Tag Archive | Psalms

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Days 208 and 209

Jul28

NOTE: Sunday and Monday studies are posted together on MONDAY.

Day 208 – Reading – Isaiah 44 – 48.

Day 209 – 2 Kings 19, Psalms 46, 80, and 135.

Read today’s Scriptures.  PRAY and SING them too!

SUNDAY,

Day 208 – Isaiah 44.

(We are still in the section (chapters 40-66) that addresses Judah AS IF they were already in the Babylonian captivity, which in reality is perhaps 70/80 years off.)

Isaiah’s words from the LORD about the millennial kingdom are meant to encourage Judah.

  • But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen! Thus says the LORD who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you. “Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun* whom I have chosen. “For I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring and my blessing on your descendants.”

*Jeshurun is an honored name for Israel, whose root meaning is “right or straight,” the opposite of the meaning of Jacob, which is “deceiver.”

  •  Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts, “I AM the first and I AM the last; besides me there is no god.  WHO is like Me? Let him declare it.”  “Is there a God besides me? THERE IS NO ROCK; I KNOW NOT ANY!”

After that, the foolishness of idol worship is portrayed.  They are nothing!  “The carpenter cuts down a cedar, or cypress, or oak.  It becomes fuel to warm him, roast his meat, and bake his bread. He also makes an idol out of it and worships and prays to it, even though it falls down on its face.”

But the LORD, the LORD, is Israel’s Redeemer.

  • “I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like a mist; RETURN TO ME, for I have redeemed you! 
  • Sing O heavens, for the LORD has done it; shout, O depths of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it.  FOR THE LORD HAS REDEEMED JACOB AND WILL BE GLORIFIED IN ISRAEL.”

And then the LORD speaks of the way future Persian king, Cyrus.  “He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose, saying. “Jerusalem shall be built, the Temple will have its foundation laid.”

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Isaiah 45.

The Lord continues about Cyrus, His anointed instrument.  God will use him to “subdue nations,” and “loose the belts of kings,” and “open doors and gates before him.”

God pledges to Cyrus, “I will go before you to level the exalted places, break in pieces the doors of bronze, cut through bars of iron, and give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places.”

WHY? 

For the sake of God’s servant Jacob, and Israel, His chosen.  AND… “That you may know that it is the LORD, the God of Israel, who called you by name.  And that the people will know that there is none beside me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.

“I have stirred him (Cyrus) up in righteousness, and I will make all his ways level; he shall build my city and set my exiles free.”   Here Isaiah is telling about a Persian King who will come to destroy Babylon and release the Jewish captives….. and the captivity hasn’t even happened yet!

Many sections in this chapter are glorious statements and praises to the LORD God. Read them and let your heart swell. 

Verse 22:  “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”

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Isaiah 46.

The useless idols of Babylon are compared to the One True God.  “Bel (Baal) bows down, and Nebo (the Phoenician chief god) stoops and bows down. They cannot save themselves, and go into captivity. 

But God, who bore Israel before their birth, carried them from the womb, and will even to their old age and gray hairs, HE will carry and save them…. for He is God, there is no other like Him.  He will put salvation in Zion, for Israel His glory.

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Isaiah 47.

Isaiah foretells the humiliation of Babylon.  “Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne. For you shall no more be called tender and delicate. Take the millstones and grind flour, put off your veil, strip off your robe, uncover your legs, pass through the rivers…. your disgrace shall be seen.  I will take vengeance, and I will spare no one. Our Redeemer — the LORD of hosts is his name — is the Holy One of ISRAEL.

“I was angry with my people; I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand (O daughter of the Chaldeans); you showed them no mercy; on the AGED you made your yoke EXCEEDINGLY HEAVY!!!

‘Now hear this …  “these two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure in spite of your many sorceries…”  “…there is no one to save you.”

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Isaiah 48.

And now, a bit of harshness for Israel, for their good.  God speaks to the house of Israel, who swore by his name and confessed him, but didn’t do it in truth or righteousness. 

“Because I knew that you were obstinate, and your neck was an iron sinew, and your forehead brass… I declared things to you before they came to pass — so you wouldn’t say, “My idol told me. my carved and metal image commanded them.” 

And now “From this time forth I announce to you NEW things, hidden things that you have not known.”

God says he has refined them and tried them in the furnace of affliction – for His own name’s sake. 

  • “Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea……………..”
  • Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea, declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it, send it out to the end of the earth; say, “The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob!”

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MONDAY,

Day 209 – 2 Kings 19.  

Back to some history. This section is a repeat of what we read in Isaiah 37. Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and his commander, Rabshakeh, came to harass Jerusalem and King Hezekiah. They also mocked and reviled the Holy One of Israel.  Hezekiah brought the threats before the LORD and prayed for help.

The LORD promises to send Sennacherib home, where he will be killed. (It happens.)

The LORD promises He will “defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”  And that night, the angel of the LORD goes through the Assyrian camp and kills 185K soldiers.  In the morning, there were only dead bodies. 

This chapter also recounts Hezekiah’s terminal illness, his prayer, and God’s adding 15 years to his life. 

But before YOU decide to pray to live longer, like Hezekiah pleaded, remember what the king DID with those extra years.  He foolishly (pridefully?) showed some well-wishing Babylonian emissaries ALL the treasures in his house and his realm, including the silver, gold, (precious stones), (costly vessels), spices, precious oil, (stalls for all kinds of cattle and sheepfolds), the entire armory, and everything in his storehouses (grain and wine). 

(NOTE:  The Babylonians – always interested in the cosmos – had heard – perhaps even experienced – the sundial going back those degrees, and had come to investigate – and… bring Hezekiah presents.)

When Isaiah heard what Hezekiah had done, he rebuked him for his stupidity and prophesied that EVERYTHING he had shown TO the Babylonians would one day be carried away BY the Babylonians. They would also take some of Hezekiah’s descendants, who would be made into eunuchs in the foreign king’s palace. 

“Oh well,” Hezekiah said. “At least there will be peace and security in MY days.”  Wow. How selfish!

(This story about Sennacherib, Hezekiah’s letter before God, and God’s actions, as well as Hezekiah’s foolishness with the Babylonian visitors, AND some of his later great accomplishments, are also written in 2 Chronicles 32, with a few more details.)

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Psalm 46.

  • “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear…”
  • “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. 
  • “He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the chariots with fire.
  • “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

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Psalm 80.

  • “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel … You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.” 
  • “… stir up Your might and come to save us!”
  •  “Restore us O LORD God of hosts! Let Your face shine, that we may be saved!”

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Psalm 135.

  • “Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD, give praise, O servants of the LORD … Praise the LORD for the LORD is good; sing to His name, for it is pleasant!
  • “For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the LORD pleases, he does..
  • “Your name, O LORD, endures forever, Your renown, O LORD throughout all ages.  For the LORD will vindicate His people and have compassion on His servants. 
  • “Blessed be the LORD from Zion, He who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the LORD!”

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 182

Jul1

A NEW MONTH! We are halfway through the year!

Day 182 – Reading – Obadiah 1 and Psalms 82 & 83

Read today’s Scriptures.  Do you see connections?

Obadiah 1.

Did the appearance here of this minor prophet surprise you? It did me. 

We are still reading about the divided nation = Israel vs Judah, both still living in the land God gave them.  So why the prophet Obadiah??

Obadiah is probably a contemporary of Elijah and Elisha, who prophesied mostly to the northern kingdom of Israel. Obadiah spoke only to the southern kingdom of Judah.

Now remember when Edom (Esau) along with Ammon and Moab came around the southern end of the Dead Sea to attack Judah?  (2 Chronicles 20). The Bible calls them “a great multitude” and “a horde.”  The people (and Jehoshaphat the king) were terrified of them.   Then, remember Jehoshaphat’s wonderful prayer to the LORD, reminding and claiming His promises of help?

  • “If disaster comes upon us, we will stand before this House and before You, and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.  Execute judgment on them now, for we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us.“

And remember the LORD’s reply.

  • “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s. You will not need to fight in this battle.  Stand firm, hold your position, and SEE the SALVATION of the LORD on your behalf. 

And Jehoshaphat appointed singers to sing to the LORD, and to praise Him as they went. And as they began to sing and praise Him, the LORD set an ambush, so that Ammon, Moab, and MOUNT SEIR were routed, so that none escaped alive.

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Obadiah is now prophesying against this Edom (Esau, Mt. Seir)  for the ill treatment of God’s beloved Judah.  He says,

  • “The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?”  Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars …. from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD.
  • Your mighty men shall be dismayed … so that every man from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter. Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever.

Obadiah prophesies of the time when Judah will be carried off into captivity by Babylon.  At that time Edom helps their captors, by catching runaways, and killing them!  God roughly calls them out.

  • “Do not GLOAT over the day of your brother, in the day of his misfortune; do not REJOICE over the people of Judah in the day of their ruin; do not BOAST in the day of distress. 
  • “Do not ENTER THE GATE of my people in the day of their calamity; do not GLOAT over his disaster in the day of his calamity; do not LOOT his wealth in the day of his calamity.
  • “Do not stand at the crossroads to CUT OFF HIS FUGITIVES; do not HAND OVER his survivors in the day of distress.”

But in that day, that’s just what Edom did, and God punished them for it.  “As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.  There shall be no survivor for the house of Esau,” for the LORD has spoken. 

(Hey, you don’t mess with God’s chosen people! HE may discipline them, but not YOU!)

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Psalm 82.

This psalm speaks NOT of persecuting the helpless, but RESCUING them. (It’s almost like this is sent ahead to Edom!)

  • “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless, maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

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Psalm 83.

This psalm is also very like Obadiah’s message to Edom (and to all who would persecute His Chosen… even TODAY)

  • “O God, do not keep silence; do not hold Your peace or be still, O God.

 

  • “They lay crafty plans against your people; they consult together against your treasured ones.

 

  • “They say, ‘Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”

(Have you heard this mentioned about Israel today in the news???)

 

  • “For they conspire with one accord; against You they make a covenant, the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab, and the Hagrites, Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the in habitants of Tyre; Asshur also has joined them; they are the strong arm of the children of Lot.

(Yes, Israel is surrounded to day by those who hate them and want to destroy them!)

 

  • “O my God, make them like whirling dust, like the chaff before the wind. As fire consumes the forest, as the flame sets the mountains ablaze, so may You pursue them with Your tempest and terrify them with Your hurricane!

 

  • “Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; let them perish in disgrace, that they may know that YOU ALONE, whose name is the LORD are the Most High over the  earth.”

 

Oh, my goodness.

This SO reminds me of recent affairs in the Middle East.

And the hate threats towards Israel.

(Oh, God!)

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Days 131 & 132

May12

(Sundays and Mondays studies are both posted on Monday.)

Day 131. Reading 2 Samuel 10, 1 Chronicles 19, and Psalm 20

Day 132.  Reading Psalms 65, 66, 67, 69, 70

Read Today’s Scriptures.

Day 131.

2 Samuel 10 and 1 Chronicles 19  (These two chapters tell the same story with very few differences.)

It started with a good deed. The friendly king of the Ammonites died, and David wanted to show his loyalty to the new king, Hanun, so he sent a company of his servants to console him.  Like many young and pompous advisors to new youthful kings, Hanun’s guys filled his mind with suspicion about David’s servants. They whispered in Hanun’s ear that King David had sent them to search the city, spy on it, and overthrow it. 

Really?  With bouquets of lilies?

The young (and foolish king – he reminds me of Solomon’s son Rehoboam & his foolish advisors – took David’s servants and humiliated them.  Half their beards (a symbol of manhood) were shaved off, and their robes were cut off at hip level, leaving them exposed.  They were greatly ashamed!

David heard about it, sent men to meet them (presumably with decent clothes), and told them to remain in Jericho until their beards grew out.

Young King Hanun, sensing he’d made a mistake and seeing how he now “stunk” in the eyes of Israel, got together an army, added some neighboring soldiers then fanned out for war. (second mistake)

David sent Joab and the host of his mighty men. (The empire strikes back!)

Joab and his co-commander brother Abishai spit up to fight the Syrians and Ammonites. Joab encouraged his brother and men with a great declaration.

  • Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to Him.

Way to go, Joab!

The Syrians fled.  When the Ammonites saw them running away, they fled too.  HA!  Joab and Abishai and their men returned to Jerusalem. 

Now the Syrians were embarrassed and returned with a new, powerful commander to fight again. (third mistake.)  This time DAVID himself, gathered all Israel together, led them across the Jordan River, and fought them.

The Syrians fled again. This time David and the company went after them, killing many thousands. And also, that great commander died too.  When the Syrians saw they were defeated they surrendered and became subject to Israel.

So the Syrians were not willing to save the Ammonites anymore.  (Let that be a lesson learned!)

Psalm 20.

This psalm is titled, “Trust in the Name of the LORD our God.” It’s a song most often sung before going out to battle.

That’s just what Joab and Abishai, and then King David did, and they won the day. All glory to God.

  • May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the Name of the God of Jacob protect you!
  • May He send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion!
  • May He remember all your offerings, and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices!
  • May He grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!
  • May WE shout for joy over your salvation, and in the Name of our God set up our banners!
  • May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!
  • Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving might of His right hand. 
  • SOME trust in chariots and SOME in horses, but WE trust in the Name of the LORD our God!

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Day 132. (5 more psalms)

Psalm 65.

This psalm is a PRAISE psalm (to the MAX).  It’s hopeful, confident, and enthusiastic in response to God’s goodness.  It’s a celebration at the Tabernacle, probably at one of Israel’s Feasts.

  • Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion
  • O YOU WHO HEAR PRAYER, to You shall all flesh come.
  • Blessed is the one You choose and bring near to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with your goodness and holiness.
  • By awesome deeds You answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation.
  • You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.
  • You crown the year with Your bounty; Your wagon tracks overflow with abundance!

Psalm 66.

Another psalm of praise titled “How Awesome Are Your Deeds”

  • Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of His Name; give to Him glorious praise!  Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds!”  So great is Your power that Your enemies come cringing to You.
  • Come and see what God has done; He is awesome in His deeds toward the children of man.
  • Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of His praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip.

And then, a personal testimony;

  • Come and hear all you who fear God, and I will tell you what He has done for my soul.
  • I cried to Him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue.
  • If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the LORD would not have listened. 
  • But truly God HAS listened, He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
  • BLESSED be God, because He has not rejected my prayer or removed His steadfast love from me!

Psalm 67.

This psalm shows that God’s desire is to save and bless ALL nations of the earth as they come to Him and fear him! But first a “benediction.”

  • May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine on us.…..
  • that Your way may be known on the earth, Your saving power among all NATIONS.
  • Let the PEOPLES praise You, O God: let all the PEOPLES praise you!
  • Let the NATIONS  be glad and sing for joy; for You judge the PEOPLES with equity and guide the NATIONS upon the earth.
  • Let the PEOPLES praise You, O God; let all the PEOPLES praise you. 
  • …let all the ends of the earth fear Him!

Psalm 69.

This psalm is a prayer of desperation, titled “Save Me, O God.”   In it David realizes that he might be shortly killed. He begs for rescue.

This psalm also has inferences concerning the coming Messianic kingdom when God’s enemies are dealt with.  Much of it was applied to Christ in the New Testament – you will catch those parts as you read.  But any believer being ridiculed will identify too.

Read the whole thing.  It shows David’s intimacy with God that he can pray such personal prayers.  It shows US that we can cry out to God, no matter what our heartache or need.  No matter how desperate we are or what sin we have done.   

Psalm 70.

A short psalm, almost identical to Psalm 40.  David prays against his enemies, asking God to turn them back and be brought to shame.

But then he prays that ALL who WILL turn and seek God might be saved!

  • May ALL who seek You rejoice and be glad in You!  May those who LOVE YOUR SALVATION say evermore, “God is Great!”

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Tomorrow, sadly, we will see the great king fall. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 128

May8
Day 128.  Reading Psalms 25, 29, 33, 36, and 39.
 
 

Read Today’s Psalms.  PRAY them, SING them, PRAISE GOD with them.

Psalm 25.

A glorious PRAYER-psalm.  

  • To YOU, O LORD I lift up my soul. O my God, in You I trust.
  • Make me to know Your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.
  • Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation.
  • Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, 
  • Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to Your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of Your goodness, O LORD.
  • Good and upright is the LORD; He instructs sinners in the way.
  • He leads the humble in what is right and teaches the humble His way.
  • For Your Name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great.
  • Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
  • Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!  Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in You.
  • May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You.

Psalm 29.

A wonderful psalm of God’s MAJESTY!

  • Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength
  • Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

(To “ascribe” means to “give the credit due.”)

Read through this hymn and see all it says about the “voice of the LORD.”

Psalm 33.

Another psalm of many ways and reasons to praise the LORD.

  • Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.
  • Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him!
  • Our soul waits for the LORD;  He is our help and our shield. 
  • For our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in His holy Name … we hope in You.

Psalm 36.

A psalm in praise of God’s Steadfast Love (mercy).

David first describes the wicked person in verses 1-4

  • Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes.
  • He flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out …
  • The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit …
  • He plots trouble while in his bed …

Then his thoughts and eyes turn to the loving, faithful, and righteous God.

  • How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
  • Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who who know you, and your righteousness, to the upright of heart.

Psalm 39.

A personal psalm, a lament looking at David’s heart, and to his “end.”

  • I said, “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; 
  • O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am.
  • Behold you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath!
  • And now, O LORD, for what do I wait?  My hope is in you.

Then comes a time when he turns, confesses sin, and hopes in God.

  • Deliver me from all my transgressions.
  • Remove Your “stroke” from me; I am spent by the hostility of Your hand.
  • When You discipline a man with rebukes for sin, you consume like a moth what is dear to him; surely all mankind is a mere breath!
  • Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not Your peace at my tears! 
  • Look away from me, that I may smile again before I depart and am no more!

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  • LORD, if You remembered the sins of my youth (and old age), if You marked down and kept track of all my iniquity, I could not stand! I would be consumed like that moth in a fire.  But there is forgiveness with You. I may endure a time of discipline, but I can smile again.  My HOPE is in You. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 126

May6
Day 126.  Reading Psalms 89, 96, 100, 101, 105, and 132.
 
 
 
Read Today’s Scriptures.
 
Psalm 89.

This Psalm is written by Ethan, the third official court songwriter/singer appointed by David (along with Asaph and Heman. see 1 Chron. 6:31-47)   He puts a lot into his song —  Praise to God, first and foremost, then the glory of David, chosen to be King and his enduring royal line. But then he talks of discipline for the disobedient kings, God hiding Himself, and Ethan’s own longing for the “days of old.”  Finally, he ends with a blessing to the LORD, almost as an afterthought. 

  • “I will sing of the mercy of the LORD forever; with my mouth, I will make known Your faithfulness to all generations!
  • Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of Your face, who exult in Your Name all day and in Your righteousness are exalted.

Then about the chosen David.

  • I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him so that My hand shall be established with him; My arm also shall strengthen him.
  • I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations. 
  • My faithfulness and My steadfast love shall be with him, and in My Name, shall his horn be exalted.
  • I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. 
  • If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, then I will punish THEIR transgression with the rod and THEIR iniquity with stripes, BUT, I WILL NOT REMOVE FROM HIM MY STEADFAST LOVE OR BE FALSE TO MY FAITHFULNESS.
  • I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me.

WOW!

Psalm 96.

This psalm is one of praise and worship of the Lord and His holiness! (Notice all the imperatives!)

  • Oh, sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!
  • Sing to the LORD, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day.
  • Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples.
  • For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised.
  • Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
  • Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
  • Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His Name, bring an offering, and come into his courts!
  • Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness, tremble before him, all the earth.
  • Say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns!”
  • Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice … for He comes, for He comes to judge the earth.
  • He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in His faithfulness.

Psalm 100.

Another psalm that you could probably recite right now.  (Note here all the imperatives again.)

  • Make a joyful noise (laugh?) to the LORD, all the earth!
  • Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into His presence with singing.
  • Know that the LORD, He is God!  It is He who made us and we are HIS; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
  • Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him, bless His name!
  • For the LORD is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 101.

Notice David’s vows for integrity, both for himself and for all around him.  Sadly, wanting and doing are not always compatible.  (On our own, we can never accomplish this.  Praise God for His Holy Spirit and for His promise of forgiveness when we confess & repent.)

  • “I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to You, O LORD, I will make music.
  • I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh, when will you come to me?  I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.
  • I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. 
  • No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house: no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.”

Psalm 105.

Another psalm of praise, plus an account of Israel’s history, of how God worked wonders and miracles and judgments to bring them to and settle them in the Promised Land.  (Psalms 96 and 106 are very similar to this one.)

(Wouldn’t it be good for us Americans too, to list (and sing?) about the glorious things God did in bringing our own country into being and blessing us to this day?.  Why not sing our national anthem today! Look up all the verses and do it. Then THANK God.)

  • Oh, give thanks to the LORD; call upon His Name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!
  • Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works?
  • Glory in His holy Name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
  • Seek the LORD and His strength; seek his presence continually.
  • Remember the wondrous works that He has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Abraham, His servant, children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

Then David recounts the glories of the LORD in fulfilling his “everlasting covenant” with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel, through Genesis, Joseph & Moses, Exodus, and Joshua.  All the “good” history of God’s salvation and provision (none of their sin). It ends in this way.

  • And He brought His people out with joy, His chosen ones with singing.
  • And He gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil, that they might keep His statutes and observe His laws. 
  • Praise the LORD!

Psalm 132.

This psalm contains the nation’s prayers for David’s royal descendants who look ahead, even to the Messiah.

  • Remember, O LORD, in David’s favor, all the hardships he endured, how he swore to the LORD and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, “I will not enter my house or get into my bed, I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
  • Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place, You and the Ark of Your might. 
  • Let your priests be clothed with righteousness and let Your saints shout for joy.
  • For the sake of Your servant David, do not turn away the face of Your anointed One. 
  • The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which He will not turn back: “One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne. If your sons keep My covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their sons also forever shall sit on your throne.”

God’s desire is for Zion always. And He tells of a promise of the Messiah from David’s line.

  • For the LORD has chosen Zion, He has desired it for His dwelling place.
  • “This is My resting place FOREVER; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
  • I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread.
  • Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy.
  • THERE I will make a HORN to sprout for David; I have prepared a LAMP for My Anointed.
  • His enemies I will clothe with shame, but on Him His crown will shine.

 

 

 

 
 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 123

May3
Day 123.  Reading Psalm 106, 107.
 
 
 
Read Today’s Scriptures.
 
Psalm 106.

(This Psalm reviews God’s mercy on Israel despite their sinfulness. This history of Israel was most likely sung when David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. See 2 Samuel 6 and 1 Chron. 16.)

“Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love (mercy) endures forever!”

ONE

  • Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.” 
  • “Yet He saved them for His name’s sake, that He might make known His mighty power.”  “He saved them from the land of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.” 
  • “Then they believed His words; they sang his praise.”

TWO

  • “But they soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, but had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test.”  “They exchanged the GLORY OF GOD for the image of an ox that eats grass!”   “They forgot God their savior.
  • “He said He would destroy them — had not Moses stood in the breach before Him to turn Him away from His wrath.”

THREE

  • “They despised the pleasant land, had no faith in His promise. They murmured…. they did not obey…. Therefore He swore to them that He would make them fall in the wilderness.”
  • They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to the dead. They provoked the LORD to anger, and a plague broke out among them.
  • Then Phinehas stood up and intervened and the plague was stayed.  That was counted to him for righteousness.

FOUR

  • They angered Him at the waters of Meribah, and it WENT ILL WITH MOSES on their account, for they made His spirit bitter, and he spoke rashly with his lips.
  • They disobeyed and did not destroy the people as the LORD commanded. They mixed with the nations and learned to do as they did.  They served idols. They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.”  “Thus they became unclean by their acts and played the whore.
  • Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against His people and He abhorred His heritage. He gave them into the hands of the nations.  Their enemies oppressed them.
  • Nevertheless … He looked upon their distress, He heard their cry, He remembered His covenant, and relented according to the abundance of His steadfast love.

“BLESSED BE THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, from everlasting to everlasting. “Amen. Praise the LORD.”

  • What mercy and forgiveness we see in our God. These verses remind me of 1 John 1:9. “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” How I thank and praise Him. 

.

Psalm 107.

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for his steadfast love (mercy) endures forever.”  “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north and from the west.

SOME wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty.

  • “But they cried to the LORD in their trouble and He delivered them from their distress.  He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in.
  • “He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things.

SOME sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons. 

  • “Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.
  • He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.

SOME were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities, suffered affliction. They loathed food and drew near to the gates of death.

  • “Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.
  • He sent out His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.

SOME went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep.

  • “He commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.
  • They mounted up to heaven; then went down to the depts; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end.
  • Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
  • He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. He brought them to their desired haven.

Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.

 

This is a great thing to consider and think on today!

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 120

Apr30
Day 120.  Reading Psalms 102, 103, 104.
 

Read today’s scripture.

  • Don’t you LOVE these Psalms? 
  • What verses will YOU memorize and remember?
  • Or make into a song? 
  • Or pray back to the LORD?

Psalm 102.

(This psalm is “a prayer of one afflicted when he is faint. He pours out his complaint before the LORD”.)

It reminds me of the songwriter/singer that David chose, named Heman, with His dark Psalm 88. But this psalm has sections of praise and joy too. 

  • “Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you!  Don’t hide Your face from me in the day of my distress!  Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call! 

(Wow, he seems desperate!)

  • (He is in really bad shape.) His days pass like smoke. His heart is struck down.  He forgets to eat. He feels lonely and persecuted. He “eats ashes like bread.”  (Contrition and repentance.) 
  • He says God’s indignation and anger have thrown him down, crushed him

Perhaps he’s feeling God’s discipline and is repenting. (Boy, do I ever know THAT feeling.)

  • THEN, he spends a bit of space praising the LORD, eternal, compassionate, strong, and glorious. And he speaks of God, reminding/preaching to himself, “The LORD … regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer.  From heaven the LORD looked at the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die….“
  • “O my God,” I say, “take me not away in the midst of my days –You whose years endure throughout all generations.”

Psalm 103.

Here David is praising the LORD in glorious and familiar words!

  • Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me bless his holy name!
  • Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not His benefits,
  • Who forgives all your iniquity,
  • Who heals all your diseases,
  • Who redeems your life from the pit,
  • Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
  • Who satisfies you with good, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles!”

Wow! Praise God!  But there’s more! (He quotes Exodus 34:6-7)

  • The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
  • He will not always chide, nor will He keep his anger forever.
  • He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repays us according to our iniquities.
  • For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him;
  • As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 
  • As a father shows compassion to His children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.

And his mighty conclusion. (This reminds me of the choirs in heaven praising God.)

  • Bless the LORD, O you his angels, his mighty ones who do His word, obeying the voice of His word!
  • Bless the LORD all His hosts, His ministers, who do His will!
  • Bless the LORD, all His works, in all places of His dominion.
  • Bless the LORD, O MY SOUL!

Psalm 104.

Another fantastic Psalm of praise.  Look for all the “creation” references too.

  • O LORD my God, You are very great!
  • YOU are clothed with splendor and majesty …covering yourself with light as a garment … stretching out the heavens like a tent.
  • He makes clouds His chariot; He rides on the wings of the wind; He makes His messengers winds, His ministers a flaming fire.
  • He set the earth on its foundations … He covered it with the deep as with a garment … the mountains rose, the valleys sank down … You set a boundary that they may not pass.
  • You make springs gush forth … they give drink to every beast of the field. Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches.
  • You cause the grass to grow for the livestock … and plants for man to cultivate … food … wine … oil … bread.
  • He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting.  YOU make darkness, and it is night when the wild beasts creep out.  When the sun rises, they lie down in their dens. Man goes out to his work, and to his labor until evening. 
  • O LORD, HOW MANIFOLD ARE YOUR WORKS!  IN WISDOM YOU HAVE MADE THEM ALL, THE EARTH IS FULL OF YOUR CREATURES!
  • Here is the sea, great in wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great.
  • There go ships … and Leviathan, which You formed to play in it.
  • These all look to You to give them their food in due season.
  • MAY THE GLORY OF THE LORD ENDURE FOREVER.

I will sing to the LORD, as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to Him, for I rejoice in the LORD.  Bless the LORD, O my soul!  Praise the LORD!

 

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 166

Jun14

   Day 166—We are in the 6th month of Bible reading and continue with the history of Israel.

 Day 166 – Psalms 134, 146 – 150. (Finishing the wonderful book of Psalms.)

I imagine these Psalms being sung as part of the celebration & dedication of the new Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem.

Psalm 134. “Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the LORD!  Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the LORD!  May the LORD bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth!”

Psalm 146:1-2.  “Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.”

Psalm 147:1-2, 7. “Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. The LORD builds up Jerusalem. He gathers the outcast of Israel.”  “Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving, to make melody to our God on the Lyre!”

Psalm 148:1-4.  “Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you shining stars! Praise Him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!” 

Psalm 149:1-4, 6. “Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, His praise to the assembly of the godly! Let Israel be glad in His Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their king! Le the praise His name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the humble with salvation.”  “Let the high praises of God be in their mouths and two-edged swords in their hands.”

Psalm 150:1-2, 6. “Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise Him in his mighty heavens! Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him according to His excellent greatness!”   “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. PRAISE THE LORD!”

 

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, days 152

May31

   Day 152—We are almost finished with the FIFTH month in our reading and have begun a new book in the Bible. – 2 Chronicles. 

   Day 152 –  2 Chronicles 1, Psalm 72 (Solomon’s request, fame & glory, wealth.)

2 Chronicles 1. Much of this chapter is a repeat of 1 Kings 3. in Solomon’s sacrifices to God, God’s request of him, and Solomon’s seeking wisdom and understanding to lead the people of Israel.

God gives him abundant wisdom, as well as riches and honor. Verse one says, “…and the LORD his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.” As for riches, Solomon “made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stone…”  

However, this rich and wise king disobeyed God’s words about how kings should live in Deuteronomy 17 by importing thousands of horses and chariots from Egypt and Kue. These were not only for himself, but he also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria. (Huh???)

(NOTE: Kue is possibly Cilicia, including Tarsus, located north of Israel, Lebanon, and Syria.)

Psalm 72. This is a “coronation psalm” written either by David or Solomon himself. It’s a prayer for the king to be a righteous judge of the people. It’s challenging him to care for the people by defending them and supplying their needs. It states the desire for there to be righteousness and peace in all his kingdom as it expands in all directions. 

“Long may he live… May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all day!” (How many of us pray for our leaders continually and invoke God’s blessings on them?) Many more blessings are prayed for the king, his people, and his kingdom.

Then the psalmist directs the reader to the One who makes it all possible. “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory!”

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, days 146

May25

   Day 146—We are in our FIFTH month of Bible reading and begin our 12th book – 1 Kings.  Are you loving God more each day? What are you learning about Him?  Share in the comments section.

   Day 146 –  Psalms 131, 138, 139, 143, 144, 145. (Parts of some of these psalms of David are very familiar.)

131. “O, LORD, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother..”    “O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time forth and forevermore.”

138, “For though the LORD is high, He regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life; You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me…“

139.  (This whole psalm is precious and beautiful!  “O LORD, You have searched me and known me!  You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.  Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.”

“Where shall I go from Your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,’ even darkness is not dark to You; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”

“For you formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

“How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with You.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

143. “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that You have done; I ponder the work of Your hands. I stretch out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land.” “Teach me to do your will, for You are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!“

144. “Blessed be the LORD, my rock….He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I take refuge;” “Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!”

145. “I will extol You, my God and King, and bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.”

“The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The LORD is good to all, and His mercy is over all that He has made.” “The LORD is faithful in all His words and kind in all His works! The LORD upholds all who are the falling and raises up all who are bowed down.”

“The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His works. The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him, and He also hears their cry and saves them. The LORD preserves all who love Him…..” “Let all flesh bless His holy name forever and ever.”