Introduction: There is only one God, and so for a creature there are only two ways to go—toward Him or away from Him. We can listen to Him, or we can ignore what He would tell us. We can surrender to Him, or rebel against Him. This psalm describes the consequences of each kind … [Read more...]

Introduction: As with others of the psalms of Asaph, this is likely either in the tradition of the school of Asaph, or by another Asaph downstream from the father of that tradition. The events described here are not what we see in the time of David and Solomon, so it is either … [Read more...]

Introduction: This is a psalm of Asaph, but given the subject material it is likely “Asaphic”—of the school of Asaph, in the tradition of Asaph. The scenes described fit very well with Israel’s later history, and not really from the time of David or Solomon. A sonnet can be a … [Read more...]

Introduction: This psalm, also by Asaph, pairs nicely with the previous psalm. If you recall, Psalm 75 is a psalm of anticipatory thanksgiving for deliverance. This is a psalm of gratitude and gladness after the fact. The Text: “In Judah is God known: His name is great in … [Read more...]

Introduction: This is a psalm of preemptive thanksgiving. The psalmist is looking to God for a deliverance that he fully expects. There are petitions mixed in with the psalm, but for the most part this is simply anticipatory gladness for deliverance. The deliverance sought is … [Read more...]

Introduction: We have emphasized before that the psalter is not just a collection of songs, but it is also a model for prayer. We do not ever want to get our prayers to the point where they are “holier” than the prayers offered up in the Bible. And we should not forget to … [Read more...]

Introduction: Asaph was an important singer in Israel, and this is the second psalm composed by him. In addition, it is the first of eleven in a row by him. We do not have any details of his biography, as we do with David, but we (possibly) learn a great deal about his personal … [Read more...]

Introduction: Spurgeon rightly says that this psalm is the testimony of a “struggling, but unstaggering, faith.” The Hebrew form of this psalm has no title, but the Septuagint attributes it to David, an assumption we will follow. Whether by David or not, it certainly fits in … [Read more...]