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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.  

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”.

This short 8-verse psalm recalls God’s miracles bringing Israel out of Egypt, opening the red sea and the Jordan which was so wonderful that it made the mountains skip like rams and the hills like lambs! “Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord who turned the hard rock into springs of water!” 

Psalm 113 is a hymn of praise to God for being the exalted Lord who helps the poor and who gives the barren woman children! “From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same our God’s name is to be praised… God is exalted over all nations… his glory is above the heavens… he raises the poor from the dust and seats them with princes… and makes the barren woman a happy mother!”

Psalm 112 is another alphabetic acrostic psalm which details how good it is to fear the Lord and how this works out in one’s daily life. When you fear the Lord your “children will be mighty in the land… you will be wealthy… good will come to him… he will never be shaken… he will have no fear of bad news… his heart is secure… his gifts to the poor will be scattered all over the place… but the wicked will gnash their teeth and come to nothing”!

I have completed another 10 psalms, having finished the résumé of Psalm 110 which is a glorious messianic Davidic sign depicting Christ’s joint roles of king, priest and judge.

At Green Pastures yesterday I saw a bright yellow Great Kiskadee, 4 Cactus Parakeets, a Blue-black Grassquit and a Scaled Dove. Whilst there it was sad to learn that sister Vilene (member of our Green Pastures church) had her house broken into and they stole their wedding rings and her little motorbike which she comes to church on. 

This morning the Patos church is holding a jumble sale at our school on the south side of Patos. However Liz and I will be involved in an important meeting of our senior leadership team throughout much of the morning and afternoon and value your prayers. 

 Psalm 111 is an acrostic poem. This means that in this case the first letter of each of its 22 lines (not including the initial praise the Lord) begin with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The psalm focuses on God’s covenant (“he remembers his covenant forever”), his provision (“He provides food for those who fear him”), and God’s mighty works (“The works of his hands are faithful and just”). The psalm then concludes with the concept that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom… to him belongs eternal praise”! 

This Davidic psalm is a wonderful messianic psalm depicting the messiah as an enthroned king and eternal priest. “The Lord says to my Lord (Jesus the Messiah): Sit at my right hand… the Lord will extend your mighty sceptre from Zion. Then Jesus’ kingly role is united with his priestly role saying: “You are a priest for ever, in the order of Melquizedek.” The Messiah will judge nations and crush opposition in the day of his wrath.

David starts Psalm 109 asking God not to remain silent because wicked men have returned evil for good, attacked him without cause, and made false accusations against him. David then prays that an evil man be appointed and when he is tried that he be found guilty… may his days be few, his children be fatherless beggars and may his descendants be cut off. Then David asks for God’s help because he is poor and needy and his heart is wounded with him… save me in accordance of your love. Then, he concludes, I will greatly extol the Lord! 

This Davidic psalm is a strong hymn of praise: “I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations… let your glory be over all the earth”. David then prays for God’s salvation and deliverance for his people. He then goes on to remember God’s promise to control the land mentioning Shechem, Valley of Succoth, Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim and Judah. He closes the psalm acknowledging that “with God alone we shall gain the victory… for it is he who will trample down the enemies”.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever”. This is how psalm 107 starts Book 5 of the psalms. This psalm is a lovely hymn of thanksgiving for all God’s deliverance and blessing. The psalmist talks about God’s people crying out to God for help and his delivering them from their distress. “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love… they cried to the Lord in their trouble and he saved them from their distress…. He brought them out of the deepest gloom… he sent forth his word and healed them… let them tell of his works with songs of joy… he guided them to their desired haven… he turned the desert into pools of water… and they founded a city where they could live… he blessed them and their numbers greatly increased… whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord”.

This is the last psalm in book 4 of the psalms and it starts giving thanks to the Lord because he is good, and his love endures forever. The psalm confesses Israel’s repeated sin in stark contrast to God’s steadfast love and goodness. It recalls Israel’s sin-prone history from the Red Sea to the Babylonian exile showing God’s great mercy. Israel  “soon forgot what God had done for them at the Red Sea… at Horeb they made a golden calf… they despised the land and grumbled in their tents… they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor… by the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord… they sacrificed their children to demons… so the Lord was angry with his people.”

 Psalm 105 is a positive hymn of praise to God starting: “Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name… tell of his wonderful acts!” The text traces God’s blessing on the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, on Joseph in Egypt and on the miraculous deliverance of God’s people through the plagues and exodus. The psalm remembers how God blessed and brought our Israel from Egypt “laden with silver and gold” and led them with cloud and fire. God fed them with quail and bread and gave them water to drink from the rock. God “brought out his people with rejoicing and his holy ones with shouts of joy!”

Psalm 104 is a lovely hymn of praise to God the creator and sustainer of creation clearly echoing the Genesis creation narratives. It starts praising the Lord clothed in splendour and majesty who stretches out the heavens like a tent. God uses the clouds as his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He set the earth on its foundations and put a boundary for the waters. The psalmist goes on to praise God for his provisions for nature giving water to the beasts, habitat for the birds, grass for the cattle and plants for man to cultivate. He says that the trees are well watered, the stork nests in the pine trees and wild goats live in the mountains. He then says that God created the moon to mark seasons and organized all aspects of the cycle of nature and life. He goes on to focus on the diversity of life in the sea and on the land where all depends on God for food and breath. Finally he praises God as long as he lives. “Praise the Lord, O my soul!”

This psalm is an exuberant hymn of praise to God: “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name”! “He forgives, heals and redeems me and crowns me with loving kindness!… he satisfies my desires with good things… the Lord is compassionate and gracious… he does not treat us as our sins deserve… his love is as high as the heavens and he removed our sins from us as far as east to west… God’s love for those who fear him is from everlasting to everlasting… God’s kingdom rules over all… praise the Lord O angels… praise the Lord you his servants… praise the Lord, O my soul!”

A lament – a prayer of an afflicted man. The psalmist cries for help from God because he is in distress. His bones are like glowing embers and he is reduced to skin and bones like a desert owl! His enemies taunt him and use his name as a curse and he withers away like grass. However in verse 12 the psalmist changes tack with “But you, O Lord!” Now his focus is not on his suffering but on his saviour! He looks to God who is enthroned forever and whom he believes will have compassion on Zion. “The Lord will rebuild Zion,” he exclaims, and appear in his glory and answer prayer. God’s name will be declared in Zion”. Then the psalmist closes comparing God’s “years go on through all generations” with the brevity of human existence. 

 Psalm 101 is David’s ruler’s pledge to live a life pleasing to God both personally and as king. He says: “I will sing of your love and mercy… I will be careful to lead a blameless life… I will set before my eyes no vile thing… men of a perverse heart will be kept far from me… my eyes will be on the faithful in the land… he whose walk is blameless will minister to me… no-one who practices deceit will dwell in my house… I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the Lord!”

This short 5-verse psalm encourages us to shout for joy to the Lord and to serve the Lord with gladness! “We are his people, the sheep of his pasture… enter his gates with thanksgiving… for the Lord is good and his love endures forever!”

Psalm 99 is a royal psalm exalting the Lord who is great in Zion. “The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble… he sits enthroned… let them praise your awesome name… the King is mighty and loves justice… worship at God’s footstool – he is holy… Moses, Aaron and Samuel were among those who called upon God… he spoke to them from the pillar of cloud… O Lord you answered them… exalt the Lord our God!”

 Psalm 98 urges enthusiastic praise of God in a jubilant hymn. It starts: “Sing to the Lord a new song because he has done marvellous things… the Lord has revealed his righteousness to the nations… all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God… shout for joy to the Lord… burst into jubilant song with music, harp and trumpets… let the sea resound and the rivers clap their hands… for God will judge the world in righteousness!” 

Psalm 97 is a beautiful hymn of exaltation of the Lord!  It starts: “The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad… clouds and thick darkness surround him… fire goes before him… lightening lights up the world… the mountains melt like wax before him… you, O Lord are the most high over all the earth… those who love the Lord hate evil… light is shed on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.”

Psalm 96 is a jubilant poem of joyful praise to God. The exhortation starts: “Sing to the Lord a new song, all the earth, praise his name… declare his glory among the nations… for great is the Lord and he made the heavens… splendour and majesty are before him… ascribe to the Lord glory… worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness… the Lord reigns… let the heavens rejoice… let the fields be jubilant… all the trees of the forest sing for joy… God will judge the world in righteousness!”

 Psalm 95 is a joyful hymn of exaltation of God which ends with a severe warning against the hardening of hearts in disobedience. The psalm starts: “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord… extol him with music and song… for the Lord is the great God above all gods… in God’s hand are the depths of the earth and the mountain peaks… come, let us bow down in worship… but make sure you don’t harden your hearts… for 40 years I was angry with that generation and I banned their entrance into the promised land!”

Psalm 94 is a prayer for God’s justice to be put into effect against arrogant corrupt enemies. Evildoers, says the psalmist, crush the people, kill widows, foreigners and orphans, but of course God sees and hears everything. For God will never forsake his people and judgement will be founded upon righteousness. When my foot was slipping your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul. Corrupt rulers band together against the righteous but the Lord is my rock and fortress. He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness.

 Psalm 93 is a psalm of just 5 verses which celebrates God as the sovereign almighty King. “The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty… you are from all eternity… God is mightier than all the seas can throw against us… and holiness adorns God’s house!”

This psalm is the only one specifically designated for the Sabbath day and is a psalm of gratitude to God celebrating his character. The psalmist praises the Lord… with lyre and harp… I sing for joy at the work of your hands… how profound your thoughts… the wicked will be forever destroyed… but you, O Lord, are exalted forever… you have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox… my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes… but the righteous will flourish like a palm tree and they will flourish in the courts of our God… they will bear fruit in old age and stay fresh and green… the Lord is upright and is my Rock!

This, and all the psalms from here up to number 100, are attributed to no-one. This psalm is far from being a lament but is a 100% positive expression of total trust in God. The psalmist says that God is his refuge and fortress in whom I trust… under his wings you will find refuge… you will not fear the terror of night… nor the plague that destroys at midday… people may die by the thousand all around you, but it will not affect you… no harm will befall you… his angels will guard you… you will trample the lion and the serpent… he will be satisfied by long life and salvation.

Psalm 90 begins Book 4 of the psalms, which runs until psalm 106, and is the only psalm attributed to Moses. This prayer of Moses focuses on the eternity of God (“from everlasting to everlasting you are God”) which stands in stark contrast to the brevity of man which is 70 years, or 80 if you’re lucky! For God a 1,000 years is like a day whereas man is like grass which sprouts in the morning but withers and dies in the evening. Moses then prays however “teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom… may the favour of the Lord our God rest upon us”.

This psalm is attributed again to Ethan the Ezrahite, as was the previous psalm, only this time he is in an enormously better mood! This time the psalm is jubilant starting: I will sing of the love of the Lord forever! He then goes on to praise God for his faithfulness, love, righteousness and justice. “Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings… he is more awesome than all who surround him… you founded the world and all that is in it”. The psalm then goes on to recall and reaffirm the Davidic covenant… “with my sacred oil I have anointed him… my hand will sustain him… the most exalted of the kings of the earth… I will establish his line forever… I will not take my love from him even if his sons betray my faithfulness… I have sworn by my holiness and I will not lie to David.” The psalm then changes tack focusing on some current crisis of Israel linked to which Ethan questions God as having renounced his covenant and made the enemies rejoice. He questions how long this current crisis will go on? Then the psalm ends with a short doxology.

Psalm 88 is another psalm by the Sons of Korah attributed specifically to Heman the Ezrahite. It is probably the most dreary downbeat psalm of all. The writer has one foot in the grave throughout and at no moment in its 18 verses does there even peep through a glimpse of sunshine amidst the dark gloomy clouds of depression, doom and death. It was clearly written by someone with long term suffering who can get no relief. Heman says: “Day and night I cry out… my soul is full of trouble… I’m set apart with the dead… you have put me in the lowest pit… your wrath lies heavily upon me… you have taken me from my closest friends… why Lord do you reject me… from my youth I have been afflicted and close to death… the darkness is my closest friend!”

This short psalm by the sons of Korah exalts Jerusalem as the supreme city of God for the world. Jerusalem, it says, was founded on the holy mountain Zion. God loves its gates! It then goes on to cite various nations and ethnicities which were “born in Zion”! “This one and that one were born in Zion and God will establish her”. The psalm closes with all singing praise to God as all ethnicities recognize their all in God.

Psalm 86 is another psalm of David who begins asking God to answer him because he is poor and needy. He goes on “Guard my life because I am devoted to you… have mercy on me O Lord… you are kind and forgiving… abounding in love… among the gods there is none like you… you are great and do marvellous deeds… teach me your way… you have delivered my soul… the arrogant attack me but you, O Lord, are compassionate and gracious… grant your strength to your servant… for you have helped me and comforted me!”

This psalm is another of the Sons of Korah. It starts recalling God’s favour to Israel in the past, his forgiveness and turning aside from wrath. Then prayer is made for renewed restoration and revival, and for God to reveal his unfailing love. Finally come verses of confident expectation because surely salvation is near to those who fear God. In God “righteousness and peace kiss each other”. “The Lord will indeed give what is good” with a good harvest.