NATIVITY NUGGETS

When you think about the Nativity, raise your hand if scenes from the Charlie Brown Christmas Classic pop into your head.

In all honesty, it's not that far off from the Biblical version. I mean, you've got a teenage girl engaged to an honorable, yet impoverished Jewish man of no acclaim who is willing to accept a miraculously virginal conception then hauls his pregnant fiance to a crowded village where she gives birth to the Son of God and lays him in a feeding trough while a bunch of lowly shepherds announce His birth. I mean, could God have chosen a more ragtag cast of characters?

Other than Charlie Brown's version (based on Luke 2 and a few chapters in the Gospel of Matthew), we really don't have a plethora of information on the Nativity.  However, I went digging for a few interesting nuggets that may have you looking at your Christmas Nativity Set in a different way.

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BETHLEHEM

The fact that the Little Town of Bethlehem became the birthplace of Jesus was not a surprise to the Jews. It was prophesied in the OT book of Micah:

“But you,Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,

Yet out of you shall come forth to Me

The One to be Ruler in Israel,

Whose goings forth are from of old,

From everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)

Because there were two Bethlehems, Micah specifically referred to Bethlehem Ephrathah. Just look at all that happened in that small, seemingly insignificant village: 

• King David was born there (later called the City of David).
• Ruth & Boaz were married there.
• It was the grave site of Rachel (wife of Jacob / mother of Joseph & Benjamin).

💛Bethlehem means “House of Bread” (beth: "house'; lehem: "of bread") . Ephratah means "fruitfulness". The Bread of Life (John 6:48) was born in the House of Bread. And He is The Vine of our fruitfulness (John 15:5).

💛Bethlehem is only six miles south of Jerusalem. Ancient rabbis record that the lambs used for temple sacrifices were raised in the fields between these two towns. See the symbolism? The Lamb of God was born among the sacrificial lambs in Bethlehem, born to be a living sacrifice in Jerusalem. 

💛“Inn”, “innkeeper” or “stable” are never mentioned in the Biblical account of the Nativity. The idea of Joseph and Mary being turned away from “the inn” and having to birth Jesus in a barn full of lowing cattle comes from from extra-biblical traditions. Logically, since Bethlehem was Joseph's ancestral home, he likely had relatives or acquaintances there with whom he could stay.  It didn't occur to him to make reservations at the Holiday Inn.  To his dismay, Bethlehem was unusually crowded upon their arrival - everybody had a full house.  Joseph and Mary were lucky to find any place to sleep. It just so happened to be a room that was used for keeping animals.

The typical family home in that area did not have barns. Instead, animals were kept in a room (or cave) on the main floor at the back of the house while the family lived together in a separate area.  Since all the guest rooms were occupied (the word used in Matthew 2:7 is "kataluma" which means “upper room”), Joseph and Mary had to stay where the animals usually stayed. There would have been a “manger” (a wooden or stone trough) in the room for feeding the animals.

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SHEPHERDS

Although often used to represent leaders in the Bible, shepherding was actually not a highly respected career. In fact, shepherds were often social outcasts, performing duties that Mike Rowe would categorize as “Dirty Jobs”. But the shepherds around Bethlehem were not just any ol' shepherds. They were special shepherds responsible for raising and caring for the sacrificial lambs that were taken to the Temple in Jerusalem. 

💛Since these lambs had to be perfect and “without blemish” the shepherds went to great lengths to protect them. They would tear strips of cloth (the Greek word translated “swaddling” means “to tear") and wrap them around the limbs of the newborn lambs. Then they would place the tiny lambs in mangers to keep them safe. [Can you imagine the shepherds' surprise in finding the Son of God all wrapped up and laying in a manger?]

“It is a lovely thought that the shepherds who looked after the Temple lambs were the first to see the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” ~ William Barclay

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WISE MEN

This is where some of you might be surprised to learn that your Nativity Set might not be technically correct, in the Biblical sense, that is. There were NOT three wise men standing humbly at the manger scene on the night that Jesus was born because they were late to the scene.  And the wise men weren't just fashionably late, they were several months late.

💛Matthew tells us that the wise men did not arrive until sometime AFTER the birth of Jesus (2:1). In fact, Matthew refers to Jesus three times as the “young child” (Greek “paidion”). Most scholars believe that Jesus could have been almost two years old.

Were they kings? Were they magi? Were they wise men? Were there three?

The Greek word "mάgoi" is translated as “wise men” or “magi”, depending on the English translation. This word originally referred to a class of Persian wise men that were sorta like priests who could interpret the stars and special astrological signs.  They weren't actually kings, but most likely advisers to their king. These particular magi obviously had some knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures and had read about the coming of the Messiah.  We know they came from “the east”- most likely Babylonia or Persia (Iran) - which means they traveled well over 1000 miles while following “His” star.

💛In essence, the magi were star-gazers who followed a star in search of a Savior. And when they finally found Him, they worshiped Him.

💛The Bible does not tell us how many wise men there were - obviously more than one, as "magi" is plural. Three are assumed because of the number of gifts. But traveling in a caravan, there were likely more than three. Eastern tradition states there were 12.

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GIFTS OF THE MAGI

“And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)

The Magi did not come bearing your typical baby shower gifts. They brought gifts that were fit for a king, as prophesied more than 700 years before the birth of Jesus: 

“They shall bring gold and incense, and they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.” (Isaiah 60:6)

To the ancient church, there was plenty of symbolism in these three gifts:

💛GOLD – A gift for royalty and is a symbol of Christ’s kingship on earth – both as King of the Jews and ultimately King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Revelation 19:16)

💛FRANKINCENSE – This is an incense used in priestly duties and is a symbol of the divinity of Christ as High Priest. (Hebrews 4:14-15)

💛MYRRH – Traditionally used as an embalming oil, symbolized the humanity of the sacrificial death of Jesus. As was customary, Myrrh was used to prepare the body of Jesus for burial. (John 19:39-40).

💛Myrrh is extracted by piercing the tree’s heartwood and allowing the resin to trickle out into red droplets called "tears".

Beyond the symbolism, these gifts most likely provided the financial means for Joseph and Mary's trip to Egypt with Jesus, where they lived as refugees for two years in order to protect Jesus from King Herod.  (Matthew 2:13-15)

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BABY JESUS

There's just something about that name...

While most parents spend a great deal of thought over naming their children, Mary and Joseph didn't have that luxury. They didn't waste their time contemplating a firstborn named “Joseph, Jr.” because no less than the angel Gabriel told both of them EXACTLY what to name their baby:

TO JOSEPH: "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus...” (Matthew 1:21)

TO MARY: "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus." (Luke 1:31)

His name shall be JESUS.

• In Hebrew, the word for salvation comes from “yasha”.
• From “yasha” comes Yeshua (Joshua), which means “God is salvation”.
• Translated into Greek, Yeshua becomes Iesous.
• In English, Iesous becomes... JESUS.

Isaiah 7:14 prophesied the birth of a Son named Immanuel. In Hebrew, Immanuel is not just a name, it's a sentence: "God is with us."

To the shepherds, Baby Jesus was introduced as a “Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Savior means REDEEMER / DELIVERER / RESCUER. Christ (Greek: “Christos”) means “Anointed One”.

JESUS is our Salvation; the Anointed One. He is God with us as our Redeemer, Deliverer and Rescuer.

All wrapped up in the swaddling cloths of a sacrificial lamb.

Divinity in a diaper.

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MOTHER MARY

The Gospel of Luke gives us much greater detail from the perspective of Mary than does Matthew. Most commentators agree that much of the information about Jesus in chapters 1 and 2 was gleaned directly from Mary, who served as one of Luke's “eyewitnesses” (Luke 1:2).

This resonates with me, especially when I read the words written about Mary after the shepherds came to meet Baby Jesus:

“But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19 NRSV)

The word used for “ponder” comes from the Latin "ponderare", which goes beyond the idea of merely thinking upon things. It means “to consider, to weigh, to hold in balance”.

I mean... if anyone ever had some powerful pondering to do on the night of Jesus' birth, it was Mary.

Just try wrapping your brain around the fact that an ancient OT prophecy is about YOU:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

Oh, Mary.  Did you really know that it was God you were growing under your heart?  Did you understand that your labor pains and stretch marks actually came from Immanuel?

By the time Luke interviewed Mary, she had been pondering over Her Son for many years. She had kept all the important pieces of her Son's life tucked safely away in her heart... things that only the Mother of Jesus could know.

Throughout her life, she pondered over the toddler with scraped knees that was also her Savior... pondered the times she heard her Son praying to His Father... pondered that the teenager who loved her cooking was the King of Kings.

And after sitting under the cross of His crucifixion... she pondered in sorrow as her Son was taken from the cross, wrapped in swaddling cloths (that had been dipped in Myrrh), and then laid in a tomb.

PRAYING STILL

Back in the olden days before cell phones were invented, if we wanted to send a message to our friends we had to chisel it out on a stone table by the flickering light of the campfire and...

Okay, maybe I'm not THAT old. But I'm seriously just a few generations away from parchment paper and quills. In fact, I am exactly a Big Chief Tablet and #2 pencil old. And while I have fond memories of scribbling notes on my Big Chief tablet, I don't miss the holes all over the paper I made with erasures.

Eventually I progressed to 3-hole lined paper and Banana Bic pens. I poured ALL my teenage angst out in colored ink and fancy cursive then folded it up into a crisp, tight square. If I made a mistake or misspelled a word (no autocorrect in the 70's), I had 3 choices. I could either :   1) Crumple the paper into a ball, toss it in the trash and start over; 2) Scratch through the mistake; or 3) Cover it up with Liquid Paper, blow on it til dry, then scratch my corrections on top of the crusty whiteout.

(FUN FACT:  Liquid Paper was invented by Michael Nesmith's mother.  And if you never used a Big Chief Tablet, you've probably also never heard of Michael Nesmith.)

More often than not, I made it all the way to the end of the letter, signed off with a flourish (i.e. STAY COOL, BYE) only to remember that I had forgotten to add that One More Important Thing. So, what did I do? I just simply added a “P.S.”. In fact, pretty much all of my notes had at least one P.S. - many of them had a P.S.S. (Not gonna lie, if my A.D.D. was kicking in... I P.S.'ed like a crazy chick all the way to the bottom of the page.)

But thanks to technology, I can now text, email and direct message with the option to edit and delete beyond the wildest imaginings of Shakespeare.

While I can't remember the last time I added a P.S. to a message, it occurred to me last night that my P.S. game is still going strong in my prayer life.

I don't know if it's because I'm getting older and my brain is so full of song lyrics and useless info that there's only a wee bit of memory space left... or maybe it's that my prayer list keeps growing longer and longer. Whatever the reason, I find myself P.S.'ing God not only in every prayer but all the livelong day.

It goes something like this: I close my eyes and get really quiet as I humbly tiptoe up those heavenly stairs. As I climb, I try to shake off the tethers that keep me earthbound so that I might approach my Lord in awe and wonder. First, I thank Him for all my blessings (which takes a looooooong time), then in repentance I beg His forgiveness for my sins (takes even longer cause... "Hello, my name is Robin and I'm a sinner"), and finally I start ticking off the names and needs on my Prayer List. It's quite a list. In fact, there are nights when my list is SO long that I have to triage that thing like an ER nurse. Those whose lives are hemorrhaging the worst go to the top of The List. And to be painfully honest, there are nights that I, myself, am so tired and weary that all I can do is lay really still and ask God to reach into my heaped up heart and... just help.

When I finally reach the end of my prayer and sign off with a flourish (i.e. STAY COOL, AMEN), I inevitably remember that I forgot to add that One More Thing. What do I do? I start P.S.'ing. And P.S.S.'ing.

I P.S. God so much that I've changed the definition of P.S.

In writing, it means “Post Script”.  But when I'm talking to God, it means “Praying Still”.

And y'all, there's never been a time when we needed to be P.S.'ing more.

PERFECT PEACE

Today is World Mental Health Day. 💚

I didn't have a clue until I was notified by my computer as I sat down to write this blog. Ironically enough, I was planning to write about “peace” (or more accurately, “shalom”).  This is the verse that God had put upon my heart:

“You will keep him in perfect peace, 

whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. 

(Isaiah 26:3)

I was intrigued by the offer of “perfect peace”.  Aren't you?

After a little research, I learned the word “perfect” was not used in the original text. The original Hebrew is actually, “shalom shalom”. You see, the writers and scribes of the Bible didn't have those handy dandy yellow highlighters so when they wanted to emphasize something, they repeated it.

While most of us define peace as the absence of conflict or hostility, the Hebrew word means so much more. "Shalom" has always been an important word to God's chosen people, being deeply rooted in Jewish history.  Shalom is interpreted as the all-encompassing idea of wholeness, completeness, fullness of health, quietness of spirit, feelings of harmony, safety, and blessing... basically an overall happiness of heart. Shalom is peace within and without, with man and God, in the present, the future and everywhere in between.

Think of something with a lot of working parts. When all the parts are working together, everything is at peace. When the parts are out of alignment, the peace is broken. "Shalom shalom" is a restoration to wholeness.

Here's the deal, though.  This promise of “perfect peace” is conditional.  In case you didn't notice, Isaiah threw a couple of pesky “ifs” in that verse. God will keep us in “shalom shalom” IF our mind is stayed on Him and IF we trust in Him. There's a cause and effect going on that has a lot to do with our heart and MIND.

What does it mean to have our mind “stayed” on God? This word in Hebrew is “samak” and it means to “lean”, as used in Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and LEAN NOT on your own understanding." Leaning our minds upon the Lord comes natural when we trust Him.

Conversely, when we put our trust in anything or anyone else (including ourselves) our mind will not be “stayed” upon Him.  That's when peace –  even imperfect peace – becomes iillusive.

I'd like to take credit for discovering this truth, but honestly, it's as old as dirt. Literally. The first ones who figured out how to lose their God-given peace were Adam and Eve.

And then along came Jesus... the embodiment of Shalom. He roamed the Middle East without bodyguards or bullets. He touched lepers, dined with tax collectors, chatted with hookers and waded out into storms, all with Perfect Peace. Remember what He told his disciples at the Last Supper? 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; 

not as the world gives do I give to you.

 Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Then, do you remember what Jesus did after His resurrection? He surprised the depressed apostles when he walked right through a locked door, flashed a nail-scarred peace sign and said, "PEACE be with you!" (John 20:19)

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Over half of all Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder during their lifetime.

• During any given year, 1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness.

• One in 25 Americans is living with a serious mental illness (such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression).

One in five.  That's my family, y'all.  And I bet it's yours, as well. 

It might even be you. 

So where is perfect peace in the midst of mental illness?  If mental health issues are a part of your life, your marriage, your family... "shalom shalom" can still be found from a different perspective, but in the same way.  Lean your mind on Him. Trust Him to give you who and what you need to restore your broken pieces together into the wholeness of SHALOM.

As Believers, we know that God is The Great Physician - the ultimate source of all healing.  Still, if you're a diabetic, you may also need insulin.  And if you have clinical depression, store bought serotonin could be just what the doctor ordered.

What we don't need to do is hyper-spiritualize mental illness and disregard the holistic healing of biology, psychology and spirituality combined.

But the presence of pain does not mean the absence of Jesus. In fact, He will meet you right in the middle of your pain and brokenness. 

If you have mental illness, please don't give up.  Don't give in.  Keep your mind stayed on Jesus.  He will help you win battles nobody else even knows about. 

Shalom, Shalom.

UNDER THE SUN

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (NIV Ecclesiastes 1:9)

The 20 year war in Afghanistan ended as it began, with bodies falling from the sky. Falling from the sky... under the sun.

Life under the sun is bleak, sometimes. If you don't believe me (even if you do), go read Ecclesiastes. Seriously. If you haven't read it recently, now is the time. It explains everything that we are experiencing in this forlorn world of ours.

“Under the sun” is the qualifier in Ecclesiastes. It has nothing to do with the weather, but everything to do with location, location, location. It refers to this world, to the temporary nature of life upon Planet Earth. The message of Ecclesiastes is this: As long as we limit ourselves to a worldly perspective, life is indeed meaningless; or at best, uncontrollable.

“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” (NIV Ecclesiastes 1:14)

The Hebrew word used for “meaningless” or “futile” is hevel. The original meaning is much more complex than our English interpretation. Hevel literally means “vapor” or “smoke”. In other words, life is not only temporary, but unpredictable. What cloud has any substance? Who can grasp hold of smoke?

Yet here we are, tethered to iPads and cell phones, seeking the unmerited wisdom of “experts” who can predict our future and solve our every problem - from Covid to Cellulite. And according to Ecclesiastes, that just might be the problem. I mean, who in the wide wide world of sports ever thought it would be a good idea for us to fill our brains with a 24-hour news cycle? I'm pretty sure the Maker didn't design us for such nonsense.  We depend on people we don't really trust to feed us “facts” that are indiscernible from fiction. No wonder the lines between reality and perception have became so muddled. We breathe in sensationalized news and breathe out confusion and fear.

“...Yet fools talk on and on. No one knows what is to happen, and who can tell anyone what the future holds.” (NRSV Ecclesiastes 10:14)

Social Media / MSM / Google have educated us beyond our wildest imaginings and as we say in the medical field – waaaay beyond our scope of practice. Never have so many of us had more “knowledge” at our fingertips, yet been so lost and depressed...

“With much wisdom comes much disappointment; the person who gains more knowledge also gains more sorrow.” (NCV Ecclesiastes 1:18)

Because this is what life looks like from underneath the sun, y'all. The same way it looked in the days of Solomon, almost 3000 years ago. When our focus is on the world and not God, our view is no better than a worm's.

So, turn off the fear porn. Quit listening to “experts” who pretend to know your future. Stop chasing the wind. Instead, chase after God and the wisdom of His Word. Embrace the advice of Ecclesiastes: Fear God and Obey His Commandments. And know this: with an eternal perspective, life under the sun  (though fleeting and precious) is far from meaningless.  We are encouraged to enjoy these temporal gifts from God:

FRIENDSHIP & FAMILY

THE FRUITS OF LABOR

A GOOD MEAL 

SUNSHINE 

Under the sun without God, our lives are little more than weary wisps of smoke. With Him, our Spirits reflect the hope and glory of eternity... a life above the sun.

STUDY OF PSALMS - Chapt. 148-150

PSALM 148 – HALLELUJAH #3

Our study of the Book of psalm concludes with the last three of the five Hallelujah Psalms (Psalms 146-150). Like Psalm 146 and 147, each of these psalms are pure praise that begin and end with “Hallelujah”!  

VERSES 1-6: PRAISE THE LORD FROM THE HEAVENS

["Praise the Lord" is repeated nine times in the first five verses.]

Vs. 1-4 – The command to praise is given to the heavens. It is a choir made up of angels, heavenly hosts, sun, moon, stars and waters above the heavens.

“The 'waters above the heavens' are a poetic or popular term for the rain clouds.” (Kidner)

Vs. 5-6 – Three reasons the heavens should praise the LORD:

1. He created them with a command. (God made His own choir!)
2. He established them forever and ever. (Creation is renewed, but not recreated.)
3. He made a decree which shall not pass away. (His word endures forever.)

💛NUGGET: God created everything out of nothing with a command.

“If all that is not God came into being at the word of God, then it follows that every second of our existence is owing to the word of God.” (John Piper)

VERSES 7-14: PRAISE THE LORD FROM THE EARTH

Vs. 7-12 – Now, the praise descends to the earth. And the chorus becomes HUGE! There are sea creatures, the sea, fire, hail, snow, clouds, wind, mountains, hills, fruit trees, cedars, beasts, livestock, creepy creeping things, flying birds, kings, peoples, princes, judges, young men and maidens, old men and children.

Vs. 13a – “Let them praise”: This phrase is in imperative (jussive) form: It's a command. Praising God isn't optional, y'all. It is one of our highest callings and purposes.

Vs. 13b – ALL creation is commanded to strike up a HALLELUJAH from heaven to earth in praise of the Creator, who is exalted above ALL. (“All” is used ten times in this psalm; the writer wanted to make sure nothing or no one was left out of the universal chorus!)

Vs. 14 – God's people should praise Him in a special way because:

• He has exalted their horn. (rescued and established them in power)
• He has made them His saints. 
• They are His children.
• They are near to Him.

💛NUGGET: This psalm paints a pretty picture which seems totally unrealistic until you read Revelation 5:13 and realize that One Day, it's gonna happen... “every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them” will join voices together in joyous harmony to sing praises of “blessing and honor and glory and power“ to “Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb”. I can only imagine...

Songwriter William J. Kirkpatrick imagined it. He put Psalm 148 to music in 1899 in an eloquent and powerful way. This is a well-known and favorite hymn that has withstood the test of time:

VIDEO:  "Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah" 
https://youtu.be/g4_i-6QPjZ0

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PSALM 149 – HALLELUJAH #4

Vs. 1 – “Sing to the LORD a new song”: As we have noted before, a “new song” may be sung when God has blessed or delivered His people in a new way. We are not given the historical details that inspired the psalmist to look forward in a new way and with renewed hope.

Vs. 2 – “Rejoice... be joyful”: We started this Study of Psalms with a wonderful quote from C.S. Lewis, which – 37 days later – we can hopefully appreciate even more:

“The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance.”

💛NUGGET: Joy is an inescapable side effect to the goodness of God.

Vs. 4 – How does it make you feel to know that God takes pleasure in you? It speaks of His immeasurable mercy and love that God can look into our heaped up hearts, sift past all the sinfulness and strife... and still find something of worth within us that gives Him pleasure.

“What is there in us in which the Lord can take pleasure? Nothing, unless he has put it there. If he sees any beauty in us, it must be the reflection of his own face. Yet still the text says so, and therefore it must be true: ‘The Lord taketh pleasure in his people.’” (Spurgeon)

Vs. 6 – “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand”: In other words:  “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!”

Vs. 9 – “To execute on them the written judgment”: Many scholars view this verse as a prophetic reference to the Lord's final victory:

“Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He JUDGES and makes war.” (Revelation 19:11)

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PSALM 150 – HALLELUJAH #5

And here we are: the Grand Finale... the Final Hallelujah. Psalm 150 is an eloquent hymn that brings the Book of Psalms to a triumphant end. In just six short verses, we are commanded to praise God thirteen times. This psalm gives us the where, why, how and who of praising God.

▶WHERE?

Vs. 1 – “Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!”: From His earthly temple to Heaven of Heavens, God is to be praised everywhere.

▶WHY?

Vs. 2 – “Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!”: We should praise God because of what He has done and who He is. He is exactly who His word reveals Him to be.  He is worthy of our praise...

VIDEO: “Names of God” - https://youtu.be/oP25kCPocwg

💛NUGGET: We should never reach the end of our awe over the greatness of God.

▶HOW?

Vs. 3-5 – Tune the orchestra. Cue the choir. Dust off the dancing shoes. These verses tell us to pull out the trumpets, the lute and harp, the banjos (?) and flutes. Get on your feet! Shake your tambourines! Clang your cymbals! He is MIGHTY! He is WORTHY! He is GREAT! Praise Him with everything you've got... don't hold back!

▶WHO?

Vs. 6 – “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”: That's it.  That's all it takes.  The only qualification for praising God is the breath He gave you.

Psalm 150 serves as a doxology not only for Book V, but for the entire Book of Psalms. It is only fitting that we end with one last song of praise: “The Doxology”.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/tQUTvMtUhw4

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💛FINAL NUGGET:  May the psalms inspire us all to be a walking hallelujah. 

STUDY OF PSALMS - Chapt. 145-147

PSALM 145 - “Praise from A-Z”

(Praise of David)

This is the only psalm titled “A Praise of David”, and it is a high point of praise within the book.

“Psalm 145 is indeed a monumental praise psalm, a fit summary of all David had learned about God during a long lifetime of following hard after the Almighty.” (James Montgomery Boice)

This is the last psalm attributed to David and is also the last of the nine psalms using some kind of acrostic pattern: Psalms 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, and 145 (five of which were written by David, BTW).

“In Jewish practice this psalm was recited twice in the morning and once in the evening service. The Talmud commends all who repeat it three times a day as having a share in the world to come.” (Willem VanGemeren)

Vs. 1 – “I will praise You, my God, O King”: Although David was the most powerful king in the ancient Middle East, he bowed before God as King of Kings.

Vs. 2 – “I will praise Your name forever and ever”: David has one foot in eternity. So should we.

Vs. 4b-7 – “Mighty acts...glorious splendor...wondrous works... awesome acts... great goodness”: I love the way David's superlatives are stumbling over each other in these verses in an attempt to describe God's greatness. Sometimes, there just aren't enough words.

💛NUGGET: “They shall utter the memory” (verse 7b): The Hebrew word for “utter” means “to pour” or “bubble up”. They will overflow with memories of God's greatness... just like David is doing in these verses!

Vs. 8-9 – David borrowed this description from God, Himself (Exodus 34:6). And aren't we glad God is slow to anger? His patient pause gives us time to repent!

Vs. 9 – “The LORD is good to all”: This is the idea of “common grace” – God's goodness extended to all humanity. God's covenant mercy was never meant only for His chosen... they were chosen to be God's way of showing His goodness and love to all His creation.

Vs. 10 – “All thy works shall praise You”: These words were used by Reginald Heber in his hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy"...

"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!

All thy works shall praise thy name,

In earth and sky and sea."

Vs. 13b – Remember that this is an acrostic poem, using the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet which frequently created irregularities. Such is the case in this verse; the letter 'nun' is missing in the Hebrew text. However, when the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered in 1947, the “Missing Nun” was found to be intact. The word “faithful' in Hebrew is “ne'eman”, beginning with the letter nun. The missing verse reads: “The Lord is faithful in all His words and kind in all His works” and it is not found in KJV and earlier versions.

💛NUGGET: We don't want to be like the Missing Nun and miss out on the praise!

Vs 14-15a – “All” is used three times in three verses.

“The last portion of the psalm is marked by a frequent repetition of ‘all,’ which occurs eleven times in these verses. The singer seems to delight in the very sound of the word, which suggests to him boundless visions of the wide sweep of God’s universal mercy, and of the numberless crowd of dependents who wait on and are satisfied by Him.” (Maclaren)

Vs. 15b – “You give them their food in due season”: Jesus' prayer of “Give us this day, our daily bread” (Matthew 5:11) could have been derived from this verse.

Vs. 17 – God's righteousness and graciousness go hand-in-hand in this verse... they are not in opposition. The Lord is righteous in His judgments because of His grace.

Vs. 18b – “To all who call upon him in truth”: Only those who worship God “in truth” will receive the promise of God's nearness.

Vs. 20 – “The LORD preserves all who love Him”: This does NOT mean that believers get a free ticket out of pain and trouble. In Hebrew, the word “preserve” means to “watch over” or “take care of”, which provides a clearer interpretation. The meaning behind this verse is similar to the promise Jesus made to His disciples before He sent them off disciple-ing...

You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. BUT NOT A HAIR OF YOUR HEAD SHALL BE LOST. (Luke 21:16-18)

Vs. 21 – “Forever and ever”: This is the third time in this psalm David has promised to praise God “forever AND ever”. Cause you know why? Forever is just not long enough to praise Him... we need “and ever” to get the job done.

💛NUGGET: Our family – like every family – has had our share of heartbreak and miracles. One night the Dickman and I were counting our blessings and he said, “I just hope that heaven is long enough to thank the Lord for all he's done for me.” Forever AND ever, amen.

“The last verse of Psalm 145 is the last word we have from David in the Bible. It is his last will and testament. If he had said nothing else in his long life, these words would be a fine legacy for future generations. In it he praises God and invites others to praise God also.” (Boice)

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PSALM 146 – HALLELUJAH #1

Psalm 146 begins a series of five “Hallelujah Psalms” that finish out the Book of Psalm. Each of these psalms begin and end with “Hallelujah” and are filled with praise in between the hallelujahs, ending the book with a crescendo of praise.

As we previously discussed, “hallelujah” is actually a combination of two Hebrew words, 'halal' and 'yah'. “Halal” means “to praise” and “Jah” is a shortened form of Jehovah (or “Yah” for “Yahweh”). (The Greek form of the word is “alleluia”). It's interesting that in the OT, the word is only found in the Book of Psalm and is mentioned once in the NT in Revelation 19. Depending on your Bible version, it is translated as “Praise the Lord” or “Praise be to God” instead of “Hallelujah”. (In my humble opinion, it should always be translated as Hallelujah... there can never be too many Hallelujahs!)

Apparently the famous composer, George Frederick Handel, agreed with me. His “Hallelujah Chorus” from the masterpiece oratorio Messiah is known throughout the world. Let's take a listen:

VIDEO: Mormon Tabernacle Choir          https://youtu.be/BBZ7AfZR9xs

💛EMBARRASSING NUGGET: I sang this song with the girl's choir in high school for a Christmas program. The audience was filled to the rafters. I was so distracted with trying to find my boyfriend (now, Dickman) in the audience that I loudly sang a solo “Hallelujah!” DURING the dramatic pause before the final hallelujah. Annnnnnd that was the end of my singing career.

[Although we don't know for sure, many scholars believe that Psalm 146 was written after the Babylonian exile. The Septuagint adds the title “of Haggai and Zechariah” to Psalms 146-148. Haggai and Zechariah were prophets post-exile.]

Vs. 1-2 – The psalmist begins this Hallelujah as both a personal declaration of praise to God and community call to praise. “Jah” (Jehovah) or “Yah”, meaning “Yahweh” is plural and is addressed to the entire congregation. But the psalmist also addresses his own soul.

💛NUGGET: True praise begins in our soul, bubbles up to our throats and is shouted from joyous lips.

Vs. 3 – In contrast to praising the Lord, this verse tells us we should not put our trust in mere mortals “in whom there is no help”. The word "help" here is literally “salvation”. It's not a matter of never trusting our leaders in worldly matters of government and business (do so at your own risk!). But we should never put our faith and salvation in anyone but the Lord.

💛NUGGET: The best of men are men, at best. There is only ONE God.

Vs. 4 – There is an interesting Hebrew play on words between “man” in verse 3b and “earth” in verse 4a. The Hebrew word for “man” is “adam” and for “earth" is “adamah”. After his sin, God told Adam that he would return to the earth (adamah) “because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19) . It is a reversal of creation.

Vs. 9b – “But the way of the wicked He turns upside down”: The KJV says that God makes the way of the wicked “crooked”. But wait... aren't the wicked already traipsing down a twisted path? Why does God make it even more crooked? Because sometimes, God just confirms the path that man has already chosen. Think about Pharaoh, for example. We read in Exodus of Pharaoh hardening his heart against God on four different occasions before we are told “The LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 9:12). God allows us to choose our own paths, then He honors that choice.

“He maketh them to lose their way; he not only frustrateth their plots and enterprises but turneth them against themselves.” (Poole)

Vs. 10 - “The Lord shall reign forever”: In just a few words, both God's kingship and His eternity are made known. This is a quote from Exodus 15:18.

💛NUGGET: To know God is to never lose your Hallelujah.

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PSALM 147 – HALLELUJAH #2

“No sooner is one hallelujah ended, but another begins.” (Horne)

[Like Psalm 146, it is generally believed this song celebrates the restoration of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile.]

Vs. 1 – Hallelujah! It is good to sing praises to our God!

Vs. 2 – “He gathers together the outcasts of Israel”: God restored His remnant, just as Isaiah prophesied: "He (God) will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah" (Isaiah 11:12).

💛NUGGET: Just because a nation – or a person – fails, it doesn't mean that God is finished with them. Jehovah is the God of Restoration.

Vs. 3-4 – “He heals the brokenhearted” and “calls the stars by name”... and He knows YOU by name, too.

With His healing hand on a broken heart,

And the other on a star,

Our wonderful God views the miles apart,

And they seem not very far.

(M.P. Ferguson)

Vs. 5 – God is omnipotent (omni=all / potent=power) AND omniscient (omni=all / scientia=knowledge). God's got this.

“He is omniscient, which means that He knows in one free and effortless act all matter, all spirit, all relationships, all events.” (A.W. Tozer)

Vs. 6 – God likes to reverse the order of things from what we think they should be. He makes the weak strong and the humble mighty. (1 Corinthians 1:27)

Vs. 9 – “He gives... food... to the young ravens”: As scavengers, ravens were deemed “unclean” by the Jews. Not only were ravens despised by men (a flock of ravens is called an “unkindness”) but they are forced out of the nest as soon as they can fly. And yet, God makes sure they are fed. Matthew 6:26)

“Don’t be afraid to enjoy God. Singing and celebrating the supremacy of Yahweh is ‘good’ and ‘pleasant’ and ‘fitting,’ if for no other reason than that is what we were created to do. Fish swim in the water, birds fly in the air, and the redeemed revel in God!” (Sam Storms)

Vs. 10 – “He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.” The strength of the horse refers to cavalry and the legs of a man refer to an infantry. Why would God be unimpressed? Their strength comes from Him.

"Not only hath the Lord no pleasure in any man's legs, but not in any man's brains, nor in any man's wit, nor in any man's tongue, regardless of how eloquent, nor in any man's wealth, no matter how great; but, "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him." (Spurgeon)

Vs. 11 – "The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy”: “Mercy” here is “hesed”, which as we know is God's loyal, covenant love. But the real question is: Can we hope in the One we fear? And do we fear the One in whom we hope? I fear a blizzard. I know that I could freeze to death or at the very least, lose some toes if I were lost in a blizzard. But when I'm in my home – my refuge – I can appreciate the magnificent power of the blizzard. The hope of His mercy is our refuge and turns our fear into respect. Why does God take pleasure in those who fear Him? According to John Piper:

“Surely it is because our fear reflects the greatness of his power and our hope reflects the bounty of his grace.” (John Piper)

💛NUGGET: When we fear God's power and hope in His merciful love, we glorify Him.

Vs. 12-14 – The psalmist praises God for how He has provided for His people:

• He has strengthened the bars of the gates (PROTECTION)
• He has blessed your children within you (POSTERITY)
• He makes peace in your borders (PEACE)
• He fills you with the finest wheat (PROVISION)

Vs. 15-17 – “He sends out His command to the earth”: This statement is followed by God's presence in nature and creation.

Vs. 18 – “He sends out His word... He causes His wind to blow”: The Hebrew word for God's “wind” is “ruach”. It also can mean “breath” or “spirit” and commonly refers to the Holy Spirit. In this passage, God's word is also associated with rauch in that He sends out His word with the breath (ruach) of His mouth.

READING FOR TOMORROW:  Chapters 148-150

LINK TO READING PLAN:

https://bibleplan.org/plans/psalms-in-a-month/

STUDY OF PSALMS - Chapt. 141-144

PSALM 141 – “Like Burning Incense”

(Lament Psalm of David)

VERSES 1-2: Prayer for a Prayer

Vs. 1 – Right outta the chute, David does not hold back on his passion, crying out to the Lord twice in one breath. David's prayer is that God would hurry up and hear his prayer. Does that mean he is praying about his praying??

Vs. 2 – “Let my prayer be set before You as incense”: David wanted his prayer to God to be as sweet as the incense that burned day and night in the tabernacle. God specified that His High Priest (originally Aaron), burn incense on a golden altar morning and night as a sweet smelling offering to the Lord (Exodus 30:7-8). It was burned as a symbol of the perpetual prayers of the people (“pray without ceasing” - 1 Thessalonians 5:17), along with their sacrificial offerings. Here's the really cool part: In Revelation 5:8, the Apostle John shares his vision of the prayers of the saints (that's us!) rising like incense to heaven, where the angels add more incense (heavenly incense) and then present them to God.

VIDEO:  Tony Alonso "Psalm 141" - https://youtu.be/W8LyZ2SID_U

💛NUGGET: Since the Cross, our prayers have been made acceptable and pleasing to God by the sacrificial cleansing blood of Jesus. He is the embodiment and fulfillment of the incense sacrifice.

"Christ gave himself for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2).

VERSES 3-7: Prayer for Justice

Vs. 3-4 – David recognized that he needed to deal with his own sinful heart before asking God to deal with his enemies. “Keep watch over the door of my mouth”: refers to the sins of his mouth: slander, lies and gossip.

Vs. 5a – David prays for the righteous to strike and rebuke him. Why? Because David knew he could trust the rebuke of righteous men to be offered in loving admonition to bring him into a deeper relationship with the Lord.

Vs. 6-7 – Here we go throwing people off the cliffs. Yikes. It's almost impossible to imagine, but in biblical times, conquered enemies were literally destroyed by being pushed or thrown off cliffs (2 Chronicles 25:12). The knuckleheads of Nazareth even tried to throw Jesus off a cliff but He went all ninja on them and escaped (Luke 4:28-30). David's imprecation was that his enemies would die a cruel death so that he could be delivered from their wicked attacks.

VERSES 8-10: Prayer for Deliverance

Vs. 8 – “But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord”: I wonder if Peter recalled this verse after a night of water walking with Jesus?

💛NUGGET: The secret of an unwavering faith is to keep your eyes on the Lord.

Vs. 9-10 – These two verses complement each other: David prayed for God to keep him out of the traps of his enemies, but let them fall into their own traps, not unlike the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote...

[David's prayers of Psalm 141 were answered. “From the sequel of the history we find that the hope and assurance here expressed by the Psalmist were not vain. He escaped all the snares that were laid for him on every side.” (Horne)]

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PSALM 142 – “Only the Lonely”

(Maskill of David)

The superscription says: “When he was in the cave. A prayer.” This is the second psalm David wrote while hiding from King Saul in a cave (see Psalm 57).

VERSES 1-3: DAVID'S PLEA

Vs. 2 – “I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble”: God wants us to lay it all out... pour ALL our troubles out before Him and then (here's the hard part) DON'T PICK THEM UP AGAIN. Get in the habit of doing this and you'll be well on your way to Philippians 4:6.

💛NUGGET: The purpose for prayer is not to update God on our needs or troubles. Our prayers prepare our hearts to receive His blessings and deliverance.

VERSES 3-4b: DAVID'S PLIGHT

Vs. 4 – “No one cares for my soul”. In verse 3, David declared that God knew his path... which makes the statement that “no one” cares invalid. God cares.

💛NUGGET: God does not want us to be lonely but sometimes we need to be alone.

VERSES 5-6: DAVID'S PORTION

Vs. 5a – “I cried out to You... I said, You are my refuge... my portion...”

“If David had not cried he would not have said; and if the Lord had not been his refuge he would never have been his portion. The lower step is as needful as the higher.” (Spurgeon)

Vs. 6 – “For I am brought very low;” God sometimes allows us to be brought low – all the way to the bottom of our own self-sufficiency – so that we can learn to surrender all to Him.

VERSES 6b-7: MY PROSPECT

Vs. 7a – “Bring my soul out of prison”: This was likely a figure of speech. It is no surprise that being stuck in a damp, dark cave felt like prison to the shepherd boy who had been anointed king.

Vs. 7b – Notice that David is not asking God to deliver him so that he can go hunting with the boys or eat figs under the tree. He asks for deliverance so that he can praise God's name. David wants to glorify God with his rescued life in such a way that makes the “righteous surround” him.

[“This prayer of David was heard and answered; he was delivered from his persecutors, enlarged from his distress, exalted to the throne, and joined by all the tribes of Israel.” (Horne)]

💛NUGGET: On the evening of Oct. 3, 1226, St. Francis of Assisi was dying: His last prayer was, precisely, the recitation of Psalm 142. [St. Francis] exclaimed with the Psalm: 'I cry with my voice to the Lord, with my voice I make supplication to the Lord' and he recited it to the last verse: 'The righteous will surround me; for thou wilt deal bountifully with me'" ("Legenda Maggiore" [Major Reading], XIV, 5, in: Franciscan Sources, Padua-Assisi, 1980, p. 958).

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PSALM 143 – “Your Servant”

(Lament Psalm of David)

[The Septuagint (Greek OT) and some ancient versions add a superscription saying this was written when David was fleeing from his son Absalom.]

This is the last of seven Penitential Psalms (songs of confession and humility). It was customary in the early church to sing these psalms on Ash Wednesday.

VERSES 1-6: THE PENITENCE

Vs. 2 – “Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for in Your sight no one living is righteous”: David asked for God's mercy rather than His judgment (smart man!) because only God is righteous. This statement by David of his own unrighteousness is what classifies this as a Penitential Psalm.

Vs. 3 – “Dwell in darkness”: “Darkness” here literally means “dark places”; likely a reference to David taking refuge in caves.

VERSES 7-12: THE PRAYER

Vs. 7 – Get me out of here and make it snappy!

David makes three requests for guidance in verses 8-10:

1) “Cause me to hear your lovingkindness” (verse 8a)

“Lovingkindness is one of the sweetest words in our language. Kindness has much in it that is most precious, but lovingkindness is doubly dear; it is the cream of kindness.” (Spurgeon)

2) “Cause me to know the way in which I should walk” (verse 8b)

David needed God's guidance as well as His “hesed” (lovingkindness).

3) “Teach me to do Your will” (verse 10a)

David needed protection and obedience.

Vs. 10b – “Your Spirit is good”: God is the Original Good.

Vs. 11a – “Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake!”: David asked for revival based on the character of God rather than his own merit.

Vs. 11b – “Bring my soul out of trouble”: “I can bring it in, but thou only canst bring it out.” (Trapp)

Vs. 12 – Our submission sets God’s promises in motion...

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PSALM 144 – “Happy People”

(Royal Psalm of David)

This psalm is widely believed to have been written after David was recognized as king over all of Israel.

VERSES 1-2: PRAYER FOR PROTECTION

Vs. 1-2 – David busted out all the names he could think of to identify God as his Safe Place:

• My rock
• My faithful love (hesed)
• My fortress
• My stronghold
• My deliverer
• My shield
• My refuge

VERSES 3-8: PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE

Vs. 3 – These are the same questions the psalmist asked in Psalm 8:4, but from a different perspective. Here the question is asked in the light of verses 1-2 with emphasis on the LORD as a warrior rather than God as Creator.

VERSES 9-11: PRAYER FOR VICTORY

Vs. 11 – “Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners”: A repetition from verses 7-8).

VERSES 12-15: PRAYER FOR PEACE

Vs. 15 - “Happy are the people whose God is the LORD”

"God is the highest good of the reasonable creature; and the enjoyment of him is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows; but the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams; but God is the sun. These are but streams; but God is the fountain. These are but drops; but God is the ocean. Therefore it becomes us to spend this life only as a journey towards heaven, as it becomes us to make the seeking of our highest end and proper good, the whole work of our lives; to which we should subordinate all other concerns of life. Why should we labor for, or set our hearts on, any thing else, but that which is our proper end, and true happiness?" (Jonathan Edwards)

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READING FOR TOMORROW:  Chapters 145-147

LINK TO READING PLAN:

https://bibleplan.org/plans/psalms-in-a-month/