Psalm 105

1 O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.

2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.

3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.

4 Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.

5 Remember his marvelous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

6 O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen.

7 He is the Lord our God: his judgments are in all the earth.

8 He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

9 Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac;

10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:

11 Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance:

12 When they were but a few men in number; yea, very few, and strangers in it.

13 When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people;

14 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sake;

15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

16 Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.

17 He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:

18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:

19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him.

20 The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.

21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:

22 To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom.

23 Israel also came into Egypt; and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.

24 And he increased his people greatly; and made them stronger than their enemies.

25 He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal subtly with his servants.

26 He sent Moses his servant; and Aaron whom he had chosen.

27 They shewed his signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.

28 He sent darkness, and made it dark; and they rebelled not against his word.

29 He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.

30 Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings.

31 He spake, and there came divers sorts of flies, and lice in all their coasts.

32 He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.

33 He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.

34 He spake, and the locusts came, and caterpillars, and that without number,

35 And did eat up all the herbs in their land, and devoured the fruit of their ground.

36 He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.

37 He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

38 Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.

39 He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night.

40 The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.

42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.

43 And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:

44 And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;

45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the Lord. (KJV)

This is an historical psalm that was written by David for the purpose of bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem from the House of Obededom. To get a full understanding of this psalm read I Chronicles 16.

As we looked at Psalm 104 yesterday we realized that God’s hand is visible in every aspect of His creation. When we study nature we are amazed at the details that we find in everything on this earth. In this psalm we see God’s hand in history. David starts this psalm out by giving thanks to God and to the covenant God made to Abraham. As David writes this psalm he looks back to the covenant God made to Abraham as a covenant to the nation of Israel. As God was creating a nation that would observe his statues and keep his laws.

However, as believers we can also see God’s hand in history. As we study the scriptures, we see glimpses of the ministry of Christ as well as the message of the salvation of the cross. We also see God’s hand in the history as nations rise and fall. As believers we must look to the future when there will be a new heaven and new earth. For us we look and see that God’s promise to Eve that her seed shall bruise the head of the serpent, and to the promise made to David concerning Christ in II Samuel 7:12-16. Just as Simeon in Luke chapter two looked to the promise of Lord’s Christ first coming; so, shall we be looking for the second coming of Christ.

Psalm 104

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honor and majesty.

2 Who covers thyself with light as with a garment: who stretches out the heavens like a curtain:

3 Who lays the beams of his chambers in the waters: who makes the clouds his chariot: who walks upon the wings of the wind:

4 Who makes his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.

6 Thou covers it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.

7 At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.

8 They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.

9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

10 He sends the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.

11 They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.

12 By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.

13 He waters the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.

14 He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;

15 And wine that makes glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengthen man’s heart.

16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;

17 Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.

18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.

19 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knows his going down.

20 Thou makes darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.

21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.

22 The sun arises, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.

23 Man goes forth unto his work and to his labor until the evening.

24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.

26 There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.

27 These wait all upon thee; that thou may give them their meat in due season.

28 That thou gives them they gather: thou opens thine hand, they are filled with good.

29 Thou hides thy face, they are troubled: thou takes away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

30 Thou sends forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renews the face of the earth.

31 The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.

32 He looks on the earth, and it trembles: he touches the hills, and they smoke.

33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.

35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord. (KJV)

The theme of this Psalm is stated in verse one, Praise the Lord. The psalmist praises the Lord as the creator and the one whom is fully controlling every aspect in his universe. As I study David’s life as well as the biographies of the great men and women of faith found in the hall of fame of Hebrews chapter eleven, I cannot help but realize that the praises in this psalm were something they realized was a reflection of how much they needed to be thankful for the everyday events that that makes earth a wonderful creation. In their daily walk they wanted their daily meditations to be pleasing to God. So, as you read this Psalm, reflect upon these simple words of praise and remember that God is the creator and controller of this Universe.

This psalm covers the important framework of how the earth and everything on it exist. In verse five we read that God created the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed forever. When we study the relationship of the sun and the moon to the earth we see how perfect this relationship is to provide the prefect environment for life. Just a study of the water cycle shows the complexity this one system has on our planet. This psalm reflects the words of Psalms 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handiwork”. How can man deny God’s existence? As believers we see God’s hand in everything around us; however, we also see those around us deny God and his role creation of the earth. To them we are a product of evolution.

However, in Romans 1:21-24 we see that man just like Satan can’t deny God. They see His glory but refuses to recognize God. And instead become vain and change the glory of God into an image made to the likeness of corruptible man. They changed the truth of God into a lie and worship and serve them self (the creation of God) more than God. Then this happens wickedness grows, and evil takes over the society in which we reside within. But a wise soul might ask, “If God is in control, then why does evil happen?” This question is not simple to answer; and even harder to understand. A reading of Genesis chapter three and an understanding of how sin entered the human race can start the explanation how the sinful nature of begin in the human race and why evil exist in our world today. To understand why God has let man become like God and control the world around him is a question that I could make as a focus on during my daily meditations. However, last verses of this psalm point to the true focus of our meditations: “I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.” This psalm ends with this prayer “Let the sinners be consumed and let the wicked be no more.”

Psalm 103

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

3 Who forgives all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

4 Who redeems thy life from destruction; who crowns thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies;

5 Who satisfies thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6 The Lord executes righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.

10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

13 Like as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities them that fear him.

14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;

18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

19 The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

21 Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.

22 Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul. (KJV)

Reading the verse, I realized that it is in all my daily activities that I should praise the Lord. As I praise the Lord, I must not forget all his benefits to me. The psalmist list a few of these benefits in this psalm: forgives all my sins, heals all my diseases, redeems my life from the pit (grave), crowns me with love and compassion, satisfies my desires with good things so that my youth is renew like that of an eagle.

As I did a Google search on the phase “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being” I was amazed at the number of hits (2,510,000) I received from this phrase. This made me realized that one common theme that all Christians share is their desire to praise the Lord. It is this one common, however very diverted way that we have to worship the Lord. When we get to heaven it will not be a time that we as believers finally realize if our plan of salvation was the best way to present the gospel to others. It will not be a time to exalt our good works. But it will be a time when we praise and worship God. The great secret is that some believers realize that praising the Lord does not have to wait till we get to heaven.

Probably one of the best commentaries on this psalm was written by Charles Spurgeon:

Our attempt at exposition is commenced under an impressive sense of the utter impossibility of doing justice to so sublime a composition; we call upon our soul and all that is within us to aid in the pleasurable task; but, alas, our soul is finite, and our all of mental faculty far too little for the enterprise. There is too much in the Psalm, for a thousand pens to write, it is one of those all-comprehending Scriptures which is a Bible in itself, and it might alone almost suffice for the hymnbook of the church.

So, as we embrace this psalm remember that within these words is the golden thread that will bring together all believers when we get to heaven “praise the Lord”. The phase in verse eight “The Lord is slow to anger” is highlighted in II Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” as to the true goal of the Lord’s second coming. We must remember that John 3:16 was addressed to who-so-ever which includes all of the human race. Sometimes I wonder why the wicked person lives to a very old age and the answer here seems simple, the Lord is not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. However, there will come a day when this repentance will not be available for those who reject Christ, as Peter writes in verse ten “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up”.

Psalm 102

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee.

2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.

3 For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.

4 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.

5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.

6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.

7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.

8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.

9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping.

10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.

11 My days are like a shadow that declines; and I am withered like grass.

12 But thou, O Lord, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.

13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favor her, yea, the set time, is come.

14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof.

15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

16 When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.

17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.

18 This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.

19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth;

20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;

21 To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;

22 When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.

23 He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.

24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.

25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a venture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:

27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

28 The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee. (KJV)

When I read verses 1-11, I am reminded of the opening verses of Job. These could have been the words of Job after Satan put forth his hand against him. When these events happened Job’s, wife said to him “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still hold fast your integrity? renounce God, and die.” His answer to her was like verses 12-28 of this psalm “Thou speak as one of the foolish women speak. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” Job’s view of God was solid which caused him to be blameless in the eyes of the Lord ” In all this did not Job sin with his lips”.

How does a person measure their relationship with God? The answer to this question varies on your beliefs about the character and attributes of God. Over the past several years that I start my journey of reading five psalms a day to help my prayer life I have seem that both my beliefs about God’s character and his attributes change. This is because my relationship with Him has changed. God is now not someone who I turn to in my time of need but is now someone who I desire to fellowship with daily. The events in my life are not always characterized by the first opening verses of this psalm; however, I have learned that God’s character is unchanging. Verse twelve states that the Lord sit enthroned forever, his renown endures through all generations. God will always be God. By staying daily in the psalms, I have realized that my knowledge of God grows daily and with this my relationship with him becomes deeper. To those who state that you cannot know God, fail to heed Christ’s words found in Matthew 11:29 “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”.

Verses 25 through 27 are used by the author of the opening chapter of the book of Hebrews in verses 10-12. Verse eighteen “Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD” points to the coming salvation from God that is available through work of Christ.

Psalm 101

1 I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O Lord, will I sing.

2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

4 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.

5 Whoso privily slanders his neighbor, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.

6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walks in a perfect way, he shall serve me.

7 He that works deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.

8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord. (KJV)

This Psalm written by David reflects the way in which he tried to rule as King of Israel. The key to the way he ruled and lived his life was to live a blameless life. I use the word blameless as it is found in verse two of the NIV instead of the word perfect as found here in the KJV. The word blameless can be defined as free of guilt, not subject to blame, of irreproachable character, an unimpeachable reputation. Blameless does not mean sinless, nor does it imply perfection. A blameless lifestyle is a characteristic of one’s life that others encounter during our daily activity. Living a blameless life before others is not easy and usually is very difficult. Because the perception of living a blameless to others is viewed by our actions and not our motives a blameless lifestyle is very difficult to show to others. Unlike our physical appearance which people can see, our motives are not visible and must be weigh over time. So how do I groom my life to be blameless? The key is like the way I get my physical self ready everyday. As I must get up each morning and make my physical appearance presentable before I venture out of the house each morning, I must also examine my heart to make sure that is it blameless before God and man. As you read this psalm considered the following examples that are in the Bible for us to model our walk after:

This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. (Genesis 6:9)

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. (Genesis 17:1)

I (David) have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. (II Samuel 22:24)
In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. (Job 1:8)

As I study these four men, I realized that their blameless lifestyle is the result of a living a life of integrity. One key to this is to eliminate anything that causes me to keep secrets. In our process of communicating with others we usually try to filter out the differences between what the other person is saying and that they really mean. In our process of communication, we must stop and examine the true motive behind our words and actions. Is what I say really what I mean, or is there a hidden agenda behind my words? So, one of the first steps in living a blameless life is the process of eliminating all secret motives from my words and my actions.

Another step would be to remove all the vile things from my life. The word vile is defined as loathsome, disgusting, unpleasant, or objectionable. It is also used to describe behavior as contemptibly, miserably poor and degrading, wretched, morally depraved and wicked. In Psalm one this is one of the two steps in living a blessed life. The first step is to move toward God and seek him, and the second step is to stay away from those things against God’s way (vile things).

The final step is to read and mediate on God’s Word daily. Just read Psalm 119 for this truth to set in. The Word of God will lead you to live a blameless life.

Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath 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 unto him, and bless his name.

5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. (KJV)

This is one of the first psalms (along with psalm 23) that we teach our children. Yes, it was from the King James Version that most of us remember. As we read the truths found in this psalm, we must also ask how much we apply these truths to our daily routine. Do we truly worship the Lord with gladness, or do we question His actions or lack of actions in the affairs of man? Do we come before him with joyful songs or does our praise seem to focus on the deeds of fallen man whom we have elevated above the common man? Do we look to him as creator when we look at the world around us, or do we try to explain the existence of this universe to other forces? When we said the phrase “we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” does our daily activity reflect his righteousness and truth in every aspect of our labor? The phrase “the sheep of his pasture” should reflect a total guidance of our daily activities being led by him. Do you even in the darkest of times know that the Lord is good, and his love endures forever? When we consider the phase “and his truth endures to all generations” do we stop and reflect upon this truth? In John 14:6 Christ states that He is the way, the truth and the life and that no one comes to God, but through Him.

Psalm 99

1 The Lord reigns; let the people tremble: he sits between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.

2 The Lord is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.

3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.

4 The king’s strength also loves judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executes judgment and righteousness in Jacob.

5 Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.

6 Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the Lord, and he answered them.

7 He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.

8 Thou answers them, O Lord our God: thou wast a God that forgave them, though thou took vengeance of their inventions.

9 Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy. (KJV)

One of the first areas that I must address in my study of philosophy (the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct) is to define God. This Psalms gives these attributes of God (our Lord):

• The Lord reigns
• he sits enthroned between cherubim
• he is exalted over all the nations
• his name is great and awesome
• he is holy (use three times in this psalm)
• he is mighty
• he loves justice
• he has established equity
• he answers whose who call on him
• he is the God of Jacob and of Israel
• he spoke to Israel
• he gave them statutes and decrees
• he answers them and forgave them
• he punished their misdeeds
• he is to be exalted and worship.

This psalm gives us this list of the above attributes that those who walk in the way of the Lord see in their God. May I be like those who make up the group that includes Moses, Aaron and Samuel. This is not so for the ungodly.

Psalm 98

1 O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

2 The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

5 Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.

6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King.

7 Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together

9 Before the Lord; for he comes to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity. (KJV)

As I look at verse two the word salvation jumps out at me. What does salvation mean to you? When you look up the word in the dictionary it means “preservation or deliverance from destruction, difficulty, or evil: a source, means, or cause of such preservation or deliverance”. What does salvation mean to me? As I grow and mature in this journey, I have taken on this earth I have realized that salvation is a wonderful gift that God has given man. His salvation has given me a new purpose in my walk. I now can have daily fellowship with the Lord of the universe knowing that the guilt of my past has been covered by the blood of Christ. This newness of life that Paul outlines for us in Ephesians two and concludes by stating “so then ye are no more strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God” is the daily walk that Christians can have with Christ. His salvation also gives me hope for the future. Death will come to all of us unless Christ comes before that time. However, his salvation also promises us a new body as Paul outlines in I Corinthians chapter fifteen. The last enemy that Christ will abolish will be death. Paul concludes this chapter with these words “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law: but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, inasmuch as ye know that your labor is not vain in the Lord”. So, let us sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things and has given us a salvation which we can enjoy now as we make our journey on this earth and a salvation that will make us a son of God at the time of Christ’s return.

As I read verse two “The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.” I wondered if salvation had the same meaning to the Jewish reader at the time it was written as it does to believers today. We can look at Job 14:14 “If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change comes.” We also know that the Egyptians and well as the other cultures at this time looked to an afterlife and many made arrangements for the travel from this world to the next. So yes, I do believe that they had a similar view of salvation as being rebirth.

Psalm 97

1 The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.

2 Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

3 A fire goes before him, and burns up his enemies round about.

4 His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.

5 The hills melted 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 people see his glory.

7 Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.

8 Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O Lord.

9 For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.

10 Ye that 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, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. (KJV)

As I researched the phase “righteousness and justice are the foundation ofhisthrone” this morning I realized that righteousness and justice have very different meanings to a wide vary of people. The more I researched the more complicated the definitions of righteousness and justice became. Righteousness is simply defined as an attribute that implies one’s actions are justified. It is a term in theology that is used to describe a person who is in a right relationship with God. Justice is simply defined as the concept of moral rightness. However, in my research I quickly came to the realization that the definition of moral rightness is really based upon the person’s view in which you are having a conversation with at the time. Of course, the definition of moral righteousness would change with every conversation. However, the book of the Psalms makes it clear who defines righteousness and that is the LORD.

As we go about the process of living in this world, we seem to have a misunderstanding of the order in which we place your priorities. It is His righteousness that should be the main priority that we seek and not our daily needs. In Matthew 6:33 the Lord states “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you”. As we consider our daily conversations with friends and family the topic of the problems in the daily events in our live usually rise to the surface and can become the major part of the conversation. Yet we must realize that this topic should not really be a concern for the believer. If we seek God’s righteous and justice, then all the things we need will be provided to us. Therefore, our priority in life should be living a blameless life seeking the kingdom of God, and not worrying about tomorrow.

As I look at the opening statement of this psalm it reads “The Lord reigns” I am reminded of the song I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day and recall some of the words of this song that Henry Longfellow wrote during the time of the Civil War:

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

As I look around me with all the wars and evils in this world today, I can see why people can ask “with so much evil how could God be in control?” Yet one hundred and forty-five years ago Henry Longfellow had the answer. His answer “God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; the wrong shall fail, the right prevails”. The foundation of God’s throne is righteousness and justice. Paul declares this righteousness of God as a righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. We need never to forget this important fact of God’s righteousness. He did not just forgive our sins because he felt sorry for us; our sins were forgiven because they were atoned by the cross. Oswald Chambers writes about this forgiveness of God in his November 20 devotional:

“Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace. The cost to God was the Cross of Christ. To forgive sin, while remaining a holy God, this price had to be paid. Never accept a view of the fatherhood of God if it blots out the atonement. The revealed truth of God is that without the atonement He cannot forgive— He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God through the atonement of the Cross. God’s forgiveness is possible only in the supernatural realm.”

We must not forget that even though the foundation of God’s throne is righteousness that justice had to be satisfied. It took the cross to make our unrighteousness right before God. This cost of this price to God can never be fully understood by us, but we can delight in it, and I believe that this delight brings pleasure to God.

Psalm 96

1 O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.

2 Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

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 nations are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.

6 Honor and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Give unto the Lord, O ye kindred of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.

8 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.

9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

10 Say among the heathen that the Lord reigns: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.

11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof.

12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

13 Before the Lord: for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. (KJV)

This is a psalm that proclaims the gospel of the Lord to the world. It reveals a time that the Lord will come, he will come to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth. Jesus spoke of this time in Matthew 25:1-13 where the Lord liken the kingdom of heaven to ten virgins, five of them wise and five of them foolish. As I look at verse 13 of this psalm, I reflect on these verses in Matthew 25 and ask the question “which description of the wise virgins would I fit into”.

Questions to ask yourself in self-examination:

• As I read this psalm about the Lord does my daily walk reflects the truth of God’s future judgment that I see in this psalm?
• Do I take lightly the salvation that God has provided for me in Christ?
• Do my daily actions proclaim this great salvation to those around me?
• Can those around me see the glorious work of transformation that God is performing in me daily to make me more Christ-like?
• Do I truly worship him with the glory due his name?
• Do I truly view him as creator of heaven and earth and worship him as creator?
• Do I truly fear the Lord?

I use three difference versions of the Bible in my studies of the Bible. These versions are: King James Versions (KJV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), and the New International Version (NIV). In the NASB version verse two and three of this psalm reads, “Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. “These verses reflect on how important the proclamation of the gospel of the Lord is in our life. In my daily conversation I realized how little the world in which we live gives God the glory he desires. In Job chapter thirty-eight records God’s answer to Job “Who is this that darkened counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee and answer thou me. Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.”. There will be a day that the Lord will demand of us for the actions and deeds in our life. With this realization I ask, “who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge in this world today?”. We are living in a world that needs to hear the gospel since almost all their desires are nothing but are idols of the world that are worthless. Am I a witness that darkens the knowledge of the Most High or am I one that daily proclaim the gospel of God to a world in need of a Savior?