Biblical Reflections

Psalm 33 is a hymn of praise to the God of all creation who has made a covenant with the people of Israel.   1-3 – A call to praise God who is righteous; he is faithful to act according to his holiness and his covenant promises.  God’s people are called “O you righteous” and “the upright.”  Praising God includes singing and musical instruments.   4-9 – Here the singer offers the first reason to pr...

Psalm 32 is both a thanksgiving and a penitential hymn in which the worshippers thank God for forgiving their sins.  Psalm 32 is often associated with Psalm 51, but there is not much to sustain that claim, rather Psalm 32 is general in nature, and it is applicable to all confession and forgiveness.    1-5 – Psalm 32 presents deep spiritual truth; a person is only blessed and happy when his sins ar...

Psalm 31 is a lament by a faithful person who seeks help from God because trouble and beset by enemies who want to do him harm.  This lament could apply to all faithful people, not just David.   1-2 – The singer uses metaphors like rock, fortress, and refuge to demonstrate his dependence and trust in God.  It is God’s righteousness, that is God’s faithfulness to his covenant promises that is the g...

David composed Psalm 30 for dedication of the temple, which was not built until after his death.  This is a Psalm of thanksgiving for God’s care and deliverance over the course of life.     1-3 – David begins with three reasons to extol or honor God, deliverance from the attacks of foes; answered prayer in time of sickness; and, rescue from impending death.   4-5 – David now urges fellow worshippe...

Psalm 29 is a hymn of praise for God’s awesome power as seen in a thunderstorm. This phenomenon of nature is God’s creation to show his power, his wisdom, and his glory. 1-2 – The singer calls on the angels, the heavenly beings, to acknowledge the glory and the strength of the LORD, to worship him in the splendor of his holiness. 3-9 – The thunderstorm is a representative of the voice of the LORD,...

Psalm 28 is a lament, perhaps by an individual or perhaps by a representative of the people, for help from a threat posed by evil doers. 1-2 – The singer cries earnestly for the LORD to hear him. This an urgent request for help in a time of emergency. The situation is desperate, to the point of death. This is a cry for mercy, not getting what you deserve. 3-5 – The singer contrasts himself to the...

In Psalm 27, faithful people call out for the LORD to keep them safe from evildoers, foes, enemies, and adversaries, who would destroy them by any means.   1-3 – Psalm 27 begins with an acknowledgment that the safety of the worshippers comes from the LORD.   4-6 – The singer presents a picture of safety in the LORD’s sanctuary as a means of demonstrating the LORD’s protection for his faithful cove...

Psalm 16 is a hymn praise where those who sing entrust themselves to the Lord in confidence and contentment in his care. 1-2 – The Lord is my refuse, the only one on whom I can rely on for my well-being. 3-4 – My delight is being with the godly, those who also rely on the Lord for their well-being. The saints are the godly, in contrast to the ungodly who run after idols and false gods. 5-6 – The P...

Psalm 25 is a community lament in which individual members of the worshipping congregation ask God for help in various troubles.   1-3 – The Psalm begins with an expression of trust and confidence that the LORD hears their prayers and answers them   4-5 – The first person prays for the LORD’s guidance.   6-7 – The second person asks for forgiveness of sins, mercy, and love.   8-11 – The third pers...

Psalm 24 appears to be a liturgical occasion, perhaps when David brought the ark of the LORD into Jerusalem.  See 2 Samuel 6.   This explains the presence of the LORD in verses 3-6 and the address to the gates of the city in verses 7-10.     1-2 – The LORD is the creator, founder, and owner of all things; therefore, he bestows the blessings of creation.   3-6 – The question is now asked who will r...

Psalm 23 celebrates God’s providential care for his people.  God personally cares for each of his faithful people.   1-4 – The LORD is a shepherd to his people.  He provides food, water, safety, and protection for his people.   5-6 – The LORD is a host who provides welcome, food, and safety.   The LORD literally pursues us with goodness and mercy all the days of our lives.  We can dwell safely in...

A.           22:1-11 – Fervent Prayer of one who is forsaken – Lament and Confidence                                   Cycle One – 22:1-5 – Lament – Pain and Trust                                                  Pain is described, followed by affirmation of faith by previous generations                                                                                  Cycle Two – 22:6-11 - Lament –...

Psalms 20 and 21 form a pair of royal Psalms.  Psalm 20 is a prayer of supplication that LORD will give the king success in battle.  Psalm 21 is a prayer of thanksgiving for honoring the request in Psalm 20.   Psalm 20   1-5 – The congregation or nation speaking to the king asks the LORD to give the king success in battle.    6-8 – The congregation speaks about the king; they proclaim their faith...

Psalm 19 celebrates the Torah, the Law of Moses, which sets out the requirements of the Covenant people in relationship with God.  In particular, the Law is celebrated as the supreme revelation of God, until of course the incarnation of Jesus Christ.   1-6 – The heavens declare the glory of God:  including, his power, wisdom, worthiness of honor and worship.   This is the general revelation of God...

Psalm 18 is a royal song.  It celebrates the way God has shown love for his people by giving the Davidic monarchy and by preserving David through many dangers.  The text of this Psalm is almost identical to 2 Samuel 22.  2 Samuel 22 is David’s personal expression of gratitude to the Lord.  Psalm 18 is an adaptation of the song for the whole nation to sing because their wellbeing is now tied to the...

Psalm 17 is an individual lament by a person who is suffering and unjustly accused wrongdoing, similar to Psalm 7, and asks God for vindication to bring the Psalmist innocence to light.   1-2 – This is the request for vindication.     3-5 – Here the Psalmist claims he is innocent of any wrongdoing.  He asserts that he is a godly man whose ways are blameless.   6-9 – The Psalmist asks for an answer...

Psalm 16 is a hymn praise where those who sing entrust themselves to the Lord in confidence and contentment in his care.   1-2 – The Lord is my refuse, the only one on whom I can rely on for my well-being.   3-4 – My delight is being with the godly, those who also rely on the Lord for their well-being.  The saints are the godly, in contrast to the ungodly who run after idols and false gods.   5-6...

Psalm 15 is a hymn celebrating the ideal worshipper of the Lord.  The singing congregation does not claim to have all of these ideal qualities, but in describing these qualities, the members yearn to have them more and more.   Who will dwell in the house of the LORD?  What does the ideal worshipper of God look like?   In v:2-5b – The answer is given that ideal worshipper of God is one whose walk w...

Psalm 14 is a community lament, in which the people of God mourn the fact that humans in general do not seek after God, and as a result, these godless people treat the people of God cruelly.  Psalm 14 is identical to Psalm 53.  Likely one was an alternate version before the Psalms were collected into this book, often called the Psalter.   Godless people, here the gentiles, devour God’s people.  Th...

Psalm 13 is an individual lament, a cry of anguish, for circumstances that have put the faithful one on the verge of despair. This is a prayer of feeling and emotion. How long will you forget me is not a question to God as much as it is an expression of feeling unable to endure any longer. Is this your situation? The Psalm moves from God’s apparent indifference to the Psalmist’s anguish. It feels...

Psalm 12 is a community lament when God’s people are dominated by liars and deceivers in positions of authority.   Sound familiar?     When liars prevail in all aspects of society, it seems as though the faithful have disappeared.    The Psalmist asks that the LORD to cut off the liars be removing them from his people and from their positions of authority.     The Psalmist remembers the promises o...

The immediate crisis is described as the wicked threatening to kill the upright in heart.  The wicked have free reign because the foundations of society are being destroyed and there is no one in authority to keep the wicked in check.  The natural reaction for the upright in heart is to want to flee like bird.  So, the Psalmist asks the obvious question:  in a time of extreme crisis, such as this,...

Psalm 10 is a lament over faithless, wicked, wealthy Israelites who hotly pursue the poor and the underprivileged.    The lament - O LORD, why do you let the faithless wicked people get away with destroying the poor?  The wicked say that there is no God, that he has forgotten, that God does not see their deeds of evil, that God will not call us into account.   A plea to God (Elohim) to arise and c...

Psalms 9 and 10 taken together are basically an acrostic pattern, where Psalm 9 stops in the Hebrew alphabet, Psalm 10 then picks up in the Hebrew alphabet. Psalm 9 has a title, Psalm 10 does not. The Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate list Psalms 9 and 10 as one Psalm. There are other similarities between the two Psalms but differences also. Either way, Psalms 9 and 10 were intended to be a m...

Psalm 8 is a hymn of praise. God’s people celebrate their privileged place in the created order. This Psalm is covenantal, focused on the Hebrews, the covenant people, yet it speaks of man in general terms, foreshadowing Jesus as the Davidic King, who is crowned with glory and honor, who ultimately will rule all things in creation. The majesty of God’s name, his revealed character, is seen in the...