FEBRUARY 26, 2025 Psalm 81:3-4 Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast day. For this is a statute for Israel, a law of the God of Jacob. In the previous devotion we addressed the fact that, as Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac upon the altar as a […]
FEBRUARY 25, 2025 Psalm 81:3-4 Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast day. For this is a statute for Israel, a law of the God of Jacob. As we begin, it should be noted that there are different types of trumpets mentioned in the Bible. For instance, […]
FEBRUARY 24, 2025 Psalm 81:1-2 Sing aloud to God our strength; make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob. Raise a song and strike the timbral, the pleasant harp with the lute. If the previous psalm was composed with the suffering of exile in mind, this psalm expresses the exultation of being set free […]
FEBRUARY 23, 2025 Psalm 80:12-15 Why have You broken down her hedges, so that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit? The boar out of the woods uproots it, and the wild beast of the field devours it. Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine […]
FEBRUARY 22, 2025 Psalm 80:8-9 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it. You prepared room for it, and caused it to take deep root, and it filled the land. There are many instances in Scripture where Israel is compared to a vine. Isaiah devotes many passages to this allegory, […]
FEBRUARY 21, 2025 Psalm 80:3 Restore us, O God; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved! As the psalm continues, the theme of exile and prayers for deliverance is recurring. In fact, these same words in the verse above are invoked three different times in this psalm (Psalm 80:3, 7 & 19). […]
FEBRUARY 20, 2025 Psalm 80:1-2 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth! Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up Your strength, and come and save us! When Jacob blessed Joseph from his deathbed, he referred to God as “The Shepherd, the Rock of Israel” (Genesis 49:24). As we […]
FEBRUARY 18, 2025 Psalm 79:5 How long, Lord? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire? Anyone who has been married for any length of time knows the value of peace in a relationship. As far as I’m concerned, having contention with one’s spouse — especially when it leads to angry words and flared […]
FEBRUARY 17, 2025 Psalm 79:1 O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; Your holy temple they have defiled. They have laid Jerusalem in heaps. This psalm is, in reality, a dirge about the destruction of Jerusalem and the Sanctuary, God’s House. Being such, it is not something one would typically look to for inspiration or […]
FEBRUARY 16, 2025 Psalm 78:70-71 He also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the ewes that had young He brought him, to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. In the previous devotion we addressed the fact that David was regarded as God’s servant as opposed to a hireling. […]
