I remember the thought popping into my head as if it were yesterday: “Why are we doing this?” I was eight or nine, sitting in the back of the family minivan on the way to church. I think this was the first . . . Continue reading →
In looking at Psalm 5, you might notice that there is a structure to David’s prayer. Each section begins with David directly addressing the Lord. Verse 1: “Give ear to my words, O Lord.” Verse 4: “For you are not a God . . . Continue reading →
Many of the psalms are about justice or mercy. Some discuss both; others focus on one or the other. Psalm 5, though it has an element of mercy to it, is primarily a psalm calling for justice—God’s justice. Sometimes, psalms like this . . . Continue reading →
Our story begins in the dining room where Dr. and Mrs. Clark recently hosted my wife and I during our recent visit to Westminster Seminary California for a short teaching stint. Since we never want to pass up an opportunity to be . . . Continue reading →
In part one of Asaph’s temple turnaround in Psalm 73, we saw that Asaph had not always held to the truth that “God is good to Israel” (v. 1). First, we observed that even the faithful may have doubts (a crisis of . . . Continue reading →
Talking about doubts can seem almost taboo. How many friends have expressed their doubts about faith to you? How many sermons have you heard about doubts? What would your church friends or pastor think if you expressed your doubts to them? Are . . . Continue reading →
I have long wondered why it seems hard for the psalms to get better traction in our worship services. Although some things might suggest the tide is turning, by and large the psalms seem to be met with at least disinterest, if . . . Continue reading →
In the first section of this survey of Psalm 51, we were rocked by the foul stains of our sin. As sinners, conceived and born in iniquity, sin corrodes and tarnishes every last fiber of the inner person. Our hearts are rotten . . . Continue reading →
When it comes to laundry, some of you have probably become master stain removers. Clothes are not cheap, and stains are inevitable. If you have kids or a dropsy husband, you fight grassy knees, drips of coffee, blots of ink, and those . . . Continue reading →
In Part 1 we saw that Yahweh is the only true God, the one worthy of worship. He is the true storm god, and Baal is nowhere to be found. The LORD is the great King over all things, and his voice . . . Continue reading →
There are few books in the Bible more well-known in the church and the world today than the Book of Psalms. Even unbelievers have Psalm 23 memorized. Psalms 95 and Psalms 100 are mainstays as calls to worship in Reformed and Presbyterian . . . Continue reading →
Having given this wonderful text of Psalm 100 an expositional and pastoral survey in our previous three articles, we return one last time for a fourth installment wherein we consider some further implications and applications from this marvelous psalm. Continue reading →
Linguists have provided significant help to biblical scholars, not the least in the area of lexical semantics. Lexical here means words and phrases and semantics deals with meanings, so that lexical semantics is the study of how words mean. One area of . . . Continue reading →
A text like Psalm 100 reminds us of what we were meant to do as a people—what we were created for. Continue reading →
Last time, I mentioned that the great Aaronic benediction in Number 6:22–27 concludes with the wonderful line: “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” The notion of God putting his name upon someone . . . Continue reading →
A text like Psalm 100 reminds us of what we were meant to do as a people—what we were created for. Continue reading →
I once preached through the book of Hebrews. When I arrived at the end of the book, I was very excited about preaching on the benediction in Hebrews 13:20–21. I love benedictions. If you study the “mother of all benedictions,” that of . . . Continue reading →
A text like Psalm 100 reminds us of what we were meant to do as a people—what we were created for. Continue reading →
Already in this series we have looked at two things that will be further illustrated here. First, we have to be very careful with the whole notion of a “literal” translation. Literal does not necessarily mean more accurate. The second thing is . . . Continue reading →
At this point in Psalm 77, Asaph begins to see things in a different light—Yahweh acted to save His people in history, which brought the psalmist comfort in the midst of his present chaos and pain. Specifically, the LORD rescued His people . . . Continue reading →