Archive for January 2022

Genesis 34-35, Psalm 15, Matthew 6:16-24, Acts 9:1-19 Psalm 15: The question of Psalm 15 relates to the experience of being in the presence of the holy God. “Who shall dwell on your holy hill?” (15:1). In other words, who, as a sinner, can possibly relate to the holy God in intimate fellowship? We know from the rest…

Genesis 32-33, Psalm 14, Matthew 6:1-15, Acts 8:26-40 Psalm 14: This psalm is paralleled in Psalm 53 and is memorably called “a hymn to the atheist” by the preacher Dick Lucas. It is in three parts: what the fool says, what the LORD sees, and what the Lord does. First, what the fool says, verse 1. “The fool…

Genesis 31, Psalm 13, Matthew 5:33-46, Acts 8:1-25   Psalm 13: David felt as if God had forgotten him. It seemed to be a condition that was going on forever: “How long, O LORD?” It had left him depressed: “sorrow in my heart all day long.” He turns to God for help. “Consider and answer me, O LORD…

Genesis 29-30, Psalm 12, Matthew 5:21-32, Acts 7:39-60  Psalm 12: David is again surrounded by problems. It is easy to think that a king or national leader has few problems. But the reality is that the more authority you have, the more responsibility—and with increased responsibility comes increased pressure. David knew all about this. But while few reading…

Genesis 27-28, Psalm 11, Matthew 5:13-20, Acts 7:1-38 Psalm 11: Taking refuge in God, verse 1, is that which the righteous do, verse 7. The upright shall behold his face. But in the meantime, there is much that troubles David. He will not give in to pious platitudes and pretend that the situation he is facing is simple.…

Genesis 25-26, Psalm 10, Matthew 5:1-12, Acts 6 Psalm 10: It is the constant experience of God’s people that God sometimes seems to go quiet when things get tough. Where is God? That is the cry of many a beleaguered soul, even a devout and pious soul. Such feelings are the ones that give rise to this psalm.…

Genesis 24, Psalm 9, Matthew 4:18-25 , Acts 5:17-42 Psalm 9: Psalm 9 begins conventionally enough. It starts with giving thanks to God. And the reasons for the thanksgiving are well known: gratitude for what God has done (his “wonderful deeds”) and ultimately for who God is in himself (“I will be glad and exult in you”). But having…

Genesis 21-23, Psalm 8, Matthew 4:12-17, Acts 5:1-16 Psalm 8: One of the many reasons for faith and worship is the astonishing, majestic pattern of the universe in which we live. In David’s ancient cosmology, this thought is the same that resonates through this psalm. “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in the all the…

Genesis 18-20, Psalm 7, Matthew 4:1-11, Acts 4:23-37 Psalm 7:   We do not know who this “Cush” was, but presumably he had said things about David that deeply wounded him, and indeed threatened to personally damage him. His “words” seemed, David felt, to be like a “lion” that might “tear his soul apart.” This was not a…

Genesis 15-17, Psalm 6, Matthew 3:13-17, Acts 4:1-22  Psalm 6: There are two measures of a leader. One, how many people are following him. Two, how many people hate him. You are no leader without followers. But if there are none who oppose, then likely as not, you are not leading your followers anywhere. David was a great…