Psalms – Page 10 – Old Testament Survey

Psalm 15

Who is it that dwells in God’s presence? This is the question that is presented and answered in this short psalm. David’s answer is the man who walks blamelessly, righteously, and in purity. None of us attain to that standard. Only One fulfilled this in His life and that One is Christ. These qualities become part of who we are after we come into union with Him through salvation (Hebrews 4.16). He presents us blameless and without fault in His presence by His righteousness alone (Jude 24-25). We do not come to Him that way, after He saves us, He makes us that way. That is the Good News of the Gospel!

Psalm 15 (cf. Psalm 24 [see our study], Micah 6.8, and Isaiah 33.14-16)

Verse one provides the context for this chapter, which is service in God’s tabernacle or holy hill. Some have interpreted this chapter as asking the question “who is able to work in God’s service,” rather than who can exist in God’s presence. Both can be given from Psalm 15 and Psalm 24.

The terms for service are found in verse two and expanded in the remaining verses. That person is the one who is blameless, righteous, and pure. The evidence is found in how he treats his brother (3-5). Does he speak well of his neighbor, does he grieve over sin, does he walk in integrity, and does he give financially to help others? These are the ones who are to work in God’s service (1 Timothy 3). If this verses are read correctly, we can see the Greatest Commandment as Jesus presented it in Matthew 22.35-40.

Who is it that dwells in God’s presence? This is the question that is presented and answered in this short psalm. David’s answer is the man who walks blamelessly, righteously, and in purity. None of us attain to that standard. Only One fulfilled this in His life and that One is Christ. These qualities become part of whom we are after we come into union with Him through salvation (Hebrews 4.16). He presents us blamelessly and without a fault in His presence by His righteousness alone (Jude 24-25). We do not come to Him that way, after He saves us, He makes us that way. That is the Good News of the Gospel!

This psalm demands that we examine our life in light of God’s requirements. If you are a Christian, He has saved you and you are in a right relationship with Him. What follows each day is our fellowship with Him. When we are in right fellowship, living out His Word, we have true worship (Hebrews 10.19-25).

A brief note on money. This will become a major post as time passes. Verse five instructs the man of God not to lend money at an interest. The Torah allowed interest to be charged to an outsider, a Gentile, but not to an Israelite (Deuteronomy 23.19-20). However, this law can be interpreted as not lending to those who are unable to pay at an interest (Exodus 22.25 and Leviticus 25.35-37). Loans were meant to help another person get out of financial bondage, not place him deeper into it. Again, more on this later.

The Word in Life Study Bible presents this psalm as a list of ten things a person of integrity shows with application.

The person of integrity. . .	How about you?
1 Walks uprightly.	What is your basic ethical commitment? Are you out to honor the Lord or to serve yourself?
2 Works righteousness.	What is the end result of your work? Are you promoting good in the world—or evil?
3 Speaks the truth.	Are you in the habit of telling “little white lies” when it is necessary or convenient?
4 Does not backbite.	Do you tear down others behind their back?
5 Does no evil to a neighbor.	What is your policy on office politics? Do you believe in “doing unto others before they do unto you”?
6 Does not take up a reproach against a friend.	How loyal are you? When everyone is down on a colleague, do you jump on the bandwagon, or do you offer support and seek fair play?
7 Honors those who fear the Lord, not the ungodly.	What is the character of your best friends? What is their attitude toward God and the things of the Lord?
8 Keeps his word, even when it is costly.	Are you trustworthy and reliable? Is your word your bond, or is there always a question whether you will follow through?
9 Does not practice usury.	Do you make it harder or easier for poor people to gain the resources necessary to support themselves?
10 Does not take bribes.	What would it take to get you to compromise your integrity?

Psalm 2

What would you say about the kingship of Christ in your life? How does His reign manifest itself in your life?

Psalm 2

This is the first messianic psalm in the Psalter. It is quoted often in the New Testament as applying to Jesus’ ministry on earth (Acts 4.25; 13.33; Hebrews 1.5; 5.5). It completes the thoughts, also, from Psalm 1. The first psalm dealt with the righteous and ungodly individual, and the second psalm deals with the righteous and ungodly king or kingdom.

After reading through this psalm, a question is given: what happens when rulers defy God? What does it mean to defy or conspire against God? Would our present nation be classified as having rulers who defy God, attempting to go beyond His Word or without His Word? Can we apply these same questions to a country, such as ours, that does not proclaim to be a Bible-believing nation? What parameters does Psalm 2.1-2 have for us today?

Romans 13 reminds us that no authority is placed in power outside of God granting it power. Although this creates many questions in cases like Hitler, it also sheds light on our government. Neither this psalm nor Romans 13 places stipulations on what type of government, all are under the authority of God. If He places them in power, they are responsible to Him and will be blessed or cursed based on the relationship the leader has with God and based on the relationship the people of that government have with God. When the chapter closes, it closes with a command for the kings and all creation to be subject to God in five ways:

Be wise
Be warned
Serve the Lord
Kiss the Son, which means to embrace Him, to believe in Him, to not be ashamed of Him (Acts 16.31). Can you picture Mary at the cross kissing the feet of her Son (view the Passion of the Christ for a graphic display of this)?
Rejoice or live in His blessing

With this being said, the psalm has traditionally been divided into four parts:

a description of the plans of the wicked )1–3)
the Father’s laughter from heaven (4–6)
the Son’s declaration of the Father’s decree (7–9)
the Spirit’s instruction to obey the Son (10–12)

What would you say about the kingship of Christ in your life? How does His reign manifest itself in your life?

If there are questions on this psalm, submit it to Pastor David.

Psalm 1

The application of this chapter is simple: Where do you find yourself sitting, standing, and walking? Are you following the ways of those around you while you attempt to live the life God called you to live (syncretism)? Or, are you following His Word and His Word alone?

Psalm 1

This psalm introduces the Psalter. Some have suggested that this psalm is an introduction to the book of Psalms, stating it is not a psalm but an introduction to what the Psalms are about. However this chapter is viewed, it can be divided into two equal parts: the blessed follow the law of God (1-3) and the wicked do not follow the law of God (4-6). The law in this chapter is not limited to the Torah (התּוֹרה) but contains all the law of God (תוֹרה). The extra letter (ה) makes it definite. However, this passage is quite reminiscent of Joshua 1.8 (see our study), which concerns the Law of God.

It is appropriate for this chapter to open the Psalter. It brings us to the basics of life: Choose to follow God and you will be blessed. Choose to disobey God and you will be cursed. This is your choice. The blessing is highlighted by Christ in Matthew 5.3-11 (the Beatitudes). The word “blessing” is not singular but plural. This brings with it all the fulness of the blessings that come from God.

Poetically this psalm offers parallelism in the verses. For example, verse one presents three-line parallelism (also synthetic parallelism where the thought is developed), which helps in the interpretation of the verse.

does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

Verses two and five offer two-line parallelism, again aiding in interpretation.

Verse two (also synonymous parallelism)

his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

Verse five

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

Verse three offers another type of parallelism, emblematic wherein the first line is a figure of speech and what follows explains it:

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Verse six offers antithetical parallelism where the first and second line stand in contrast to each other:

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish.

Verses 1-3-The blessings of God fall on those who live a discerning life (1), a life that delights in God’s Word (2), and a life that depends on God to work in him (Philippians 2.12-14). The delight in God’s Word results in meditating day and night on it. This means more than thinking about it. It is a repetition of the Word throughout the day not allowing distractions to interfere with the process. A Jewish tradition of rocking back-and-forth, repeating God’s Word, and praying to God comes from this word. This practice is called “davening.”

Verses 4-6-In order to incur God’s curse, simply neglect verses 1-3. The ungodly are unstable (4), isolated and defeated (5), and separated from God (6).

The contrast between the godly and the ungodly is pronounced here. One is the tree with deep roots, and the other is the chaff being blown around.

For a visual of this psalm, see the graphic.

Psalm 107

This psalm is calling all mankind to live in gratitude for what God has done. Look around at your life; what is God doing? If you say nothing, you don’t know God too well. He is always at work (John 5.16-18). It is the glory of man to find what He is doing and join Him in His activities. Notice His work and praise Him for it.

Psalm 107

This chapter, due to verses 2-3, has been interpreted as post-exilic that is when the Israelites were returning from the Babylonian Captivity. However, since all four directions are being referred to, it seems more appropriate to read this as the psalmist calling people from all directions of the earth to praise God.

Psalm 106 (see our study) retells the stories of God’s work in the Israelites in terms of discipline. Psalm 105 (see our study-research) details God’s blessing on the people. Both of these psalms refer to incidents found in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. Psalm 107 refers to incidents of God’s deliverance outside of the Pentateuch narrative. It appears that the incidents are not historical for the writer but current events.

The structure of this psalm is provided in the refrain given in verses 1, 8, 15, 21, and 31. Each of these verses calls us to thank God for what He has done. It is marked by the Hebrew word “chesed” (חסד), which translates “loving-kindness.” This word will be studied at a later time and placed in this website. What follows these verses are a reason for gratitude or a command to continue to praise Him. This is also seen in the refrain of the people’s cry to God in verses 6, 13, 19, and 28.

Therefore, we can outline this psalm as follows:

Verses 1-3-Introduction for all the people of God to thank God.
Verses 4-9-Instructions for travelers to thank God for what He has done
Verses 10-16-Instructions for prisoners to thank God for what He has done
Verses 17-22-Instructions for those suffering to thank God for what He has done

A quick note on these verses, some use this paragraph to present God’s healing in the Bible of physical infirmities proclaiming that God heals all diseases (Spirit filled life study Bible [Ps 107:1]). However, this passage speaks of sickness due to sin, such as David’s in Psalm 32 and Psalm 51, not sickness in general. Although I do believe that God does heal, I do not believe this passage can be used as a proof-text.

Verses 23-32-Instructions for sailors to thank God for what He has done
Verses 33-43-Instructions for farmers to thank God for what He has done

The last refrain does not follow the pattern of the previous four causing some to wonder if it belongs in this psalm or should be one alone.

Psalm 106

In each case of the remembering, Moses or another leader pleads on behalf of the people for God to forgive them. They stand in the gap for those who have rebelled (Ezekiel 22.30). We are called to do the same thing (Galatians 6.1-3 and Matthew 18.15-17).

Psalm 106

This is considered the first of the Hallelujah Psalms because it begins and ends with hallelujah (הלליה), which is “Praise the Lord.”

The key to this passage and the other historical psalms is to remember. In Psalm 105, remember because of the great things God has done; in Psalm 106, it is remembering that bad things we have done and turn from them. This psalm is a rehearsal of those things Israel did in rebellion to the good things God had done for them. Before we start pointing the finger, we need to remember that we do the same today. Think of God’s grace and forgiveness; then, ponder the things that we have done that abuse that grace and forgiveness. Paul summed it up in Romans 6 with an emphasis on our not sinning because of God’s grace.

Verses 1-3-The psalmist begins with praise and will end with praise as-well. He is calling us to observe what we have done and to pursue justice instead.

Verses 4-5-These verses are likened to Luke 23.42 where the repentant thief asks Jesus to remember him when He enters His kingdom.

Now we arrive at the reason for the repentance and petition.

Remember

Verse 6-He wants us to remember that we are as capable of committing these sins as those who actually committed them.
Verses 7-12-Red Sea Rebellion (Exodus 14)
Verses 13-15-Complaints in the Desert (Numbers 11)-They forgot; they did not remember.
Verses 16-18-Dathan and Abiram, the Rebels (Numbers 16)
Verses 19-23-The Golden Calf (Exodus 32)
Verses 24-27-The Evil Report of the Spies (Numbers 13-14)
Verses 28-31-Sin with People of Moab (Numbers 25)
Verses 32-33-Trouble at Meribah (Numbers 20.1-13)
Verses 34-39-In Canaan—Nothing Ever Changes (see the studies on the book of Joshua)
Verses 40-46-The Times of the Judges (see the studies on the book of Judges)

Verse 47-This is a call to national repentance and a call to give God the glory due His name.

Verse 48-This doxology is what began the psalm. Whatever our lot in life, we need to remember to praise the Lord.

Psalm 133

When the unity God has given us is lived out, we are blessed and we bless those around us as-well. We live the life God created for us to live and we are blessed. We also display the love of God in such a way that those around us want that life too.

Psalm 133 (Possibly written after 1 Chronicles 12.38 occurred; read the study.)

Verse 1-This short psalm focuses our attention on unity (as does Jesus in John 17). This is also a Psalm of Ascents with David as the author. Therefore, the focus of the unity is found in Zion, or Jerusalem. A summary of the passage, then, could be: In order to dwell together in unity we need to participate in corporate worship together. Hebrews 10.19-25 focuses on our need to assemble together. It is housed in a passage on accountability (Hebrews 10.26-31).

Verse 2-Looking at the imagery in verse two we see hyperbole being used to represent the all-consuming grace of God pouring over the unified tribes. The High Priest wore a breastplate on which were the twelve stones representing each tribe. As God’s Spirit or grace, the oil, was poured down, it encompassed all the tribes. The unity was there, now it is blessed by the presence of God.

Verse 3-Mount Hermon is geographically for the Israelites what Aaron was spiritually for them. God proclaimed that He would bless the Israelites with water from Mount Hermon (Leviticus 25.21 and Deuteronomy 28.8). This blessing comes through the source of the Jordan River and through the gathering of clouds that produces the rain (or the dew) for the entire land. God uses His creation to bless His creatures.

David proclaims unity that needs to be lived out. The unity is there, but it needs to be acted. Jesus proclaims our unity. We do not need to pray for unity, but we need to live out that unity (Ephesians 4). If you notice, the unity in Ephesians is also couched in the concept of corporate worship and the working out of the gifts with which the Holy Spirit has endowed each believer. How are you holding yourself accountable through the unifying presence of God in the lives of fellow believers?

An outside link to Mount Hermon.

Psalm 104

Before reading this following, read through the psalm. It is a literary masterpiece unequaled in Scripture and adds a poetic flow to the Genesis 1 account of creation.

Psalm 104

Before reading the following, read through the psalm. It is a literary masterpiece unequaled in Scripture and adds a poetic flow to the Genesis 1 account of creation.

This song of creation is similar to Job 38, Job 39, Psalm 8, and Psalm 29 (also read the study on Psalm 8).

The psalm can be seen as an expression of the greatness and splendor of God.

Verse 1-this is a call to praise (the psalm is sandwiched with this call-see verse 35)

Verses 1-4-God is infinite

Verses 5-9-He created the land and seas

Verses 10-18-He cares for His creation by providing food and drink

Verses 19-23-He created the heavens to help regulate the earth

Verses 24-26-He created the sea creatures

Verses 27-30-All things that He created are totally dependent on Him

Verses 31-35-a summary of the call to praise God

Stop, go outside, and praise God for the creation you see.

Psalm 103

There is so much in this psalm. That I will save it for a future date to complete. My apologies for now.

Psalm 103

This psalm is a wonderful expression of what God has done for us. Spurgeon and Henry both proclaim that this psalm is more for “devotion than exposition.” Take time to read through this psalm, slowly; then read this study. Spurgeon also tells us that a thousand different writers would not be able to tell all that is written in this one chapter.

Warren Wiersbe summed the entire chapter this way:

David makes no requests in this psalm. All he does is praise the Lord for three wonderful blessings, which he names in verses 3–5 and then explains in the rest of the psalm.

Forgiveness (3, 10–14). Forgiveness is like healing when you are sick (1 Pet. 2:24), relief when you are burdened (vv. 11–12; Lev. 16:20–22; John 1:29), and reconciliation when you have hurt someone (vv. 13–14). All of this comes because Jesus died for your sins on the cross and you have trusted Him.

Redemption (4, 6–9). God redeemed the nation from bondage and from the difficulties they faced on their journey to Canaan. He frees us that He might be our Master and care for us forever. When He crowns us, He transforms slaves into kings (Rom. 5:17). What grace!

Satisfaction (5, 15–18). Man is frail and temporary, but believers enjoy “eternal youth” and spiritual renewal. David compares it to the eagle that looks old but still soars upward with new strength (Isa. 40:31).

You belong to the King who rules over everything (v. 19)! The angels praise Him (vv. 20–22), so why not join in their worship? (Wiersbe, 1997).

There is so much in this psalm. That I will save it for a future date to complete. My apologies for now.

Psalm 102

The inscription for this psalm is odd. It gives no name, no direction, no tune or style; it merely pronounces what it is. It is a title. This psalm is an individual lament or prayer. It contains similar expressions found in Psalm 27 (read the study of Psalm 27).

This psalm is a Messianic Psalm in that it describes what happened to Christ during His lifetime. As you read through the psalm, try to see the agony of Christ, particularly in the Garden of Gethsemane (His prayer could have been this psalm, cf. Hebrews 5.7) or on the Cross. See below for MacDonald and Farstad’s treatment on how this psalm relates to the Trinity.

This psalm can be divided into four parts. The plea (1-2), the reason for the plea (3-11), the character of God (12-22), and the contrast between God and man (23-28) are the main sections of this psalm.

Verses 1-2-The Psalmist proclaims his heart’s desire is for God to hear his prayer, his plea. He does not expect God to reject his prayer and knows that God. These thoughts are seen in Psalm 88 (read study) and Psalm 17 (read study).

Verses 3-11-These verses remind us of what James wrote in James 4.14. Job also responded to his condition in terms of his bones poured out, burned, and crushed (Job 30.16-32). When David was being judged for his sin with Bathsheba and all the aftermath, he expressed his life as bones that were broken (Psalm 51.8). David, in Psalm 51, knew this was from God as does this writer (11).

This list of birds represents those who live alone and are desolate (6-8), which is how the writer feels as those around him mock him for trusting in God.

Verses 12-17-The writer calls out to God to act because of whom God is not who the prayer is. The writer calls for God to act so God can be glorified by the nations. When we pray, we should pray according to God’s Word, His will, and His way. When we do so, we will be asking God to do exactly what God wants to do. God desires for us to care for the poor and needy. Do we pray for Him to care for the destitute (17)?

Verses 17-22-The psalmist is asking God to use his circumstances to help others know that God is good and God is worthy of worship (Romans 15.4 and 1 Corinthians 10.11).

As verses 18-19 are read, we get a sense that the psalmist knows that God stepped down from Heaven to answer his prayer.

Verses 23-28-The writer realizes his frailty and God’s eternal state. He also realizes that what is occurring in his life is due to the mighty, compassion, just, true, etc., God of the Universe allowing it to happen. He is the same today as He was then (Hebrews 13.8, cf. Malachi 3.6, which expresses why we are still living). Because of this, the writer notes, we can have confidence before Him (27-28, cf. Hebrews 1.10-12). So, let us go before Him and ask Him to incline His ear to us.

As you are in prayer today, how do you pray? Are you asking God to grant your requests according to your desires? There is nothing wrong with expressing the desires of your heart to God. However, He may not answer them. Are you praying according to His Word, will, and way? If so, then an answer is forthcoming (1 John 5.13-15).

What are you writing for others to read that they may see the glory of God manifests in their lives as-well? Each of us has enough going on in our life for others to read that they may be drawn closer to God.

The key to understanding this Psalm lies in detecting the change in speakers.

Vv. 1–11 The Lord Jesus, hanging on the cross, is speaking to God.

Vv. 12–15 The Father replies to His beloved Son; we know this by comparing verse 12 with Hebrews 1:8.

Vv. 16–22 The speaker is unidentified, but we are safe in assuming that it is the Holy Spirit, describing the future restoration of Israel under the Messiah.

Vv. 23, 24a The Savior is heard once more as He suffers at the hands of God for our sins.

Vv. 24b–28 Again by comparing this section with Hebrews 1:10–12, we know that the Father is speaking to His Son.

Here as nowhere else in the Bible we are enabled to listen in on a conversation that took place between the three Persons of the Trinity when the Lord Jesus was making expiation for the sins of the world (MacDonald and Farstad, 1997).

Psalm 93

This psalm describes the greatness of God over all the earth, over other gods, and over us. The psalmist informs us that God is eternally holy (1-2). He informs us that God is greater than Baal or other gods (3-4). When the Scripture speaks of the sea or floods, it normally refers to chaos. God is greater than the troubles we find ourselves in. God is holy forever (5).

How about us? Does our life reflect the truth of this psalm? Do others see that God is greater in our lives than other things? Do others see how majestic God is by the words we speak, the activities we find ourselves involved in, and the habits of worship we have?