Psalm 67

The Nations Called to Praise God

My notes state that this is "a prayer of benediction" - I believe I've heard this put to music - this would be a good one to use at the Bible study Sunday!

1 - 2 May God bless us so that his way will be known on earth!

3 - 4 Let all nations praise God!

5 - 6 Let all people praise God, who has blessed us, and may he continue to bless us.

Psalm 66

Praise for God's Goods to Israel

A good psalm of praise

1 - 12 The psalmist begins by describing how the community praises God for powerful acts for Israel, both in the past (the exodus from Egypt and the entry into the land) and in the present (deliverance from a recent but unspecified calamity) (my notes). They went through many trials, but God's plan was being unfolded all along. You let captors set foot on our neck; we went through fire and water; then you led us out to freedom.

13 - 15 The psalmist prays as an individual who has offered sacrifice.

16 - 19 The psalmist invites all who fear God to hear what God has done for him.

20 The psalmist concludes by praising God. Blessed be God, who did not refuse me the kindness I sought in prayer.

Psalm 65

A prayer of thanksgiving

2 - 4 The psalmist is aware of his community's unworthiness and give thanks for a divine bounty.

5 - 8. The psalmist knows the bounty comes from God.

9 - 12. My notes: "At God's touch the earth comes alive withe vegetation and flocks. The pastures are clothed with flocks, the valleys blanketed with grain; they cheer and sing for joy.

Psalm 64

Prayer for Protection from Enemies

1 - 6 The Psalmist is upset because of how evil his enemies are.

7 - 9 God will overthrow the psalmist's enemies (my notes say that these verses may also be read in the past tense as if the Psalmist has already won.

10 A concluding call to praise: Let the righteious rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him. Let all the upright in heart glory.

Psalm 63

Comfort and Assurance in God's Presence (My notes say this is a psalm of David when he was in the Wilderness of Judah)

1 - 4 When the Psalmist is separated from God (Good imagery: "my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you"), he longs for the divine life given to him in the temple. "So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name"

5 - 8 The psalmist wants a close relationship with God. "My mouth praises you with joyful lips as I think about you on my bed" (My notes say this might be an allusion to waiting throughout the night in the sanctuary)

9 - 11 He wishes for his enemies to be destroyed and those who believe to continue in their faith. ". . . all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped."

Psalm 62

Song of God's Protection

1 - 4 The Psalmist shows his trust in God For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation, for fortress; I shall never be shaken.

5 - 7 The psalmist repeats about his trust in God and adds, "On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God."

8 - 10 Verse 8 is good too: "Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us." 9 & 10 talk about the folly of dwelling on financial matters. We should trust in God.

11 - 12 All power lies in God and He repays all "according to their work."

A good psalm about trusting God.

Psalm 61

Assurance of God's Protection

My notes say this is a prayer by an individual for help.

1 - 3 The psalmist asks for help. Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer; From the end of the earth I call to you, when my heart is faint.

4 - 5 The psalmist asks for protection. Le me abide in your tent forever, find refuge under the shelter of your wings.

6 - 8 The psalmist promises to praise God. So I will always sing praises to your name, as I pay my vows day after day.

Lots of good imagery in this one. Sometimes asking for help is the hard part.

Psalm 60

Prayer for National Victory after Defeat

This prayer asks for God's help.

1 - 4 The psalmist feels the community is rejected by God - there have been natural disasters and the people have suffered.

5 - 8 The psalmist remembers that God has promised his protection.

11 - 12 The psalmist prays for help. "O grant us help against our foe, for human help is worthless. With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes." The psalm ends by acknowledging that God is all-powerful.

Psalm 59

Prayer for Deliverence from Enemies

1 - 4 The Psalmist asks for deliverence from bloodthirsty enemies (and denies fault)

5 He tells the Lord to wake up and punish those who act against Israel.

6 - 7; 14 - 15 Each evening the enemies come back and terrorize the psalmist.

8 - 13 But God laughs at them. "My God in his steadfast love will meet me; my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies." He asks God not to kill his enemies so his people won't forget.

16 - 17 The psalmist sings praises to God. "O my strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, ar my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love."

This psalm shows the complex relationship between God and man. I probably wouldn't admonish God to wake up, but sometimes I get very frustrated. Still, it ends with praise for God and it shows the psalmists love for him even in a difficult situation.

Psalm 58

Prayer for Vengeance

1 - 2 Here the psalmist addresses the gods of other nations, asking whether or not they actually support the wicked (It's interesting that the psalmist would do so as if they actually exist).

3 - 5 The wicked are born bad. They are like snakes and they don't hear those who try to control them.

6 - 9 The psalmist asks God to "break the teeth in their mouths" (so they won't have fangs) and to have other nasty things happen.

10 - 11 When this is done, the righteous will rejoice, saying, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges the earth."

This psalm makes me a bit uncomfortable - I don't feel right praying for bad things to happen to people. While I didn't like Saddam Hussein, I didn't "rejoice" at his hanging. What I get out of this is that there is comfort in knowing there are consequences in life. That just as there are bad consequences for bad actions there are good consequences to good actions. This is why the righteous rejoice. They rejoice because they know there is a just reward for their good lives.

Psalm 57

God's Rule over the Nations

1 - 4 This one would be good to set to music: "Clap you hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy!" He also chose the heritage of Jacob . . .

5 - 7 More singing to God - to God like a shout, to the Lord like a trumpet.

8 - 9 "God is king over the nations; God sits on his holy throne" The shields of earth belong to God.

Psalm 56

Trust in God Under Persecution

The psalmist prays for help while being persecuted by enemies.

1 - 4 The psalmist asks for God's grace and promises to put his faith in God no matter what

5 - 7 The psalmist refers to the evil of his enemies.

8 - 11 But God is good. "You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your record?" He will trust God - "What can a mere mortal do to me?"

12 - 13 The psalmist promises to keep his vows to God and render offerings - "For you have delivered my soul from death and my feet from falling so that I may walk before God in the light of life."

Psalm 55

Complaint About a Friend's Treachery

1 - 2 The psalmist asks God to listen to him and he describes his torment over the situation.

3 - 8 The psalmist wishes to escape his troubles: "O that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest!" (6) He compares his situation as being in a storm

9 - 11 The psalmist requests God to confuse the enemy because they are ruining the community.

12 - 15 He says he can deal with his enemies, it is those in his own ranks who have betrayed him that is hard to face.

16 - 19 He prays to God to redeem him in battle.

20 - 21 He feels bad because his freind broke a covenant with him.

22 - 23 He gives up his problem to the Lord, and puts his trust in the Lord.

Psalm 54

Prayer for Vindication

1 - 3 The Psalmist asks for help and for God to hear his prayer because "the insolent have risen against me, the ruthless seek my life; they do not set God before them."
4 - 5 The Psalmist calls God his helper, upholder of his life, and knows God will avenge his enemies.
6 - 8 The Psalmist offers a freewill offering and thanks God for hearing and responding to his prayer.

Psalm 53

Good Old Testament stuff. My notes say this is almost identical to Psalm 14 and I just looked back and it is! (Imitation is the highest form of flattery)

1. Fools say there is no God and they are corrupt.
2 - 3. God looks down to see wise people who seek him, but there is no one (probably as true today as it was then, unfortunately)
4 - 5 The evildoers "devour my people as they devour bread." (scary). They'll get it in the end. "For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly; they will be put to shame, for God has rejected them." (scarier)
6. Finally, Jacob will rejoice when Zion is restored.

The biggest thing I take from this is that God is looking down and not seeing people follow him. I should try to change that.

Psalm 52

1 - 4 The psalmist asks why his opponent loves evil more than good and lying more than the truth.

5 - 7 He promises that God will break him down (he who trusts riches more than God)

8 - 9 The psalmist compares himself to an olive tree, trusting in the love of God. He thanks God forever and proclaims God's good name.

Psalm 51

A great to Psalm to start with! I know it as THIS SONG.

1 - 2 The psalmist starts by asking for mercy.

3 - 5 When we sin, we go against God's wishes. "Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight" (4). We were also born sinful - "A sinner when my mother conceived me" (5)

6 - 9 The psalmsist describes a ritual with the hyssop (my notes) that represents a Jewish cleansing ceremony. He asks God to "Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities."

10 - 12. Here's the part I'm familiar with from the song. The psalmist asks God to create a clean heart within him, and not cast him away.

13 - 14 The psalmist offers to teach transgressors God's ways and help sinners to return to him.

15 - 17 We must be penitent (and mean it) "The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise"

It's psalms like this one that makes me wish I really had time to study the Bible. I'm really glad we're going through the Bible, but this is one I'd like to know through and through (a keeper).

1 Corinthians 16

1 - 4 The Collection for the Saints

Paul wraps up the letter. My notes say Paul was collecting "a fund for the Jerusalem church to which Paul committed himself and his congregations.

5 - 12 Plans for Travel

Paul intends to go to Macedonia. He says Timothy might stop by.

13 - 24 Final Messages and Greetings

"Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." (13 - 14)

Tomorrow: Deuteronomy

1 Corinthians 15

1 - 11 The Resurrection of Christ

3 - 8. "For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received; that Christ died for our sins in acordance with the scriptures, and that he was burried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James and then to me.

12 - 34 The Resurrection of the Dead

21. "For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being. He goes on to say, "Come to a sober and right mind, and sin no more; for some people have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame." (34)

35 - 58 The Resurrection of the Body

". . . Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable . . . but we will all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet." (50 - 52)

He concludes (to memorize): "Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."

1 Corinthians 14

1 - 25 Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues

Here Paul recommends speaking in tongues (if this is something one can do). Also, if one speaks in tongues, one must pray to interpret what is said. If you speak in tongues, be sure that your mind is behind it (in church I would rather speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. 19). He also says tongues are for unbelievers more than believers.

26 - 40 Orderly Worship

Paul recommends orderly worship, including, a hymn, a lesson, a revalation, a tongue, or an interpretation. More than this specific order, I believe Paul is recommending that there be a plan - otherwise, you're going to have a throng of noise. He summarizes by saying, "So, my friends, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues, but all things should be done decently and in order."

I must admit that I have trouble with this chapter since I don't come from a church that prophesies or speaks in tongues. (But we have gobs of order!)