Asaph says over and over again in Psalm 80 “Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!”. Moses said something similar in Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” So the Lord shining upon us has 2 huge results 1) our salvation and 2) so we can shine! 💡 The moment you put your faith and trust in the Lord your salvation is secure. “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Now being sealed in relationship with the Lord, the Holy Spirit works in us conforming us into the image of Christ so that we can shine His presence. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16) Tomorrow Solomon takes the throne. 👑 Keep reading.

(Psalms 79-82)

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Asaph, like David, has a high view of God. What gives him such a big view of the Lord? He remembers! “And I said, This is my anguish; But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the works of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.” Remembering what God has done in the past allows us to trust him in the present and with our future. In order to remember, we have to know the Story. Asaph goes on to tell the Story of the Bible in Psalm 78 starting with the law in the Exodus Era and ending with David being appointed as king in the Kingdom Era. He reminds the people to teach the Story to their children “…which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us, we will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done”.

Asaph points out that Israel failed bc they did not remember. “They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law, And forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them…They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy.” We just saw this played out in the Judges Era. Before then, during the Conquest Era, Joshua kept the people Bible literate but just one generation after he died “…there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel”. (Judges 2:10) The people did not remember and as a result they became extremely corrupt.

We have an awesome God with an awesome Story of how He sent His Son to save us! So let’s keep reading so we can know His Story, remember it, and pass it to the next generation!

(Psalms 75-78)

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“If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High.” This is a rebuke to the people who were just going through the motions of offering sacrifices to the Lord without a heart surrendered to Him. God is not impressed with someone performing public religious displays but ignoring all His commandments in their personal life. “What right have you to declare My Statues, or take My covenant in your mouth, seeing you hate instruction and cast My words behind you?” So the people were performing the religious duty of the animal sacrifice yet living lives consenting with thieves, partaking in adultery, lying and slandering others. This blatant neglect of God’s law exposes a heart issue. A heart that loves the Lord will desire obedience and will delight in praising Him. “Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the Salvation of God.”

The idea of your heart being exposed through your obedience to the Word of God is not just an Old Testament concept. Later in the Story, after Jesus arrives on the scene, John will say, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him”. (John 3:36) Did you notice that the verse did not end after “whoever believes in the son has eternal life”? It’s not about going through the religious motions and its not about performing works to earn His favor. It’s about a heart that loves the Lord which leads to a desire to be obedient to His Word. We can’t fool God with our religious activity because He sees the heart. Jesus will come and call out these fake well-polished religious leaders who are all about power and position. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:27-28)

Keep reading to meet Jesus who rebukes the high and mighty religious crowd but is a friend to those who know they are desperate sinners in need of a Savior. That’s the heart of our God!

(Psalm 50, Psalms 73-74)

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Today we read the last of David’s Psalms and begin reading the Psalms by his music leaders. Did you see Christ in Psalm 89? Ethan writes about the Lord’s covenant with King David. “Your seed I will establish forever, And build up your throne to all generations.” Jesus’s mother, Mary, will come from the lineage of King David’s son, Nathan. Mary’s husband, Joseph, will come from the lineage of King David’s son, Solomon. Ethan goes on to say, “Also I will make him My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. My mercy I will keep for him forever, And My covenant shall stand firm with him. His seed also I will make to endure forever, And his throne as the days of heaven”. Paul will later say in Romans 8:29 “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers”. Jesus will rise from the grave 3 days after His crucification making him the firstborn of many. The fact that Jesus rose from the grave should give us great hope that we too will rise from the dead. So when Ethan says in the Psalm, “What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?”, we know the answer! Jesus Christ! He will defeat death so that we too will have eternal life! “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord…who saved us and called us to a holy calling…which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began…who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” (2 Timothy 1:8-10). As Ethan says at the end of this Psalm, “Amen and Amen”! Keep reading. 

(Psalms 144-145, Psalms 88-89)

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“Lord my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me.” David is a man that knows how to be content with what the Lord has given him. Whether he is a shepherd boy out in the field, a man on the run from his enemies, or a king sitting on a throne, David is content in the Lord.

Contentment brings about unity with others, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”; and also leads to praise and worship, “I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You”. Contentment comes with fully trusting the Lord with what He has given you.

Paul will say later in Ephesians 2:10 that the Lord has given each of us good works “…which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”. So if we believe this, that God has given us what only we were created to do on this earth and same with those around us, we can rest and trust the Lord and be content.

But, we are human and we do bump into and fumble all over each other. This is why David has to say, “Keep watch over the door of my lips”. James will say, “but no human being can tame the tongue…From the same mouth come blessings and cursings”. (James 3:8-10) This is a faith issue. The only way to tame the tongue is to trust the Lord. If we rest in the fact that the Lord is working on our behalf and fighting our battles then we don’t have to fight with our words. We can be content where the Lord has us and what the Lord has us doing and walk in the good works He has laid out for us! Keep reading.

(Psalm 131, 133, Psalms 138-141, 143)

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Today we are going to look at Psalm 110. To explain this Psalm I’m going to pull several quotes from Charles Spurgeon’s Treasury of David. Spurgeon says the subject of the Psalm is, “The Priest King” because none of the kings in Israel were both priest and king. “The Lord said to my Lord “Sit at my right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool”.” (Psalm 110:1) An excerpt from an article by Dr. Joel McDurmon said that God quotes this verse from Himself more than any other verse. He went on to say, “This verse is quoted or alluded to 23 times in the NT. It is quoted in 11 out of 27 NT books, and by 7 of the 9 NT authors.” Jesus will later use this verse in Matthew 22:44 to prove to the Jews that He is greater than King David, the psalmist, because He is the Son of God.

In verse 2 and 3 David talks about how Jesus will rule over His enemies and how the people will be volunteers in His army. Spurgeon says Jesus is not inactive while sitting at the right hand of God in heaven, but “We look for the clearer manifestation of his almighty power in the latter days; but even in these waiting times we rejoice that to the Lord all power is given in heaven and in earth”. Spurgeon explains that the sending forth of the rod of strength is the gospel going forward creating converts and the metaphor of the dew is about new converts “…so these willing armies of converts have a holy excellence and charm about them: and as the dew is the lively emblem of freshness, so are these converts full of vivacity and youthful vigour, and the church is refreshed by them and made to flourish exceedingly”.

David says in verse 4 that “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek”. Melchizedek, king of Salem and a priest of God, was mentioned in Genesis 14:17-24 when he blessed Abraham after Abraham rescued Lot and returned Lot, his people and all their stuff back to Sodom. Spurgeon says, “Melchizedek’s office was exceptional none preceded or succeeded him; he comes upon the page of history mysteriously; no pedigree is given, no date of birth, or mention of death; he blesses Abraham, receives tithe and vanishes from the scene amid honours which show that he was greater than the founder of the chosen nation…Our Lord Jesus, like Melchizedek, stands forth before us as a priest of divine ordaining, not made a priest by fleshly birth, as the sons of Aaron…his order begins and ends in his own person, and in himself it is eternal…”

The remaining verses in the Psalm refer to the last days when Jesus will come back and judge the world. David says, “He shall judge among the nations”. At the end of the Story we will read how He will return. “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.” (Revelation 19:11) In conclusion, Spurgeon says, “In the latter days we look for terrible conflict and for final victory…God has fought with men’s sins for their good, but he will not always by his Spirit strive with men; he will cease from that struggle of long suffering love, and begin another which shall soon end in the final destruction of his adversaries. O King priest, we who are, in a minor degree, king priest too, are full of gladness because thou reignest even now, and wilt come ere long to vindicate thy cause and establish thine empire for ever. Even so, come quickly. Amen”. Jesus will first come to die on a cross for us but He is coming back one day to reign as the Priest King! Keep reading.

(Psalm 103, Psalms 108-110, Psalms 122, 124)

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We live in a fast paced society where everyone is applauded for how much they “do”. David seems to take a different approach to life. In today’s Psalms David sure does say the word “let” a lot:
“Let God arise”
“Let His enemies be scattered”
“Let those who hate Him flee before Him”
“Let them rejoice before God”
“Let their dwelling place be desolate”
“Let God be magnified”
And so forth. 
David can be a man that says “let” instead of “do” because he believes in the power of prayer; so he can say, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) since his view of the Lord is so big! David is confident that God hears him, He loves him, He knows what it best for him, and He is working for his good. Therefore, David can pour out his heart to the Lord and find peace and rest. Later in the Story Paul, a man who has much to be anxious about as we will learn, says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God”. (Philippians 4:6) So DO pray and LET God work! Keep reading. 

(Psalms 68-70, Psalm 86, Psalm 101)

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Persecution comes with being a Christian. It’s just a fact. Jesus will later say, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10) Also Paul, who once persecuted Christ followers, will say, “For the sake of Christ, then I am content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecution, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) David knows this same persecution bc of his love for the Lord and he writes about it in Psalm 69. “I have become a stranger to my brothers, And an alien to my mother’s children; Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me…I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; And for comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”

Jesus will also experience persecution. He will be stripped. A crown of thorns will be shoved onto His head. He will be mocked, spat upon and beaten. Nails will be driven into his hands and feet. And while hanging on the cross “…they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it” (Matthew 27:34). Following Christ on this side of heaven is going to be difficult. Jesus explains this in John 15:18-20. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you…Remember the word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than its master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you…” Although the world will be hard, we can find our peace and rest in Christ. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Also, we have something to look forward to…an eternity in heaven with Jesus and fellow brothers and sisters in Christ! 🙌 David sings about this in his Psalm “Let Your salvation, O God, set me on high”. Later, Paul will also speak of us being set on high with the Lord. “But God…made us alive together with Christ…and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-6) So we can endure the temporary troubles down here knowing what awaits us…an eternity with our Lord and Savior! Keep reading.

(Psalms 61-62, Psalms 64-67)

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David says in Psalm 40, “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.” David knows that God looks at the heart, and faith in Him is what pleases the Lord, not an outward performance. “Without faith it is impossible to please him…” (Hebrews 11:6) The sacrificial system points to the Savior to come bc it‘s the shedding of the blood of the innocent that atones for the sins of the guilty. As we discussed on Feb. 23, the sacrificial system does not take away sins but it reminds people of their sin and their need for a Savior, the perfect sacrifice, who will shed His blood to remove our sins. Later in the Story after the death and resurrection of Jesus, Paul quotes David in Hebrews when explaining this concept to the Jews. Paul says the Lord does away with the first, the sacrificial system, in order to establish the second, salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. David prophesies of the coming Savior when he says, “Then I said, Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.” Jesus is willingly coming, as written about all throughout Scripture, to fulfill the law which no human can. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18) We will read about Jesus’s fulfillment of the Scriptures later in the Story so keep reading. 

(Psalms 39-41, Psalms 53, 55, 58)

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Today David teaches 3 truths concerning the Lord and his enemies:

1) The Lord fights our battles. David says, “Plead my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for my help. Also draw out the spear, And stop those who pursue me”. Later in the Story Paul will say in Ephesians 6:10-18, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but against…the spiritual forces of evil…” Paul goes on to explain how to put on the armor of God which is truth, righteousness, gospel of peace, faith, Word of God, and prayer. Paul understands that there is a real enemy at work against us in the spiritual realm and that we need the strength of the Lord to stand against the enemy. Since the warfare is a spiritual one, prayer is our strong weapon. David was obviously a man of prayer. Over and over again David cried out to the Lord to deliver him. Over and over again the Lord acted on his behalf AND all the glory went to God. “Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

2) The wicked always try to destroy the righteous. We saw this first displayed in the beginning of the Story when Cain killed his righteous brother Abel. The pattern continues throughout the entire Story all the way to Jesus and until His final return. David is fully aware of how the wicked love to see a righteous man fall so he prays to the Lord, “Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion who rejoice at my hurt; Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who exalt themselves against me”. “The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to slay him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.”

3) One day the Lord will cut off wickedness for good and the righteous will have eternal peace. “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret- it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off: But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth…And delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Keep reading.

(Psalm 35-38)

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