Psalm 49:10-20

Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. (v. 11) Suppose we edit and rearrange this a bit: Though they called lands by their own names … their graves are their homes forever. That old line, “You can’t take it with you.” Too true – the psalmist knew this thousands of years ago. It’s as true today. Intriguing that many funeral homes today are called “Legacy Centers”, trying to impress upon people that even though you die, your legacy remains. Perhaps a better thought is a two-line bit from a poem by C. T. Studd (1860-1931): “Only one life, twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Psalm 49:1-9

One verse stuck out today, immediately, at first read: …for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice. (v. 8) I’m sure the psalmist had no idea what that ransom of any one life would really cost. The ransom for any one life would be the same as the ransom for all people for all time. Only Jesus’ death could pay that ransom – and He paid it, on the cross, in full! And we are they who receive that gift.

Why should I fear in times of trouble…? (v. 5a) Yes, why? For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

Psalm 48

Another Psalm of praise and thanksgiving and confidence in the Lord watching over Jerusalem and His people.

I connected with verses 12 and 13: Walk about Zion, go around her, number her towers, consider well her ramparts, go through her citadels, that you may tell the next generation. I thought of how the Jews of old were constantly preparing the next generation, especially the importance of oral tradition: You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (Speaking of God’s commandments, Deuteronomy 6:7) Verse 8 speaks of this generation having already heard “whatever” from their ancestors: As we have heard, so have we seen… All this to say that we should likewise be speaking of the things of God to our children – and not only when they’re young, but throughout their lifetime. And even on a non-spiritual note, tell your stories to your kids, especially when they are older. My dad and my mom met in Paris when they were both serving in the Army in World War II. There’s so much that I don’t know, that I’d like to know, but I never asked until very late and then quickly it became too late. Tell your stories.

Psalm 47

Psalm 47 is purely a psalm of thanksgiving and praise. One Study Bible noted that it was probably written during one of the periods of a strong monarchy, very possibly during King David’s rule. Verse 5 even suggests that it could have been written soon after David brought the ark up from the house of Obed-edom to Jerusalem (or in remembrance of that occasion): God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. (See II Samuel 6:1-15.) The same Study Bible also noted that the church often uses this Psalm and cites verse 5 when they celebrate Jesus’ Ascension (Acts 1).

Verses 8 and 9 also suggest that this Psalm was written during the period of a strong monarchy. There were only a few times in Jewish history when they were more powerful than the neighboring nations. There will be a future time when these verses will ring true, but I think we have to wait until Jesus returns to see that day.

Psalm 46

Be still, and know that I am God. (v. 10a)

Psalm 45:10-17

Psalm 45 confuses me as to its application both to the wedding of a king and to the Messiah. As I read the entire Psalm it works well as referring to the wedding of a king – possibly written for a particular king’s wedding, but then used for any time that a king was getting married. It all works well except for verses 6, 7, and 17. Those first two verses are quoted in Hebrews 1:8-9. Clearly it is only the Lord’s throne that will last “forever and ever”. Then verse 17 is also difficult if we read the Psalm as referring to a king’s wedding: I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore nations will praise you forever and ever. As with verse 6 this verse more properly refers to the Messiah.

The Psalm in total reads well as referring to the Messiah. Yesterday’s reading (vv. 1-9) fits nicely as applied to the Messiah. Then verse 10 begins with the psalmist speaking to the “daughter”. If that daughter is the church here on earth, then the Psalm continues to work well through verse 16. Then we get to verse 17, which as noted above is clearly written to glorify God.

Playing this “understanding game” is not working well for me. I am not a Bible scholar. I will do better focusing on verses 6, 7, and 17 – thinking on those, reflecting, praying, and asking the Lord to help me to … cause [His] name to be remembered in all generations.

Psalm 45:1-9

Capitalized pronouns… Both the NKJV and the NASB capitalize “You” and “Your” in today’s reading. But as we read through most of these verses, it sounds more like the writer is speaking to (or of) his earthly king, possibly David or one of David’s descendants. Verses 6 and 7a could clearly be spoken to God, but the rest of these verses seem more earthly. My NASB Study Bible cleared it up a bit. They suggest that this Psalm was written on the occasion of the (earthly) king’s wedding, either for David or one of his descendants. But after the exile this Psalm was applied to the Messiah. So we can read this Psalm as if it were written for the king’s wedding or we can read it as if it is applied to Jesus, possibly on the occasion of his heavenly marriage to His bride, the church. Clearly the early church saw this Psalm as written to Jesus, our Messiah. Verses 6 and 7 are quoted directly in Hebrews 1:8-9.

Psalm 44:17-26

Two days ago, after reading the first eight verses of Psalm 44, I posted “…it’s all good, the writer recalling Israel’s past glory. It’s all remembrance, thanksgiving, confidence and praise…”. Then yesterday was just the opposite: “…the writer is … leveling the blame at God” for his situation. Blaming God, angry at God. He’s still there today. In spite of the writer’s claim to faithfulness, he maintains that God is against him and his situation: “…yet You have broken us in the place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death.” (v. 19)

I can understand a forceful plea for God to intervene, as in Awake! Why are You sleeping, O Lord? Rouse Yourself! Do not reject us forever! (v. 23) And continuing with Rise up; come to our help! (v. 26a) But ascribing blame to God for whatever situation the psalmist is in… In my mind, that’s wrong!

Psalm 44:9-16

Continuing the Psalm 44 lament. Today’s reading is like none other that we have read in the Psalms. Yes, the writer is recounting his situation that brings out the lament, but he is leveling the blame at God for that situation. In six of today’s eight verses the psalmist is angry at God for allowing this situation to happen. Then in the last two verses he bemoans the disgrace, the shame that he feels from the taunts of the enemy.

I find myself angry at the psalmist blaming God, then doing his own “woe is me” because of the situation he and his people are in. I’m going to leave it there, maybe comment more later in the day.

Happy Easter? Not from today’s reading…

Psalm 44:1-8

From today’s reading it may not look like it, but Psalm 44 is a lament. You’ll see in tomorrow’s reading that Israel’s foes have overtaken them – at least some tribes or portions of the land have been overrun. So the whole Psalm is a lament with all its elements – the psalmists’ situation, a cry for help, confidence in the Lord’s deliverance, a statement of innocence or desire for vindication, and thanksgiving or praise to end the Psalm.

But today it’s all good, the writer recalling Israel’s past glory. It’s all remembrance, thanksgiving, confidence and praise, with a full recognition of the Lord’s deliverance: …for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but Your right hand and Your arm, and the light of Your face… (v. 3). There may be a bit of pronoun confusion in the second verse, where both uses of “them” refer to the writer’s ancestors, the “our fathers” mentioned in the first verse. “They” were planted and “they” were set free.

An item from the first verse: O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us… I was thinking on two levels here, of what I had heard from my father (my mother died when I was four) and what I have shared with our kids. Mostly I was thinking of “shared faith” on those two levels. And without going into detail, it is clear to me that Carol and I need to continue to share our faith with our kids more than my father did with me and my siblings. His faith was on display through all that he did, but “back then” it was more about religion than faith. We all need to reflect our faith regularly to our kids, both in our words and our actions. I remember David Brannen telling us one time that our kids don’t stop being our kids just because they’ve left home and started their own family. True.

So tomorrow we’ll begin to feel the lament that is Psalm 44.