PSALM 134 A Song and a Prayer

Psalm 134:1-2    from Mission Praise 1983   No. 32
Come bless the Lord,
All ye servants of the Lord,
Who stand by night
In the house of the Lord,
Lift up your hands
In the holy place,
Come bless the Lord.
Come bless the Lord.

Psalm 134:1 Amplified Bible
BEHOLD, BLESS  (affectionately and gratefully praise)
the Lord,
all you servants of the Lord, ( singers )
who by night stand in the house of the Lord.

1 Chronicles 9:33 Amplified Bible
These are the singers, heads of the father's houses
of the Levites, dwelling in the temple chambers,
free from other service because they were on duty
day and night.

Psalm 119:62 Amplified Bible
At midnight I will rise to give thanks to you.....

ISAIAH 30:29 Amplified Bible
You shall have a song as in the night
when a holy festival is kept,
and gladness of heart as when one marches
in procession with a flute to go to the 
temple on the mountain of the Lord  
to the Rock of  Israel.

Psalm 28:2 NJB
Hear the sound of my prayer when I call upon you
when I raise my hands ,  YAHWEH ,
towards your Holy of Holies.

1 Timothy 2:8 NJB
In every place, then, I want men to lift their hands up
reverently in prayer, with no anger or argument.

Heavenly Father we come gratefully before you
in the peace of your presence.
As we raise up our hands and lift up our hearts to you
We first pray for all men;- especially all those who are
suffering pain, anxiety,  sorrow, persecution and abuse.
We pray for those who lack water, warmth or shelter,
who lack dignity, good advice or something to eat.
May all come to rest in your presence, in your peace 
and in your love.
May all come to know and bless you Lord.
May Yahweh bless you from Zion
the One who made heaven and earth.            AMEN.

PSALM 133 UNITED

Psalm 133:1 KJV
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
for brethren to dwell together in unity !

Psalm 119:63 KJV
I am a companion of all them that fear thee,
and of them that keep thy precepts.

The URC Book of Services identifies Psalm 133
for use in relation to Church Unity.
The NRSV translation of Psalm 133:1 reads.......
.....when kindred live together in unity.
So Family unity is included in this statement of the will of God.
This verse has often been quoted in support of
Unity in the local Church.
 The lack of  interdenominational ministry demonstrates that
in practice, lip service is generally given to this verse.
The Revised English Bible translates this verse;-
How good and how pleasant it is
to live together as brothers in unity.
The comradely fellowship found in a religious order
or in a missionary society are good examples of unity.

Hebrews 13:1-2 KJV
1 Let brotherly love continue.
2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers;
   for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

So the wider community is to include strangers
and the spiritual occupants of creation !!

True believers are drawn into the unity of the TRINITY;-
in power,
in purpose
and in divine love.
Christian discernment confirms this truth in practice
and exposes the lack of divine love
and absence of divine purpose outside the will of God.

Jesus could say (John 10:30 KJV) ;-
I and my Father are one.

Jesus prays for us (John 17:21 KJV);-
That they all may be one:
as thou Father, art in me
and I in thee,,
that they also may be one in us.....

In the love of Christ, we aspire to
Trinitarian oneness ,
one in the Spirit
and in the love of the Father.

PSALM 132 Ark of His Presence

Psalm 132:6 GNB
In Bethlehem we heard about the Covenant Box
and we found it in the fields of Jearim.

The fields of Jaar :  "Forrestfield " the same as Kiraith-jearim,
"Forresttown" where the ark remained for several generations.

Psalm 132:7 NRSV
Let us go to his dwelling place,
Let us worship at his footstool.

Psalm 99:5 NRSV
Extol the LORD our God;
worship at his footstool.
Holy is he !

Psalm CXXXII v7 Cathedral Psalter 1890
We will go into his tabernacle
and fall low on our knees
before his footstool.

Psalm 132:8 KJV
Arise, O Lord, into thy rest,
Thou, and the ark of thy strength.

The Virgin Mary literally served
as an Ark of His Presence...

Revelation 11:19 KJV
And the temple of God was opened in heaven,
and there was seen in the temple
the ark of his testament.....

Psalm 132:8.....the ark of thy strength             KJV
           132:8.....the ark of your might                NIV
                          the ark of the Lord
Psalm 132:17   a lamp for my anointed           KJV & NASB
Psalm 132:12   if thy children will keep my covenant   KJV

To-day the children of the covenant (the children of God)
are the Ark of the Lord because His Spirit dwells within us.
We are also lights for the Lord's anointed because the
light of Christ is in each one of us.
It is not the clay lamp that is seen from afar
but the light which beams out from within..
We are a resting place........
a habitation for the God of Jacob.

To-day the real presence of God is evident
in the body of Christ, that is ,
the ark is a vehicle of the real presence.

Revelation 11:19 NJB
Then the sanctuary of God in heaven opened and
the ark of the covenant could be seen inside it.

PSALM 131 Stillness Before God

Psalm 131:1-3  KJV
Lord, my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty
neither do I exercise myself in great matters
or in things too high for me.
Surely I have behaved and equited myself,
as a child that is weaned of his mother
my soul is even as a weaned child.
Let Israel hope in the LORD
from henceforth and forever.

Psalm 18:27  ESV
For you save a humble people
but the haughty eyes you bring down.

HUMILITY
footnote to NRSV  Spiritual Formation Bible.
One of the core obstacles to spiritual maturity is;-
over reaching ambition. The need to run the world,
to control what happens, saps our energy and
sabotages our ability to trust.

footnote to  NJB
The soul at peace abandons itself to God,
laying aside anxiety and ambition.
The same childlike trust is demanded of
the people of God.

Our spiritual discipline should embrace
the stillness required to give our God
the quiet attention we need to give him.

Psalm 131:1-3  The Christian Community Bible
gives a good modern rendition of psalm 131.

1 O Lord, my heart is not proud
   nor do I have arrogant eyes.
   I am not engrossed in ambitious matters,
   nor in things too great for me.
2 I have quieted and stilled my soul
   like a weaned child in it's mothers lap
   like a contented child is my soul.
3 Hope in the Lord, O Israel,
   now and forever.

......and with such a disposition of trust and 
contentment, Israel may hope in the LORD.

Psalm 131:1 reflects the attitude of David before God
at his ascension to the throne.
  (2 Sam 5:1-5  and  .1Chr 11:1-3)
The same childlike trust is demanded of
the people of God in our day........
as trusting as a kitten sleeping
on it's owners knee.

PSALM 130 Redeemed and Forgiven

Psalm 130:1-4 ESV
Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!
O lord hear my voice !
Let your ears be attentive 
    to the voice of my pleas for mercy !
If you , O LORD , should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand ?
But with you there is forgiveness,

As in the parable of the prodigal son
this psalm reveals the mystery of God who forgives,
reconciles and redeems even those who abandon Him.

Psalm 86:5 NCV
 O Lord, you are kind and forgiving,
 filled with kindness for all who cry to you
.
Psalm 103:3-4  NCV     He forgives all your sins.............
     He redeems your life from the pit..

Ephesians 2:4-5  NLT
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loves us so much,
that even while we were dead because of our sins,
he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.

Ephesians 1:7 NIV
In him we have redemption through his blood
for the forgiveness of sins
in accordance with the riches of God's grace.

Psalm 130:7 NKJV   For with the Lord there is mercy
and with Him is copious redemption; and He shall 
redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Colossians 1:13-14   NASB
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness,
and transformed us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of Sins.

To the ransomed, redeemed, restored and forgiven,
we may sing "The Song of Farewell" by Ernest Sands,
with confidence;-

May the choirs of angels come to greet you
May they speed you to paradise
May the Lord enfold you in his mercy
May you find eternal life.

Psalm 130:7-8 ESV
O Israel, hope in the LORD!
For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption
and he will redeem Israel
from all her iniquities.

PSALM 130:5-6 His Master's Voice

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits
and in his word I hope.                                   Psalm 130:5 ESV

Many  schools of spirituality meet here.

Behold , as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their  master
as the eyes of the maidservant to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God.            Psalm 123:2 ESV

Ready to spring into action, the eyes and ears of the sheepdog
focus on his master.
Everybody who cares, listens to the word of God in scripture--
eagerly and studiously--it is part of who we are.
But the psalmist and his soul wait for the Lord.
Like sheepdogs wait for their master's bidding.

My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.          Psalm 130:6 ESV

PSALM 129 The Family of God

According to psalms 127 and 128,  your wife and children
are your community;-
"your children like olive shoots around your table"
"Your children are a heritage from the Lord"
The future prosperity of your community is related
to your children's children.
Yet this family of God is afflicted.
Since biblical times the community of God's people
has been persecuted.
Being  against "family values" the enemies of Zion
try to include adultery, gambling, binge drinking
money lending, pornography, prostitution,
abortion and homosexuality, human trafficking ,
drug dealing, extortion and perversion
 as part of the acceptable norm of society.
What has changed over the centuries ?
The enemies of the children of God make the innocent
children of the family of God their cowardly target
for violence, injustice and sin.

It would be better for him to have a great millstone 
fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the
depth of the sea.                                                      (Matt 18:6)

Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth.
let Israel now say
Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth.
Yet they have not prevailed against me.             Psalm 129:1-2 ESV

PSALM 127-128 Joy In His Ways

Psalm 127 : 1   (Latin 126)  New Catholic Version 2002
If the LORD does not build the house,
those who construct it labour in vain.
If the LORD does not guard the city
those who keep watch over it do so in vain.

The parallel verses of the original Hebrew poetry
still serve to give emphasis and to make the
verse more memorable.

Three passages share the same "eating" figure of speech.

Psalm 127:2  AV        It is vain..........
                       to eat the bread of sorrows.

Psalm 42:3                 My tears have been
                       my meat day and night.

Psalm 128:2               thou shalt eat
                       the labour of thine hands.

As we make our bed, so must we lie on it.
Doing things "My way" may not be as beneficial
for ourselves and those who depend on us,
as doing things " His Way ".
Even  striving , in ones own strength
....as in building a house or guarding a city....
unless we are in harmony with God's intentions
we may be striving in vain.
On the other hand Psalm 128 shows us that those
who walk in His ways "shall eat the labour of thine hands"
From our own experience eating potatoes from
our own garden or tomatoes from our own glasshouse,
is very pleasing. In fact eating things we have baked
or cooked, is a joy.
Scripture shows the contrast between doing things
" My Way" in comparison to doing things "In His Ways".
Clearly this happiness depends on "marching on"
and even  "running in the LORD'S WAYS.

Like Psalm 1, Psalm 128 also promises that walking in
God's ways will make us happy and blessed.

Psalm 127:2 Tree of Life Version
for He provides for His  beloved ones
even in their sleep.

Job 11:18 NIV  
You will be secure, because there is hope.
You will look about you and take your rest in safety.

Psalm 128:1 NIV
Blessed are all who fear the Lord
who walk in His ways.

Psalm 128:4 NASB
Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the Lord.

PSALM 126 Joy in the Harvest

God's people are a witness to the heathen.
Psalm 126:2b
said they among the heathen
"The LORD hath done great things for them"
The heathen give praise to God because they have
heard and seen the saving and liberating power
of our Lord, and because the mighty acts of God
have demonstrated the Lord's power, both in
nature and in history.
Psalm 98:3   All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God. " Make a joyful noise
unto the LORD all the earth"
Which is an invitation to all, to join us in praise.
5  They that sow in tears shall reap in joy
6  Going they went and wept casting their seeds
    But coming they shall come
    with joyfulness, carrying their sheaves.
(From the Latin English interlinear text of David Mawson)
And those who  pray in tears may well ask that their tears
shall be "like streams in the Negeb"
irrigating the desert when it is time to sow,
for verse 5 says you will reap with shouts of joy,
and verse 6 says you will bring in the sheaves
with shouts of joy,...and  there will be joy among
the angels of God.

PSALM 125 Hearts In Tune

In Psalm 25, we can find seven identifying characteristics
of Christians to-day . That can be helpful for people trying
to identify who is Christian. We can also check to see if we
exhibit all the characteristics ourselves.

those that be good,                                                               v4

those who are upright in heart                                             v4

who's hearts are in tune with the LORD JESUS               v4 NLT

Those who trust in the LORD JESUS                                 v1

The righteous                                                                         v3

The Godly                                                                               v3 NLT

His People                                                                               v2

In addition to which, Psalm 125 tells us that we are secure,
that we cannot be moved and cannot be shaken and
like Mount Zion, we abideth for ever
and will endure forever.
Peace be upon Israel.

PSALM 124 OUR HELP

Had He not been on our side.

Psalm 124:6-8 J.P.S.
6 Blessed be the LORD, who did not let us
   be ripped apart by their teeth.
7 we are like a bird escaped from the fowler's trap
   the trap broke and we escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the LORD
   maker of heaven and earth.

We have come through many dangers, toils and snares

1 Were it not for the LORD, who was on our side....
4.....the waters would have carried us off,
   the torrent would have swept over us;

Thanks to God we escaped like a bird
but children died of cold last week.
Children died of hunger this week.
They did not escape the teeth of cold or hunger.

Every child should receive good healthcare
every child should receive good education,  good accommodation ,
access to clean water, a healthy ample diet, the care and support
of a loving family.

Matthew 25:40 KJV
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these
my brethren , ye have done it unto me.
Matthew 25:45 KJV
Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to 
one of the least of these, yo did it not unto me.

We are not expected to do much in our own strength.
Our help is in the name of the Lord
maker of heaven and earth.

There are no second class citizens in the body of Christ.
To ensure the good of all children is in the love of God
There should not be any second class healthcare
There should not be any second class education
there should not be any second class accommodation
There should be no hungry children,or cold children
or frightened children or scorned children
or exploited children, or trafficking of children
or adults. .

Let us appreciate that our help is in the name of JESUS
by who's grace we have come this far,
and that we have survived as long as we have
because God has a plan for our life, 

PSALM 124 Barak

The words "Praise the Lord"  serve a social function of
calling people to participate in adoration of the LORD our God.
Baruk.....praise     Barak......to bless God
Baruk sentences explicitly grounds praise in a concrete reason.
The baruk sentence is the most original and immediate
form of the praise of God, the simple joyous response to a
definite act of God which has just been experienced.
Psalm 124:6
Blessed be the LORD who has not given us as pray to their sharp teeth.
Exodus 18:10
Blessed be the LORD who has delivered us from the Egyptians.
Psalm 124:8
Our help is in the name of the Lord.who made heaven and earth.
Concrete experience of God's intervention evokes praise.
A spontaneous response of gratitude, given what God has done,
is truly prayer.
In ritual practice or formal setting, only genuine reflection or meditation
on God's action,
could bring the same personal gratitude into the prayer.
One could meditate on Psalm 72:18
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel
who alone does wonderful things.

PSALM 123 An urgent prayer

Psalm 123 is a prayer for the community that suffers
from the proud who have ease at the community's expense.
Psalm 123:4 NRSV...Our soul has had more than its fill
of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.
Still today in many countries, a large percentage of the
population lives in poverty and suffers violence and scorn
from " those at ease".
Even in the richest countries, the privileged publicly exhibit
scorn for those lacking equal access to the best healthcare.
Equal access is not available to the best education,
and public provision of homes is sneeringly described as
"social housing"
Psalm 123:1-2 The Orthodox Study Bible
I lift my eyes to You
Who dwell in heaven
Behold, as the eyes of servants
look to the hands of their masters
As the eyes of the maidservant
look to the hands of her mistress,
So our eyes look to the Lord our God.
People of faith who feel at ease today, may well pray
for those members of their own community....
the one body of Christ......
for many stand urgently in need of this prayer.

Of Men and Angels

We were made " a little lower than the angels",  Psalm 8:5
In what sense are we lower than the angels?, in strength ?
in power?,  in rank or authority?
Psalm 91:11...he will give his angels charge over you
to guard you in all your ways.
Psalm 103:20-21 stresses the strength of the angels, adding
that they are acting in direct response to the commandments
of God , listening to His very voice.i.e. in His authority !
The angels are personally concerned for us,
and have a knowledge of our actions and attitudes !
Luke 15:10....I tell you, there is joy in the presence 
of the angels of God, over one sinner who repents.

But, speaking of our state in the next world, the Lord Jesus tells us;-
we shall neither marry nor be given in marriage,
Neither can they die any more:
for they are equal to the angels;
and are the children of  God,
being the children of the resurrection...Luke 20:36 KJV

PSALM 122 Jerusalem

The angel of God is mentioned in Psalm 34:7  ESV
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and delivers them.

In Psalm 35:4-8 is a prayer that  the angel of God
will not only defend the people of God,
but drive away and persue persons and forces which
threaten the life and honour  of God's people.

So, when in psalm 122, the word of God tells us to pray
for the peace of Jerusalem, we are praying, not only for the
peace of unity, but the peace of security.

Psalm 122:6-7 ESV
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
May they be secure who love you !
Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers.

In the KJV Psalm 122 verse 6 is first a command
and second a prophecy.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
they shall prosper that love thee.

This is the word of God. It is addressed to all who hear or
read or sing it.  To pray for the peace of Jerusalem is to
align ourselves with the will of God.

PSALM 121 Assurance in the Spirit

Exodus 19: 3-4
Israel encamped before the mountain
while Moses went up to God.

Exodus 34:4-5
4 Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first
And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai.
5.the Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with him.

Moses definitely went up the mountain where he had a personal
encounter with The Lord Our God.

Psalm 121:1-2 in metre
I to the hills will lift mine eyes
from whence doth come mine aid.
My safety cometh from the Lord
who heaven and earth hath made.

Psalm 123:1  ESV
To you I lift my eyes
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!

Psalm 121:5 NRSV
The LORD is your guardian
your protector at your right hand.

The psalmist knows that the Lord our God,
enthroned in heaven,
is God-With-Us at our right hand.

To lift up the eyes
frequently means;- to direct and make known
our desires to God in prayer.

Matthew 17:1-2
Jesus took Peter,  James, and John and 
led them up on a high mountain by themselves
and He was transfigured  before them.
His face shone like the sun and his clothes
became as white as the light.

Mark 6:46 ESV
And after he had taken leave of them
he ( Jesus ) went up on the mountain to pray.

We might well lift our eyes to the hills
with the psalmist.
When I go up the mountain with Jesus,
to pray,
my help cometh from the LORD
who heaven and earth hath made.

The believer who has the faith to proclaim and sing
this psalm in Spirit and truth may bring comfort and
assurance to those who hear it in times of trouble.

PSALM 120 PRAYER

Psalm 120  ( Psalm 119 in the Vulgate)  is a good prayer for Christians
who have to live as a minority in countries where they are violently oppressed.
When we  as Christians are "sent out into the world" (a hostile environment ),
this psalm is our prayer on our pilgrimage towards the New Jerusalem.
     The formula for a curse is in Ruth 1:17  1Sam 3:7 2sam 3:35  1Kings 2:23.
"May the Lord do such and such to you and more besides"
In Psalm 120 the curse formula is used;-
"What will He inflict on you and more besides"
The psalmists curse is that the shafts of God's arrows of truth(Psalm 64:8)
will prevail over the harmful arrows of the liar's sharp tongue,
And that the hot coals of judgement will come upon the wicked.

The roots of the broom bush were made into charcoal which produces an intense heat;-
to be cast upon the wicked as in Psalm 140:11.

Historically Christians have endured "a long exile" while their lands were
overrun by Saracens , Vikings, Nazis, Communists and other Godless governments.

Meshech refers to the ancient people of Northern Asia Minor
( Today Turkey, the remains of the Ottoman empire)
Kedar refers to tribesmen of the Arabian desert, regarded as barbarian and ungodly
people  by their victims, since the days of king David
to the days of the ISIS Caliphate.

Psalm 120:7
When I speak of peace they are ready for war.

These are words which could have been spoken by ;-
Clement Richard Attlee and Benjamin Netanyahu.

In all societies  "the Godly" bring peace
The wicked sow discord and adversity.

When we prayerfully review any situation,
we can often discern who is bringing peace
and who is sowing discord.

Psalm 120    NAB
In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.
O Lord, deliver me from the lying lip, 
from the treacherous tongue.
What will he inflict on you, with more besides,
O treacherous tongue?

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is;- (Galatians 5:22-23)
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness
gentleness and self control 
against such there is no law.

Psalm 62:2-3  NAB
2   Only in God is my soul at rest
             from him comes my salvation
3   He only is my rock and my salvation,
             my stronghold;
     I shall not be disturbed at all.

PSALM 119 Desire God's Will

When we desire to know God's will, are we facing decisions
for which we want directions from God ?
Or do we strongly want to know what God wants because
 we believe that what  He wants will be the best for everybody ?
The psalmist reveals his strong motivation to be in harmony
with God's purposes and live in God's preferred way.

The psalmist had enough fear of God
to adjust his lifestyle accordingly.
He chose not to walk in the counsel of the wicked
nor to live the way of sinners.

Psalm 119: 97-105 NIV
97     Oh, how I love your law !
         I meditate on it all day long.
98     Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
         for they are ever with me.
99     I have more insight than all my teachers,
         for I meditate on your statutes.
100   I have more understanding than the elders,
         for I obey your precepts.
101   I have kept my feet from every evil path
         so that I might obey your word.
102   I have not departed from your laws
         for you yourself have taught me.
103   How sweet are your words to my taste
         sweeter than  honey in the mouth !
104   I gain understanding from your precepts;
         therefore I hate every wrong path.
105   Your word is a lamp to my feet
         and a light for my path.

Charles Spurgeon, in his exposition of psalm 119:97-104,
wrote;- "Familiarity with the word of God breeds affection
and affection seeks greater familiarity."
Spurgeon wrote ; "our teachers are not always to be trusted.....
when even our pilots err, it behooves us to follow closely the
 chart of the word of God, that we may be able to save the vessel.

     True hearts are not indifferent to anything that contradicts
the will of God. Today every Christian needs discernment to
 distinguish the wholesome will of God from falsehood and error.

Jesus Christ is supreme wisdom, boundless goodness and infinite love.
He can neither be deceived nor will He deceive us.

Colossians 3:24  NIV
It is the Lord Jesus you are serving.

Colossians 4:2   NIV
Devote yourselves to prayer being watchful and thankful.
Proclaim the mystery of Christ.
6  Let your conversation be always full of grace......

In humility we should stand in the will of God
consecrated to the Lord our God.

PSALM 119 Deliverance from human oppression

Psalm 119:134   NRSV
                                       Redeem me from human oppression.

Psalm 120:2      NRSV
                                       "Deliver me, O LORD,
                                       from lying lips,
                                       from a deceitful tongue."

Psalm 142:6     NRSV
                                       Give heed to my cry,
                                            for I am brought low.
                                       Save me from my persecutors,
                                            for they are too strong for me.

Psalm 3:7-8     NRSV
                                     Rise up, O LORD !
                                           Deliver me, O my God !
                                     For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
                                           You break the teeth of the wicked.
                                     Deliverance belongs to the LORD;
                                           may your blessing be on your people !

Psalm 59:1-2  NRSV
                                   1  Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
                                       protect me from those who rise up against me.
                                   2  Deliver me from those who work evil;
                                       from the bloodthirsty save me.

Psalm 17:13   NRSV
                                       By your sword deliver my life from the wicked.

Psalm 119:133-135  NRSV

                             . . . . .never let iniquity have dominion over me.
134                                Redeem me from human oppression,
                                      that I may keep your precepts.
135                                Make your face shine upon your servant,
                                      and teach me your statutes.

                    In order to be totally in harmony with the will of God,
                    with His way, with His order,
                    totally in harmony with His plans for society,
                    and for the future of the world,
                    the psalmist asks;- to be delivered from human oppression,
                                                  and to be taught God's statutes. . . . . . . .

The above verses are the word of God and are appropriate to be prayed by and for
the people of the Lord who are suffering oppression, persecution, violence and
other works of evil. Several verses in Psalm 17 may be spoken into such situations.

Psalm 17: 7,8,9,13,  NRSV
7     Wondrously show your steadfast love,
       O Saviour of those who seek your refuge
       from their adversaries, at your right hand.
8     Guard me as the apple of the eye;
        hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9      from the wicked who despoil me,
        and from my deadly enemies who surround me.
13    Rise up, O LORD confront them, overthrow them!
        By your sword deliver my life from the wicked.

PSALM 119 Give me life

Psalm 119:25  NIV
I am laid low in the dust 
         preserve my life according to your word.

give me life STRONGS  2421            your testimonies  STRONGS  5713
keep alive,                                         God has spoken !
suffer to live, 
preserve alive

Psalm 119:37  ESV
Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things
         and give me life in your ways.
give me life STRONGS 2421            in your way   STRONGS 1870

Psalm 119:40  ESV
Behold, I long for your precepts;
          in your righteousness give me life
your precepts STRONGS 6480       give me life   STRONGS 2421
what God has appointed to be done.

Psalm 119:88  NIV
Preserve my life according to your love,
          and I will obey the statutes of your mouth.
give me life STRONGS  2421         the testimony of your mouth STRONGS  6310   5715

Psalm 86:2  NIV
Guard my life for I am devoted to you.

Psalm 119:107  NLT
I have suffered much, O LORD,
          restore my life again , just as you promised.
give me life STRONGS 2421       O JEHOVA,  STRONGS 3068      by your word STRONGS 1697

Psalm 119:149  NLT
In your faithful love, O LORD, hear my cry;
in your justice, save my life.
by your judgement STRONGS 4941      give me life  STRONGS 2421
According to your law   ENGLISH
According to your torah   HEBREW
According to your instruction  TRANSLATION

Psalm 119:154 NIV
Defend my cause and redeem me,
preserve my life according to your promise.
give me life STRONGS 2421     by your word STRONGS 565

Psalm 119:156 NLT
Lord, how great is your mercy;
in your justice, give me back my life.
give me life STRONGS 2421     and redeem me STRONGS 1350

Psalm 143:11 TLV
For the glory of your name, O LORD, preserve my life.
Because of your faithfulness bring me out of this distress.

PSALM 119 The psalmist's "hours"

Psalm 119:55 NKJV     I remember Your name in the night O, LORD. 

                  62               At midnight I will rise

                                     to give thanks to You.

                  97               Oh how I love Your law!

                                     It is my meditation all the day.

                  147             I rise before the dawning of the morning

                                     And cry for help.

                  148             My eyes are awake through the night watch

                                     That I may meditate on Your word.

Psalm 134:1-2 NKJV

                                     Behold, bless the LORD

                                     All you servants of the LORD

                                     Who by night stand in the house of the LORD

                                     Lift up your hands in the sanctuary

                                     And bless the LORD.

                  

PSALM 119 Meditation

PSALM 119 NKJV    
Verses relating to meditation and the will of God.

15     I will meditate on Your precepts
         And contemplate Your ways.
23     Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
24     Your testimonies also are my delight
         and my counselors.
27     Make me understand the way of Your precepts
         So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works.
38     Establish Your word to Your servant.
48     My hands also I will lift up
         to your commandments which I love
         And I will meditate on Your statutes.
78     I will meditate on Your precepts.
97     Oh, how I love Your law!
         It is my meditation all the day.
99     For Your testimonies are my meditation.
103   How sweet are Your words to my taste.
105   Your word is a lamp to my feet
         And a light to my path.
148   My eyes are awake through the night watches
         That I may meditate on Your word.
162   I rejoice in Your word
         As one who finds great treasure.

PSALM 119:160 Discerning TRUTH

Psalm 119:160 KJV
Thy word is true from the beginning:
and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

ESV    The sum of your word is truth
            and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

The word  of the Lord is a source of life that never languishes,
 because it is fed by infinite truth that continues for ever,
 therefor, it can never be exhausted
no matter how many drink from the life giving fountain.
                                                                                          NCV footnotes.
There are people who are quite dead to the truth of God.
You can tell who they are.
they do not rise up to praise God.
There are homes where the loving kindness of God
is not declared,
where the faithfulness of God is not proclaimed,
because the truth of His loving kindness and faithfulness
is not known or appreciated or accepted !
Are God's wonders known in such darkness?

There are people who are quite alive to the truth of God.
You can tell who they are..
Their lives are full and overflowing with the joy of the Lord.
Their homes are places of love and healing.
There are believers who are strong witnesses
for all the wonderful things which God has done in their lives.
Their hearts are a place where the saving justice of Jesus
is known and shared.
Rise up and praise God.

Psalm 140:13 NLT
Surely the godly are praising thy name
for they will live in your presence.

Psalm 119 NLT
11     I have hidden your word in my heart
         that I might not sin against you.

16     I will delight in your principles
         and not forget your word
17     Be good to your servant 
         that I may live and obey your word.
18     Open my eyes to see
         the wonderful truths in your law.

79     Let me be reconciled
         with all who fear you and know your decrees.

105   Your word is a lamp for my feet
         and a light for my path.

114   You are my refuge and my shield:
         your word is my only source of hope.

PSALM 118:22 According to Peter and Paul.

Psalm 118:22 GNB
The stone which the builders rejected as worthless
turned out to be the most important of all.

Luke 20:17 GNB
Jesus looked at them and asked,
"What, then, does this scripture mean?
     "the stone which the builders rejected as worthless
       turned out to be the most important of all !"

Acts 4:11 GNB
Jesus is the one of whom the scriptures says
"The stone that you the builders despised
   turned out to be the most important of all.

Ephesians 2:20 NLT
Together we are his house, built on the foundations of the apostles
and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.
We are carefully joined together in him
becoming a holy temple for the Lord.

The reference in Ephesians 2:20 is to psalm 118:22
which in the King James Version reads;-
The stone which the builders refused 
is become the head stone of the corner.

1 Peter 2:4-7 GNB
4 Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by people
   as worthless but chosen by God as valuable.
5 Come as living stones, and let yourself be used in building
   the spiritual temple, where you will serve as holy priests 
   to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God
   through Jesus Christ
6 For scripture says ;- 
"I chose a valuable stone which I am placing in Zion
  and whoever believes in  him will not be disappointed"
7 This stone which the builders rejected as worthless
   turned out to be the most important of all."

                TRINITY
The believers, the church, as members of the royal priesthood
offers its worship, prayer and service   in the Holy Spirit , to the Father
through  our Lord Jesus Christ the High Priest.
Jude offers words to define the church in the context of the Trinity.

JUDE 1-2  GNB
To those who have been called by God,
who live in the love of God the Father
and the protection of Jesus Christ.
May mercy , peace , and love be yours
in full measure.

PSALM 118:6 According to Paul

Hebrews   13:6   NIV
God has said,
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
So we say with confidence
"The LORD is my helper; I will not be afraid
What can man do to me?

PSALM 118:6 NIV
5 In my anguish I cried to the LORD
        and he answered  by setting me free.
6 The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid
        What can man do to me ?

PSALM 117 (118) Septuagint.
   The Lord is my helper;
   and I will not fear what men shall do to me.

Psalm 118: 8-9 NIV
8   It is better to take refuge in the LORD
        than to trust in man.
9   It is better to take refuge in the LORD
        than to trust in princes.

With Paul we say;-"The LORD is my helper".

PSALM 116:10 According to Paul

Amos 3:8 KJV
The lion hath roared who will not fear ?
The Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy ?

Psalm 116:10 KJV
I believed, therefor I have spoken:

Psalm 115  (116)  The Septuagint Brenton's translation.
I believed, wherefore I have spoken:

2nd Corinthians 4;13 Good News Bible
13 The scripture says, "I have spoken because I believed."
In the same spirit of faith, we also speak because we believe.

2nd Corinthians 4:13 Jerusalem
13 But as we have the same spirit of faith
     that is mentioned in scripture--
14" I believed, and therefor I spoke"--
       we too believe and therefore we too speak ,
      knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus to life
      will raise us up with Jesus in our turn,
      and put us by his side and you with us.

Paul's take on Psalm 116:10 is revealed in the New Testament
and is therefore the inspired word of God.
This passage is therefore worth our close and careful attention.

PSALM 116 Sons of the Resurrection.

Psalm 116:17 KJV
I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving
And will call upon the name of the Lord.

It is about prayer. The human experience of gratitude
is close to prayer. the experience of heartfelt gratitude
takes us even farther but heartfelt thanksgiving is
another step again !
Calling upon the name of the Lord,
with heartfelt thanksgiving..... is grace in prayer.

 Psalm 116; 14, 18-19 RSV.
14   I will pay my vows to the LORD
       in the presence of all the people.
18   I will pay my vows to the LORD
       in the presence of all his people
19   in the courts of the house of the LORD
       in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.

Luke 20:37-38  NKJV
37   But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage
       that the dead are raised, when he called the LORD
       "the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob"
38   For he is not the God of the dead but of the living,
       for all live to him.

So when we offer the sacrifice of  thanksgiving in the presence
of ALL his people, in the courts of the house of the LORD
to whom all men are alive and present,
"we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses"
                                                                     Hebrews 12:1 NKJV 

Psalm 116: 9   I will walk before the LORD
                         In the land of the living.

We realize that in walking before the LORD
we are compassed about with the household of God.

Now you are no longer strangers or guests,
but fellow citizens of the holy people:
you are of the household of God.
                                                      EPHESIANS 2:19
                                                      CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY BIBLE
                                                      THIRTY-SEVENTH EDITION

Every time we sing this Psalm,
we sing twice "I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people."
It is true:-
" A psalm a day helps you work rest and pray."
Psalm 116 reminds us that we work, rest and pray
as members of the household of God.

indeed our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son Jesus Christ.                1 John 1:3  ESV

PSALM 115 Remember God's Presence.

Psalm 115:4  RSV
Their idols are silver and gold, the works of men's hands.

People still put their trust money and financial speculation.
They make desirable property and fashionable possessions
the focus of their efforts, and they make social status the
desire of their hearts.  These idols have been around for many
generations and continue to appeal to self centered, self indulgent
folk
.
Psalm 115:9-11 AMPLIFIED BIBLE
9 O Israel, trust and take refuge in the LORD !
   ( Lean on, rely on, and be confident in Him !)
   He is their Help and their Shield.
10 O house of Aaron ( the priesthood )
         trust in and lean on the LORD
   He is their Help  and their Shield.
11 You who ( reverently ) fear the LORD,
   trust in, and lean on the LORD !
   He is their Help and their Shield.

Those who fear the LORD enough to put their trust
in His will and purpose, can truly say
"His steadfast love endures forever"   (Psalm 118:4)
Because those who have put their trust in Him--in everyday life--
have found that "He is their Help and Shield" Psalm 115:11
and that He blesses them and their households.

We need to be among those who can say
"I shall pass my life in the presence of Yahweh,
in the land of the living."  Psalm 116:9  NJB

Mine to walk at ease, enjoying the Lord's presence
in the land of the living.    Psalm 114:8  Knox translation.

Remember God's presence.

Psalm 145:5-6  NIV
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob
whose hope is in the Lord his God.
The  Maker of heaven and earth
the sea and everything in them--
the LORD who remains faithful forever.

No empty theory here. The person who's Hope and Help is,
 in practice, and on an ongoing basis,
  the Lord our God,
is remarkably blessed.

Psalm 115 ESV
May you be blessed by the LORD,
    who made heaven and earth!

                       AMEN.

PSALM 114 Who God Is.

Psalm 114 NLT
1     When the Israelites escaped from Egypt--
       when the family of Jacob left that foreign land--
2     The land of Judah became God's sanctuary
       and Israel became His kingdom.

Psalm 114 is about very dramatic events.
A whole nation finds freedom from enslavement and
oppression,--- from humiliation to renewed life.
They experience the sort of transformation of circumstances
which is beyond our own strength---which , in fact,
can only be brought about by the One who can transform
impossible situations.
It is the testimony of many Christians that the LORD our God
has delivered us personally , transformed our circumstances
and renewed our lives.

To praise God and praise His Holy Name, with all our heart,
we need in our own heart, a really motivating appreciation
of who God is and what He has done for us.
The Children of Israel had just shared such an experience.
To truly engage in heartfelt praise and worship,
we need , in our own heart; the love of God,
the fear of God, and a need, always,
to know His presence.

Psalm 114: 7-8 NLT
7     Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the LORD
       at the presence of the God of Israel.
8     He turned the rock into pools of water
       yes springs of water from solid rock.

John 3:16 KJV
3     For God so loved the world,
       that he gave his only begotten Son,
       that whosoever believeth in him ,
       should not perish, but have everlasting life.

He has made our hearts His sanctuary.
And the body of Christ His Kingdom.

PSALM 113 Know the only true God.

John 17:3 ESV 
And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Psalm 113:1-3  ESV
1     Praise the LORD!
       Praise , O servants of the LORD,
       praise the name of the LORD!

2     Blessed be the name of the LORD
       from this time forth and for ever more!

3     From the rising of the sun to its setting,
       the name of the LORD is to be praised.

From psalm 112, we know that those who
delight in doing the will of God ,
also Praise the LORD.

From Psalm 113 we realize that those who
praise the name of the LORD, and bless the name of the LORD,
are those who have personal experience of the praiseworthy attributes,
praiseworthy nature, and praiseworthy deeds of the LORD our God.
We can and do testify to God's character, God's reputation, and God's name.
We praise the name of the LORD
at all times of day, now and always.  

PSALM 112 The blessings of the righteous.

In 2nd Corinthians ch1 v12 , the apostle Paul quotes from
The Septuagint Psalm 111    ( 112 in Hebrew )  verse 3
"Glory and riches shall be in your house"
Paul says "Our glory ( Our boast - in modern translations )
is in this; the witness of our conscience.

By  delighting in the precepts of the Lord,
the righteous become more Godly.
So for us, obedience to the Lord is not an imposed burden
but a power which transforms our hearts.

Obedience to the will of God is to let oneself be filled
with the tenderness, forgiveness, generosity, justice,
kindness, love and mercy of the living God.

Psalm 112:1 NCV  
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his precepts

PSALM 111 Life Lived as God's People

In Christ we live and move and have our being.
The Spirit is poured out in our hearts as love.

Romans 5:5 New Living Translation
.....for we know how dearly God loves us,
because He has given us the Holy Spirit
to fill our hearts with love.

Life lived as God's people is expressed in Psalm 111.
This summary stands as a benchmark
from the days of King David
and is valid for God's people today.
It is a good and necessary thing to fear the Lord.
It is desirable  to have a good understanding.
It is good and necessary to personally
put into practice , the will of God.
It is good and necessary to reverence God
and be zealous in keeping all His laws.
It is good to delight in His commandments,
                to delight in Him and ponder on His deeds.
It is good to be joyful in fearing the LORD and
wholeheartedly participate in His will and purpose.

Psalm 111:10 New Living Translation.
Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom.
All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise Him forever !
                

PSALM 111 Ponder the deeds of the LORD

Psalm 111:2 NLT 
How amazing are the deeds of the LORD !
All who delight in Him should ponder them.

Psalm 111:6 points to more deeds of the Lord.
Psalm 111:6 NASB
He has shown his people the power of his works,
giving them the lands of other nations.

Grateful memory of God,s past actions ads to our confidence
in God,s deeds and works in the present and in the future.
We have a oneness in the communion of saints
with people whose life and work transcends the limits of time
to reach us through their written words.
We can be grateful for God,s deeds in their lives.

A sad heritage is left by those who lightly esteemed God
and failed to serve Him and who did not value the will of God.
As the body of Christ we celebrate and remember the works of God
in His people of faith in Old Testament times and in New Testament times.
We gratefully remember His works and deeds in His people of faith
since New Testament times.

We should ponder the deeds of the Lord, done through the lives of
the brave missionaries and hymn writers of each century.
Thank God for all who came to faith and wholeheartedly shared
the source of their hope with friends and family and community.

PSALM 111 Ponder the Will of God

Psalm 111:10 NKJV
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.

John Calvin instructs his readers to "Reverence God"
and be zealous in keeping His laws.
John points out that, in practice, those who do not fear God
fail to regulate their lives according to His law.
Those who do not render explicit obedience unto God
clearly have no regard for the will of God or His purposes.
In John Calvin's words; "Many lightly esteem God
and fail to serve Him and submit to the regulation of His word."

Psalm 112:1 NLT
How joyful are those who fear the LORD
and delight in His commands.

Those who take delight in putting God's commands
into practice personally have it right.
Participation in the will of God is a wholehearted activity
rather than an academic or legalistic process.

PSALM 110 Our TRIUNE GOD

Psalm 110   (Vulgate 109)
The Lord (The Father)  said to my Lord (Christ),
"Sit at My right hand"

Jesus is begotten from the Father before all time
( before the morning star ) 
and is the "ETERNAL SON " of the "FATHER"

In this Psalm of David
David calls the future king "my Lord".
Since the future king is the Messiah,
David is calling the Messiah "my Lord" !

Psalm 110:3 NCV
Yours is royal dignity in the day of your birth;
in holy splendor, before the day star
like the dew, I have begotten you.

Psalm 110 (Septuagint 109) is a Royal Psalm and
contains prophecy concerning the Melchizedek
 priesthood of our Lord Jesus  Christ .

In Genesis 14:18 Melchizedek is king of Salem
                            and priest of God Most High
bringing out bread and wine he blesses Abram.
See Hebrews 7 regarding the permanence of the
Royal Priesthood of the Lord Jesus.

Hebrews 1:8 begins "But of the Son he says;---"
and quotes Ps110:1  and Psalm 45:6-7 precisely.

Psalm 110:1 ESV    The LORD says to my Lord;
"Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool"

Psalm 45:6-7 ESV Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever.
The sceptre of your kingdom is a sceptre of uprightness;
you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with oil and gladness beyond your companions.

Since we know from Isaiah 63;10 that God's people
"rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit"
we can distinguish God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit, while understanding that
God-With-Us comprises all three.

David, the divinely inspired writer of Psalm 110
predicted that the future seed of David was to be our Messiah.
Our Lord Jesus is,in the flesh, descended from David,
and is David's Lord and our Lord. 

Psalm 2:7  ESV and SAAS
The LORD said to me
"You are my son; today I have begotten you.

St Matthew 3:17 KJV
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, 
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

PSALM 109 Discern what is Good

Discern what is good with the help of Psalm 109.

From verse 1    Praising God is a good start.
From verse 4    Being a loving person is good and
                         good people give themselves to prayer.
From verse 16  Lovingkindness is a welcome sign of good.
From verse 17  The good delight in blessing others.
From verse 21  To be merciful is godly.
                          To see people's need and in steadfast love
                           to deliver them, is in the Spirit of Christ.
From verse 22   It is good to be aware of our own inadequacy.
From verse 24   Fasting and prayer is the normal way of life for the good.
From verse 26   Constant reference to the LORD for
                          His help and enabling is the way of the good.
From verse 30  The good are grateful to the LORD
                          and praise Him to everybody.
From verse 31   It is really Christlike to stand beside the needy,
                          the afflicted and the oppressed.

                         

PSALM 109 Recognize Evil

Discern what is bad with the help of Psalm 109.

From verse 1-5     The wicked are deceitful.
It is wicked to lie about other people.
Words of hatred are spoken out of hatred.
Accusers reveal what is in their heart.
People have to be quite bad to return evil for good.
and even worse to return hate for love.
From verse 16-17
Failure to show kindness is a bad sign.
Persecuting the afflicted and needy is bad.
Bringing about the malnutrition and premature death
of underprivileged people is seriously bad.
Cursing the oppressed is a terrible sign
of social and political decline.
Those who would deny medical care to the "undeserving"
are animated by evil.
Those who curse "immigrants" (even the ones who drown
in the Mediterranean) for being a "nuisance" and a "problem"
curse out of their own personal wickedness.
From verse 28 and 29
Those who publish hatred in the social media,wear their disgrace
like a tea shirt, advertising their evil attitudes.
From verse 31        The LORD our GOD stands beside the needy,
the afflicted and the oppressed...every...single...one.

PSALM 108 Ministry of witness

When older people repeat themselves, it shows what is on their mind.
When mothers repeat themselves, it shows that the mother knows
that her child needs to hear it twice.
When we hear something repeated, we may give it a higher priority.
When today's prayer sounds familiar because we have prayed
much the same before, we pray with fresh faith and a new heart.

Psalm 108:2-6      repeats      Psalm 57:8-12       and
Psalm 108:7-14    repeats      Psalm 60:7-14.

Which surely shows what is on God's mind
and indicates that we should give these matters higher priority.
We need grace to live through familiar challenges with a new heart.
We need to recognize where God's love is .
It is love which gives us fresh enabling and fresh smiles

Verse 1-5 is a vow to sing, give thanks, and to sing God's praises
among the peoples and among the nations.
That is an international ministry of witness !
In verse 6 we seek answer to prayer,
rescue for the all the Lord's people and victory for us all.
In verse 12 we express our need of help from the Lord.
In verse 10, 11 and 12 we lament our own inadequacy:
And in verse 13 we declare our hope and trust in the one true God.

PSALM 107 Witness to Steadfast Love

Psalm 107:1-2  NRSV
1     O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
       for his steadfast love endures for ever
2     Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
       those he redeemed from trouble.

The "Redeemed of the LORD" are particularly qualified
to witness to the LORD'S goodness and steadfast love.
In Psalm 107 the importance of witnessing to his love
and wonderful works is repeated in verses 6, 13, 19, and 28.

Psalm 107:6   &  21-22  NRSV
6     Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble
       and he delivered them from their distress.

21   Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love
       for his wonderful works to humankind.
22   And let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices,
       and tell of his deeds with songs of joy.

Public , joyful, "telling of his deeds", out loud in song,
is a witness to all those for whom we pray who need to know
the steadfast love of the Lord
and his wonderful works to humankind.

Our every experience of recognizing the presence of God;.........

Every awareness of the working of the Holy Spirit;........

Every deliverance which we can acknowledge;......

is an opportunity to witness to the Glory of God
to encourage members of the body of Christ
and to shine a beacon to those who are unaware of
the steadfast love and wonderful works of our LORD.

2nd Chronicles  5:13 NRSV
It was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make
themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving
to the LORD, and when the song was raised with trumpets
and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the LORD,
     "For he is good,
             for his steadfast love endures forever."

EPHESIANS 5:19 NRSV
but be filled with the Spirit,
as you sing psalms and spiritual songs among yourselves,
singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts,
giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

PSALM 106 RESTORATION !

Psalm 106:1-2  NCV
1   Give thanks to the Lord, for he is Good
     his kindness endures forever.
2   Who can possibly recount the mighty acts of the Lord
     and fully proclaim his praise ?

A repentant people recall historical sin
but only to confess contemporary sin.
The community of God,s people gather together
to acknowledge the sins of society, nationally and communally,
in order to seek forgiveness and restoration.
We recall God's mercy, the mercy accomplished in Christ
on behalf of God's sinful but believing people:
Forgiveness accomplished in Christ
which opens us up to the experience of God's love
in restored, thankful, praising community.

Psalm 106: 47-48 NCV
47   Save us, O LORD, our God,
       and gather us from among the nations,
       so that we may give thanks to your holy name
       and glory in praising you.
48   Blessed be the LORD, the God of ISRAEL
       from everlasting to everlasting
       Let all the people say , "Amen."

PSALM 106 Historical Precedent

HISTORICAL PRECEDENT

PSALM 106

v14    Your people became greedy.

v16    Everyone was jealous.

v19    they made and worshiped the statue.

v24    They would not trust you.

v25    They would not obey you.

v34    They disobeyed you.

v38    they poured out the blood
          of innocent children.

v41    You put them in the power
          of nations that hated them.

v43    their sins caused their downfall.

PSALM 105 Trust in God's Providence

Psalm 105  N.K.J.V.
1     Oh, give thanks to the LORD !  Call upon His name.
       Make known His deeds among the peoples.
2     Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him
       Talk of all His wonderous works.
4     seek His presence
5     Remember the wonderful works He has done

We have three calls to praise;-
give thanks,   sing psalms,   seek his presence.
Each immediately followed by;-
Make known His deeds,   Talk of His wonderous works
and remember the wonderful works
.
Three times we have it,
making known His deeds,
talking of His woderous works
and remembering the woderful works He has done.

Telling what God has done is the next thing
to actually praising the Lord our God.

Giving testimony of God's works in our own lives
flows naturally from a heart full of praise.

How do we relate to this psalm which draws our attention to
 The Eternal Faithfulness of the LORD
and invites us to
Remember the marvels that God has wrought

We acknowledge that the psalm is the word of God
and we earnestly want to take it to heart
and to be committed to the ongoing implementation
in our lives of all that the Holy Spirit is showing us.

With St Paul we can stand in faith because we have
 come to have faith in God's providence - in God,s 
ongoing influence throughout the trials of history.

Rom 8:28--we know that all things work together
for good to those who love God, to those who are
called according to His purpose.

We stand in faith with Joseph, sold by his brothers into Egypt.
Psalm 105:17-18-19
God sent a man before them sold into slavery.
They humbled his feet with fetters , his soul was shackled
in iron. Until his word came to pass, the word of the Lord
seared through him.

Joseph was able to testify to God's providence.
God sent me before you to preserve life....
But as for you, you meant evil against me,
but God meant it for good.    Genesis 45:5,7  50:20

PSALM 105 God's Worshiping Community

As children of God, the people of faith
are pilgrim people who need the protection
which His Power brings to our situation.
God is on our side.
The same God who made a pact with Abraham
and Sarah, who gave the oath to Isaac
and Rebecca, who established by decree an
everlasting  covenant with Israel, speaks today.....
"Don't touch my people"
the God who has brought us "safe thus far"
has spoken over us.
"Whoever touches them touches me !"

Psalm 105 verses 2 and 6 NKJV
2   Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him
     Talk of all His wondrous works !
6   O seed of Abraham His servant
     You children of Jacob
     His chosen ones !

The designation of the worshiping community as
"Offspring of Abraham  God's servant
and sons of Jacob, his chosen ones....
underlines our privilege to be members of the
historical community of those who worship the Lord our God.
That forms part of our identity,
We are members of God's Worshiping Community.

PSALM 105 Confidence in God

Psalm 105: 15 RSV
"Touch not my anointed ones"

Psalm 105: 43 RSV
So he led forth his people with joy
his chosen ones with singing.

In God's own words we are his people,  his chosen ones.
We are the Lord's anointed.

Psalm 105: verse 8 and 42
8     He remembers his covenant forever,
       his covenant for a thousand generations.
42   for he remembered his holy word,
       which he gave to Abraham his servant.

Prayer is an act of confidence in God.

..with whom we have relationships, promises  and covenants.
We stand in His love as his created creatures.
we stand in His salvation as saved sinners.
we stand in His community as members of the body of Christ.
we stand in History as the people of God, His adopted sons.

PSALM 105 Testify

Psalm 105 from The Liturgical Psalter ASB 1980

4b    seek his face continually.
5a    Call to mind what wonders he has done.

What sort of prayer does this involve ?
"seeking his face" involves spending some time
being present to the Lord.
"calling to mind" means taking time to review
our own memories in prayer,
like getting the photographs out
while sitting with God.
Our memories of God's goodness put our heart and
mind in favourable dispositions to continue in prayer.

Psalm 105:4-5

4    Seek the Lord and his strength:
      O seek his face continually.
5    Call to mind what wonders he has done:
      his marvelous acts and the judgements of his mouth.

PSALM 105 God's People

Psalm 105 verse 3 and 25

3    Rejoice in his holy name
      let the heart of them rejoice that seek the lord

25 (enemies)  whose heart turned so, that they hated his people;
      and dealt untruly with his servants.

Those who are not "for" the Lord are frequently
"against" his people.
On T.V. and in various national governments
those who are motivated by love and good will
are easily discernible from those who promote
ungodly attitudes and behavior.

Animated by the Spirit of Christ
God's people today may be identified
by their (our) love.
Forces of evil have been attacking the fabric of
society and family life.
Open and violent persecution of Christians in parts
of the world, arise out of the spirit of darkness.
Abroad Christians are publicly persecuted ,
at home Christian values are attacked.
Hearts full of love and hearts full of hate
have very different effects and consequences.

The contrast is shown in verses 3 and 25.

PSALM 104 Continual Dialogue

When we look at creation we marvel that there is
such order and such harmony.  In the air, on the
 ground and in the sea, things live and breathe,
they form part of the food chain, some pollinate
flowers and all fulfill their own purpose in the
great scheme of things while fitting in their own place.
     It would be like the Garden of Eden ,  but for ;-
loveless self interest,  exploitation, oppression,
violence, injustice, cruelty, greed and envy.
Sin is every act which is not done in love,
and is therefore not right with God.
Sin has no place in the bliss to come.

The psalmists prayer from Psalms Anew  Ps.104:35
"May sinners vanish from the earth,
  and the wicked exist no more.

We can see in Psalm 104 that our praise
is part of our continual dialogue of prayer.
The LORD is calling each of us and our believing
community into ongoing fellowship and conversation.

Verse 1   Bless the LORD , O my soul
Verse 35 Bless the LORD , O my soul
                Praise the LORD !

PSALM 104 Meditation

Psalm 104:34 ESV   May my meditation be pleasing to him,
                                   for I rejoice in the Lord

The thoughts and prayers of the psalmist are with the LORD.
It is the desire of the psalmist that his thoughts and prayers
would be acceptable and pleasing to the Lord.

Psalm 19:14 ESV   Let the words  of my mouth and the 
                                 meditation of my heart
                                 be acceptable in your sight
                                 O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

It is clear that the psalmist is talking about communication
from his heart, via his own mouth, to please the heart
 of the Lord his God.
                                I rejoice in the LORD                from verse 34 ESV
                                I will be glad in the LORD        from verse 34 KJV
                                I shall delight in the LORD       from verse 34 REB

This heart to heart personal relationship
gives the psalmist great joy.

PSALM 104 A Perpetual Vow

Psalm 104:33 ESV
I will sing to the LORD as long as I live.
I will praise my God to my last breath.

The psalmist addresses the Lord  as " my God"
in verses 1 ans 33.

Verse 33 is a perpetual vow
to praise the Lord,
in keeping with Israelite belief
that praise must follow deliverance.

Praise involved thank offering
and celebrating God's saving deed
in the presence of others in the temple.

Psalm 65:1 KJV
Praise awaits you, O God in Zion,
and to you
the vow shall be fulfilled.

PSALM 104 Rejoice

Psalm 104:31  Tree of Life Version

May Adonai rejoice in His works !   

Our creator has been rejoicing for thousands
of years in the beauty and wonder of the galaxies
which the Kepler space telescope has recently
been revealing.

Psalm 104:31 New Living Translation
May the glory of the LORD continue forever!
The LORD takes pleasure in all he has made!

We can make verse 31 our prayer for all men
Since He made them  (us), every one...
We can pray in the knowledge that 
the LORD takes pleasure in every one of us,
and we can pray that the LORD will rejoice
in each and every one of us.

When we think of nations where there is trouble,....
   May the LORD rejoice in his works.

When we think of the world wide church in our day,...
   May the LORD rejoice in His works.