Psalm 51:1-9

The header/title clearly places Psalm 51 in its historical setting. I’m sure you all know of David’s adultery with Bathsheba, but if you’ve never read the full account that includes Uriah’s death and Nathan’s prophetic encounter with David, you should read II Samuel 11-12:23 before you continue with today’s and tomorrow’s readings. It’s a life lesson on sin, repentance, and forgiveness for us all.

Two verses stood out for me today, back-to-back verses 3-4a. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight… As to “my sin ever before me” it is frustrating to me to be confessing the same sins over and over, but there are habits/addictions that are hard to break. And as for verse 4a, I typically think of my transgression as if I am sinning against myself or someone else, but I seldom think of my sin as hurting God. My relationship with God, yes, but hurting Him… That’s a different thought.

Psalm 50:16-23

Today, the wicked… (v. 16) In Job and in our reading of past Psalms it has seemed to me like “the wicked” were outsiders or other nations – certainly not participants in regular Jewish rituals. But in Psalm 50 God has made it clear through the psalmist that He is speaking to Israelites: Gather to Me My faithful ones, who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice! (v. 5) That is, “the wicked” join in with and are those people who bring their sacrifices and offerings, who attend temple worship and make annual pilgrimages. Today we might see them in church on Sundays and active in various ministries, maybe even active leaders in their congregations! (Personal note and clarification: I am not making ANY suggestions as to St. Andrew’s members, but no doubt there are regular church attendees worldwide who behave like “the wicked” described in today’s reading.) The “outside world” sees many church people as hypocrites; Christians on the far right have certainly hurt the image of the church as a caring, loving body.

As I have said the past few days, I like to consider myself to be aligned with “those of honest intent”, not with “the wicked”. However, I don’t have to look very far back in my life to see that I have hated discipline (v. 17a) or have spoken against “my brother” (v. 20). In Job we read, “I have made a covenant with my eyes.” (v. 31:1) I need to make that covenant with my lips!

Psalm 50:7-15

Yesterday I noted from my Study Bible that today’s reading would be words of correction for those of “honest intent” (vv. 7-15), with tomorrow’s reading a sharp rebuke of “the wicked” (vv. 16-23). And as I read today’s verses I can see that these authors are correct. The Israelites are offering their daily sacrifices, as the Lord prescribed in Leviticus, so that’s a good thing. However, I get the sense that these sacrifices are, to the Israelites, the “be all, end all”, the essence of what they need to do to please God. Very likely they have this perspective from looking at other nations and the gods that they worship. Those peoples can never do enough to please their gods who, it seems, are always angry. But God is saying in today’s reading that the sacrifices are nice (Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, v. 8), but that what He really wants is thanksgiving for all that He has done for them and more expressions of their need for Him (vv. 14-15).

I’ve long equated the sacrificial offerings of the Old Testament with our own “sacrifices” of our time, talent, and treasure to the Lord. I see the time that people put in through the ministries we have at St. Andrew’s. For many of these ministries people are also offering their talent (flowers, Children’s Worship, Avanza, etc., especially our upcoming Creative Arts Camp). And as church treasurer I record and summarize all the financial offerings from our generous congregation. And then I look at my own time, talent, and treasure offerings and ask if my praise, thanksgiving, and asking of the Lord matches those other “sacrifices”. Yes, I have “honest intent”. But with all that what I truly need, what the Lord truly wants is more prayer time, more “sacrifice of thanksgiving”, more praise, more asking.

Psalm 50:1-6

Today’s six verses form a prelude to the rest of the Psalm. Today God is calling His people forth for judgment. See verse 5a (God speaking), “Gather to Me My faithful ones…” Over the next two days (according to my Study Bible) God will offer “words of correction for those of honest intent” (vv. 7-15) and a “sharp rebuke of ‘the wicked’ among them” (vv. 16-23).

It’s interesting to me that God could look on His Old Testament people and see “those of honest intent” and “the wicked”. I presume that He could look down today upon our church body and see the same two groups. I like to put myself in that former group, but with a presumption like that I wonder if I belong to that second group. God, be merciful to me, a sinner! (Luke 18:13)

He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that He may judge His people… (v. 4) Again, my Study Bible pointed out that when Moses renewed the covenant on Mt. Sinai, he called upon heaven and earth as third-party witnesses to this renewal (Deuteronomy 30:19, 31:28). Now God is calling to heaven and earth to confirm that His judgments in the rest of this Psalm are consistent with that covenant.

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.