The LORD's Eternal Love

Psalms 102:1-17
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the LORD.

1 Hear my prayer, O LORD,
And let my cry come to You.
2 Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble;
Incline Your ear to me;
In the day that I call, answer me speedily.

3 For my days are consumed like smoke,
And my bones are burned like a hearth.
4 My heart is stricken and withered like grass,
So that I forget to eat my bread.

5 Because of the sound of my groaning
My bones cling to my skin.
6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am like an owl of the desert.

7 I lie awake,
And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.
8 My enemies reproach me all day long;
Those who deride me swear an oath against me.

9 For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping,
10 Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;
For You have lifted me up and cast me away.
11 My days are like a shadow that lengthens,
And I wither away like grass.

12 But You, O LORD, shall endure forever,
And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.

13 You will arise and have mercy on Zion;
For the time to favor her,
Yes, the set time, has come.
14 For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,
And show favor to her dust.

15 So the nations shall fear the name of the LORD,
And all the kings of the earth Your glory.

16 For the LORD shall build up Zion;
He shall appear in His glory.
17 He shall regard the prayer of the destitute,
And shall not despise their prayer.

The first half of this psalm is a prayer of complaint in the midst of overwhelming suffering and affliction.  He pleads with God to hear because he suffers so much, and expects an answer of relief so longed for.  He prays for the LORD to not turn from him, but toward him in hearing his heart poured out, just as we do in our own prayers when needing relief.  The psalmist asks to be heard very soon, probably because it is taking too long for him to endure the afflictions any longer.  The suffering eats away at each day, making his life appear as a vapor of smoke fading away in the winds of adversity.  His heart is so faint that it beats as weak as withered grass, dried up and without much life left.  He even forgets to eat because of the overwhelming weariness and pain which saps his appetite.  He groans through the night as one of its creatures, unable to find sleep or rest as his sworn enemies come ever nearer, determined to overcome him.  The picture is of earring ashes of no nutritional value, unfulfilling and leading only to weeping in despair.  It is as if God Himself had cast him aside in angry displeasure because he did not measure up to His standards.  He was fading away like a shadow through the day’s setting sun, and drying up as grass burned by heat and unwatered for relief.  Such was his suffering and anguish of soul before the LORD.  Yet he still remembered the unchanging eternal God who sees all these things, knowing His name is known and will continue to be known and trusted.  God will therefore have the promised mercy to give His people in His time because they continued to hold on to the promise of His presence in the place of worship where He met with them and accepted their sacrifices for forgiveness and atonement.  These promises in turn were a testimony to the nations who did not know Him, engendering fear of the LORD and giving Him all the glory due to His name as demonstrated in His promises to His chosen people.  God would build His people and the holy city of His worship where He would show His glory and hear their prayers, answering the prayers of those humble enough to know their neediness (Matthew 5:3, Luke 6:20).  Do we know our poor state without His grace which acknowledges our desperate need of grace and mercy to help in times of need (Hebrews 4:16)?  We can pray in absolute trust, regardless of the adversity of our circumstances.  That eternal love of God for His chosen people is the example and hope of the psalmist here for our edification and encouragement. 

Commit to Follow the LORD

Psalms 101:1-8

A Psalm of David.

1 I will sing of mercy and justice;
To You, O LORD, I will sing praises.

2 I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
Oh, when will You come to me?
I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.

4 A perverse heart shall depart from me;
I will not know wickedness.

5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor,
Him I will destroy;
The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,
Him I will not endure.

6 My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land,
That they may dwell with me;
He who walks in a perfect way,
He shall serve me.

7 He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.

8 Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
That I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.

The psalmist sincerely set the stage for us to walk upon with him to commit to follow the LORD our God.  Our praises should ring out in thanksgiving for His justice against the evil of sin, but also for His great mercy to cover that sin on our behalf.  This atoning mercy in grace should of course lead us to follow in wisdom, imitating those who imitate Him (1 Corinthians 11:1), with perfection as a direction of our lives, not a source of judgment of each other.  With this perfect heart, one set on following God’s word to the best of our ability according to His word, we walk through life as we await His coming to us.  Of course, we have a clearer understanding of the details of His ultimate return in coming to us, beyond what the psalmist hinted at in just coming alongside in this life.  Some ways to walk rightly are found here; it begins with guarding what we look at, what we allow ourselves to view and be influenced by.  It then moves to not consenting with the ways opposed to God’s ways, not tightly holding on to them and allowing these to change us, and becoming bad habits which are difficult to shake (1 Corinthians 15:33, 1 John 2:15-17).  Another thing to avoid is perverse thoughts; it is more than the fruit of these, the outward actions, which God is concerned with.  He wants clean hearts as well as clean hands (Psalm 15:2, 24:4, Job 17:9).  Wickedness should not be our companion or acquaintance.  In verse 5 we also find that love for our neighbor is next to our love for God by not slandering them, wagging the loose tongue to harm others with false or destructive words to defame them.  Would we do that to God in such blasphemy?  Neither should we blaspheme our neighbors.  God is the avenger of such (1 Thessalonians 4:6).  Pride is also to be avoided; God abhors a haughty look of superiority over another, to believe we are better than others for any reason, whether due to position or power or supposed righteousness.  Humility of the heart and mind results when we consider our state apart from grace!  We should seek to band together with others who are faithful to build each other up according to His word; this is why we meet together (Hebrews 10:24-25) that we may live lives pleasing to the Lord and encouraging to one another in true fellowship.  We who live like this serve our God well, but if we live by deceit in self-service, we are not welcome in God’s house without repentance, which is the basis for church discipline.  Dwelling in His presence requires humility in service.  Remember that God will destroy the wicked in the end, though He bears long with them for the present time to purify for Himself a people as Titus 2:14 encourages us in Christ to do good for Him and each other.  May we constantly commit to following God in Christ, living as called for His glory and the good of each other. 

Praise for the LORD's Grace to His People

Psalms 100:1-5 

A Psalm of Thanksgiving.

1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!

2 Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.

3 Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

5 For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

Such a short psalm, but a long enduring message of God’s character and faithfulness!  People from all countries are invited and called to loudly thank Him with joyful hearts.  We should not be soft-spoken in our praise, either; we should be heard by many far and wide.  Our resulting worship needs to be backed by singing His praises also, for all the psalms which point to God are songs of the heart, mind, and soul sung sincerely to honor and praise God while confessing our shortcomings and sin.  Therefore the Lord through the psalmist tells us to serve our God gladly in our approach to Him as we draw near (James 4:8) in such vocal worship of melodic words in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 96:9).  As we worship, we know it is based on His word which reveals who God is as our sovereign King, knowing and acknowledging that He created us for His glory.  We do not fashion ourselves to live as we desire, but as we were made to do (Ephesians 2:10) for Himself and according to that word of His desires.  As His sheep (John 10:28-30), we need Him to lead and guide us for His name’s sake, admitting that we are lost without His guidance and watchcare over us.  Because we are aware of His care, we honor our Lord with thanksgiving in our hearts and minds to praise Him together as His called people.  Together we thank and bless His great name for who He is.  Why?  Because He is good and we are not apart from grace.  Because His mercy to atone for our sin is never ending, as eternal in the heavens as He is who bought us at such a price of His own and only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.  Because that truth from His word of the everlasting gospel from the beginning of man’s fall in Genesis to the consummation of redemption in Revelation endures to all generations.  The fullness of that work was not completely evident to the psalmist, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:5, Colossians 1:26, 2 Timothy 1:10).  That saving mercy is unending, and therefore the author of our salvation is ever-worthy of our praise.  This is our psalm, our joyful song of the heart of thanksgiving for God’s grace.  Let us sing along together in Christ, our great God and Savior! 

Praise for God’s Greatness and Holiness

Psalms 99:1-9

1 The LORD reigns;
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be moved!

2 The LORD is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name—
He is holy.

4 The King's strength also loves justice;
You have established equity;
You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.

5 Exalt the LORD our God,
And worship at His footstool—
He is holy.

6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
And Samuel was among those who called upon His name;
They called upon the LORD, and He answered them.

7 He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar;
They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them.

8 You answered them, O LORD our God;
You were to them God-Who-Forgives,
Though You took vengeance on their deeds.

9 Exalt the LORD our God,
And worship at His holy hill;
For the LORD our God is holy.

This kingship song of praise honors the LORD God for His greatness and holiness, along with His justice and forgiveness.  The fear of God results from understanding His sovereign reign over all; it is the entirety of that power which created the universe and us which, upon reflection, moves us to awe and trembling at His name as Psalm 2:11 told us as an overview of the following psalms, and as Philippians 2:12 frames these in God’s sanctifying work in us.  The very earth is moved in worship of our God, as when the high priest approached the cherubim where man faced God to atone for sin (though only temporarily until the final Sacrifice of Jesus Christ once for all).  He is great and therefore greatly to be praise praised!  We see how God is not a man like us in His divine nature, and because of His holy nature we should praise that great and awesome name above all names (Ephesians 1:21).  He is worthy of our praise.  God as Sovereign King also loves justice because He is holy, justice in His strength and righteousness.  It is by this strength He purchased our salvation in Christ to satisfy that justice by taking on our sentence of due punishment, as He showed mercy to Jacob in divine fairness tempered into grace to avoid destruction of a remnant.  This is why all God’s people should, no, must, exalt His name and worship before the footstool of His throne.  He is holy.  We should imitate Him as Christ demonstrated to us, in holiness, as well.  The examples of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel as priests here called on God’s holy name and were answered; we then called on the name above all names for our own salvation and became priests to our God (Exodus 19:6, Revelation 1:6, 5:10) to worship and serve Him.  Do we also keep His testimonies according to His word?  God is the one who forgives forever, even though we are still held accountable for our deeds (1 Corinthians 3:13-14).  Mercy triumphs over judgment as James 2:13 tells us.  The summary of this song of praise then is to magnify God’s holy name in living service of worship (Romans 12:1-2), living holy lives because He is holy and worthy of praise in His sovereign greatness.  Amen! 

God’s Righteousness for Deliverance and Salvation

Psalms 98:1-9
A Psalm.

1 Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.

2 The LORD has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4 Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
5 Sing to the LORD with the harp,
With the harp and the sound of a psalm,
6 With trumpets and the sound of a horn;
Shout joyfully before the LORD, the King.

7 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell in it;
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the hills be joyful together
9 before the LORD,

For He is coming to judge the earth.
With righteousness He shall judge the world,
And the peoples with equity.

God’s righteousness for Israel’s deliverance was a foreshadowing of His righteousness in Christ for our eternal salvation.  The deliverance from Israel as God’s chosen people was based on adherence to keeping the Law (Romans 10:5), but in Christ salvation of His chosen added to those of Israel is by faith in His work and His righteousness (Romans 10:6-7, 9-10, 13, 17).  Like the psalmist, we also sing a new song for God’s marvelous work (1 Peter 2:9) as hidden in a way here, demonstrating God’s right hand and holy arm giving the victory, not our failed efforts to keep every point of the Law for justifying salvation (Romans 3:23, James 2:10).  He earned our salvation and Israel’s, for as many as come through Christ Jesus in His work of righteousness that alone saves us from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10, Acts 4:12).  He made this salvation known from the beginning as written in Genesis, as fulfilled in Christ, as revealed in the New Testament books, and as will be fully consummated in the New Jerusalem seen in Revelation.  Once hidden, it is now revealed by God’s Spirit to open blinded eyes and deafened ears.  This regeneration is needed to understand all that went before the cross and what follows after (Luke 24:16, 27, 31).  He revealed His salvation and righteousness to the whole world along the way as it is written in this Psalm.  God’s mercy and faithfulness is according to promise, the promise to Adam and Eve and to Abraham for all from every nation by faith whom He calls, the promise of grace through faith.  The ends of the earth have seen the salvation of God, and now we go to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8) to explain that work of God’s righteousness in Christ which nobody is able to earn for themselves.  This is the good news from the beginning.  The world should therefore do as written here, shouting with joy and praise, singing of the victory and hope.  The entire creation groans along with us until the consummation of all things (Romans 8:22).  He is coming to judge us all with righteousness and justice, and the only fair and just deliverance is of saving grace based on His work to satisfy justice by taking on the sin of the world in our place (Hebrews 9:26-28, Romans 6:10, 1 Peter 3:18).  This is the fair judgment coming to the world in His righteousness counted to His people for eternal salvation.  He is therefore worthy of our thanksgiving and praise! 

Rejoice in the Righteousness of the Sovereign LORD

Psalms 97:1-12 

1 The LORD reigns;
Let the earth rejoice;
Let the multitude of isles be glad!

2 Clouds and darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

3 A fire goes before Him,
And burns up His enemies round about.

4 His lightnings light the world;
The earth sees and trembles.

5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

6 The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples see His glory.

7 Let all be put to shame who serve carved images,
Who boast of idols.
Worship Him, all you gods.

8 Zion hears and is glad,
And the daughters of Judah rejoice
Because of Your judgments, O LORD.

9 For You, LORD, are most high above all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods.

10 You who love the LORD, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.

11 Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.

12 Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.

What a wonderful song of praise to the Sovereign LORD our God!  Because He rejoices, we should likewise rejoice as well.  Though He is hidden from us as far beyond the clouds and in as if in darkness because the spiritual realm is not visible to human eyes unless they are opened (2 Kings 6:17), we worship Him joyfully (1 Peter 1:8).  His rule, His throne, is founded on the absolute bedrock of righteousness and justice.  All He does is right and true, and how He deals with us is our just due (Romans 3:21-24, 26), including atoning forgiveness and grace in the mercy of Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice of Himself for us.  He can send fire to consume His enemies, cause men to tremble in the fear of God by lightning all around, melt away the highest mountain men attempt to hide behind - but in the end, He declares His righteousness and our eyes see His glory, unhidden and we are exposed.  Those who worship false gods, either in idol statue or other form, these will be put to shame in the final judgment as all will bow to the only true God (Isaiah 45:22-23, 24-25, Philippians 2:10-11).  All God’s children, however, hear with gladness of His righteous judgments of us, and the good news of His grace in good will to men He has chosen.  There is none higher than Him!  Because of who He is and all He has done, we hate evil as much as we love Him.  This means we flee from all evil (Proverbs 8:13, Romans 12:9, 1 Corinthians 10:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:22) as we rely on His care to keep us in the day of judgment, and out of the hands of the wicked while we stand upon the earth.  As it is written here, He sows light in our lives because we are righteous in Christ and pursue righteousness in living in response.  Rejoice in Him and His holy name with thanksgiving as we meditate on who He is and all He does!  We truly rejoice in the righteousness of our sovereign Lord.  Amen. 

Give the LORD Glory and Praise!

Psalms 96:1-13 

1 Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!
Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

3 Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.
4 For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the LORD made the heavens.
6 Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

7 Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
Give to the LORD glory and strength.
8 Give to the LORD the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come into His courts.

9 Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!
Tremble before Him, all the earth.

10 Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns;
The world also is firmly established,
It shall not be moved;
He shall judge the peoples righteously."

11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;
12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice
13 before the LORD.

For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.
He shall judge the world with righteousness,
And the peoples with His truth.

This song of giving praise and glory to God who comes for judgment in the end, as paralleled in 1 Chronicles 16:23–33, should give us joy in who He is and for His deliverance of saving we His people.  This is our new song no longer looking forward to the Messiah, but having the fullness of Christ’s work finished forevermore (John 17:4-5, 19:30).  We are to be telling of His glory and His works, especially on the cross, to the world around us, pointing to the one God over all who created all things.  He is worthy of praise from them as well as from us, so they need to know who He is and all He has done from the beginning of time until the final consummation.  We are the messengers of His glory and praise of that good news.  They need to see beyond their man made gods to Him who is honor and majesty in character and who therefore deserves His strength and majesty acknowledged and worshiped by everyone.  In the end, all will bow before Him in submission, but not as the twisted view of the muslim to a false god of violence and hate, but in spirit and in truth to the God who loves His creation.  He alone deserves ourselves as living sacrifices of praise and service, He alone deserves our praise for His magnificent and overshadowing glory.  We the people of our Lord and King are therefore to worship in the beauty of holiness, because He is holy.  That is the call of our salvation.  The earth should tremble before the LORD God in face of the impending judgment and call to freely turn to Him instead of facing this terrible eternal sentence.  They need to know He reigns absolutely as Sovereign, not as a limited temporal ruler.  All He says is as firmly established as His word and as our just judgment apart from interceding grace in the Christ.  This brings heavenly rejoicing and peace on earth between God and man (Romans 5:1) and reconciliation to the whole creation groaning for redemption (Romans 8:22).  The assurance is that God’s justice is true and fair, and His judgment is never arbitrary; when He returns, we will be judged accordingly.  May many more be found in His salvation of atoning grace and mercy, recorded in the Lamb’s book of life, and not judged by our sinful deeds.  Give the Lord the and praise due to Him because His salvation in the New Covenant is our new song.  Amen!

Reliance of Obedience in Worship

Psalms 95

1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

3 For the LORD is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.

4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
5 The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
7 For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.

Today, if you will hear His voice:
8 "Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,
As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 When your fathers tested Me;
They tried Me, though they saw My work.

10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation,
And said, 'It is a people who go astray in their hearts,
And they do not know My ways.'
11 So I swore in My wrath,
'They shall not enter My rest.'"

Such a song of rest in the LORD, of faith which trusts and acts accordingly by joyful, willing obedience in following Him according to His word!  As the psalmist exclaimed, let us come together and sing with joy and gladness to our Lord, the Rock of solid assurance which is His salvation to deliver and keep us as His chosen people (1 Peter 2:9) in Christ.  We should worship thankfully and loudly in expressing our great joy in Him by singing together of the mercies of the Lord forever, as the song goes.  He alone is the great God and sovereign King over all creation, and is worthy of glory, honor, and praise (1 Peter 1:7).  He rules in omnipotence with mercy and grace for the humble who acknowledge Him and His work (John 6:29), and who lift up His name in its magnificence with joyful song.  This desire is what fills the heart of the redeemed.  We see His hand of creation and sustaining of the entire universe, from far-flung universes and galaxies to the smallest particle making up our being, that which He spoke into existence and which He breathed His life into the dust of the first man.  He reigns, and our response is unstoppable, to humbly bow and worship our God in the beauty of holiness (1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 96:9).  We are truly the sheep of His pasture, led by His mighty hand (1 Peter 5:6-7), who hear our Master’s voice and listen.  We do not harden our hearts by turning a deaf ear to His word in rebellion by testing God instead of trusting. We find our rest in Him and in His work (Hebrews 4:1, 9-10), not doubting and making Him prove His mercy and goodness.  Those in the wilderness out of the bondage of Egypt (symbolic of sin’s bondage) did not know God’s ways and rebelled in disbelief of the heart.  They did not enter His rest; we who believe and trust in His work according to His word have entered it forever.  That is worthy of humility with a thankful heart of worship and a holy obedience to please our Savior God.  Amen. 

God the Refuge and Avenger of the Righteous

Psalms 94:1-23 

1 O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongs—
O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth!

2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth;
Render punishment to the proud.
3 LORD, how long will the wicked,
How long will the wicked triumph?

4 They utter speech, and speak insolent things;
All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves.
5 They break in pieces Your people, O LORD,
And afflict Your heritage.
6 They slay the widow and the stranger,
And murder the fatherless.

7 Yet they say, "The LORD does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob understand."
8 Understand, you senseless among the people;
And you fools, when will you be wise?

9 He who planted the ear, shall He not hear?
He who formed the eye, shall He not see?
10 He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct,
He who teaches man knowledge?
11 The LORD knows the thoughts of man,
That they are futile.

12 Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD,
And teach out of Your law,
13 That You may give him rest from the days of adversity,
Until the pit is dug for the wicked.

14 For the LORD will not cast off His people,
Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
15 But judgment will return to righteousness,
And all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?
Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
17 Unless the LORD had been my help,
My soul would soon have settled in silence.

18 If I say, "My foot slips,"
Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up.
19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.

20 Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law,
Have fellowship with You?
21 They gather together against the life of the righteous,
And condemn innocent blood.

22 But the LORD has been my defense,
And my God the rock of my refuge.
23 He has brought on them their own iniquity,
And shall cut them off in their own wickedness;
The LORD our God shall cut them off.

This song assures us of God as our vengeance and our refuge.  He is the avenger of His people; we are not therefore to seek out our own vengeance or retaliation.  He is also our refuge in times of trouble, able to sustain us and carry us through the difficult circumstances.  In this imprecatory song, the psalmist calls for God to answer with judgment to punish the proud set against Him and them by shining forth His light of righteousness and truth to set things right.  He knew it was not right that the unrighteous should continue to prosper and gain the victory.  He pointed out their self-centered boasting of unfettered pride and their taking advantage of the helpless as points of judgment.  He also asked how they could continue to defy and blaspheme God by calling Him deaf and blind, unwise and uncaring.  How wrong they were!  The foolish are not wise, but can only have eyes to see and ears to hear if God gives them the senses to see and hear.  Man’s thoughts are unwise and futile apart from God’s instruction, correction, and imparting of knowledge with understanding, which originate in God’s word and are worked into us by His will and work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  The blessed of the Lord are the ones whom God Himself teaches, promising eternal rest from adversity, while passing a sentence of eternal unrest in the pit for those refusing the faith He offers with its promises.  This psalm assures those who are called and chosen as God’s people that we will never be cast off (Isaiah 43:13) or forsaken; salvation to eternal life cannot be lost or surrendered, for we are His inheritance.  That new covenant cannot be broken, for it is based on God’s promises and not our performance to earn it.  It is a gift of life, not a reward earned.  His judgment is according to the righteousness imputed to us, seen as Christ’s alone with us living in Him and in it.  Our help, then, against the ungodly is God Himself.  He keeps us from despair and from giving up as we are assaulted by the unrighteous, and we do not lose hope (2 Corinthians 4:1, 16) because He is sovereignly in control of the worst as well as the best circumstance.  He upholds our feet that we do not slip or hit against a stone to stumble and fall, comforting our anxieties with delight by such promises!  The evil don’t have this fellowship with the Almighty as we do, and their opposition only ends in certain judgment apart from His calling and regeneration.  God is our defense against the slander and attacks, our eternal refuge and Rock (Christ) of our deliverance from judgment.  Those outside of Christ will be cut off forever, but we can rest in assurance to persevere to the end.  He is our Avenger and our Refuge. 

God’s Eternal Nature and Reign

Psalms 93:1-5 

1 The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The LORD is clothed,
He has girded Himself with strength.

Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.

2 Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.

3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
The floods have lifted up their voice;
The floods lift up their waves.

4 The LORD on high is mightier
Than the noise of many waters,
Than the mighty waves of the sea.

5 Your testimonies are very sure;
Holiness adorns Your house,
O LORD, forever.

A favorite psalm worthy to put to memory!  Praise rises here to the LORD who reigns sovereignly over all creation.  He is clothed, or armored (Isaiah 59:17), wrapped in royal robes of majestic strength.  He is the Sovereign King over us, and omnipotent as our Creator and Sustainer.  He is worthy of praise!  The world and supporting universe which He spoke into existence is firmly established and cannot be shaken by any other than Himself.  This is the earth we stand on, and which He rules over from before time.  It was founded or established ( כּוּ kûn) from the beginning of creation by God Himself who is eternal (עוֹלָם ‘ôlâm), perpetual in time and space as the one who is because He is, everlasting before any beginning and without end.  What a mighty God we serve!  When floods arise to loudly crash down with magnificent waves, we remember that God is far greater than the tallest tsunami, higher and deeper than any overwhelming flood (Psalm 32:6).  We can absolutely and completely trust His providence and provision in every threatening circumstance.  Why?  Because His word is absolute and absolutely certain in truth and effect.  What He says goes; there is no question of His ability or intent for the world or His people.  He is holy, above reproach and beyond question of His love and power, of His wrath on sin and His mercy and grace in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Forevermore He is holy, just, good, powerful, wise, and merciful.  We can trust His word fully because of who He is, facts beyond just His character.  He reigns from before creation and ever past the new heavens and earth to follow.  How we long to be in His presence at last (Job 19:25-27) in His ongoing eternal reign established from the beginning.  May we rejoice in the certain hope of His sovereignty!

Praise the LORD for His Merciful Love and Faithfulness

Psalms 92:1-15 

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.

1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
3 On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound.

4 For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work;
I will triumph in the works of Your hands.
5 O LORD, how great are Your works!
Your thoughts are very deep.

6 A senseless man does not know,
Nor does a fool understand this.
7 When the wicked spring up like grass,
And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
It is that they may be destroyed forever.

8 But You, LORD, are on high forevermore.

9 For behold, Your enemies, O LORD,
For behold, Your enemies shall perish;
All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
10 But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox;
I have been anointed with fresh oil.

11 My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies;
My ears hear my desire on the wicked
Who rise up against me.

12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.

14 They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
15 To declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

This song of praise was written for the Sabbath day, a time of rest and reflection in the LORD.  It looks up to God on High to give Him thanks and praise in acknowledgment of who He is and all He does.  We should be like the psalmist in beginning each day by telling others of His great love in mercy, and end every day proclaiming His faithfulness of that and all former days in reflection.  We can do this in song as patterned for us here as well as words of everyday conversation, as long as our hearts are full of thankful praise and our mouths make that known, just as we now do so by proclaiming the gospel of His work for us to His glory, honor, and praise.  When we consider all His work from creation through our fall and to our redemption and ultimate glorification, we should be exceedingly glad as in Matthew 2:9-10 when the magi came to the Savior to worship.  Our triumphant victory is in God’s work on our behalf, the atoning work of the Messiah to redeem us from God’s just wrath by His justification of atonement for our sin to bring us back to Him.  How truly great are His works and how deep the thoughts to design and predetermine and bring forth these things!  Foolish ones without understanding given them from on high cannot grasp this, and are therefore set against our sovereign God in futility.  They rise up in an appearance of power and might, yet soon wither away and face certain everlasting destruction, just as the devil and his minions (Jude 1:6).  But our LORD God sits high above all in sovereign rule and control as always, and is not moved.  We cannot but praise Him for who He is.  He will scatter His enemies, those who live against His word and will in sinful disobedience, but lifts up those He has chosen for Himself with His mighty hand who humbly give Him alone the glory and credit (1 Peter 5:6).  It is His anointing which makes us His own (Ephesians 1:13-14)!  That is as our fresh oil hinted at here.  Our enemies will be recompensed, and those declared righteous by His work will prosper in eternity, whether or not always visibly in this life.  In His presence and in His house of worship we flourish, bearing good fruit in our old age with inner vitality as we proclaim God’s righteousness and rest in that foundation of our Rock upon which we build our lives (Matthew 7:24-25).  As the psalmist ends the song, the LORD is righteous and right, my Rock of salvation upon whose work I build on.  Praise the Lord for His merciful love and faithfulness (2 Thessalonians 3:3)!  Amen. 

Abiding by Faith in God

Psalms 91:1-16 

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust."

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.

This song sings praises of abiding in God, trusting Him for protection.  It is founded on a life hidden in God Himself, spiritually in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) of the tabernacle of heart and soul, safe under the shadow of His wings (Psalm 91:4, 61:4).  God is our mighty fortress of protection and refuge of trust to run to for that protection of lovingkindness.  How can we not trust Him fully and in all circumstances when the promises of His word make these things certain?  He delivers us as the birds of the air, supplying both needs and deliverance from evil.  He gives refuge from the enemy and His truth is armor to protect us from the flaming darts of the evil ones (Ephesians 6:16).  He leads us through the battles to victory in Christ who was anticipated then but realized now.  We make the LORD Most High our place of refuge for protection from those against us, abiding in Him and His word (John 8:31, 1 Peter 1:23, 1 John 2:6, 14) to keep us from sin, which is a plague of the soul.  Though He may charge His angels with our protection, it is to keep us following God in His ways, not for personal testing of God as satan did by misquoting this passage (Matthew 4:6-7).  Yes, they may bear us up, but not from our testing God; rather, they keep us from hurting ourselves in our spiritual shortsightedness and clumsiness.  May we never fall into the trap of demanding God keep us from temptations we put before Him to give us what we want in order to prove our faith!  This goes for protection over snakes and lions as well.  We are not snake handlers nor do we put ourselves in harm’s way to tempt God by demanding deliverance from our own evil.  Rather, like the psalmist here, we should know His great love and watchcare to trust in for His deliverance in His way and time.  Why?  Because we are His and He knows us by name.  This is why we can cry out to Him in our troubles and find help in that time of real need (Hebrews 4:16).  That honors God and this He honors us for exercising true faith and a life with meaning and purpose in His salvation freely given in Christ Jesus our Lord.  The long life in this last verse points to an eternal one.  This is abiding by faith in God. 

Oct 31 (Reformation Day) - The Wrath and Mercy of God

Psalms 90:1-17
A Prayer of Moses the man of God.

1 Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

3 You turn man to destruction,
And say, "Return, O children of men."

4 For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
And like a watch in the night.

5 You carry them away like a flood;
They are like a sleep.
In the morning they are like grass which grows up:
6 In the morning it flourishes and grows up;
In the evening it is cut down and withers.

7 For we have been consumed by Your anger,
And by Your wrath we are terrified.
8 You have set our iniquities before You,
Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.
9 For all our days have passed away in Your wrath;
We finish our years like a sigh.

10 The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

11 Who knows the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
12 So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

13 Return, O LORD!
How long?
And have compassion on Your servants.

14 Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
15 Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us,
The years in which we have seen evil.

16 Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.

What a psalm of praises to God for His being and work!  He is the always existing One, eternal in the heavens, He who is who He is.  He existed from before time, before the earth and surrounding unseen were spoken into existence to be formed by His word according to His design and plan.  And what a design, from spinning atomic particles to the matter they compose to spinning stars of galaxies!  This Sovereign Ruler has allowed man to use his will to his own destruction, yet called some according to His predetermined purpose for His glory, calling us to turn away from sin and to follow Him.  He did this with Israel again and again to prove the futility of our own effort of reform and turning of repentance to have any lasting change; He Himself had to turn us by the regeneration of a new heart and mind by grace through faith in that work done on our behalf, which is the gospel of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Our history seems like long periods of time over our efforts to seek and please God, yet these are moments of an eye blink to the Eternal God above.  Time does not control nor govern God or His work with us.  We also come and go, but He ever remains constant and unchanging.  He also lets us know of His great wrath on our sins of disobedience and disbelief, looking at sin seen and hidden in our hearts, and He compares all we think, say, and do to His countenance of holiness and righteousness.  God Himself is our standard of morality, not our compromising rationalizations.  By this standard we all come short (Romans 3:20-23).  Apart from His intervening grace and mercy, we finish our lives like a defeated sigh under that wrath unless He shows atoning forgiveness according to His word of righteousness and justice.  These lives are like smoke or a vapor of fog, transitory and limited to a set number of years according to His predetermination.  This then should make us consider (as Moses who penned these words) how God hates sin and why we all deserve His wrath being sons of Adam who inherit the ultimate sin of disobedience to Him in wanting to know good and evil for ourselves, as if we know more or better than our Creator.  As is His wrath, so should be our fear.  We should count our short days on this earth and make them count for Him, for this is the only way to achieve this wisdom found in His word by lifesaving trust.  We also ask for Him to return to us when we sin (1 John 1:9) and show merciful compassion in forgiveness to cover our sin as He did in the Garden of Eden at first sin (Genesis 3:15, 21).  We therefore imitate Moses by finding satisfaction in God’s great mercy and rejoicing in Him each and every day, as glad for the number of bad days as the good according to His grace.  May we consider all the good work He has done and will continue to do (Philippians 1:6), trusting with God-given faith to see His glory and proclaim it.  His beauty of holiness on us and working in us establishes the works of our hands with Philippians 2:12-13 as our guide.  Yes, Lord, establish the work of our hands in light of Your wrath and mercy for Your glory, honor, and praise! 

The Futility of Earthly Rule

Psalms 89:38-52

38 But You have cast off and abhorred,
You have been furious with Your anointed.
39 You have renounced the covenant of Your servant;
You have profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.

40 You have broken down all his hedges;
You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
41 All who pass by the way plunder him;
He is a reproach to his neighbors.

42 You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
You have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 You have also turned back the edge of his sword,
And have not sustained him in the battle.

44 You have made his glory cease,
And cast his throne down to the ground.
45 The days of his youth You have shortened;
You have covered him with shame.

Selah

46 How long, LORD?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your wrath burn like fire?

47 Remember how short my time is;
For what futility have You created all the children of men?
48 What man can live and not see death?
Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?

Selah

49 Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses,
Which You swore to David in Your truth?

50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants—
How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples,
51 With which Your enemies have reproached, O LORD,
With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.

52 Blessed be the LORD forevermore!
Amen and Amen.

The psalm ends with the futility of earthly rule, that of God’s anointed king David, for the promise looked forward to the Anointed Son of God and heavenly King to come into the world (John 3:19, 12:46, 18:37).  The crown of Israel’s earthly ruler would be taken away and the kingdom with it; the crown of the Divine Potentate is from everlasting to everlasting, and His rule always was and will be.  This is the pattern of the earthly anointed king seen as a foreshadowing of God’s Anointed who was and is and always will be.  The kingdom of God’s chosen on this world was transitory, the eternal Kingdom of God in Christ cannot be shaken or moved out of place.  Dwell on these truths.  The psalmist asked how the LORD could stand at a distance and watch the earthly kingdom and its ruler be taken away, yet he knew that time here is short and of the futility of placing confidence and hope in worldly power.  We all face death, the final enemy to be defeated by the final resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:24-26, 54, 57).  God can and will deliver our lives from the power of the grave (Job 19:25-27)!  Think about what these truths really mean.  When we question God’s prosier mercies as the psalmist did, when we plead for vengeance on our enemies, when we ask God to take notice because we are His, then we can remember these certain promises and hope (1 Corinthians 15:57) of victory in His time in the final judgment and in the glory of His name and work for all time.  Those opposed to His Anointed will reproach no more.  The futility of all earthly rule will cease as His kingdom comes (Matthew 6:10, Revelation 12:10).  Blessed be our Lord, our God and Father and the Son, in the power and working of His Holy Spirit through the eternal gospel forevermore!

Eternal Faithfulness and Mercy

Psalms 89:19-37

19 Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one,
And said: "I have given help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.

20 I have found My servant David;
With My holy oil I have anointed him,
21 With whom My hand shall be established;
Also My arm shall strengthen him.

22 The enemy shall not outwit him,
Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23 I will beat down his foes before his face,
And plague those who hate him.

24 "But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him,
And in My name his horn shall be exalted.
25 Also I will set his hand over the sea,
And his right hand over the rivers.

26 He shall cry to Me, 'You are my Father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation.'
27 Also I will make him My firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.

28 My mercy I will keep for him forever,
And My covenant shall stand firm with him.
29 His seed also I will make to endure forever,
And his throne as the days of heaven.

30 "If his sons forsake My law
And do not walk in My judgments,
31 If they break My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
32 Then I will punish their transgression with the rod,
And their iniquity with stripes.

33 Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him,
Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.
34 My covenant I will not break,
Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.

35 Once I have sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David:

36 His seed shall endure forever,
And his throne as the sun before Me;
37 It shall be established forever like the moon,
Even like the faithful witness in the sky."

Selah

The promised seed to David is the Messiah-Christ who followed twenty-eight generations later as promised (Matthew 1:17).  God’s faithfulness and mercy chose David from tending sheep to shepherding God’s people and then promising a seed from him, the seed from Adam promised to redeem mankind from the curse of sin (Genesis 3:15) by that eternal gospel (Revelation 14:6, Ephesians 3:9).  David had God’s strength and grace keeping him to glorify God through him by His faithfulness of the covenant promise and mercy of deliverance.  We also have God’s faithful new covenant written eternally in Christ’s blood which bestows unending mercy in forgiveness of our sins by an ever-effectual sacrifice (Hebrews 9:26-28, 10:10, 14, 18).  This seed of David is spoken of here as His Son, the firstborn over all (Colossians 1:15), the king of all kings (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 17:14, 19:16), and the solid foundational rock of salvation.  He was not just the rock of David’s foundation, but of ours as well by the same faithfulness and mercy of grace.  His throne endures forever!  The same warning to us applies, namely that we are not to forget His word to live by, or suffer the discipline to correct us, just as the Seed of David suffered many stripes in our stead for our sin (Isaiah 53:5).  As the psalmist reminds us, God’s lovingkindness of grace is not taken from we who are covered in Christ, though we suffer loss (1 Corinthians 3:14-15).  This is our hope of eternal salvation, a certain promise and not a loan according to our performance.  He will not break His covenant according to His word spoken to us.  David’s Seed endures forever as does His throne which He rules from.  Think about these things and give God the glory for His work in Christ from eternity to eternity.  Amen. 

Praise for the Eternal Covenant

Psalms 89:1-18

A Contemplation of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever;
With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.

2 For I have said, "Mercy shall be built up forever;
Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens."

3 "I have made a covenant with My chosen,
I have sworn to My servant David:
4 'Your seed I will establish forever,
And build up your throne to all generations.'"

Selah

5 And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD;
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.

6 For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD?
Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD?
7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints,
And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.

8 O LORD God of hosts,
Who is mighty like You, O LORD?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.

9 You rule the raging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them.

10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain;
You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.

11 The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.

12 The north and the south, You have created them;
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.
13 You have a mighty arm;
Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Mercy and truth go before Your face.

15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.
16 In Your name they rejoice all day long,
And in Your righteousness they are exalted.

17 For You are the glory of their strength,
And in Your favor our horn is exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to the LORD,
And our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Such a hopeful song of praise for God’s eternal covenant with David to us all in the Christ!  As Ethan the psalmist penned and sang these words, we also should be singing of the mercies of the Lord forever and with our mouth make known His faithfulness to all generations, now and into the future until He returns!  He is merciful to save the unworthy sinner, which we all are as children of Adam, and faithful to keep His covenant of grace in Christ Jesus who died that we might not for our sins.  That faithfulness is the good news we speak, the gospel of grace and mercy.  The covenant promise was given in shadows to the anointed king David in anticipation of the Messiah, the true Anointed and the eternal covenant of grace to follow.  This song speaks of the earthly covenant (Hebrews 7:22, 8:6, 12:24) with a reflection towards the eternal heavenly to come when He became a man (John 1:1, 14).  Mercy has truly been built up forever (עוֹלָם ‘ôlâm; time out of mind, eternity) as Micah 5:2 speaks of the Messiah being from that eternal existence, timeless as the one who was and is and is to come.  Our faithful salvation of mercy is from before time and into an endless future because He is who He is (Exodus 3:14, John 8:58, 10:30).  This covenant with David was looking forward to Christ coming to us and among us, Emmanuel, established forever on His throne.  Dwell on that.  The very heavens display His wondrous works and faithfulness which we share among ourselves in the assembly of the saints.  There is no other God and we therefore fear and revere the Holy One who does only great and wonderful things (Job 5:9, Psalm 72:18).  His faithfulness surrounds Him, evident in the order of His creation all around us as the psalmist plainly reminds us.  He founded the earth and the very universe.  All things are His, including us.  His rule has the foundation of justice and righteousness, with mercy proceeding from His throne of grace.  The justice is accountability for our sin, and the righteousness is His own imputed to those He chooses, with unearned and undeserved mercy of grace in Christ alone.  We are blessed as His people to know the sound of these words of truth, and therefore live accordingly as we follow Him, rejoicing in His name as His and lifted up in His righteousness alone.  He is our strength in which we find His glory alone to live for, and His protection shields us from the adversary, for the King over all rules absolutely and sovereignly forever.  These things should cause us to praise and worship in willing obedience.  That is being a Christ follower, a true Christian living according to His word of the eternal covenant of grace. 

A Prayer for Help in Despondency

Psalms 88:1-18 

A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician.
Set to "Mahalath Leannoth." A Contemplation of Heman the Ezrahite.

1 O LORD, God of my salvation,
I have cried out day and night before You.
2 Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry.
3 For my soul is full of troubles,
And my life draws near to the grave.

4 I am counted with those who go down to the pit;
I am like a man who has no strength,
5 Adrift among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You remember no more,
And who are cut off from Your hand.

6 You have laid me in the lowest pit,
In darkness, in the depths.
7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
And You have afflicted me with all Your waves.

Selah

8 You have put away my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an abomination to them;
I am shut up, and I cannot get out;
9 My eye wastes away because of affliction.
LORD, I have called daily upon You;
I have stretched out my hands to You.

10 Will You work wonders for the dead?
Shall the dead arise and praise You?

Selah

11 Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
12 Shall Your wonders be known in the dark?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

13 But to You I have cried out, O LORD,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 LORD, why do You cast off my soul?
Why do You hide Your face from me?

15 I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth;
I suffer Your terrors;
I am distraught.
16 Your fierce wrath has gone over me;
Your terrors have cut me off.

17 They came around me all day long like water;
They engulfed me altogether.
18 Loved one and friend You have put far from me,
And my acquaintances into darkness.

This song is an expression of one who is despondent, Heman the Ezrahite (1 Kings 4:31), a wise man from Solomon’s time.  It is sung from a humbleness in affliction, and with hope in God’s deliverance.  We can relate to these difficult times and should therefore follow the example to pray in times of despair and trouble for God to hear and answer with merciful grace.  There is hope in this seemingly dark contemplation of Heman, as we have hope in our Lord and Christ, Jesus the righteous (1 John 2:1).  Such hope does not disappoint (5:5, 8:24), so we pray always, night and day.  As despair drove this psalmist to give up all strength and to count himself as if dead in the afflictions, he felt separated from God and under the constant waves of His wrath (presumably for his sin).  We can feel this way sometimes as well when God does not deliver us from overwhelming suffering right away, but that is why we continue to pray.  Stop for a selah reflection on that for a while.  Then the psalm speaks of rejection from friends due to the plight caused by the suffering, by prayers of supplication continue despite the desire to give up.  Even death seems to not offer answers to Heman as an end to the waiting for relief from the LORD.  Consider that.  The psalm continues to ask how we can see the lovingkindness of God after we die, how that could show His wonderful works if we are dead - is not all forgotten then?  This view forgets the resurrection to everlasting life and the fact that what we do for God here does make a difference even if we suffer (1 Peter 2:20, 3:14, 17) for His sake and the gospel’s.  The good news is the answer to this despondent song!  We know that crying out to God does bring answers and relief in His providence and timing for good that may go unseen at the time (Romans 8:28).  God does not really hide His face of care and help for us or cast us away (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5).  The psalmist was wise, but could not yet see the full picture of God’s hope in the grace of the Messiah who was yet to come (though much was written in obscure parables as Psalm 78:2 and Matthew 13:34-35 show us.  Though the song ends in a fugue of despair and distraught thought, but we know that the darkness is vanquished by the light of truth, and we will be reunited with brothers and sisters in the Lord after death, no matter how things appear now.  When we are despondent, we can certainly pray in such tangible hope (Hebrews 11:1).  Christ Himself is our help over despondency! 

The Glorious City of God

Psalms 87:1-7
A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.

1 His foundation is in the holy mountains.

2 The LORD loves the gates of Zion
More than all the dwellings of Jacob.

3 Glorious things are spoken of you,
O city of God!

Selah

4 "I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me;
Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia:
'This one was born there.'"

5 And of Zion it will be said,
"This one and that one were born in her;
And the Most High Himself shall establish her."

6 The LORD will record,
When He registers the peoples:
"This one was born there."

Selah

7 Both the singers and the players on instruments say,
"All my springs are in you."

This psalm of praise by the priests of Korah who served the LORD magnifies the celestial city of God.  The earthly Jerusalem was founded on a mountain made holy by God choosing among people chosen by Him as a nation, while the heavenly New Jerusalem will be made by God and brought down from Heaven to be founded on the Lamb as it sits on the new earth.  The psalmist sang of the love of the gates of the temporal city where His chosen went in and out to serve and worship Him, while the new gate is the Lord Himself (John 10:7-9).  He loves our dwelling with Him more than our places where we currently live, just as He loved the earthly city’s gates more than the peoples’ cities and homes then.  Glorious things were certainly spoken of concerning that temporal town, but the shadow of that to come, the eternal city of God to come, is of infinitely greater glory because God will be ever present there as will we to worship in spirit and in truth.  Stop and dwell on that new dwelling for a while.  Selah.  Then remember those faithful in the lineage of Christ like Rahab who rescued God’s people and helped defeat the enemy, becoming a link in the physical line of the Messiah to come, along with many others as Hebrews chapter 11 mentions.  The blessing to be remembered forever is to be born in God’s land, which kingdom we are born into through Christ.  That is the true and lasting birthright to be remembered and of honor.  The LORD Himself records us in the Lamb’s book, registering us as His from before the founding of the earth itself (Philippians 4:3, Revelation 3:5, 21:27, Ephesians 1:4).  We are born again in Him (John 3:3, 1 Peter 1:23) because we are registered in His book and made holy in His righteousness because we are there (Isaiah 4:3).  Think on that grace for a while, then acknowledge as the psalmist did here in the final verse that all we have springs out of our Lord and His grace for His glory, honor, and praise.  We earn none of it, for grace is a gift, not a wage we earn; the only wages we earn are from sin to death apart from Him.  How we then anticipate the glorious city of God foreshadowed in this psalm and in other scriptures!  Amen.