This psalm contains one of the great Old Testament portrayals of the Gospel. Along with Isaiah 53, we learn here that the death of Christ for the sins of the world was no afterthought. The Lamb of God was indeed slain from before the foundations of the world. “My God, my God, why hast thou …
Thunderhead Holiness/Psalm 29
INTRODUCTION There is little doubt that the inspiration for this glorious psalm was a monumental thunderstorm. In this inspired account we find a true and biblical description of glory, beauty, and holiness. THE TEXT Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due …
The Need for Answered Prayer/Psalm 28
INTRODUCTION As the people of God, we must not ever be content with unanswered prayer. We cry out to the Lord, and we do not do this because we want to hear ourselves talking in a religious way. We do this because we seek deliverance and salvation. THE TEXT Unto thee will I cry, O …
Joy and Strength/Psalm 21
As with many of the psalms, David intends himself in the description, but under the inspiration of the Spirit, the language transcends David’s situation, and finds its fullest fulfillment in the triumph and victory of the Lord Jesus. “The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he …
The Lord is our Light/Psalm 27
INTRODUCTION If God is for us, then who can be against us? This is the fundamental faith of all who have suffered persecution for the cause of Christ. We see it throughout history, and we discover it in both testaments. One man and God outnumber everybody. THE TEXT The LORD is my light and my …
The Pulpit and Politics/Psalm 20
As we have noted before, the psalms provide us with direction and encouragement in every conceivable human situation. Just as in the next psalm (21), we have thanksgiving in the aftermath of victory in battle, so in this psalm we have a cry of faith prior to the battle. And of course, battle and danger …
We Preach Not Ourselves/Psalm 26
INTRODUCTION Without the confession of sin found in the previous psalm, this psalm taken by itself could be seen as arrogant or self-righteous. We always need the whole counsel of God. But in our day, we are far more likely to ignore the sentiments found here than we are to neglect the sentiments that urge …
The Sins of My Youth/Psalm 25
INTRODUCTION The twenty-fifth psalm is a sustained plea for help, although it contains some things that we might have trouble reconciling. This again is one of the reasons why we need to be trained to pray as the psalmist prays. This is the second penitential psalm, and it is the first that is composed as …
Three Books/Psalm 19
During the French Revolution, one revolutionary said to a peasant: “I will have all your steeples pulled down, that you may no longer have any object by which you may be reminded of your old superstitions.” “But,” replied the peasant, “you cannot help leaving us the stars.” It is not possible, by any device, to …
Sabbath Rest
The Puritan John Owen once remarked that through various controversies the Sabbath itself had been given very little rest. We should pray that this will not be the case in our treatment of it. In this installment, we will outline some of the basic principles concerning the Lord’s Day, and in the next we will …