Archive for January 2022

Genesis 50, Psalm 23, Matthew 10:1-20, Acts 15:1-21    Psalm 23: The story goes of two people who recited this famous psalm publicly. One was a well-trained actor. He delivered the beautiful words with all the right intonation and emphasis, pausing at exactly the correct moments to deliver maximum impact. Those who listened beamed with pleasure as he…

Genesis 49, Psalm 22:12-31, Matthew 9:27-38, Acts 14   Psalm 22:12-31: At this point in the psalm, it becomes crystal clear what the great Matthew Henry says about it: “The Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets, testifies in this psalm, as clearly and fully as any where in all the Old Testament, “the sufferings of Christ…

Genesis 48, Psalm 22:1-11, Matthew 9:14-26, Acts 13:26-52 Psalm 22:1-11: From the glory and confidence of the previous psalm comes the low of this psalm. David comes back down to earth with a bump. Here he is not feeling as if he could climb every mountain and beat every giant; here he is feeling as if God had…

Genesis 46-47, Psalm 21, Matthew 9:1-13, Acts 13:1-25   Psalm 21: “The King Rejoices in the LORD’s Strength”—such is the title given to this psalm in one Bible translation. And rightly so. The first half of the psalm is all about exactly that. How the king, this King David, rejoices because he has God’s strength, because God has…

Genesis 44-45, Psalm 20, Matthew 8:23-34, Acts 12 Psalm 20: This is a prayer of blessing, and in particular a prayer of blessing for the king. In our day and age, we are so used to being suspicious of people in authority that it is hard for us to imagine asking God to bless the authority figures of…

Genesis 42-43, Psalm 19, Matthew 8:14-22, Acts 11:19-30    Psalm 19: Another of the great psalms of David. In Psalm 19, David moves from a declaration of God’s revelation of his glory in creation, to his revelation in the Bible, to call us, therefore, to be personally acceptable in God’s sight. First, David shows God’s revelation of his glory in creation. Sometimes people say…

Genesis 41, Psalm 18:25-50, Matthew 8:1-13, Acts 11:1-18  Psalm 18:25-50: David continues his psalm of praise to God as his “strength” (18:1). Many people have wondered what is the secret of the success of the “great” man, or the source of his “strength.” Well, here David tells us. It is not where we think it is, not what…

Genesis 39-40, Psalm 18:1-24, Matthew 7:15-29, Acts 10:24-48 Psalm 18:1-24: Looking back when the dark night of the soul is over, or when the very real battle is finished, it is easy to forget just how hard it was. This psalm recalls the experience of God rescuing David from his enemies, even from the hand of Saul, and…

Genesis 37-38, Psalm 17, Matthew 7:1-14, Acts 10:1-23 Psalm 17: Oh, what a beautiful psalm! And how hard was the time that caused this psalm to be written! “Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry!” He is surrounded by enemies seeking him harm, and this consideration may be causing him a sleepless night (verse 3:…

Genesis 36, Psalm 16, Matthew 6:25-34, Acts 9:20-43   Psalm 16: David is asking to be saved, or for his life to be “preserved.” He senses the need of rescue. Perhaps he is in some dire situation or other. Perhaps he is overwhelmed with responsibility and feels as if the burden is about to kill him. Perhaps there…