For he who Touches you Touches the Apple of His Eye

In this vision, there were angels talking and one of them was measuring the width and length of Jerusalem. The reason for the measurement was that God will again be the glory in Jerusalem. The next prophecy tells of the restoration of Judah, Jerusalem and the Holy Land. There is no doubt that God will restore His people and His nation of Israel. In addition to that the inclusion of Gentile nations is also clear when it states that "many nations will be joined to the Lord in that day".



Zechariah 2
Vision of the Measuring Line

1 Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. 2 So I said, “Where are you going?”

And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.”

3 And there was the angel who talked with me, going out; and another angel was coming out to meet him, 4 who said to him, “Run, speak to this young man, saying: ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, because of the multitude of men and livestock in it. 5 For I,’ says the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.’”

Future Joy of Zion and Many Nations

6 “Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,” says the Lord; “for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord. 7 “Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.”

8 For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. 9 For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.

10 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. 11 “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!”

Sing to the Lord a New Song

A psalm of encouragement to praise and sing to God with songs and dance and instruments. God delights in the humble and they will have salvation. The saints here would be the believers.

The praise of God is also a weapon. It can be used against the enemies because in praising God, judgement will come on the wicked enemies. This is also mentioned elsewhere to let the Lord fight the battle for us, as we give it to His hands.


Psalm 149
Praise to God for His Salvation and Judgment

1 Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
And His praise in the assembly of saints.

2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

3 Let them praise His name with the dance;
Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.

4 For the Lord takes pleasure in His people;
He will beautify the humble with salvation.

5 Let the saints be joyful in glory;
Let them sing aloud on their beds.

6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand,

7 To execute vengeance on the nations,
And punishments on the peoples;

8 To bind their kings with chains,
And their nobles with fetters of iron;

9 To execute on them the written judgment—
This honor have all His saints.
Praise the Lord!

Happy Is He Who Has The God Of Jacob For His Help

The psalmist has many reasons to praise God. Here he encourages us not to put our trust on any man, because they are fallible just like anyone. But instead trust in God who is infallible. So he says "Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God,"

God is the creator of the Universe. In addition, God also attend to the needs of his people. God cares for the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoners, the blind, the strangers, the fatherless, the widow but not the wicked. Also God loves the righteous but not that in God's eyes it is faith that is seen as righteousness as oppose to doing the right thing only.





Psalm 146
The Happiness of Those Whose Help Is the Lord

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!

2 While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

3 Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.

4 His spirit departs, he returns to his earth;
In that very day his plans perish.

5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,

6 Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps truth forever,

7 Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.

8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord raises those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.

9 The Lord watches over the strangers;
He relieves the fatherless and widow;
But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.

10 The Lord shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!

And All Flesh Shall Bless His Holy Name

David the psalmist praise God for His greatness and majesty. Perhaps more than just the works of creation, David was also praising God for His goodness, righteousness, compassion, mercy, patience. David describes God's rule as everlasting from generation to generation all would know His greatness. This is a God who provides, protects and forms a relationship with those who call on him honestly, who feat Him and who love Him.


Psalm 145
A Song of God’s Majesty and Love
A Praise of David.

1 I will extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

2 Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.

4 One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.

5 I[a] will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works.[b]

6 Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness.

7 They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness,
And shall sing of Your righteousness.

8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.

9 The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works.

10 All Your works shall praise You, O Lord,
And Your saints shall bless You.

11 They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,
And talk of Your power,

12 To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,
And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.[c]

14 The Lord upholds all who fall,
And raises up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look expectantly to You,
And You give them their food in due season.

16 You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways,
Gracious in all His works.

18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth.

19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them.
20 The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.

21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh shall bless His holy name
Forever and ever.

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!

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.

Let Us Shout Joyfully To The Rock Of Our Salvation

This psalm calls for God's people to worship the LORD joyfully with singing and shouting, with psalms. God is recognized to be in control of the whole earth from the deep places to the highest mountains. We are called to worship, bow and kneel and recognize that He is our Maker. A kind reminder to also listen to God and do not turn away when He speaks to us. An example for the reminder is the Israelites who was delivered by God, yet grieved God with their hardness of hearts.



Psalm 95
A Call to Worship and Obedience

 1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!
         Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
         Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
 3 For the LORD is the great God,
         And the great King above all gods.
 4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
         The heights of the hills are His also.
 5 The sea is His, for He made it;
         And His hands formed the dry land.
       
 6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
         Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
 7 For He is our God,
         And we are the people of His pasture,
         And the sheep of His hand.
       
         Today, if you will hear His voice:
 8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,[a]
         As in the day of trial[b] in the wilderness,
 9 When your fathers tested Me;
         They tried Me, though they saw My work.
 10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation,
         And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,
         And they do not know My ways.’
 11 So I swore in My wrath,
         ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”

Who Has Not Turned Away My Prayer, Nor His Mercy From Me

The psalmist calls to shout, sing, praise to God. He recounts how God saves His people on many occasions, with the example of the parting of the Red Sea. God is so deserve of our praises and thanks and so the psalmist asks the people to do so. God is not a distant God, but rather one who has involved in human affairs. It is clear that the psalmist has experienced God in his life - "Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me!"

Psalm 66
To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm.

 1 Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
 2 Sing out the honor of His name;
         Make His praise glorious.
 3 Say to God,
         “How awesome are Your works!
         Through the greatness of Your power
         Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
 4 All the earth shall worship You
         And sing praises to You;
         They shall sing praises to Your name.”  Selah 
        
 5 Come and see the works of God;
         He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
 6 He turned the sea into dry land;
         They went through the river on foot.
         There we will rejoice in Him.
 7 He rules by His power forever;
         His eyes observe the nations;
         Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves.  Selah 
        
 8 Oh, bless our God, you peoples!
         And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
 9 Who keeps our soul among the living,
         And does not allow our feet to be moved.
 10 For You, O God, have tested us;
         You have refined us as silver is refined.
 11 You brought us into the net;
         You laid affliction on our backs.
 12 You have caused men to ride over our heads;
         We went through fire and through water;
         But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
        
 13 I will go into Your house with burnt offerings;
         I will pay You my vows,
 14 Which my lips have uttered
         And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
 15 I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals,
         With the sweet aroma of rams;
         I will offer bulls with goats.  Selah 
        
 16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
         And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
 17 I cried to Him with my mouth,
         And He was extolled with my tongue.
 18 If I regard iniquity in my heart,
         The Lord will not hear.
 19 But certainly God has heard me;
         He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
        
 20 Blessed be God,
         Who has not turned away my prayer,
         Nor His mercy from me!

Be Merciful to Me, O God, be Merciful to Me!

A plead and praise to God by David expressing his trusts and asking God for mercy. He was being hunted by his enemies, but he kept exalting God. His enemies are preparing traps for him but they got snared in their own traps. So David continues to glorify God by singing praises to Him.


Psalm 57

–To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.”[a] A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave.

 1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
         For my soul trusts in You;
         And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
         Until these calamities have passed by.
       
 2 I will cry out to God Most High,
         To God who performs all things for me.
 3 He shall send from heaven and save me;
         He reproaches the one who would swallow me up.  Selah
         God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.
       
 4 My soul is among lions;
         I lie among the sons of men
         Who are set on fire,
         Whose teeth are spears and arrows,
         And their tongue a sharp sword.
 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
         Let Your glory be above all the earth.
       
 6 They have prepared a net for my steps;
         My soul is bowed down;
         They have dug a pit before me;
         Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen.  Selah
       
 7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
         I will sing and give praise.
 8 Awake, my glory!
         Awake, lute and harp!
         I will awaken the dawn.
       
 9 I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
         I will sing to You among the nations.
 10 For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
         And Your truth unto the clouds.
       
 11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
         Let Your glory be above all the earth.