Psalms Readings – Week 10
March 7 – Psalm 70
For the director of music. Of David. A petition.
1 Hasten, O God, to save me; come quickly, Lord, to help me.
2 May those who want to take my life
be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruinv be turned back in disgrace.
3 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” turn back because of their shame.
4 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!”
5 But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer;
Lord, do not delay.
Psalm 71
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.
2 In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me; turn your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go;
give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.
5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.
6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.
7 I have become a sign to many; you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor all day long.
9 Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.
10 For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together.
11 They say, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.”
12 Do not be far from me, my God; come quickly, God, to help me.
13 May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long— though I know not how to relate them all.
16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
17 Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.
19 Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens, you who have done great things. Who is like you, God?
20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.
21 You will increase my honor
and comfort me once more.
22 I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I whom you have delivered.
24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long,
for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.
Psalm 71 continues the thoughts of Psalm 70 concerning deliverance from his enemies. However, Psalm 71 has much more confidence and hope. David speaks of how God has been his confidence from his youth. Even from birth, God has taught him. David has been growing in his relationship with God all of his life. Now that he is older, he has such a strong foundation. Even though he has lived through so many adversities and continues to do so, he says, “as for me, I will always have hope.” Such a faith statement naturally comes when you have been seeking God all your life. Now that he is older, he is a sign to others of how God has been faithful to him over and over. He desires to tell of God’s mighty acts to the next generation so they will experience what he has. May we be intent, as David, upon speaking to the next generation about God’s faithful ways in our life.
Memory Verse: Psalm 73:25, Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
Question(s) to Consider: To whom are you passing the faith along? Who are you discipling?
March 8 – Psalm 72
Of Solomon.
1 Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness.
2 May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice.
3 May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.
4 May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy;
may he crush the oppressor.
5 May he endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations.
6 May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.
7 In his days may the righteous flourish and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.
8 May he rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 May the desert tribes bow before him and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts.
11 May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.
12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.
13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.
14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.
15 Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him.
May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.
16 May grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops flourish like Lebanon and thrive like the grass of the field.
17 May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun.
Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.
18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.
19 Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.
Solomon, the son of David, the wisest of all persons, offers a prayer that is to be prayed for the king. He asks that God would equip him with justice and righteousness and then asks that the king would use them wisely in his rule. This is a royal psalm, and it is unique in emphasizing the king’s role in defending and protecting the weak, the afflicted, and the needy in society.
It uses extravagant language asking God for the king to endure like the sun, that kings will come and bring wealth, and that his rule will extend to the “ends of the earth.”
However, this wealth and glory given to the king were not for his honor and praise alone. It is intended to be for the blessing of all nations as verse 17 reveals. This continues the blessing that Abraham was first given which was to be extended throughout all generations. God’s people are blessed so they can bless the world. Whatever blessings we have are not meant to be hoarded but to be freely given so that others can share in God’s salvation. Jesus, our King, perfectly lived this prayer out.
This psalm gives us a beautiful picture and prayer for us to offer for our leaders and how they are to govern and what the ultimate goal of all government is: justice and righteousness for all.
Memory Verse: Psalm 73:25, Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
Question(s) to Consider: Do you pray for the leaders of our government? If not, will you start?
March 9 – Psalm 73
A psalm of Asaph.
1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong.
5 They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance.
11 They say, “How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?”
12 This is what the wicked are like—always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!
20 They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.
21 When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
Asaph, the author, is a descendant of Levi and served as chief musician at the sanctuary.
Asaph struggles with the thought that the lives of the wicked often seem to be carefree. This theme resembles thoughts from previous psalms, Job, and Habakkuk. Asaph’s sufferings seem endless, and each day is worse than the previous one. He struggles with the justice of what many ask, “Why do good things happen to bad people?”
In verse 15, Asaph now realizes he has spoken ill-advised words. This turn from pessimistic envy is the structural center of the psalm. In verse 17, Asaph has gone to worship and comes to realize the eternal truth that there is nothing better than God’s presence. If we have God, we have the greatest wealth and treasure of all. He realizes that earthly wealth is temporary in contrast with the glorious future awaiting the righteous.
In verse 23, in the presence of God, Asaph makes the declaration that he is always with God. It is one thing to say God is with us, but quite another to be confident that we are with Him. Being near to God is the highest possible good revealing the world doesn’t have anything to offer in comparison.
May we choose to be like Asaph who totally gave himself to God and saw the reality of what is truly the blessed life.
Memory Verse: Psalm 73:25, Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
Question(s) to Consider: Do you ever envy others? What helps bring you back to see true reality?
March 10 – Psalm 74
A maskil of Asaph.
1 O God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember the nation you purchased long ago, the people of your inheritance, whom you redeemed— Mount Zion, where you dwelt.
3 Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.
4 Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs.
5 They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees.
6 They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets.
7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name.
8 They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely!” They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.
9 We are given no signs from God; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be.
10 How long will the enemy mock you, God? Will the foe revile your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them! 12 But God is my King from long ago; he brings salvation on the earth.
13 It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.
15 It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
16 The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon.
17 It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.
18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord, how foolish people have reviled your name.
19 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever. 20 Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.
This Asaph must be a descendant of the family of Asaph of David’s era since the psalm is written from the perspective of the destruction of Jerusalem, hundreds of years after the original Asaph lived.
Following Psalm 73 where the psalmist finds life’s true meaning in God’s presence at the sanctuary, we are given a horrible picture of what has happened to the magnificent temple of God. It has been completely destroyed, and God has seemingly abandoned His people to their enemies. Judgment has come upon Israel for their wicked rebellion and refusal to wholeheartedly turn to God.
Just as David spoke in Psalm 32 of what happens when we, as individuals, fail to confess our sin and allow guilt to linger and destroy our health, so the psalmist gives us a painful picture of what happens when a nation turns away from God. The psalmist acknowledges God has done many wonders for Israel throughout its history but questions why they seemingly have been rejected and asks how long God will let the enemy mock Him.
In the center of this lament and plea for help, the psalmist declares God is his King who can rescue them. Even in the midst of a very dark place, the psalmist displays he still believes God is the Sovereign King who will respond to his prayers. When we find ourselves in similar situations, may we declare our belief in God’s sovereignty (even if we do not feel it at the moment) and keep on trusting Him in the midst of our questions and passionate pleas for help.
Memory Verse: Psalm 73:25, Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
Question(s) to Consider: Will you declare your faith in King Jesus in the midst of your trouble?
March 11 – Psalm 75
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A psalm of Asaph. A song.
1 We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near;
people tell of your wonderful deeds.
2 You say, “I choose the appointed time;
it is I who judge with equity.
3 When the earth and all its people quake,
it is I who hold its pillars firm.
4 To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.
5 Do not lift your horns against heaven;
do not speak so defiantly.’”
6 No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt themselves.
7 It is God who judges:
He brings one down, he exalts another.
8 In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.
9 As for me, I will declare this forever;
I will sing praise to the God of Jacob,
10 who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”
Asaph leads the congregation in offering praise to God because they know He is near, and they have experienced His many wonderful acts.
Then God speaks in verses 2-5 telling us of His justice. There is an appointed judgment day coming when all things will be made right. God declares He is the one who steadies the world as the ancient people envisioned the earth was set upon pillars as a foundation.
God speaks to the arrogant to stop their boasting and defiant speech and to quit exercising their little power against heaven. There is no one from anywhere on earth who can rival God.
The psalmist confirms what God says beginning in verse 6. God is the righteous Judge. He brings down those who rebel against God and elevates those who worship and honor Him.
We, too, can offer our praise as we are confident in His righteous nature. Justice is at the heart of who God is. Even though things may seem out of order in our world today and evil is gaining significant ground, we can rest assured that God is going to make all things good and right in the final judgment. For the believer in Jesus, this is good news!
Memory Verse: Psalm 73:25, Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
Question(s) to Consider: How do you feel about God’s justice? Are you comforted that all things will be made right and good in due time? Does it motivate you to be found among the righteous?
March 12 – Psalm 76
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.
1 God is renowned in Judah; in Israel his name is great.
2 His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion.
3 There he broke the flashing arrows,
the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.
4 You are radiant with light,
more majestic than mountains rich with game.
5 The valiant lie plundered, they sleep their last sleep;
not one of the warriors can lift his hands.
6 At your rebuke, God of Jacob,
both horse and chariot lie still.
7 It is you alone who are to be feared.
Who can stand before you when you are angry?
8 From heaven you pronounced judgment,
and the land feared and was quiet—
9 when you, God, rose up to judge,
to save all the afflicted of the land.
10 Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise,
and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.
11 Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them;
let all the neighboring lands
bring gifts to the One to be feared.
12 He breaks the spirit of rulers;
he is feared by the kings of the earth.
This psalm of Zion celebrates God’s power and judgment. It reminds us that God is not only loving and forgiving, but is one who ultimately judges those who rebel against Him. His name is to be praised among the faithful and will eventually be praised by all around the world.
This psalm may refer to God’s victory over the Assyrians in Hezekiah’s time, but the message can equally apply to any occasion when God decisively wins the battle over evil. Nothing can thwart God as He defeats the most valiant of warriors and the backbone of the ancient army, horse and chariot.
God alone is to be feared. No one can stand before Him when his righteous judgment comes. God’s judgment does two things. It brings down God’s enemies but, also, lifts up God’s afflicted people.
We see that the neighboring lands did bring gifts, and God was feared by the kings when the Lord miraculously delivered Hezekiah from the Assyrians, 2 Chronicles 32:23, “Many brought offerings to Jerusalem for the Lord and valuable gifts for Hezekiah king of Judah. From then on he was highly regarded by all the nations.”
As the people of God, we need to make sure we have an appropriate understanding of judgment included in our theology of who our loving and holy God is and what He does.
Memory Verse: Psalm 73:25, Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
Question(s) to Consider: What is your understanding of God’s judgment in today’s world and at the end of time? How does your understanding impact the way you live?
March 13 – Psalm 77
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.
3 I remembered you, God, and I groaned; I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.
4 You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days, the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night. My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
7 “Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”
10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
13 Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.
15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
16 The waters saw you, God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed.
17 The clouds poured down water, the heavens resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth.
18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.
19 Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
The song begins in a familiar way with a lament wondering when God was going to show up and answer his distressed prayer. Asaph could not sleep so he meditated through the night about the things of God and even his own songs that he had previously written. However, he only came up with the haunting thought of wondering if God was still there and loved him. If you have ever asked those questions, you are not alone!
In this meditation time, he chose to change his mental channel and remember the miracles of God from the distant past. He considered how God displayed his power in full view as He rescued His people out of Egypt. The waters retreated when they saw God coming. In fact, in view of God’s power, all of creation danced with thunder, lightning, wind, and earthquakes.
God’s path led them through the sea. God did not take them around it, but they had to go through it in order to see God’s power on display. Oh, how we wish we could bypass the troubling waters of life, but then we would never see God at work. Even though they did not see His footsteps, they knew He was with them leading the way.
Asaph, then, tells us how God did it. God shepherded them with the leadership of Moses and Aaron. God used two leaders to accomplish his miraculous redemption of the people. Moses was a lay leader, and Aaron was clergy. Moses played the more prominent role. Laity, do not give up your most important responsibility to be used by God for His eternal and glorious purposes!
Memory Verse: Psalm 73:25, Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
Question(s) to Consider: Is God taking you through the “sea?” If so, what does He want you to see? (No pun intended!) Do you accept the reality that God wants to use laity and clergy alike to accomplish his mission to redeem the world?