SEPTEMBER 27, 2024 Psalm 61:6-7 You will prolong the king’s life; his years as many generations. He shall abide before God forever. At first glance, this verse seems a bit odd if we interpret David’s words to mean he expected to live “forever.” He would have been aware of the fact that Moses had written, […]
SEPTEMBER 26, 2024 Psalm 61:3-4 For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah. On the eve of the first Passover, Israel was instructed to place the blood of a lamb upon the doorposts and […]
SEPTEMBER 25, 2024 Psalm 61:1-2 Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You; when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. There are some Jewish commentators who consider this psalm to be an extension of the […]
SEPTEMBER 24, 2024 Psalm 60:12 Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies. When it comes to conflict, with a few exceptions, God’s people have always seemed to be outnumbered and outmaneuvered by those who seek their destruction. When the Bible recounts these combative encounters, the enemy always starts out stronger in […]
SEPTEMBER 23, 2024 Psalm 60:6-7 God has spoken in His holiness: “I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem and measure out the Valley of Succoth. Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine. Ephraim also is the helmet for My head. In keeping with the notion that this psalm is a prophecy, it is interesting that David refers to specific places in the land of Israel that […]
SEPTEMBER 20, 2024 Psalm 60:1 O God, You have cast us off; You have broken us down; You have been displeased. Oh, restore us again! The tradition connected to this psalm says that David’s lament at the outset was in response to a military incursion launched by Hadadezer of Syria into the land of Israel. That […]
SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 Psalm 60 To the Chief Musician. Set to “Lily of the Testimony.” A Michtam of David. For teaching. When he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah, and Joab returned and killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. When is it appropriate to make war against another nation, and especially when there has […]
SEPTEMBER 18, 2024 Psalm 60 To the Chief Musician. Set to “Lily of the Testimony.” A Michtam of David. For teaching. When he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah, and Joab returned and killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. As the opening says, this psalm was inspired by many of the battles that David, […]
SEPTEMBER 17, 2024 Psalm 59:9-10 I will wait for You, O You his Strength; for God is my defense. My God of mercy shall come to meet me. Waiting on God — it’s not always very easy to do. For us, time is always staring at us in the face, prompting consternation which, in turn, can provoke rash and impulsive […]
SEPTEMBER 16, 2024 Psalm 59:5 Awake to help me, and behold! You therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to punish all the nations. There is an interesting midrash (commentary) connected to this verse that looks to the future. However, it begins with this thought: when Israel demanded that Samuel appoint a king […]
SEPTEMBER 15, 2024 Psalm 59:1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; defend me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloodthirsty men. Throughout the Bible we see that, when wicked men feel threatened by God’s people, they begin to conspire against them. […]
SEPTEMBER 13, 2024 Psalm 58;10-11 The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, so that men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely He is God who judges in the earth.” There is a belief revealed within rabbinic literature that there are people […]