Autor: eabrazil

 Psalm 136 is a hymn of thanksgiving to God because “his love endures forever” which is the repetitive refrain repeated in each of its 26 verses. The psalm celebrates God’s goodness, his domination of creation (heavens, earth, waters, great lights, moon and stars), Israel’s deliverance from Egypt (killing of firstborn, Red Sea, Wilderness journey, killing of enemy kings) and God’s covenant faithfulness. 

My résumés of the Bible progressed well today as I covered the big hurdle of Psalm 119 which is the biggest psalm and the biggest chapter of the Bible. I have now done 135 psalms so have nearly finished this very large book. I have now written just over half the chapters of the Bible (51%) so that’s good. 

I took some folk home to their farmstead who had been attended by our dentist and I saw 3 burrowing owls along the way. They come out in the rain, as it had been raining, so as to catch frogs and toads crossing the road!

Last night it rained 11 mm at Green Pastures.

My résumés of the Bible progressed well today as I covered the big hurdle of Psalm 119 which is the biggest psalm and the biggest chapter of the Bible. I have now done 135 psalms so have nearly finished this very large book. I have now written just over half the chapters of the Bible (51%) so that’s good. 

I took some folk home to their farmstead who had been attended by our dentist and I saw 3 burrowing owls along the way. They come out in the rain, as it had been raining, so as to catch frogs and toads crossing the road!

Last night it rained 11 mm at Green Pastures.

Psalm 135 is a hymn of praise exhorting God’s people to worship God for his goodness. Initially the psalm calls the priests and Levites to praise the Lord because he is good. He then exhorts praise for them having been chosen as God’s people and that the Lord is greater than all gods. He points to God’s control of nature: wind, lightening, seas and clouds. The psalm then goes on to praise God for his signs and wonders in Egypt and for his victories over Canaanite kings. The psalmist then ridicules useless idols and calls everyone to praise the Lord.

Psalm 135 is a hymn of praise exhorting God’s people to worship God for his goodness. Initially the psalm calls the priests and Levites to praise the Lord because he is good. He then exhorts praise for them having been chosen as God’s people and that the Lord is greater than all gods. He points to God’s control of nature: wind, lightening, seas and clouds. The psalm then goes on to praise God for his signs and wonders in Egypt and for his victories over Canaanite kings. The psalmist then ridicules useless idols and calls everyone to praise the Lord.

Psalm 134 is the final short song of ascents praising the Lord with all who minister at night in the temple, raising hands in the sanctuary, and receiving the blessings of God. 

Psalm 134 is the final short song of ascents praising the Lord with all who minister at night in the temple, raising hands in the sanctuary, and receiving the blessings of God. 

This very popular Psalm 133 exalts the great importance of unity amongst God’s people. Unity is compared to the sweet smelling blessed anointing oil of the High Priest. Unity is also compared with the refreshing dew of Mount Hermon. It is with unity that God bestows his blessing giving life for evermore!

This very popular Psalm 133 exalts the great importance of unity amongst God’s people. Unity is compared to the sweet smelling blessed anointing oil of the High Priest. Unity is also compared with the refreshing dew of Mount Hermon. It is with unity that God bestows his blessing giving life for evermore!

Psalm 132 is another song of ascents recalling David’s zeal to construct a temple for the Lord. David wanted to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. It goes on to recall how God promised that the descendants of David would be on the throne forever which has clear messianic undertones. It is remembered that Zion was defined as God’s city promising to bless her with abundant provisions and food for the poor. The psalm closes promising a resplendent messianic crown!

Psalm 130 is a penitential psalm crying for God’s mercy asking for his forgiveness. The psalmist says that he is waiting for the Lord and in his word he puts his hope. Then he concludes calling Israel to put their hope in the Lord because his love is unfailing and his redemption is full.

This further song of ascents appears to think back over Israel’s “youth” in Egypt and the severe oppression which it endured. However despite “ploughmen have ploughed my back” they did not prevail thanks to God’s grace, protection and strength. “The Lord is righteous and he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked”. May those who hate Zion be shamed and wither like grass. 

This further song of ascents says Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways. They will be blessed with prosperity and many children. Such individual and family blessings also affect the community seeing prosperity in Jerusalem and peace in Israel. 

This psalm is a wisdom psalm attributed to Solomon which shows that anything without God is worthless. Building is in vain if God is not in it… security is empty if God doesn’t protect… and any form of labour is worthless unless done for God. However, he says, our children are not just a lot of work but blessings from God. 

This psalm is a wisdom psalm attributed to Solomon which shows that anything without God is worthless. Building is in vain if God is not in it… security is empty if God doesn’t protect… and any form of labour is worthless unless done for God. However, he says, our children are not just a lot of work but blessings from God. 

Psalm 126 is a further song of ascent recalling how great they felt when they returned from exile… our mouths were filled with laughter and they sang happy songs. It was warmly recognized that God had done great things for them. The psalm concludes praying for restoration knowing that those who sow with tears will reap with joy.

This psalm is another song of ascents affirming that those who trust God are rock solid like Mount Zion and cannot be shaken as they endure forever. However evildoers will not be successful against the righteous. And the psalmist prays that God will do good to those who are good and upright in heart, whilst banishing evildoers. He closes praying for peace for Israel. 

This psalm is another song of ascents affirming that those who trust God are rock solid like Mount Zion and cannot be shaken as they endure forever. However evildoers will not be successful against the righteous. And the psalmist prays that God will do good to those who are good and upright in heart, whilst banishing evildoers. He closes praying for peace for Israel. 

 Psalm 124 is another song of ascents attributed to David saying that if it hadn’t been for God’s intervention Israel would have been “swallowed alive” or “engulfed”. But David praised the Lord because they had not been ripped apart by their enemies teeth or trapped by the fowler’s snare. For David declares: “Our help is in the name of the Lord”!

Psalm 122 is the 3rd song of ascents which this time is attributed to David. It is a happy psalm which starts by rejoicing with those who invite people to God’s house. Then he rejoices at being at the gates of Jerusalem, which is a compact community city. Then in the last part of the psalm believers are encouraged to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for its prosperity. 

Psalm 121 points to God as the true source of protection and blessing… my help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. God, says the psalmist, watches over his people constantly without slumbering and provides shade in the day and moonlight at night. God will watch over his people constantly. 

This is the first of 15 songs of ascents up to Psalm 134. A song of ascent is a psalm traditionally sung on pilgrimages to Jerusalem or sung by Levites climbing the temple steps. In Psalm 120 the psalmist in distress calls upon the Lord asking for salvation from lying deceitful tongues. He prays for punishment for the sinners who love wars, whereas he is a man of peace. 

This is the longest psalm – in fact it is the longest chapter in the whole Bible. And the psalm is another alphabetic acrostic with 22 stanzas, with 8 verses in each, using the 22 letters of each letter of the Hebrew alphabet to start each stanza. The psalm emphasizes the great value of God’s word and stresses how much the author loves God’s word, how good it is to meditate on it and how essential it is to obey it. Verse 105, out of the 176 verses, is the most well known verse when it says “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path”. The whole psalm exudes joy in God’s word… your statutes are wonderful… it gives understanding to the simple… I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold… how I love your law… how sweet are your promises to my taste! Coming to the close of this mega psalm the psalmist says: “May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous… your law is my delight… let me live so that I can praise you!”

Psalm 188 is a joyful hymn of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord whose “love endures forever”. 4 times in the opening 4 verses it’s repeated “his love endures forever”. The psalmist says how he had cried to the Lord and he set him free… it is better to trust God than men… for the Lord is his strength and song… shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous… this is the day that the Lord has made so let us rejoice and be glad in it… you are my God and I will give you thanks… give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever!

In this the shortest psalm all nations are exhorted to praise the Lord because his love is great and his faithfulness endures forever.  

In this the shortest psalm all nations are exhorted to praise the Lord because his love is great and his faithfulness endures forever.  

The key question of this psalm of thanksgiving is: “How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?” The psalmist had clearly been in real trouble with “the cords of death entangled me… I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.”  However the Lord saved me, he says, the Lord has been good to me… and delivered my soul from death. So the psalmist lifted up the cup of salvation and fulfilled his vows… and sacrificed a thank-offering to the Lord. 

Psalm 115 starts with: “Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory”. This psalm is a hymn of praise to God alone and a declaration of trust in him. It ridicules idolatry as the idols have mouths but can’t speak, have eyes but can’t see, have ears that can’t hear, have noses but can’t smell and have hands but can’t feel. He then calls on Israel to only trust in the Lord because he is our help and shield. He will bless those who fear him. “It is we who extol the Lord, both now and for evermore”.