You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God

Joshua 24:19
But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. 


Joshua was challenging the Israelites to see how committed they are in serving God, perhaps a little reverse psychology was in play there. He was correct in implying that it is not easy to serve God. In fact he may be literally correct in that we could not serve God, if it is up to us alone. Our sinful nature excludes us from serving Him. It is God who allows us to serve Him and we can only do this when we give ourselves to God. In other words, we cannot merely use our efforts but have to let God use us in order to serve Him.

Seek the Lord and Live

The word against the house of Israel seems quite severe as it indicates it will never rise again. But the call to repentance is still open for them to accept. The solution to their judgment has been very clear - "Seek the Lord and live". The prophet tries to explain the majesty of God, reminding the people that He created the constellations such as the Pleiades and Orion, He has full control over nature,

The sins in their society leads to the oppression of the poor, and the poor is one of the groups God requires us to be compassionate to. God also recognizes that in such a society, there are righteous people trying to live righteously and God encourages them and gives them hope.

The chapter ends with a description of the Day of the Lord as the day of judgment. It is a day that no one would look forward to. There will be plenty of crying. There will be no place to hide. It will be in darkness. Neither offerings nor musical praises will change the judgment on that day.



Amos 5
A Lament for Israel

1 Hear this word which I take up against you, a lamentation, O house of Israel:

2 The virgin of Israel has fallen;
She will rise no more.
She lies forsaken on her land;
There is no one to raise her up.
3 For thus says the Lord God:

“The city that goes out by a thousand
Shall have a hundred left,
And that which goes out by a hundred
Shall have ten left to the house of Israel.”


A Call to Repentance

4 For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel:

“Seek Me and live;
5 But do not seek Bethel,
Nor enter Gilgal,
Nor pass over to Beersheba;
For Gilgal shall surely go into captivity,
And Bethel shall come to nothing.
6 Seek the Lord and live,
Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
And devour it,
With no one to quench it in Bethel—
7 You who turn justice to wormwood,
And lay righteousness to rest in the earth!”
8 He made the Pleiades and Orion;
He turns the shadow of death into morning
And makes the day dark as night;
He calls for the waters of the sea
And pours them out on the face of the earth;
The Lord is His name.
9 He rains ruin upon the strong,
So that fury comes upon the fortress.
10 They hate the one who rebukes in the gate,
And they abhor the one who speaks uprightly.
11 Therefore, because you tread down the poor
And take grain taxes from him,
Though you have built houses of hewn stone,
Yet you shall not dwell in them;
You have planted pleasant vineyards,
But you shall not drink wine from them.
12 For I know your manifold transgressions
And your mighty sins:
Afflicting the just and taking bribes;
Diverting the poor from justice at the gate.
13 Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time,
For it is an evil time.
14 Seek good and not evil,
That you may live;
So the Lord God of hosts will be with you,
As you have spoken.
15 Hate evil, love good;
Establish justice in the gate.
It may be that the Lord God of hosts
Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.


The Day of the Lord

16 Therefore the Lord God of hosts, the Lord, says this:

“There shall be wailing in all streets,
And they shall say in all the highways,
‘Alas! Alas!’
They shall call the farmer to mourning,
And skillful lamenters to wailing.
17 In all vineyards there shall be wailing,
For I will pass through you,”
Says the Lord.
18 Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!
For what good is the day of the Lord to you?
It will be darkness, and not light.
19 It will be as though a man fled from a lion,
And a bear met him!
Or as though he went into the house,
Leaned his hand on the wall,
And a serpent bit him!
20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light?
Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?
21 “I hate, I despise your feast days,
And I do not savor your sacred assemblies.
22 Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them,
Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings.
23 Take away from Me the noise of your songs,
For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.
24 But let justice run down like water,
And righteousness like a mighty stream.
25 “Did you offer Me sacrifices and offerings
In the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
26 You also carried Sikkuth[a] your king[b]
And Chiun,[c] your idols,
The star of your gods,
Which you made for yourselves.
27 Therefore I will send you into captivity beyond Damascus,”
Says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.

Yet you have Not Returned to Me,

This is a strong warning of judgment for Bashan in Samaria - who seem to be Israelites. Their sins include oppression of the poor and needy and drunkenness. God uses the images of fishhooks in dealing with them. They continue with their sacrifices but God is not impressed with that.

God had send them many warnings and signs before the judgment but they would not return to God. God had caused them to have a lack of food, perhaps a famine; and caused drought specifically to their land while their neighbours had rain; and allowed their crops to grow in abundance but destroyed by locusts. God allowed them to suffer through war as well as great fire. All these signs did not make them see their mistakes. Finally God declares He will proceed with His judgments and reminds them who He is.




Amos 4

1 Hear this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria,
Who oppress the poor,
Who crush the needy,
Who say to your husbands,[a] “Bring wine, let us drink!”
2 The Lord God has sworn by His holiness:
“Behold, the days shall come upon you
When He will take you away with fishhooks,
And your posterity with fishhooks.
3 You will go out through broken walls,
Each one straight ahead of her,
And you will be cast into Harmon,”
Says the Lord.
4 “Come to Bethel and transgress,
At Gilgal multiply transgression;
Bring your sacrifices every morning,
Your tithes every three days.[b]
5 Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven,
Proclaim and announce the freewill offerings;
For this you love,
You children of Israel!”
Says the Lord God.


Israel Did Not Accept Correction

6 “Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities,
And lack of bread in all your places;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.
7 “I also withheld rain from you,
When there were still three months to the harvest.
I made it rain on one city,
I withheld rain from another city.
One part was rained upon,
And where it did not rain the part withered.
8 So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water,
But they were not satisfied;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.
9 “I blasted you with blight and mildew.
When your gardens increased,
Your vineyards,
Your fig trees,
And your olive trees,
The locust devoured them;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.
10 “I sent among you a plague after the manner of Egypt;
Your young men I killed with a sword,
Along with your captive horses;
I made the stench of your camps come up into your nostrils;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.
11 “I overthrew some of you,
As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
And you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.
12 “Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel;
Because I will do this to you,
Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”
13 For behold,
He who forms mountains,
And creates the wind,
Who declares to man what his[c] thought is,
And makes the morning darkness,
Who treads the high places of the earth—
The Lord God of hosts is His name.

You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth

God explains to Israel the judgment coming upon them. God has only made a covenant with one nation, Israel. So Israel is suppose to understand the relationship and her responsibility. hence God will carry out His judgment. However, God does not execute judgment without telling His people and giving them a chance to repent, this is the role of the prophets. In this particular instance, God gives details of the things that will be destroyed, in the temples such as the altars and the palaces.



Amos 3

Authority of the Prophet’s Message

1 Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying:

2 “You only have I known of all the families of the earth;
Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”
3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
4 Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey?
Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?
5 Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no trap for it?
Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all?
6 If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid?
If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?
7 Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
8 A lion has roared!
Who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken!
Who can but prophesy?

Punishment of Israel’s Sins

9 “Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod,[a]
And in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say:
‘Assemble on the mountains of Samaria;
See great tumults in her midst,
And the oppressed within her.
10 For they do not know to do right,’
Says the Lord,
‘Who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.’”
11 Therefore thus says the Lord God:

“An adversary shall be all around the land;
He shall sap your strength from you,
And your palaces shall be plundered.”
12 Thus says the Lord:

“As a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion
Two legs or a piece of an ear,
So shall the children of Israel be taken out
Who dwell in Samaria—
In the corner of a bed and on the edge[b] of a couch!
13 Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,”
Says the Lord God, the God of hosts,
14 “That in the day I punish Israel for their transgressions,
I will also visit destruction on the altars of Bethel;
And the horns of the altar shall be cut off
And fall to the ground.
15 I will destroy the winter house along with the summer house;
The houses of ivory shall perish,
And the great houses shall have an end,”
Says the Lord.

The most Courageous Men of might Shall Flee Naked in that Day

 The judgment continues, firstly naming Moab for her actions against Edom. Then the judgment turned towards Judah for not keeping God's commandments and laws. This is followed by a more detailed pronouncement against Israel. Her sins included oppressing the helpless including selling them and cheating them. They had perverted relationships, defiled religious symbols. God recounted how He had led Israel including leading them out of Egypt and giving them prophets and judges. But the people corrupted the prophets and judges, not appreciating God's efforts. So God promises judgment on them so severe that even their mighty men will flee naked.



Amos 2

1 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Moab, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because he burned the bones of the king of Edom to lime.
2 But I will send a fire upon Moab,
And it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth;
Moab shall die with tumult,
With shouting and trumpet sound.
3 And I will cut off the judge from its midst,
And slay all its princes with him,”
Says the Lord.

Judgment on Judah

4 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Judah, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they have despised the law of the Lord,
And have not kept His commandments.
Their lies lead them astray,
Lies which their fathers followed.
5 But I will send a fire upon Judah,
And it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.”


Judgment on Israel

6 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Israel, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they sell the righteous for silver,
And the poor for a pair of sandals.
7 They pant after[a] the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor,
And pervert the way of the humble.
A man and his father go in to the same girl,
To defile My holy name.
8 They lie down by every altar on clothes taken in pledge,
And drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god.
9 “Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them,
Whose height was like the height of the cedars,
And he was as strong as the oaks;
Yet I destroyed his fruit above
And his roots beneath.
10 Also it was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt,
And led you forty years through the wilderness,
To possess the land of the Amorite.
11 I raised up some of your sons as prophets,
And some of your young men as Nazirites.
Is it not so, O you children of Israel?”
Says the Lord.
12 “But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink,
And commanded the prophets saying,
‘Do not prophesy!’
13 “Behold, I am weighed down by you,
As a cart full of sheaves is weighed down.
14 Therefore flight shall perish from the swift,
The strong shall not strengthen his power,
Nor shall the mighty deliver himself;
15 He shall not stand who handles the bow,
The swift of foot shall not escape,
Nor shall he who rides a horse deliver himself.
16 The most courageous men of might
Shall flee naked in that day,”
Says the Lord.

Because they have Threshed Gilead

The Book of Amos starts here with the time established as 2 years before an earthquake - which must have been a significant and unforgettable earthquake. Amos proclaims God's impending judgment to the nations. The places named are as follows: Damascus, Ben-Hadad, Valley of Aven, Beth Eden, Syria, Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Tyre, Edom, Teman, Bozrah, Ammon, Rabah.

These were the nations whom had been against Israel. It is interesting to see history repeating itself even today. The reasons of judgment on each nations was also given such as Damascus threshing Israel, Gaza took the captive, Ammon destroyed many of them and Edom (Esau) for fighting against Israel who is supposed to be his brother. It appears that the means of judgment used by God that is common among these nations is by fire. The nations and especially the palaces which symbolizes the seat of power will burn.





Amos 1
1 The words of Amos, who was among the sheepbreeders[a] of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

2 And he said:

“The Lord roars from Zion,
And utters His voice from Jerusalem;
The pastures of the shepherds mourn,
And the top of Carmel withers.”

Judgment on the Nations

3 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they have threshed Gilead with implements of iron.
4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael,
Which shall devour the palaces of Ben-Hadad.
5 I will also break the gate bar of Damascus,
And cut off the inhabitant from the Valley of Aven,
And the one who holds the scepter from Beth Eden.
The people of Syria shall go captive to Kir,”
Says the Lord.
6 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they took captive the whole captivity
To deliver them up to Edom.
7 But I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza,
Which shall devour its palaces.
8 I will cut off the inhabitant from Ashdod,
And the one who holds the scepter from Ashkelon;
I will turn My hand against Ekron,
And the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,”
Says the Lord God.
9 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom,
And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.
10 But I will send a fire upon the wall of Tyre,
Which shall devour its palaces.”
11 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of Edom, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because he pursued his brother with the sword,
And cast off all pity;
His anger tore perpetually,
And he kept his wrath forever.
12 But I will send a fire upon Teman,
Which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.”
13 Thus says the Lord:

“For three transgressions of the people of Ammon, and for four,
I will not turn away its punishment,
Because they ripped open the women with child in Gilead,
That they might enlarge their territory.
14 But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah,
And it shall devour its palaces,
Amid shouting in the day of battle,
And a tempest in the day of the whirlwind.
15 Their king shall go into captivity,
He and his princes together,”
Says the Lord.

Judah has Gone into Captivity

Lamentation is the chapter of songs or poems of Lamentation associated with the disasters that struck the land. This chapter starts with the lamentation of Jerusalem. It laments over the once great city of Jerusalem, but now have been abandoned by her allies. The people have gone into captivity.

It acknowledges God's judgment on her because of her transgressions. Her young and mighty are gone, many were taken into captivity. Also the priests and elders were destroyed. Her allies have all abandoned her. She can only pray to the Lord to also carry out justice to all others who rebel against Him.




Lamentations 1
Jerusalem in Affliction

1 How lonely sits the city
That was full of people!
How like a widow is she,
Who was great among the nations!
The princess among the provinces
Has become a slave!

2 She weeps bitterly in the night,
Her tears are on her cheeks;
Among all her lovers
She has none to comfort her.
All her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
They have become her enemies.

3 Judah has gone into captivity,
Under affliction and hard servitude;
She dwells among the nations,
She finds no rest;
All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.

4 The roads to Zion mourn
Because no one comes to the set feasts.
All her gates are desolate;
Her priests sigh,
Her virgins are afflicted,
And she is in bitterness.

5 Her adversaries have become the master,
Her enemies prosper;
For the Lord has afflicted her
Because of the multitude of her transgressions.
Her children have gone into captivity before the enemy.

6 And from the daughter of Zion
All her splendor has departed.
Her princes have become like deer
That find no pasture,
That flee without strength
Before the pursuer.

7 In the days of her affliction and roaming,
Jerusalem remembers all her pleasant things
That she had in the days of old.
When her people fell into the hand of the enemy,
With no one to help her,
The adversaries saw her
And mocked at her downfall.[a]

8 Jerusalem has sinned gravely,
Therefore she has become vile.[b]
All who honored her despise her
Because they have seen her nakedness;
Yes, she sighs and turns away.

9 Her uncleanness is in her skirts;
She did not consider her destiny;
Therefore her collapse was awesome;
She had no comforter.
“O Lord, behold my affliction,
For the enemy is exalted!”

10 The adversary has spread his hand
Over all her pleasant things;
For she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary,
Those whom You commanded
Not to enter Your assembly.

11 All her people sigh,
They seek bread;
They have given their valuables for food to restore life.
“See, O Lord, and consider,
For I am scorned.”

12 “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?
Behold and see
If there is any sorrow like my sorrow,
Which has been brought on me,
Which the Lord has inflicted
In the day of His fierce anger.

13 “From above He has sent fire into my bones,
And it overpowered them;
He has spread a net for my feet
And turned me back;
He has made me desolate
And faint all the day.

14 “The yoke of my transgressions was bound;[c]
They were woven together by His hands,
And thrust upon my neck.
He made my strength fail;
The Lord delivered me into the hands of those whom I am not able to withstand.

15 “The Lord has trampled underfoot all my mighty men in my midst;
He has called an assembly against me
To crush my young men;
The Lord trampled as in a winepress
The virgin daughter of Judah.

16 “For these things I weep;
My eye, my eye overflows with water;
Because the comforter, who should restore my life,
Is far from me.
My children are desolate
Because the enemy prevailed.”

17 Zion spreads out her hands,
But no one comforts her;
The Lord has commanded concerning Jacob
That those around him become his adversaries;
Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them.

18 “The Lord is righteous,
For I rebelled against His commandment.
Hear now, all peoples,
And behold my sorrow;
My virgins and my young men
Have gone into captivity.

19 “I called for my lovers,
But they deceived me;
My priests and my elders
Breathed their last in the city,
While they sought food
To restore their life.

20 “See, O Lord, that I am in distress;
My soul is troubled;
My heart is overturned within me,
For I have been very rebellious.
Outside the sword bereaves,
At home it is like death.

21 “They have heard that I sigh,
But no one comforts me.
All my enemies have heard of my trouble;
They are glad that You have done it.
Bring on the day You have announced,
That they may become like me.

22 “Let all their wickedness come before You,
And do to them as You have done to me
For all my transgressions;
For my sighs are many,
And my heart is faint.”

He Awakens Me Morning by Morning

This chapter starts with the description of Israel's situation of sin and transgression. God pointed out the consequences were the result of their own transgressions. God again tells of the future Messiah, and although the references can be quite general, there are some specific ones which were written of Messiah Yeshua. These includes "I gave My back to those who struck Me, And I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. Messiah was also referred to as Servant.



Isaiah 50
The Servant, Israel’s Hope

1 Thus says the Lord:
“Where is the certificate of your mother’s divorce,
Whom I have put away?
Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you?
For your iniquities you have sold yourselves,
And for your transgressions your mother has been put away.
2 Why, when I came, was there no man?
Why, when I called, was there none to answer?
Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem?
Or have I no power to deliver?
Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea,
I make the rivers a wilderness;
Their fish stink because there is no water,
And die of thirst.
3 I clothe the heavens with blackness,
And I make sackcloth their covering.”
4 “The Lord God has given Me
The tongue of the learned,
That I should know how to speak
A word in season to him who is weary.
He awakens Me morning by morning,
He awakens My ear
To hear as the learned.
5 The Lord God has opened My ear;
And I was not rebellious,
Nor did I turn away.
6 I gave My back to those who struck Me,
And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard;
I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.
7 “For the Lord God will help Me;
Therefore I will not be disgraced;
Therefore I have set My face like a flint,
And I know that I will not be ashamed.
8 He is near who justifies Me;
Who will contend with Me?
Let us stand together.
Who is My adversary?
Let him come near Me.
9 Surely the Lord God will help Me;
Who is he who will condemn Me?
Indeed they will all grow old like a garment;
The moth will eat them up.
10 “Who among you fears the Lord?
Who obeys the voice of His Servant?
Who walks in darkness
And has no light?
Let him trust in the name of the Lord
And rely upon his God.
11 Look, all you who kindle a fire,
Who encircle yourselves with sparks:
Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled—
This you shall have from My hand:
You shall lie down in torment.

Let us Contend Together

Very encouraging words are given here from the Lord to His people. Even at that time before Yeshua, God told His people they were redeemed and they are His people. God describes Himself as the Holy One of Israel. He will protect His people. In fact He is calling for all His people to be gathered together.

God makes clear the reason for assembling His people is to witness to the rest that He alone is God and there is none before or after Him. However, God reminds them that many of them had forsaken the sacrifices. Moreover they have increased in their iniquities. Yet God shows His grace here by offering a pardon to blot your their sins and forget about them. God earnestly invites them to "Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together". This is extremely clear that the final qualification of salvation does not rely on sacrifices at all but instead requires people to establish a relationship with the Lord Himself".



Isaiah 43
The Redeemer of Israel

1 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.
5 Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,
And gather you from the west;
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”
8 Bring out the blind people who have eyes,
And the deaf who have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together,
And let the people be assembled.
Who among them can declare this,
And show us former things?
Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified;
Or let them hear and say, “It is truth.”
10 “You are My witnesses,” says the Lord,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
That you may know and believe Me,
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
Nor shall there be after Me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord,
And besides Me there is no savior.
12 I have declared and saved,
I have proclaimed,
And there was no foreign god among you;
Therefore you are My witnesses,”
Says the Lord, “that I am God.
13 Indeed before the day was, I am He;
And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand;
I work, and who will reverse it?”
14 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
The Holy One of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon,
And bring them all down as fugitives—
The Chaldeans, who rejoice in their ships.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
The Creator of Israel, your King.”
16 Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea
And a path through the mighty waters,
17 Who brings forth the chariot and horse,
The army and the power
(They shall lie down together, they shall not rise;
They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick):
18 “Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
20 The beast of the field will honor Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
21 This people I have formed for Myself;
They shall declare My praise.

Pleading with Unfaithful Israel

22 “But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob;
And you have been weary of Me, O Israel.
23 You have not brought Me the sheep for your burnt offerings,
Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices.
I have not caused you to serve with grain offerings,
Nor wearied you with incense.
24 You have bought Me no sweet cane with money,
Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
But you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have wearied Me with your iniquities.
25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake;
And I will not remember your sins.
26 Put Me in remembrance;
Let us contend together;
State your case, that you may be acquitted.
27 Your first father sinned,
And your mediators have transgressed against Me.
28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary;
I will give Jacob to the curse,
And Israel to reproaches.

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.

We Shall Be Satisfied with the Goodness of Your House

This psalm describes the Lord God who is the Provider. Spiritually, God provides for the atonement of our transgressions. The ones chosen by him can have satisfaction and contentment. He provides confidence and salvation.
For physical illustration, the psalm shows God as one who establishes the mountains, calms the seas and waves (as shown by Jesus), provides water for the earth and the grain and the pastures and valleys.


Psalm 65
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.

 1 Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;
         And to You the vow shall be performed.
 2 O You who hear prayer,
         To You all flesh will come.
 3 Iniquities prevail against me;
         As for our transgressions,
         You will provide atonement for them.
        
 4 Blessed is the man You choose,
         And cause to approach You,
         That he may dwell in Your courts.
         We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
         Of Your holy temple.
        
 5 By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us,
         O God of our salvation,
         You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,
         And of the far-off seas;
 6 Who established the mountains by His strength,
         Being clothed with power;
 7 You who still the noise of the seas,
         The noise of their waves,
         And the tumult of the peoples.
 8 They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;
         You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.
        
 9 You visit the earth and water it,
         You greatly enrich it;
         The river of God is full of water;
         You provide their grain,
         For so You have prepared it.
 10 You water its ridges abundantly,
         You settle its furrows;
         You make it soft with showers,
         You bless its growth.
        
 11 You crown the year with Your goodness,
         And Your paths drip with abundance.
 12 They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,
         And the little hills rejoice on every side.
 13 The pastures are clothed with flocks;
         The valleys also are covered with grain;
         They shout for joy, they also sing.

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.

Lest I Sin with my Tongue

David is still thinking about his enemies, but in this Psalm David explains his responsibility to do right, by keeping his tongue in check, "lest I sin with my tongue". It appears that David is at an older age in this Psalm as he talks about his weariness, and how close is he to the end and that people gather riches in vain because they cannot take it beyond this life.

David also reaffirms his hope in God. He knows that only God will know how many days he has left. He asks God again to forgive his transgressions.


Psalm 39

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

 1 I said, “I will guard my ways,
         Lest I sin with my tongue;
         I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,
         While the wicked are before me.”
 2 I was mute with silence,
         I held my peace even from good;
         And my sorrow was stirred up.
 3 My heart was hot within me;
         While I was musing, the fire burned.
         Then I spoke with my tongue:
       
 4 “LORD, make me to know my end,
         And what is the measure of my days,
         That I may know how frail I am.
 5 Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
         And my age is as nothing before You;
         Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.  Selah
 6 Surely every man walks about like a shadow;
         Surely they busy themselves in vain;
         He heaps up riches,
         And does not know who will gather them.
       
 7 “And now, Lord, what do I wait for?
         My hope is in You.
 8 Deliver me from all my transgressions;
         Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.
 9 I was mute, I did not open my mouth,
         Because it was You who did it.
 10 Remove Your plague from me;
         I am consumed by the blow of Your hand.
 11 When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity,
         You make his beauty melt away like a moth;
         Surely every man is vapor.  Selah
       
 12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD,
         And give ear to my cry;
         Do not be silent at my tears;
         For I am a stranger with You,
         A sojourner, as all my fathers were.
 13 Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength,
         Before I go away and am no more.”

Blessed is he Whose Transgression is Forgiven

It is good to know that one is forgiven to the degree that the sins are covered. But the first step is the confession of sins to God. Then the favour of God extends beyond salvation including hiding His children when they are in trouble, and teaching the people in His ways. The wicked will have sorrows but the one who trusts in the LORD will experience mercy.

Psalm 32

A Psalm of David. A Contemplation

 1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
         Whose sin is covered.
 2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
         And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
       
 3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old
         Through my groaning all the day long.
 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
         My vitality was turned into the drought of summer.  Selah
 5 I acknowledged my sin to You,
         And my iniquity I have not hidden.
         I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
         And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.  Selah
       
 6 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You
         In a time when You may be found;
         Surely in a flood of great waters
         They shall not come near him.
 7 You are my hiding place;
         You shall preserve me from trouble;
         You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.  Selah
       
 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
         I will guide you with My eye.
 9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
         Which have no understanding,
         Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
         Else they will not come near you.
       
 10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
         But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.
 11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous;
         And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!