I Chronicles 26:20-29:30 For all things come from You, and of Your own have we given You. I Chronicles 29:14b This verse is often quoted in church before taking up the offering. Now you know where it comes from. I expect that we can all see the truth of this prayer of David. Given that …
Monthly Archives: April 2023
April 29 / Psalms 47-49, 84-85, 87
Psalms 47-49, 84-85, 87 We have thought on Your steadfast love, O God,in the midst of Your temple. Psalm 48:9 I think it is safe to assume that the psalmist originally had the Temple building in mind. But Saint Ambrose takes things further. He recognizes that the Temple points beyond itself to Christ and that …
April 28 / Psalms 15, 24, 42-46
Psalms 15, 24, 42-46 Today we return to the Psalms, a couple by David and some by the Sons of Korah. I find it interesting that the descendants of Korah turn out so well, with 11 psalms attributed to them. Recall from Numbers 16 that Korah himself led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. The …
April 27 / I Chronicles 23-26:19
I Chronicles 23-26:19 Chronicles wastes no time on the juicy details of how Solomon attains the throne, stating simply that David makes him king. (I Ch. 23:1) Instead, the Chronicler has a very different focus: worship, and all that it entails. Hence, we read about David’s preparations for building the Temple as well as his …
April 26 / Psalms 37, 30; I Chronicles 22
Psalm 37; I Chronicles 22; Psalm 30 Recall II Samuel 7 and I Chronicles 17 with David’s proposal to build a house for the LORD and the LORD’s promise to instead build David’s “house”, his dynasty. (See the April 3 post.) The LORD does not allow David to build the Temple (I Ch. 22:8), but …
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April 25 / Psalms 86, 102, 109, 139-141, 143
Psalms 86, 102, 109, 139-141, 143 You may have noticed a common theme in many of the psalms today and lately: the call for God’s judgment and vengeance upon the wicked, often quite graphically. Are you uncomfortable when the Psalms say such things? Do you think that such sentiments are somehow “unchristian”? Do you even …
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April 24 / Psalms 53, 55, 58, 61, 64, 69-71
Psalms 53, 55, 58, 61, 64, 69-71 For it is for Your sake that I have borne reproach,that dishonor has covered my face. Psalm 69:7 Good people are always a reproach to the wicked, because they are quite unwilling to sanction their crimes. They carefully withdraw from them, join in no compact with them. These …
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April 23 / Psalms 35-36, 38, 40-41
Psalms 35-36, 38, 40-41 For with You is the fountain of life;in Your light do we see light. Psalm 36:9 What other light of God can we speak of in which a person sees light except God’s spiritual power, which when it lightens a person causes him either to see clearly the truth of all …
April 22 / Psalms 25-28, 31
Psalms 25-28, 31 The LORD is my light and my salvation;whom shall I fear?The LORD is the stronghold of my life;of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31b I hope that we all always read these Scriptures in context. We must not forget …
April 21 / Psalms 11-14, 16-17, 22
Psalms 11-14, 16-17, 22 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” Psalm 14:1 To whom do you listen? To the news media? To Hollywood? To social media? To celebrities or other “influencers”? To politicians? To scientists? To experts? And do they say — either explicitly or by the lives they lead — …