The Psalms were written by many poets and at many different dates. Some, I believe, are allowed to go back to the reign of David; I think certain scholars allow that Psalm 18 (of which a slightly different version occurs in 1 . . . Continue reading →
Psalms
Saturday Psalm Series: The Blessed Man, The Blessed Life, The Blessed Word—Psalm 1 (Part 4)
Since we have given this wonderful Psalm an exegetical, expositional, and pastoral survey in our previous three installments, we return one last time for a fourth wherein we consider some further implications of this psalm. With great indebtedness to the pastoral insight . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: The Blessed Man, The Blessed Life, The Blessed Word—Psalm 1 (Part 3)
As noted in our previous installments, Psalm 1 is a psalm appropriate for any season of life because we, as Christians, live in a world where sin seems normal and holiness seems weird, where wickedness is celebrated and wisdom is mocked. We . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: The Blessed Man, The Blessed Life, The Blessed Word—Psalm 1 (Part 2)
As we noted in our previous installment, Psalm 1 is a psalm appropriate for any season of life. Why? Because you, Christian, live in a world where sin seems normal, and holiness seems weird. What your grandparents may have considered warped and . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: The Blessed Man, The Blessed Life, The Blessed Word—Psalm 1 (Part 1)
Psalm 1 is one of those passages that folks like to preach at the beginning of a new calendar year or ponder at the outset of a significant new season in life. Indeed, this psalm is particularly dear to my family. For . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: Holy Saturday In Light Of Psalm 62
King Jesus would know silence in a way that David never could because he was not merely wounded and abandoned. He was murdered in the most brutal way the Romans knew. He was publicly humiliated and shamed, and then, they hoped, silenced by being placed in a tomb.
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Saturday Psalm Series: Bob Godfrey On How To Learn To Love The Psalms
In our day and age, the average Christian is more likely to know the lyrics to the latest chart-topper than they are to know the words of Psalm 23, and it is even less likely that they have ever sung the metrical . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: Principal Place: A Pragmatic Plea For Psalmody
The Modern church has earned a dubious distinction: we live in the most psalm-less period in the history of the church. A Quick History Of Psalmlessness We know that the Jews sang psalms. We know that our Lord sang psalms with his . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: Meditating On Psalm 8 (Part 2): The Mindfulness Of Our Redeemer
In the previous post, we considered how Psalm 8 highlights the greatness of God’s being in order to highlight the greatness of His grace and how a greater conception of grace inspires greater gratitude in the hearts and minds of God’s people. . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: 115 As Sung In The Early Church, The Medieval Church, and The Reformation-Era Reformed Churches
Source Resources Subscribe To The Heidelblog! The Heidelblog Resource Page Heidelmedia Resources The Ecumenical Creeds The Reformed Confessions The Heidelberg Catechism Recovering the Reformed Confession (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2008) Why I Am A Christian What Must A Christian Believe? Heidelblog Contributors Resources . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: Meditating On Psalm 8 (Part 1): The Mindfulness of Our Creator & Sustainer
Mindfulness is everywhere. Recently, as I was waiting in the grocery store checkout line, my eyes happened upon a special edition of TIME magazine titled, “Mindfulness: Your Path to Health & Happiness.” On the cover sat a young woman in a yoga . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: Ruling In The Midst Of His Enemies—Psalms 2 & 110
If you have been watching this space or listening to the Heidelcast, you will be aware that various contributors and friends of the Heidelblog have been paying some attention to the renewed interest in postmillennial eschatology and to its child, the theorecon . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: Psalm 88 (Part 8): Light in the Midst of Darkness
After Darkness Light
The Encouraging Aftermath (Psalms 88-92) Throughout the previous articles on Psalm 88 we have considered how light can be found in the midst of darkness. Yet, in this concluding article, we will return to the well-known phrase of the Reformation, “after darkness . . . Continue reading →
What Did the Divines Mean By Psalms?
The question has been raised as to just what the divines might have meant by the noun “psalms” in the Westminster Confession of Faith (1648).1 WCF 21.5 says, 5. The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear, the sound preaching and conscionable . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: Psalm 88 (Part 7): Light in the Midst of Darkness
The Light that Reverses the Darkness
Throughout the Psalter many questions are posed in a melancholy manner. In book three of the Psalter (Psalms 73–89), we find a plethora of laments in the interrogative form. Imagine approaching the Lord with the following questions: Why do You cast us . . . Continue reading →
Living With True Comfort In The Faithful Love Of God
Many struggle to see Moses’ answer in Psalm 90. Often, the solution of this psalm is presented rather moralistically, as if the imperative of verse 12 is the singular answer: “So teach us to number our days so that we gain a . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: Psalm 88 (Part 6): Light in the Midst of Darkness
And the Darkness Has Not Overcome It—Our Savior’s Soliloquy
In the previous articles, we have considered the immensity of darkness. First, we saw the importance of prayer in the Psalm 88’s opening. No matter what darkness we face, we can always call upon our Lord. Then, we focused on the intensity . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: The Psalm I Want Sung At My Graveside
To my friends, no I am not, as far as I know, in imminent danger of death. My enemies shall have to wait a bit longer. My reflections this morning are inspired by a series of posts at TGC including “The Song Scott . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: Psalm 88 (Part 5): Light in the Midst of Darkness
Who Rules Over the Darkness
In the last article, we considered the fog of darkness. One helpful way to clear the fog is by acknowledging who is ultimately in control of the darkness we face. When we face difficult times, when we feel like we have unanswered . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: Psalm 88 (Part 4): Light in the Midst of Darkness
The Fog of Darkness
Fog is such a perplexing form of weather. When miniscule droplets of water become suspended in the air, they suddenly surround us like blinding clouds of smoke. A thick fog can quickly cause panic when we drive on the road. When a . . . Continue reading →