Psalms

Lamentations 3 and Psalm 34

Lamentations 3 opens with the phrase, “I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath. What a powerful statement that is! I don’t know if this chapter is the story of a man or of a nation, but nevertheless, it is a story of strong judgment and affliction. The interesting and thought provoking point of this chapter is the two interludes of the grace of God. The first one is found in Lamentations 3:21-26 and the second one is Lamentations 3:55-57.

In addition, there is hope for the chastened in Lamentations 3:31-33. “… though he cause grief, he will have compassion…” 

I find it very interesting the parallel contrasts both yesterday and today in the coresponding readings of Lamentations and Psalms: judgment and grace, pain, sorrow, and affliction versus joy, praise and testimony.

Today’s reading in Psalms 34 is full of hope. Ps. 34:1-4 is the praise and testimony of a man who has experienced the glory of God. 

Ps. 34:8 – “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” This is a call to experience God Himself, not just His blessing but God Himself. When life is tough and hard, I can find refuge in God alone. That is the most likely time that I will experience the blessing shared by the psalmist in verse 8.

Ps. 34:10 seems like a promise that I want to grab onto right now: “…but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. ” I must remember that it is God who defines what is a good thing.

Ps. 32:15, Ps. 34:17, and Ps. 34:19 all refer to the righteous and the promises of God that pertain to the righteous. What makes a man righteous? Is it my works? Is the nature of my heart? No, it is the saving work of the Saviour alone that makes a man righteous before God (Romans 3:21-22).

Lamentations 2 and Psalm 33

Lamentations 2 is a very sad and somber declaration of the heavy hand of judgment The Lord is dealing with Israel. It is important for me to remember how longsuffering He had been with Israel but also that His righteousness demanded His actions against her.

Lamentations 2:11-12 is an effective summary of the judgment and a vivid description of the resulting suffering. Is the idolatry of my day any worse than that of the children of Israel? What ultimate judgment lies in store for those who continue to turn against God and reject Christ.

Lamentations 2:17 – the beginning of the verse declares the inevitability of God’s judgment. “He has carried out His word…” God will always be true to His word. This is true of pronounced judgment, but it is also true of His unfailing promises to us.

Psalm 33 is a great declaration of the faithfulness of God. It is a good remedy to the dire narrative of Lamentations 2. Some verses that stood out to me today are:

Ps. 33:4 – God’s word is upright. It is good for us and good to us. It is not confused and scewed like much of today’s world. He is always faithful (a correlary to Lamentations 2:17).

Ps. 33:11 – His word is enduring. When so much seems like it is weak and fading. His word and His promises do not fade but endure.

Ps. 33:12 – This is a great national promise but even when our nation seems to be turning away from God, His promises endure for His chosen people. My future is not dependent on the course of my country.

Ps. 33:18-19 – The Lord has his eyes on me and on my life. I don’t have to be concerned that He will miss the critical moments of my life or that He is somehow absent especially when I am in great need. 

The hope in Ps. 33:22 is present because of His faithfulness and because of that faithfulness, we have the trust spoken of in Ps. 33:21.

Lamentations 1 and Psalm 32

Today I began reading Lamentations. Lamentations 1 is a cry of the fall of Jerusalem and a recollection of how things were and what they are now. It is a stark contract to the reading from Psalm 32 which is an encouragement for the believer who confesses sin and finds forgiveness.

I am not sure how I will respond to my time in Lamentations. In the past, it has not been a place where I have enjoyed or felt moved by what I have read. I would like to be more disciplined and prepared this time while reading through Lamentations and hear what the Holy Spirit is trying to teach to me.

I am glad for the heart lifting blessings of Psalm 32 however. Beginning with Ps. 32:1-2, this psalm is a great reminder of the cornerstone of our spiritual birth. We are greatly blessed to have our sin covered by the blood of Jesus. I think that I would be stronger spiritually if I would simply remember this truth each day.

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,…

See the strong contrast between Ps 32:3-4 when we cover our sin or neglect to confess it to God and Ps. 32:5 when we acknowledge our sin and confess it. However, I believe that it also means that we genuinely confess sin with true sorrow in our heart because of the transgression it is against God. Not simply a pattern of sin, confess to relieve our conscience, and then return to that sin again. I understand that we all struggle with besetting sins that recur in our lives. I think that we do genuinely repent but find ourselves returning to battle those temptations again. In that case, we need to seek the help of the Holy Spirit to gain victory over those temptations. We can however, repeat sin that we confess with a form of superficiality but in reality, we have a great love of the pleasure of that sin than we do of God. That can be a real danger that puts us in a position of the risk of experiencing a hardening of our hearts. I pray that the Holy Spirit protects me from that! I think Ps. 32:6 reflects that thought.

Ps. 32:8-9 speaks of a heart that is willing and obedient to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. The contrast of the unwilling horse that needs a bit in its mouth to lead it tells me of the effects of rebellion against The Lord. How much better to be submissive to the Holy Spirit.

Finally, the contrast in Ps. 32:10 is worth noting. The wicked have many sorrows. The unspoken thing to note is that those sorrows must be borne alone. The contrast is that the one who obeys and follows The Lord may also have sorrows, but he/she also experiences the presence and the love of The Lord. In fact, that love is both steadfast and encompassing (surrounds).

Jeremiah 52 and Psalm 31

Jeremiah 52 appears to me to be a sort of appendix to the book of Jeremiah. It is a recounting of the final fall of Jerusalem – a second recounting of 2 Kings 25. Some interesting notes for me are:

  1. The account of the capture of Zedekiah and his humiliation by Nebuchadnezzar
  2. The absence of the record of how Jeremiah was protected by the captain Nebuzaradan.
  3. The treatment of Jehoiachin later on.

This chapter marks the end of the book of Jeremiah. This is the first time I have read through Jeremiah and both enjoyed and understood its context. I have previously not enjoyed my time reading Jeremiah and now I believe I am more prepare to understand it even better the next time I read through it.

Psalm 31:1-5 repeats a recurring theme of refuge and rescue. During these days, these words speak to my heart and remind me of the security I have in Christ. There is no other place of refuge other than the hand of God.

Ps. 31:6 – the psalmist says he hates those who pay regard to worthless idols. I believe it can be easy for us today to succumb to the trap of paying regard to worthless idols like wealth, possessions, pleasure, and narcism. This behavior is a great sin against God and robs Him of the glory He deserves.

Ps. 31:9-10 is a confession of the helpless position we are in apart from the mercy and grace of God.

Ps. 31-11-13 – the psalmist tells us of the contemptible situation he is in. No one understands his plight and his only choice is to turn to God for help (Ps. 31:14-15).

Ps. 31:24 is an encouragement to me because it reminds me that God’s timetable is different from mine. I want resolution now but God’s timing is sovereign. He will deliver when He is ready and His timing is perfect – always! My responsible is to be strong and take courage. The best way for me to do that is to remember His love and His grace in past blessings.

Jeremiah 51 and Psalm 30

Jer. 51 is actually yesterday’s reading. I fell behind a day so I plan to read yesterday’s scheduled reading this morning and today’s reading tonight.

Jer. 51 is a longer chapter that foretells of the destruction of Babylon. The Lord used Babylon as a tool of chastening against Israel. However, the sins of Babylon will not be overlooked or pardoned. The great city and nation will fall because of the just hand of God. Jer. 51:8-9 is interesting because there is a tone of pity for Babylon. If she would repent, she could be saved. However, the last part of Jer. 51:9 instructs the reader or Israel to walk away because Babylon will not repent but will be destroyed.

Jer. 51:20-23 describes the destructive actions that will occur. Jeremiah repeats the phrase, “…with you…”. I don’t think that means Israel, but I am not sure who it refers to without referencing a commentary. Jer. 51:34-35 describes the indictment against Babylon. The length of the chapter and the detailed description of the destruction and judgment against Babylon is worth noting.

Ps. 30:2 is a testimony of God’s care. When we cry out to God, our words do not fall to the ground unheard or unacknowledged. He hears us when we cry out to him. The second part of the verse tells us that He heals us when we cry out to him.

Ps. 30:5-6 tells us that pain and suffering has a finite duration. We endure it for a season or a time, but “…joy comes in the morning.” Often, lately, I wake up with fear but as I rise and begin the day, the fear subsides. Perhaps a brief prayer upon waking to acknowledge my heart to God would reflect the tenor of these verses.

Ps 30:8, 10 reiterate the psalmist’s thought that his repentance and his cry for help is directed to God and not to things or other people. Only God has the answer to the fears and deep hurts of life.

Ps. 30:11 is where the writer turns the corner. Mourning is turned to dancing. His prayers have been answered and there is a restoration of joy! His response is a thankful heart forever (Ps. 30:12)

D.A. Carson observes the spirit of Psalm 30 in his devotional book, “For the Love of God, Volume Two”,

many a christian has experienced the almost ineffable release of being transported from despair or illness or catastrophic defeat or a sense of alienated distance from God, to a height of safety or health or victory or spiritual intimacy with our Maker and Redeemer. Certainly David had such experiences. Psalm 30 records his pleasure during one of those transports of delight.