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Psalm 50
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I. Introduction The fiftieth psalm begins with the heading “A psalm of Asaph”. Whether it was officially written by him or simply dedicated to him , it is noteworthy to understand who Asaph was and the impact he had on the music and worship of Israel. Asaph was part of a music guild in the court of David along with Heman (1 Chronicles 6:39 ) and Ethan (1 Chronicles 15:19). These men were appointed to lead the musical celebration for the return of the Ark of the Covenant when King David danced passionately enough to embarrass his wife Michal (1 Chronicles 15:16ff). He also served under the leadership of King Solomon during an incredibly significant theophany of the glory of God (2 Chronicles 5:12-14). Perhaps this dramatic encounter with God led to the divine inspiration of Psalm 50’s theophany. Not only was Asaph a music leader, but also a writer of music and referred to as a “seer” (2 Chronicles 29:30). Evidently Asaph’s ability to “see” was an asset in the writing of this psalm, for Asaph “saw” quite a startling prophecy of God and his coming judgments on His people. Scholars agree that the words in this oracle speak prophetically, words from the mouth of God at a time yet to be where people stand before God as He holds them accountable for their actions and intentions. This prophetic nature of this psalm is one characteristic that Delitzsch says distinguishes it as Asaphic. John Phillips goes so far as to pinpoint this prophecy being fulfilled “after great tribulation, after the battle of Armageddon, prior to the judgment of the nations in the valley of Jehoshaphat”. This seems ambitious, speaking with such specificity, since this judgment has yet to take place and exists in a literary genre full of figurat... ... middle of paper ... ...lishers), 2005. Moore, Beth. Living Beyond Yourself. Nashville, Tennessee: LifeWay Press, 1998. Phillips, John. Exploring the Psalms. First Two-Volume Edition, July 1988. Vol. 1. 2 vols. Neptune, New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1988. Spurgeon, C. H. The Treasury of David. Vol. 1. III vols. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1966. The Holy Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002. Tozer, Aiden Wilson. The Knowledge of the Holy. San Francisco, California: HarperSanFrancisco (a division of HaperCollinsPublishers, 1961. VanGemeren, William A. The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs. Edited by Frank E. Gaebelein. Vol. V. XII vols. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1991. Whaley, Vernon M. Called to Worship. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 2009.
St. Albans Psalter Psalm 68 is not long, but it does have lots of detailed material to study the author’s choice of language, and the power of the images that are being conveyed to the readers through an emotional and sentimental way. The simplicity of this psalm’s gives it power, since it expresses an emotional despair in a careful shaped prayer, which comes from a human being in what seems to be a life-threatening situation. In the image and the content, the psalmist’s travels an arc of desperation to salvation, in a vivid personal plea to Christ to save him from what seems to be a swirling vortex of hopelessness that threatens to pull him under forever.
The book of Psalms contains some of the most beloved pieces of scripture across centuries and cultures of this world. Psalms have been frequently cited in sermons, devotionals, movies, poetry, and songs. Most often, Psalms are attributed to King David of the 10th century BCE. But regardless of the authorship of the different psalms, each seems to carry a special place in describing human relationships to God, to country, to friends, to enemies and more. As time has progressed, certain psalms have become favorites because of their encouraging and uplifting messages, such as the timeless Psalm 23.
The Book of Psalms is split into five books according to the material contained in them. There are 150 psalms in the entire book and together they form the “hymnal of Israel” . The word ‘psalm’ means ‘praise’, a common theme throughout the book. Most Conservative Jewish and Christian theologians believe that 73 psalms were written by David, 12 by Asaph (a musician in David's court), 10 by the "Sons of Korah;" 2 by Solomon; 1 each by Ethan, Heman and Moses. Most were written in the hundred years following 1030 BCE . In contrast, most religious liberals believe that the psalms form and use in worship services originated from Pagan nations surrounding Israel.
They wrote twelve psalms. Solomon is the author of two of the Psalms. He composed Psalm Seventy-two and Psalm One Hundred and Twenty-Seven. Heman, a singer at the time of Asaph and David, wrote the Eighty-Eighth Psalm. Ethan was a companion of Asaph and Heman in the worship at the temple.
It should convey the thought that the God is the Christian’s closest friend. Out of the millions of people in this world God knows each person intimately. God also knows what course would beneficial for an individual to take. “God knows all those things, and yet, choses or allows man to make their own decisions. This should give Christians great comfort, while going through the events of life.” The psalmist is very open with what is being written in the psalm the words describe the awe at the immensity of a God who knows all things would be personally interested in the affairs man. “This is marvelous indeed, but the thought that fills my heart with glad wonder and brings God close to me is the assurance that He is interested in me as an individual” . Indeed there is a great comfort in knowing that God, who knows man’s depravity and carnal nature, has and will, always be pursuing a relationship with every individual person. Omniscience is a hard concept for humans to grasp the psalmist even wrote, “Such knowledge is too high and difficult for me.” But, the psalmist did not try to explain all of the mysteries of God, it would have been an impossible project. Instead by the way the psalmist composed the chapter, one understands, “the text is interested in strengthening the psalmist’s relationship to God by reflecting on God’s being and acting towards the psalmist.” Through this contemplation the psalmist begins to rejoice in God.
Jesus Christ and the Apostles quoted Isaiah more often than any other Old Testament prophet. Also, the only Old Testament book referred to more frequently than Isaiah in the New Testament is Psalms. It would be hard to overemphasize the importance of Isaiah for understanding the heart of Jesus. Proper application is explained by discerning the basic theological principles of what this passage is instructing. A brief review of the five points of that Yahweh is teaching through the prophet Isaiah. They are as follows:
---. The Song of Songs: Love Lyrics from the Bible, A New Translation. New York:
Can one tells the outcome of life ten years from now? Finding a career after graduating from college is not easy to get chosen. Many students nowadays have no idea of what their major will be after graduating from high school until after attending a couple years of college or university. Some carefully choose a profession based of the most income, while others choose theirs based of their passion. Regardless of which path taking, and how cautious and careful one is to get to the choice, there are always times when the result of the choice could be unforeseen.
Writing down on paper has been an emotional coping mechanism for humans throughout history. For instance, pastoral poems can show the writer’s use of a shepherd to express their beliefs on love or other thoughts. Similarly, songs can express emotions toward a subject in a lyrical approach. In Christopher Marlowe’s pastoral poem “The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” and Tim Rice’s song “A Whole New World,” although distinct platforms, they both utilize rhyme, repetition, and imagery.
We should proclaim God by praising him! It is becoming, pleasant and good to sing these to God. We must consider that we offer our whole-self to the Lord in order for the realization of this consideration. Typically, in our lives we enjoy or desire to see in men, understanding, sympathy, tenderness, compassion and pity. If we consider these characteristics and traits in men when they are considered essentially imperfect, yet we are encouraged to worship them when we see them in God, perfect and boundless. The effective message from the psalmist is to see power, and understanding and mostly, the tenderness
Psalms 24 is a part of the 1st book of psalm which is made up of five books. “Thus, the fivefold division is a deliberate editorial feature designed to emphasize the central place of the law (Torah) in Israel’s faith. (Bullock, 2001, P.58). Psalms 24 genre is “Temple Liturgies” (Bratcher Denis, 2013) This term means that the psalm is announcing the coming of the new kingdom and the closing of the old way of atonement. Now Jesus as stated the psalm “The King of Glory” is taking the sins of the world away forever. “Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty in battle.” (Psalm 24: 8). Psalm 24 is also considered a messianic or royal psalm
I am often asked “What do you want to be when you’re older?” or “A Political Science degree? What do you suppose you will do with that?” And honestly, I cannot say for certain. But that’s ok, because these questions are not necessarily intended to be answered with absolute certainty. After all, no one really expects a 17 or 18 year old high school senior, whose only experiences are likely limited to what a K-12 education, a few extracurricular activities, and perhaps a part-time job can offer, to make an uninformed prediction about what he or she wants to do every day for the rest of his or her life. The way I see it, I still have eight semesters worth of college classes, perhaps a few internships or international experiences, hundreds of people to meet, and four more years of life to experience before I make my career decision. In that time, I may discover that my passions and interests are different than they are now, especially considering they have changed before.
Reminiscing to middle and high school years I can recall anticipating ‘what will I be when I grow up?’ The age old question that takes longer to answer than I imagined, I still ask myself at the ripe old age of thirty-seven. Not many of my elder family members attended college, so I did not know for sure what I wanted but I knew one thing was for sure; I was going away to college! Well, life and finances had a different plan.
My prayer after the retreat and during my time away at Prayer Mountain started with this Psalm too. Through the message on Saul, I became convicted that I needed to struggle with my image-consciousness and my desire to gain respect and recognition from others. Saul started off as a guy who genuinely wanted to follow after God’s purpose for his life, but somehow ended up in outright rebellion and disobedience against God. He wasn’t planning to do this, but somewhere along the way his own desire for self-glory hijacked his service to God and ended up bringing destruction to himself and to others. During the reflection time, I realized that I couldn’t be sure that I...
The couplet works in two ways, characterizing Absalom's revolt and messianic claim as a 'fall' and ironically opposing it to the true messianic 'call' and 'fall' to sacrifice and death which Samson, as type of Christ, exemplifies. The words of Achitophel and the drama of his temptation of Absalom characterize the two figures and confirm the original relationship that has been established between David and God. Throughout the poem that relationship is reconfirmed by association, by direct assertion, and by the fallen characters' version of what is asserted to be the true order of things. Those reconfirmations of David's relationship with God - especially the increasing emphasis on David's kingly role - work to transform David from private father to public king.