 11) which was mass resistance against the will of God that the earth be filled. Disobedience seeks allies, but God is never cowered by the crowd no matter how big it gets. He came down here as one man…to take on the whole world…and won.
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Psalm 72
The Reign of the Righteous King
This psalm is attributed to Solomon, and there are multiple points we can connect to the history we have about him in the books of Kings and Chronicles. Here are some of them.
- Verse 1 – an allusion to David and then Solomon
- Verse 2 – an allusion to the prayer Solomon prayed for the wisdom to judge Israel rightly (1 Kgs 3; 2 Chr 1)
- Verse 8 – an allusion to the expansive nature of David’s, and especially Solomon’s kingdoms
- Verse 10 – as confirmation of Solomon’s expanded influence, he mentions a couple of faraway places where the history in Kings and Chronicles describes how he had influence: Tarshish (Spain) and Sheba.
More importantly, this psalm provides the pattern which God followed in His reign as Father (David) and now as Son (Solomon). There are many parallels to be noticed in this regard: here are a few.
- David was the father and Solomon was the chosen son ~ God was the Father and Jesus is the Son chosen from all men.
- David was a man of war but Solomon was a man of peace ~ God allowed Israel to fight physical battles to advance His cause, but as Jesus He doesn’t advance His kingdom in that way.
- Though the temple was built by Solomon, David was the one who initiated the idea, bought the land, and provided the plans ~ Jesus did everything “according to the Scriptures” (which is to say, according to the messianic plan) provided ahead of time by God the Father.
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Psalm 73
The End of the Wicked Contrasted with That of the Righteous
This is a good psalm to read whenever you think or feel that an evil person or evil people are “getting away with it” – regardless of whether “it” is something big or small.
(This theme is found in Psalm 37 as well. The difference is that in Psalm 37, the bad person is personally against you, whereas Psalm 73 speaks more generally about the wicked regardless of whether he or they are personally against you or not. Though it is entirely coincidental that the two numbers are reversals of each other, this factoid will help you remember the one when you think of the other.)
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Psalm 74
An Appeal against the Devastation of the Land by the Enemy
This psalm was obviously written when Israel had gone a long time without seeing the blessing of God upon them. The land had suffered greatly at the hands of Israel’s adversaries. This psalm is therefore most useful today to those who see the same circumstances in their own lands. If this prayer was effective for old covenant people, how much more should it be for new covenant people! Every single nation should be calling on the Lord as Israel did. Under the old covenant, Israel was the one nation selected by the Lord to represent Him to the others; under the new covenant, every nation is to represent Him to the rest.
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.”
Jesus thus ushered in a fulfillment of this eternal epoch, saying:
Ps 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD…
Ps 74:13 – A reminder of God parting the Red Sea for Israel to pass through. The best way to stir up hope for God to act on our behalf is to remember how He has acted on behalf of others in the past.
Ps 74:16-17 – Remembering God’s power as Creator and Sustainer of the universe is as helpful to hope as remembering the power He has exercised as Redeemer.
Ps 74:18 – What great name has been “spurned” in our time more than the name of Jesus Christ?
Ps 74:20 – Consider especially the new covenant!
Ps 74:22 – The “foolish man” who “reproaches” God is the same sort who has “spurned” (verse 18) His name.
Ps 74:23 – If we are truly living for the Lord, then our enemies are His enemies.
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Psalm 75
God Abases the Proud, but Exalts the Righteous
Ps 75:2-5 – In this part of the psalm, God speaks in the first person.
Ps 75:8 – This is the kind of cup Jesus drank on our behalf – the wrath that is a consequence of sin.
Ps 75:9-10 – Let us never think that the righteous will go unrewarded or that the wicked will go unpunished. Everything – EVERYTHING – will be sorted out in due time.
Eccl 8:12 Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may lengthen his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God, who fear Him openly.
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Eccl 12:13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.
Eccl 12:14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
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Psalm 76
The Victorious Power of the God of Jacob
This is a relatively short psalm that stirs the people of God to call on Him because of His proven ability to help them.
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Psalm 77
Comfort in Trouble from Recalling God’s Mighty Deeds
This psalm is an antidote for despair – a reminder that with God, all things are possible – just as Jesus said (Matt 19:26; Mark 10:27).
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Psalm 78
God’s Guidance of His People in Spite of Their Unfaithfulness
This psalm takes an extended view of Israel’s history, focusing mainly on the time of the Exodus, in order to present wisdom about how God deals with covenant people. (That’s what the Old Testament’s books of Wisdom do: they present wisdom that comes from godly reflection on the books of History.)
Ps 78:2 – #FJOT In recording how Jesus taught in parables, Matthew quotes this verse.
Matt 13:34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable.
Matt 13:35 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
“I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES;
I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.”
(It’s impossible to ignore the first-person nature of Ps 78:2 in the application to Jesus.)
Ps 78:10 – For us, “covenant“ means the new covenant.
Ps 78:24 – This is one of multiple places in the Scripture that mention on how God fed Israel in the wilderness.
John 6:31 “Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.’”
Ps 78:37 – See note on verse 10 above.
Ps 78:67-68 – An allusion to Judah being chosen to as the tribe from which Messiah would come. See Judah.
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Psalm 79
A Lament over the Destruction of Jerusalem, and Prayer for Help
This psalm laments the condition of Jerusalem. Psalm 74 is similar but longer. An even longer dirge about Jerusalem is the book of Lamentations by Jeremiah.
Ps 79:13 – Are we doing our part as a generation? That is, are we “telling His praise” to the next generation in the way, and to the degree, that we should?
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Psalm 80
God Implored to Rescue His People from Their Calamities
The beginning (Ps 80:1-7) and the end (Ps 80:18-19) of this psalm is a prayer for Israel. The middle (Ps 80:8-17) is a depiction of Israel as a fruit-bearing vine. It’s the well-being of the vine that’s being prayed for.
Ps 80:3 – This is the first of three such refrains in this psalm. (The other two are in verses 7 and 19.) They flow logically from the first two verses of the psalm which call for God to “shine forth” (verse 1) and to “save us” (verse 2). These three refrains are also an implicit acknowledgement that a curse – not the blessing of Aaron – is on the nation. That blessing from Aaron was originally pronounced by the Lord through Moses and was recorded as follows:
Num 6:22 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
Num 6:23 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:
Num 6:24 The LORD bless you, and keep you;
Num 6:25 The LORD make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
Num 6:26 The LORD lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’
Num 6:27 “So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.”
Obviously, such a blessing would sound like mockery if it were pronounced over Jerusalem at a time like that depicted in this psalm. The entire psalm is an appeal for the restoration of the city to the blessedness that it had previously enjoyed.
Ps 80:7 – See note on verse 3 above.
Ps 80:8 – From here to the end of the chapter, the nation of Israel is likened to a vine.
Ps 80:15 – As for this vine – that is, the nation of Israel – being referred to as a son, see Israel as God’s Son.
Ps 80:17 – See note on verse 15 above.
Ps 80:19 – See note on verse 3 above.
Pursuant to the notes on verses 8 and 15 above, consider the relevance of the middle of this psalm (Ps 80:8-17) to something the Son of God would say about Himself centuries later.
John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
John 15:2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
John 15:3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
John 15:4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
John 15:6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
John 15:8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
Thus were Psalm 80 and the nation of Israel itself both foreshadowing the Son of God – that is the Messiah. He is the vine and we are the branches.
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Psalm 81
God’s Goodness and Israel’s Waywardness
Ps 81:7 – The incident referred to by “the waters of Meribah” occurred in the time of Moses.
Ex 17:6 “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Ex 17:7 He named the place Massah and Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us, or not?”
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Num 20:13 Those were the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with the LORD, and He proved Himself holy among them.
This incident at Meribah is mentioned also in Psalm 95. See the BSN notes on it below if you’re interested in Meribah’s connection to Paul’s letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament.
Ps 81:8-16 – The remainder of this psalm is a rebuke and correction of Israel – the people of God. We who “wrestle with God” (the meaning of the name “Israel”) in this age need to embrace this exhortation as directed to us. If we do, God will bless us just as He promises in this passage. We just have to take it in new covenant fashion through Jesus Christ our Lord. Who are the people of God? People. Who is God? Jesus Christ. Keep these fundamentals in mind as you read and ponder this passage.
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Psalm 82
Unjust Judgments Rebuked
This psalm is short, but it packs a wallop. Jesus is the one who brought the wallop to light. (See notes on verses 5-7 below to see what I mean.)
Ps 82:1 – God is Jesus Christ. Heaven is His throne and earth is the footstool of His feet. Ever since the second coming, He has been reigning over all the nations.
Ps 82:2-3 – This is the exhortation of Jesus our Lord to us. The most significant way we are ignoring this exhortation is in our lack of concern for the fatherless. Individuals and families can help the weak, the afflicted, the destitute, and the needy, but the only way to make a significant impact on fatherlessness is through public policy and cultural attitudes. Right now, those two forces are fostering fatherlessness rather than trying to reduce it. Everyone knows that mothers are essential but fathers seem to be considered optional. They are not. We should be doing all we can to make men successful as fathers. Women and children need them.
Ps 82:5-7 – Jesus quotes Ps 8:6 in John 10:34. To better understand His point, I want us to view the contexts of these two verses – that is, Ps 82:5-7 and John 10:31-39.
John 10:31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him.
John 10:32 Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?”
John 10:33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”
John 10:34 Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I SAID, YOU ARE GODS’?
John 10:35 “If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),
John 10:36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
John 10:37 “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;
John 10:38 but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”
John 10:39 Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp.
The words of Psalm 82:5-7 could only be partially understood in the age in which they were written. It took Jesus Christ to explain them. And He explained them only partially by the words He spoke in John 10:31-39. For in John 10, He quoted only verse 6 of Psalm 82. By doing so, Jesus was demonstrating that He had the right to call Himself the son of God because God Himself was calling everyone to whom the word of God came a son in Ps 82:6. But it was Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven that more fully explained what was meant in Ps 82:7.
Ps 82:7 is fulfilled in humanity’s resurrection from the dead. To be specific, men become gods (that is, angels in heaven) in their resurrection from the dead. We saw this first in Jesus Christ… then it applies to everyone else who is resurrected…and that is everyone else, for the apostle Paul says:
1 Cor 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
This is how we can “die like men” and “fall like any one of the princes” and yet “be gods.” Thus it is only in Jesus Christ that the riddle of Ps 82:6-7 can be understood. That is why Ps 82:5 describes humanity as walking around in the dark (“They walk about in darkness”).
There is yet one more thing that had to happen in order for the truth of Psalm 82 and Jesus’ use of it in John 10 to fully blossom. That was for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be opened to all men and not just Jews. That’s because Jesus said that Psalm 82 applied “to whom the word of God came” (John 10:35) and at that time the word of God applied only to the descendants of Abraham. This changed in Acts 10 when the Lord told Peter to preach the gospel to the Gentiles – starting with a Roman centurion named Cornelius and his household. All that remained to be done after that was the actual resurrection from the dead of all deceased humanity. This occurred when Christ’s Second Coming was consummated late in the 1st century. Ever since then, dead people have ascended to heaven instead of descending to Sheol (Hades).
Ps 82:8 – This is Jesus Christ, for he “arose.” He now “judges the earth” and “possesses the nations” and has been ever since the second coming was consummated in the late 1st century AD. (The BC-AD Divide)
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Psalm 83
God Implored to Confound His Enemies
Ps 83:6-8 – The people named have at one time or another been enemies of the people of God.
Ps 83:11 – This incident was first reported in Judg 7:24-25. It is also mentioned in Judg 8:3 and in Isaiah 10:26.
Ps 83:18 – Whose name is the Lord? Jesus Christ. Recall that 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.
Thus Jesus did not come to abolish the Old Testament, but rather to fulfill the role of Lord in verses like this.
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Psalm 84
Longing for the Temple Worship
Ps 84:2 – “The living God” is Jesus Christ by virtue of His resurrection from the dead and His ascent to the heights of heaven – and especially by the fulfillment of the Second Coming late in the 1st century AD.
Thomas knew more than he understood when he had the following exchange with Jesus after His resurrection.
John 20:27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
John 20:28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Ps 84:3 – Jesus was made both King and God:
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.”
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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.
This is one of the many ways Jesus fulfills rather than abolishes the Old Testament.
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 84:10 – This is the sound of a man who loves righteousness.
Ps 84:11 – The LORD (Jesus Christ) is surely a sun.
Mal 4:2 “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.
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Rev 1:16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
“grace“
“No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly”
Matt 7:11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
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John 9:31 “We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.
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Psalm 85
Prayer for God’s Mercy upon the Nation
Ps 85:10 – Here are a couple of examples of righteousness and peace coming together in Jesus.
Rom 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
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Heb 7:1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
Heb 7:2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace.
Heb 7:3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.
Ps 85:13 – “And will make His footsteps into a way” prophesies of God coming to walk on the earth as a man from Nazareth.
1 Pet 2:21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
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John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
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Mark 8:34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
God came to live a life we could follow. Thereby He made His footsteps into a way: The Way.
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Psalm 86
A Psalm of Supplication and Trust
Ps 86:4 – That the Lord can make our souls glad is a wonderful thing. We should not hesitate to call upon Him for this benefit. It is one of our greatest and most recurring needs.
Ps 86:5 – That the Lord is “ready to forgive” is such a wonderful trait. We should seek to cultivate it ourselves where others are concerned.
Ps 86:8 – As for “gods,” see the note above on Ps 82:5-7.
Ps 86:9 – Note that it is “all nations” that will come to Him – not just Israel. This verse is therefore prophetic.
Ps 86:10 – Though verse 8 speaks of “gods,” we all know there’s really only one who counts.
Ps 86:11 – As for “Your way,” see notes on Ps 85:13 above. Note also that His way must be “taught” because it does not come naturally to us. That’s why we read the Bible daily. It’s why we become His disciples.
***** “Unite my heart to fear Your name” is such a great line and great request!
Ps 86:12 – “With all my heart” speaks to the “united” heart requested in the previous verse.
Ps 86:13 – “Sheol“ has historical meaning as a metaphor in this verse, and prophetic meaning as a spiritual reality that was fulfilled in the mission of Jesus Christ.
Ps 86:14 – Unlike arrogant and violent men, let us always “set God before us.”
Ps 16:8 I have set the LORD continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Since both Psalm 16 and 86 are ascribed to David, we should not be surprised by a similarity of vocabulary and expression.
Ps 86:15 – “lovingkindness“
Ps 86:16 – God wants us to be strong and not weak. What’s even better is that He’s willing and able to make us strong!
1 Cor 16:13 Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
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Eph 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
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Ps 119:28 My soul weeps because of grief; Strengthen me according to Your word.
No one considered David a weak man. Neither should anyone consider you weak. Don’t give them reason to.
Ps 86:17 – Do you think no one hates you? Maybe you don’t love the Lord enough.
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Psalm 87
The Privileges of Citizenship in Zion
As you read this psalm, remember:
Phil 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven…
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Gal 4:26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.
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Heb 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…
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Heb 13:14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
After all, the Zion of the old covenant was a kingdom of earth, but the new covenant is the kingdom of heaven. David looked to the Jerusalem on earth that he conquered for God; we look to the Jerusalem above that God in Christ conquered for us.
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Psalm 88
A Petition to Be Saved from Death
There is physical death and there is spiritual death. Ostensibly, this psalm is about deliverance from physical death. However, we have the privilege – because of Jesus Christ – to read it as speaking of deliverance from spiritual death. Spiritual death is being unaware of God – or, more specifically for us, Christ – in the moment. God is an ever-present reality. when we lose that sense, we are spiritually dead. We should avoid spiritual death as much or more than we ever avoided physical death. Another way of describing spiritual death is walking in the flesh. (Walk in the Spirit and Not in the Flesh)
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Psalm 89
The Lord’s Covenant with David, and Israel’s Afflictions
Ps 89:1-2 – “lovingkindness“
Ps 89:3 – “covenant“
Ps 89:4 – The phrase “your seed” here is a reference to Messiah, as it was in the case of Abraham. (Messiah was a descendant of both Moses and David.)
Gal 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ.
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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.’
Ps 89:14 – “lovingkindness“
Ps 89:20 – The apostle Paul quotes this verse.
Acts 13:21 “Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
Acts 13:22 “After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.’
Ps 89:26-27 – This passage is acknowledgement of God’s promise to David through the prophet Nathan about David’s descendant the Messiah.
2 Sam 7:14 “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me…
The promise recorded in 2 Sam 7:14 was also the basis for another psalm’s comments about the Son of God.
Ps 2:7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
Ps 2:8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
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Ps 2:12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!
Ps 89:28 – “lovingkindness“ ***** “covenant“
Ps 89:30-32 – Following Jesus does not mean we get a free ride through life. The benefits come from our sinning less – not from our receiving lighter punishment for our sins. God is not partial.
Ps 89:33 – King Saul had to forfeit the Spirit of God; we have a more enduring promise. When we lose the Spirit through sin, adequate repentance will restore Him to us. See Psalm 51, especially verses 10-12. ***** “lovingkindness“
Ps 89:34 – “covenant“
Ps 89:39 – “covenant“
Ps 89:48 – “Sheol“
Ps 89:49 – “lovingkindness“
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Psalm 90
God’s Eternity and Man’s Transitoriness
This is the only psalm attributed to Moses. He may or may not have called it a psalm when he wrote it. We certainly have other “poetic” writings from him – such as “The Song of Moses and Israel” (Ex 15), “The Song of Moses” (Deut 32), and “The Blessing of Moses” (Deut 33). Therefore, writing a psalm would not have been outside his wheelhouse. Moses died about four centuries before the time of David, so this psalm was probably kept near the Bible books he wrote (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) until the time David became king and began organizing the psalms into a single collection.
Ps 90:1 – Notice the similarity of thought between Ps 90:1 and Acts 17:28.
Acts 17:28 for in Him we live and move and exist…
Ps 90:2 – Now that the God of ancient Israel has been revealed as Jesus Christ, we can recognize the truth of John 1:1 in Ps 90:2.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Ps 90:3 – This is just as God said to Adam:
Gen 3:19 By the sweat of your face
You will eat bread,
Till you return to the ground,
Because from it you were taken;
For you are dust,
And to dust you shall return.”
Ps 90:8 – Obviously, this has been true not just from Moses’ time but from the beginning of creation. Nevertheless, its truth is brought into a far greater light through Jesus Christ who came for the very purpose of introducing a government of the human heart with Him as King.
Rom 2:14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,
Rom 2:15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,
Rom 2:16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
Ps 90:10 – If Moses saw 70-80 as the normal lifespan, it’s for sure he knew what an outlier he was by getting an extra 40 after 80 (Deut 34:7) ***** As for “we fly away,” see BSN notes on Ezra 1:1-3.
Ps 90:12 – We only have so much time down here – we’ve got to make the most of it for the Lord’s sake. This is a recurring theme with God’s prophets and apostles.
John 9:4 “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.
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Eph 5:16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
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James 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.
Ps 90:14 – “lovingkindness“
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Psalm 91
Security of the One Who Trusts in the Lord
The world in which we live, beautiful as it is in so many ways, can also be dangerous, threatening, and brutally evil. This psalm can help calm our hearts and strengthen us to live bravely and full of hope in such a world.
Ps 91:2 – Who is the Lord? Jesus Christ. Then who must my God be? Jesus Christ.
Ps 91:11-12 – At about age 30, as He was leaving carpentry and entering public ministry, Jesus fasted for 40 days. During that time, He was tempted by Satan. Among those temptations was the one described below. When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, a voice from heaven had said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Matt 3:17; Luke 3:22). Thus Satan in this moment, as reported by both Matthew and Luke, is trying to get Jesus to make God jump through a hoop as if He were a circus animal. Jesus rightly refused to treat God this way.
Matt 4:5 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,
Matt 4:6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,
‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’; and
‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,
SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’”
Matt 4:7 Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”
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Luke 4:9 And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here;
Luke 4:10 for it is written,
‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU,’
Luke 4:11 and,
‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,
SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’”
Luke 4:12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”
Satan had camouflaged his temptation by employing Scripture in it. But he was taking that Scripture out of context. Psalm 91 is a wonderful promise of God’s protection but it is not an invitation to unnecessarily put ourselves in harm’s way. God does not give us such promises so that we can perform tricks for amusement’s sake. Rather, these promises are meant to encourage us to live in this world without fear – doing good deeds that meet the pressing needs of others.
Notice that Jesus resists the temptation by quoting another Scripture – this one from the book of Deuteronomy. This commandment from the Law of Moses gives context to the promises of Psalm 91.
Deut 6:16 “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test…
It is foolish for us to jump off a tall building and not expect to be hurt. It foolish for us to drive recklessly and expect no automobile accidents. It is foolish for us to expect God to keep His part of the covenant (His promises) if we’re not keeping our part (His commandments).
Context is critical for understanding any quotation from the Bible. That’s why we read the Bible every day – to understand the context of all we’ve heard from it. Always let Scripture interpret Scripture. Beware of anyone who lifts a Bible verse out of context. God took a millennium and a half to assemble this book; we are not going to let Satan dismember it.
Ps 91:14-16 – Jesus believed this passage; just think for a moment about how it was fulfilled for Him. Then think about how it’s being fulfilled for you, too, because of Jesus. As Jesus trusted the God of the Old Testament, so we trust Jesus.
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Psalm 92
Praise for the Lord’s Goodness
Ps 92:1 – Since Jesus is the Lord, He is the One to whom we should give thanks.
Ps 92:2 – “lovingkindness“
Ps 92:8 – Jesus is never coming down again! He is exalted to heaven not temporarily, but forever!
Eph 2:7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Ps 92:10 – We have a daily devotional times in order to be “anointed” regularly with “fresh oil.” Oil was a blessing in the climate of Canaan. For us, that oil is analogous to the Holy Spirit.
Ps 92:12-15 – Think of the righteous man being “like a tree” in Psalm 1. Jesus is a tree of life from which we can still pick fruit. (For more on this, see the BSN notes on Psalm 1.) We should always seek to be like Him. This is what the apostles have instructed us to do.
1 Cor 11:1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
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Psalm 93
The Majesty of the Lord
Like all the psalms, this one depicts the majesty of the Lord as perceived in Old Testament times. Yet in doing so, it foreshadows the even greater depiction that would come in New Testament times. Consider this proverb:
1 Kin 20:11 Then the king of Israel replied, “Tell him, ‘Let not him who girds on his armor boast like him who takes it off.’”
When God came to earth, He put on the human life of Jesus like a garment. No boasting was made about it until His mission was accomplished. In the second coming, Jesus came in the glory of His Father. That’s when His identity as God was revealed.
Matt 16:27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.
To “come in the glory of His Father” was a promise to be coming as God. Jesus was summarizing what the prophet Isaiah had made known centuries before.
Is 22:21 And I will clothe him with your tunic
And tie your sash securely about him.
I will entrust him with your authority,
And he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
Is 22:22 “Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder,
When he opens no one will shut,
When he shuts no one will open.
Is 22:23 “I will drive him like a peg in a firm place,
And he will become a throne of glory to his father’s house.
Is 22:24 “So they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars.
Therefore, when we read psalms like this, we should see much more in the word pictures than what Old Testament readers saw. We should see Jesus – with mission accomplished – sitting on that throne. However resplendent God’s glory was before He descended to earth to live as one of us and redeem us in the process, that glory is even more resplendent now! He wants to be known for what He has done. The life of Jesus is what He lived.
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Psalm 94
The Lord Implored to Avenge His People
Ps 94:1 – Any “vengeance” is His to take, not ours.
Ps 94:2 – Jesus is the One who “rose” to “judge.”
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.
Acts 10:39 “We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross.
Acts 10:40 “God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible,
Acts 10:41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
Acts 10:42 “And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.
Acts 10:43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
Ps 94:11 – The apostle Paul quotes this verse (preceded by Job 5:13) in his first letter to Corinth.
1 Cor 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.
1 Cor 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS”;
1 Cor 3:20 and again, “THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS.”
When you see differences in wording of an Old Testament verse being quoted in the New Testament, as you do in 1 Cor 3:20’s quotation of Ps 94:11, remember that the New Testament writers were working with different translations, too. They didn’t have as many as we do, but they did have the Septuagint which was Greek instead of Hebrew. Also, the New Testament writers may have been quoting from memory at times, not having every scroll of every Old Testament book as accessible as we are used to having it. Maybe also on some occasions they were paraphrasing the verse rather trying to write it verbatim.
Ps 94:12 – We read the Bible every day for this chastening. It is the desire of our heart. His rebuke can bring more blessing than a thousand human compliments. ***** The Lord is a teacher, for sure; and He is not without a textbook.
Ps 94:13 – We wonder sometimes why He’s taking so long to deliver us; one of the things he’s often doing is having a grave dug for the problem.
Ps 94:19 – When we wake up with worries, the Lord’s word can drive them away.
Ps 94:20-21 – Among other things, the coming of Jesus Christ revealed that Satan was a rebellious angel – not an obedient one. God tolerated – not enjoyed – him.
1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
Ps 94:21-23 – God has kicked the devil out of heaven, deprived him of Sheol, and relegated him to earth. This containment was the goal of the messianic plan and was achieved in the second coming.
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Psalm 95
Praise to the Lord, and Warning against Unbelief
Ps 95:1-7 – This first half of the psalm is a delightful expression of thanksgiving and praise to God – all the more so because we can express it to Jesus Christ our Lord – the God who came to visit us (His Visitation) in the trial that is this life.
Ps 95:7-11 – The apostle Paul uses the second half of this psalm in his letter to the Hebrews. He quotes from it in Heb 3:7-11, 15 and Heb 4:3, 5, 7. See the BSN notes there for how he uses the psalm to make his point.
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Psalm 96
A Call to Worship the Lord the Righteous Judge
Ps 96:3 – Notice how the New Testament gives a whole new perspective to the following Old Testament verse.
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.”
Keep in mind also that what this New Testament passage does for this Old Testament verse is true of what the entire New Testament does for the entire Old Testament. The New Testament is Jesus’ interpretation of the Old Testament. For us to read the Old Testament without regard for Jesus’ interpretation of it would be thankless and foolish beyond measure.
Ps 96:4-5 – Who is the Lord? Jesus. God made Jesus Lord. God has not taken the job back and He’s not going to take it back.
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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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.
Ps 96:9 – The man in the parable below did not come in “holy attire.”
Matt 22:1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying,
Matt 22:2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.
Matt 22:3 “And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come.
Matt 22:4 “Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”‘
Matt 22:5 “But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business,
Matt 22:6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them.
Matt 22:7 “But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire.
Matt 22:8 “Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.
Matt 22:9 ‘Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’
Matt 22:10 “Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.
Matt 22:11 “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes,
Matt 22:12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless.
Matt 22:13 “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Matt 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
As David wrote earlier in the book of Psalms,
Ps 4:4 Tremble, and do not sin…
Therefore, we have our marching orders for fulfilling Ps 96:9.
Ps 96:12 – Jesus came as a tree in Psalm 1. Here we see Him having replicated Himself into a “forest” of such “trees.” May we be included in this number!
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Psalm 97
The Lord’s Power and Dominion
Ps 97:1 – Who is the Lord? Jesus Christ. Well then, yes, indeed, “let the earth rejoice!” Did you read about the kind of life that man led? He’d be the best person ever to be in charge of us!
Ps 97:2 – Because “Clouds and thick darkness surround Him,” many if not most human beings say, “We can’t see Him so why should we believe He – or anyone else – is reigning?” Theirs is a myopic point of view.
Ps 97:6 – As the apostle Paul said in the presence of both Gentile and Jewish dignitaries about the notoriety of Jesus, the events of which He was a part, and the movement He spawned:
Acts 26:26 “For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.
In other words, no one could legitimately claim ignorance of Jesus.
Ps 97:7 – “Worship Him, all you gods” – When Paul quotes from this verse in his letter to the Hebrews, he quotes from the Septuagint. It translates “gods” as referring to “angels” in this verse.
Heb 1:6 And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says,
“AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.”
Ps 97:10 – “Hate evil, you who love the Lord” – Let us take note. If we truly love God and people then we must hate evil. ***** “preserves the souls” – Take note of any promise God makes regarding benefits to the soul because we’re going to need it. In this world, Satan wages war on our souls. That’s where the battle is won or lost. Gaining the world while losing your soul means losing everything that matters.
Mark 8:36 “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?
Mark 8:37 “For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
A promise to “preserve the soul” is of great value. Faith is the most reliable means God has given for this purpose.
Heb 10:39 But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.
Ps 97:11 – “Light is sown for the righteous” – Light must come to us gradually lest it blind us by coming all at once. Here’s the same point being made with a different word picture.
Prov 4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.
For this reason, Jesus was revealed first as a man, then as an angel, and lastly as God.
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Psalm 98
A Call to Praise the Lord for His Righteousness
Ps 98:2 – This verse had meaning in the age in which it was originally written, but, as prophecy, it was fulfilled in the New Testament age. In the following two verses, Jesus states the goal:
Matt 24:14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
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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.”
In the remaining verses, the apostles are practically declaring “mission accomplished,” though they’re each going to keep preaching and teaching to the end.
Acts 26:26 “For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.
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Rom 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.
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Rom 10:18 But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have;
“THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH,
AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD.”
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Col 1:5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel
Col 1:6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;
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Col 1:23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
Thus we can see how Ps 98:2 was fulfilled as prophecy in the New Testament age. We should not be surprised that the apostles achieved the goal that Jesus had assigned them. They were the greatest of the greatest generation of all.
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Psalm 99
Praise to the Lord for His Fidelity to Israel
Ps 99:3 – “Holy is He” – When written, these words pointed to the Holy One in heaven. Centuries later, this Holy One would be spotted on earth:
John 6:66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.
John 6:67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?”
John 6:68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.
John 6:69 “We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”
And, in retrospect, once the Holy One was safely back in heaven, Peter would write of Him in this way:
1 Pet 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
1 Pet 1:15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
1 Pet 1:16 because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”
Ps 99:4 – This is an appropriate description of the life Jesus lived as depicted in the four Gospels. Thus we can rightly regard the events recorded by those four books as fulfillment of this prophetic foreshadowing. As Jesus 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.
Ps 99:5 – “Holy is he” – See note on verse 3 above.
Ps 99:6 – “Moses and Aaron…And Samuel” – These men were intercessors, pleading with the Lord for the good of others. The Lord speaks to Jeremiah about the power, and the limitations to that power, of intercessors like Moses and Samuel in Jer 15:1. The Lord also speaks to Ezekiel of such intercessors, invoking the names of “Noah, Daniel, and Job” in Ezek 14:14-20. Recall also how Abraham interceded for the righteous in Sodom, and how Moses interceded for Israel when God wanted to destroy them and start over with Moses’ descendants. God looks for righteous intercessors.
Ps 99:9 – Who is the Lord? Who is the Holy One? Who is God? The answer is the same to all three questions: Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Psalm 100
All Men Exhorted to Praise God
Ps 100:1 – According to this verse, the whole earth should be shouting joyfully to the Lord. Why are only a subset of us doing that? Whatever the reason, I will not stop shouting.
Ps 100:2 – Should we not “serve with gladness” a leader who takes the following posture toward us?
Matt 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Matt 11:29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
Matt 11:30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Ps 100:3 – Who is the Lord? Jesus Christ. Then, by this verse, Jesus Christ Himself is God.”
Ps 100:5 – “lovingkindness“
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