Psalm 135

1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him, O ye servants of the Lord.

2 Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

3 Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.

4 For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.

5 For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.

6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

7 He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.

8 Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.

9 Who sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants.

10 Who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings;

11 Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan:

12 And gave their land for an heritage, an heritage unto Israel his people.

13 Thy name, O Lord, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O Lord, throughout all generations.

14 For the Lord will judge his people, and he will repent himself concerning his servants.

15 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

16 They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;

17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.

18 They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.

19 Bless the Lord, O house of Israel: bless the Lord, O house of Aaron:

20 Bless the Lord, O house of Levi: ye that fear the Lord, bless the Lord.

21 Blessed be the Lord out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord. (KJV)

The key to understanding this psalm is found in verse 6 ^“The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth”. As one recalls the Lords’ prayer in Matthew chapter six “Thy kingdom come Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven”. This Psalm is similar to Psalm 115. Verse six of this Psalm “The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.” compares to verse three of psalm 115 “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.” Verse fifteen through eighteen of this psalm compares to verses four through eight of Psalm 115. Finally, reference is made in both psalms to the house of Israel, the house of Aaron, and those who fear the Lord.

These psalms help us understand how God uses the nation of Israel. It is not because of the greatness of Israel as a nation that God uses this nation, but to the glory of God. It is because of God’s promises to Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and many others that God uses the nation of Israel be bring Him glory. His dealings with Israel throughout history give the nations of this world examples of God’s love and faithfulness. It gives the nations of the world a view of God in action. Yet it leaves an open door for all to have a relationship with Him. This psalm speaks of praising him, whereas Psalms 115 speaks of trusting Him. But both Psalms include the phase “those who fear the Lord”.

Reading this psalm, I cannot help but focus on the word praise. Praise should be a very easy task for us in our relationship with the Lord; however, I believe because of the effects of “the cares of this world” on our life we lose our focus on the relationship we are to have with the Lord. We become so wrapped up in the everyday activities that we seem to forget the most important relationship we have is with the Lord. Praise is wonderful. Our relationship with our spouse is also an important relationship we have on this earth. I have come to realize how important praise is in this relationship. The simple, yet meaningful words such as my lovely beautiful, sweet, lovely young lady before I start a conversation can set the stage for a wonderful conversation. This is the type of praise we need to come before the Lord within our conversation. Once we have set in place who God really is than why would we ever question the path he has prepared for us each day. So, as you start this day out start it out by praising the One who will lead you in paths of righteousness through the green pastures and still waters, and if by chance you happen to have to go through the valley shadow of death He will also be there.

Psalm 134

This is the last psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

1 Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord.

2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.

3 The Lord that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion. (KJV)

What are the duties of the servant of the Lord? In these verses we are to minister and praise the Lord. The root definition means the act of serving. It is used to describe the work of one that serves. One section of scriptures that all saints need to know is Philippians chapter two. The importance of these verses from Paul describes the walk that we should have in this world “Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men”. This walk should be modeled after the ministry of Christ.

So, praise the Lord and learn more of the walk of Christ. Learn more about Him and you will learn more about being a servant of the Lord.

Psalm 133

This is the 14th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;

3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. (KJV)

As I read verse one, I reflect on Paul’s many verses from his introductions found in his many epistles. An example of this is found in I Thessalonians chapter one. In these verses he refers to them as an example to all that believe. How does brothers live in unity? This is not an easy task. Just consider the examples of brothers given to us in the scriptures. There is the example of the first set of brothers Cain and Abel. Other examples given in the scriptures: Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brothers, as well as David and his brothers. As we look at these relationships, they all have one thing in common. This common theme is jealousy. Why jealousy? Because jealousy is a result of wanting something that someone does not have but desires. But what happens when two brothers have no jealousy? David found this type of relationship in Jonathan the son of Saul and David’s brother-in- law. Read I Samuel chapter twenty to see the full example of this love.

As you read and study the psalms simple truths that we know exist just appear as common knowledge to the writers of these verses. Verse three “For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.” should help the believer along in the everyday aspect of living their life on earth. As we age and our bodies limits the activities that we use to do our minds should look forwarded to the new body that the Lord is preparing for us. Just as a young girl dream of becoming a beauty model, or a young boy dream of growing into that mighty major league baseball player who hits the game winning home run, we should in our old age dream of the body that we will receive then Christ returns. Do you live your daily life on this earth that reflects this simple truth “God has bestowed this blessing on your life and that this blessing is life forevermore. From this day forward let me reflect this truth to those around me that I have life forevermore and therefore I am content with the limitations placed on me by my earthly tabernacle at this time.

Psalm 132

1 Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions:

2 How he sware unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;

3 Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;

4 I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids,

5 Until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

6 Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood.

7 We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.

8 Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.

9 Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.

10 For thy servant David’s sake turn not away the face of thine anointed.

11 The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.

12 If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.

13 For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.

14 This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

15 I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.

16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

17 There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.

18 His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish. (KJV)

Verse 5 of this Psalm gives the focus point of what should be one of a believer’s greatest desires (till I find a place for the LORD).

Verse 11 is an interesting verse when studying the generations of Christ presented in Matthew chapter one and Luke chapter three. This verse states, “The LORD swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke: “One of your own descendants I will place on your throne”. However in Jeremiah 22:30 the Lord placed a curse on Jechoniah that none of his seed would set on the throne of David ruling Judah. That is the difference in the generations in Matthew and Luke. Matthew traces the generations through David’s son Solomon whereas Luke traces the generations through Solomon’s brother Nathan.

This Psalm promises us a King who will reign from Zion. This King is Christ. I was questioned the other day about my faith in this King. When I told someone, I was opposed to the government trying to take care of the problems we face in society because I had faith that God would provide for me, I was told that this type of faith was not real. He told me that he had seem others who believed that God would cure them, and God did not, and they had to fall by on the government to take care of them. Then I stated that I knew God will take care of me, and that the others he referred to must had have little or no faith, he looked at me and stated, “Are you telling me that your faith is stronger than the faith of others?”. My reply was yes. For you see Christ refers to our faith with these words: o ye of little faith, ye have no faith, I have not found so great faith not in Israel, according to your faith be it unto you, thy faith has made thee whole, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, but I prayed for thee, that thy faith fails not. I told him to look and read the pages that I had wrote and put on the internet on my website, I do serve a risen Savior who is in the world today. This is the same Savior that this Psalm refers to as God’s anointed one. Remember the most important faith to question is that of our faith. You do not have to get in a game of comparing faith, just make sure your faith is for real.

Psalm 131

This is the 12th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

¹ My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.
² But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
³ O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore. (NIV)

It is amazing how a short psalm like Psalm 131 can ease our mind. The beauty of God’s Word is how the truth found in each verse can touch the heart of those who are not proud, who have quieted themselves so that the Spirit of God can renew that individual relationship between them and God.

How often do we try to put ourselves or others on a pedestal only to see how easy it is to fall off that pedestal? How often do we seem to have all the answers and then realize that the path we have charted is taking us in the wrong direction? How often do we let our thought become express words without going through the filtering system that we have developed during our experiences on this earth? Yet the opening verse of this Psalm gives us the advice that we need to avoid all these issues. The definition of pride found in the dictionary is: a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc. Synonyms for being proud include pride, conceit, self-esteem, egotism, and vanity can imply an elevated idea of the way we appear to others. The advantages, achievements, as well as the position that we attain in this life, often lead us to develop characteristics that creates an environment in which self-admiration takes over in our life. I recall one of my favorites saying in the days of my youth as “when you are good you are good, but when you are great you are like me!”. However, age can sometimes have a way of adjusting our attitudes, and where pride exist a fall is close behind.

Sooner or later we arrive at the place in our life after the fall from pride, that we realize that there are matters that we can’t handle and things that are now greater than your abilities to comprehend and explain. It is during these time that we either return again to the folly of starting over and doing things my way again, or finally stops and wait on God to make things happen. We daily face the challenge of doing it my way or waiting on God. There is a lot of pride in doing things my way, however, there is no rest. As I study the ministry of Christ, I realize that this psalm reflects the yoke that Christ refers to in Matthew chapter 11 verses twenty-five through thirty:

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Yes, to the wise and learned the hidden things of God are hidden. It is only when we realized that our hope is not the power that we have but that this hope awaits those that wait on God. So, if you are weary and burden with the issues of life then take Christ offer and take his yoke and learn from Him.

Psalm 130

This is the 11th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.

2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

3 If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

7 Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. (KJV)

And not only did he redeemed Israel from all their sins, but also all who believe in Christ.

As I was studying A.W. Tozer’s book Knowledge Of The HolyI was impressed by his last chapter The Open Secret. The open secret that he discusses in this chapter is how can the Christian bring back the departed glory that is missing in the church today. I believe he starts in the right direction with the statement “Any forward step in the Church must begin with the individual.” The open secret is simple “acquaint thyself with God”. He has given us the realm of nature which we can experience his created power; however, as we see from Psalm nineteen the knowledge that man receives from the nature (natural revelation) only points him to God. Only by studying his Word daily can we experience the true fellowship with God that our spiritual nature seeks. Do not allow the things and the events of this world take away time from his Word. Open the scriptures and acquaint thyself with God. This is the best self-help book available. Heed the advice that Paul gave Timothy in II Timothy three:

But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. And that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.

Stay in God’s Word daily and you will find that your life will become complete.

Psalm 129

This is the 10th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

1 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:

2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.

4 The Lord is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

5 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.

6 Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:

7 Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.

8 Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we bless you in the name of the Lord. (KJV)

Sometimes we seem to forget verse four, “but the LORD is righteous” when we look at the events around us. As Psalm 128 explains we need to have the fear of the Lord and be walking in his ways to be blessed; here the psalmist warns against making this saying “The blessing of theLORDbe upon you; we blessyou in the name of the LORD.” to those who oppress Israel and hate Zion. To fear God is to acknowledge God’s love and future desires for Israel. Therefore, keep your eyes on Israel because that is the nation that God in using to determine the Second Coming of his Son.

Belief in the Jesus as your Lord and Savior can present problems for some individuals around the world. Most of the time I believe Christians only have concerns and prayers that center around their social unit. In large portions of the world Christians are not only looked down upon, but are also persecuted for their beliefs. We must also realized that the doctrines and belief system different greatly even within the circles of Christianity. The one truth that we do share is Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and we build the foundation of our belief system on Him. So as you read this psalm realize that other believers in the world are greatly oppressed and this psalm offers them the assurance that the Lord is watching over them.

Reading this psalm reveals the true realization of the power of the sinful nature of man. As verse one and two repeat this phase “Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth.” is as true today as it was when this psalm was written. Today the battle against God’s chosen nation (Israel) and those that want to totally destroy them is probably as strong today as it was during the time of Haman the Agagite during the reign of Ahasuerus king of Persia and Media. My prayer must be for Israel if I truly believe in Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one that curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Psalm 128

This is the 9th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

Blessed is every one that fears the Lord; that walketh in his ways.

2 For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.

4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that fears the Lord.

5 The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.

6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel. (KJV)

Verse one points back to Psalm one and focus on our walk with God which I believe is the main theme of the Book of Psalms. To determine whether your walk is “the way of righteous or the way of the wicked” ask yourself these two simple questions: do I fear the Lord, and do I desire to walk in his ways? The first question “do I fear the Lord” really cannot be answered until you define what this phase means to you. One of the ways I have found helpful in defining this phase is looking at how it is used in the scriptures. To fear the Lord means to walk in his ways. How do we walk in his ways? Paul tells Timothy to study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. So, the first step involves studying. The second step in serving the Lord is to serve him. By performing a word search on the “fear of God” in the Bible and studying the scriptures associated with the “fear of God” you will soon realize that this phase is also tied to the phase “and walk in his ways”. The third step in fearing the Lord is to shun or stay away from evil.

In Proverbs the fear of the Lord is associated with:

• the beginning of wisdom and knowledge
• those who shun and hates, evil behavior, pride, arrogance and perverse speech
• adds length to life
• a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
• teaches a man humility
• being kept safe from evil.

One of the greatest blessings that one can have in live is to live and see your children’s children. I have grown to learn that your grandchildren can be one of the greatest blessings you can enjoy in your old age. Just as I am typing these words I am listening to the playful noises of my grandchildren playing downstairs. Yes I live for the Lord, and yet in my retirement years I am blessed to have many grandchildren to live for and enjoy.

Even when families break apart there can be wonderful blessings for those who stay faithful in their walk with God. I love Psalm 119: 96 “I have seen a limit to all perfection, but thy commandment is exceedingly broad”. Sometimes we get very disappoint were the things and issues that surround us are not as perfect as we desire. We need to be careful that we do not strive to take corrective actions to make these things or issues perfect when they are no longer in our hands. But when we walk in the commandment of the Lord seems to restore the brokenness into something beautiful.

Psalm 127

This is the 8th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

1 Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. (KJV)

This Psalm focus on the theme of building. Verse, one starts out with a bold statement state that the Lord must be the master builder. As I read this Psalm, I reflect on how this Psalm is used in seminars to teach biblical principles on how to build successful lives and families. Just do a Google search on the phase “how to build successful lives and families” and you will get over 426,000,000 hits. However, as I read this verse, I reflect back on Genesis chapter eleven where mankind as a whole stated, “come let us build a city, and a tower whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth”. So, what did God do? He confused the language of men and scattered them abound. However, a simple review of history will reflect that the theme of making us a name has been goal of mankind ever since this event. If you Google the phase “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain” you will get over 694,000 hits. As I look at the websites, they use these verses to support an important part of their ministry, or belief system. However, as I study Genesis chapter eleven on how God separated the nations through the whole planet, I see how he used one family to create a nation that he would work through. In Genesis chapter twelve we read about the call of Abram. Abram was called to leave and follow the direction of God. God promise to bless him and make his house great. The key principle found in this Psalm is that you must make the Lord the builder and caretaker of your life.

Psalm 126

This is the 7th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

1 When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them.

3The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

4 Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south.

5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. (KJV)

As one reads this verse look at your captivity as the bondage that sin had passed upon us and the freedom we have because of Christ. When Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden God did not leave them without hope since he promised a seed to woman that would someday bruise Satan’s head. He did the same with Judah when they were carried away by the Nebuchadnezzar’s army to Babylon. He promised that a remnant would return. This is also true of us as believers today. We are free from the penalty of death because of Christ and have the gift to walk in newness of our life from this sinful nature by the power of the Holy Spirit. This walk is outlined for the believer in Galatians chapter Five. The fruit of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control. This is in contrast to the works of the flesh (sinful nature) such as: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wrath, factions, divisions, parties, envy, murders, drunkenness, and revelings that we had as our nature before we turn our way from the works of the flesh to enjoying the fruit of the spirits. These fruits of the Spirit does not come by our works, but by our daily walk in the Spirit.

As I read the second half of verse two “Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” I have to go to the prophecy found in Ezekiel 37:28 “Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.” This is probably one of the prophecies that the writer of this Psalm was thinking of when he wrote this Psalm. We also as believers have this hope and promise of a new heaven and a new earth found in Revelation chapter twenty-one. The beauty of this new heaven and new earth is that God dwelling is with man, and he will live with us. The old order of things will be passed away. Who will make up this new environment? The answer is found in verse twenty-seven. “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” So, until then, live a blameless life so that people around you can see that your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life and that the peace this gives you in your daily walk will also become the peace that they desire to have in their life.