Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

Just after the people of Nineveh declared that they will repent from their sins, Jonah became very upset. This chapter reveals why Jonah ran away from his assignment earlier on. He knew that God was merciful and gracious and so Job could not stand the people not facing his kind of justice.

So Jonah went out of the city and sulked. He was still waiting to see if Nineveh would get destroyed. God, in his grace and loving patience comforted Jonah in his misery. God tried to show Jonah how much He cared for the people of Nineveh by example of creating a plant to protect Jonah from the sun.




Jonah 4
Jonah’s Anger and God’s Kindness

1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. 2 So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

4 Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

5 So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. 6 And the Lord God prepared a plant[a] and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. 7 But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. 8 And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”

10 But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”

That you will call Me ‘My Husband,’ And no longer call Me ‘My Master’

In a very graphic description, this God compares the idolatry and rebelliousness of Israel to the harlotry of a wife and mother. The wife believes her lovers could provide her with protection and sustenance, not realizing it should be God she should turn to. So God will confuse her paths and put obstacles there. By doing this, God will lead her back to her first love and also as a means of punishing her.

Looking beyond her present unfaithfulness, God is merciful and has a plan of redemption for her. God will bring her back and form an even stronger relationship - instead of calling him Master, she would be able to call him Husband. God reveals His plan her to be an everlasting covenant. God is looking forward to the day He can say ‘You are My people!’ and they will say ‘You are my God!’”




Hosea 2

1 Say to your brethren, ‘My people,’[a]
And to your sisters, ‘Mercy[b] is shown.’

God’s Unfaithful People

2 “Bring charges against your mother, bring charges;
For she is not My wife, nor am I her Husband!
Let her put away her harlotries from her sight,
And her adulteries from between her breasts;
3 Lest I strip her naked
And expose her, as in the day she was born,
And make her like a wilderness,
And set her like a dry land,
And slay her with thirst.
4 “I will not have mercy on her children,
For they are the children of harlotry.
5 For their mother has played the harlot;
She who conceived them has behaved shamefully.
For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,
Who give me my bread and my water,
My wool and my linen,
My oil and my drink.’
6 “Therefore, behold,
I will hedge up your way with thorns,
And wall her in,
So that she cannot find her paths.
7 She will chase her lovers,
But not overtake them;
Yes, she will seek them, but not find them.
Then she will say,
‘I will go and return to my first husband,
For then it was better for me than now.’
8 For she did not know
That I gave her grain, new wine, and oil,
And multiplied her silver and gold—
Which they prepared for Baal.
9 “Therefore I will return and take away
My grain in its time
And My new wine in its season,
And will take back My wool and My linen,
Given to cover her nakedness.
10 Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers,
And no one shall deliver her from My hand.
11 I will also cause all her mirth to cease,
Her feast days,
Her New Moons,
Her Sabbaths—
All her appointed feasts.
12 “And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees,
Of which she has said,
‘These are my wages that my lovers have given me.’
So I will make them a forest,
And the beasts of the field shall eat them.
13 I will punish her
For the days of the Baals to which she burned incense.
She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry,
And went after her lovers;
But Me she forgot,” says the Lord.


God’s Mercy on His People

14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
Will bring her into the wilderness,
And speak comfort to her.
15 I will give her her vineyards from there,
And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope;
She shall sing there,
As in the days of her youth,
As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.
16 “And it shall be, in that day,”
Says the Lord,
“That you will call Me ‘My Husband,’[c]
And no longer call Me ‘My Master,’[d]
17 For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals,
And they shall be remembered by their name no more.
18 In that day I will make a covenant for them
With the beasts of the field,
With the birds of the air,
And with the creeping things of the ground.
Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth,
To make them lie down safely.
19 “I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me
In righteousness and justice,
In lovingkindness and mercy;
20 I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,
And you shall know the Lord.
21 “It shall come to pass in that day
That I will answer,” says the Lord;
“I will answer the heavens,
And they shall answer the earth.
22 The earth shall answer
With grain,
With new wine,
And with oil;
They shall answer Jezreel.[e]
23 Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth,
And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy;[f]
Then I will say to those who were not My people,[g]
‘You are My people!’
And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’”

I will put My Law in their Minds, and Write it on their Hearts

The first part is about the remnant of Israel who will be saved and once again live under the blessings of God. God tells them of His everlasting love for them. In that future time, they will come to Jerusalem to worship from all over the world. They will understand that God had redeemed them for a ransom and come to rejoice and worship.

In the second part, Ephraim, which may also indicate Israel, calls onto God for restoration. They have understood their mistakes and willing to repent. God hears them and provides them with hope. He also assures them that the future generations will return to the promised land. But before the restoration and blessings, there will first be judgment. God will allow both good seed and bad seed to grow together, then he will separate them when the time arrives.

In the final section, even in this Old Covenant times, God has revealed that in the future He will make a New Covenant with His people. The Old Covenant was based on the laws the God gave the people after rescuing them from Egypt. The New Covenant would be laws written in the hearts and minds of His people. God reveals Himself as the Supreme Creator and gives the confidence that the restored Israel will be there as long as the universe exist.



Jeremiah 31
The Remnant of Israel Saved

1 “At the same time,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”

2 Thus says the Lord:

“The people who survived the sword
Found grace in the wilderness—
Israel, when I went to give him rest.”
3 The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:
“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
4 Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin of Israel!
You shall again be adorned with your tambourines,
And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.
5 You shall yet plant vines on the mountains of Samaria;
The planters shall plant and eat them as ordinary food.
6 For there shall be a day
When the watchmen will cry on Mount Ephraim,
‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion,
To the Lord our God.’”
7 For thus says the Lord:
“Sing with gladness for Jacob,
And shout among the chief of the nations;
Proclaim, give praise, and say,
‘O Lord, save Your people,
The remnant of Israel!’
8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country,
And gather them from the ends of the earth,
Among them the blind and the lame,
The woman with child
And the one who labors with child, together;
A great throng shall return there.
9 They shall come with weeping,
And with supplications I will lead them.
I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters,
In a straight way in which they shall not stumble;
For I am a Father to Israel,
And Ephraim is My firstborn.
10 “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
And declare it in the isles afar off, and say,
‘He who scattered Israel will gather him,
And keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’
11 For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he.
12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion,
Streaming to the goodness of the Lord—
For wheat and new wine and oil,
For the young of the flock and the herd;
Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden,
And they shall sorrow no more at all.
13 “Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance,
And the young men and the old, together;
For I will turn their mourning to joy,
Will comfort them,
And make them rejoice rather than sorrow.
14 I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance,
And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.”



Mercy on Ephraim

15 Thus says the Lord:
“A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation and bitter weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted for her children,
Because they are no more.”
16 Thus says the Lord:
“Refrain your voice from weeping,
And your eyes from tears;
For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord,
And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
17 There is hope in your future, says the Lord,
That your children shall come back to their own border.
18 “I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself:
‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised,
Like an untrained bull;
Restore me, and I will return,
For You are the Lord my God.
19 Surely, after my turning, I repented;
And after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh;
I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated,
Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’
20 Is Ephraim My dear son?
Is he a pleasant child?
For though I spoke against him,
I earnestly remember him still;
Therefore My heart yearns for him;
I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord.
21 “Set up signposts,
Make landmarks;
Set your heart toward the highway,
The way in which you went.
Turn back, O virgin of Israel,
Turn back to these your cities.
22 How long will you gad about,
O you backsliding daughter?
For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth—
A woman shall encompass a man.”


Future Prosperity of Judah

23 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “They shall again use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I bring back their captivity: ‘The Lord bless you, O home of justice, and mountain of holiness!’ 24 And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all its cities together, farmers and those going out with flocks. 25 For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.”

26 After this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was sweet to me.

27 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. 28 And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to throw down, to destroy, and to afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord. 29 In those days they shall say no more:

‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
30 But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.

A New Covenant

31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them,[a] says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

35 Thus says the Lord,
Who gives the sun for a light by day,
The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night,
Who disturbs the sea,
And its waves roar
(The Lord of hosts is His name):
36 “If those ordinances depart
From before Me, says the Lord,
Then the seed of Israel shall also cease
From being a nation before Me forever.”
37 Thus says the Lord:

“If heaven above can be measured,
And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath,
I will also cast off all the seed of Israel
For all that they have done, says the Lord.
38 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the city shall be built for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 The surveyor’s line shall again extend straight forward over the hill Gareb; then it shall turn toward Goath. 40 And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the Brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the Lord. It shall not be plucked up or thrown down anymore forever.”

Their Blood is Sprinkled upon My Garments

The first part pictures the Lord coming in His glorious clothes, yet covered in red. This is presumably the blood of judgement and vengeance. He has brought salvation for some as well as vengeance for others. In the second part, His lovingkindness and mercy is described. He is a Saviour and Redeemer to His people. It also reflects back on the time of Moses when the Lord saved them even though they continuously grumbled against Him.

The final part of the chapter is a plea from the people to God. They call Him, Redeemer from Everlasting. They recognize the Lord as their Father and that they have gone astray. And they ask God not to harden their hearts but instead return to them for their sakes.



Isaiah 63
The Lord in Judgment and Salvation

1 Who is this who comes from Edom,
With dyed garments from Bozrah,
This One who is glorious in His apparel,
Traveling in the greatness of His strength?—
“I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”
2 Why is Your apparel red,
And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?
3 “I have trodden the winepress alone,
And from the peoples no one was with Me.
For I have trodden them in My anger,
And trampled them in My fury;
Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments,
And I have stained all My robes.
4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart,
And the year of My redeemed has come.
5 I looked, but there was no one to help,
And I wondered
That there was no one to uphold;
Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me;
And My own fury, it sustained Me.
6 I have trodden down the peoples in My anger,
Made them drunk in My fury,
And brought down their strength to the earth.”

God’s Mercy Remembered

7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord
And the praises of the Lord,
According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us,
And the great goodness toward the house of Israel,
Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies,
According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.
8 For He said, “Surely they are My people,
Children who will not lie.”
So He became their Savior.
9 In all their affliction He was afflicted,
And the Angel of His Presence saved them;
In His love and in His pity He redeemed them;
And He bore them and carried them
All the days of old.
10 But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit;
So He turned Himself against them as an enemy,
And He fought against them.
11 Then he remembered the days of old,
Moses and his people, saying:
“Where is He who brought them up out of the sea
With the shepherd of His flock?
Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them,
12 Who led them by the right hand of Moses,
With His glorious arm,
Dividing the water before them
To make for Himself an everlasting name,
13 Who led them through the deep,
As a horse in the wilderness,
That they might not stumble?”
14 As a beast goes down into the valley,
And the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest,
So You lead Your people,
To make Yourself a glorious name.

A Prayer of Penitence

15 Look down from heaven,
And see from Your habitation, holy and glorious.
Where are Your zeal and Your strength,
The yearning of Your heart and Your mercies toward me?
Are they restrained?
16 Doubtless You are our Father,
Though Abraham was ignorant of us,
And Israel does not acknowledge us.
You, O Lord, are our Father;
Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.
17 O Lord, why have You made us stray from Your ways,
And hardened our heart from Your fear?
Return for Your servants’ sake,
The tribes of Your inheritance.
18 Your holy people have possessed it but a little while;
Our adversaries have trodden down Your sanctuary.
19 We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled,
Those who were never called by Your name.

Happy are the People whose God is the Lord!

This psalm has a personal introduction of who the LORD is to the psalmist. David who is most likely the psalmist here, describes the LORD as his rock, lovingkindness, refuge, fortress, deliverer. He knows God well and wholeheartedly trusts and depends on God.

Then in the next part, he expands the view of who God really is and describes how insignificant in stature man is compared to God. Yet this God who controls the the awesome power of nature and beyond is someone we can pray too, as the psalmist experienced. Because of this, the psalmist can praise and sing to and about God. He is thankful that God is a deliverer and a provider and blesses His people with abundance.



Psalm 144
A Song to the Lord Who Preserves and Prospers His People
A Psalm of David.

1 Blessed be the Lord my Rock,
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle—

2 My lovingkindness and my fortress,
My high tower and my deliverer,
My shield and the One in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues my people[a] under me.

3 Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?

4 Man is like a breath;
His days are like a passing shadow.

5 Bow down Your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

6 Flash forth lightning and scatter them;
Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them.

7 Stretch out Your hand from above;
Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters,
From the hand of foreigners,

8 Whose mouth speaks lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

9 I will sing a new song to You, O God;
On a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,

10 The One who gives salvation to kings,
Who delivers David His servant
From the deadly sword.

11 Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks lying words,
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood—

12 That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth;
That our daughters may be as pillars,
Sculptured in palace style;

13 That our barns may be full,
Supplying all kinds of produce;
That our sheep may bring forth thousands
And ten thousands in our fields;

14 That our oxen may be well laden;
That there be no breaking in or going out;
That there be no outcry in our streets.

15 Happy are the people who are in such a state;
Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

For The Enemy Has Persecuted My Soul

The psalmist, David, was most likely in a time of great persecution by his enemies. His appeal to God is based on knowing God is faithful and righteoues. He knows he is not perfect but asks to be delivered from his current situation where he describes "my spirit is overwhelmed within me,
my heart within me is distressed".

He remembers the past, before the time of persecution, where he enjoyed walking with God. And these memories comfort him and remind him that he can trust God. He knows about God's lovingkindness, uprightnessm, mercy and that God's Spirit is good. He invites God to teach him, lead him and revive him and to destroy his enemies



Psalm 143
An Earnest Appeal for Guidance and Deliverance
A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
Give ear to my supplications!
In Your faithfulness answer me,
And in Your righteousness.

2 Do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight no one living is righteous.

3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life to the ground;
He has made me dwell in darkness,
Like those who have long been dead.

4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;
My heart within me is distressed.

5 I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
I muse on the work of Your hands.

6 I spread out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah

7 Answer me speedily, O Lord;
My spirit fails!
Do not hide Your face from me,
Lest I be like those who go down into the pit.

8 Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You.

9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;
In You I take shelter.[a]

10 Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in the land of uprightness.

11 Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake!
For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

12 In Your mercy cut off my enemies,
And destroy all those who afflict my soul;
For I am Your servant.

I Will Praise You With My Whole Heart

A reminder of the faithfulness and caring of the LORD towards his people. The psalmist, David, thank and praise God for who He is. God is acknowledged for His lovingkindness and truth. And perhaps even more, the psalmist reveals God's care and concern for the lowly as opposed to the proud. He cares for His people who are in trouble and protects them against their enemies. The psalmist end his prayer with God to keep on protecting him, knowing the himself is a creation of God.


Psalm 138
The Lord’s Goodness to the Faithful
A Psalm of David.

1 I will praise You with my whole heart;
Before the gods I will sing praises to You.

2 I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.

4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord,
When they hear the words of Your mouth.

5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
For great is the glory of the Lord.

6 Though the Lord is on high,
Yet He regards the lowly;
But the proud He knows from afar.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.

8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Aleph Beth Gimel Daleth

This may be one of the longest chapter in all of the Scripture. Below is a simple summary for each section, labelled by the Hebrew letters.
The whole theme of this chapter is on one simple topic - the WORD of God.


Aleph - Obey all of God's commandments and laws and walk in His ways
Beth - Learn God's ways through His Word.
Gimel - Delight in God's Word.
Daleth - Ask God for help in absorbing His Word.
He - Ask God to teach us His Word.
WaW - God's Word is good for teaching, testifying, delighting in and for meditating on.
Zayin - Take comfort in the Word.
Heth - Obey the Word and trust in the LORD's mercy and favor.
Teth - Return to God and cling to His Word for Restoration.
Yod -Have good understanding of the Word, so that we can share with others who need it.
Kaf - Even when persecuted, cling on to the Word
Lamed - The WORD is from Heaven, saves us from perishing, gives us life.
Mem - The WORD is sweet, it gives wisdom and understanding as we meditate on it.
Nun - Your word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path.
Samek - The Word is our hope, straying from it brings rejection.
Ayin - God's commandments are right, love it more than fine gold.
Pe - The Word gives light and understanding, appeal to God to keep us safe and free so we may learn the Word
Tsadde - God's testimonies and judgements are right and everlasting.
Qoph - Hope and meditate on God's Word. Keep God's Word before asking for help.
Resh - Appeal to God to save us from the enemies, taking hold of the promises in the Word.
Shin - Love God's Word like a great treasure, hope in His salvation for us.
Tau - Remember God's commandments, delight in God's law, hold on to salvation and deliverance promised in the WORD.


Psalm 119
Meditations on the Excellencies of the Word of God

א Aleph


1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord!
2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
3 They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
4 You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.
5 Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
6 Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments.
7 I will praise You with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous judgments.
8 I will keep Your statutes;
Oh, do not forsake me utterly!

ב Beth

9 How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O Lord!
Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have declared
All the judgments of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts,
And contemplate Your ways.
16 I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.

ג Gimel

17 Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.
19 I am a stranger in the earth;
Do not hide Your commandments from me.
20 My soul breaks with longing
For Your judgments at all times.
21 You rebuke the proud—the cursed,
Who stray from Your commandments.
22 Remove from me reproach and contempt,
For I have kept Your testimonies.
23 Princes also sit and speak against me,
But Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
24 Your testimonies also are my delight
And my counselors.

ד Daleth

25 My soul clings to the dust;
Revive me according to Your word.
26 I have declared my ways, and You answered me;
Teach me Your statutes.
27 Make me understand the way of Your precepts;
So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works.
28 My soul melts from heaviness;
Strengthen me according to Your word.
29 Remove from me the way of lying,
And grant me Your law graciously.
30 I have chosen the way of truth;
Your judgments I have laid before me.
31 I cling to Your testimonies;
O Lord, do not put me to shame!
32 I will run the course of Your commandments,
For You shall enlarge my heart.

ה He

33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall keep it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law;
Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies,
And not to covetousness.
37 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in Your way.[a]
38 Establish Your word to Your servant,
Who is devoted to fearing You.
39 Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your judgments are good.
40 Behold, I long for Your precepts;
Revive me in Your righteousness.

ו Waw

41 Let Your mercies come also to me, O Lord—
Your salvation according to Your word.
42 So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me,
For I trust in Your word.
43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
For I have hoped in Your ordinances.
44 So shall I keep Your law continually,
Forever and ever.
45 And I will walk at liberty,
For I seek Your precepts.
46 I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings,
And will not be ashamed.
47 And I will delight myself in Your commandments,
Which I love.
48 My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments,
Which I love,
And I will meditate on Your statutes.

ז Zayin

49 Remember the word to Your servant,
Upon which You have caused me to hope.
50 This is my comfort in my affliction,
For Your word has given me life.
51 The proud have me in great derision,
Yet I do not turn aside from Your law.
52 I remembered Your judgments of old, O Lord,
And have comforted myself.
53 Indignation has taken hold of me
Because of the wicked, who forsake Your law.
54 Your statutes have been my songs
In the house of my pilgrimage.
55 I remember Your name in the night, O Lord,
And I keep Your law.
56 This has become mine,
Because I kept Your precepts.

ח Heth

57 You are my portion, O Lord;
I have said that I would keep Your words.
58 I entreated Your favor with my whole heart;
Be merciful to me according to Your word.
59 I thought about my ways,
And turned my feet to Your testimonies.
60 I made haste, and did not delay
To keep Your commandments.
61 The cords of the wicked have bound me,
But I have not forgotten Your law.
62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You,
Because of Your righteous judgments.
63 I am a companion of all who fear You,
And of those who keep Your precepts.
64 The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy;
Teach me Your statutes.

ט Teth

65 You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
68 You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes.
69 The proud have forged a lie against me,
But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart.
70 Their heart is as fat as grease,
But I delight in Your law.
71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
72 The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.

י Yod

73 Your hands have made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
74 Those who fear You will be glad when they see me,
Because I have hoped in Your word.
75 I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right,
And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
76 Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort,
According to Your word to Your servant.
77 Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live;
For Your law is my delight.
78 Let the proud be ashamed,
For they treated me wrongfully with falsehood;
But I will meditate on Your precepts.
79 Let those who fear You turn to me,
Those who know Your testimonies.
80 Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes,
That I may not be ashamed.

ך Kaph

81 My soul faints for Your salvation,
But I hope in Your word.
82 My eyes fail from searching Your word,
Saying, “When will You comfort me?”
83 For I have become like a wineskin in smoke,
Yet I do not forget Your statutes.
84 How many are the days of Your servant?
When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?
85 The proud have dug pits for me,
Which is not according to Your law.
86 All Your commandments are faithful;
They persecute me wrongfully;
Help me!
87 They almost made an end of me on earth,
But I did not forsake Your precepts.
88 Revive me according to Your lovingkindness,
So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

ל Lamed

89 Forever, O Lord,
Your word is settled in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
You established the earth, and it abides.
91 They continue this day according to Your ordinances,
For all are Your servants.
92 Unless Your law had been my delight,
I would then have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have given me life.
94 I am Yours, save me;
For I have sought Your precepts.
95 The wicked wait for me to destroy me,
But I will consider Your testimonies.
96 I have seen the consummation of all perfection,
But Your commandment is exceedingly broad.

ם Mem

97 Oh, how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
98 You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies;
For they are ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the ancients,
Because I keep Your precepts.
101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.
102 I have not departed from Your judgments,
For You Yourself have taught me.
103 How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.

ן Nun

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
106 I have sworn and confirmed
That I will keep Your righteous judgments.
107 I am afflicted very much;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.
108 Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord,
And teach me Your judgments.
109 My life is continually in my hand,
Yet I do not forget Your law.
110 The wicked have laid a snare for me,
Yet I have not strayed from Your precepts.
111 Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever,
For they are the rejoicing of my heart.
112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, to the very end.

ס Samek

113 I hate the double-minded,
But I love Your law.
114 You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in Your word.
115 Depart from me, you evildoers,
For I will keep the commandments of my God!
116 Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live;
And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
117 Hold me up, and I shall be safe,
And I shall observe Your statutes continually.
118 You reject all those who stray from Your statutes,
For their deceit is falsehood.
119 You put away all the wicked of the earth like dross;
Therefore I love Your testimonies.
120 My flesh trembles for fear of You,
And I am afraid of Your judgments.

ע Ayin

121 I have done justice and righteousness;
Do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Be surety for Your servant for good;
Do not let the proud oppress me.
123 My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation
And Your righteous word.
124 Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy,
And teach me Your statutes.
125 I am Your servant;
Give me understanding,
That I may know Your testimonies.
126 It is time for You to act, O Lord,
For they have regarded Your law as void.
127 Therefore I love Your commandments
More than gold, yes, than fine gold!
128 Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things
I consider to be right;
I hate every false way.

פ Pe

129 Your testimonies are wonderful;
Therefore my soul keeps them.
130 The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
131 I opened my mouth and panted,
For I longed for Your commandments.
132 Look upon me and be merciful to me,
As Your custom is toward those who love Your name.
133 Direct my steps by Your word,
And let no iniquity have dominion over me.
134 Redeem me from the oppression of man,
That I may keep Your precepts.
135 Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes.
136 Rivers of water run down from my eyes,
Because men do not keep Your law.

ץ Tsadde

137 Righteous are You, O Lord,
And upright are Your judgments.
138 Your testimonies, which You have commanded,
Are righteous and very faithful.
139 My zeal has consumed me,
Because my enemies have forgotten Your words.
140 Your word is very pure;
Therefore Your servant loves it.
141 I am small and despised,
Yet I do not forget Your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your law is truth.
143 Trouble and anguish have overtaken me,
Yet Your commandments are my delights.
144 The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting;
Give me understanding, and I shall live.

ק Qoph

145 I cry out with my whole heart;
Hear me, O Lord!
I will keep Your statutes.
146 I cry out to You;
Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies.
147 I rise before the dawning of the morning,
And cry for help;
I hope in Your word.
148 My eyes are awake through the night watches,
That I may meditate on Your word.
149 Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness;
O Lord, revive me according to Your justice.
150 They draw near who follow after wickedness;
They are far from Your law.
151 You are near, O Lord,
And all Your commandments are truth.
152 Concerning Your testimonies,
I have known of old that You have founded them forever.

ר Resh

153 Consider my affliction and deliver me,
For I do not forget Your law.
154 Plead my cause and redeem me;
Revive me according to Your word.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
For they do not seek Your statutes.
156 Great are Your tender mercies, O Lord;
Revive me according to Your judgments.
157 Many are my persecutors and my enemies,
Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies.
158 I see the treacherous, and am disgusted,
Because they do not keep Your word.
159 Consider how I love Your precepts;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your lovingkindness.
160 The entirety of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

שׁ Shin

161 Princes persecute me without a cause,
But my heart stands in awe of Your word.
162 I rejoice at Your word
As one who finds great treasure.
163 I hate and abhor lying,
But I love Your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise You,
Because of Your righteous judgments.
165 Great peace have those who love Your law,
And nothing causes them to stumble.
166 Lord, I hope for Your salvation,
And I do Your commandments.
167 My soul keeps Your testimonies,
And I love them exceedingly.
168 I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies,
For all my ways are before You.

ת Tau

169 Let my cry come before You, O Lord;
Give me understanding according to Your word.
170 Let my supplication come before You;
Deliver me according to Your word.
171 My lips shall utter praise,
For You teach me Your statutes.
172 My tongue shall speak of Your word,
For all Your commandments are righteousness.
173 Let Your hand become my help,
For I have chosen Your precepts.
174 I long for Your salvation, O Lord,
And Your law is my delight.
175 Let my soul live, and it shall praise You;
And let Your judgments help me.
176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
Seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments.

Understand the Lovingkindness of the LORD

This psalm encourages us by looking at God's deliverance on many occasions when His people were in distress. They were in darkness and in the shadow of death as a result of their rebellion against God. In their distress, they called out to God, and out of His Goodness and Mercy, He brought them out of their darkness.

So this psalm calls for thanksgiving and rejoicing to recognize God's goodness. The LORD is also a just and fair God. He depreciates the land and resources of the wicked and blesses the land and resources of the obedient. The psalm end beautifully with:

"Whoever is wise will observe these things, And they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD."


Psalm 107
Thanksgiving to the LORD for His Great Works of Deliverance

 1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
         For His mercy endures forever.
 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
         Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
 3 And gathered out of the lands,
         From the east and from the west,
         From the north and from the south.
       
 4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;
         They found no city to dwell in.
 5 Hungry and thirsty,
         Their soul fainted in them.
 6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
         And He delivered them out of their distresses.
 7 And He led them forth by the right way,
         That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.
 8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
         And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
 9 For He satisfies the longing soul,
         And fills the hungry soul with goodness.
       
 10 Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
         Bound in affliction and irons—
 11 Because they rebelled against the words of God,
         And despised the counsel of the Most High,
 12 Therefore He brought down their heart with labor;
         They fell down, and there was none to help.
 13 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
         And He saved them out of their distresses.
 14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
         And broke their chains in pieces.
 15 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
         And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
 16 For He has broken the gates of bronze,
         And cut the bars of iron in two.
       
 17 Fools, because of their transgression,
         And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
 18 Their soul abhorred all manner of food,
         And they drew near to the gates of death.
 19 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
         And He saved them out of their distresses.
 20 He sent His word and healed them,
         And delivered them from their destructions.
 21 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
         And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
 22 Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
         And declare His works with rejoicing.
       
 23 Those who go down to the sea in ships,
         Who do business on great waters,
 24 They see the works of the LORD,
         And His wonders in the deep.
 25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind,
         Which lifts up the waves of the sea.
 26 They mount up to the heavens,
         They go down again to the depths;
         Their soul melts because of trouble.
 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
         And are at their wits’ end.
 28 Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble,
         And He brings them out of their distresses.
 29 He calms the storm,
         So that its waves are still.
 30 Then they are glad because they are quiet;
         So He guides them to their desired haven.
 31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
         And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
 32 Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people,
         And praise Him in the company of the elders.
       
 33 He turns rivers into a wilderness,
         And the watersprings into dry ground;
 34 A fruitful land into barrenness,
         For the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
 35 He turns a wilderness into pools of water,
         And dry land into watersprings.
 36 There He makes the hungry dwell,
         That they may establish a city for a dwelling place,
 37 And sow fields and plant vineyards,
         That they may yield a fruitful harvest.
 38 He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly;
         And He does not let their cattle decrease.
       
 39 When they are diminished and brought low
         Through oppression, affliction, and sorrow,
 40 He pours contempt on princes,
         And causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way;
 41 Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction,
         And makes their families like a flock.
 42 The righteous see it and rejoice,
         And all iniquity stops its mouth.
       
 43 Whoever is wise will observe these things,
         And they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

Bless The LORD, O My Soul

This is a call to bless the LORD. Many reasons are given here why we should bless the LORD. The LORD forgives us for our iniquities, heals us, saves us from destruction. And He also shows his mercy and lovingkindness to us. He is gracious, merciful and slow to anger. He is righteous and just. But through salvation, he does not punish us as we deserve.

He is like a father to us in His mercy toward us. To those who fear Him, his mercy is forever, in fact he has established a covenant with those who keeps His commandments.

Finally the call to bless the LORD, extends to all His creation from the angels to the heavenly hosts to those who minister to Him



Psalm 103
A Psalm of David.

 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul;
         And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
         And forget not all His benefits:
 3 Who forgives all your iniquities,
         Who heals all your diseases,
 4 Who redeems your life from destruction,
         Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
         So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
       
 6 The LORD executes righteousness
         And justice for all who are oppressed.
 7 He made known His ways to Moses,
         His acts to the children of Israel.
 8 The LORD is merciful and gracious,
         Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
 9 He will not always strive with us,
         Nor will He keep His anger forever.
 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
         Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
       
 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
         So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
 12 As far as the east is from the west,
         So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
 13 As a father pities his children,
         So the LORD pities those who fear Him.
 14 For He knows our frame;
         He remembers that we are dust.
       
 15 As for man, his days are like grass;
         As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
 16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
         And its place remembers it no more.[a]
 17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting
         On those who fear Him,
         And His righteousness to children’s children,
 18 To such as keep His covenant,
         And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
       
 19 The LORD has established His throne in heaven,
         And His kingdom rules over all.
       
 20 Bless the LORD, you His angels,
         Who excel in strength, who do His word,
         Heeding the voice of His word.
 21 Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,
         You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
 22 Bless the LORD, all His works,
         In all places of His dominion.
       
         Bless the LORD, O my soul!

It Is Good To Give Thanks To The LORD

Following from the previous psalm of recognizing those who dwell in the LORD will be protected, this psalm encourages thanksgiving and praise to God. It even lists the musical instruments for music for praise such as strings, lute and harp.

It reminds us that God ultimately triumphs. It even suggests that wicked ones spring up just so that they can be finally destroyed by God. In contrast, the righteous will flourish and be fruitful even till old age.


Psalm 92
A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.

 1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
         And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
 2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
         And Your faithfulness every night,
 3 On an instrument of ten strings,
         On the lute,
         And on the harp,
         With harmonious sound.
 4 For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work;
         I will triumph in the works of Your hands.
        
 5 O LORD, how great are Your works!
         Your thoughts are very deep.
 6 A senseless man does not know,
         Nor does a fool understand this.
 7 When the wicked spring up like grass,
         And when all the workers of iniquity flourish,
         It is that they may be destroyed forever.
        
 8 But You, LORD, are on high forevermore.
 9 For behold, Your enemies, O LORD,
         For behold, Your enemies shall perish;
         All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
        
 10 But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox;
         I have been anointed with fresh oil.
 11 My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies;
         My ears hear my desire on the wicked
         Who rise up against me.
        
 12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
         He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
 13 Those who are planted in the house of the LORD
         Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
 14 They shall still bear fruit in old age;
         They shall be fresh and flourishing,
 15 To declare that the LORD is upright;
         He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

I Will Sing of the Mercies of the LORD Forever

This psalm is in great contrasts to the previous one - both were written by Ezrahites supposedly. The previous one was short and the writer was in distressed. This one is long and the writer is full of praise.

He describes God's mercy and faithfulness and the covenant with David. He describes also the incomparable wonder of God. God is praised for many of His attributes like mighty, righteousness, justice.

A large middle portion of the psalm is devoted to David and God's covenant with him. It describes from the part he was chosen by God through the prophet to the everlasting covenant. God does warn that of punishment if the descendants stray away from the covenant. But the more important thing is that God reminded them that they can be restored to the covenant and that it cannot be permanently broken.

Psalm 89
A Contemplation[a] of Ethan the Ezrahite.

 1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever;
         With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
 2 For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever;
         Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.”
       
 3 “I have made a covenant with My chosen,
         I have sworn to My servant David:
          4 ‘Your seed I will establish forever,
         And build up your throne to all generations.’”  Selah
       
 5 And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD;
         Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.
 6 For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD?
         Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD?
 7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints,
         And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.
 8 O LORD God of hosts,
         Who is mighty like You, O LORD?
         Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
 9 You rule the raging of the sea;
         When its waves rise, You still them.
 10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain;
         You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.
       
 11 The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
         The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.
 12 The north and the south, You have created them;
         Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.
 13 You have a mighty arm;
         Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.
 14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
         Mercy and truth go before Your face.
 15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
         They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.
 16 In Your name they rejoice all day long,
         And in Your righteousness they are exalted.
 17 For You are the glory of their strength,
         And in Your favor our horn is exalted.
 18 For our shield belongs to the LORD,
         And our king to the Holy One of Israel.
       
 19 Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one,[b]
         And said: “I have given help to one who is mighty;
         I have exalted one chosen from the people.
 20 I have found My servant David;
         With My holy oil I have anointed him,
 21 With whom My hand shall be established;
         Also My arm shall strengthen him.
 22 The enemy shall not outwit him,
         Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
 23 I will beat down his foes before his face,
         And plague those who hate him.
       
 24 “But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him,
         And in My name his horn shall be exalted.
 25 Also I will set his hand over the sea,
         And his right hand over the rivers.
 26 He shall cry to Me, ‘You are my Father,
         My God, and the rock of my salvation.’
 27 Also I will make him My firstborn,
         The highest of the kings of the earth.
 28 My mercy I will keep for him forever,
         And My covenant shall stand firm with him.
 29 His seed also I will make to endure forever,
         And his throne as the days of heaven.
       
 30 “If his sons forsake My law
         And do not walk in My judgments,
 31 If they break My statutes
         And do not keep My commandments,
 32 Then I will punish their transgression with the rod,
         And their iniquity with stripes.
 33 Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him,
         Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.
 34 My covenant I will not break,
         Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
 35 Once I have sworn by My holiness;
         I will not lie to David:
 36 His seed shall endure forever,
         And his throne as the sun before Me;
 37 It shall be established forever like the moon,
         Even like the faithful witness in the sky.”  Selah
       
 38 But You have cast off and abhorred,
         You have been furious with Your anointed.
 39 You have renounced the covenant of Your servant;
         You have profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.
 40 You have broken down all his hedges;
         You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
 41 All who pass by the way plunder him;
         He is a reproach to his neighbors.
 42 You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
         You have made all his enemies rejoice.
 43 You have also turned back the edge of his sword,
         And have not sustained him in the battle.
 44 You have made his glory cease,
         And cast his throne down to the ground.
 45 The days of his youth You have shortened;
         You have covered him with shame.  Selah
       
 46 How long, LORD?
         Will You hide Yourself forever?
         Will Your wrath burn like fire?
 47 Remember how short my time is;
         For what futility have You created all the children of men?
 48 What man can live and not see death?
         Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?  Selah
       
 49 Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses,
         Which You swore to David in Your truth?
 50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants—
         How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples,
 51 With which Your enemies have reproached, O LORD,
         With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.
       
 52 Blessed be the LORD forevermore!
         Amen and Amen.

For My Soul is Full of Troubles

The psalmist appears to have gone through a long journey and is still facing much troubles. He knows God is his salvation and continues to cries out yet he is facing constant difficulties. He calls on the LORD daily and stretches out his hands and also sarcastically asks if God's lovingkindness could only be experienced after death. Despite the hopelessness of the situation, it does seem that the psalmist still have a hope in God which perhaps he does not understand - that is the hope which keeps him calling onto God and praying every morning.



Psalm 88


A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath Leannoth.” A Contemplation[a] of Heman the Ezrahite.

 1 O LORD, God of my salvation,
         I have cried out day and night before You.
 2 Let my prayer come before You;
         Incline Your ear to my cry.
       
 3 For my soul is full of troubles,
         And my life draws near to the grave.
 4 I am counted with those who go down to the pit;
         I am like a man who has no strength,
 5 Adrift among the dead,
         Like the slain who lie in the grave,
         Whom You remember no more,
         And who are cut off from Your hand.
       
 6 You have laid me in the lowest pit,
         In darkness, in the depths.
 7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
         And You have afflicted me with all Your waves.  Selah
 8 You have put away my acquaintances far from me;
         You have made me an abomination to them;
         I am shut up, and I cannot get out;
 9 My eye wastes away because of affliction.
       
         LORD, I have called daily upon You;
         I have stretched out my hands to You.
 10 Will You work wonders for the dead?
         Shall the dead arise and praise You?  Selah
 11 Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
         Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
 12 Shall Your wonders be known in the dark?
         And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
       
 13 But to You I have cried out, O LORD,
         And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
 14 LORD, why do You cast off my soul?
         Why do You hide Your face from me?
 15 I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth;
         I suffer Your terrors;
         I am distraught.
 16 Your fierce wrath has gone over me;
         Your terrors have cut me off.
 17 They came around me all day long like water;
         They engulfed me altogether.
 18 Loved one and friend You have put far from me,
         And my acquaintances into darkness.

Save Me, O God! For The Waters Have Come Up To My Neck.

As David pours out his heart to God, we see the many dimensions of his troubles. He is in such trouble as if he is drowning in it, as he is waiting for God. He feels his enemies are targeting him unjustly. He admits that he has sinned and he is rejected by those around him. Yet he prays to God and trusting in his mercy and salvation.
He knows about God's lovingkindness and tender mercies and calls on God to redeem him. He describes his self-pity and there is no one else who would pity him. He then calls upon God to show His wrath to his enemies. Finally he praises God and offers thanksgiving. He reaffirms his believe in God's covenant promises to His people concerning Zion and the inheritance for their descendants.


Psalm 69
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.”[a]A Psalm of David.

 1 Save me, O God!
         For the waters have come up to my neck.
 2 I sink in deep mire,
         Where there is no standing;
         I have come into deep waters,
         Where the floods overflow me.
 3 I am weary with my crying;
         My throat is dry;
         My eyes fail while I wait for my God.
        
 4 Those who hate me without a cause
         Are more than the hairs of my head;
         They are mighty who would destroy me,
         Being my enemies wrongfully;
         Though I have stolen nothing,
         I still must restore it.
        
 5 O God, You know my foolishness;
         And my sins are not hidden from You.
 6 Let not those who wait for You, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed because of me;
         Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel.
 7 Because for Your sake I have borne reproach;
         Shame has covered my face.
 8 I have become a stranger to my brothers,
         And an alien to my mother’s children;
 9 Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up,
         And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
 10 When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting,
         That became my reproach.
 11 I also made sackcloth my garment;
         I became a byword to them.
 12 Those who sit in the gate speak against me,
         And I am the song of the drunkards.
        
 13 But as for me, my prayer is to You,
         O LORD, in the acceptable time;
         O God, in the multitude of Your mercy,
         Hear me in the truth of Your salvation.
 14 Deliver me out of the mire,
         And let me not sink;
         Let me be delivered from those who hate me,
         And out of the deep waters.
 15 Let not the floodwater overflow me,
         Nor let the deep swallow me up;
         And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.
        
 16 Hear me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good;
         Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies.
 17 And do not hide Your face from Your servant,
         For I am in trouble;
         Hear me speedily.
 18 Draw near to my soul, and redeem it;
         Deliver me because of my enemies.
        
 19 You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor;
         My adversaries are all before You.
 20 Reproach has broken my heart,
         And I am full of heaviness;
         I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none;
         And for comforters, but I found none.
 21 They also gave me gall for my food,
         And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
 22 Let their table become a snare before them,
         And their well-being a trap.
 23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see;
         And make their loins shake continually.
 24 Pour out Your indignation upon them,
         And let Your wrathful anger take hold of them.
 25 Let their dwelling place be desolate;
         Let no one live in their tents.
 26 For they persecute the ones You have struck,
         And talk of the grief of those You have wounded.
 27 Add iniquity to their iniquity,
         And let them not come into Your righteousness.
 28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,
         And not be written with the righteous.
        
 29 But I am poor and sorrowful;
         Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.
 30 I will praise the name of God with a song,
         And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
 31 This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bull,
         Which has horns and hooves.
 32 The humble shall see this and be glad;
         And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.
 33 For the LORD hears the poor,
         And does not despise His prisoners.
        
 34 Let heaven and earth praise Him,
         The seas and everything that moves in them.
 35 For God will save Zion
         And build the cities of Judah,
         That they may dwell there and possess it.
 36 Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it,
         And those who love His name shall dwell in it.

For I acknowledge my transgressions

This is how a man should approach God after committing sin against God. David shows an example of humility, remorse and repentance as he approached God after being rebuked by his prophet. David opens up to God and declares his wrongdoing. His sin of adultery, he admits, is "Against You, You only, have I sinned," an act against God.

After his confession, David asks God to cleanse him, to give him a clean heart. The thing that concerns David is not being in God's presence and the Holy Spirit taken away from him - and he asks God for assurance in these. He asks God to restore him and even pledges to teach others against sinning.

David knows God well enough of His mercies, salvation and righteousness. Perhaps another person would have turned and hide from God, but David holds on to God even more desperately. David may have understood more than many religious leaders when he said that God is not pleased by burnt offerings and ritual sacrifices; instead God would be more pleased with a broken spirit and a contrite heart.

Psalm 51
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

 1 Have mercy upon me, O God,
         According to Your lovingkindness;
         According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
         Blot out my transgressions.
 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
         And cleanse me from my sin.
        
 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
         And my sin is always before me.
 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
         And done this evil in Your sight—
         That You may be found just when You speak,[a]
         And blameless when You judge.
        
 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
         And in sin my mother conceived me.
 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
         And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
        
 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
         Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
 8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
         That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
 9 Hide Your face from my sins,
         And blot out all my iniquities.
        
 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
         And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
         And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
        
 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
         And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
         And sinners shall be converted to You.
        
 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
         The God of my salvation,
         And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
 15 O Lord, open my lips,
         And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
 16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
         You do not delight in burnt offering.
 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
         A broken and a contrite heart—
         These, O God, You will not despise.
        
 18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
         Build the walls of Jerusalem.
 19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
         With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
         Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

Great is the LORD

This is another praising psalm but this one revolves around the Temple and the city of the LORD - presumably Jerusalem. Again, certain parts of it seem to indicate it may be the new Jerusalem where the Temple is restored and the kings of the earth come to worship there.
The character of God is repeated here including lovingkindness, righteousness and greatness. References to birth pangs and ships of Tarshish may have been in Isaiah concerning the end times, before the LORD establishes his new Kingdom.

Psalm 48
A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

 1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised
         In the city of our God,
         In His holy mountain.
 2 Beautiful in elevation,
         The joy of the whole earth,
         Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,
         The city of the great King.
 3 God is in her palaces;
         He is known as her refuge.
        
 4 For behold, the kings assembled,
         They passed by together.
 5 They saw it, and so they marveled;
         They were troubled, they hastened away.
 6 Fear took hold of them there,
         And pain, as of a woman in birth pangs,
 7 As when You break the ships of Tarshish
         With an east wind.
        
 8 As we have heard,
         So we have seen
         In the city of the LORD of hosts,
         In the city of our God:
         God will establish it forever.  Selah 
        
 9 We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness,
         In the midst of Your temple.
 10 According to Your name, O God,
         So is Your praise to the ends of the earth;
         Your right hand is full of righteousness.
 11 Let Mount Zion rejoice,
         Let the daughters of Judah be glad,
         Because of Your judgments.
        
 12 Walk about Zion,
         And go all around her.
         Count her towers;
 13 Mark well her bulwarks;
         Consider her palaces;
         That you may tell it to the generation following.
 14 For this is God,
         Our God forever and ever;
         He will be our guide
         Even to death.

As the Deer Pants for the Water Brooks

The opening of this psalm has been made into a popular worship song. It describes the longing of the soul for God. From the bottom of the soul there is a longing for God that cannot be filled by anything else apart from God Himself.

The psalmist appears to be taunted by his enemies who ask where is his God. The psalmist soul is cast down and yet there is hope which cries out to God and desire to praise Him.

Psalm 42

To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation[a] of the sons of Korah.

 1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,
         So pants my soul for You, O God.
 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
         When shall I come and appear before God?[b]
 3 My tears have been my food day and night,
         While they continually say to me,
         “Where is your God?”
       
 4 When I remember these things,
         I pour out my soul within me.
         For I used to go with the multitude;
         I went with them to the house of God,
         With the voice of joy and praise,
         With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.
       
 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
         And why are you disquieted within me?
         Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
         For the help of His countenance.[c]
       
 6 O my God,[d] my soul is cast down within me;
         Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
         And from the heights of Hermon,
         From the Hill Mizar.
 7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
         All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
 8 The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
         And in the night His song shall be with me—
         A prayer to the God of my life.
       
 9 I will say to God my Rock,
         “Why have You forgotten me?
         Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
 10 As with a breaking of my bones,
         My enemies reproach me,
         While they say to me all day long,
         “Where is your God?”
       
 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
         And why are you disquieted within me?
         Hope in God;
         For I shall yet praise Him,
         The help of my countenance and my God.

I waited patiently for the LORD

David describes a few important things in his relationship to God which is a good example for us all. The first thing is to place our trust in God, and as David did so, God led him out of trouble. The wonderful works of God are too many to be counted.

The second is our heart's desire towards God is more regarded by God than any offerings or sacrifices. David's sum this up as: "I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”

Out of this, it is natural then to proclaim the good news of God, God's faithfulness, Salvation, His Lovingkindness and truth. “The LORD be magnified!”

Psalm 40

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

 1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
         And He inclined to me,
         And heard my cry.
 2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
         Out of the miry clay,
         And set my feet upon a rock,
         And established my steps.
 3 He has put a new song in my mouth—
         Praise to our God;
         Many will see it and fear,
         And will trust in the LORD.
       
 4 Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust,
         And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
 5 Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works
         Which You have done;
         And Your thoughts toward us
         Cannot be recounted to You in order;
         If I would declare and speak of them,
         They are more than can be numbered.
       
 6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;
         My ears You have opened.
         Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
 7 Then I said, “Behold, I come;
         In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
 8 I delight to do Your will, O my God,
         And Your law is within my heart.”
       
 9 I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness
         In the great assembly;
         Indeed, I do not restrain my lips,
         O LORD, You Yourself know.
 10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
         I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
         I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth
         From the great assembly.
       
 11 Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O LORD;
         Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
 12 For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
         My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
         They are more than the hairs of my head;
         Therefore my heart fails me.
       
 13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me;
         O LORD, make haste to help me!
 14 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
         Who seek to destroy my life;
         Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor
         Who wish me evil.
 15 Let them be confounded because of their shame,
         Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
       
 16 Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
         Let such as love Your salvation say continually,
         “The LORD be magnified!”
 17 But I am poor and needy;
         Yet the LORD thinks upon me.
         You are my help and my deliverer;
         Do not delay, O my God.

The Ways of the Wicked

The first part of this psalm describes a wicked person. They have no fear of God and praise themselves for their wickedness. They are liars and they even plot evil when going to sleep.

Then the psalm turn to praising God for his mercy, faithfulness, righteousness and judgement. God is acknowledged for his lovingkindness and how men can put their trust in God. The psalm then pleads with God to continue His lovingkindness toward those who are upright in heart and to keep them from pride and the wicked.



Psalm 36

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD.

 1 An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked:
         There is no fear of God before his eyes.
 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes,
         When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.
 3 The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
         He has ceased to be wise and to do good.
 4 He devises wickedness on his bed;
         He sets himself in a way that is not good;
         He does not abhor evil.
       
 5 Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;
         Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
 6 Your righteousness is like the great mountains;
         Your judgments are a great deep;
         O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
       
 7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
         Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
 8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
         And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
 9 For with You is the fountain of life;
         In Your light we see light.
       
 10 Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
         And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
 11 Let not the foot of pride come against me,
         And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.
 12 There the workers of iniquity have fallen;
         They have been cast down and are not able to rise.